Bullet feeder for cast bullets?

[6bg6ga]

Is there a bullet feeder currently in production that will feed cast bullets for use on a 650 press?

[jmorris]

I run cast in my GSI feeders.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

The Hornady bullet feeder dies can easily be adapted to feed cast boolits. Their case feeder will need some tweaking to work properly, but lots of posts on the internet how to do that. Google is your friend.

[6bg6ga]

There are a lot of mixed reviews on the Hornady feeder. First of all it needs a lot of work on the bullet drop assembly because as it comes its .451 which is too small for cast bullets. Secondly from what I read the Hornady gums up from the bullet lube that is present. I believe that if I gamble I'll go for a different brand.
There is a post on a manual bullet feeder which uses a bullet drop assembly that is superior to the Hornady or RCBS from the information that is posted on that thread.

[6bg6ga]

After viewing the video that Rick sent me I'm going with the Mr. Bulletfeeder that will be available soon that will be able to send the bullets out either nose down to the sizer or base down to the reloading press. With the cost of the machine and conversion calibers it look to me like its the best of both worlds. The Hornady can be made to work but it gums up and the dropper needs a lot of attention in order to function with cast bullets. The Hornady is well suited for the budget minded that use jacketed bullets but in my opinion has no business in the hands of a die hard cast bullet user. The Mr. Bulletfeeder's video I watched clearly shows the machines ability to both function with 100% accuracy and keep running thru the long hall. The mechanics and design of this machine in my opinion simply cannot be beat.

I personally have toyed with the design and build of my own collator but was never able to make it function 100% and had to build an additional flipper in order to make it function to fit my needs.

http://www.doublealpha.biz/mr-bulletfeeder-by-double-alpha/mrbulletfeeder-by-double-alpha

[jmorris]

The mechanics and design of this machine in my opinion simply cannot be beat.
Unless you want to seat and crimp in two steps, have bullet feed and powder check die. The GSI is the only feeder that can do that.




I personally have toyed with the design and build of my own collator but was never able to make it function 100%

The first collator I built was the only one I have seen that never dropped inverted bullets but was too involved for a "production" item. The KISS/mr.bulletfeeder collator is quite easy to build and once you have the flipper and speed set right on a ridged bench works 100%.


6" PVC pipe is the main body 1/2" plastic for the bottom and wheel. Simple fixtures make drilling or milling the slots simple.

http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/bullet%20feeder/feeder1.jpg

http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/bullet%20feeder/DSC01472.jpg

http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/bullet%20feeder/DSC01537.jpg

[jmorris]

This was my first one.

http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/feeder4.jpg

This device made it 100% every time all the time. If the bullet was nose up it passed by the micro switch and went into the feeder. If the base was up, the larger OD triggered the switch powering up the solenoid and dropped the bullet out the trap door before it could make it to the feeder.



http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/feeder2.jpg

[gunoil]

I made a washer and super glue lee aluminum holder and now have 4 tube bullet feed to a manual drop die from mrbulletfeed.biz just call rick, tell him you want die only not upper part.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k511/putt2012/02F8E749-C53A-4B00-8087-9CC080D6CDB1-2486-00000207C84BE98E.mp4

[A pause for the COZ]

I have two of the Hornady dies. 38 and 45acp. They both work fine and yes you do have to work on them a bit to get them to work with cast.
But the polishing is not much at all.
I just used a strip of emery cloth on a bore brush.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_8566.jpg

Very very little on collet A collet B is the main one. And you just polish it until the bullet will drop through it.
Took about 5 minutes.

Soft lubes do clog it up though. I use 50/50 NRA and some other ones.
I now use mica powder. Put some bullets in a zip lock bag and a tea spoon of mica and shake. This gets a crust on the lube and wont gum the die up.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_8577.jpg

All that being said, if I had a do over. I would spend the $99 and get the KISS bullet die. If you look at the design of it. You can see it is superior.
The use of ball bearings to hold the bullets is a perfect idea. Plus when the balls are pushed up the whole column of bullets forces the bullet into the case.
Lot less flipped side ways bullets on the advance.

Go here and on the left pane click on how the dropper works.

http://www.mrbulletfeeder.com/

Great idea. and simple too.

[GT1]

Unless you want to seat and crimp in two steps, have bullet feed and powder check die. The GSI is the only feeder that can do that.


I'm convinced that I desperately need a GSI feeder for my 650 now. ;)
I had been contemplating a feeder for a while but loathed the thought of giving something up for it.

[6bg6ga]

I could have sworn I had a post here before that magically disappeared. Anyway I will try posting again... I had ordered a Mr Bulletfeeder bullet dropper assembly last thursday and it should arrive tomorrow. I ordered one because after seeing one it was apparent the engineering was quite a bit better. I'm sure the Hornady will work fine after the slight revamp.

[jmorris]

It's still there, post #5.

[6bg6ga]

I'm going the route I am because I don't need a powder check station. The GSI looks first rate.
If I understand correctly a change over is $250 and I don't know if that includes the top plate as it is special to the unit. But $250 for the GSI vers $150 for the Mr. Bulletfeeder makes me see the amount I will need to budget for my loading needs if I were to go GSI.

[jmorris]

If powder check is not wanted there is no reason to spend the extra money, saves you $60 on the PC die too.

Not real sure what a "conversion" costs, I don't convert mine. The feeder itself cost $250, it is not just a die but an entire CNC machined tool head that comes with several bullet seating dies.

Because the feeder is the tool head is how they combined the feed/seat operation, also why they are only made for the 650/1050. The way the bullets are held in alignment with the case you can also get away with much less bell on the case than you can with any other method.

[lazydays]

I also bought the Hornady Die but for 44 Mag and used some emery paper to lap the inserts and it took only a few min. to get the die to work on my Lee Cast iron Turret Press. I agree that the Mrbulletfeeder die is a better design but with limited funds i went with the Hornady. I used 1/2" CPVC High Temp PVC instead of regular PVC to make my feed tubes because it fit inside the die with minimal sanding and the ID of the pipe is still 1/2". I used a short piece of pipe and a union to make my header and then 3' sections of the pipe for feed tubes because that was all the head room i have in the loading area. The only down side is i will have to do my final crimp separately but a good trade off. Total cost with PVC will be less than $35. The use of the bullet feeder may not increase my through put of ammo but is one less thing i have to finger when i load and i like that. My cousin has a loadmaster press and i will take the bullet feeder with me the next time i load on his press and i have no doubt that it will work just fine on his press.

lazydays

[WyrTwister]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/548694/hornady-lock-n-load-bullet-feeder-bullet-feeding-die-44-special-44-remington-magnum

Is this it ?

Is it a seating die also ?

Will not crimp ?

Yes , I think it will work better on my LM than your turret press .

Next time you visit , I bet we can build a bracket to use your Lee bullet feeder cylinder and the clear plastic tubes ?

God bless
Wyr