Production rate for progressives?

[griz]

Only about a year ago I finally got around to getting a progressive press. I am quite happy with it, but the various advertisements have got me wondering. What kind of figure do you folks get for rounds per hour? Mine varies from maybe 200 up to around 350 at what I consider a comfortable pace. I include feeding powder and primers to the machine, boxing rounds, and record keeping in the time. Probably because that’s the way I figured it for single stage reloading and it seemed the only way to get an apples to apples comparison. I have timed the rate without those things and figured as high as 400 to 450, but that seems to be the bottom end of the catalog claims.

I’m not interested in trying to get the most possible speed out of the process, I would rather be slow enough to feel the primer seat and not have the press handle bang around.

So I’m not complaining, just curious about how fast y’all reload.

 

[JimC]

Well, this very topic came up the other day in a conversation about the Dillion 550B vs. the XL 650.

I have both machines and had to go with the 650 as being a slightly better machine and, faster.

I setup to load 100 rds. of .45 ACP on the 650. From start to finish at a steady pace without breaking a sweat, 100 rds., 4 min. 42 sec. on my stop watch.

Could it go faster? Of course it could but, I think this is a good pace for quality reloads.

 

[243_shooter]

I usually manage about 300 rounds an hour on my 550. I'm new to reloading (and the dillon) so I take my time and don't rush. I have no doubts that if I really wanted to hammer away I could do more, but I just kind of chug along.. I find it relaxing and enjoyable so I'm not really in a rush anyway

Leo

 

[clown714]

on a good steady pace,about 300 rnds.per hour on my 650

slightly more on my SDB.

i'm no speed demon,and plan on keeping it that way

clown

 

[HSMITH]

I run right at 400 per hour on my 550 for a FULL hour of loading, including the time to fill powder, primer tubes and all of that. If I only run 100 and do the math I can load over 750 per hour, but it is a false number seeing how everything else must be done in order to load.

 

[Steve Smith]

For pistol rounds I can get about 425 per hour out of my 550 including powder and primer loading. For rifles, its more like 300 be cause I take my time and if I don't I get powder splashes when I turn the shellplate.

 

[larryw]

What Steve said. Filling the primer tubes takes 2/3 of the time.

 

[DAL]

About 250-300 rounds/hr. on my SDB, either .38 Spl. or 45 ACP. That's fast enough for the number of rounds I shoot.
DAL

 

[MoNsTeR]

I can do 100 rounds in around 25 or 30 minutes, including filling the damn primer tube and adjusting the powder measure.

 

[Jeeper]

If everythign runs smooth(no jams or incorrect brass in fill tube) then I can do about 600 per hour complete on my 650. I want to buy one of those primer fillers though

 

[Nero Steptoe]

I fill the primer tubes in advance of a reloading session, using the Frankford Arsenal (Midway) "Vibra-Prime". Each tube takes about 10 seconds.

With the 650 ready to go, I load at a pace of about one round every three or four seconds. I don't interupt a session to box ammo and keep records.

 

[Jeeper]

Nero

How do you like that tube filler? I was looking at it because the nice Dillon one is like $200+. How well does it work?

 

[JohnK]

I run right at 400 per hour on my 550 for a FULL hour of loading, including the time to fill powder, primer tubes and all of that. If I only run 100 and do the math I can load over 750 per hour, but it is a false number seeing how everything else must be done in order to load.

That sums it up for me too, although 350 in an hour is more what I run with my old RL 550b. Sure I can crank out 50 rounds in 5 minutes for "600 rounds / hour" but I can't keep that pace up for an hour. Besides the time needed to fill primer tubes and the powder measure it's just plain hard work to churn them out at that pace.

 

[griz]

That's about the pace I expected for real rates that real people do. I suppose the advertising claims are similar to machine gun fire. The rate may be 600 RPM, but you don't fire 600 rounds in one minute.

I'm glad to hear that most of us value quality and safety over sheer productivity.

 

[Jeeper]

I did 1000 40 last night on my 650 and timed it. It took just about An hour and a half and that was from turning on the light in my reloading room with empty tubes until the ammo was all in boxes. I also adjusted the load and had a few problems with brass.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

Nero

How do you like that tube filler? I was looking at it because the nice Dillon one is like $200+. How well does it work?

Jeeper,

I am not nero, but I will jump in here. I purchased a Frankfort Arsenel filler a few months ago, and it is GREAT!! You can fill the tubes in just a few seconds. I use Winchester primers, and the tray fits right in the filler plate, and the primers are ready to go. I wouldn't do without it now. I usually decide about how much I want to load before I sit down at the press, and usually load that many tubes before I start loading. Then, at the low primer warning, I just stand up, drop another tube of primers in and continue on.

Try it, you'll like it.

 

[Mikul]

My record is 500/hour on my 550b including time to fill the primer tubes. Although I couldn't keep that pace up for more than 90 minutes. 400/hr is sustainable.

 

[Jeeper]

MR Chitlin

Thanks for the reccomendation. I wm ordering one. I just didnt want to spend the 200 on the dillon one.

 

[Nero Steptoe]

Jeeper: I'm not Chitlin, but I do have a little "hint" to pass along. I found that I get quicker loading of the tubes if I remove the plastic "bayonet" ends to the Frankford tubes and just hold the end of the tube up in the machine. If you find that you're getting primers stuck in the aforementioned bayonet piece, just remove it and try my suggestion.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I do that too, Nero. That seems to be the fastest way to load them. I just hold my Dillon tubes up there and fill 'em up.

 

[WESHOOT2]

How do you inspect your primers if you just dump them into a big dark hole?

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

How do you inspect your primers if you just dump them into a big dark hole?

What did I miss?? I will try to explain what I meant if this was a question for me. I'll post a few pics for you.

BR

 

[WESHOOT2]

CLARIFICATION vs OBFUSCATION

I inspect each primer for its anvil and pellet.
How do you do that if you dump the primers into the device?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Not to sidetrack the primer inspection question going on, (I inspect every primer strip prior to loading by the way), using a pro2000 when I am loafing along I can crankout a consistent 300 rnds per hour. The few times I have tried to go fast, I can get up to around 550 rnds per hour but QC/QA goes out the window at that speed. It is just stuff and pull.

Most of the time I run at about 300 rnds an hour because use the Pro2000 I buy pre-loaded primer strips and that saves one big time crunch. Now must of the time is spent looking at the powder prior to seating a bullet.

 

[Gary H]

Same as Peter..same machine..relaxed pace. I make mistakes if I go fast. RCBS redesigned the auto-primer-feeder and since then I've not had to stop for stuck primers.