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Old December 3, 2012, 06:49 PM   #26
BigJimP
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It is all about the operator....and safety ....and the procedures they follow...

But today's progressive presses can easily crank out a lot of rounds ...once they're all set up ....and you're not sacrificing any quality in the process! In fact, if you're using a powder check or a powder cop die, you're adding an extra safety factor into the mix ...and still getting the speed you want to make your reloading a little more convenient.

Today's progressives are easily capable of speed...with incredible accuracy and consistency...if they are used correctly ( but then that applies to any press ). There is nothing wrong with a single stage - if that's what guys prefer...but there is nothing wrong with a good progressive press either.

In fact, I can make the argument - that a single stage has a bigger potential for a mistake..just because its so repetitive ---- and an auto indexing progressive is safer - because there are less steps for "human hands" to mess it up. But they're both dangerous if the operator is sloppy ...
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Old December 3, 2012, 06:54 PM   #27
1 old 0311-1
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I do mine the same way. Yes it is slow but in 40 years have NEVER had a squib or double charge.
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Old December 3, 2012, 07:44 PM   #28
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Thank you all

for the responses. I've been reloading for about a year and have recently began loading .45ACP. I'm MUCH slower with rounds for the semi-auto as my Kimbers are a little finicky extracting if the OAL is off. 30-40 per hour is about as fast as i go, and I'm not moving fast at all. This rate is with prepped and primed cases. I use a dipper and my scale to "acurrize" the dipper for the first few loads, then just the dipper. I use a caliper at each stage until the dies are set, then just pull the handle. I'm not tying to be fast and have no room for a progressive. Just wanted to be sure i wasn't too far out of line. I really enjoy reloading, a little music, puppy at my feet and time flies by! Thanks again for all the help, Rob
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Old December 3, 2012, 09:22 PM   #29
beex215
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i hated single stage. if i remember correctly, it was about 50 rounds per hour or something similar. i did maybe a few hundred at a time and it was always 1 hour for each stage.
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Old December 3, 2012, 09:24 PM   #30
Colorado Redneck
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46 minutes to load 51 rounds

From the "357 Tumbled" drawer to the box it took 46 minutes. The press was set up, and the RCBS uniflow was already set from the last session. Didn't hurry cause that makes me fumble fingers. So an hour is a good standard for loading 50 rounds using a single stage press.
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Old December 3, 2012, 09:29 PM   #31
warnerwh
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It takes me about 20-25 minutes on my LCT for 50 rounds of handgun ammo. That includes putting primers and powder in. I take my time to ensure every casing has powder and the right amount of it.
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Old December 4, 2012, 01:55 PM   #32
jcwit
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If I have the cases already prepped and using a measure I can reload 50 cases in less than an hour using a Lee Loader.
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Old December 4, 2012, 02:39 PM   #33
P5 Guy
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It All Depends

Where are we starting from?
Just returned from the range with 100 fired pieces of brass. In the tumbler for about 30-45 minutes while I clean the revolver. Inspect while decapping about 15 minutes, bell and prime about 20 minutes. I use a RCBS Chargemaster for powder weighing. An hour and ten to powder, and seat bullets. About 20 minutes to crimp.
100 pieces of brass turned into 100 cartridges ready for the next range trip a bit over two hours, not counting the time in the tumbler.
I'm careful and slow so some may get more thru-put than I. One doesn't want to stress the old RockChucker now does one?
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Old December 4, 2012, 03:20 PM   #34
Kevin Rohrer
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Time It Takes to Load 50-Rounds of Pistol Ammo?

About 10-minutes on my Dillon 550B.
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Old December 6, 2012, 02:39 PM   #35
TheBear
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50 rounds in 50 minutes, im pretty slow, need a minute for a round, using an electric powder scale
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Old December 6, 2012, 03:34 PM   #36
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I like spending time reloading so I tend to question the value of doing things just to "save time". If I save too much time with my reloading I'll just end up doing something less fun with all that extra time.

Sometimes it seems like prepping brass is my "real" hobby

I use a single stage Hornady LNL for doing .45 auto. It takes me about 10 to 15 minutes to load 50 rounds, but my brass is already de-primed, cleaned, sized, primed and flared. It just a matter of pulling 50 cases out of a ziplock bag, placing them in a loading tray, charging the cases, checking for uncharged or double-charged cases, setting the bullets on top and running them through the press. Occasionally, I'll run them through a Lee FCD die as well but that's not the norm.

I use a Lee Pro 1000 for my 9mm and .40 S&W loads. I just haven't been real happy (yet) with how the .45 stuff comes off. However, the progressive makes it possible to crank out lots of re-sized, primed and flared 45 cases with very little effort, and you don't have to keep an eagle eye on powder drops or spills or splash.
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Old December 8, 2012, 11:03 AM   #37
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Reloading is not about speed, it's about accuracy.


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Old December 8, 2012, 11:05 AM   #38
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^ +1 and I just enjoy the process.
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Old December 8, 2012, 11:09 AM   #39
Brian Pfleuger
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Where is the implication that its "about speed"?

It takes you some amount of time to load 50 rounds, which is all that was asked.

It could take you a month, the answer would be a month. I don't think the OP is asking to race.
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Old December 8, 2012, 11:21 AM   #40
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Quote:
Reloading is not about speed, it's about accuracy.
I do not agree with this generalization. Reloading is a process that can be adapted to whatever requirement the shooter has.

Sometimes I load for precision, other times I load for speed. It makes no difference to me if my idpa practice ammo is slightly less accurate than I can possibly make it- thats why I use mixed brass, hold the OAL to +/-.005" instead of .001-.002, use HP38/W231 instead of N320, etc. My 25yard groups with my practice ammo are 2"-2.25", vs 1.75"-2" when I take my time, sort by headstamp, check and adjust OAL more often, use my "A" powder, etc.

In another thread I am discussing which progressive to buy for my .45 loading, specifically because production rate is important to me in that caliber.

Accuracy isnt everything. I only have so many hours in the day. Whatever time I save loading my practice ammo is time I can be on the range or working my "real" job to pay for this hobby.
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Old December 8, 2012, 12:45 PM   #41
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FWIW; I'd say forget "rounds per hour" and disregard those bragging posts about 100+ rph on a single stage. I started reloading to supply ammo for my first centerfire revolver in 1969. Even then I wasn't concerned with rph, just getting safe ammo that went bang every time. Your 50 rounds is just fine (sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less), and as long as you're happy with that amount, go for it! Don't compare your reloading with anonymous reloaders' posts. One way to "seemingly" increase your rph is to batch load; size/deprime/flare a bunch of beass, then at a later date mebbe prime a bunch, then you have ready to go brass that only needs to be charged and a bullet seated/crimped. I have way more time to reload than to shoot so I use this method (I like to keep at least 100 ready to load brass handy for each of my calibers, and I have plenty of time to do that). And it feels like the ammo comes really fast...
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Old December 8, 2012, 01:12 PM   #42
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Just repeating previous posts ... but your numbers are like mine. Slow? OK, maybe ... but as was said before "I've never had a hot load or a squib load" and that's easily worth the rounds per hour we are working with. It's coming on to Winter here and I need something to keep me out of trouble until mid-April ... so 40-50 rounds per hour is just the ticket!
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Old December 8, 2012, 01:29 PM   #43
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I still use a single stage for .30-06. I couldn't honestly say how long it takes me to load 50. I usually do 150-200 every few years, it's just not a caliber that I shoot much. On the first day I will resize and deprime and then put them in the tumbler. Then I will trim to length on the next day. On the third day I will prime and place in loading blocks. On the last day I will add powder and ball.

9mm and .45 ACP, about 9 minutes for 100 rounds through a Dillon 650.
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Old December 8, 2012, 01:32 PM   #44
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I prep 100 cases at a time. Size all 100,prime all 100 ect ect. By the time i get to the press ( single stage also ), Cases are powdered and all i do is seat the bullet. After checking COL on first 5 to 10 off the press it goes pretty good. I have never paid to much attention to the clock as it is relaxing and theraphy to me. maybe 30 mins to do 100????. Im one that shoots so i can reload.
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Old December 8, 2012, 09:14 PM   #45
MonkeyKnight
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Interesting

This thread is an interesting read. I like hearing average numbers, hoping no one is using the numbers as a competitive comparison. I have been reloading for about five years now and have never, not once timed my production. Not that I have anything against it; it's just that I haven't done it.

I do everything in batches. I have over a dozen large ammo cans that I use to sort all my brass. One for scrap.

- Tumble everything immediately after shooting.
- Deprime and bell everything as I had time between work and school.
- I would then have two ammo cans; one deprived brass, one empty. This created a portable work station, since I don't use the press to prime. I could then go to my moms or the girlfriends house to prime while sitting around.
- These cans would sit around until I could afford powder and bullets.
- Load as funding came in.

Most of my college life I had about 10k brass sitting around. As soon as I could afford bullets they just reverted into empty brass fairly quickly!


I have a rock chucker. I know I can load my 9mm for cheap, my 22-250 for cheap, or for accuracy, .308 for either cheap or accuracy, 30-06 I load only for acuracy.

I started to reload when I was in college to save money on shooting. Turns out, I didn't save a dime. I just shot more. In fact, I think I spent more too.
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Old December 8, 2012, 11:49 PM   #46
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I have a Lee 4 hole turret press that I load 9mm, 40 S&W, .223 and .308 Win on.

The pistol rounds take me an hour to do 50 rounds, after the brass is tumbled. I weigh each charge and I enjoy the reloading process, so an hour is fine with me. I only shoot about 200 rounds of 9mm and 200 rounds of 40 S&W per month, so I can keep up with it, no problem.

The rifle rounds will take me an hour to do 20 rounds, because of all the extra prep, like chamfer and deburring, cleaning primer pockets. This is fine too, because I shoot about 40-60 rounds/month of .308 and probably 50 rounds of .223/month. I can keep up with this, no problem.

Once the snow flies, I don't shoot my Mini-14, because it launches my brass into the next county and I can't find any of it, lol.
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