reloader ready, standby

[cletus9mm]

Just curious how fast others are on their 550. The rules are as follows.

Please provide your fastest 100 reloaded round time with the primer tube full and everything ready to rip. I timed myself today and was 9 minutes flat for 100 rounds of 38 super. If you're quicker than that will you Please explain your techniques for doing so. Have fun and reload safely!

[Modoc]

I think that my best time has been about 12 min. I do have a 5 year old handicap though Actually, I do have my brass and bullets in bins on the table, just haven't bought the trays from Dillon. Since I usually only do 1-3 hundred at a time, the speed is not much of a handicap for me.

[MTU_327PC]

If I haul balls out, it's around 8-9 minutes for 9mm (machines bouncing pretty good even with a decent bench), but casually it's around 15-17 minutes. I don't have the trays to have everything handy and I don't have many SP pick up tubes. I usually look at all my headstamps before loading and organize them into the appropriate bins if I'm not loading a particular brand. If I load 250-350/hr I'm pretty happy. If I need to produce more, I'll invest in a 650 w/ case feeder.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Just curious how fast others are on their 550. The rules are as follows.

Please provide your fastest 100 reloaded round time with the primer tube full and everything ready to rip. I timed myself today and was 9 minutes flat for 100 rounds of 38 super. If you're quicker than that will you Please explain your techniques for doing so. Have fun and reload safely!

You didn't ask, but as an aside,

I can load 100 9mm in about 16 - 20 minutes

on a Square Deal (never used a 550).

[GrumpyOne]

Loading 40 S&W, I can load about 500 an hour, if I have everything set up. Loading 38 super, it drops to around 350-400 per hour, as I don't like spilling VV N105 all over my press. The load I use fills up the case to about 1/8" from the mouth, so moving the shellplate fast is not a good thing. You have to kind of ease it into the next position.

[Punkin Chunker]

How fast? Fast as I need to be -- never really thought to time it.

Procedures? 3 Ps, then 3 Bs.

Primer/Powder/Push -- look between frame and primer feed to make sure a primer comes forward with the slide, look into the case mouth to check powder, then push the shellplate around one.

Bare/Brass/Bullet -- check the primer cup to make sure the primer's gone, put the next brass and bullet in place.

Lots of keeping track of the process by feel (sizing, seating primers, advancing the shell plate).

No fancy bins, no bullet trays -- probably about 250-300/hour I guess.

It's not something I try to rush.

[Sarge]

It's not something I try to rush.

+1

I load 400 rounds per hour. I don't feel the need for speed when I reload.

[vluc]

400 an hour with all goodies ready, and I spot check my powder charges every 50 or so, even though I know they are fine.

Reloading is not something to set land speed records at.

[steel1212]

"The match starts at the reloading bench" If you want to do more rounds per hour get a bigger machine but don't skimp on the quality for speed.

[GrumpyOne]

It's not something I try to rush.

+1

I load 400 rounds per hour. I don't feel the need for speed when I reload.

While I can load 500 an hour (in 40 S&W), I don't feel that I need to do it that fast either. I've did it once or twice to see how many I could do an hour.

[Merlin Orr]

The need for speed does not apply here......(reloading)

[jmorris]

I have a sorter and casepro that saves down time by culling or fixing potential stoppages before they happen. Remember in average speed “0” is a killer. Not unlike a malfunction on a stage these can ruin “speed”.

With my case and bullet fed 650 and 1050 machines, around one second up stroke and one second down stroke is the speed I run just because it’s smother than trying to run any faster much less keep your eyes on everything. 100 rounds in 3.5 minutes.

[jmorris]

I know that speed sounds absurd when I load on other machines but it is not that bad when all you are doing is keeping your eyes pealed and stroking the handle.

[benos]

Back in the day, in 38 special (my fastest caliber), I could hit 750 rounds/hour on a 550. (With the Primer Pickup Tubes pre-filled.)

be

[cletus9mm]

750! That's amazing be! I suppose I should let everyone rest easy and let you all know that I don't try breaking records when I'm at the reloading bench (except this time). I've been using my 550 for about three years now I think and a few days ago was when I decided to test this. I usually load comfortably and safely around 400 rounds an hour. I was as focused and careful as I could be while doing this self test. Was just curious how quick others Have gone because I had the sneaking suspicion that I wasn't the only one who has timed myself. Thanks for the replies all!

[98sr20ve]

I forget the exact time but it was a little under 8 mins for 100 rds. It's really not that hard. Key is having the components close. I don't use a strong mount but have the same setup basically. Also, loading standing is much easier. Standing. For me the part that makes the most difference is seating the bullet in station #2 NOT #3. So the process is Pull handle, while this occurs you grab the bullet with your left hand, then push to prime. As your pushing to prime your left hand (with bullet) grabs the back part of the frame to even out the pressure of pushing. When done priming you seat the bullet as you look in the case. Your right hand is grabing a new case as you index. IF the bullet tips its easy to correct it at this stage and your already done rather then just grabing a bullet like I used to when I seated in station 3. Grab case, and insert. Pull handle again.

Edited July 28, 2010 by 98sr20ve

[benos]

Cletus,

Back in the day, you should have seen me rock and roll on a 450 - manual prime and powder drop. Back then, Mike Dillon issued a challenge to anyone with an RCBS Green Machine. He would pay them one thousand dollars if they could load more rounds of 38 special in an hour than could be loaded on his 450.

He picked me to be the operator. But there was one catch - he would provide the brass. In which he cleverly sprinkled in a few rounds of military brass (crimped primer pockets). Which he knew would jam the crap out of the GM, taking quite a bit of time to clear. Whereas when I got a piece of military brass, I'd just flip it out and insert another one. So while the GM guys are fiddling forever with their machine, I'm cranking away like a madman. I wish I could remember how many rounds I loaded in that hour, because it was ridiculous. I do remember it was a new personal world record. I had my headphones on the whole time, jammin' to old Metalica, probably.

I was in the zone for almost the whole hour. I say almost because, if I'd a been smart, I wouldn't have shot the ammo I loaded in my snub nose 38 special. Cause one round blew that sucker all over the range. A chunk of the cylinder landed next to Lyle Wing, who was shooting in the bay next to me. Man he freaked out and came running around the burn to see if I was okay. I was fine, just a little shook up.

be

[98sr20ve]

LOL. Thats funny.

[Emerson]

I timed myself this afternoon loading .45 ACP - I was between 8-9 minutes for 100 rds. I typically average 500 rds/hr on the 550 when I'm in the groove.

[Punkin Chunker]

Cletus,

I was in the zone for almost the whole hour. I say almost because, if I'd a been smart, I wouldn't have shot the ammo I loaded in my snub nose 38 special. Cause one round blew that sucker all over the range.

Which is why I'm just fine with 250-300 rounds / hour.

It only takes 1 'almost' in the zone to ruin a good day / stage / match / hand / eye.

[benos]

Cletus,

I was in the zone for almost the whole hour. I say almost because, if I'd a been smart, I wouldn't have shot the ammo I loaded in my snub nose 38 special. Cause one round blew that sucker all over the range.

Which is why I'm just fine with 250-300 rounds / hour.

It only takes 1 'almost' in the zone to ruin a good day / stage / match / hand / eye.

Right!

be

[rexican]

Wow. I reloaded 1900 rounds in a day and thought that was something (3 different calibers, 6 different loads). The 550 I am using now was previously converted from a 450, and I will be placing an order with you for the parts to convert another 450 frame I have lying around and a strong mount. Someone bashed into my truck and postponed my dual 550 dreams for the moment.

[rvb]

For kicks tonight, I put a stopwatch on 100 rounds of 9mm through my 550. Looked in every case for proper powder level. one 'crunchy' primer I had to pull out and inspect before sending it to the powder station, one spent primer got in the way of the primer slide, and I dropped a piece of brass under the ram and had to remove it.

7 min 32 sec.

I've done 600 in well under an hour before (have 5 tubes, so 600 is all I could do w/o repicking primers). I can't go that fast on 38 super, the cases are too full and powder spills. And setting the bullet slows me down on .45 and .223. The zero 147gr 9mms have a smaller diameter base, and they really just drop right in the belled case, I think that really helps. Any more I never do more than 2-300 per sitting.

-rvb

Edited August 24, 2010 by rvb

[calishootr]

I can average 4 to 500 rds per hr. with everything in front of me, and all tubes are pre loaded etc...can remember onetime I had taken a class by our USPSA president, and 'assumed' thatthe 750 rds i took with me, was going to be enuff for BOTH days....boy was i wrong, i burned that in the first day...tumbled the brass while i took the now ex-GF to dinner, and with her putting bullets on and me doing the rest we did 800 in just under an hr...how did i shoot the next day??? lets just say the whole class came that morning with fingers bandaged up and the smell of ben-gay was heavy in the air hehehe