loading accurate bullets ?

[rebs]

Can accurate rounds be loaded with a progressive press or is a single stage or turret better for this purpose ?

[bullet maker 57]

That is a very hard queation to answer. Lots and lots of variables involved. Can you be more specific? Press, dies, what round, boolit or bullet, etc.

[troyboy]

Yes,accurate rounds can be loaded with a progressive.

[mdi]

Yep, accurate ammo can be put together on a progressive press, but for an obvious new reloader I'd suggest you start on a single stage or turret where only one thing happens when you pull the handle. Accuracy is from consistency, so if you can get all the steps done exactly the same (sizing, priming, charging, seating, crimping) you ammo has a good chance of being accurate...

[Love Life]

The consistency spoken of only comes if you put in considerable brass prep and bullet sorting as well. 'Ceptin the powder charge. That is separate from prep.

Just because you use a single stage doesn't mean the ammo is going to be better than what is loaded on a progressive.

Get a Dillon RL550B. You can single stage load with it to get that "experience" and then run it full tilt when confident.

Regardless of press, the press is just assembling the ammo. Feed it good stuff and it'll make you good stuff. Slack in the prep department and you'll probably be disappointed in your ammo depending on what your accuracy standards are.

[Elkins45]

Technique matters. The round doesn't know if others are riding around on the shell plate with it. It only knows how straight the bullet was seated and how much powder it has. Try to make sure the powder measure is actuated the same way every time and there's no reason progressively loaded ammo can't be just as precise as single stage.

[ReloaderFred]

I know a lot of people who swear that Federal Gold Medal Match ammunition is the most accurate they've ever fired. I'm pretty sure Federal doesn't have a bunch of elves working in a dark cave loading that stuff on single stage presses... So the answer is yes, accurate ammunition can be loaded on a progressive.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[chutesnreloads]

What's your definition of accurate?

[rebs]

That is a very hard queation to answer. Lots and lots of variables involved. Can you be more specific? Press, dies, what round, boolit or bullet, etc.

Hornady lnl AP, 223 with 55 gr hornady soft point and 45 acp with 200 lswc standard rcbs dies

I should have been more specific as far as all things being equal other than the press and powder dump. Can the powder be dumped instead of every charge being weighed and still be accurate ?
Right now I am reloading on an rcbs single stage and looking to move up to either a turret or progressive press.

[runfiverun]

it depends on the powder.
rl-19/4831/4064 has to be weighed, something like H-414/cfe-223/AA-2230 once settled in will drop to the .1gr area time after time.

[StuBach]

I'm still a newcomer around here but wanted to point out that I have been reloading on Dillon's 650 XL for almost a year now and have gotten repeatable charge drops that are within .02 grains of each other consistently. I have been reloading on the 550b which has the same powder system since whenever my dad got his and have seen the same results there.

As stated above, bad in bad out. Take your time and learn and do it slow and right and you will be fine. I would also recommend the 550 as a great machine to do double duty. Dillon makes great dies IMHO and there is someone on eBay selling a single stage conversion you could get to be able to do both sides of the equation.

The 650XL is a great machine that also adds the 5th station for a powder check to ensure you don't miss a charge but with that security comes a big jump in price of conversion kits.

[jeff423]

What's your definition of accurate?

I agree with this statement. I have been to some bench rest matches and you don't see any progressives there. I mostly see Wilson or Sinclair arbor presses. This is probably due to their size and portability. I have actually seen two Forster Coax's. But never a Progressive or a Turret or even a Rockchucker.

[ole 5 hole group]

OK, here's another way to look at it. I know of no serious handgun competitor shooting high volume (meaning they are serious competitors) that don't reload on a progressive press with most (if not all) having the case and bullet feeder. They not only need but demand match grade ammunition in some of the shooting disciplines. The Hornady LnL and the Dillon 650 and 1050 seem to be the progressives of choice.

Same goes for rifle competitors depending upon shooting disciplines - benchrest use mainly tight neck chambered rifles, so reloading using Wilson and a few other hand reloading tools seem to be their choice. I'm not aware of any powder measure that will throw stick powders or Varget on the nose - but when using VV N133, N135 and N140 and CFE 223 - I know my LnL throws those powders on the nose or within 0.05 grains and that is as good as my ole Culver can throw ball powders.

[DeadWoodDan]

The L-n-L is my first press and still using it. It can be used as a single stage so don't think you have to use it progressively. As stated by ole above its all about powder selection. By the way I load progressively when working up a load and check every round before seating a projectile and use a trickle to add for perfect measure.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Brass prep and seater dies are other considerations. If you're talking rifle rounds, the LnL does a very good job on rifle. You can improve upon the runout using a Forster micrometer seating die. I say Forster because in .223, should you want to run compressed loads and a bigger bullet later, the Forster will not break, while the Redding will. The Forster also does not leave marks on the bullets like the Redding does. I tried the Redding first, wasn't satisfied and tried the Forster. I now use only Forster.

On rifle, you need to make two passes, one for brass prep purposes and one to load cartridges. This produces the best progressively loaded ammo. Consider also a Dillon sizer/trimmer setup, an RCBS lube/deprime die for the "brass prep" first run. On the second run, you'll want to prime, add powder, place bullet and seat.

For pistol, you can do most in a single run excepting the most accurate pistol competitions where you need to prep cases, trim and weigh/separate cases to batches and such. Forst most pistol/revolver reloading, the standard single run through is sufficient.

[MT Chambers]

I don't think that you will find any benchrest shooters using progressives in either j-word or cast competition, powder must be trickled, primed consistently, bullets seated "in-line", etc. A Co-ax or Sinclair equip. is normally used.

[220]

Depends on your definition of accurate.
I know I can turn out handgun ammo that is capable of holding the X ring on a ISSF precision target.
Don't load rifle on my progressive but would fully expect it would be capable of producing Moa accuracy from rifle ammo loaded on it.
Wouldn't be my choice for loading BR competition ammo but if I needed bulk shorter range varmint ammo I wouldn't hesitate to load it on a progressive.