Shades of $28 bullet feeder! LnL Bullet Tubes!

[therealwormey]

thanks for the insight, never thought of doin the preload of the tubes while doin somethin else, seemed just easy to stick em on a case since im already there.i guess if you use a feeder system that preload would be the way to go,,,

i do like case feeders. i just dump em in and hardly ever get a upside down since i modified my collator. i guess im backwards cause i always felt like loading the bullet in the case was as easy as shovin a case in a shellplate. i guess everbody likes doin things their own way and as long as the end results are good and nobody dies or loses a finger its all good.

im in no drag race when i load so i never really have a problem with alignment and such but am always interested in how and why others do things. sometimes i change my ways or pick up a trick. kinda like i just got the idea of priming while i catch up on shows. i have a couple calibers i like to hand prime. maybe i'll try that when watchin the tube. thanks for the info,i may look at bullet feeders. thats great news for the wife huh, as if i dont spend enuff already on reloading.

 

[GJSchulze]

Having additional tubes of bullets already loaded when you start save a lot of time as you empty he tubes...I'll bet it's faster than refilling the primer tube.

I have a total of 12 tubes, each holding 53 9mm 147 gr bullets.
However, I can fill my primer tubes much faster because I have the new Franklin Vibra-prime. I made plastic tubes for it because it comes with only one metal tube that is meant to feed into the top and out the bottom, so you can't use the tubes that come with your press. I can fill a primer tube of 100 primers in about 30 seconds.

For anyone wondering about using a bullet feeder or a case feeder, the most important thing is that you have one or the other so you can keep one hand on the press handle. With a Hornady press, the cases are fed from the left, so it's better to have a bullet feeder to leave your right hand free to operate the press.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

However, I can fill my primer tubes much faster because I have the new Franklin Vibra-prime. I made plastic tubes for it because it comes with only one metal tube that is meant to feed into the top and out the bottom, so you can't use the tubes that come with your press. I can fill a primer tube of 100 primers in about 30 seconds.

After filling the tube on the vibra, I drop them into the tube on the press. If you want more capacity you can make some secondary fill tubes to store the stacked primers in.

If you really want to get creative make a longer tube for the press that will hold 200 or 300 primers.

What I could use is a vibra prime for bullets. Or the ability to dump 100 bullets in a can and have the come the bottom into a feeder tube.

 

[GW Staar]

my economic power plant comment made the bosses mad.

 

[RealGun]

I've never understood why the case feeder was so popular when shoving a case into the side of a cutout in the shell plate seemed so simple.

For me, it is because my left hand is already committed to placing a bullet. Having two tasks to accomplish with the same hand before pulling the handle again would slow things down. Also, I can keep my eyes focused on the bullet seating station to first double check for powder charge before setting a bullet in place. I do actually use a lockout die but don't yet have absolute faith in it. If I had a bullet feeder station, I would have to give that up or settle for seating and crimping in one station.

I am transitioning to coated bullets, so handling bullets and being able to use lead will not be as messy. At the same time it will allow me to take a close look at bullet feeding without the expense of a full blown electric attachment.

 

[RealGun]

I talked to a Hornady CS person and was told that the new products listing is for those items slated for introduction in the coming year.

 

[GJSchulze]

For me, it is because my left hand is already committed to placing a bullet

That supports my statement that you need either a case or bullet feeder, but not necessarily both. A cheap, tube fed, bullet feeder is easier than making a case feeder plus I also think grabbing a case and inserting it in the shell plate is easier and faster. Once you place the case, you can start to reach for the next case, while with the bullet you sort of have to hold it in place (do you?). With case placement you can do it by feel and keep your eye on the rest.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I've been wanting to try making a homemade one just to fill long tubes off line, but I haven't found the time to give the project. It will be based on the bullet flipper design, and a hand crank. Or at least, an electric with an optional hand crank. It may seem like we will always have electricity to use, but that's an illusion.

That's along my line. The tubes would work on my turret. I don't need an electric gizmo.

 

[jmorris]

Might look at the first page of this thread. #9,20&21

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=610350&highlight=Bullet+feeder+flipper

I would imagine a hand crank one would be more difficult to get to work at 100%.

The speed needs do be pretty consistant to get consistant results. I even run the ones I have built from 3v-12v depending on what bullet is being collated. A "pointed" bullet like a .223 is pretty easy a "square" bullet like a 185g 45. Likes a slower speed to be dragged out and flipped.

If your speed is irregular, I would imagine your results will be too.

 

[jmorris]

The first of this video is one of them on my 45 sizer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eANEMBS_V_0

The first of this one is a 9mm one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cc1hUj343w

This one shows how slow they can run to feed correct bullet reloading. They only have to be fast enough you don't empty the collum. One of my 9mm collators with feed them so fast it will feed 3 bullets after the switch is hit. Looks neat running, for the short time it does run but not needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3hVi6PuduM

These are of it running on 12v.

Inside the collator
http://vid664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/VID_20141021_185215_567_zpseuk0wr1k.mp4

And the colum
http://vid664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/VID_20141021_185522_096_zpsttxqdm0l.mp4

The second video is 4 seconds long and it collated 11 bullets.

If it were 10 in 4 seconds that would be 9000 an hour, you don't loose anything by slowing them down, and some bullets "sort" a lot better going slow. Cast bullets being a good example, thus the speed the ones above work at.

 

[RealGun]

For me, it is because my left hand is already committed to placing a bullet

That supports my statement that you need either a case or bullet feeder, but not necessarily both. A cheap, tube fed, bullet feeder is easier than making a case feeder plus I also think grabbing a case and inserting it in the shell plate is easier and faster. Once you place the case, you can start to reach for the next case, while with the bullet you sort of have to hold it in place (do you?). With case placement you can do it by feel and keep your eye on the rest.

Since I already have a case feeder, I think the argument changes. But I don't have a bullet feeder die and am not sure how it works.

 

[GW Staar]

If you read between the pictures showing Hornady's Feed Die you can get a feel for how one works in my Hornady Bullet Feeder Review on AR15.com It's tacked so it'll be around a long time....as will AlliedArmory's $28 Bullet Feeder thread.

The die pictured below (.45 ACP version) is $24.50 at Midway.


BTW if anyone is interested in any of my meager contributions, you can find them and me at AR15.com. I'll be phasing out my presence here. I don't think I've been a bad citizen here, but what do I know.

Jmorris, as usual, your videos are awesome. Good job. Love the flipper! I'll bet you that with proper gearing a hand crank can work.

 

[jmorris]

If you gear it low enough and/or get the flipper (in the collator) "just right" it should if your a clock kind of guy you could likely make one that you could fill up and wind up and let collate...It would be real cool if you could get it to index smooth enough off of the vertical travel of the ram.

Then all you need to do is fill the tube with a few and start stroking then it indexes the wheel like a revolver works. Might be a project if you only have one model of press but the guys that make them to sell make them so "one size fits all". Being self contained is the better way to go then.

 

[GW Staar]

It would be real cool if you could get it to index smooth enough off of the vertical travel of the ram.

LOL! You could do that.....not so sure I could. We will see what is possible with less talent!

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Thinking out loud:

After watching the mechanical marvel series by jmorris I noticed that the process begins with the bullets nose down. For those of us who will only be using this to fill tubes could the machine be simplified by eliminating the portion that flips the bullet over? I can do that part by flipping the tubes.

 

[jmorris]

It seems that most (over half) fall in the wheel nose down but not all (that is why you need the shelf for base down bullets to ride on).