Reloading on a single stage press - timed 200 rounds

[mjrodney]

Occasionally we read postings that decry the length of time it takes to reload on a single stage, but I don't believe I have seen any actual numbers posted.

So the question bears asking......Just how long does it take?

Since I use one weekly for handgun rounds, I thought I might time myself and post the findings.

I won't count the tumbling part, since I am in the house doing other things while that is going on. After all, how long does it take to dump a box of empty brass into the tumbler and plug it in?

200 rounds of .45ACP.

Size and DePrime.....14 minutes
RePrime using an off-the-press hand operated primer.....20 minutes
Bell case and add Powder.....33 minutes
Insert Bullet and Seat.....25 minutes
Lee Factory Crimp.....17 minutes

Total for 200 rounds......1 hour and 47 minutes.

That's 1 hour and 47 minutes of peace and quiet in the garage, alone with my thoughts. Good stuff.

FWIW, still working for a living, I shoot on the weekends. As soon as I return home from the range, the brass goes into the tumbler. Later that afternoon, I size and deprime.

The next morning or so, I re-prime.

The following day or so, I finish up.

This breaks up my time at the bench to 14 minutes, 20 minutes and 75 minutes. Not bad to save $40 in commercial ammo costs.

 

[RPCVYemen]

I use a turret press - Lyman T- Mag, and I am a new reloader ( < 2500 rounds ). I allow about an hour for 100 rounds. I am also checking and double checking myself frequently, which takes time. I really want to avoid a squib and/or a double charge of powder.

I am also in no hurry - garage time it's a lot easier to come by in my life than range time.

Mike

 

[Uncle Don]

Total for 200 rounds......1 hour and 47 minutes.

That's 1 hour and 47 minutes of peace and quiet in the garage, alone with my thoughts. Good stuff.

I still prefer my turret press because I think it's a nice balance between throughput and relaxation. However, I shoot enough 45 that I reserve the Loadmaster for that because it gives me a box in far less than 5 minutes.

That said - I agree with you to some extent. The fondest memories I have of reloading is when I was loading a box at a time with my single stage and my bench was far more sparse than it is now. I was very proud of it, and in some ways, I had the world by the tail then.

 

[Gizmo]

Great comment

 

[Wedge]

mjrodney, I would say that my reloading follows the same pattern and about the same amount of time. I tend to break it up into "stages" and do them when I have a free 20 mins here and there.

The majority of my shooting is with a 22LR and I only shoot maybe 400 rounds of centerfire a month. Because of this a single stage works perfectly for me.

 

[carnaby]

However, I shoot enough 45 that I reserve the Loadmaster for that because it gives me a box in far less than 5 minutes.

I'm looking forward to setting up a progressive press for .45. Another year or two and I'll do it, then I can get into the flame wars on Lee vs. Hornady vs. Blue

 

[carnaby]

However, I shoot enough 45 that I reserve the Loadmaster for that because it gives me a box in far less than 5 minutes.

I'm looking forward to setting up a progressive press for .45. Another year or two and I'll do it, then I can get into the flame wars on Lee vs. Hornady vs. Blue

For now, I load .300 win mag, 6.8 SPC and .45 on my Lee single stage. Pretty good, but a little slow for serious .45 production. Loading the rifle cartridges myself sure helps with the cost reduction though. I also let my buddies use my press and setup to load .308, since it's just sitting in my garage most of the time.

 

[highlander 5]

When I had a single stage press 100 rds an hour was easy. My method was to do my priming and powder charging in 50 rd runs( mainly cause my reloading tray had 50 holes) Did well until I started to load multiple calibers,by then it was time for a progressive.

 

[Otto]

200 rounds in 1hr. 45min. = 8.75 hours for 1000 rounds.
A LNL can do 1000 rounds in 2 hours. That's an extra 6.75 hours of R&R in the garage.
Don't get me wrong, I still load on a single stage but only in very small amounts, <50 rounds. In small quantities a single stage can actually be faster than a progressive depending on setups.

 

[trickyasafox]

i thought that under 2 hours was pretty good time for a single stage.

i agree otto, sometimes breaking out the single for a small run or throwing test rounds together is faster than fartin around with the progressives.

i started with a single stage, but if i could do it over, i'd start with a lee turret.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I load ~200 rounds of 38/357 per hour on my Lee Classic Turret Press. I could probably load more but I like to take my time and make sure I don't mess up.

 

[Ala Dan]

I started out using an RCBS Jr. single stage press; in 2000, I graduated to
a new Rockchucker and I am still using it today. These folks that go for
high volume turnout's [Dillion's -get the picture], don't impress me one
bit; as I go for quality production. When I'm finished, I know without a
doubt that all of my handloads (including .45 ACP's) will work.

FWIW, in Mr. Ken Waters book Pet Loads, he says there is
no need to tumble or polish your brass; unless of course you are trying
too impress someone. Just make sure that your brass if free of debris,
before resizing.

 

[JDGray]

I size, deprime, on my old single stage(5min/100)
Hand prime (5min/100)
Into coffee cans, till I need them
I now fire up the turret for loading, usually takes (12min/100)

All lee equipment

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

That's 1 hour and 47 minutes of peace and quiet in the garage, alone with my thoughts.

Amen on the P & Q!! I have a Lee single stage to deprime before tumbling. Then usually hand prime while watching the boob tube. Then off to the red Classic Turret. Again, not in any hurry cause I usually check the charge and OAL of about every 5th one.

FWIW, in Mr. Ken Waters book Pet Loads, he says there is
no need to tumble or polish your brass; unless of course you are trying
too impress someone.

Just myself, but it does makes em look sooo purdy!!!

I won't count the tumbling part, since I am in the house doing other things while that is going on. After all, how long does it take to dump a box of empty brass into the tumbler and plug it in?

Exactly, plus I also believe that it may help the dies last a little longer.

Could have never believed this whole reloading thing could be so addictive. Now I just need to stock up on components. Bullets, brass, powder, and primers sure do disapear fast!

 

[45ACPUSER]

People can make fun out of just about anything, but I like reloading. But, I love shooting. So, for those the poo poo the progressive presses keep production to suit yourself. For me I spend more time shooting and less time keyboarding! I have had a Dillon 450 morphed to 550 since 1984. Never blown up a gun, 23 years at 25K of 45ACP a year that works out to be well over a half a millon rounds of 45ACP alone! Now, lets factor in coutless thousands of 38 and 357 ammo, a whole lot of 308 ammo, a bunch of 223, some 06 ammo, some 44 Mag ammo, and some 9 minnie and mickey I have gotten plenty of use out of my Dillon. Dillon CS is second to none, and that my friend can not be said for Lee stuff! It can be said of RCBS, Redding, and Lyman, though.

I love my Redding T7 for precision 223 and 308. I use it to prep 223 brass for the Dillon.

 

[wcwhitey]

I understand that those who shoot 500+ rounds a week have a need for a loader that can do 1000 rounds in two hours. I do my loading in the winter months and on rainy days. It's a hobby. I break the loading into batches. I have never timed myself but an hour or two a few times a week adds up to plenty of loaded ammo. It's kind of like buying a speed boat. Half the fun of boating is being on the water not to see how fast you can go. I think a single stage or turret allows for better control of the process and adds versatility. I speak for myself, It is not my intent to say that my way is the right way, just my opinion. Bill

 

[RPCVYemen]

I do my loading in the winter months and on rainy days. It's a hobby.

Me too.

One of the reasons that I picked the caliber I did (45 LC) was that it was a big, straight walled cartridge - easy to relaid. It also had published loads from very soft up to the upper end of 44 magnum (+- 100 fps).

My desire to reload is also why I picked a revolver - I figured that a revolver would successfully fire a wider range of loads w/o changing springs, etc. [The other was the nice trigger - on a gun I could afford to buy new ($400 for a Blackhawk)].

I enjoy the time I sit at the reloading bench - a reloading bench orignally built and used by my dad in the early '60s. I am not trying to set an automation record - it's really a relaxing time for me.

Mike

 

[scrat]

two hours is awesome. can not disagree. For people that use a progressive press. The will disagree and will tell you that you are missing the boat. However on my single press i take it out bolt it down in less than 2 minutes. Screw in a die in less than a minute and i am off to what i am doing. Take the set up for a progressive press a long with the maintenance and adjustments that are sometimes needed to keep you going. Now your adding up an extreme amount of time.

Take a brand new progressive press and give it to someone who knows what they are doing. Then get a single stage press to someone who knows what they are doing. The single stage press will be finished out of the box with 200 rounds before the progressive.

So time wise you did great. the best part is since it is single stage you can do your work in batches like you already stated. Then most of your ammo is Made if not better as you spend the time with each round looking at it and loading it individually. while a progressive press just goes through on a mini assembly line.

 

[45ACPUSER]

Take a brand new progressive press and give it to someone who knows what they are doing. Then get a single stage press to someone who knows what they are doing. The single stage press will be finished out of the box with 200 rounds before the progressive.

So, not in this life time or the next!
Each has it's set up process. Zero the scale. Set the powder measure. Adjust the dies, swap out the dies, and on a single stage, that is 800 strokes, that is handling the brass close to 1000 times.
Dealing with priming.

I can turn out 200 rds on my 550 in about 25 minutes and that includes swapping out the shellplate and primer set up! That is check the charge wt thrown, adjust seating depth, load the primer tubes, and run the brass through. I can run 500 45 in about 45 min, if the primer tubes are loaded. I can run about 500 9mm in about 51 min, I attribute that to smaller bullets. But, my goal is to run about 500 an hour for hand gun ammo, and if doing a production run of prepped 223 brass I run about 350 or so. I do not hurry, and I have QC checks at 100rd intervals.

 

[scrat]

OK now aside for the tall tales.



Out of the box. how long will it take you to load 200 or 500 rounds. Out of the box. that includes setting up the press by mounting it. putting on the tubes. loading the bullets, setting up the powder and charge adjusting bullet load depth, adjusting and setting up primer tray. setting up deprimer set up tube. From lets say 12 noon you open up the box. How long until you press your first bullet. If your answer is 5 minutes or less. Please do us all a favor and let us know what range you are shooting at. And when you go. Se we can go somewhere else.


Remember i said out of the box brand new.

 

[kellyj00]

i'm a new reloader as well...and have only done 45acp.
Takes me about an hour per 100 on a lee 4 hole turret press that's got a broken ratchet.

At one point, I was at that point that you get to when you're doing something redundant and you just kinda get into the flow of doing it, think about something else and your memory is blurry as to what you were doing or how much you've done? Happens when I mow after a few minutes and next thing I know I'm looking at a finished yard. Don't know if this happens to everyone.

Anyhow, I loaded 400 rds over the 4th of July. And I tell ya, I can't remember loading more than about 50. It took abour 5 hours, and I measured every 10th round or so of the first 50, and the very last one of the 400....all had 4.3 grains of red dot.

after 5 hours at a press, your back will hurt the next morning. Don't know why, but it certainly made me not want to go to work on the 5th.

 

[wcwhitey]

I also have a Dillon Square Deal B. I have not used it since I stopped shooting bullseye with the .45. If I were to get back into competition shooting I would fire it up again so I can load volumes of generic SWC's. Same if I took up Cowboy Action shooting, lots of similar lead bullets. But for my shooting habits, I sometimes will shoot 2 calibers in a day, maybe one rifle, one pistol or two of each. Half of my time would be spent in the caliber conversion. That is the reason most competition shooters that shoot more than one caliber will have multiple presses set up for each caliber. The Lee 1000 Pro is a good example. I know more than one person who has 3 bolted to a bench in different calibers. Can't say I blame them they are cheap enough. A slew of 550's would be a little out of my price range. Bottom line, it's a personal preference, no right or wrong. By the way my single stage is a RCBS Rockchucker that was purchased as part of a Master Kit in the early 70's by my father. I learned to reload on it and fed his guns ammo as a kid. He got a good deal on that set up. Also worth mentioning is that every component of that kit is still in like new condition and completely functioning. A testiment to quality machinery. Bill

 

[45ACPUSER]

OK now aside for the tall tales.



Out of the box. how long will it take you to load 200 or 500 rounds. Out of the box. that includes setting up the press by mounting it. putting on the tubes. loading the bullets, setting up the powder and charge adjusting bullet load depth, adjusting and setting up primer tray. setting up deprimer set up tube. From lets say 12 noon you open up the box. How long until you press your first bullet. If your answer is 5 minutes or less. Please do us all a favor and let us know what range you are shooting at. And when you go. Se we can go somewhere else.

So now you are talking about setting up some POS Lee progressive. That is really not making a fair comparison.
They are tempermental and not even a fair comparison.
Still you compare say a RCBS Rockchucker Master Kit to a Dillon 550 with a scale and Calipers. The 550 will win hands down and twice on Sunday.

Aint no tall tales there Scrat. I can give a # of respected reloading supplier that attest to the loading habits and volume!

 

[Walkalong]

FWIW, in Mr. Ken Waters book Pet Loads, he says there is
no need to tumble or polish your brass; unless of course you are trying
too impress someone. Just make sure that your brass if free of debris,
before resizing.

All perfectly true and a very smart fellow is Mr. Waters, but I still like my brass shiney.

 

[VHinch]

I'm at about an hour and a half for 200 rounds, but I also reload in stages, so I rarely track the actual start to finish time. I can usually find anywhere from 2-4 hours a week to spend reloading, and there have been many rainy Saturdays where I have spent 5 or 6 hours out in the garage. I enjoy the time by myself and don't worry as much about the production levels. My available range time has yet to exceed my reloading capacity, but if that ever happens I will consider it a good problem to have!