progressive rifle reloading

[ilbob]

All the rifle relaoding I have done has been on a single stage press. Its a bit slow and in the spring I would like to do some more rifle shooting and I got to thinking about reloading.

Currently for 223, I clean the brass, deprime and size it, open up the primer pocket if needed, then measure the case length and trim if necessary. The other steps follow.

If I wanted to do this in a progressive press, how do I do the measuring and trimming steps short of pulling them out of the press?

 

[SASS#23149]

you don't

 

[WNTFW]

On a Dillon 550B I got an extra tool head. I size/deprime tumbled range pickup on station 1 by putting a case on, cycle press, rotate shell holder, put case on, cycle, rotate, repeat, repeat. It is pretty fast because the cases are coming off automatically. Cuts down on the handling. Only die on tool head is sizing/depriming dies.

Then gauge, trim, debur, chamfer, tumble again.
Next I can either prime on the press or hand prime.
2nd Tool head with powder measure, seater & crimp dies in stations 2,3,4.
Then load powder, seat bullet and crimp.

Interrupted progressive is what I call it. I'm not sure how others progressives would work as I'm not familiar with them.

 

[Idano]

ilbob,

I load on a Hornady AP and here is what I do:

1. Tumble
2. Lube
3. Deprime and resize on my single stage (I don't want the lube in my case feeder and drop tubes.
4. Tumble
5. Clean primer pockets and inspect brass
6. Toss in my storage bins for the next reloading session

Some folks will squak what is the purpose of having a progressive if you prep on a single stage but I have a case kicker on my RCBS press but if you factor in the time it takes to clean all the lube off the case feeder and drop tubes the the time to process 200-300 rounds is about the same and I would rather be pulling the handle instead of doing the dishes.
I use RCBS X-Dies so I only have to trim them once before I ever resize the first time and then never again. I aways check them but so far in five years none of them has grown out of spec. I know some of them has seen 10-15 reloads so far. If I don't loose them over time the primer pockets loosen up but so far no neck splits.

 

[WNTFW]

Idano,
Are you doing .223? I'm wanting to get an X-Die for .223 to see if they work. Sounds like you get good results.
Also I assume a case kicker is knocking the case out of the shell holder.

 

[Uncle Chan]

My process:

• Tumble to clean
• Lube
• Size and deprime on single stage or one stage on Lee Classic Cast
• Trim, Chamfer, Debur
• Remove military crimp
• Hand Prime
• Finish Loading (Powder, Seat, Crimp) on Lee Classic Cast

Taking in to account the WHOLE process minus cleaning, I can get 100/hr...maybe. Slow process, no matter how you do it.

 

[Hairballusmaximus]

I understand not wanting to gum up the drop tubes etc with case lube, but I have seen somewhere that there is a 'lube die' available for 'auto lubing' cases during the progressive loading process.

Anyone ever try one or know where to get one?

I know some tumble their 'live' ammo but I am still a little leery of trying that................yet. I get my hands on a lube die and the case lube doesnt gum stuff up real bad I might have to try it.

 

[243winxb]

RCBS Lube Die Doesn't Resize Brass

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=323701 Notes:

Decaps and lubricates only.

Includes one bottle RCBS Case Lube-2

 

[Hairballusmaximus]

Thanx for the info 243.

Hairball

 

[Walkalong]

.223:

I lube and size all the brass with the progressive. Then I trim etc. Whatever you want to do to prep the brass. Then tumble to remove lube etc.

Then I prime all the cases with my RCBS hand primer.

Then I load them all.

 

[jmorris]

If I wanted to do this in a progressive press, how do I do the measuring and trimming steps short of pulling them out of the press?

I use the Dillon trimmer. Size/deprime then trim, it adjusts just like your other dies.

 

[ilbob]

I use the Dillon trimmer. Size/deprime then trim, it adjusts just like your other dies.

Presumably you only reload cases that do not require opening up the primer pocket.

 

[Shoney]

I have seperate processes for gas gun ammo and bolt gun ammo, both using X-die.

Gas gun -
lube clean, inspected case with Imperial Sizing Die Wax,
size/deprime
prime
charge with ball powder
seat/crimp
tumble completed cartridge

Bolt gun -
lube clean, inspected case with Imperial Sizing Die Wax,
size/deprime
prime
charge with extruded powder
remove; dump powder; wipe brass; weigh charge; return to press
seat/crimp
tumble completed cartridge

 

[jmorris]

Presumably you only reload cases that do not require opening up the primer pocket.

I guess you didn’t notice the 1050 to the right that swages the primer pocket.

if you would like to see it in action take a look at this.
http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/?action=view&current=1050.flv

it's very fast but not cheap.

 

[Idano]

Idano,
Are you doing .223? I'm wanting to get an X-Die for .223 to see if they work. Sounds like you get good results.
Also I assume a case kicker is knocking the case out of the shell holder.

WNTFW,

Yep, I am loading .223 and using the X-Die. I have been using the X-Die for about five years and I have never had to re-trim my brass. I swear that the X-Die extends the case life. You are correct about the Case Kicker. It was made by RCBS for their Rock Chucker and designed mainly for pistol but works on .223 and 22-250; 30-06 are too tall. Here is a link to the manual if you would like to know more about it. Basically it nothing more then a piece of spring steel that rides along the ram and then pushes the casing out of the shell holder into a bin on the down stroke. It doesn't sound like much but it cut down 50% of your hand motion which increases your throughput.

 

[rfwobbly]

IlBob "If I wanted to do this in a progressive press, how do I do the measuring and trimming steps short of pulling them out of the press?"

In short, there are 2 ways...

• The way a lot of the folks here are describing it is to run the cases through the press 2 times using 2 different tool heads. This since most common multi-stage presses only have 4 positions. They decap, size, and trim in the first pass. Bulk tumble the output. Then prime, powder, seat and crimp on the second pass.

• If you want to do this in a single pass, then you'll need a 6-position press and tumble the loaded cartridges at the end. However, 6-stage presses are getting up there in price.

Either way, you've also got to buy an in-machine trimmer, such as the Dillon. If you cannot afford in-machine trimming, then trim and tumble become hand processes done between stages. But hand trimming takes you back to where you already are. So a progressive press for rifle only may not really save you much time at all.

Hope this helps!

 

[redw7blue]

I reload .223 on a 550b.

1. clean brass
2. lube
3. resize on station one with primer section disconnected.
4. Rotate brass two clicks, put new brass in station one and resize. The first one is now sitting on station three, but because there is no bullet added nothing happens with the brass. I continue doing this till I have all the brass resized.
5. Tumble the brass.
6. Trim and remove media from primer pocket.
7. Reconnect primer station, pull loading arm to get a primer, place brace into station one and seat primer.
8. Rotate brass. Pull loading arm, drops powder into station two and gets primer in station one.
9. Place brass into station one and seat primer. Then rotate brass.

I think you get the picture now.
Seems to work for me.

 

[jmorris]

• If you want to do this in a single pass, then you'll need a 6-position press and tumble the loaded cartridges at the end. However, 6-stage presses are getting up there in price.

The 1050 has 8 positions on the press; unfortunately trimming must still be done separately.
1. insert case into shell holder
2. Size deprime
3. Swage/expand
4. seat new primer
5. charge powder
6. place bullet on case
7. seat bullet
8. crimp case


There are no threads on station 4 so you couldn’t add it there. The powder measure has to be on station 5 and you’re not going to trim after charging. That’s the weakest link in the 1050.