How fast can you load on your Dillon?

[wooddog]

I use a 650 with all but a bullet feeder...

When I am loading .45 I can do 100 in less than 5 minutes, (after I have filled all the hoppers) but have yet to put a stop watch to it. I have an automatic primer tube filler and can really get cranking as long as all goes well and I have a good rhythm going. It takes me about 6 - 7 minutes to do 100 .38 super.

Since everything we do in this sport is timed and classified, perhaps this is a way for all of us to make master or GM in some way...

Whats your time?

[Matt Cheely]

550, including time to load the primer tubes, is 500 an hour.

[boz1911]

550, including time to load the primer tubes, is 500 an hour.

That's about my rate also, although I never load for an hour straight on my 550. My 1050 rate is about 1200 and I have loaded for an hour straight on it. If I was lucky like some people I know and had a KISS bullet feeder, which by the way is designed to be bolted to the workbench, the rate would be around 1800 per hour........

[L9X25]

While it is not something that I recommend, or do an a regular basis, I have loaded 100 rounds in under 3 minutes using a 1050 and KISS bullet feeder. Not much checking, or even looking at that pace, and it would be physically difficult to maintain that pace for more than a few hundred rounds.

[Miranda]

wasn't there a movie with Paul Newman in a wheelchair in a race?

ooof racing ammo presses....

It don't count until all 100 have been fired.

[Rocket35]

Well I can keep up with Matt on the reloading press, but shooting is another story!

[gunsablazin]

I do 3-400 an hour on my 550's, I look at every powder charge before advancing the shell plate and every primer on its way to the case. It makes the job a little slower, but the ammo is good.

Edited March 7, 2008 by gunsablazin

[Rocket35]

I do 3-400 an hour on my 550's, I look at every powder charge before advancing the shell plate and every primer on its way to the case. It makes the job a little slower, but the ammo is good.

I visually inspect each powder charge and case mouth, but how do you see every primer on it's way into the case?

Edited to add that I use a SDB.

Edited March 7, 2008 by Rocket35

[boz1911]

I do 3-400 an hour on my 550's, I look at every powder charge before advancing the shell plate and every primer on its way to the case. It makes the job a little slower, but the ammo is good.

I visually inspect each powder charge and case mouth, but how do you see every primer on it's way into the case?

Edited to add that I use a SDB.

The 550 has an arm that comes back and retrieves the primer. With light in the right spot you can verify that it has picked up a primer. I also look for a primer and eyeball powder before every load, it's sorta a rythem you get into.

[Run n Gun]

With my 650 loading 45, 40 or 9 I can load about 900 an hour but with 45 Colt that drops to ~600.

Ed

[9x21]

While it is not something that I recommend, or do an a regular basis, I have loaded 100 rounds in under 3 minutes using a 1050 and KISS bullet feeder. Not much checking, or even looking at that pace, and it would be physically difficult to maintain that pace for more than a few hundred rounds.

That's right!

[BigDave]

I've done a 1000 38 Super on a 650 (no bullet feeder) in 65 minutes.

[benos]

Once, when I was loading a zillion rounds of 40 S&W preparing for a 2 month shooting road trip, I loaded 1000 rounds in 33 minutes on my 1050. (And we didn't have bullet feeders back then. )

The 33 minutes included filling the Casefeeder and re-charging the Bullet Tray.

And that was with an RF 100 Primer Filler. It would probably have been a little quicker if I had 10 pre-filled Primer Pickup Tubes.

For the 550, I can't remember an exact number for a speed test, but I can remember regularly loading over 700 rounds/hour on it in 38 Special. That was with a box-stock machine, no Strong Mount, Bullet Tray, or Empty Case Bin/Bracket, and with the Ball Handle.

be

[nm3gnr]

450-500 rounds per hour on my 550 is a good pace for me. Looking at all powder drops and having all 5 primer tubes loaded.

[blue edge]

With NO case feeder and NO bullet feeder. 550 500 per hour.

With NO bullet feeder. 650 1200 per hour.

TOO much stress feel alot better at about half that speed!!!!! be safe

[Hoofy]

Best 100 rounds on 550, casefeeder, roller handle = 7 minutes

Best 1 hour session with 7 filled primer tubes = 700 rounds

Haven't beat these numbers with the new 1050, but I haven't tried either. Still in the learning mode at 1800 rounds.

I'll learn more tomorrow.

[DonT]

You guys are putting me to shame. I never really tried to see how much I could load in an hour on my 550 but I would guess no more than 400. I don't get in a hurry. Check every powder drop and just recently started checking to make sure there are no little grains of powder on the primer press

DonT

[TMC]

Loading 9mm on a 1050 with a KISS I can load 100 before the RF 100 shuts off, how many minutes is that?

[spook]

I CAN load 100 rounds in under 10 minutes on a Square Deal B. Time starts when I enter my reloading room. But I usually take it down a notch and just go for good quality ammo and load at an average rate of 400-500 per hour.

Edited March 8, 2008 by spook

[wooddog]

Most of the time I am only loading about 200 - 300 rounds for practice or a match. I usually have the press all primed and ready to go. Just hit some cases with one shot, toss them in the case feed and go... First 100 I get warmed up and focused and the next 100 or 2 I do for speed and have some fun with it.

One time I had a buddy of mine who wanted to help so he became the automatic bullet feeder... pretty funny cause he had to be quick and I had to focus even more because when we finished he still wanted to have his fingers intact to shoot. we didn't time it but I remenber we did about 500 rounds in what felt like no time.

Tried to convince my girlfriend how much fun it would be for her too but so far shes not buying it...

[Chris Keen]

ONE SHOT ???

NO wonder he's going so fast ....... he's using that reloading steroid spray!

I dont know anyone using ONE SHOT for reloading pistol ammo ...

Edited March 8, 2008 by CHRIS KEEN

[jmorris]

100 3:28

500 24:12

600 29.04

700 34:04

800 39:17

900 43.40

I clocked the times above on a 650 with a GSI feeder and a KISS style collator loading 9mm with lubed cases. 3.5min per 100 rounds is not that hard to achieve but if you factor in loading primer tubes (Dillon filler) and then the machine, filling hoppers with brass and bullets around 5min per 100 is comfortable. On my 1050 I have a KISS feeder, so no powder check die and I run a little slower on that machine.

[DonT]

ONE SHOT ???

NO wonder he's going so fast ....... he's using that reloading steroid spray!

I dont know anyone using ONE SHOT for reloading pistol ammo ...

I do sooooo smoooooth and easy on the arm

DonT

[Chills1994]

I take my time. My neck and shoulders get too tight if I stand at the press for more than 100 rounds. So I will do 100. Carry the loaded round bin to the living room, sit on the sofa, turn on the TV and take the loaded rounds from the bin into the cartridge hinged lid trays/boxes.

I'll give them a good once over look (A-MERC brass sucks! It always shave the plating off the Berry's I'm loading, and those rounds don't case gage).

Rub my finger over the headstamps looking for high primers. Then I'll take a red sharpie and strip the headstamps.

Sooooo... to answer your question it is probably more like 300 rounds an hour.

(drift on)

@wooddog... nice avatar!!

Me like!

(drift off)

[Paul Santiago]

I dont know anyone using ONE SHOT for reloading pistol ammo ...

I do. But I'm still using a lyman turret press. 100 rounds a day...