How to suck the fun out of reloading, Buy a Progressive Press!

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I load in batches of 2,000 on my Dillon 650

I only stop to refill primer tubes and hoppers. I weigh a powder charge every 100 rounds when I add primers.

I take the time to set it up right, and never have to adjust it while loading.

Over 30 years with "Big Blue" and my only regret is not getting a 1050 to start with.:)
 
Boy, i love this thtead. I have a 1940's Pacific press, orange Lyman 55, and Lyman balance for scale, and all the usual hand tool accessories. Thought I was the only manasaur, as everyone else seemed to have a 'big blue' or turret of some kind. Now I know there are others like me.

I started out reloading to save money, but now it's a hobby unto itself....besides shooting. I do it because I enjoy it, turn on music, no talk, watch any residual stress flow away. I don't set a goal of # of rounds, but once a lot is begun, it is finished. Time passes quickly.

Fellow manasaurs unite!
 
When I had my Hornady LnL AP I spent more time fixing/fiddling with it than I did loading. I never did get the priming system to 100%.

I'm using a Dillon 650 now. I wanted to load some 9mm today. Spent maybe five minutes getting the powder charge and seating depth dialed in. Then I loaded 400 rounds in about 45 minutes. That includes the time it took to load the primer tubes. Every round dropped right into my EGW case gauge. Every round had a primer. The Winchester 244 was dropping with less than a +/- of 0.1 gr.

I hated screwing around with my Hornady. I love loading on my Dillon.

I broke down and picked up a Dillon bullet tray. I installed that today before I started loading. Now I'm mad that I had not gotten it earlier.

I'm hoping that once I get the truck paid off my wife will let me buy another 650 so I don't have to spend time changing over the priming system.
 
Almost everything that can go wrong on a progressive can go wrong on a single stage. Once you get the machine indexing correctly it shouldn't be that complicated. The biggest difference is you'll be cranking out faulty rounds five times faster if something is setup wrong.

I always do 1 case at a time until every die is setup correctly. This makes it a lot easier to go back and adjust if something is wrong.
 
Texas10mm said:
broke down and picked up a Dillon bullet tray. I installed that today before I started loading. Now I'm mad that I had not gotten it earlier
Click to expand...

I wanted that bullet tray for years, but just thought they wanted too much for it. I added it to my 550b last fall, and I have to say 'ditto that!' It is heavy cast aluminum, so at least it is not just some flimsy thing. I also added the empty case bin, which is nice but does not have the same impact on loading as the bullet tray. Of course the price nearly doubled since I bought my press so waiting didn't pay off in the end.
 
dannyd said:
If anyone does not want their LNL ship it to me. Have two guess I could use three or four. The trouble people have with them amazes me. It is just a simple machine. :)
Click to expand...
I just got my first one snd once I got my dies set up from previously using a single stage, it is now running like a champ.
 
Is it a task, job, hobby, work? They can all be fun or not fun at all, kind of like children.

Break it down with a progressive and this is all it takes.





Under the best of circumstances.

It can take many hours to get everything “just right” but you can get them all to that place if you take the time to understand what makes them work.



How much work is involved in making them run and keeping them running is dependent on a few factors.
 
cheygriz said:
I just wish that I could afford an Ammoload or Camdex. :evil:

http://www.camdexloader.com/2100pistol.aspx

http://ammoload.com/
Click to expand...

No you don’t. If you think it’s difficult to setup and keep a progressive running, think about compounding your number of potential problems by a factor of 10 at least.

They obviously capable of much more production and with a number of failsafe devices but are not a “open the box, plug in and load 4000 rounds and hour once filled” machines by any standpoint.
 
Going to the progressive has a learning curve. I sort of talked to mine at first, ok well I cussed it a bit when I first got it.
While you are getting used to it, and it takes a bit, I would go with the suggestion above a for the first couple batches make two passes.
Deprime/resize, prime, flair
the the second pass drop power, seat and crimp.
That way while you are getting used to it you have less to focus on at a time, once you have the focus for the first half then get the focus for the second half then put it all together.
It's hard for an old dog like me to learn new tricks;)

I like to deprime/resize/flair then wet tumble the brass, hand prime while watching TV, then just feed the LNL primed cases. This lets me have the die setup I want for loading
1. Powder
2. RCBS lockout die
3. bullet feed
4 Hornady Seater/taper crimp
5 Lee FCD

I have done it all in one pass but to get the setup I want I really need one (or 2 more stations)
Relax take a deep breath, you will make friends with it eventually.
PS Give your wife the hand sledge to but away someplace:D
 
You're either using a defective press or have it setup incorrectly. When I've got my press dialed in I can easily go hundreds of rounds without a single hiccup.

I load rifle on a single stage still, but I'd never go back to it for pistol rounds.
 
jmorris said:
No you don’t. If you think it’s difficult to setup and keep a progressive running, think about compounding your number of potential problems by a factor of 10 at least.

They obviously capable of much more production and with a number of failsafe devices but are not a “open the box, plug in and load 4000 rounds and hour once filled” machines by any standpoint.
Click to expand...

You're right about the set up and adjustment.

In the 90s, I was a partner for three years in a reloading business. We had two ammoload machines, one set up for .38 special and one for 9MM. Took several days, and a factory rep on the telephone, to get them mounted, running and fine tuned. But once set up, you leave it set up.

Neither machine is suitable for regular calibre changes. (Unless you're a mechanical genius)

But they sure are nice once they're running properly!:):)
 
"Ya I know, should have bought a Dillon, Powder Cop, Ergo handle, case feeder, bullet feeder. "

Don't forget one of these doodads!



:rofl::neener:
 
PWC said:
Boy, i love this thtead. I have a 1940's Pacific press, orange Lyman 55, and Lyman balance for scale, and all the usual hand tool accessories. Thought I was the only manasaur, as everyone else seemed to have a 'big blue' or turret of some kind. Now I know there are others like me.

I started out reloading to save money, but now it's a hobby unto itself....besides shooting. I do it because I enjoy it, turn on music, no talk, watch any residual stress flow away. I don't set a goal of # of rounds, but once a lot is begun, it is finished. Time passes quickly.

Fellow manasaurs unite!
Click to expand...
I can't claim to be a manasaur, but I relate to this post...although I don't keep it at my loading bench, and it's diet these days, Dr. Pepper is also my drink. I suppose I want a Progressive press...but I haven't even mastered my Hornady LNL Classic single stage. I enjoy passing the time in front of my bench...in fact, while I'm on my PC, I merely need to swivel my chair...and BAM! Press handle at the ready. I expect I'll single stage it for a while...and maybe, just maybe (if I win one) install a progressive...but more likely...a big orange turret. That seems more to my liking (or better, I win a Forster Co-Ax for some reason).

I still have too many powders, primers, case trimmers, bullets, shell plates, die sets, and etc to buy before I have any money left over to spend on other presses. Everyone wants me to "enter to win a gun"...where are all the "Enter to win a press" contests/ads?
 
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