Rifle reloading on progressive

444shooter

444shooter

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Just wondering if folks prep the brass first, then run through the press? Or do you forgo trimming, primer pockets etc and just run through the sizing operation. Mostly talking about .30-06 and the like.
 
i also LUBE before running it through the press unless there's a lube station- so we have tumble, separate , decap, trim, and lube BEFORE you enter the press- i decap before b/c i use a lee and that's dependant on the shell holder to determine the proper case length
 
I lube, size, deprime, etc first, on a single stage. Tumble the cases to get the lube off, then put them in the Dillon (without the size die in the toolhead), and just do primer, powder, bullet, and factory crimp, if necessary. Works for me.
 
444shooter said:
I just bought a Hornady LNL AP, and have never loaded large rifle ammo progressively. Do you lube them and run through the sizer also?
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to do otherwise will result in a STUCK CASING
FROM THE CALIBER OF QUESTIONS BEING ASKED, I GET THE DISTINCT FEELING THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE NEVER CRACKED THE BOOK OR LOOKED ANY OF THE INFORMATION UP- concepts of PROGRESSIVE RELOADING are EXACTLY THE SAME AS SINGLE STAGE, the ONLY difference is that the CASING IS ADVANCING AUTOMATICALLY instead of you manually advancing it- WITH THE DILLON 550, YOU DON'T EVEN GET THAT FAR- YOU STILL HAVE TO TURN THAT STAR WHEEL TO ADVANCE THE CASING-
you don't have to trim after every firing either- THAT'S IN THE BOOK AS WELL
READ. PEOPLE, READ;
 
t-star said:
to do otherwise will result in a STUCK CASING
FROM THE CALIBER OF QUESTIONS BEING ASKED, I GET THE DISTINCT FEELING THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE NEVER CRACKED THE BOOK OR LOOKED ANY OF THE INFORMATION UP- concepts of PROGRESSIVE RELOADING are EXACTLY THE SAME AS SINGLE STAGE, the ONLY difference is that the CASING IS ADVANCING AUTOMATICALLY instead of you manually advancing it- WITH THE DILLON 550, YOU DON'T EVEN GET THAT FAR- YOU STILL HAVE TO TURN THAT STAR WHEEL TO ADVANCE THE CASING-
you don't have to trim after every firing either- THAT'S IN THE BOOK AS WELL
READ. PEOPLE, READ;
Click to expand...

Actually, I was thinking of the same as heyrosco pointed out. Just remove the sizing die.

No offence, but I am quite aware of reloading steps. My question was do people prep the brass first and then run through the progressive.
 
I don't use a progressive for rifle, but you would still have to do all the prep. work, tumble, deprime/size, clean primer pocket and flash hole, check for length, trim if necessary, then go with the progressive as long as you can bell the case mouths if necessary.
 
I think
Progressive presses and rifle brass could get you in to trouble real quick

In some cases it can be ok -- to do it right can be expensive to setup

miss a bit of lube and get stuck real quick for one when full length resizing

and you would have to clean lube off loaded rounds
(wiping each round by hand can be time consuming)

lube inside neck (some lube) can cause problems with powder and when the actual round is fired can give variable results

your / others results may vary
 
I agree, that's why i call all that "case prep.", as you must lube the case, resize the case, remove the lube, etc.....this all must be done before using the progressive IMHO.
 
just having some fun said:
[...]
miss a bit of lube and get stuck real quick for one when full length resizing
[...]
and you would have to clean lube off loaded rounds
(wiping each round by hand can be time consuming)
[...]
lube inside neck (some lube) can cause problems with powder and when the actual round is fired can give variable results
Click to expand...
1) just like a single-stage, no difference on a progressive. Lube either individually for low volume, with a spray lube (not Hornady One Shot), or with a lube die.
2) not at all - although I would do it that way for small volume, which one assumes the OP is talking about with 30-06. In higher volumes, just dump into the tumbler to get the lube off.
3) easily avoided either with carbide expander buttons or with bushing dies. For low-volume, use an alcohol-soaked q-tip to clean out the lube.

All in all, two passes with rifle cartridges solves the issues you have brought up and is still faster than single-stage.

Note the two links in my sig line, especially "high volume .223".
 
I will stick with my regular routine with rifle. Prep and then leave out the sizer die step. I will pick up a bullet and case feeder eventually for loading my 9mm. Those are quite the time savers.
 
I use a Dillon 650 for 308 (with case feeder) and a 550 for 7.62x39, 223 and 30 carbine. I prep brass first. The press gets primed clean brass and runs slick as snot. i prefer ball powders for charge uniformity.

For the 650 (308) I use new primed brass. The first die mouth opens slightly, so as to not scratch the bullets as theya re seated. the seater die also lightly crimps, to get rid of the mouth flare. The press is getting a bit wobbley. Over 500,000 rounds through it.
 
as t star said I was reading somewhere and it said that if you use carbide dies you don't need to lube. so if you go this route with a progressive you could just keep it going.
 
Bart212 said:
as t star said I was reading somewhere and it said that if you use carbide dies you don't need to lube. so if you go this route with a progressive you could just keep it going.
Click to expand...

NOW HOLD ON THERE' with carbide PISTOL DIES you don't NEED TO LUBE; carbide RIFLE dies are another matter- you have to treat those as you would ordinary STEEL; JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR; about 90 % of us will never have a carbide rifle die, ( dillon is the only one that comes to mind)so it's a valid point for MOST OF US- they're super expensive and not worth the cost
 
Ganderite said:
I use a Dillon 650 for 308 (with case feeder) and a 550 for 7.62x39, 223 and 30 carbine. I prep brass first. The press gets primed clean brass and runs slick as snot. i prefer ball powders for charge uniformity.

For the 650 (308) I use new primed brass. The first die mouth opens slightly, so as to not scratch the bullets as theya re seated. the seater die also lightly crimps, to get rid of the mouth flare. The press is getting a bit wobbley. Over 500,000 rounds through it.
Click to expand...

The only rifle I can see me loading progressive at the moment in large quantities is .204 and .17 Rem
Brass will of course be fully prepped beforehand. I would be using Varget in the .17
Could not resist the great price on the LnL. Still have a SDB that is setup for 9mm, 45 and 44
 
you'll change your tune if they ever lift the mag limits- before the controls came in, i had 4 m14s, ( still do , but that's beside the point) and had to use a 550 just to keep up with ONE saturday's rounds- that's 6 mags in the dragbag, 1 in the rifle, and 4 in the pouches- i forget what we called it, but you had to run and shoot- then when empty, drop the mag, recharge from your pouches, and recharge your pouches from your dragbag- all timed, of course=11x20 round mags =220 rounds- AND THERE GOES YOUR SUNDAY-
 
444shooter said:
True. I might end up with a AR and need to pump out lots of ammo. The bullet and case feeder will come in handy then!
Click to expand...

the case feeder i can see; the bullet feeder is a different story, or at lee's is- i found i was JUST AS FAST with a handful of bullets in one hand and cranking the handle with the other, and it BREAKS EASILY- to the point of i took it off the loadmaster and it sits at the back of my closet
 
t-star said:
or at lee's is- i found i was JUST AS FAST with a handful of bullets in one hand and cranking the handle with the other
Click to expand...

The lee feeder is only a feeder, not a collator, hence you don't save any time (and it works poorly anyway). The other "feeders" - Mr Bulletfeeder, the hornady one, the rcbs one - are collator / feeder combinations. Saves time and reduces pinched fingers all at once.
 
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