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300 rounds/hour?
nemesisenforcer
Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
I keep hearing that you can crank out 300 rounds/hour on the Dillon progressive but I can't seem to break 100-125 because the primer feeder has to be refilled regularly, and that sucks up a lot of time.
Is there some trick I'm missing to speed up this step?
Is there some trick I'm missing to speed up this step?
Comments
W.D.
Even loading pistol match on a sq. deal (looking for powder in each case) I do about 200/hr which includes reloading my primer tubes. Reg. "plinker" 9mm is about 350/hr., and I'm old and slow, so something is not right.
Good luck
IE 100 rounds in 20 minutes (or 50 in 10, etc) of handle pulling, before having to stop to refill the components/clear a jam, is stated as 300/hour (even though the total output for the clock hour may be closer to 150-200 rounds)
Or you can lay down far more money than it worth and get Dillons electric motor operated primer tube filler. Not worth the bucks in my opinion, but to each their own.
Shifting back and forth as needed between "jobs" of primer tube loading[ I have six of each size], powder watch/refill, dumping extra cases into the case loader, inspecting loaded rounds, powder weight check every 75-100 rounds, and of course pulling the handle .
After setting up for a specific load on my 650 for pistol reloading I rarely if ever have any problem that takes more then a few seconds to clear.
With a friend helping , we have done 600 pistol rounds an hour without rushing, just steady work.
With a complete loading session of 3 hours from start to finish--- from set up to boxing and cleanup 1,500 rounds is our norm, so 500 rounds per hour while having a fun evening with a buddy. That's plenty fast for me.
Now rifle reloads take us a while longer, we average less then half that.
All I did was crank the handle like a mad man in a careful manner. I did pause while he filled to powder measure unless I was clearing a jamb when he would top off the powder while I cleared the station. I was cranking out over 750 rounds of 223 an hour.
I was young, strong as an ox, dumber than a bank mule with boundless energy making three bucks an hour plus all shooting supplies at cost.
Too bad all that energy was wasted on my youth. Now a single stage press is just fine for all my needs!!! [:D]
I used a Dillon 1000B to produce more than that routinely but the owner of the shop kept the powder full, case feeder loaded with lubed clean cases, primers fed, loaded rounds removed and the bullet tray kept replenished.
All I did was crank the handle like a mad man in a careful manner. I did pause while he filled to powder measure unless I was clearing a jamb when he would top off the powder while I cleared the station. I was cranking out over 750 rounds of 223 an hour.
I was young, strong as an ox, dumber than a bank mule with boundless energy making three bucks an hour plus all shooting supplies at cost.
Too bad all that energy was wasted on my youth. Now a single stage press is just fine for all my needs!!! [:D]
Yes, but what a cool job for a young man....and you have seen just about everything that could go wrong with a progressive and now know what to watch for....
Im sure you did less cool, harder work for less money in your time.
quote:Originally posted by bpost
I used a Dillon 1000B to produce more than that routinely but the owner of the shop kept the powder full, case feeder loaded with lubed clean cases, primers fed, loaded rounds removed and the bullet tray kept replenished.
All I did was crank the handle like a mad man in a careful manner. I did pause while he filled to powder measure unless I was clearing a jamb when he would top off the powder while I cleared the station. I was cranking out over 750 rounds of 223 an hour.
I was young, strong as an ox, dumber than a bank mule with boundless energy making three bucks an hour plus all shooting supplies at cost.
Too bad all that energy was wasted on my youth. Now a single stage press is just fine for all my needs!!! [:D]
Yes, but what a cool job for a young man....and you have seen just about everything that could go wrong with a progressive and now know what to watch for....
Im sure you did less cool, harder work for less money in your time.
Throwing thousands of bales of hay for a buck an hour on a HOT humid summer day will get your attention too.[;)]
I have six tubes I fill at start (I like to load 600 round lots when I can), and it helps if you have Dillons primer fliper tray. Works very well, just like most of Dillons stuff (all but their powder measures!!)
Or you can lay down far more money than it worth and get Dillons electric motor operated primer tube filler. Not worth the bucks in my opinion, but to each their own.
Same here, six tubes that get filled before loading [;)][:)]
Be safe!
Me? I am glad of the break every hundred. It rests my brain and gives me a chance to check and replentish powder, brass, and bullets as well as primers.
I don't understand why filling extra primer tubes before actually pulling the handle does not count as part of the loading process and time spent.
Me? I am glad of the break every hundred. It rests my brain and gives me a chance to check and replentish powder, brass, and bullets as well as primers.
I kind of agree. I just thought I was doing something wrong.
I think Tailgunner is right: the 300 rounds/hour figure comes from timing 50 rounds and extrapolating, without taking into account the prep work.
For me, it's as much social as anything as the press is at my buddy's house and we spend as much time talking as loading.
If one reads the manual, takes the time to set up the dies, weigh every 10-20 rounds to check the measure, and follows normal reloading rules; you too could turn out several hundred rounds each and every hour that perform as well as the recipe you use.
EOD guys don't use shortcuts; why would a reloader?
My point is, See how much time it takes you to load 100 rounds. And figure things from there.
My method is to fill the primer feeder and then refill the tube. Have the tube on standby. That way I can do 200 rounds without refilling anything. For 223, I top off powder after the 200 primers are gone and refill primer feeder and tube again.
Having an assistant to keep primer tubes full helps a little.
I quit trying to race it a long time ago. If I wanted faster, I would've bought a 1050 with a motor... [:D]
as to the question........if loading something simple (9mm, .45 acp, ect.) 300 rds/hr is 'do-able' even loading the primer tube as you go.
I've never timed myself on a Dillon; however, even on my cheapo Lee Pro 1000 I can do 150 in an hour if I have all my stuff laid out right. I'd think the Dillon would be faster, so sumthin ain't going right.
Do you mean that your brass is prepped and primed? I can do an easy hundred if I'm throwing the charges with prepped and primed brass.
Not sure what is taking guys so long; progressive aside, I just did 100 on my turret press in an hour yesterday (380s) and that's with using four pulls of the handle, manually seating primers, and manually actuating the powder dispenser.
But the brownies don't fill the primer feed and powder measure, nor tumble the brass or even unbox the bullets.
Loading bulk ammo is an ongoing process you just have to keep after. Surge rates are good for advertising and that is about all.
I load 400 + an hour on my star with with FREELOADER+Hulme Case feeder and Brewster indexer along with my designed ejector.[^] But this is with one loading tool as well as using a Star Lubersizer to lube and size Lead bullets. Best machine ever made IMHO like a well tuned BMW compared to a DILLON/YUGO The star powder drop beats ALL others HANDS DOWN[^]
Ain't got no idea what your talking about, but it sounds a might fancier than my RCBS RC[:D]