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Thread: Oh, really?

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  1. #11
    Join Date
    3rd September 2018
    Location
    Modesto, Ca.
    Posts
    242
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    79
    colt45acp's comment strikes home. After not doing any reloading for a long time, my supply dwindled so I set up for a new batch. That should have been a sign for extra diligence and rigorous adherence to all safety principles. I missed an important step in my process. Before I begin seating slugs I remove from the bench any cases that I haven't charged with powder. I'm sure most of you can guess correctly what went wrong.

    On my next trip to the range I had one round where the recoil felt unusually light. Guess who had a 200gr LSWC projectile stuck in the rifling. Thank God I didn't pull the trigger on the next round.

    The root of the problem: I had been seating slugs into powder charged cases without removing the can of cases that had new primers but were not yet charged. I must have accidentally grabbed one of those empty cases and seated a slug in it. When that round was in the chamber the primer had enough force to push the slug into the rifling about 1 to 1 1/2 inches, where it stopped.

    It caused an early end to my shooting that day and gave me a rather embarrassing lesson on the importance of always being careful when reloading. Thank God there was no injury, and my favorite Colt was not damaged. Safety First - - - may i never forget that lesson.
    i sold all my handguns. . . . . . . . . . except for the 1911 style pistols in .45 ACP.
    Likes (3) :
    mus (18th June 2019), Rick McC. (7th May 2020), Sergio Natali (5th June 2019)


  2. #12
    Join Date
    2nd June 2007
    Location
    In the desert
    Posts
    295
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    9
    >I would rather load safe accurate ammunition...ergo, I don't even bother to count rpm's (rounds per minute)
    Even on my 1050s, I have never worried about the number of rounds per minute. When I had a 1050 in the garage, whenever I went through the garage, I would quickly crank out about 100 rounds and go on with what I was doing.
    Except for the Lee Turret with auto-indexing, all a turret press was to me was an overly large and heavy C-press designed to store dies, I could not see manually indexing the head vs. simply loading in batches per a single-stage press; however, we all have our own preferences for getting the job done. At least with the auto-indexing, you can finish the rounds and have some loaded (but what a waste of time to me compared to doing it on a real progressive).
    NRA Life Member
    Likes (1) :
    MuyModesto (9th June 2019)


  3. #13
    Join Date
    17th June 2019
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    One of my other hobbies is homebrewing beer and there, as in reloading, I've found the secret is in one word: planning.

    With this I mean: plan ahead and keep a stock of what you think you'll need in the (foreseeable) future. Then you don't have to generate output at an inhuman rate if you see your supply is running low.

    As has been remarked already: I would feel much more comfortable to take 50 reloads to the range with me that I've produced with all safety and quality measures in place than 200 that were produced rushed in the same amount of time. For me, reloading is a pastime in itself, not a chore. If you feel differently, there's always factory ammo...
    Last edited by mus; 18th June 2019 at 02:34.


  4. #14
    Join Date
    13th October 2011
    Posts
    17
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    Quote Originally Posted by mus View Post
    One of my other hobbies is homebrewing beer and there, as in reloading, I've found the secret is in one word: planning.

    With this I mean: plan ahead and keep a stock of what you think you'll need in the (foreseeable) future. Then you don't have to generate output at an inhuman rate if you see your supply is running low.

    As has been remarked already: I would feel much more comfortable to take 50 reloads to the range with me that I've produced with all safety and quality measures in place than 200 that were produced rushed in the same amount of time. For me, reloading is a pastime in itself, not a chore. If you feel differently, there's always factory ammo...
    I can agree with that sentiment but how do you address using a Dillon 650 at 500 + rounds per hour? Are they inherently unsafe? I've shot competitively for four decades and much of that was high volume pistol ammo in the tens of thousands done on a Lyman AA Turret. Steady as she goes does a lot of ammo but 200 an hour was no big deal then.

    I don't have a single stage mounted up but between the two AA's and six other set ups, 3/300's, a 550, a 650 and a STAR I can load safe consistent ammunition without issue. No squibs or poor performing/unsafe ammunition has snug into my reloads in matches so far. I load my onsey twosey stuff for my pure precision ammo on my AA turret run single stage but they are bit different in usage. When I need 500 6X6.8's or 458 SOCOMS the progressives or turrets come out and I make 'em sing.

    Greg

  5. #15
    Join Date
    17th June 2019
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    Please don't get me wrong: it's absolutely fine with me to use equipment as it's intended to (-> hundreds of rounds/hour on a 650 etc).

    What I'd really dislike is somebody bragging about producing an abnormally high amount of ammo per time unit on any kind of press. To me that sounds like corners are being cut and in reloading that's potentially disastrous.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    2nd June 2004
    Location
    Terra
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    A Dillon 650 is made and set up to produce large quantities of ammunition quickly. A major difference between the 650 (or any progressive press, for that matter) and a turret press is that with the progressive, each pull of the handle performs multiple operations. If it's a 4-station progressive, each pull of the handle does four operations. With a turret press, even the Lee Turret with auto-indexing, you need FOUR pulls of the handle to perform four operations.

    That was what caused me to offer up the opening post in this discussion. For those not familiar with turret presses, "auto indexing" refers to the machine automatically moving the turret to the next position. I use a Lee Turret Press with auto indexing. The way it works is that I do all the operations on one round in sequence, with the turret rotating around to the next die after each operation has been completed. So the case stays in the press, I pull the handle four times, and at the end there's ONE completed round of ammunition.

    The guy who was claiming 320 rounds per hour did not have an auto indexing turret press. That means the turret does not rotate to the next position automatically -- it has to be moved manually. I think most people who use this type of turret press use it more like a single stage press: they run a batch of cases through one operation, then they advance the turret to the next position and run the cases through that operation, etc. The other method would be to leave each case in the press and to manually advance the turret between operations. Either of these methods requires extra time, either handling each piece of brass four times to load one round, or handling the turret four times to load one round. That's on top of the time to just pull the handle.

    I broke it down in my opening post. It averages out to 3.75 seconds per pull of the handle ... continuously, without stopping or slowing down, for a solid hour. Since I don't think anyone has a primer feed tray or a case feeder or a bullet feeder that holds 320 primers or cases or bullets, that 3.75 seconds per pull includes the time needed to refill the primer tray, the case feeder (if there is one) and the bullet feeder (if there is one).

    I don't think it's possible.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  7. #17
    Join Date
    13th October 2011
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    17
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    Using an auto powder measure speeds things up a great deal and looking in every case for powder doesn't take long. Flipping that turret as you are looking is pretty efficient. Not a lot of corners to cut unless you have equipment you can't trust for repeatability and feel compelled to weigh every fifth charge and check COL every tenth.

    I do prefer the semi-progressives over a true turret as there is a whole lot less shaking and baking for each round required. I've always felt the 550 was the best bang for your buck in flexibility since it can be run as a single stage or at a nice leisurely rate of 300/hour for two or three hours at a setting. I know it's faster than my 300's that I would load 1000 rounds of PPC competition ammo a night on getting ready for a big Oklahoma state match for many years. X-ring 50 yard ammo is not produced by cutting corners.

    Greg

    Just a peek at the top of my AA Turret that I used for years. The shiny spot is where the handle on the RCBS UniFlo hit the turret head. There's another one on one of the other sides too.I can't imagine how many whacks that turret head took during my IHMSA years win this was the only press I ran.

    Last edited by GLShooter; 19th June 2019 at 16:00.


  8. #18
    Join Date
    22nd September 2013
    Location
    Cody, Wyoming
    Posts
    162
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    I've got the auto disc powder measure and primer feeder (which usually has to be pushed 3 times), and I wrote down a few years ago, with my Lee Classic Turret I loaded 50 rounds in 29 minutes, not trying to hurry. On a negative note, I did like Muy Modesto, hadn't been shooting or reloading for a few years but shot some old reloads a month ago and one was a squib load. Still trying to figure out how it happened. With my ear muffs and concentrating on a target I didn't notice it, but thankfully the bullet was only into the lands far enough that the next round wouldn't chamber. NOW I set up my fly tying desk lamp right over the press so I can verify the powder measure has dumped each time as I revolve the case around to the seating die.
    Likes (1) :
    Mark75H (7th May 2020)

    Last edited by JD11; 7th May 2020 at 09:41.


  9. #19
    Join Date
    2nd October 2006
    Location
    Weeki Wachee, Fl
    Posts
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    I have an old Dillon RL 550 B that I bought 30:something years ago.

    I reload mostly 9mm and .45 acp, though I have several other die sets that I used to or occasionally load for.

    I reload about 200 rounds per hour; well below the “rated” quantity of the press. That’s because I visually check every case head-stamp before I put into station one, and visually check the powder level in the case between station two and three.

    I also have a few rules that I follow:

    1. No visitors, TV or radio in the room while I’m reloading (distractions).
    2. No food or drink while I’m reloading (potential health issues and distractions).
    3. When I start to get tired; quit.
    4. If I have other stuff to tend to; take care of it. No reloading when anything else is on my mind.
    "Sights are for the unenlightened."

    Rick

    IDPA Certified Safety Officer
    Last edited by Rick McC.; 7th May 2020 at 20:50.


  10. #20
    Join Date
    6th April 2014
    Posts
    77
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    31
    Just a single stage reloader and have been since the 70’s. Probably too stuck in my ways to change now. Comfortable doing each stage at a time and knowing that all is well. Most likely too anal about the way I reload but it has served me well for about 45 years. I can’t crank out a lot in a single sitting but reload over 10,000 rounds a year.

    A good friend just upgraded his Dillon to a Super 1050. That beast cranks out some ammo and serves him well.

    Guess it is just what each of us are comfortable with.
    NRA Benefactor Life Member, GOA Member, MGO Member
    Likes (1) :
    Rick McC. (8th May 2020)


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