[robctwo]

Just went over the 20,000 mark on the Hornady LnL.

9mm 122 gr Oregon Laser Cast got the honor.

[Guy B. Meredith]

Well, I guess you can consider that at this point it has paid for itself. Now the rest of the savings goes into your pocket. Sort of like the idea that we work for 5 months to earn money to pay our taxes and the rest if for us.

[Kramer Krazy]

I'm only up to 2000.....but I've only been reloading since the end of January. :D I still have another 1000 or so until my equipment is paid off through the savings of reloading......Hmmmm......end of this April, probably. :D

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

It's amazing how quickly one gets to that many reloads on one. I think though that one doesn't have to get to that high a round count to get to one. I paid for mine within about 3000 rounds. Of course, I don't have a case feeder either, though I'm getting one soon.

Congrats on reaching 20K robctwo. In that amount of time, have you made any modifications or added anything to the press? Not repairs, but mods for additional features. Have you seen any signs of wear?

Regards,

Dave

[robctwo]

No real problems with the press. I bought it in 04. Started reloading on it in March. I had learned to reload with a friend on his Lee loadmaster.

I loaded pistol, 9mm and .40 at first. Ran about 9,000 rounds through it between March and July 04. We then packed up to move. Didn't get the shop done and loader set up until July 05. Wife had other priorities and so did I.

Got back to reloading in July 05 with rifle. .243, .308 and 300WSM. I was very happy with the quality of rifle loads this thing can make. Didn't try to get much speed. In fact I loaded a lot one round at a time. Did get the progressive going at times. I have more .308 than I'll probably shoot in the next 10 years. Unless I get an assault rifle......?

Began pistol loading again in December. .45 long colt for the Taurus cowboy gun. Then got into .45ACP to feed the new Sig 220 and Springfield Armory loaded. I recently depleted my 9mm stockpile, so I'm loading up a couple thousand of those.

I've had some wear on the small pistol primer slide. The front is dinged up and worn down. I think this is from loading with loose powder running around. Something I did often at first. I did bend my primer return cam this year. Something worked loose and hung up and I gave it the hard pull. Never a good idea.

I have the automatic case feeder, and used it at first. I haven't hooked it up yet at the new place. Didn't use it for rifle and got into the habit of hand feeding the cases. All I need to do is hook up the tubes, but I'm comfortable with the hand loading for now.

No real problems with function or quality of ammo. I'm not saving much money onshooting, just shooting more for the same amount. I did notice the other day that I thought I needed to shoot anothe couple hundred rounds to replenish my brass supply. That's a sign of reloading addicition. So is buying the pimers by the case and the powder in 4 or 8 pound bottles.

Hey Kramer, you need an assistant to reload for all those guns.

[bobaloo]

I just noticed the other day that I have four empty primer boxes, the cardboard ones that hold 5,000 primers, filled with stuff on the shelf, so those primers must have gone somewhere...:)

Couple of years ago I decided to get more serious about pistol shooting and go to the range a couple of times a week and shoot 200-400 rounds, doesn't take long to add up.

Just got 32 pounds of 2230C and 12 pounds of Power Pistol from UPS, so ready to go for another year.

[ReloaderFred]

I think I passed the 20,000 round mark sometime in 1968 or '69. Up over half a million now and somewhere near 3/4 million rounds. I've worn out two presses and had to replace them. Just looking around the shop, there are approximately 20,000 rounds of loaded ammunition in ammo cans for 26 different calibers right now. Hate TV, so load ammo instead.

Fred

[Cortland]

So take that you Dillon fanatics! ;)

I don't keep count, but I expect I have close to 20K through my LnL. I just loaded 1000 .38s a few days ago. I can't imagine loading without the case feeder, though.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

robctwo,

"No real problems with the press."

Mine has struck me with how simple and rugged it is for the price.

"Got back to reloading in July 05 with rifle. .243, .308 and 300WSM. I was very happy with the quality of rifle loads this thing can make. Didn't try to get much speed. In fact I loaded a lot one round at a time."

I did this at first too, then got more and more progressive. But I was loading 30.06 in a known configuration.

"I've had some wear on the small pistol primer slide. The front is dinged up and worn down. I think this is from loading with loose powder running around."

I've noticed the press never spills any powder, but I always manage to screw something up and spill some myself to gum up the works. I've taken to using a can of compressed air like you use on a computer keyboard to blow things out. I'm wondering if you called Hornady if they wouldn't replace those for you.

"I did bend my primer return cam this year. Something worked loose and hung up and I gave it the hard pull. Never a good idea."

Nope, bad idea. I nearly did the same myself and realized the nuts on the bottom had worked loose. I straightened the primer return cam, then added blue loctite and that seems to be a permanet fix, along with adjusting the primer return cam.

"I have the automatic case feeder, and used it at first. I haven't hooked it up yet at the new place. Didn't use it for rifle and got into the habit of hand feeding the cases. All I need to do is hook up the tubes, but I'm comfortable with the hand loading for now."

Would you recommend someone buy the casefeeder or are you finding the press is fast enough without? Also, would it be possible to get a scanned copy of the manual from you? I'd like to look it over.

No real problems with function or quality of ammo. I'm not saving much money onshooting, just shooting more for the same amount. I did notice the other day that I thought I needed to shoot anothe couple hundred rounds to replenish my brass supply. That's a sign of reloading addicition."

LOL, I can relate. I'm looking seriously into making my own lead bullets, for the same reason. Another reloading related hobby to extend that time. I've found it is much more fun than television and fills time since the kids are grown and gone.

Regards,

Dave

[robctwo]

Dave

I bought the automatic case feeder at the same time as the press. I had decided that I needed to make 300-500 rounds per hour to make the press pay for my time. "Very important person with very expensive time". I ran the press that way for the first few months. It wasn't all that much fun. Every little thing that went wrong was a crisis. Speed was critical. It was ridiculous.

Having a break gave me some perspective. I can buy ammo and spend zero time reloading. I'm glad that I did some rifle rounds to see what custom reloading was all about. Shooting a four shot group in one hole smaller than a dime from 100 yards on a rest with a deer rifle is cool.

Taking the time to enjoy the process is what is fun. My shop has heat and a nice sound system. If I need to spend three hours reloading at a nice pace then that's what I do. I also like handling each case before it goes into the press. Interesting how some of them have cracks .

I'm not sure about scanning the manual. I can get some pictures and post them.

[robctwo]

After reloading for a bit it doesn't strike me as the least bit odd that ReloaderFred has 20,000 rounds on hand. I'll need to keep up a steady pace for the next 35 YEARS to get to that level. I'll be 90. What a great way to spend retirement.

Got the new reduced weight recoil springs in from Brownells today along with an Ed Brown Sear and disconnector. And a ceramic stone. Looking at a trigger job on my 1911 Springfield to round out the obsession. Wanting to shoot some of those really reduced load .45. 3.8 gr Clays under a 200 gr SWC. The Springer cycles the 4.2 gr Clays just fine but not 3.8 with as much reliability.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

robctwo,

"I bought the automatic case feeder at the same time as the press. I had decided that I needed to make 300-500 rounds per hour to make the press pay for my time. "Very important person with very expensive time". I ran the press that way for the first few months. It wasn't all that much fun. Every little thing that went wrong was a crisis. Speed was critical. It was ridiculous."

I didn't have that option when I bought mine, as it wasn't available, but when I started, I found that "going slowly" I ended up getting things into a rhythm quicker for each caliber and very quickly I was producing 400 rounds per hour without a casefeeder. This was with the older shellplates and original primer feed system before both were upgraded. (I have a pre-7000 serial number.) Hornady has since sent me upgrades and the machine became smooth as glass vs. kinda bumpety before.

I really think anyone can kill themselves trying to "produce" when they're new to any sort of manufacturing (and reloading on a progressive is basic manufacturing of ammo). I've seen this when I worked years ago as a production technician. New line workers would come in and try to kill themselves, then, finally would get into a rhythm that would allow them to produce more without working themselves to death. I would advise anyone with a new progressive to start slow, get used to the machine and speed (production) will come on it's own.

"Having a break gave me some perspective. I can buy ammo and spend zero time reloading. I'm glad that I did some rifle rounds to see what custom reloading was all about. Shooting a four shot group in one hole smaller than a dime from 100 yards on a rest with a deer rifle is cool."

Suprising how well the Hornady reloads rifle, isn't it? I got similar results with 30.06 ammo in my Garand. (My M1 is accurized.)

"Taking the time to enjoy the process is what is fun. My shop has heat and a nice sound system. If I need to spend three hours reloading at a nice pace then that's what I do. I also like handling each case before it goes into the press. Interesting how some of them have cracks ."

I agree totally, though I tend to inspect at an earlier time, such as before and after tumbling.

"I'm not sure about scanning the manual. I can get some pictures and post them."

That would be great. I'd like to read up on the casefeeder a bit and see if I can figure out wether or not I really want/need one. Mostly want, I'm thinking. I wanna see what I can do reloading wise. I'm getting an easy 400 now with the piddling I do.

I figure with the casefeeder and primer feeder, I should be able to double that without a strain, as I'm losing about 15 minutes an hour loading primers and not sure how much time lost handling cases, but enough. I increased production a lot just mounting a bracket to hold cases and bullets close to where I insert them. Reloading 30.06 is a bit more difficult than reloading .45ACP and I got 400/hour with those the last time with just loading slowly.

I wish I had an RCBS X-die sizing die for the 30.06, but I can't justify it in the quantities I load for that caliber, so I end up running the brass through twice, once to size, so I can take it off to trim and once to complete the reloading process.

Regards,

Dave

[larryw]

So take that you Dillon fanatics!

There a missing zero in the reload tally, right? :evil:

[LAH]

20,000 reloads

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just went over the 20,000 mark on the Hornady LnL.

9mm 122 gr Oregon Laser Cast got the honor.


Congrats from the Creeker

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Watch it Larry or we'll dig out one of those Star progressive owners that been reloading on his progressive for 30 years plus and hasn't needed the warranty in all that time. :)

Those things put almost all their cheaper made copies (And they are, in fact, what most all other progressives are copied from.) to shame. They run like a swiss watch.

[Peter M. Eick]

I was hoping to break 150,000 this weekend with my Pro2000, but I am going to be a few hundred primers short.

Good deal on the 20k, keep after it!