Progressive loaders-anyone like sizing as a separate function?

[Chuck Perry]

Since "the lockdown" has left us with lots of extra idle time, I have been playing with my RCBS Rockchucker II alot more. I recently started sizing my pistol cases on the RCII, and then using the Pro2000 to expand, prime, charge, seat and crimp. I find that by sizing "off press" as a separate function it makes my progressive a lot friendlier to use. I clean my cases in the tumbler, then hose 'em down with One Shot and size. Then it's back into the tumbler again to remove the lube and they're ready for progressive loading. Extra work? Yeah for sure it is, but I'm liking the process and finished product a lot better this way. Anyone else load like this?

[Biggin]

I'm new to progressive presses but I've have taken up the habits of my mentor and friend. I size deprime and prime off press. I size and deprime on my rockchucker and prime with a hand primer. Then onto the 550.

[M-Tecs]

All my progressives have case feeders. I run everything in two stages. First is size and deprime than at a minimum tumble or if needed additional process like chambering etc. Back to the progressive for primer, powder and bullets.

[EDG]

I have been loading like that for about 30 years. That method works much better for rifle rounds for me.
1. I like to clean primer pockets, trim the brass, deburr and remove the case lube on a large lot of cases. Once the case prep is done the prepped cases can be stored indefinitely without an extra cash being tied up in inventory.
2. The next step is priming which begins to tie up components and money. The primed brass can be stored for long periods too.
3. I use the progressive for charging and seating bullets. Crimping s included for rounds that go through anything but a bolt gun or single shot.

This allows me to keep nearly all my brass cleaned and prepped.
When I want to load I simple charge and seat bullets and I am ready to go.

[country gent]

I deprime by hand clean and then. clean lube off and fill case feeder on the 650. I also like to crimp seperatly from seating the bullet. I dont want the fired primer residue in the press.

[Winger Ed.]

For handgun ammo: I wash in soap, dry, polish, wash in thinner, dry, then into the progressive.

I've been reluctant to do rifle ammo on a progressive since I couldn't clean the lube off the cases except by hand one at a time.

It never occurred to me to de-prime, size, then clean off the lube as a separate step with a single stage,
then run them through the progressive.
For the next batch of 5.56-- that's how I'll do them.

[dverna]

You asked...
I would never reload pistol cases like that. Waste of time with no gain. Match grade ammunition can be loaded on a full progressive so there is no sense in taking more steps than necessary IMHO. But some progressive presses are more "progressive" than others.

What matters is what works for you using your equipment and components!!!

Lots of guys load pistol ammunition on a SS press and get great results but not very much to shoot. Again whatever works for someone is good if it meets their needs, budget, and expectations.

[Taterhead]

I also load on a Pro 2000 auto-index. I have a RC IV mounted to its right. My handgun ammo is never loaded on 2 presses. One pass through the Pro 2000 and done. I do add a bit of One Shot to the handgun cases and that improves the experience. One Shot doesn't need to be removed.

I load rifle cases (esp 223) on the Pro 2000, but case prep is on the RC.

For the rifle cartridges thatare loaded on the RC, I use the Pro 2000 as a sort of bench priming tool. On station 1 of the die plate, there is a universal de-capper to remove and cleaning media from the flash holes. Then prime in station 2. The primed cases index around to the bin. 100 are banged out quickly.

[HeavyMetal]

I have a reloading routine that's a little different but was developed out of my desire for very clean case's and wanting to prime off any of my press's.

1. brass is sorted when I come back form the range, this gets rid of the brass you can't use for whatever reason.

2. I then put each caliber through my Pro 1000 with a de-capping only die which removes the old primer but doesn't get dirt & grimes in my sizing die.

3. Then this brass is run through my wet tumbler with SS pins Dawn and Lemi-Shine.

4. once dry it's stored in a zip lock bag, 1 gallon size, with the excess air sucked out of it until I decide to reload. How much I need determine's the press I use: 50 or so I'll use my turret press 400 or 500, or more, and I'll use my progressive.

5. Once I decide how much is needed I'll prime the needed amount on my RCBS bench primer then load it on what ever press is called for.

The advantage to this system is I get to handle the brass for whatever caliber at least 5 times giving me that many chances to remove bogus brass before loading. I've done this for the past 10 years and find my ammo improved greatly, mostly in appearance I'll agree but in the old days I would get the loads in cracked / split case's and wonder how they got past me, today I don't have this happen.

As always I post this as 'food for thought".

HM

[GWS]

I've also loaded with a Pro 2000 for years....pistol one trip. Then I discovered wet tumbling with pins and got addicted to bling. So then I deprimed first on the RC. Rifle was always done with 2 trips: 1 for case prep and one for the rest.....then....

When the Pro Chucker 7 came out I thought, what could I do with seven.....

After waiting more than a year for thing to get rung out, I bought one with a case feeder to experiment and play with.

I still do pistol the same way on the Pro 2000, but for rifle (so far .223 and .308), I actually use 7 stations, after depriming on the R.C. and wet tumbling (lately that depriming operation is thrice as fast on the new Lee APP)

What can one possibly do with 7 stations on rifle? Well I bought the new RCBS tube rifle bullet feeders for both calibers too...and they come with "M" style neck expanders to allow bullets to be fed and stuck nice and vertical for the seater. So...and this describes brass trimmed the last time....otherwise I do size first on the R.C. then trim...but it trimming isn't necessary,

1: Size the deprimed and blinged brass with a sizer (minus the expander plug and deprimer.)
2: Expand including the "M" step on the upstroke, prime on the downstroke
3: Powder drop
4: Video monitored case inspect. (my kind of powder cop!)
5: Tube bullet feed
6: Seat
7: Slight taper crimp to remove the "M" pocket.

[gnostic]

I lube, size with SB dies, deprime and swage the primer pocket on .223 on a single stage press. After a couple hours in a vibrating case cleaner, I finish the loading process with a 550 Dillon. That way, I'm not loading dirty greasy cases....

[Shiloh]

Rifle brass. Need to check the length, clean the primer pockets first. Lot easier on the arm.

Shiloh

[Gtrubicon]

I always size, then de prime and then clean brass for pistol. Rifle is the same, except for the trim chamfer and de burr.

[jmorris]

As a general rule I don't like the extra work, thus why I got a progressive to begin with but I do lube, just not the #2 tumble until I have loaded them up.

With rifle I do have to make two passes, the first I size and trim then load on #2.

In any case, if it works and you like it, thats all that matters.

[Hawks Feather]

Since I have not been in need of lots of reloads quickly I have always sized & deprived on my Rockchucker and then cleaned the brass before running it through the Dillon. I have plenty of brass so if I ever really 'have to have' some reloads quickly I just go to that supply and am good to go. Doing the first step gives me time to inspect each piece of brass to make sure that there are no problems. I very seldom find a problem, but it gives me peace of mind.

[kayala]

I only do sizing as separate step for bottleneck cartridges for pistol it would be 357 Sig and 7.62x25 tok; all straight wall just goes whole cycle.

[Walks]

Been doing it the same way for 30yrs.
Got a bad right shoulder. It's amazing how much the press "loads up" when you resize on a progressive.

I tumble in plain corncob, Size & Deprime, do an ultra-sonic clean, dry and case inspect. Then hand-prime (Tennis Elbow).

On to the progressive.

[Burnt Fingers]

Been doing it the same way for 30yrs.
Got a bad right shoulder. It's amazing how much the press "loads up" when you resize on a progressive.

I tumble in plain corncob, Size & Deprime, do an ultra-sonic clean, dry and case inspect. Then hand-prime (Tennis Elbow).

On to the progressive.

Try lubing the brass. I can't even feel the 9mm brass hitting the sizing die.

For pistol brass I clean in a vibratory tumbler. Put brass in bucket and hit it with some One Shot. Pour into collator and load.

Rifle brass is a whole different story.

[Baltimoreed]

I set my dies up to do it all on my Lyman turret or Dillon presses. A clean pistol case goes in and 3 or 4 pulls later a finished round drops out. I size, deprime, prime, expand, dump my powder and seat a bullet on the press. Life is too short to do all those extra operations off press. However .45-60, ‘06 or .30-40 Krag rifle ammo is different and I use a Bair single stage so it’s old school there. Pistol ammo reloading is about volume whereas rifle ammo reloading is about accuracy. When my 300blkout comes back home and I finish my build I plan to reload blkout on a Dillon 550.

[Mike Kerr]

I have usually done rifle caliber processing in multiple stages and in whatever sequence works best - sort of like pre prep - progressive in the middle - finish crimp etc. However, for handgun ammo I like to avoid doing the process multiple times - that is why I have a progressive in the first place.

[rbuck351]

No, I use the progressive presses for volume handgun loads. Brass is tumbled then onto the press. For rifle brass I use a coax and tumble clean then deprime and size. Then clean, trim,uniform primer pockets, open/uniform flash hole, deburr flash hole then load. For brass that has been prepped once and fired it's just tumble clean and load. I don't care if brass is real shiny just clean for the dies.

[hollywood63]

Since "the lockdown" has left us with lots of extra idle time, I have been playing with my RCBS Rockchucker II alot more. I recently started sizing my pistol cases on the RCII, and then using the Pro2000 to expand, prime, charge, seat and crimp. I find that by sizing "off press" as a separate function it makes my progressive a lot friendlier to use. I clean my cases in the tumbler, then hose 'em down with One Shot and size. Then it's back into the tumbler again to remove the lube and they're ready for progressive loading. Extra work? Yeah for sure it is, but I'm liking the process and finished product a lot better this way. Anyone else load like this?


Man do you have me thinking. When I'm done with a day at the range I deprime until I get a coffee can full, run them through a wet tumble cycle. Then on to priming off press, then size, expand (NOE expander), charge, seat then crimp. Which takes 5 stations (lee loadmaster) so I'm'a thinking who cares if I deprime and size at the same time. Then prime and load. this brings me back to 4 stations and I can stop looking at 6 station Lymans etc. and save some cash..................ya right Definitely going to give this a try..................its always the simple things :smile: This is all for handgun loads only one rifle so thats all on a single stage.

[Chuck Perry]

I only do sizing as separate step for bottleneck cartridges for pistol it would be 357 Sig and 7.62x25 tok; all straight wall just goes whole cycle.

The 357 SIG cartridge is exactly what started me down this path!

[Kevin Rohrer]

I resize my rifle brass elsewhere, then finish loading large batches on the 550.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I do it like Chuck for my short runs of rifle cases, However lots of times I buy already processed and primed cases (5.56 LC). This takes 6 steps out of the process and you are getting brass that is clean, sized, crimp removed, trimmed, chamfered, primed and ready to load. With .07 bullets that ends up being .18-.20 cents per round.

For my shotgun shells I have a Lachmiller Sizer/Deprimer which is specifically designed to make short work out of the first two operations so you can wash the hulls and start into the loader with clean hulls. Clean hulls make all the difference as to the quality of your loaded ammo.

Simple Fact: Ammo that looks good shoots better!

Randy

[dragon813gt]

For almost everything, no. That’s for all pistol rounds except 357 Sig. They are sized separately in advance. The only rifle round I load progressively is 223. The brass is processed in advance and the loaded in one pass of the press.

I’m sure everyone knows it. Performing any task off press adds time. I bought a progressive to save time, not add time.

[downzero]

For handgun ammo: I wash in soap, dry, polish, wash in thinner, dry, then into the progressive.

I've been reluctant to do rifle ammo on a progressive since I couldn't clean the lube off the cases except by hand one at a time.

It never occurred to me to de-prime, size, then clean off the lube as a separate step with a single stage,
then run them through the progressive.
For the next batch of 5.56-- that's how I'll do them.

If they're not hollow points, throw your loaded rounds in the tumbler!!

[JimB..]

For pistol I deprime, tumble, then onto the progressive.

For rifle I deprime, tumble w/pins, size, trim, tumble w/o pins, anneal and then onto the progressive. At least for plinking ammo.

[Wisest.fool]

For pistol i don't bother sizing on a different press. with carbide dies and clean(SS tumbled) brass they come out looking good.

For rifle i don't see as how you have much choice. gotta lube rifle cases and i don't want the lube to get into the powder on loaded rounds.
Once cases are lubed, sized, deprimed, trimmed, chamfered, deburred then i will run them through a progressive with a good metering powder(ball or short grain extruded) if i want a bunch of ammo quickly.
For precision rounds i load all rifle cases on a single stage press individually weighing every charge.

[GONRA]

GONRA's younger son has been reloading common revolver and auto pistol ammo using range pickups on his trusty olde Dillon Progressive for decades...

Now he's started on 300 RUM using New Brass.
When he switches to Once Fired 300 RUM Brass, I will full length resize it FIRST on a large single stage press to save wear & tear on his Dillon Progressive.
amd get as uniform as possible headspace.
>>> (Kid tends to shoot A LOTTA AMMO!) <<<

[Three44s]

Crap and progressives do not get along.

Of all the operations a progressive press is designed to do, priming is the most adversely affected by junk in the press.

So if I was going to separate functions I would want to deprime and maybe size away from the progressive. I would consider priming separately as well.

It sort of defeats the whole idea of progressive loading though but not entirely.

Also, there is a big difference between loading pistol vs revolver vs rifle. Also what rifle cartridge and what powder in a rifle you are using. A stick powder even in a 223 brought my loading it on my Hornady LNL to a screeching halt when the powder was bridging in the drop tube section.

I have since switched loading to ball powders in the 223 on purpose to accommodate progressive reloading but in spite of that not gone back to the LNL yet (still fine tuning loads).

I say it is your tool and your time and your comfort level! Use it as you see fit!

Three44s

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I think Lee's new APP press is the perfect tool for keeping the crud away from your main press. Doing the sizing and depriming first makes the reloading operation much cleaner.

[Gaseous Maximus]

I wash, dry and tumble 38 and 9mm brass. Next universal decapper, and reprime on bench mounted Lee. then on to the pro 1000. I could just as easy use a sizing die instead of the decapper, and I did used to. I don't anymore, because the sizing station on the 1000 is directly above the ram, I feel that sizing adds some stability and uniformity to the other 2 stations.

[M-Tecs]

Crap and progressives do not get along.



I keep a vacuum and compressed air next to my progressive's. Not counting when the case feeder drops one upside down I go about 6,000 rounds per stoppage on my 650's and maybe 10,000 on my 1050 per stoppage.

Keep them lubed, clean and adjusted they run like a Swiss Watch. Let them crude up not so much.

[Three44s]

Great idea!

Best regards

Three44s

[dikman]

I'm primarily reloading .38sp (for Single Action). I use a Pro1000, with a case feeder and deprime/resize die, and run all the cases through there first, then into a wet tumbler. This gives me clean cases and primer pockets and keeps all the crud out of my 650.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I keep a vacuum and compressed air next to my progressive's.

Compressed Air is a must have item in a reloading set up. You need to be able to blow things clear and clean your Progressives frequently. The only way to do this without taking the machine apart is to blow it out with air.

Small Air Compressors are not that expensive and Harbor Freight has them for <$100..

Everyone who does anything mechanical should have an Air Compressor. It's a primary tool, and even if you are only going to use it to blow the dust out of your work area, it will pay for itself any time you need to blow up a tire or ?

Randy.