Help setting up a L-N-L AP

pjwelsh · February 9, 2012, 12:29 AM

Hello to all.

I am going to buy a L-n-L AP with case feeder.

I have not loaded before.

Can any one please tell me what extras to buy? As i am going to import this from the USA to Australia, I want get it all sorted into one purchase.

I want to powder feed and expand at the one station.

I have thought out the powder check and will copy the dillon 650 method (DIY). audible alarm

I will be only load rifle cartriges, .223 and 7.62x54r for the time being.

Looking 404henery maybe for the future. but the 7.62 is doing the job pretty good now

I will not be target shooting. I will be game shooting Kangaroos, deer, pig, rabbit ,cat , goat, camel and buffalo.

regards and thanks to all.

David Wile · February 9, 2012, 02:59 AM

Hey PJ,

I hate to respond with a negative suggestion, but in my opinion what you want to do is not a good idea. You said you are new to reloading and you will be loading for hunting animals. My suggestion is to at least consider starting with a single stage operation. Progressive presses can load a lot of good ammo very quickly, but they can also load a lot of bad ammo very quickly. For hunting all those animals, you can load a whole lot of very good ammo in one evening - certainly enough to go hunting for at least a week.

It is much easier to concentrate on learning the craft of reloading while working on a single stage press rather than trying to cope with the complexities of a progressive machine. A single stage press is a lot less expensive to get started, and it may be all you ever need. Later, if you get to the point where you think you need a progressive machine, you do not have to get rid of your single stage machine. Most folks who reload on a progressive also use a single stage press to do odd jobs that are more of a hastle on a progressive.

I have one final suggestion for you to consider. Buy a Lyman reloading manual to read. In addition to reloading data, there is a wealth of information about reloading and all the things involved with it. I always suggest the Lyman manual as the best "first" manual for a new reloader. After reading it, you may find it will help you make a more informed decision as to what direction you may want to take.

I hope my suggestions are not taken as being negative in spirit, and I wish you good luck in your search for information.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

Whisper 300 · February 9, 2012, 06:24 AM

PJ,
I, too, hate to rain on your parade but Mr. Wile's advice parrots mine.

I have the LnL with case feeder and love it but for my hunting ammo I still (more than 50 years of reloading) use the single stage.

I reload 223 and almost all of my handgun ammunition on the progressive but you have a learning curve to get through and the progressive is, in my opinion, not the place to start.
I know others may disagree but when doing hunting or precision loading I like the ability to easily tweak things and tweaking on a press that does one thing at a time is far easier.

Get a Rock Chucker or whatever floats your boat as I don't think there are many/any bad single stage presses out there. Learn what you are doing.
You can churn out a lot of ammunition on a single stage easily once you know how.

Anyway, in closing, yes I love the LnL but think you might benefit from something else.

Think of it this way- I did not buy my son a 400hp car for him to learn how to drive.

Gary

Waldog · February 9, 2012, 11:09 AM

I've been reloading a for about 50 years. I have to agree with DAVE WILE and WHISPER 300. Starting with LNL progressive press is a bad idea. I still load 99.9% of my rifle ammo on a single stage Rockchucker press.

Leeroy Jenkins · February 10, 2012, 03:33 AM

JP,

Take my couple of cents for what it's worth, since I am sure I have far less experience than the guys who replied before me.

I am very new to reloading. I started about a month ago. I decided after about a week's worth of research that I wanted to get the hornady LNL AP press. I understood that it would likely be more difficult to learn on a progressive press, but I just figured I'd jump right in, so to speak. My experience is that while it may be intimidating at first with multiple steps occurring with one stroke of the handle, you can take it as slowly as you want. If you are set on getting this press, then you can always cycle through one round at a time, letting yourself get a feel for the depriming and priming steps. Once you develop that feel and develop your own routine with which you feel comfortable, I don't think you would have any problems other than normal questions that arise and perhaps very minor troubleshooting.

I am not saying I did it the 'best' way, but doing it this way is possible.

Nathan · February 10, 2012, 04:25 AM

It's definately possible. The hardest parts for me were learning that first I had to setup 1 station at a time and then fine tune because the stations change slightly whe all are running at the same time. Also, you can only check a station with a case new to the station. The second time past is slightly different. Last, don't screw up. Seriously, when you are home brewing ammo, the chance of blowing your gun up and hurting yourself are very real.

In addition, you will need:
Safety glasses*
Optivisor or other magnification
Scale*
Check weights*
Case prep tools, like primer pocket/neck tools
Case trimmer*
In/out neck debuted tools*
Tumbler and media*
Tumbler solution/polish
Good calipers*
OAL gage and measuring tool
Headspace gage
Runout tool
Powder check/lockout die. Might be straight wall only.
Case lube hornady lnl
MTM loaded ammo cases

I starred the items I thought critical. The gages are critical to me, but others would argue, so I didn't star. Gages are key for safety and accuracy.

February 9, 2012, 12:29 AM	#1
pjwelsh Junior Member Join Date: February 9, 2012 Posts: 1	Help setting up a L-N-L AP Hello to all. I am going to buy a L-n-L AP with case feeder. I have not loaded before. Can any one please tell me what extras to buy? As i am going to import this from the USA to Australia, I want get it all sorted into one purchase. I want to powder feed and expand at the one station. I have thought out the powder check and will copy the dillon 650 method (DIY). audible alarm I will be only load rifle cartriges, .223 and 7.62x54r for the time being. Looking 404henery maybe for the future. but the 7.62 is doing the job pretty good now I will not be target shooting. I will be game shooting Kangaroos, deer, pig, rabbit ,cat , goat, camel and buffalo. regards and thanks to all.

February 9, 2012, 11:09 AM	#4
Waldog Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2007 Location: SOCAL Posts: 359	I've been reloading a for about 50 years. I have to agree with DAVE WILE and WHISPER 300. Starting with LNL progressive press is a bad idea. I still load 99.9% of my rifle ammo on a single stage Rockchucker press. __________________ I am the Christian Conservative that CNN warned you about!! “Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy.” Winston Churchill

February 9, 2012, 02:59 AM	#2
David Wile Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2001 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA Posts: 585	Hey PJ, I hate to respond with a negative suggestion, but in my opinion what you want to do is not a good idea. You said you are new to reloading and you will be loading for hunting animals. My suggestion is to at least consider starting with a single stage operation. Progressive presses can load a lot of good ammo very quickly, but they can also load a lot of bad ammo very quickly. For hunting all those animals, you can load a whole lot of very good ammo in one evening - certainly enough to go hunting for at least a week. It is much easier to concentrate on learning the craft of reloading while working on a single stage press rather than trying to cope with the complexities of a progressive machine. A single stage press is a lot less expensive to get started, and it may be all you ever need. Later, if you get to the point where you think you need a progressive machine, you do not have to get rid of your single stage machine. Most folks who reload on a progressive also use a single stage press to do odd jobs that are more of a hastle on a progressive. I have one final suggestion for you to consider. Buy a Lyman reloading manual to read. In addition to reloading data, there is a wealth of information about reloading and all the things involved with it. I always suggest the Lyman manual as the best "first" manual for a new reloader. After reading it, you may find it will help you make a more informed decision as to what direction you may want to take. I hope my suggestions are not taken as being negative in spirit, and I wish you good luck in your search for information. Best wishes, Dave Wile

February 9, 2012, 06:24 AM	#3
Whisper 300 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2006 Posts: 155	PJ, I, too, hate to rain on your parade but Mr. Wile's advice parrots mine. I have the LnL with case feeder and love it but for my hunting ammo I still (more than 50 years of reloading) use the single stage. I reload 223 and almost all of my handgun ammunition on the progressive but you have a learning curve to get through and the progressive is, in my opinion, not the place to start. I know others may disagree but when doing hunting or precision loading I like the ability to easily tweak things and tweaking on a press that does one thing at a time is far easier. Get a Rock Chucker or whatever floats your boat as I don't think there are many/any bad single stage presses out there. Learn what you are doing. You can churn out a lot of ammunition on a single stage easily once you know how. Anyway, in closing, yes I love the LnL but think you might benefit from something else. Think of it this way- I did not buy my son a 400hp car for him to learn how to drive. Gary

February 10, 2012, 03:33 AM	#5
Leeroy Jenkins Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2012 Posts: 4	JP, Take my couple of cents for what it's worth, since I am sure I have far less experience than the guys who replied before me. I am very new to reloading. I started about a month ago. I decided after about a week's worth of research that I wanted to get the hornady LNL AP press. I understood that it would likely be more difficult to learn on a progressive press, but I just figured I'd jump right in, so to speak. My experience is that while it may be intimidating at first with multiple steps occurring with one stroke of the handle, you can take it as slowly as you want. If you are set on getting this press, then you can always cycle through one round at a time, letting yourself get a feel for the depriming and priming steps. Once you develop that feel and develop your own routine with which you feel comfortable, I don't think you would have any problems other than normal questions that arise and perhaps very minor troubleshooting. I am not saying I did it the 'best' way, but doing it this way is possible.

February 10, 2012, 04:25 AM	#6
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,334	It's definately possible. The hardest parts for me were learning that first I had to setup 1 station at a time and then fine tune because the stations change slightly whe all are running at the same time. Also, you can only check a station with a case new to the station. The second time past is slightly different. Last, don't screw up. Seriously, when you are home brewing ammo, the chance of blowing your gun up and hurting yourself are very real. In addition, you will need: Safety glasses* Optivisor or other magnification Scale* Check weights* Case prep tools, like primer pocket/neck tools Case trimmer* In/out neck debuted tools* Tumbler and media* Tumbler solution/polish Good calipers* OAL gage and measuring tool Headspace gage Runout tool Powder check/lockout die. Might be straight wall only. Case lube hornady lnl MTM loaded ammo cases I starred the items I thought critical. The gages are critical to me, but others would argue, so I didn't star. Gages are key for safety and accuracy.