How many rounds per hour do you make?

[floydster]

If speed is your game, you are in the wrong hobby or whatever you want to call it,get out while you still can!!!

 

[TonyT]

I use a Dillon 550, examining each case before sizing and the powder drop. I opt for quality over speed and still do ca. 350 per hour.

 

[RhinoDefense]

4,000 per hour once I get the new Camdex set up.

You might get away with running .38 or .357 that fast, but quality will suffer. There's lots of vibration with running an automated loader so powder retention is paramount. Dial it in until you aren't slopping powder all over the place.

For .380 ACP to .45 ACP, a nice 2,000-2,500 rate is about the sweet spot for most auto pistol cartridges with good quality and good production.

 

[JTQ]

.45 ACP
(Estimates)
Resize/Deprime, 5 secs
Priming, 5 secs
Expander Die, 5 secs
Powder Drop, 5 secs
Bullet Seat, 5 secs
Factory Crimp, 5 secs

Not including case inspection, OAL checks, bullet tension checks, powder charge visual inspections, messing around with the radio etc.

On a single stage press, how much time is used to install/remove dies?

 

[Win1892]

For handguns , Dillon 650 about 500 rounds per hour. When I stop to drop in a load of primers I check powder weight.

 

[MissouriBullet]

Are you getting ready to sell loaded ammunition Brad?

Yes. Starting with .380 and 9mm. I figured it was time to start hedging bets against the future. EPA could ban lead projectiles tomorrow via an ad hoc regulatory order, you know. This couldn't happen, of course, if this were still truly a nation of laws, rather than of men, but it is the sad truth.

 

[MissouriBullet]

You might get away with running .38 or .357 that fast, but quality will suffer. There's lots of vibration with running an automated loader so powder retention is paramount. Dial it in until you aren't slopping powder all over the place.

For .380 ACP to .45 ACP, a nice 2,000-2,500 rate is about the sweet spot for most auto pistol cartridges with good quality and good production.

Camdex reconfigured the cam, altering the harmonics so that the shake happens at a less critical time, with the result that the machines can run .380's much faster than they used to be able to. It won't do the full 4400 rated cycle, but it will get close.

 

[raz-0]

As usual, you have a lot of variation about what people mean by rounds per hour in this thread.

IMO, if you are talking about budgeting time, It's about the time from when you sit down to make X amount of ammo until you have that ammo done and complete and it runs.


All the below include loading primer tubes if applicable, and boxing the ammo.

.45 ACP on a lee turret, about 100 per hour.
9mm on a lee turret about 70 per hour.

.45 acp on a LNL AP, about 425 an hour
.40 S&W on a LNL AP about 400 an hour
.40 S&W on a LNL AP about 400 an hour
.40 S&W on a LNL AP with case gauge checking about 340 an hour (I now have a 50 gang case gauge, don't have a new time yet).
9mm on a LNL AP, about 120 per hour.

The slow times for 9mm are due to small components. They are below a threshold where I apparently become a spaz when it comes to picking one piece out of a bin of components and orienting it the right end up quickly. It's also impacted by 9x23, .38 super and .38 super comp sneaking in as well as crimped primer pockets.

 

[joed]

After I started shooting 300 rounds every weekend I decided it was time for a progressive. My first was a Dillon 550B, that press did 300 rounds an hour. My second press was much more impressive being a Dillon 1050. With the 1050 I can crank out an honest 1200 rounds an hour before my arm gets tired. I soon sold off the 550B for a 650XL. The 650XL produces about 400 to 500 rounds an hour. This is all quality ammo that I would put up against anyone else's.

I also don't agree with Oneounceload's comment about checking the powder charge. My presses are equipped with powder check dies and will let you know if the charge isn't correct.

I warn anyone thinking of going progressive to be sure and invest in powder check dies. It's not 'IF' you are going to get a bad load but more 'WHEN'. I want to know about it on the press not in the gun.

 

[James2]

Lots of variables.
Are you starting with dirty brass to be cleaned first?
Rifle or pistol?
Are you going to clean primer pockets?
Are you going to measure for length?
Are you going to trim?
Are you going to chamfer?
Are you using a pet load that your dies are already adjusted for?
Are you using a pet load that you don't need to do research on the load for?
Are you using a pet load so you don't need to work up the load?
What press are you using?
What priming system are you using?
How are you dispensing powder?

Your answer to all of the above questions (plus some) will have a bearing on how many you can load in an hour.

If you are using clean brass and are not going to clean primer pockets nor trim, nor chamfer, and your dies are already set up for the bullet, and you know what the load is, it is pretty easy to load 100 in an hour on a single stage.

Of course, at some point, you need to do those other jobs too which also takes time.

 

[RustyFN]

I never have timed myself for an hour. When I reload I sit down for three hours and have 500 rounds when I'm done. That is loading pistol and at a relaxed pace. When I reload rifle after case prep is done I load around 250 to 300 per hour at the same relaxed pace. Almost forgot, I load on a Lee classic turret.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Loading = press is operating and assembling ammunition.

Keep it simple folks. This is loading ammo, not prep, inspect, take a poop, box up ammo time. Just loading. Sheesh.

 

[ljnowell]

Tonite I set up and loaded 200 357 magnum 158gr LSWC over 14.5gr of 2400 in one hour. Lee Turret with Auto indexing and a lee Auto Disk measure with adjustable charge bar.

 

[altitude_19]

I'm new to reloading and just hit about 150 rounds per hour. This is not including case prep and calibration (I trim/chamfer/the whole 9 yards). It's about the same between 38 spc and 45 acp. I use an RCBS PRO200 Progressive press. They say it can hit 600 rounds per hour if properly outfitted.

 

[RB98SS]

These threads are really somewhat pointless if a person doesn't add in their prep time on cases and EVERYTHING involved in reloading a cartridge. Especially if one uses a progressive press. If you have a progressive and I have a progressive we both can pull the handle at the same speed. Now if you're using a single stage press then some people can move dies around faster than others but for me anyway, the time is spent in the prep work.

 

[jcwit]

I've refrained from posting, but now have to respond. The question is, How many rounds per hour do I make.

Reloading to me is part of my whole hobby of shooting, whether loading 5 rounds at a time at the range while shooting off the bench or reloading in mass for pistol. To me its immaterial how fast or slow I go as its enjoyable, and as long as I have enough for shooting when I get to the range its all that matters.

Ah, the joys of being retired, and no kids underfoot anymore.

 

[hydraulicman]

no idea enough to load a thousand rounds with ease in a few days

 

[ljnowell]

These threads are really somewhat pointless if a person doesn't add in their prep time on cases and EVERYTHING involved in reloading a cartridge. Especially if one uses a progressive press. If you have a progressive and I have a progressive we both can pull the handle at the same speed. Now if you're using a single stage press then some people can move dies around faster than others but for me anyway, the time is spent in the prep work.

I totally disagree. If you spend that much time on prep, than you have a lower round per hour production. I take spent cartridges straight from my range bag and into a tumbler. I do not count that time in my loading, as it is not time spent loading. I dump them in and let them run for a hour or two. When they come out they go into a bin, then from the bin to the press, no more prep needed. The only exception would be rifle rounds that get trimmed, and that is usually just after the first firing.

 

[1SOW]

I usually enjoy reloading. I'm anal. 9mm, cases already cleaned, polished and deprimed: I average about 100rds/hour on a Lee 4-hole Turret. I don't rush, but I do reload steadily. I try to keep 500 (or more) cartridges loaded/about two weeks ahead. When I get behind, I don't enjoy reloading as much.

 

[Hondo 60]

Probably about 100/hr for handgun.

For rifle, I've never checked, but I usually resize/deprime in step one & then at another time I'll trim on my power Lyman trimmer & then at another time reprime-charge & seat bullet. Sometimes it's a week between different steps.

 

[scotty]

Using my 550B I can load ~400rds/hr of pistol ammo if everything is adjusted and filled. I eyeball each and every powder charge and pull out and weigh any that look suspect.

To give an idea of setup time once all components are on the bench, I can fill everything up, (I have a Dillon primer tube filler), verify that I am throwing proper powder charges, load 1000 rounds, and put everything away in about 3 hours. This is as large a batch as I care to do in one sitting. Most batches are smaller, usually 400-600rds. I usually won't fire up the Dillon unless I want to do 200-300rds or more.

Rifle ammo and smaller batches get done on the single stage (RCBS RCII). I haven't tried to time it as I do it in stages. Prep brass one day, prime with a hand primer another, charge and seat bullets still another.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Camdex reconfigured the cam, altering the harmonics so that the shake happens at a less critical time, with the result that the machines can run .380's much faster than they used to be able to. It won't do the full 4400 rated cycle, but it will get close.

Nice. Glad to see they are improving their machines.

Feel free to PM me with questions on FET as well and I'll help out. It's a circus to figure out.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Using a Lee Classic 4 hole turret press I can safely turn out 180-200 .38 Special or similar rounds/hour. I could probably push out more but since safety comes first I keep the pace around 180-200/hour just to be sure nothing goes wrong...

 

[buck460XVR]

I've refrained from posting, but now have to respond. The question is, How many rounds per hour do I make.

Reloading to me is part of my whole hobby of shooting, whether loading 5 rounds at a time at the range while shooting off the bench or reloading in mass for pistol. To me its immaterial how fast or slow I go as its enjoyable, and as long as I have enough for shooting when I get to the range its all that matters.

Ah, the joys of being retired, and no kids underfoot anymore.

Same here......except I ain't retired.....yet. I load when I have the spare time........and sometimes that's a half hour before supper or sometimes it's three hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon. When I go to the range I take a myriad of calibers and guns. I shoot maybe 50 of this, 200 of that, probably 100 of those and 40 of something else. Sometimes in .357 and .44 caliber, I'll have 2 or 3 different loads/bullets outta the 150 rounds I shoot that day. When I'm workin' up loads, it's even worse. I spend a lot of time adjusting dies and recalibrating the powder thrower. How many I load per hour is lost, cause I just don't keep track. Since I have never ran outta loaded cartridges to shoot on any given day, it doesn't seem important.

 

[MCgunner]

There's a lot of set up for my Dillon SD and Lee Pro 1000. Those spouting 500 rph must not be considering the set up. I take my time, too, avoid priming issues if I can, load about a box in 15 minutes at best, equates to 200 rph, but then, I had to stop and dump primers and that is set up time. I don't see stopping the clock for that as it's part of reloading. SO, in reality, I only get about 150 rounds per hour, but that's fast enough IMHO and I know they're gong to go bang every time. I take the time to check powder charge each through.