I'm the 2nd generation using the same MEC 600jr.
I helped my dad load when I was younger, so it's ingrained into my DNA.
As suggested eariler, go to
MEC's web site and download the PDF for the manual. Here's a quick overview:
1) Left bottle is for shot, right bottle is for powder. Mixing them up is bad.
2) Make sure the charge bar is pushed fully to the right before flipping the bottles over.
3) Place hull in farthest right position, lower and raise handle. This deprimes and resizes the brass base.
4) Place primer in primer cup, base down, place hull on top of primer cup, lower and raise handle. You'll get used to the feel, but it's a solid stop when the primer is seated.
5) Place hull in position 3,
LOWER HANDLE, then slide charge bar to the left. This drops the powder charge. If you don't lower the handle before moving the bar you're going to be cleaning up powder.
6) Raise handle and place wad on top of wad fingers, wad surrounding the chromed tube (placing the wad involves inserting the wad onto the chromed tube, raising it up, the placing it on top of the wad fingers when the bottom of the wad is clear).
7)
LOWER HANDLE, slide charge bar to the right, raise handle. This seats the wad and drops the shot. Like the powder, sliding the bar without the handle down means clean up. And vaccum cleaners don't like picking up shot.
8) CAREFULLY move hull to position 4, lower and raise handle. This creates first stage crimp. Spilling the hull before crimp means you're back to trying to pick up spilled shot.
9) Slide hull to position 5, lower and raise handle. This creates 2nd stage crimp and finishes the round. Congrats!
A couple of additional points:
Depending on how old the loader is and whether you have a new charge bar, you may get resistance when dropping the shot (bar left to right). This is because a piece of shot gets caught between the bar and the bottle adapter above. Smacking the bar with the heel of the hand will cut the shot and cause the bar to move over. However it also eventually beats the hell out of your hand.
Try sliding the bar back and forth slightly. Be CAREFUL you don't slide the bar back so far you drop another powder charge all over your bench. Newer charge bars have a plastic insert to avoid this problem.
As mentioned eariler, it's very easy to get into a rhythm and surprise yourself how quickly you can reload. Component placement is the key. Empty hulls to outside right, new primers to inside right, wads to inside right, finished shell storage to outside left.
Everyone gets their own procedure. Here's mine:
Station 1:
I place hull with right hand
pull lever with left
Station 2:
place primer and move hull with right
pull lever with left
Station 3:
place hull with right
and pull lever with left
drop powder with right
raise lever
place wad with right
pull lever with left
switch to right hand on lever
drop shot with left
raise lever with right
Station 4:
move hull with left
lower and raise lever with right
Station 5:
move hull with left
lower and raise lever with right
remove finished hull with left
switch hands and start over.
It's sounds complicated but sit down at the press and it will make sense. Hope this is helpful!
