Rifle reloading

[HawkerPilot]

I'd like to hear your process of reloading rifle (.223) on a dillon press (550 or 650). Mainly how you handle brass prep, such as trimming and primer pocket cleaning and/or uniforming.

Also, the rounds I shoot a year direct me to a 550. I know this questions must get asked alot but is the absense of a 5th station to check for over/under charges critical? Can you visually check the case and keep a steady pace on the 550?

And yes, I have read Brian's FAQ but thougt I'd get some other's input.

Thank you,

Edited May 24, 2011 by HawkerPilot

[cardiackid]

I'll ask it since I'm sure someone else will - what are you loading for: AR platform or bolt-action? What are you looking to get from your rounds consistency wise? Depending on your answers it may allow you to either skip some steps or require extra attention to some.

[g56]

Here's the steps I use on 223/5.56

There's a couple of different ways to size, I do it on my old Rock Chucker press, if someone doesn't have an old single stage, or would rather use the Dillon, get an extra toolhead and put the sizing die in station 1. Any extra case prep, such as swaging primer pockets is done after sizing.

Clean brass

Size and decap

Tumble to remove case lube

Trim

Cases boxed as ready to load

When I need to load

I have a universal decapping die in station 1

Run through the rest of the reloading cycle as normal

Seat primer

Charge powder

Seat bullet

Crimp

[bgary]

I have two different approaches:

The "old school" way

-- tumble and clean brass

-- decap brass (one toolhead set up with a universal decapper)

-- swage military-crimp primer pockets if needed

-- lube brass

-- size and trim brass (second toolhead set up with size-die, trimmer)

-- tumble lube off brass

-- prime and load ammo (third toolhead set up with powder-drop, bullet seater, crimp-die if needed)

Or, the new-favorite way

-- buy cleaned/sized/trimmed brass from Scharch

-- prime and load ammo

edited to add: LOTS of info in this forum: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=75

Edited May 24, 2011 by jakers

[benos]

I'd like to hear your process of reloading rifle (.223) on a dillon press (550 or 650). Mainly how you handle brass prep, such as trimming and primer pocket cleaning and/or uniforming.

Also, the rounds I shoot a year direct me to a 550. I know this questions must get asked alot but is the absense of a 5th station to check for over/under charges critical? Can you visually check the case and keep a steady pace on the 550?

And yes, I have read Brian's FAQ but thougt I'd get some other's input.

Unless you are going for the win at your state's Benchrest Championship, all the time you spend cleaning or uniforming primer pockets will be time you will have completely wasted, and could have done something else with. That's all I'm gonna say on that.

[mizer67]

1.) Lube

2.) FL size / decap - station #1, or on my single stage if I'm feeling particular.

4.) Tumble to remove lube

5.) Trim / Campher / Deburr in Giraud trimmer

6.) Finish as normal (Universal decap die in station #1 (media in FH), prime in station #2, powder in station #3, seat bullet in station #4, crimp (if desired) in station #5)

I have a 5-station press though (LNL). If I didn't, I'd just skip the crimp in station #5 as I don't use it any longer anyway.

Edited May 25, 2011 by mizer67

[Bayou]

I'm also very curious of this question as to rifle reloading on a 550.

" I know this questions must get asked alot but is the absense of a 5th station to check for over/under charges critical? Can you visually check the case and keep a steady pace on the 550?"

[Chills1994]

I keep telling myself that I need to type up in MS word two or three "canned"

reponses to the question "...rifle reloading....???"

then I could just do a cut and paste from word into a forum reply.

if you're really that interested in what I have said about .223 reloading in the past, do an advanced search for my screenname and the keyword "possum".

considering how the ammo scare has kinda subsided, I am rethinking things. the imported steel cased ammo can be had for 21 to 23.5 each. I ran the numbers and my reloads are running 16.4 cents each.

well...my time doing all the case prep and cranking the handle on my 650 has got to be worth something. jeesh....

[TerryS]

1. Clean Brass

2. Lube, Size & Trim on single stage with RT 1200B

3. Tumble to remove lube

4. Station One Neck Size, Decap & Prime

5. Station Two Powder

6. Station Three Seat Bullet

7. Station Four Light Crimp

[Henny]

I reload 223 for my ARs using two tool heads with my 650 using the following procedure:

Tumble brass

Lube with my homemade lanolin / alcohol lube

Size and knock out the old primer in station 1

Trim with the 1200 in station 4

Tumble to remove the lube.

Second tool head:

Universal decapper in station 1 to remove any media that may be in the flash hole

Prime and powder at station 2

Powder check at 3

Seat bullet at 4

Crimp at 5

All in all it's a pretty easy way to load 223. Best of all, it works for me!

[Paul-the new guy]

Almost the same as henny.

I tumble them first, lube them one at a time with imperial sizing wax, this also allows me to inspect them a little more closely. I throw them in a bowl and till I get a couple of hundred. I throw them a couple of handfulls at a time into the casefeeder and run them through the 650 with an old .38spcl die in station 1 set to only decap them. In station 4 is the RT1200B set to size them and trim them to 1.750ish... When I get a few hundred done, I swage ALL the primer pockets using my super swage, it seems to help the primers seat a little easier. I wipe them off with a micro fiber towel, this allows for another quick inspection. Probably an un-necessary step. Then I throw them into a ready to load box. When I get ready to load them, I switch tool heads and load them. I have no die at all in station 1, station 2 Primes them with a CCI 41 primer and drops a nice charge of Ramshot TAC powder, station 3 has the powder check. Station 4 seats the 62grn Mil Spec bullet and station 5 gives it a crimp with my Lee F.C.D.

Then my son or myself shoots them in a 3-gun match...

[g56]

About cleaning primer pockets, I quit cleaning them 26 years ago, cleaning primer pockets doesn't seem to have any effect on accuracy at all. This 5 shot group is from an AR-15 at 100 yards without cleaning primer pockets:

[zero-down]

I have a similar process as some other people here but I do most of the prep outside of my 550.

Lube cases

Resize / deprime on a single stage (i find its faster than the 550 and keeps the lube out of the press)

Tumble

Trim case, ream primer pocket, chamfer, and deburr on Drill press

Hand Prime Cases

Then on the 550 I use 2 stations: drop powder and seat bullet - no crimp.

[Kevin Holman]

Tumble/polish brass.

Sort/inspect.

FL Resize in a Rockchucker single stage press using imperial wax lube. (I would use the dillon for sure if I had a casefeeder)

Trim/chamfer/debur on a Giraud

Tumble to remove shavings, lube, and carbon from primer pockets.

Label and store for use when needed.

Then when ready to load:

Set up in a 550:

Station 1: Universal decapper (clears any cob from primer pocket after final tumble) and primer.

Station 2: Powder throw

Station 3: Redding competition micrometer seater die

Station 4: Lee factory crimp die