Load DataRepackboxInline FabricationLee Precision
MidSouth Shooters SupplyWidenersReloading EverythingTitan Reloading
Snyders Jerky RotoMetals2
Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: AR loading on Turret

  1. #1
    Banned
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    9

    Cool AR loading on Turret

    Hello gents. Wondering if any of you are reloading .223 on a RCBS or any turret press. And if so are you trimming and throating cases or just cleaning and loading. Not necessarily for CB but for any projectiles. FMJ etc. Also if you are how is accuracy. I’m just tryin to load for ringing steel. 50 to 75 yards tops. Got a fav recipe? Thanks in advance. Asking for a friend. lol

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Bohica793's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    LA (Lower Alabama)
    Posts
    682
    I have loaded a couple of thousand rounds using 55 gr Hornady bulk fmj with 25 gr H335 in a Lee Classic Cast turret press. Just clean and load. Have to remove primer crimps occasionally but otherwise nothing special.
    Make no mistake -- They will remember how easily you surrendered your rights.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    poppy42's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    1,563
    The short answer to your question is yes I reload on a Turret press, including 223/556. I use a Lyman universal trimmer to trim my brass. I don’t know what you mean by cleaning on a press, I tumble my brass. As for accuracy, I am certainly no MOA shooter any more, but at the distance your talking about sub 1”. Now just out of curiosity Why would you think you couldn’t load 223 on a Turret press. Or that the type of press you used would affect your accuracy at the distance your taking about.
    Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    merlin101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Rochester NY heading to Gaults Gulch
    Posts
    1,303
    I have done .223 on a Lee Pro-1000, it worked but the cases seemed to want to fall over as they came out of the tube.(from the weight of the cases above) Even using a tall 'pusher block' I solved that by making a taller block with epoxy, other than that and small bullet and fat finger no problems.
    It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years (Abe Lincoln)

    "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” George Washington

  5. #5
    Boolit Master gnostic's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Somewhere over the rainbow...
    Posts
    696
    I load 223 on a 550 Dillon after I size and deprime lubed cases on a single stage RCBS press with SB dies. I clean in a vibrator with corn cob, trim and chamfer the case. I don't like to just run them in the Dillon as they're greasy and the case mouth is seldon square. My handload 223 are sweet shooters grouping under moa when I have a scope mounted. I load 55 grain Hornady SP with cannelure and 25 grain of 335H...

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    toallmy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    easternshore of va.
    Posts
    2,998
    I load 223s on a Dillon 550 as well Hornady 55 with CFE 223 1-1/4 groups are normal at a 100 yards .
    The brass is resized trimmed and tumbled before loading most of the time .

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Lake Havasu City, Arizona
    Posts
    21,324
    I load a lot of M193 equivalent 5.56 NATO on a Dillon 550B. Once fired military cases are sizes with a standard 223 Rem RCBS X-die (most often is a single stage press), the primer pocket swaged (Dillon primer pocket swage) and the case mouth chamfered (both only needing done once).I clean the cases in a vibrating case cleaner (just can't bring myself to use that other word.....). The cases are spray lubed with Dillon case lube or my own (12-1 alcohol - lanolin). I then do a visual inspection of the case for defects and the inside for debris prior to putting into position #1 on the 550B. The FL die I use in Station #1 is standard .223 RCBS X-Die. With such, when properly adjusted, trimming is not necessary. The cases are primed at Station #1 most often with Winchester SR primers.

    Station #2 charges the case with powder which is most often 26.5 gr H335 when 55 gr FMJ are loaded.

    Station #3 seated the bullet to the canalure, Die is a RCBS 223 Rem seater.

    Station #4 crimps the case mouth into the canalure. Die is a Lee 223 Rem FCD.

    Cases are vibrated in sawdust for 20 minutes to remove the case lube then tumbled in a large bath towel to remove any sawdust dust.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy Rapidrob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Thunder Mountain,NM
    Posts
    330
    Dillon 550. Cases sized on Bonanza CO-AX press then trimmed if needed, Dillon Primer Pocket Swage,wet tumbled with S/Steel shot for one hour. Allowed to dry for 24 hours.
    25 grains of BL(c)2 under 55 grain FMJ and LEE Factory Crimp die. Primers are CCI .
    Load shoots very well out to 500 meters and has won many matches. I mainly use this load in my 1:12 twist rifles/carbines but have found it will shoot OK in the 1:7 and 1:9 twist barreled AR's.
    Very good brass life as it is not a max load.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    2,356
    I load 6.5 Grendel on a Lee turret. Works just fine. I tumbly clean. I only trim the ones that dont pass my gauge. I set calipers to the max length and trim the ones that dont pass through the fingers. Works great and ammo is accurate.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
    farmerjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    St. Francisville, Louisiana
    Posts
    1,926
    Like Larry Gibson, the once fired military is done in a single stage with a 10 to one alcohol - lanolin lube. I trim with a WFT (worlds finest trimmer) chucked in a mini lathe. The primer pockets are swaged and a RCBS chamfer/deburing tool also chucked in the mini lathe is used to clean up the case mouth.. I also use the deburing end on the primer pocket to taper it so that the primers go into the pockets better. There are people that do the entire removal of the crimp with this tool. The brass is then cleaned in a ultrasonic cleaner and tumbled in ground walnut shells with nu-finish wax.
    I then hand prime the brass and load it on the Lee cast classic turret.
    There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism—by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide. Ayn Rand

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Scranton Pa.
    Posts
    266
    Another 550 dillion loader here.

    Nprmally process on a single stage. Deprime, swage, and everything else on the blue press.

    Rich
    My feed back

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-Small-anvils

    I also leave feed back

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy Ateam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Northern MI
    Posts
    349
    Another 550b loader here. Shoot mostly range pickups in my short range ar (under 100).
    Step
    1. Tumble dirty range pick up in walnut medial outside (gets out the mud, rocks, spiders, etc.)
    2. Dillon spray lube in a gallon bag half full of brass, shake well.
    3. Size/deprime on single stage rcbs.
    4. SS pin tumble w/lemishine.
    5. Bake @200 in convection oven for 20min, let cool.
    6. Load as normal on 550b (working through a bunch of 2230c data powder, with pulled bulk 55fmj)
    7. Turn money into noise.
    8. Wash rinse repeat.

    I rarely trim or chamfer blasting ammo (under 100y). I just don't find it to be worth the time.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Communism running rampant!
    Posts
    4,752
    Beware of powders that can bridge in your press’s measure.

    I tried a run of 223 on my LNL Progressive with some old stock RL 11 and it was bridging so I am switching to Bal C 2 (spherical powder) to eliminate the problem.

    As far as case prep I say each to their own.

    Personally I do not have an X die so all my brass gets trimmed to a set length. I am a firm believer in chambering case mouths. I also inside flashole debur all my metallics. All of them.

    Primer crimps are dealt with upfront as well.

    I cut my primer pockets to reduce or eliminate fighting high primers pretty much across the board.

    It is a lot of work up front but it lasts the life of the casing with the exception of some retiming later on and a rechampher.

    Three44s
    Quote Originally Posted by Bret4207

    “There is more to this than dumping lead in a hole.”

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    993
    I deprime on a single stage and then clean the brass in a case tumbler. Once clean I will the. Size on the single stage. From there it goes to trimming with a Wilson case trimmer. Once all that is done it goes on the Dillon RL 550B.

    1st station is a Lyman M-Die which gives me .003 case neck tension and lightly flares the case mouth. 2nd station is powder, 3rd station is seat, and 4th station is a Lee Collet Crimp. This Meath is gives me quality ammunition with uniform crimp. Shoots very well from bolt guns and is easily within the standard accuracy window of a bottom tier M4.

    Using this same process, but sorting the bullets by base to ogive, weight, etc produces ammunition that can be used for precision matches.

    I hope that helps.

  15. #15
    Banned
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    1,029
    At the risk of sounding like a broken record I too load 223 on a progressize.

    I used to load them on an RCBS turret but I sold that press. I now have a Dillon 450 dedicated to 223.

    I do mine a little differently. After each range session I clean my brass then size and deprime. I trim on a Frankford Arsenal machine. Very cool. Then I hand prime the cases and store them in a ziploc bag.

    This yields about 100 cases at a time. When I have 1000 cases prepped and primed I get them out and run them through my 450.

    For general range rounds that my grandkids love to shoot I load a Hornady 55 gr flat based soft point over 25 gr of W748.

    I do load small lots of 223 on a single stage for my Savage M12. I used fire formed brass and neck size only.

    Best of luck,


    Steve in N CA

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Jack Stanley's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    South of the north pole in the land of the falling waters
    Posts
    4,070
    For cases I've prepped once I just clean and load and it works just fine . Closer to factory pressure type loads that need trimming get done before hand . Works real well for chasing cans or varmints .

    Jack
    Buy it cheap and stack it deep , you may need it !

    Black Rifles Matter

  17. #17
    Banned








    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    munising Michigan
    Posts
    17,725
    heck I need two LNL progressives with case feeders. First one set up to size deprime and the Dillon trimmer is on it. Then they get tumbled and go on my other one and get charged bullet seated and a slight crimp. I can do 06s 7mags ect on a single stage or turent but if I had to do handgun or ar stuff on a single stage or even a turrent id be selling guns. I still shake my head thinking back to my first AR. All I had was a rock chucker. Id take a lee hand press to work (I was a lineman) and lunch time or breaks id size brass or prime it with a lee primer. Other then for bolt guns the slowest I want to go these days is my 550. To me that's slowing down and smelling the roses.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check