Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Anyone use a progressive reloader here?

While I have a bit more time on my hands lately, its still a long process to reload 100 cartridges on a single stage press. In the past for bang and clang range time ammo the 55 grain xm193 has been fine purchased for 30 cents a round, (now 40cents a round), but I find myself wanting to shoot more expensive bullets and hate paying 80 cents a round. Anyone here use a progressive and what do you use or recommend?

I just run my single stage and pump out 300 per hour. I wouldnt pay the prices i see for the type of precision handloads i make either. Id love to have a progressive one day. But, if used right, the single stage works pretty good at keeping up with my needs.

Jimmy,

I recently took the progressive plunge. Picked up a Dillion 550C. It didn't take long to figure it out.

So far I've loaded several hundred 5.56, and 9mm. For me one of the biggest benefits is just how much easier it is on the shoulders.

It would be fun to play around with a progressive. When I shot trap competitively (for money), that was the only way to go...

You Can load 300 rounds per hour on a single stage starting with a fire case BSA? That’s trucking brother. I barely do any better than that with my Dillon. Shoot it take me 10 minutes or so just to refill the primer tube. I better get my act together.

Nah, that is starting with fully prepped brass. Just dump powder and go.. I stay on top of my brass prep though. Have brass in the tumbler from yesterdays outing, calling my name... For 223, I use the powder that I can just drop from my uni-flo and then seat the bullet. I wouldn't waste my time with powders that don't drop well. I would pull my hair out if I had to weigh every charge for a 223 or any of my other AR's (6.5cm, 6WOA, and 308) for that matter. As you know, you still have to do your brass prep for a progressive. And accuracy starts with good brass prep...and I think Jimmy was talking about loading more precision type ammo because he doesn't like the price tag of factory precision fodder.. Am I reading that wrong?

I load rifle on a Rock Chucker, pistol on a Dillon SDB.

From what I've seen is a lot of folks do their prep work on a single stage then run the sized and primed case through the Dillon. That I don't understand.

What I do now is lube cases, size on the RC, trim and hand prime my cases when I get in, then dump powder and stick a bullet in them on the RC when I decide to load. I suppose I could start at priming them on a Dillon but I just don't see the benefit.

edit: Looks like BSA and I are on the same page except I dump my powder with an RCBS Micro thingamajiggy.

For pistol & high volume rifle like 5.56, I do sizing on a single stage, prime off line, then use a turret press for the extra............saves a lot of handling, especially on the pistol which requires a mouth expansion, & also since all my pistol & 5.56 gets the extra step of a collet crimp.

MM

TWR, what is a RCBS micro thingamajiggy? I use a RCBS uni-flo powder measure. I got it in the supreme reloading kit 23 years ago. It works well enough, but i have to be selective when chosing powder for my high volume loading. When im loading for my 30-06 and magnums, i use stick powder, so i weigh and trickle those. That process goes a lot slower, but i dont shoot those cartridges as often as i used to.

It’s just a regular RCBS powder dump with a micro powder scale installed. It’s been very accurate and repeatable. I just go to the setting I’ve used from past loading, dump and weigh a few charges, then start filling cases. I can fill a loading block of 50 cases before my old uniflow would do 20.

I also look at all my cases to make sure powder levels are consistent, then start stabbing bullets in them.

The hardest part of my loading is wiping the lube off the cases. I used to throw em in the tumbler for that but then I had to dig out media from the primer pockets. But once brass prep is done, I see no need for a progressive. Pistol is a no brainer, take it out of the tumbler and start loading on the SDB.

Yep I use a Dillon 550 for pistol and ar practice rounds. Even use varget through it. Did the polishing on the powder measure parts years ago and it helps somewhat on some of the extruded powders.

223 and 260 ammo loaded on my Dillon 550 is as accurate as anything I can load on a single stage press
Lee collet dies and powder thrower on the 550 is a great combination

Good lord if you still use a 30 year old inflow, no wonder you have to be picky about powder. That measure is better than Lee spoon set by a, well maybe its not actually, but I digress. I'd have to be picky too. In fact about 1980 or so maybe closer to 85 the measure had me trying to get all my powders down to just a couple and all ball powders.
Then I found out there are other powder measures one can buy that don't kill you so bad...

I have been loading .223 for the AR and bolt guns and have been waiting and waiting for the RCBS Chargemaster to throw each load... it is painful. I should get my powder measure back out and just run it through there. If I remember right, IMR 4064 is not too bad through the powder measure.

I run a red progressive. It get's me about 400 rounds an hour. I use a carbide expander ball on the resize die which avoids case stretch and lubing inside of case neck.

Dillon is a good machine and I've owned two 550s. I like red for a number of reasons..better viability, primer set up, powder measure set up and ease of emptying unused powder back to container, the retainment of cases and ease of removing cases to check something, 5 stations..you have to 650 Dillon for 5, and it's easier to load large rifle rounds. The factory customer service on red or blue is equal.

And I reload lots of 223 in different bullet styles and weights. Following is picture of a box of 55 FMJ BT. it is box number three in the last two years.

Thats good info Lennie. Thanks. I'm sure the op will appreciate it too...

Thanks rost, I've been thinking about trying something different. Trust me.. I get by and it works great for what I use it for, but I know there is much better out there and some of them are pretty damn reasonable in cost...

I recently started using my 550B on 223. I use Dillion insanely expensive carbide dies, spray brass with hornady lube, and AA2230 powder.
I get a very uniform powder throw, and the bullets are very consistent. I'm never in a real rush, so I can get 400 in an hour.
I have a original hornady projector progressive and I always had primer seating issues, probably because it was no set up right. I have not touched it in 15 years.

I have a Dillon XL650

Taking my time I crank out 3-400 rounds an hour (meaning I double check things a lot so everything is consistent and high quality)

I reload 223, 204, and sometimes 243 / 260 on it

When BSA said uniflo I was thinking chargemaster by mistake. Ya I still use the Uniflo with the micro dial thingie.

Oops!