What's your reloading style? Batch or process?

[Dave R]

When I first started reloading, I did everything in a complete batch from one end to the other. That was only one caliber, and rarely more tan 50 at a time. I would clean, decap and size, trim, prime, charge and seat in one session.

Now that I reload for multiple calibers, I find myself going in processes, not batches. That is, I'll decap and size a whole batch, then stop the process. Another time, I'll trim a whole lot of brass. When I get out the hand-primer, I'll prime whatever I plan to load next. Several calibers, or a lot of one, or whatever. I always charge and seat at the same time, and never have more than one kind of powder open on the bench at a time, but I sometimes will do multiple calibers in that session, either using same powder or carefully putting one away before the other comes out.

But its always in processes. All the decapping, all the priming, etc.

I don't remember the last time I did a batch from one end to the other.

So what's your style? If you use a progressive, I assume you prime, charge and seat with one stroke. But do you clean and trim in a separate event? Or go all the way in one session?

 

[RUT]

Depends if you're talking rifle or pistol. (?)

 

[Black Snowman]

Batches on the progressive, processes on the single stages.

For single stage work I normally have brass cleaned, sized, trimmed and re-primed, waiting for powder and bullet, which will go in at a later date. Too keep them from tarinishing or the primers from getting contaminated I'll store them in Ziploc bags or containers until I need them.

On the progressive I polish, sort, make sure the flash hole is clear, load until I run out of a component.

 

[tc300mag1]

Processes i like to do deprime resize one day then prime another then just finsh it up on another

 

[El Rojo]

For rifles, I will de-prime and resize then give another cleaning to get the lube off. I will then leave that process brass lying about waiting for the loading process. Handgun ammo get ran through all at once.

 

[Kamicosmos]

Processes on single stage, and sometimes even on the progressive.

I voted depends, because usually it's Processes on the single stage unless i need the ammo the next day or something. LIke I said, usually on the progressive it's batch till I run out of something, but sometimes, like working up a new load, or if I get paranoid about primers or powder charges, I'll load progressivly in stages, which means my progressive press is just a really complex turret press...

One time I remember doing a big batch on the single stage. Loaded like 100 .44 mag and 100 .223. took me all afternoon. By the time I was done, my eyes were sore, shoulder sore, hands filthy....so I try to avoid that by doing one step a day, so to speak.

 

[griz]

What I do is pretty much identical to Black Snowman's post. Most of the pistol ammo and large batches of rifle is done on the progressive. About the only difference is I wait to prime some of the proccesed brass from the single stage if I don't know what kind of primer I will use.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I process everything on a single stage right now, so it's all individual processes in quantity. I usually work in batches of around 100-500 at a time,more for handguns,less for rifles. I clean them all, lube them all, then size them all,etc.
If I processed them individually it would take forever. My sanity performing a repeated task is the only limitation to the batch size that I process.

 

[swifter]

I went with some of this, some of that...
The 550 stays set up for .45 ACP.
.41 mag and .45 LC get loaded on the Rockchucker w/Case Kicker, .38 Special/.357 likewise.
Most of the rifle gets loaded on the UltraMag, the rest on the arbor press with Wilson dies.
I always have something to do...

Tom

 

[Ghost10750]

I voted processes, this applies to pistol rounds.
I load my rifle rounds in batches.

 

[870]

I batch load in sessions.

Clean.
Lube.
Deprime and size.
Prime by hand using a Lee AutoPrime.
Charge with powder and seat bullet.

I do it this way to stop from getting bored from the repetition. Works for me.

870

 

[kimbernut]

processes-"always"

Unless I'm completely out of the particular caliber brass I need at the time. (This has only happened once.)
Everything is on single stage press at this point and regardless of handgun or rifle I normally work in processes to the point of stockpiling primed cases which are ready to load - all sorted by headstamp to be loaded as needed.

 

[whofan]

Batches on the progressive, processes on the single stages.

For single stage work I normally have brass cleaned, sized, trimmed and re-primed, waiting for powder and bullet, which will go in at a later date. Too keep them from tarinishing or the primers from getting contaminated I'll store them in Ziploc bags or containers until I need them.

On the progressive I polish, sort, make sure the flash hole is clear, load until I run out of a component.


__________________

Black Snowman, my routine is almost exactly like yours. I don't always sort .45 ACP brass, though.