Equipment needed for 200 rounds/hr?

[RustyFN]

I'm with Walkalong, don't worry so much about time. Case prep takes time to do it right. Like Dave said get the RCBS X-die and you will only have to do it once. I load on a classic turret and after case prep can load 200 an hour easy.

DaveIFBG. Long time no see. Good to see you again.

 

[sugarmaker]

Thanks for all the replies - I've been on vacation.

I'm looking into the x die, thanks Dave.

The reason for the 200 number is my son and I do a practice match and have about 200 cases, fired from my rifles. I practice with xm193 out to 300 and use handloads at 600. For "real" matches, we will use quality reloads (Berger or a-max bullets) at all ranges, and 600 yard loads will have weighed charges. The reason for 1.5 hours is I don't think i could do the full process in 1 hour, time is hard to come by with 3 kids. I hear Friendlyfire loud and clear, I long for the days when i can spend an evening reloading and not feel like I should be doing something else.


I'm starting with clean cases (clock starts when tumbler is unplugged). It looks like the questions may come down to:

Can a hornaday LNL or a lee classic turret match (not beat, but match) a rock chucker for precision?

If I'm only making 200 rounds and must do a caliber change before loading, which one of the 2 presses (LnL or classic turret) will finish first ---IF--- I'm weighing charges with a uniflow and trickler (or electronic measure- any suggestions??)? Assume I have extra turrets for the lee and adapters for the LnL.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Case-prep is going to be the biggest sticking point with your desired output, especially because you're starting with brass with crimped primer pockets ( ).

At the minimum you'll need to size, swage, trim and chamfer. If you're really picky, you'll probably want to deburr the flash hole too. You'll want a Giruad trimmer and a Dillon Super Swage. Luckily swaging is a one-operation, as is flash-hole deburring. Trimming only has to be done every 2-3 loadings.

Depending on your powder measure, you may not have to weigh your 600-yard loads. I'm knocking on the door to High Master (if I shoot a 780 at my next match...) and I have NEVER weighed a charge for 600-yard ammo. To compound the horrors, I run either Varget or RL-15 through a LEE Perfect Powder measure into my .223 cases!

Oh, I also run Nosler bullets because I can find them for less money than the Sierras and Hornadys most of the guys I shoot with use...

All that said, 200-rounds in 90 minutes is doable on a single-stage, but only if you start with cases that have been prepped (sized and trimmed). I prefer to treat these as two separate things: One night I'll prep the boxes of cases I want to reload, and then the next I make them into live ammo.

 

[sugarmaker]

WW-good luck on making HM - What do you load on?

 

[dbarnhart]

>>Can a hornaday LNL or a lee classic turret match (not beat, but match) a rock chucker for precision?<<

A single stage press is always going to beat a progressive when it comes to repeatable precision.

 

[wanderinwalker]

sugarmaker- Thanks!

As for what I load on, it's a LEE Classic Cast single stage with a set of Pacesetter dies. I keep thinking about stepping up to a set of Redding Competition dies and a Harrell powder meter, but I haven't taken the plunge yet. Normally those kinds of funds get funneled into bullets, primers, match fees, car repairs, etc...

A good number of the shooters I shoot with use either Dillon 550s or Hornady LNLs for their loading. For short line ammo, it would be my preference to load progressive and save the time for practice or other hobbies. Realistically, in Highpower the short line target is at worst a 2-MOA 10-ring. It doesn't take a lot of work to make ammo that will shoot 1-MOA (good match bullets pushed by a powder that works in a reasonably wide sweet-spot like Varget or RL-15). Actually, I can come up with 4-5 recipes off the top of my head that SHOULD get you there to 300-yards.

Long line ammunition is different, but I think at least one of my team mates uses a progressive for even 600-yard ammo.