Thread: Progressive Press Choice

If you were looking at reloading a HEAP of 1 particular cal (.223), what press would you pros recommend?
Dillon 650 or Hornady AP, or are there any other options worth looking at?

Approximately how many 223's in a heap, and does this heap keep on showing up, or is it a once in a blue moon. ?

650, or if it's really heaps a 1050.....

I have approx 1K of cases to load, and am getting more as well.
I will be going through them pretty quickly.
Need to be able to punch as many as I can out at a time. The single stage I have is very time consuming at the mo.

As an example of how many I am trying to do at a time....I've made a DIY wet tumbler using an old 20L paint bucket, windscreen wiper motor and some castor wheels. That does "lots"

I was wondering if you could've gotten away with using a turret press, but it sounds like you need a progressive.

After loading rifle ammo on my Hornady and seeing first had how good the powder thrower is, I would recommend it.

If full length sizing (recommended if in a AR of a selection of rifles), at some point very some you will need to trim cases to length. Press mounted case trimmers are limited to only a few manufactures (Dillon is the most common). Given the torque of the trimmer, a quick release bushing system like on the newer Hornady may be problematic with the bushing coming undone. This can be overcome by a small packer under the rim of the bushing, a bread bag click works OK.

Actually, if only loading one calibre, a Dillon 550C would be OK too.

The best tip I can give you, if you buy a progressive press is to spend some extra bucks and buy a heap of primer tubes. If money was less of an issue than time I would opt for a 1050.
If you are going to load 1000 cases at a time .....(very doable), just as you are getting into the swing of things, your 100 primers run out or the buzzer goes off to be more precise. Every thing stops while you piss about and "pick up" another 100 to fill the tube.
This will actually take you longer than to punch out another 100 rounds ( seriously )

Buy 10 primer tubes, prefill them all ready to go and you should easily have your 1000 rounds loaded in less than a couple of hours

650 or a 550

I have loaded 1200 .223's on my Dillion 550 in one hit without any drama, the only trick is to de prime and ream the primer pocket first
those crimps are a pain, I have the press setup with a body die on the first station works well, but do get a stack of primer tubes that speeds
loading quite a lot and have plenty of plastic bins to take the loaded rounds, The Dillion case lube is good I spray the cases in an ice-cream
container shake them around a bit let them sit until dry it wipes off easily or run them through a tumbler

I use Lyman spray lube. I lay the cases out on a tea towel or similar, give the lot a light spray and then roll around in the towel. Keep the towel for next time too, don't give it to the wife to clean!

You can make your own lube spray with lanolin mixed with isopropyl alcohol or meths. Either in a plastic ice cream container, on an old towel, or in a plastic bag. I'll sometimes give it a jet of Lanocote instead.

Oh and get carbide dies, if your buying new ones.....

Originally Posted by johnd

The best tip I can give you, if you buy a progressive press is to spend some extra bucks and buy a heap of primer tubes. If money was less of an issue than time I would opt for a 1050.
If you are going to load 1000 cases at a time .....(very doable), just as you are getting into the swing of things, your 100 primers run out or the buzzer goes off to be more precise. Every thing stops while you piss about and "pick up" another 100 to fill the tube.
This will actually take you longer than to punch out another 100 rounds ( seriously )

Buy 10 primer tubes, prefill them all ready to go and you should easily have your 1000 rounds loaded in less than a couple of hours

As above, if money is not a problem and you "REALLY" want the fast as it can get the Dillon 1050 is the top you "can go" in a small "manufacturing plant", a 650 fully kitted (brass and projectiles feeder) will also fit your bill keeping in mind the "Primer tube" matter, however as we speaking "as" if you don't have money problem then buy an Dillon electric primer tube feeder, a primer pocket swagger and setup your single stage press for trimming your brass when the time comes up…
Man, so many options, the hornady will work as good as the dillon but the extra accessories dillon offer will make a difference… even thou the extra accessories will work fine combined with your Hornady press if the is your choice...

Hard decisions...