Super 1050

[Baer45]

I have been loading pistol ammo for around 5 years on a 550 and 2 S1050s and decided it is time to take the plunge and dedicate one of the 1050s for 223 to feed ARS and a subgun...any advice on setting the 1050 up? This will be the first time I've loaded rifle rounds....can I get sub moa ammo on the 1050 without sacrificing a lot of time? (other then set up)

[Canuck223]

The world is full of compromises. If you want to trim while you process your brass, set up a seperate toolhead just for that purpose.

The only signigigant compromise in my opinion is powder selection. Ball and short fine extruded powders will work fine. Longer extruded powders are a pain.

[AlamoShooter]

I shoot 38 super comp = its the same shell plate as the 223, so you are on the rite track. the change over is just the head that way.

I do all my shell prep on the 1050 and only adjust the swag when I must for the brass.

I get Sub MOA out of my 650 setup for 223 = I have not loaded any rounds on the 1050 as I like the "Feel" of the primer on the 650 = the 1050 you louse that feel , so if the primer pocket is not tight a primer may jamb up the gun.

I will start loading practice ammo on the 1050 though , just have not yet.

A Hornady match powder drop can be used too with a $20 activator so that makes most any powder shave better.

Do Buy the press form Brian Enos, or we will come and shave your head and spray paint your ears .

[Jim M.]

I think Canuck223 got it exactly right. If you want sub MOA ammo, I think it’s a good idea to trim your cases, especially if those cases are not exactly matched before you start.

Since I like to trim my .223 brass, I do case preparation on a single-stage press. I lube, full-length size (I load for more than one .223), deprime, trim, chamfer, then tumble to get the lube off. That takes a lot more time than many reloaders are willing to put into the operation but, like you, I am trying to get the best ammo possible (within reason), not just buckets full of stuff that will go “bang.”

As Canuck suggests, you could set up a separate toolhead for case preparation, but I don’t mind doing those steps on a single-stage press. I just do those steps in small batches whenever I have some spare time. The prepped cases go into the tumbler anyway, and that is going to break up the flow of reloading.

The actual reloading requires more concentration, and I do that in large batches, on the 1050. Since I have already sized, decapped, trimmed, etc., on the single stage, I do not have a die in the first stage on the 1050. All the way up to the powder drop stage is the same as normal. I load Winchester WW-748 in the .223, and that flows very evenly from the Dillon powder measure. Some other powders are a bit of a problem for completely consistent loads (the large stick powders), but I don’t load any of those in the .223.

I use a Dillon powder check system immediately after the powder drop, then a Dillon bullet seating die. In the last stage, I use a Lee “Factory Crimp” die.

The 1050 will definitely load sub MOA ammo.

And, it loads faster than I shoot it, but then, I don’t have a subgun!

Jim M.

[Canuck223]

OK, back in the day, I processed a poopload of once fired brass and loaded enough ammo to make my gov't explosives division sweat my powder orders.

My set up was using two toolheads.

Toolhead one:

Station 2: Dillon Carbide size die

Station 3 : swager back up die

Station 6 : RT1200B trimmer

The Dillon die was adajusted with the Dillon case guage. The RT1200b was adjusted to contact the neck only.

Cases had been cleaned for 24 hours in crushed walnut followed by 2 hours in corn cob. Then the cases were lightly lubed with Dillon spray lube, and allowed to dry completely.

Following processing, the cases were returned to a tumbler with fresh corn cob media to remove the lube and the rare burr from the trimmer.

Afterwords, the cases would be run a second time through toolhead #2

Toolhead #2

Station 2: Lee collet die with a mandrel polished .0005 undersize.

Station 5: Dillon powder die/measure

Station 7: Dillon Seater die

Station 8: Dillon crimp die

The Lee die in station 2 is to prove the primer pocket flash hole against the chance it's clogged with tumbler media, and to ensure the neck is not too tight after going through the RT1200 as while it does size the case slightly, it doesn't open the mouth afterwords.

At about this point, I tend to have half a dozen guys pipe up and ask about chamfering. My answer is I never did. The RT1200 doesn't chamfer, but leaves a clean cut. I loaded new SS-109 bullets I'd been able to source from Hi-Tech Ammo every 6 months while at Knob Creek. With the SS-109's boat-tail profile, I never found I needed to chamfer.

[Baer45]

Thanks for all of the great feedback and different set ups. When I get through running a "ton" of 9 mm I will switch it all out and get back and let you know how it progressed...C