How many can you do...........?

[Joel Chavez]

So, today I actually timed myself lubing my boolits using a vintage Lyman Forty 5. I’m sure some of the noobies are like, “ what kind of pistol is that?” I was able to sustain a very comfortable pace of 8 to 10 boolits per minute including visually inspecting each one for flaws in either casting or lubing which translated to approx 540 or so an hour. I’ve heard one reason many PC is due to how quick the process is. So given that, how many can you comfortably do in an hour with visual inspection of each boolit? I’m just curious cuz I’ve thought about PCing(for about 2sec) and realized it’s probably not for me. Change my mind lol.

[dverna]

What you can do in a minute does not mean you can multiple by 60 to get your hourly production rate.

[ryanmattes]

I use Hi-Tek for pistol calibers, so I can't really tell you how many per hour, it's more by weight. And I inspect and sort by weight in a separate operation, so that time is outside of what I have below. I think it really comes down to how many you're doing and what you want out of them.

My little oven holds about 5lbs at a time, so it's:

Shaking 4 batches of 5lbs and pouring on the wire baskets takes about 2 minutes, plus turning on the oven first to preheat, getting the stuff out of the cabinet, and futzing around, call it 5 minutes prep time, maybe 10 if the oven takes a while to heat up. Then 8 minutes in the oven for each. When one batch comes out I set it aside to cool for a few minutes, then shake for a second coat, but that's done while another set is cooking. So, to get 2 coats, I basically have 8 trays to cycle through the oven at 8 minutes each, plus 5-10 minutes setup. The next set is always pre-warming on top of the oven while the previous cooks.

So, an hour and 15 minutes, for 20lbs. If it's 125gr 9mm, that's about 1100. If it's 255gr .45 it's more like 550. I don't do .223 (yet), but if I did, 60gr would be over 2k in that same amount of time.

If I used a full sized oven I could probably do all 20lbs in one batch, so that would be under a half-hour for the same amount.

It's just a different way of thinking about it. The time isn't linear by the number of bullets, it depends on what you're coating and how much you can cook at once. And you can stop between steps; spend some time coating one evening, put them away, and cook the next night.

I do it all the ways: PC, lube sizer, and pan lube. Different things for different purposes. If what you do works, I wouldn't stop doing it. But I like to see how the other ways work too.

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[Winger Ed.]

If you go too fast, you'll find yourself back in the house working on things that are on the 'Honey do.....' list.

[pworley1]

I run about 50 an hour unless they get gas checks. I can go faster, but I like to enjoy the slow pace.

[Joel Chavez]

What you can do in a minute does not mean you can multiple by 60 to get your hourly production rate.

I averaged 540 an hour.

[Joel Chavez]

If you go too fast, you'll find yourself back in the house working on things that are on the 'Honey do.....' list.


Well, since you put it that way.......lol

[plainsman456]

I just started last year using Smokes powder.

The non stick round pan i use is about 8 in.dia.

When doing 9mm or semi wadcutters for the 38/357 its not to heavy,but when doing 325-400 grain bullets for the 458Socom it does get almost to heavy.

It takes 3 pans to do a 1lb can of the smaller ones so it does go fast.

I size before and after just to be sure things fit.

I have a Lam 2 and a star and i don't mind powder coating at all.

I still have lots of 2500+ so i have options.

[Hossfly]

If you go too fast, you'll find yourself back in the house working on things that are on the 'Honey do.....' list.

Yep your right. Ran out of .223 cases to process this afternoon went in for coffee found new led light for kitchen leaning against recliner, who would have thought.

Sorry thread drift here, about 5-600 per hour pc for me.

[405grain]

When I'm casting boolits, powder coating, or reloading ammo, time stands still so it doesn't matter how many I can make. It's like when I'm hunting or fishing: While I'm there I don't need a watch because it's always now.

[metricmonkeywrench]

I'm with pworly1 and 405grain and a couple others, I spend enough time on the clock to meet "production" or "meeting schedule". Casting and sizing is done for the sheer enjoyment. I could probably bang out thousands but this point in time i pretty much cast and size what i intend to shoot. The biggest batches i have sized in one sitting is around 200 bullets to feed either the 9mm or .38. My shooting style follows pretty much the same, I don't compete so I would rather spend an hour on the range shooting 10 rifle or 50 pistol well than pretend I'm a woodpecker and rattle off boxes of ammo in minutes.

[charlie b]

A lubesizer is the fastest way to go unless you are bulk processing powder coat (big basket at once) and do not need to size them.

But, I have not decided to invest >$300 in a sizer and dies so it is either pan lube or powder coat. An easy choice.

[Burnt Fingers]

I mainly use Hi-Tek on my pistol boolits.

I can size around 1000 an hour through my Star.

Coating time is maybe 1-2 minutes per 5 lb batch. Unlike some people I don't count bake time or drying time as I can size boolits or do other reloading chores during that time.

I bake 10-11 lbs at a time. I normally have another 10-11 lbs on top of the oven drying.

[AndyC]

Coating time is maybe 1-2 minutes per 5 lb batch. Unlike some people I don't count bake time or drying time as I can size boolits or do other reloading chores during that time.
Excellent point there.

[Petander]

When I'm casting boolits, powder coating, or reloading ammo, time stands still so it doesn't matter how many I can make. It's like when I'm hunting or fishing: While I'm there I don't need a watch because it's always now.

This is how I like to think,too. I enjoy making them boolits, rounds,ammos.

I'm in no hurry to ... what?

[jimb16]

I don't bother worrying about how long it takes. I just enjoy my time. Gas check bullets take longer, but they are done when they get done. I'm retired. It don't matter to me. Same for PCing. However long it takes is how long it takes.

[Law.man]

I dry tumble about 500 9mm boolits for about a minute, pour these on a mesh tray and stick them in the oven (actually it is an old dentists heat sterilizer, essentially a big square oven with a timer and temp. control). Depending on how many freshly cast boolits I have on hand, I bake 500 to 1500 boolits at a time (can fit 3 trays in the oven). After 15 minute bake, I dump the boolits on a cloth, let them cool a bit and sort through them for a couple of minutes to make them not stick to each other. Then I'm off to the LEE APP sizer, which is incredibly fast if you have some sort of bullet feeding. I just attached a small plastic funnel onto the feeding tube, operate the lever with my right hand and slowly pour bullets into the funnel with my left, this way you size about 1 boolit per second. Since I mostly use flat noses, it does not matter which end they go first into the push through die. I can usually size the 500 batch in about 10 minutes.

So let's see, the oven takes 15 minutes to pre-heat, in which time I got the trays with dry tumbled boolits ready to bake. Add 15 minutes baking time, then about 15 minutes of cooling and sorting and about 10 minutes per 500 for sizing. If I got enough boolits ready, I can do 500 in just under an hour or 1000 in just over an hour, it does not make much difference, really.
Thing is, if I bake them on mesh trays, the PC coverage is not 100%, some got little smears from where they stick to each other after I break them apart. Does not affect function, just is not as pretty as if I set them on a baking pan one by one with tweezers, but then this process takes about an hour per 500 longer and is very tedious for 9mm plinking ammo. Small batches of precision revolver or rifle boolits - different story, I could make myself baby those.