What's your process for working up a load on a mark7 super1050? Newish reloader with new toys.

[UFOTrain]

I've written and re-written this post about 5 times because i keep end up writing volumes, i'm the over thinking type.  I have a few years experience loading for bolt action rifles, .270 and 338LM.  low volume longer distance shooting.  Batches of 100 at the most but really focusing on consistency and precision, lab grade scale and all.  I love shooting pistol, .223 and .308 semi auto's but it was never worth my time to reload on a single stage press and ammo was cheap enough.

 

I just inherited 4 super 1050s!  2 with mark 7 auto drives, 1 set up for processing with what i think is a forcht auto drive, and 1 with no auto drive.  the mark 7's have a bunch of sensors and there are 2 dillon toolhead mounted case trimmers set up for both 223 and 300blk.  2 rf100's, a largish homeade looking wet tumbler and a bunch of other stuff including components galore.  I'm probably going to get rid of at least some of this stuff, but i want to use them first, understand how they work, and why he had 4 freaking 1050 presses. 

 

I'm trying to understand how to use them correctly.  I'm going to start off learning how to use them for 9mm, and .223 first and churning out some hopefully big batches.  I've been trying to do a lot of research, but i still have dumb questions.

 

So how do you handle load development?  do you do it on a single stage first? Then once you have a recipe set up the 1050 to match?  I understand that with a progressive press you lose consistency if you don't have something in every station?  Not to mention if i'm testing multiple powder charges and seating depths?  I'm not even sure how important that is for .223 and 9mm and more tactical style shooting vs bullseye.  I mostly shoot steel with pistol and ar15. 

 

What would be the right way to process and reload the brass? I don't mind making multiple passes if the auto drives are doing the work and i'm just keeping a watchful eye over them and refilling components.

 

Pass 1: (1) decap, (2) swage

 

Pass 2: wet tumble

 

Pass 3:  (1)resize, (2)mdie [don't need to swage since it was already done? but he has the swage sense i'm assuming to look for obstructions/ringers? do you still need the swage backer?], (3)prime, (4) powder, (5) powder check (with mark7 sensor), (6) bullet feeder, (7) seat/crimp combo?

 

Does this sound like a reasonable workflow?  Would you change out any of the die stations?  Where/when do you do the case trimming with the press mounted trimmer if needed?

 

Would you do a different work flow for .223 vs 9mm?

 

The 1050s have a few settings i have no idea about.  Rounds per hour? to start i'll keep everything at the slowest speed, but how do you know what to go up to?  Does changing speed affect things like powder flow? seating depth? etc?  Likewise there are some dwell time settings? clutch settings?  etc.  How do you know when you need to mess with them?

 

Finally, while I'm really excited to have these, and with the ammo shortage to use them because i'm eating into my cache.  Do i really need 4 1050s?  That seems unnecessary.  Maybe keep 1 for bass processing, and 1 for loading and get the necessary conversion kits?  Or Keep 1 for processing and use the money from the other 3 to get a revolution?  Not sure that's much better? I don't need the money, time and space are more valuable to me.  For a sentimental reason i'd feel less crappy selling to consolidate/upgrade vs just getting rid of it and keeping the cash for whatever.  I plan on keeping and using these for a few months before i make any decisions, but would appreciate some thoughts/advice on this.

Edited February 4, 2021 by UFOTrain

[Boomstick303]

As far as loading, I also have a 1050.  I am glad I have reloaded for about a year manually before jumping right into automation.  It has helped me learn how the press works and see some common issues that reoccur.  I know where to look and things to look for  when the press stops.  Not saying to load manually for a year, but maybe run one a month or two manually to better understand the presses operation.

 

I will let others speak to the differences in their process in that I have only loaded 9mm up till now.  Getting ready to start processing 223 brass and then loading it.  I intend to automate in about 3-4 months once I get use to the 223 processing and loading.

 

I only load 9mm in one pass after wet tumbling and lubing the cases.  Once I automate I will continue with the 1 pass method in regards to 9mm unless I run into issues that cause too many stoppages, then I may switch to a process run followed a reload run.  223 will always be a 2 pass method manually or automated.

 

Good luck.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Boomstick303

[ddc]

Without getting into the nuts and bolts of setting up your presses I'd make a couple of general comments with respect to running a press with an autodrive...

 

1. Get your process down manually first. In your case I'd suggest using your manual 1050 for that. Then swap your tool head over to one of the Mark 7 presses.

2. Don't run your press automated until you are pretty familiar with it in manual mode. Not just hundreds of rounds. A thousand. Maybe more.

3. Automated processing runs much more smoothly if you adopt a two pass strategy. First pass for pre-processing. Second for actual loading, powder, primers, bullets, etc.

Many of the hiccups you have running automated will have to do with the decapping operation and it's success or failure. It is nice to be able to separate that out from the rest of the processing.

 

There is no hard and fast way to set up either your pre-processing or your loading machines (or tool heads if you just have one machine)

My pre-processing toolhead is set up to size/decap in what you are calling station 1. It's actually station 2 as station 1 is the case feed station.

I have the swage backer in station 3. I also have another size/decaping die in station 6 to balance the stresses on the shell plate.

 

There are other threads on this forum describing how people have set up their tool heads. Multiple options.

I'm strictly a 9mm guy. I'll leave the rifle processing suggestions for the rifle experts.

 

I'm running an Ammobot autodrive and have no experience with either Mark 7 or Forscht. I would guess that the Mark 7's are the better machine for your loading pass.

For the processing pass maybe it doesn't matter that much? Good question. You may be the first guy lucky enough to have to make that decision! lol...

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by ddc