How many rounds per hour do you make?

[Visionairy]

I know I know, quality over quantity. I subscribe to that too but nobody wants to spend 3 hours making 50 rounds so...What's your usual 'pace' when reloading whatever type of ammo plinking/accuracy you reload the most? What kind of equipment are you using as well?
Theoretically, with my single stage, RCBS hand prime, and Lee P. Powder measure I guestimate I can do 120 RPHour. In actuality more like 100 RPH which, at that pace, I can make ammo as fast as I WOULD shoot it at the
range, not necessarily as fast as I COULD shoot it.

.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.

 

[RandyP]

In all honestly I have not kept track that closely but I reckon my output is 'around' 100-150 per hour? I dunno.. I reload to relax and not have to rely on store bought. I find it a fun hobby. My time costs me nothing since I am not taking away from my work time to reload. I am more than able to keep ahead of my actual range use.

 

[jmorris]

100 rounds in 3.5 min

 

[oneounceload]

100 rounds in 3.5 min

I take it you're not weighing your powder every once in a while then

 

[Jason977]

Once I got my LNL "figured out", I ran 100 9mm on the clock. I didn't start timing until I had all my brass and lead in their bins, and primer tube full. No case or bullet feeder. I wasn't hurrying, but still ran into a couple snags with crimped/ berdan primers, fumbling brass or bullets, etc. Took me about 14.5 minutes. That's a rate of 413 rds/hr, but I doubt I've ever loaded more than 300. I'd just rather not stress about time, and I rarely need to make more than a hundred in a pinch.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Depends. About 500 handgun rounds per hour on a progressive. About 100 rifle or pistol rounds per hour on a single stage. And about 20 dangerous game rifle rounds per hour on a single.

 

[MMCSRET]

I don't make the rounds, the other guy does that. I make the TOOITS!!!!!!!!! that go with the rounds.

 

[MissouriBullet]

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

 

[ScratchnDent]

I can do about 100 pistol rounds per hour if I get crankin', but I generally poke along at about 50 rnds per hour, and 20 rifle rounds per hour, all on a single stage.

 

[jmorris]

I take it you're not weighing your powder every once in a while then

I don’t weigh charges very much. The measure, powder check die and my looking at the “fill” of the case with powder all work by volume not weight. The only time I weigh every charge is if I am trickling but I don‘t do that on a progressive. I probably do double check charge weight more often than Federal, Winchester or Remington do but I change setups more often also.

 

[tasco 74]

i take a long time to reload

for me crafting my own ammo is more of a relaxing hobby.... it might take me an hour to put 100 rounds of .38 spl- .357 mag ammo together.... but i do the best i can to make the best i can..........................................

 

[loadedround]

I load on a Dillon 550 and I average a little over 200 rounds per hour just taking my time and checking every 25th round or so for charge weight, crimp and depth. It's a hobby and not a production line.

 

[Visionairy]

Just curious. Thanks for the replies. I too enjoy relaxing and making ammo but once in a while I just need to bust out 100 rounds so I can go to the range so it's nice to only have to spend an hour. I started with a LEE LOADER so to me 100 RPH is like heaven. Thank god I don't have to swing that damn hammer anymore

 

[greyling22]

I do about 100 per hour on a lee turret press. about the same speed for a both 3 and 4 hole. I run a movie at the same time so I"m not rushing, but I'm working steady.

 

[Palehorseman]

I am still using my old Dillon 450 and Square Deal bought back in the 1980s. Never checked the rate, but fast enough for this child.

 

[ljnowell]

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

Are you getting ready to sell loaded ammunition Brad?

 

[ambidextrous1]

Somewhere around 500 to 700 rounds per hour, working solo, with a Dillon
650; The larger (.45) calibers take a bit longer. I check powder weight every 100 rounds. This rate doesn't include the 100% case gauge operation that I perform on all of my output.

I'm really not into speed; but I fine tune the machine & process for a smooth & efficient operation, and it pays off. "A good worker is a fast worker; but a fast worker isn't necessarily a good worker".

I don't reload for more than two hours at a time; boredom & a bit of fatigue take the "fun" out of it.

 

[NotSoFast]

It varies. I'm not there to set a record, or even to record my progress. I'm there for relaxation while I reload some ammunition. And it varies depending on what I'm loading, if I'm hand priming, am I tired, etc.

 

[TonyAngel]

300-400 rounds an hour on a Dillon 550. Rifle, about 200-250 rounds an hour, assuming that all case prep is done in advance or I am loading freshly processed once fired brass.

 

[qajaq59]

I haven't a clue, since I never do the entire procedure at once. One day I might decap 500 rifle cases and another day I'll prime them amd/or expand the necks. I'd have to sit down and do everything on the same day to figure it out I guess? When people talk about someone that relaxes while loading, I'm the guy they're talking about.

 

[jamesicus]

I am one old fogey sitting back and enjoying life - my reloading is carried out in the most leisurely and relaxed fashion. Now in my eighties, I shoot just twenty rounds from one of my rifles during each range session. The way I figure it, if I spend as much time shooting the bull about marksmanship, rifles, ammunition and equipment as I do actually shooting at targets, then that is a great afternoon of shooting. Because of all this, I only hand load twenty cartridges during a session. I use 0000 grade steel wool to clean each case by hand as I inspect them. I decap, resize and seat bullets in an ancient RCBS single stage press, seat primers by hand and individually weigh each powder charge using an equally ancient RCBS balance beam scale. I don't keep track of time when I reload - life is wonderful.

 

[Wastemore]

I use 0000 grade steel wool to clean each case by hand as I inspect them.

Have you ever got your hand stuck in the neck?

 

[smurf hunter]

I clean my brass almost immediately after collecting it. Next time I'm bored, I'll deprime and resize a bunch. I even had my 6 year old helping with that step.

Those are the common steps, regardless of recipe or purpose.

After that there are obvious re-tooling steps, such as dialing in powder dispenser, or tweaking seating depth for a particular bullet.

Once all that's ironed out, and you're creating exactly the same round dozens of times, I think a single stage is plenty fast for pistol rounds.

 

[qajaq59]

Have you ever got your hand stuck in the neck?

LOL

 

[John Wayne]

About 50 handgun rounds per hour on a Lee single stage press. That assumes I start with (polished) fired casings and weigh every 10th charge, and check every 10th charge for OAL. This is also going at a rather relaxed pace. Could probably do 50 rounds in 45 minutes but I wouldn't enjoy it as much.

If devote one hour to each respective step, I can double my output but the process gets more tedious.