Is there a faster way with steps alternating on and off press?

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hardheart

Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
258
For .223, I...
decap, on press
wet tumble, off press
size, on press
trim, ream, chamfer, debur, off press
prime, on press
powder charge, off press
seat bullet, on press

I've considered going to a progressive of some sort for 9mm, but would it be applicable for .223 as well with the steps I'm using? Or a turret? I use quick change bushings, so there doesn't seem like there'd be a huge time savings there. If anything, I was thinking of getting the APP for decapping. Maybe sizing, even though Lee doesn't recommend it, their own YT channel has a video of them doing it on the APP. I'm kind of torn because I'm also thinking of getting a hand or bench primer, which would move me even further from doing sequential steps on a progressive. Just don't know if I want to tumble without decapping first, or size dirty bottleneck brass while decapping. The vast majority of my brass consists of outdoor range pickups.

I just ordered a Giraud tri way trimmer to boot.
 
I de-cap with a Lee universal die on a single stage press, I then wet tumble then I size brass on single stage and then check length. After that I run it thru my vibrator and then move to my Lee 3 hole press where I prime one at a time by hand feeding, drop powder charge with powder measure and then seat the bullet.
 
hardheart said:
I was thinking of getting the APP for decapping.
Click to expand...

Like this?
index.php


I find it invaluable! Completely worth the price! Even loading cases by hand into the tube is faster than decapping on a single press.

I bought it to be a dedicated depriming operation, but the first night I got it I ran a thousand cases of forty five auto through it, deprime to flare.

I highly recommend it. :)

index.php
 
Hardheart- I do it the same way as you on a Pacific C press (80 yr old), for the last 36 yrs.
I don't charge case in loading blocks; one at a time, drop powder (off press) look inside case to check powder, set bullet in case mouth (on press), seat (on press), put'r in load block or plasiic box with its other 49 brothers.

If someone were to time me, I'll bet my time to do 50 or 100 is the same as someone that charges cases on a loading block then seats the bullet.

There is less chance of my being distracted too. Once a case is charged with powder, it doesn't leave my hand until a bullet seated (case closed).
 
Last edited:
The advantage of Hornady's Lock and Load (LnL) whether in a single stage or progressive is the ability to insert/remove dies without having to adjust them. If you get the AP then besides the 9mm, you can simple put in your .233 dies one at a time as you want them. Makes doing "off" press things so simple. Minor advantage also is that case ejection will be automatic, you just have to feed the new cases in.
 
Easiest way to do it is prep the brass off press, then assemble the cartridges on the progressive... that is, seat the primer, drop the powder, seat the bullet, and crimp... if applicable. Although the prep is the time-consuming part of rifle reloading, the assembly on the progressive cuts down a fair amount of time... and there is no doubt reloading handgun on a progressive is a real time-saver.

Also... although I don't wet tumble...

I tumble the brass, first, then size and decap, then throw them back in the tumbler to get the case lube off.... then we are off to the trim station. That would cut a step out for you if you sized and decapped in the same process.
 
Demi-

I could not get that to play a video. What type of machine is that?
 
decap, on press Get a Lee APP

wet tumble, off press

size, on press Run it through a progressive with only a sizing die. You will have to put the case in the press, but the finished cases will unload themselves.

trim, ream, chamfer, debur, off press Dunno, those are tough jobs.



prime, on press
powder charge, off press Combine these ops with a 2nd toolhead for the progressive you used to size them.
seat bullet, on press
 
223/5.56- First loading trim to 1.740" After the first firing, put fired brass in wifes fluffy towel, and roll brass around to clean. Lube case body & inside case neck. In Dillon RL-450 , Station 1, fl size, decap, install new primer. Station 2, drop powder. Station 3, seat bullet.
Wipe lube off loaded rounds.
Done.

RCBS makes an X Die. Brass never needs trimming again? So they say, never used the X die.
 
You could automate the process. Like Decap for example, add a collator to this and you can decap dirty brass while you do something else.



I just tumble long enough to get them clean, then size, deprime and trim on a 650.

533A0300-54C3-4CDD-9C1A-044B638F8277.jpeg

Then load them on the 1050 because it has a swage station.

 
hardheart said:
For .223, I...
decap, on press
wet tumble, off press
size, on press
trim, ream, chamfer, debur, off press
prime, on press
powder charge, off press
seat bullet, on press
Click to expand...

I change the order of your steps.
Trim on the Forster trimmer, quick debur by hand as the cases go into the tumbler. I don't go nuts with debur and chamfer and such, just knock the big stuff off.
Tumble
Size and decap in one step. Take brass from box that was sifted, and put it in the loading block after size/decap.
From the block, picking up two cases at a time with my fingers, I hand prime with a Lee Autoprimer, and put the brass back into the block
Charge 50 cases in the loading block
Seat 50 bullets one at a time using the seater die, and the cases/cartridges are going from block to shell holder to box of "finished" ammo.
Then...
I usually tumble the completed ammo again, before putting it into whatever its storage container is gonna be.

There is a tool for everything, and PT Barnum's Postulate applies. You have trimmers, outside and inside neck trimmers, neck burnishers, deburr, chamfer, primer pocket tools galore, runout gauge, case length gauge, overall length gauge, chambering gauge... you name it, its made. And most of that is a solution for a problem that does not exist, and even if it did, you don't need to do much to correct it, let along add all those "must do" steps*.

I'm sure, the very last thought a deer, or skwerl, or zombie is gonna consider is whether or not I had a clean primer pocket and a properly deburred case neck. Or consider the defense - "But you Honor, my client didn't use home made KILLER ammunition, why it was just junk rounds, he didn't even chamfer the case mouths!"

*Bench rest shooters excepted, of course
 
Unless you are like "JM" above, it's a labor of love doing separate steps in processing bottle neck brass.

I have over the years dedicated presses for SPP/LPP pistol and LRP/SRP rifle reloading.

As others have mentioned I trim, ream, chamfer and deburr, off the progressive press. I like the Hornady LNL AP for rifle and ability to use the powder "Cop"! (I don't "decap" prior to dry tumbling and do a short tumble after reloading to remove case lube!)

Just know that anyone reloading precision rifle ammo feels your pain!

Smiles,
 
Last edited:
I'm a K.I.S.S. kinda guy so I "solved" the problem by batch loading. I have no need for pristine primer pockets so I tumble first. Next step I size/deprime all cases. When I'm working on my turret press I'll combine sizing with flaring and/or priming. Then I have a bunch (usually 100+) of primed and ready cases. For my rifle brass I tumble, and next step is size a batch. Next step is measure and trim, deburr if necessary and so on until I have a batch primed and ready for powder and bullets. I don't have to do all the steps at one time and can stretch a series out over several days if I choose. I have a few hundred cases of various calibers ready to finish in plastic bags in my brass cabinet. I can do batches of 100 easily without having to change dies or tools and for me at least it seems faster (in reality it ain't), so I have a bunch of brass waiting for a load and I'm not "stuck" with a bunch of the same loads as I like to try new stuff...

Works for me, but not needed as much since I got my Co-Ax where die changes take 3.25 seconds...
 
Last edited:
I throw the brass in the vibratory tumbler.

Decap/resize on the first go through.

Process brass.

Throw processed brass in collator and start pulling the handle.
 
Demi-human said:
Like this?
index.php


I find it invaluable! Completely worth the price! Even loading cases by hand into the tube is faster than decapping on a single press.

I bought it to be a dedicated depriming operation, but the first night I got it I ran a thousand cases of forty five auto through it, deprime to flare.

I highly recommend it. :)

index.php
Click to expand...
I use an app to decap and size. It's saved some time and works great for me, I'm fairly low volume though - only load a few hundred rounds a month typically . sometimes more ,usually never less.
 
gifbohane said:
Demi-

I could not get that to play a video. What type of machine is that?
Click to expand...

That’s just a screen shot. When I tripped over Oreo, the middle of the shot is good.;)

That’s a LEE APP.
A case feeding single stage brass processing wonder!
My dedicated depriming unit for .223 and 45 Auto.

With the feeder spring removed it’s a completely universal decapper, just resting the case on top of the shell holder. I do that for 450Bushmaster and 50AE.
 
Silly me,,, unlike some of the poster's above, I resize before I trim,,,, :)
Otherwise,
LNL AP. How many steps/how may passes through the press you need from start to finish is determined by how many stations you use.
(Been eyeing one of those APP's as well.)
 
Last edited:
Changing the dies is not what consumes the most time in the process. It is handling the brass. Each time you pick up the brass, manipulate it, place it, remove it and move it to the next step you are eating up several seconds. Every handling motion you can eliminate, the faster the process becomes. That is where turret and progressive presses shine. A SS press can run maybe 50 rounds per hour. A turret can run as much as 200 rounds per hour, when you are set up correctly and practiced. A progressive can run 300-400 rounds per hour when it is set up correctly. How fast do you need to go?
 
Ok, looks like I'm going to stick with the single stage for rifle loading. Since I want to wet tumble, and tumble after removing primers, and trim based off the shoulder after sizing, I simply can't consolidate brass prep into sequential on-press actions. I'll get an APP to help things along a bit. Already do everything in batches, so I'll stick with it.
 
hardheart said:
Already do everything in batches, so I'll stick with it.
Click to expand...
It doesn't save me any time, but I do all of my priming with a hand priming tool (my favorite is an RCBS) sitting in front of the TV with a loading block of cases, a box of primers, and a cup of coffee. After all of the cases in the block have primers in them, I hold the block up to eye level - the light from the TV makes it easy to spot any "high" primers. After that, I just take the loading block full of primed cases back downstairs and put it on my loading bench until I'm ready to start charging cases with powder and sticking bullets in them.:)
 
When it comes to match rifle loads I do one step at a time and it's a long process . I bought the Lee CTP for pistol and love it . Last year some time I had this crazy idea to speed up my rifle loading by using the CTP in a unconventional way and it worked .

OFQY4Y.jpg

This is one way I speed up my 223/5.56 plinking loads . I've always sized , tumble lube off then trim my bottle neck rifle case in one general step . I have and will likely always hand prime . I just like the feel I get when doing so . This means I often have sized and primed cases ready to go . My old method ( and I still use ) was to throw charges and place in a 50ct tray . once 50 were done I'd then seat all the bullets . That set up above is using two auto drums and two seater dies on the Lee CTP . So with my sized and primed cases I place the case in the press and first pull drops powder , second pull I seat the bullet . Rather then manually indexing the head back to the powder slot I simply added another auto drum and seater die . Now I throw powder seat bullet repeat . I've knocked 12 to 15min of per 100 rounds loaded this way . I will add , the first time I set it up it took awhile to get the powder throws to throw the same amount but once done it's pretty quick . Now that the drums are close to what I want it goes real quick to calibrate .

Another way I do it with the Lee CTP is when I need a crimp , In that case I still have all the sized and primed cases . This time I throw the charge separately like I would if I was doing it in the 50ct block but instead of loading the block I seat the bullet in one station and crimp in the next and have another seater die and crimp die also in the tool head .

K721VM.jpg

It says 223 on the head but I have 308 dies in there . I don't generally crimp my 5.56 plinking rounds but I do crimp my plinking 308 rounds that are used in the AR-10 .
 
Last edited:
What is a reloading app/APP? I know what the app store is for my phone. I've seen it capitalized and lower case. How does a APP/app help speed up loading?

Inquiring old fart wants tp know.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

valleyforge.1777
  • Locked
Need help with order of steps and set up for 223 reloads with XL650 and RT 1200B Trim
Replies
3
Views
711
nix4me
N
Alex G
  • Locked
Mighty Armory THE BLUE Decapping Die with LEE APP press
Replies
8
Views
1K
Alex G
Alex G
D
  • Locked
Questioning Progressive Press Productivity for bottle-necked cartridges
Replies
9
Views
479
helotaxi
H
S
  • Locked
True advantages of a progressive press for rifle rounds.
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
jmorris
jmorris
P
  • Locked
Problem with Dillon Trim Die
Replies
8
Views
3K
PaulTX
P
Back
Top