School me on rifle reloading on a progressive press.

[Cmeboston]

So I bought an AR15, have collected an obscene amount of brass and started resizing on my single stage press.....this is gonna take a while! so I am entertaining the idea of getting a progressive setup, where do I begin? I load 308 for my M1A, 30-30 and 30-06 on the single stage RCBS press I have now. I usually resize, trim then prime in large lots so I have a bunch of cases ready to load when the need arises. but I would like to get more volume/speed with the 223. how do you go about trimming on a progressive? I assume you would re-size and trim separate from loading leaving the priming, charging and bullet seating to the progressive setup? I do not plan on re-loading pistol so I guess Im looking for a decent unit to do the latter. any suggestions on where to begin?
Thanks,
John C.


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[NeuseRvrRat]

dillon makes a trimmer that will trim on the press at the sizing station. it is $$$.

 

[Walkalong]

I run all the cases through my LNL using only the sizer only. Then I tumble, trim, tumble, hand prime, and then I load them on my LNL.

 

[Cmeboston]

Do you have to place the bullet on the case by hand or is it an automatic function of the press?


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[NeuseRvrRat]

depends on what press and what options you add. some will support bullet feeders.

 

[dmazur]

I resize/deprime/reprime at Station 1 on a Dillon 550b, then "break out" of progressive operations to check for trim length & cartridge headspace (same gauge) and clean off excess lube.

After I run the bin of "to be trimmed" cases through a Giraud trimmer, I have a few hundred prepped cases and I resume reloading on the press.

I skip Station 1 by indexing past it before pulling the handle, using Stations 2 and 3 for powder charge and bullet seating.

I stop after every box and check the powder measure by weighing a charge, fill out a label for the box, and then do another 20.

I usually take a little bit of a walk around break after emptying a primer tube (100), and then start over again by refilling the primer tube when I return.

I can do 500 in a couple of hours, and I generally don't do more than 1000 at a time.

IMO, you can get acceptable speed without having the press do everything without an interruption in process. With the breakout operation I described above, I can use any lube I like without worrying about powder bridging, and I feel I have good QC on case condition because the gauge step provides a visual inspection as well.

Of course, the Giraud costs about as much as the 550b...

 

[rodinal220]

I started reloading on a progressive,bought a Dillon RL450 in 1984,still have it and it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.I use single stages for specialty work like depriming staked primers,case reforming or loading big boys and oddball like .50BMG and 577 Snider/577-450 M-H.

I like to prep all my rifle brass like .223/.308 before loading.Deprime staked military brass or size and deprime commercial brass,tumble and trim/debur if necessary.During all these steps I'm always inspecting the brass.Once your cases are prepped just load like any other round.

I have a Dillon Rapid trim and a Giraud,I like the Giraud better.Hand trimmers are fine if your doing a few boxes of twenty,but it gets old fast and I'm not into blisters and carpal tunnel.Progressives can turn out fine and extremely accurate ammunition.

 

[cfullgraf]

I resize and prep cases at one time, usually shortly after shooting them then store them away for a future loading session. Small batches for case prep go quickly.

When I have a stock pile of several hundred pieces of prepped brass, I will do a loading session.

223 Remington and 30 Carbine are the only rifle cartridges I do on the Hornady progressive at this time.

Recently, I have been loading small batches on the progressive.

 

[mcofboise]

For .223 and .308 I size/deprime on the single stage, then trim with my drill press and Lee tools, then prime and load on the Dillon. For 22-250, .30-06, 45-70 I do everything on the single stage. This has a lot to do with the powders I use and whether or not they'll meter through a powder measure. Also the quantities being loaded are considerably smaller scale with the latter 3 calibers. And the amount of torque being exerted in the sizing stage of some of these cases is worrisome where the Dillon shellplate is concerned. So that's how I do it. When I start cycling some of my .223 horde through the next loading, I will do all stages on the Dillon since I shouldn't have to trim again for a couple firings and I don't have to monkey with primer pockets again. Dillon makes carbide sizing dies for .223 and .308 and these are a huge aid in loading these calibers; I have the one for .223, don't load enough .308 to justify the expense. Even an obscene amount of brass wouldn't justify the expense of the power trim option for me; I just recently processed a couple thousand rounds of .223 trimming at a rate of about 10/minute, then deburring, chamfering and reaming primer pockets with a deburring tool chucked up in my mini-lathe.
Some calibers, some loads, some individual goals lend themselves better to progressive presses than some others.

mike