Progressive advice

[Mld3021]

My RCBS Rockchucker is too slow for the volume of pistol rounds I shoot. I had a bad experience with a Hornady Lock n Load progressive. Never could get primer feed to work. It was my fault and I shoulda let Hornady fix it. But I ran out of patience and sent it back to Cabelas. Again, my mistake.

So now I'm starting over. I shoot all calibers of pistol but mostly 45 acp, and lots of .223 and .308.

What do I do?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Others than me can give better advice, but what kind of troubles were you having?

[Mld3021]

First, it was my fault. I'm not mechanically inclined. The feeder always jammed. Primer wouldnt seat then powder spilled out primer hole. disassemble everything, clean it, start over, happens again. Over and over. I broke the primer caddy twice. It was a mess. I was so frustrated. And it was summer. My garage was 150,000 degrees. You get the picture. I was saying lots of bad words.

[Dave Shooter]

I'm partial to a Dillon 550. You can load all pistol and most rifle cartridges on it, and they are easy to change over. It's pretty simple to operate (can be used as a single stage if you want) and all the stations are in plain sight. Oh yeah, and Dillon will fix it if you break anything - no charge.

[Westwindmike]

+1 on Dillon and the "No BS Warranty".

[Guest 6.8 AR]

"Read and follow directions." Any progressive loader is just a single loader with multiple

components being done simultaneously. You sent the Hornady back. Try whatever you wish

next time, but learn how to use it. What you had problems with is what happens to many folks.

Wasn't a problem with the machine necessarily. Soundsl ike you weren't pushing back after

the decapping to seat the primer. Not the machine's fault.

Maybe you'll have better luck with a Dillon. The feeder jamming was probably the rod wasn't

properly seated in the base where the slide grabs one at a time. I admit I had problems, too,

but I figured them out and read the instructions.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

First, it was my fault. I'm not mechanically inclined. The feeder always jammed. Primer wouldnt seat then powder spilled out primer hole. disassemble everything, clean it, start over, happens again. Over and over. I broke the primer caddy twice. It was a mess. I was so frustrated. And it was summer. My garage was 150,000 degrees. You get the picture. I was saying lots of bad words.

Thanks Mld3021

I'm not mechanically inclined either.

I only load pistol and for a long time have had a Dillon SDB. If I had it to do over again would get the 550, 650, or 1050, but the SDB still works fine so there hasn't been sufficient motivation to upgrade. When got the SDB didn't even know if I'd take the time to reload if I had the equipment, and was reluctant to sink too much money in something I might not like.

On the SDB (which appears to have similar priming design to the 550 and possibly the 650) every thousand or more rounds it works better to remove the little nylon primer shuttle mechanism, clean and lube it. IIRC some dillon manuals recommend clean'n'lube about every 1000 rounds, but I usually go longer, until it starts misbehaving in some fashion.

There is a little plastic nib that fits on the bottom of the steel primer feed tube, which has little plastic "fingers" that hold the next primer to be picked off by that nylon primer shuttle mechanism. I wore out that little plastic nib after maybe 10,000 rounds and had some misfeeds before taking it apart, discovering the problem, and replacing the little plastic part.

It is easy to take apart the primer mechanism, but took some learning because am not smart with machinery. It only seemed baffling the first time.

EDIT: Didn't want to give the impression that the little nylon shuttle is some tiny little scrap of easily ruined nylon. If I recall, it is a rectangular peice maybe 3 inches long and perhaps at least 3/8" tall and wide, with a few little metal doohickies attached to it.

The only complaint I've had with priming on the SDB is that I try to use just about any and all non-FUBAR range brass. Some brands of brass are not friendly to easy priming. A person with better sense would throw away those funky brands. Which would eliminate most priming annoyances.

Thanks telling your experience on the Lock'n'Load progressive. Out of curiosity have read the Lock'n'Load online manuals and watched the instructional videos. Got the impression maybe I'd like the thing better than a Dillon. The manual illustrations and videos make it look like a solid heavy-duty machine.

The priming and several other features on the Dillon 1050 look great, but its difficult to justify the expense for me, considering the SDB works fine.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[TNWNGR]

I've had my own share of progressive reloading press misadventures, the Dillon 550B is the least frustrating one I've purchased.

[dlm37015]

i load several pistol rounds with dillon square deal b but i dont change them 45 stays 45 10 mm stays 10mm and so on

[Guest canebreaker]

What I'm learning with a different press in a different thread is. It will take a bit of time to get things smoothed out with a caliber. Then when you change calibers, your starting all over.

Youtube has some good videos on reloading. Enter RCBS or rockchucker in search and sit back. Oh, you do have to click to the next one.

[dickenscpa]

You and I met on the 1911 forum this past summer and talked on the phone. I was single staging at the time. Started shooting more and moved up to a turret. Started shooting more and bought the Hornady LNL AP. I think you got a lemon, which every brand has. I think you should give the LNL another shot. Mine runs like a top. I can hit 400 rnds/hour being EXTREMELY careful and that's without feeders. A-H in Nashville sells them for $419. I just bought it this past Monday.

Offer still stands to come look at my set up and I'll help you set yours up. If you're still only loading 45acp, I say go with a Dillon SD. As much as I love my Hornady the SD for one caliber is hard to beat.

Even if you go with a Dillon, I can set it up in no time. I set up a friends 550 and had never seen one before. The beauty of starting single stage and learning the process.

Call me if you need me.

Brad

[Guest Lester Weevils]

i load several pistol rounds with dillon square deal b but i dont change them 45 stays 45 10 mm stays 10mm and so on

Yes the sdb is such a compact press, and it isn't very expensive. Have often thought if somebody loaded a lot of rounds of several pistol calibers, it would be pretty cheap and easy to line several of them up across a bench, ready to go on each caliber all the time.

What keeps me thinking about the 1050 or the Lock'n'Load "ammo factory" version with case feeder and bullet feeder-- Just setting one up for a single caliber and leaving it thataway-- Assuming the case feeder and bullet feeder don't screw up all the time and require too much constant baby-sitting-- It ought to be pretty easy to load a lot of ammo quick without having to mess with it much.

If curiosity ever gets the best of me and I buy a 1050 from you, it would be pretty neat to just dump bullets, cases, and powder into the three hoppers, then not rushing and not having to manipulate a case and a bullet on each cycle-- Sure could crank out a bunch of ammo! Would definitely get one of the electric primer tube fillers to go along with it.

I agree when you have said in the past that "going fast" on reloading kinda misses the point, but if somebody didn't have to mess with cases and bullets, then an observant person would have more attention to pay on other details of the process?

Edited February 11, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[bvarnell]

Here is a link to a You Tube on the Hornady LNL.

Every thing I have read or seen about them rates them on a par with Dillon for about $100 less.

I don't have either one, but have been thinking about the Hornady if I ever get the space organized enough to install one.

[Mld3021]

You and I met on the 1911 forum this past summer and talked on the phone. I was single staging at the time. Started shooting more and moved up to a turret. Started shooting more and bought the Hornady LNL AP. I think you got a lemon, which every brand has. I think you should give the LNL another shot. Mine runs like a top. I can hit 400 rnds/hour being EXTREMELY careful and that's without feeders. A-H in Nashville sells them for $419. I just bought it this past Monday.

Offer still stands to come look at my set up and I'll help you set yours up. If you're still only loading 45acp, I say go with a Dillon SD. As much as I love my Hornady the SD for one caliber is hard to beat.

Even if you go with a Dillon, I can set it up in no time. I set up a friends 550 and had never seen one before. The beauty of starting single stage and learning the process.

Call me if you need me.

Brad

Brad, what a generous offer. Deal!

[Mld3021]

"Read and follow directions." Any progressive loader is just a single loader with multiple

components being done simultaneously. You sent the Hornady back. Try whatever you wish

next time, but learn how to use it. What you had problems with is what happens to many folks.

Wasn't a problem with the machine necessarily. Soundsl ike you weren't pushing back after

the decapping to seat the primer. Not the machine's fault.

Maybe you'll have better luck with a Dillon. The feeder jamming was probably the rod wasn't

properly seated in the base where the slide grabs one at a time. I admit I had problems, too,

but I figured them out and read the instructions.

If you can read directions, then you can read my first two posts. I've already conceded that it was my fault. I was asking for advice on which progressive reloader to buy.

[Mld3021]

Here is a link to a You Tube on the Hornady LNL.

Every thing I have read or seen about them rates them on a par with Dillon for about $100 less.

I don't have either one, but have been thinking about the Hornady if I ever get the space organized enough to install one.

[Mld3021]

Thanks. I watched this video as well as the intructional dvd that came with the press. Everything worked great except the primer feeding system. When I got stuck, I called Hornady CS twice for advice and new parts. Nothing worked. Finally gave up. My big mistake was not sending it back to Hornady and let them set it up, but I didn't know that was an option. Maybe I got a lemon, but too many people rave about this press for me to conclude that it was the machines fault. I'm pretty hopeless with machinery.

[mikegideon]

I'm pretty hopeless with machinery.

No shame in that. Just get some local help next time. I know 6.8 AR makes a lot great ammo on his L&L. I've shot some of it. There are so many Dillon fans, that it's safe to go that way no matter what.

I've been toying with the idea of a progressive for pistol ammo. I will watch the Hornady and Dillon presses run before I choose.

[Guest TresOsos]

Buy a Dillion RL-550B and never look back, you won't regret it.

Edited February 11, 2012 by TresOsos

[mikegideon]

Buy a Dillion RL-550B and never look back, you won't regret it.

Seems to always be the most popular answer.

[R_Bert]

Buy a Dillion RL-550B and never look back, you won't regret it.

Seems to always be the most popular answer.

Those Lock'N'Load die bushings are pretty attractive..., especially with David's endorsement I seem to recall

[Mld3021]

I'm going back to the LNL and get some local help on set-up Will repot back. Thanks to all for the very helpful advice.

Mike

[MarkInNashville]

Personally I had been planning on geting a Dillion 550 until I read what David said... look like I will go for the LNL myself (once I get into my new house).

[tnhawk]

Buy a Dillion RL-550B and never look back, you won't regret it.

After using an RCBS for many years I purchased a Dillion 550 and it has performed well.

[rstandley]

I love my loadmasters, but I did have to fine tune them to work right, I say Dillon is the best bet for the average man.