View Full Version : How many rounds can you load at a time?
Without getting sloppy or losing your mind... How much ammo can you stand to crank out in a session.
I did about 900 rounds of .223 Sunday. The first 500 were no sweat, but I was getting insane and distracted in the last 400. I load from primed brass so there's no breaks for primer tube refills... It's just foot on the gas.
We talking single stage or progressive?
We talking single stage or progressive?
Well I was talking progressive, but I do use a single too. I can work on reloading stuff for many hours. But straight blasting away on the progressive?? 500 at a crack is all my mind can take.
I've never really counted exact numbers, but I've loaded 300+ (from case cleaning to loaded) on a single stage before, and could have kept on going but my back was hurting from sitting so dang long. Other times, if I'm being distracted by a, we'll say a pending (and very vocal) honey do list, it's not nearly as much :D.
I don't load as much on the progressive, but I consider this thread a challenge though. So we'll see...
Usually I load 30 at a time with Pmags. :)
Single stage is all I have and I load the same way (from primed brass).
After about 600-700 I'm ready to scratch my eyes out. I have loaded 1200 9mm in a sitting before, but it burnt me out so much I didn't touch the press again for a month.
I usually will reload for around an hour with my Dillon 550. After that it just starts to feel like work.
Single stage is all I have and I load the same way (from primed brass).
After about 600-700 I'm ready to scratch my eyes out. I have loaded 1200 9mm in a sitting before, but it burnt me out so much I didn't touch the press again for a month.
No doubt. I've been at that point where I don't want to even THINK about loading. :p
I usually will reload for around an hour with my Dillon 550. After that it just starts to feel like work.
That's it right there. 500 rounds is about an hour. After that I'm done.
michael word
05-02-13, 09:56
I usually due about 1000 round at a time on a single stage press with individually measured powder charges no problem. Takes me all day but that is the fun of it. I usually split the case prep and power and bullet seating on different days though.
Assuming prepped brass (sized/deprimed/trimmed), I load 1 round every 10-15 seconds. I average around 150-200 loaded precision rifle rounds, via a Prometheus Gen 2 and a Co-ax, per hour. I generally only do 50 at a time before I get too bored.
RearwardAssist
05-02-13, 10:08
I have done 1500 9mm in one session the most 223 i have done is around 7-800 and those were both brutal. I pretty much do 400 at a time now.
I'll do a couple hundred a night usually. If it's crappy out or have nothing to do I can load a few thousand. Wife keeps the primer tubes and casefeeder full.
CrazyFingers
05-02-13, 11:46
I stick to a 50-round reloading tray per session on my T-7, but that's a turret, and I haven't got my 3BR set up yet, so apples to oranges.
How the hell do you guys load 500 rds in an hour? I can see that with pre-primed brass...maybe...but I'm nowhere near that with all the weighing, filling, counting, filling, and more filling lol. :confused:
Talking .223 here right? I can probably get closer to 500/hr with 9mm...
How the hell do you guys load 500 rds in an hour? I can see that with pre-primed brass...maybe...but I'm nowhere near that with all the weighing, filling, counting, filling, and more filling lol. :confused:
Talking .223 here right? I can probably get closer to 500/hr with 9mm...
All I'm doing is cycling and indexing the machine. All I have to do is grab brass and bullets. I just watch each round to make sure the Powder Charge looks ok, and keep rolling.
All I'm doing is cycling and indexing the machine. All I have to do is grab brass and bullets. I just watch each round to make sure the Powder Charge looks ok, and keep rolling.
How fast do you crank the handle? I tend to go very slow and controlled...
I do get some pretty damn accurate ammo though ;)
How fast do you crank the handle? I tend to go very slow and controlled...
I do get some pretty damn accurate ammo though ;)
Not abnormally fast. My goal is NEVER volume per hour.
Not abnormally fast. My goal is NEVER volume per hour.
Gotcha...so I guess this question is really "how long can you sit at your press and crank out rounds before you go crazy?" :p
I'm probably good for 2-3 hours, but at that point it's more of a physical thing than mental since I use a simple wooden stool with no padding lol
I can get into a pretty good rythem most of the time. Radio on, just checking powder charge by eye as markm said. I prep the .223 beforehand, already sized, deprimed and swagged before loading.
I try to not load more than 600 in a day on my Dillon 550.
I usually don't have enough time to get sick of reloading, maybe an hour at a crack, at best. I've started reloading in steps (days): 1. resize, deprime, clean 2. tumble, trim, prime 3. reload. I can usually only get about 200 done before I'm being "summoned". It's the trimming that gets me. After about 100, I'm starting to freak. I really need a better way.
I think the most I've done, on a weekend with no wife or kids around, was about 400 10mm from start to finish. I ran out of projos so I stopped because of that, not cause I was sick of it. I'll update here when I find out... which will be when I retire and the kids are off at college.
Single stage is all I have and I load the same way (from primed brass).
After about 600-700 I'm ready to scratch my eyes out. I have loaded 1200 9mm in a sitting before, but it burnt me out so much I didn't touch the press again for a month.
Dude, you're an animal!
Dude, you're an animal!
Lol, thanks. :)
Notice I didn't say how F-ing long that took me! I go in stages, like you. I currently tumble (dry) then resize/deprime, then trim/prep/prime, then load, All in large batches of several hundred or up to a thousand. Only thing is, I really burn out quick on the prep steps, but I can usually hang pretty hard when finished rounds are going into the ammo can. I guess I'm more motivated when I see finished rounds as a result.
I need a progressive press, but my man cave is quite literally a spider hole & I do not have the space. I am, however, in the process of acquiring the needed gear for wet tumbling due, in part, to mark and others giving it such high praise. I can't wait. :)
Rattlehead
05-02-13, 18:51
Without getting sloppy or losing your mind... How much ammo can you stand to crank out in a session.
I did about 900 rounds of .223 Sunday. The first 500 were no sweat, but I was getting insane and distracted in the last 400. I load from primed brass so there's no breaks for primer tube refills... It's just foot on the gas.
As long as I have all my brass polished, primer tubes loaded, and powder measure full, I average around 1,000 9mm or 38 Super an hour.
Although after an hour of dealing with a Dillon 1050 I usually want to throw it out the window.
Wow, I'm mister slow poke. I probably do about 250 .223 and maybe about 350 .40 in an hour. I usually call it then.
If I reloading on my progressive, about 500 is my max per session. I can't concentrate beyond that. If I'm loading single stage, 100 rounds is my limit.
Maineshooter
05-02-13, 21:48
I just moved a single stage press to my garage workbench with trimming gear. I did it with the intent of mass processing .223 brass (about half of which need to have the crimps removed from the primer pockets). I find that as I am working around the house I can stop by the bench and de-prime/re-size a couple hundred at at time. It seems to be a lot easier doing this part standing up with a little music cranked in the background. After a couple of days I have a shit ton of fully processed brass. Trimming and taking out the primer crimps is a pain in the ass. Doing it this way (a little processing at a time) seems to make the actual reloading process go a lot quicker when I am ready.
I recently picked up a Lee Classic Cast Turret press that auto indexes. It's simple, rugged and fast. I wanted a Dillon but they are way backed up on orders and I decided to stock up on components instead. If any or you are loading single stage you owe it to yourselves to try this setup. It's made my life a whole lot easier.
For .223 or 7.62 about 200 at one whack is all I care to do, and that's on a progressive. Brass has already been cleaned, sized and trimmed; everything else gets done on the Dillon. I usually get well ahead during the winter, especially on the brass prep.
For pistol, it's and hour here and an hour there until I get a good pile.
eightmillimeter
05-03-13, 00:23
I tend to have to split days between things like case cleaning, case prep, priming, and loading. If not days then at least an hour or two break. The tedious chores hurt my attention span and I try to speed it up. Honey-do list is not a concern as the wife is demanding I load more 45 for her new XDs haha.
Ouroborous
05-03-13, 01:41
With prepped 5.56 brass on my hornady lnl progressive I can do 500 in a couple hours and still be enjoying it. I went to 1000 on Monday and I started to get a little anxious to finish the last bit of brass in the bucket.
For the record, I'm only working with two primer tubes at the moment and I only have three brass on the plate at a time so I can monitor the primer feeder--I hate wasting a powder drop cuz my tube went dry. That accounts for some of the time it takes for me to load. Other than that I hand
feed brass and bullets into the red beast until I burn out.
Loading's the fun part though.
It'll take me the better part of the weekend to trim the 1,000 once fired brass I have polishing as we speak on an RCBS trim pro with drill attachment. That's when the real work begins.
polymorpheous
05-03-13, 03:21
I only have a Lee Challenger right now, so probably 100-150 rounds of .223.
I have a 550 on order from Chadbags, and I'm eagerly anticipatin it's arrival.
S. Galbraith
05-03-13, 07:38
I usually load before I go shooting. I don't like churning out large quantities of ammo just for the sake of doing it, because I often like to tweek my loads over time. The most I have ever loaded in one sitting was 600rds of .40S&W......and that took me about an hour and a half. Usually I will load 100rds on my 550b in 15min(my usual). 200rds in a half hour. It keeps my concentration sharp, and my equipment stays cleaner since I usually clean everything after each run of ammo.
the_accuser
05-03-13, 08:10
I have a single stage press and usually load up 100 - 200 .223 rounds at a time. I basically load up whatever I think I will shoot during my range time.
Although after an hour of dealing with a Dillon 1050 I usually want to throw it out the window.
I hear that! I've stripped all non-essential crap off of my 550b just to keep me from sledge hammering the mother ****er. :mad:
Seems like 500ish is ideal for most progressives and 1000 is the breaking point for most men. :p
When loading handgun rounds on my 550B w/5 primer fill tubes, I'll fill the primer magazine on the press then all 5 primer fill tubes. After 600 rounds I'm ready for something else. On two occasions, I ran 1200 rounds which I don't plan to do again any time soon. I take my time and between setup and cleanup, loading 600 rounds takes typically just over 2 hours.
Lately I stop in an hour after work, around 300 an hour. That's leisurely.
I've spent whole evenings doing it, say 3-4 hours in the past, but time is a serious constraint.
Boxerglocker
05-03-13, 12:39
9mm on my Dillon XL650 - 500 rounds a sitting takes me a casual 40 minutes. .223 on the Dillon RL1050B - 500 in about an hour. My brass is pre-sized trimmed on the 650 with a RT1200.
In both cases I preload 5 primer tubes with a vibra-prime which takes about 6-7 minutes.
I'm brand new to reloading, and working on a single-stage Hornady press with their shitty inaccurate powder measure, but I generally load about 50 rounds of .44 Mag at a time (and that's start to finish, from decap/resize to seat/crimp). I spend most of my time trickling powder to get the charges right. I'm at the point where spending money on a more accurate powder dispenser is starting to appeal.
I'm at the point where spending money on a more accurate powder dispenser is starting to appeal.
The RCBS Chargemaster would bring tears to your eyes. :p
The RCBS Chargemaster would bring tears to your eyes. :p
Tears of joy, or rage?
Alaskapopo
05-03-13, 18:00
Without getting sloppy or losing your mind... How much ammo can you stand to crank out in a session.
I did about 900 rounds of .223 Sunday. The first 500 were no sweat, but I was getting insane and distracted in the last 400. I load from primed brass so there's no breaks for primer tube refills... It's just foot on the gas.
WIth pistol about 400 an hour. With rifle where I trim it first about 250 to 300 an hour. Using two Dillon 550B's. (one for large primer calibers the other for small primer calibers.)
Pat
about 500 but than after that I get bored
theblackknight
05-06-13, 14:33
400, thats what my 8 tubes hold for my 28$ bullet feeder, I usually do 200/200 for practice/match a session.I use CCI primers for practice and Feds for match ammo.
I did 1000 in an hour and a half. I thought I was gonna go nuts after 600.......
Using a 650XL with Casefeeder. Hand Priming brass the night before I reload while watching TV, can take my time doing that.
I ****ing hate the Dillon Auto Primer that comes with the machines. Its junk, half the time it doesn't prime or they get flipped in the tube. Started hand priming all my brass and haven't had an issue since.
I ****ing hate the Dillon Auto Primer that comes with the machines. Its junk, half the time it doesn't prime or they get flipped in the tube. Started hand priming all my brass and haven't had an issue since.
A - Fricken - men!!!!
Eliminating that piece of shit operation on my Dillon has eliminated 90% of my loading ass ache.
There's a thick coat of dust on that thing since I pulled the op-rod on it many years ago.
(It's pretty interesting that most of us crack at the 500-600 mark)
What do you guys use for case trimming? That's the shit that sends me over the edge.
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What do you guys use for case trimming? That's the shit that sends me over the edge.
Giraud. I'm loading for two shooters, so I couldn't live without the Giraud.
What do you guys use for case trimming? That's the shit that sends me over the edge.
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Dillon RT1200. Still makes me want to bang my head against a wall when you've got thousands to process, but I just keep reminding myself it could be much worse! :p
(It's pretty interesting that most of us crack at the 500-600 mark)
I'll have to update my numbers...I'm probably loading 200-300 when I'm loading my precision rounds, especially since I'm up near max charge. But I'll go much faster when I'm loading practice ammo...probably close to 500 or so.
I'm at 50 for precision. (.308 / 300 Win Mag) That's all charge master and single stage or Arbor press.
And that chargemaster... as much as I love it, will start ****ing with me and I want to throw it out the window. :p
dmaxfireman
05-08-13, 12:39
I am still loading on a rock chucker single stage press and from start to finish 200 and I'm ready to call it quits. I did 500 once and will never ever do that again without a progressive press. After case prep most of my time is spent measuring the charge weights one by one.
After case prep most of my time is spent measuring the charge weights one by one.
How do you measure them? I did it briefly by hand with a beam scale. When I got the chargemaster and metered that first charge... I nearly wept it was so beautiful.
Giraud. I'm loading for two shooters, so I couldn't live without the Giraud.
Dillon RT1200.
Thanks, I'll check those out.
When I got the chargemaster and metered that first charge... I nearly wept it was so beautiful.
That the next item on my "nice to have" list.
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Thanks, I'll check those out.
That the next item on my "nice to have" list.
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These guys are gonna break me. They've already convinced me to invest in stainless tumbling, now I'm leaning toward a Giraud and a chargemaster!
WTF, guys? I can't afford all this! :)
dmaxfireman
05-08-13, 13:25
How do you measure them? I did it briefly by hand with a beam scale. When I got the chargemaster and metered that first charge... I nearly wept it was so beautiful.
Lyman 1200 DPS
Slow and fairly finicky. Frankly it's on the chopping block as soon as I find something that is proven to not bust balls. I want something that is fast and accurate and I do not need to worry about recalibrating every 50 rounds
These guys are gonna break me. They've already convinced me to invest in stainless tumbling, now I'm leaning toward a Giraud and a chargemaster!
WTF, guys? I can't afford all this! :)
Chargemaster is only necessary if you're loading some stick powders.
Chargemaster is only necessary if you're loading some stick powders.
I was mostly kidding on that one, but I did order the stainless tumbling crap & I really need a better trimming option. I'm currently using the Hornady crank jobby and I hate it beyond belief if I have any quantity to work through.
I am looking forward to stainless tumbling though, so thanks for convincing me. I even ordered one of those cheap LEE hand presses so I can decap while watching TV with the kids. I have about two 5 gal buckets of brass to clean up when it gets here. Can't wait.
Chargemaster is only necessary if you're loading some stick powders.
Necessary being the key word. It's on my "nice to have" list, not my "need to have". ;)
I hand weigh all my rifle rounds so, after trimming, the power charging is next to get "automated".
WTF, guys? I can't afford all this! :)
Yeah, right!? I've dropped more cash since I joined M4C than I ever did before. Frickin' dickheads around here. :D
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Kudos to you volume loaders. I do all my case prep and priming usually the same day I shoot. Then during random days of the week I do 100 rounds each time on my Rock Cruncher. The most aggravating time waster to me is waiting for my Chargemaster to beep. It would go a lot faster if I used my powder thrower but I bought that Chargemaster so I'm gonna use it.
It would go a lot faster if I used my powder thrower but I bought that Chargemaster so I'm gonna use it.
A buddy of mine knows a guy who runs two of them side by side.
I try to work in bullet seating while the charge master flows.
A buddy of mine knows a guy who runs two of them side by side.
I try to work in bullet seating while the charge master flows.
LOL your buddy's friend has too much money.
I loaded 500 rounds of .40 S&W on Monday, from unprimed/tumbled cases to complete. My back started to ache. I was loading heavy bullets and I needed to focus. I could have done more but I did not want to hurt myself overlooking something. Hornady LNL.
A buddy of mine knows a guy who runs two of them side by side.
I try to work in bullet seating while the charge master flows.
I ran two side by side, and it sped things up dramatically. Overthrows, and scale drift, on the other hand, made me want to destroy those things....even with reprogramming and the straw trick. The Prometheus has cured all that ails me. I'm seating a bullet while the machine is trickling, and that makes things go much smoother and quicker.
A buddy of mine has his Prometheus sitting over a 550b drop station, and he's rolling 6xc insanely quick. It's a nice set-up!
Ouroborous
05-09-13, 23:18
What do you guys use for case trimming? That's the shit that sends me over the edge.
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For trimming I use an RCBS trim pro with the drill attachment and a swage tool chucked in the drill. I'm at roughly 100/hr on this setup and I usually process 1k pieces at a time--it can take several days of 3hr shifts to finish.
Not to hijack your thread here Mark, but how long is it taking you guys to trim and swage brass?
I ran two side by side, and it sped things up dramatically. Overthrows, and scale drift, on the other hand, made me want to destroy those things....even with reprogramming and the straw trick.
Yep.. I've gotten to where I know exactly how much of each powder to tap back into the feed to get the charge right with one correction. Some days are worse than others.
Not to hijack your thread here Mark, but how long is it taking you guys to trim and swage brass?
Hmmm... A normal batch size is about 120-130 pieces (SS tumbler batch).. So I'm usually trimming and crimp removing that amount.
It really depends. Trimming XM193 takes twice as long because you have to let the Giraud cut it down so much. 20 minutes maybe for 125 pieces. Previously trimmed brass flys throught the machine. 10-15 minutes for 125 pieces. Less cutting.
I run a Hornady primer pocket cutter in a drill and go about the same speed as the Giraud for crimp removal.
For trimming I use an RCBS trim pro with the drill attachment and a swage tool chucked in the drill. I'm at roughly 100/hr on this setup and I usually process 1k pieces at a time--it can take several days of 3hr shifts to finish.
Not to hijack your thread here Mark, but how long is it taking you guys to trim and swage brass?
Dillon RT1200, Dillon super swage 600. 2 items I would hate to reload without.
Ouroborous
05-11-13, 01:28
Dillon RT1200, Dillon super swage 600. 2 items I would hate to reload without.
I have and use the super swage. I never could bring myself to spend the dough on the RT1200--maybe a couple more thousand cases will change my mind on that:)
I do around 200 per session on a Lyman turret press. Dying for a Dillon 650 though.
I like to load each caliber once a year. I've done 6,000 9mm in one day on the Hornady LnL AP Progressive equipped with both a bullet feeder and case feeder. Loading primer tubes is the biggest pain which is why I usually work with a buddy.
One loads the brass, bullets, primers, and boxes the finished rounds while the other just cranks the handle. We usually switch after 1,000 or so rounds.
I'm getting ready to do another 4,000 9mm maybe next week and I'm seriously thinking of getting the Dillon primer tube filler.
As far as .223 goes I do it In 2 steps. Size and trim using a Dillon RT1200 on the press. Then prime, charge and bullet seat once they are cleaned of all lube.
I've done 2,000 in one sitting with already cleaned and trimmed brass.
I like to load each caliber once a year.
That's insanity. :p
I did that once... loaded up a big bucket of 223 and just shot off of it for many months. I'm happier staying on top of it and staying fresh.
I practically had to re-learn loading after finishing that bucket.
Plus if you run into a problem with ammo when you do more frequent shorter lots, you don't have a massive amount of suspect ammo to worry about.
That's insanity. :p
I did that once... loaded up a big bucket of 223 and just shot off of it for many months. I'm happier staying on top of it and staying fresh.
I practically had to re-learn loading after finishing that bucket.
Plus if you run into a problem with ammo when you do more frequent shorter lots, you don't have a massive amount of suspect ammo to worry about.
That's my concern with huge batches too, although I'm horribly OCD and quadruple duplicate every QC check, but shit happens sometimes.
I fill .30 cal cans with loose reloads and I load until I fill the can, then I use out of it till its gone and I don't top them off. I used to fill 50 cal cans loose, but they're so damn heavy that way I switched to 30's. that keeps my batches to a more reasonable lot in case of a screw up.
That's my concern with huge batches too, although I'm horribly OCD and quadruple duplicate every QC check, but shit happens sometimes.
Yep.. happened to me. Different lot of powder, and I had 500 rounds of 5.56 that was giving us some popped primers.
I usually only run a few hundred rounds per session on a Hornady LnL.
Coal Dragger
05-30-13, 22:23
My limit is around 400-500 rounds on my progressive until I just can't stand to do it anymore. That is with breaks to fill primer tubes.
I love my Dillon Square Deal and want to add another Dillon to my bench, but I find their claims for loaded rounds per hour to be a little unrealistic for me at least. I just don't like loading that fast if I don't have to.
I currently do all my rifle and magnum pistol rounds on a Redding T7, which is quite a bit slower. I might do batches of 150-200 on that press before I am just no longer interested.
I enjoy 100 rounds at a time on my single stage press before it becomes a chore...
StrikerFired
05-31-13, 06:37
Usually around 300 per day max on my single stage if I have brass ready to load.
I pulled down 100 rounds of XM193 and made Mk 262 clone out of it last night. Even with a collet puller, 100 rounds is a bit of torture. :(
I pulled down 100 rounds of XM193 and made Mk 262 clone out of it last night. Even with a collet puller, 100 rounds is a bit of torture. :(
That does sound tedious, nothing a pot of coffee and a pac of cigs can't get you through though...:p
That does sound tedious, nothing a pot of coffee and a pac of cigs can't get you through though...:p
Too hot here for coffee in the afternoon now. And I don't smoke.
But pulling bullets with a cold beer never killed anyone. ;)
ICANHITHIMMAN
05-31-13, 09:55
Too hot here for coffee in the afternoon now. And I don't smoke.
But pulling bullets with a cold beer never killed anyone. ;)
LOL no such thing as to hot for coffee 137 in the shade and I still drank 3 to 4 cups a day. Not hard to do when its the best tasting thing around.
I got to about 175-200 rounds the other day of 45 acp and I was worn out. Then again I was going slow with the 550 as I am still learning what to watch and am taking it easy.
That's the way to do it. Nobody cares if you can brag about doing 500 round is 45 minutes if your pistol is blodes to bits!
500 rounds of 9mm in an hour is a typical session on my 650 with case feeder. Roughly 7 minutes per 100 pulling the handle, and the rest is spent loading primer tubes, quality checks, etc. Case lube keeps arm fatigue to a minimum. Two to three hours a month is about all I care to spend at the bench.
I really like the manual index of the 550b, it slows things down and lets me really look into the case and see the shell plate layout before I pull the handle. Been reading a lot of threads on various forums about kabooms, makes me cringe and think a lot more about what reloading is really about. One thing that will never be cheap or even free is the time someone has to put into reloading, might as well make it safe and at a comfortable pace.
I really like the manual index of the 550b, it slows things down and lets me really look into the case and see the shell plate layout before I pull the handle.
Yep... I bought this clampy LED light that I mounted overhead to beam down onto the shell plate area. It's nice.
Me too. My light fits in the hole in the tool head and bathes the entire shell plate in bright white. I can't see why anyone would not want to use something like this.
Google inline fabrication, great products.
Kicked out 1000 rounds of 45 acp yesterday after work. That was a blast. :rolleyes:
Poored it all into one 50 cal can. I'd love to weigh that mofo. :p
I can load one at a time. (has that been said already? :o )
I've always just loaded for highpower so ~50-100 rifle rounds at a stretch.
But now that 9mm is so hard to find I've ordered a Lee Pro auto disk for the single stage (my drop pm is for the rifle) so we'll see if I can blaze out 200 9mm in an hour. :D
Jerseymike
06-12-13, 10:19
I get to about 200 rds of 243. Then I get bored.
Some of you guys are t-o-u-g-h. I use a single stage press and do it in stages. On a day I don't feel focused I'll tumble, size or trim & prime. When I"ve got my mind right (well hell, I did once use pistol primers in .223) I charge & seat bullets. I prefer to use ball powder in .223 because my Harrel's benchrest powder measure drop charges perfectly as fast as I can work the handle. With .308 I use Varget, being a stick powder it's harder. I just drop a slightly lighter charge & trickle in the last few sticks. I'm thinking of getting a good turret press (maybe Redding) so I don't have to keep changing my setup. I try to get ahead during the winter but we had a lot of good shooting days last winter. If I charge & seat bullets in 300 cases in one sitting I'm burned out. I try to load some ammo for my Nephew because he's a good guy & a fine AR Builder.
It's going to be 112 degrees today. We're in the dog days of summer. Nothing better to do than load ammo you can't shoot anyway due to fire restrictions.
It's going to be 112 degrees today. We're in the dog days of summer. Nothing better to do than load ammo you can't shoot anyway due to fire restrictions.
I love the desert SW. I've lived in Roswell, NM and several places in TX but 112 is bumping up into the "real hot" range !!
I love the desert SW. I've lived in Roswell, NM and several places in TX but 112 is bumping up into the "real hot" range !!
Yeah. We're 10 degrees over average. I hope we go 10 under next week or something. :mad:
skijunkie55
06-13-13, 14:03
It's going to be 112 degrees today. We're in the dog days of summer. Nothing better to do than load ammo you can't shoot anyway due to fire restrictions.
I will gladly shoot some of your "lower quality" ammo here in michigan... rain rain rain :D
I will gladly shoot some of your "lower quality" ammo here in michigan... rain rain rain :D
You should feel how heavy 1k of 45 in a 50 cal ammo can is. :eek:
I wish I had a bathroom scale or something to weigh it.
You should feel how heavy 1k of 45 in a 50 cal ammo can is. :eek:
I wish I had a bathroom scale or something to weigh it.
For stuff I'm just storing, I load till I loose/bulk fill a 50 can. A can full of 45 is retarded heavy, but so is 9mm. They are heavy as shit, but I've never weighed one.
You should feel how heavy 1k of 45 in a 50 cal ammo can is. :eek:
I wish I had a bathroom scale or something to weigh it.
I'd guess pretty close to my 1000 round cans of 10mm... maybe a fuzz more.
Although, if we're talking about total foot/pounds, then it's quite a bit lighter. :D
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skijunkie55
06-13-13, 14:24
You should feel how heavy 1k of 45 in a 50 cal ammo can is. :eek:
I wish I had a bathroom scale or something to weigh it.
.45ACP
230gr Winchester Ball
Rounds per pound: 21.33
Weight per 100 rounds (lbs): 4.69
roughly 50 pounds?? yikes :eek:
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=159381
idk if this is accurate but somebody weighed it all :p
50 is about right just on reversing the Grain conversion with case, primer and bullet... plus ammo can. Seems heavier though.
It's going to be 112 degrees today. We're in the dog days of summer. Nothing better to do than load ammo you can't shoot anyway due to fire restrictions.
Unfortunately, my press is in a shed out back with no insulation or a/c. I keep powder, primers, and anything plastic/rubber inside the house, but it effectively means I have to get up stupid early to load. Going ti try a new mild .44 recipe on Saturday, and perhaps shoot it on Father's Day.
That's insanity. :p
I did that once... loaded up a big bucket of 223 and just shot off of it for many months. I'm happier staying on top of it and staying fresh.
I practically had to re-learn loading after finishing that bucket.
Plus if you run into a problem with ammo when you do more frequent shorter lots, you don't have a massive amount of suspect ammo to worry about.
All of my components are purchased in large lots.
5,000 primers, 6,000 bullets, 8lbs of powder, brass separated by headstamp.
My loads are developed on the single stage and chronographed before being put into production.
My 9mm, .45ACP and .233 are loaded to make IPSC power factor or a little more for accuracy.
No +P loads or even close to it.
All of my components are purchased in large lots.
5,000 primers, 6,000 bullets, 8lbs of powder, brass separated by headstamp.
My loads are developed on the single stage and chronographed before being put into production.
My 9mm, .45ACP and .233 are loaded to make IPSC power factor or a little more for accuracy.
No +P loads or even close to it.
I hear you. It works for you. I prefer breaking it up a little more. ;)
NHbowhunter
06-20-13, 14:06
I hear you. It works for you. I prefer breaking it up a little more. ;)
<soapbox> I used to feel that way and made my reloading purchases based on that philosophy. Since I was only reloading in small batches, I would buy powder in one pound canisters, primers one box at a time, bullets in boxes of 100 or 250, etc. Now I am stuck trying to feed my Dillon 650XL on a scavenger diet.
The moral of the story: Don't get complacent!
Although I saw the black rifle and magazine shortage coming, I did not expect the hoarding of reloading supplies to be so extensive. Who would've thought that today it would be cheaper to purchase factory 5.56 ammo (50 cents/round) than brass cases (60-70 cents/round), if you can even find cases to purchase? <./soapbox)
Given the difficulty in getting reloading supplies, several of my buddies and I are now working together to acquire what we need and help each other out. We then have reloading "parties", although calling them parties without the adult beverages and hot chicks is a stretch.
When we use the Dillon, two of us can produce 250-300 rounds of .223/5.56 per hour. If there are three of us, it goes even slower... Also, it takes us a little longer as we are OCD about separating cases by headstamp and weight, re-checking powder charges, weighing and sorting bullets, etc. Also, we keep a careful eye on the primer feed tube, as we've experienced several primers coming out of the tube reversed. Bottom line, we won't win any volume challenges but we do end up with good quality loads that are fun to shoot.
<soapbox> I used to feel that way and made my reloading purchases based on that philosophy. Since I was only reloading in small batches, I would buy powder in one pound canisters, primers one box at a time, bullets in boxes of 100 or 250, etc. Now I am stuck trying to feed my Dillon 650XL on a scavenger diet.
Oh... we don't buy components in small amounts.. at all. :p Years supplies of everything..
I just like breaking up the load lots into smaller runs. Keeps me sane.
I must have ADD. After about a half hour on the 550, I'm done. 250-300 and I'm out. I can mess around longer on precision stuff or black powder cartridge, and I can even cast bullets for an hour or more, but the repetitive cranking on a progressive kills me after 30 min.
Back in the day, when all I had was hand crank power, trimming 50 BMG was my test of willpower. Screw that.
but the repetitive cranking on a progressive kills me after 30 min.
You have to be creative. I try to see how many primed pieces of brass I can balance in my right hand and still operate the handle... :p
This keeps me loading with my focus on the powder charge and bullet without reaching into the tote for more cases.
NHbowhunter
06-20-13, 15:48
Oh... we don't buy components in small amounts.. at all. :p Years supplies of everything..
I just like breaking up the load lots into smaller runs. Keeps me sane.
Understood. I am too hyperactive to sit still for long, so I usually only load for an hour or two. For someone with my limited attention span, the thought of spending all day reloading is more scary than having my mother-in-law come to visit. :smile: Don't get me wrong, I love working up new loads for my favorite firearms. I just get bored easily.
I admit that I should have been being buying in bulk. My rationalization was that I was optimizing my supplies to my usage with just in time materials acquisition. :smile: Obviously, I made the wrong call. And to think I used to give a friend in Texas a hard time about buying 50-60,000 primers at a time...Of course, his reloading room, ammo bunker and walk-in gun room are larger than my first house, but that's a topic to discuss in another thread.
ScatmanCrothers
06-21-13, 12:28
Finding time is the hardest thing for me right now, but i'm around the 200/hour range on my single stage. Travel a lot for work so my hotel setup gets used the most and have to pre-tumble cases in large quantites when I'm at the house. Took a little t&e to fit all the gear in a load-out bag and to set up tabletop c-clamp rigs for the press and trimmer but it works. Keeps me loading at least.
I did invest in a LE Wilson trimmer with micrometer. Unreal improvement over my junker Lyman. Chucked in a drill it's crazy fast and accurate, highly recommended.
Understood. I am too hyperactive to sit still for long, so I usually only load for an hour or two.
Me too. I can't sit still long enough to watch a movie even... :p
I did invest in a LE Wilson trimmer with micrometer. Unreal improvement over my junker Lyman. Chucked in a drill it's crazy fast and accurate, highly recommended.
That thing cuts like a laser doesn't it? :cool:
ScatmanCrothers
06-21-13, 12:43
That thing cuts like a laser doesn't it? :cool:
Had to step my chamfer game up they were coming out so sharp. 20 bucks for a replacement cutter too, can't beat it.
Had to step my chamfer game up they were coming out so sharp. 20 bucks for a replacement cutter too, can't beat it.
I bought that Lyman VLD chamfering tool. I love it.
ScatmanCrothers
06-21-13, 13:05
I bought that Lyman VLD chamfering tool. I love it.
Same here actually. Bought the set for the primer pocket tools and liked the handles so much I use the VLD over the basic Forster tool I have. Slightly smoother angle too.
Start a 'how many cases can you prep' thread and I'll surely crack the top 20 :D
Start a 'how many cases can you prep' thread and I'll surely crack the top 20 :D
Case prep is its own kind of hell.
Case prep is its own kind of hell.
Amen to that!
I use a Giraud for trimming.
I can do 600-800 pistol in an hour because that is how many primer tubes I have.
I can do around half that in an hour for rifle from resized, trimmed brass. I have a toolhead for resize/decap. Then I trim. Change toolheads to prime, charge, seat.
After about an hour of either pistol or rifle I am ready to do something else.
I use the Giraud now too.
The nice thing about the Thumlers Tumbler is that 140-150 rounds of .223 brass is a perfect amount to size, trim, and prime without going nuts on any one task.
Trimming once fired XM193 sucks so bad. You have to sit there and let it cut and cut and cut.... so much easier to trim the brass after that first firing is behind you.
I hear ya Mark. I hardly ever trim once fired mainly to save time but then it's really a bitch to trim the next time. Even with the Giraud.
I hear ya Mark. I hardly ever trim once fired mainly to save time but then it's really a bitch to trim the next time. Even with the Giraud.
You could totally get away with shooting two or three times after initial trim. But I trim em all up anyway.
I have been known to push the limit on case length before I bought the Giraud.
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