Real-world reloading rates with various presses

[Madisonian]

In another thread, "New Press," where the OP asks about the Dillon Super 1050 versus the Hornady LNL AP, during the discussion several reloading rates are quoted for various progressive presses. The differences in rate didn't make sense to me. One supposed advantage of the 1050 is 1200 rounds per hour, while the LNL is 500 to 600.

I wondered, how could presses that are essentially the same design, with the same case feeding, bullet feeding, powder metering and priming features, with basically the same reservoir capacities, have such dramatically different production rates?

The conclusion I have come to is that they don't, the are basically the same. The difference in in how one measures, or "rates" the production capacity.

I bet that Dillon is quoting an instantaneous production rate, i.e., time per round when all of the reservoirs are full, extrapolated to a one hour rate without considering time to refill primers, powder, cases, and bullets.

Similarly, I bet Hornady is quoting a sustained, i.e., one-hour production rate, taking into account the time to refill the reservoirs.

As a check on this, note that Dillon quotes a production rate for for the 550B - manually indexed press without case and bullet feeders - that covers Hornady's quoted production rate for the LNL, "400 to 600" rph v. "up to 500" rph, respectively.

Thinking about this I found many youtube videos that show folks cranking out rounds on the LNL at 3 seconds per, i.e., the 1200 rph rate.

So, have you ever considered what a good standard for measuring production rate might be? For example, how many primer tubes would you have on hand, and how do you refill them? How quick to change a primer tube? I'm thinking that if you have bullet and case collators that the long pole in the tent is primer feeding. In addition, does one count the time required to dismount, refill, and remount a primer tube in the one-hour production rate, as well as refill the powder hopper, and case and bullet hoppers?

I think useful rates would be the instantaneous rate; the 100 round rate, i.e., without counting time to refill reservoirs; and the one-hour production, which would count all reservoir filling time.

Conclusion: 1050 is no faster than LNL, they are just rated differently.

Discuss?

 

[rep308]

I have a Dillion 550B that I use about every month or two. I've got 6 toolheads set to the calibers that I shoot. I load about 1-2K per caliber per session and average about 350 rounds per hour. I have 4 primer tubes, two large and two small. Rifle is probably 300 rounds per hour due to case lube. I don't have any auto feeders this is all me by hand.

I can go an hour or an hour and a half and retain my vigilance and sanity. I don't listen to music and have no distractions. I'll do a caliber a couple nights a week an hour or so per session and be set for awhile. I could probably go 500-600 rounds per hour if I had to and had help loading primer tubes, but short of the end of the world I like to take my time.

 

[soam]

I'm pretty slow - I do about 200 rounds an hour, but that includes the time it takes to fill the powder measure and check charge weight, fill primer tubes, and check loaded round length a few times before beginning to crank things out. I'm using a Hornady LnL AP, without case or bullet feeders.

 

[KH56010]

I can do 850 an hour going a smooth pace with my Dillon 650 with bullet and case feeder. I don't think it would be too much slower without the bullet feeder, but just a ton more tiring on the arm. However, I only have 5 primer tubes so between filling those up and at the end and filling the actual primer system during operation. I basically do 500 an hour. If I had an unending amount of filled primer tubes it would be 850 all day long.

 

[Chris.Cal]

I'm pretty slow - I do about 200 rounds an hour, but that includes the time it takes to fill the powder measure and check charge weight, fill primer tubes, and check loaded round length a few times before beginning to crank things out. I'm using a Hornady LnL AP, without case or bullet feeders.

This is about what I do as well. Sometimes a little more. I only have one primer pick up tube so I load 100 in the press and then fill the pick up tube so, I can at least get 200 cranked out before I have to stop to re-fill. I also check my charges every 20-30 rounds or so.

 

[Supermoto]

The reason the Dillon is rated higher is because the LNL won't run 100 without a jam.

 

[SJan]

The reason the Dillon is rated higher is because the LNL won't run 100 without a jam.

I was waiting for this!

I think the high round per hour estimates with the Dillion machines are assuming the user has an unlimited supply of primer tubes loaded and ready to go, a full powder hopper that will not be empty in one loading session, as well as a full case feeder and bullet feeder being used.

 

[Supermoto]

Why wouldn't you have the same with the LNL?
My 650 loads 100 in 5 mins. My LNL was at least 10 min. You just can't push it as fast.

 

[Glou01930]

Dillon has better looking women in the catalog .

 

[Madisonian]

Why wouldn't you have the same with the LNL?
My 650 loads 100 in 5 mins. My LNL was at least 10 min. You just can't push it as fast.

What happens when you push it past that? What failure modes?

 

[herdbull]

I am new to this game and just bought a Dillion 550B and finally have my toolheads set up to load 45ACP and 9mm, also have 4 pickup tubes for small primers and 4 for large primers. Loaded my first fifty 45ACP rounds yesterday and they all went "boom" at the range and the accuracy was great so gave it a shot today and loaded 275 in my first one hour session, they all fit the "gage" and look good......fairwell Walmart

 

[SteelShooter]

Is there such a thing as an automatic reloader? (As I search google) I shoot about 1000 - 1500 rounds per week of reloadable calibers. If its an hour to reload 200 rounds, from a time perspective it doesn't seem feasible, I would rather pay the higher price then spend 5-6 hours reloading. But, if there was something to 'set it and forget it' it maybe worth it. I would spend several thousand for something like that.

 

[bill o]

Is there such a thing as an automatic reloader? (As I search google) I shoot about 1000 - 1500 rounds per week of reloadable calibers. If its an hour to reload 200 rounds, from a time perspective it doesn't seem feasible, I would rather pay the higher price then spend 5-6 hours reloading. But, if there was something to 'set it and forget it' it maybe worth it. I would spend several thousand for something like that.

ammoload.com

 

[jasons]

The reason the Dillon is rated higher is because the LNL won't run 100 without a jam.

I would give a truckstop blow job to someone who could get my LnL to consistently go 100 rounds without a ****up of some kind.

 

[SteelShooter]

I would give a truckstop blow job to someone who could get my LnL to consistently go 100 rounds without a ****up of some kind.

I just heard Blitz1 say "challenge accepted"

 

[highlander]

On my 650 I can do 400-500 an hour with filled primer tubes,full powder dispencer and feeding bullets manually. This is for pistol/revolver ammo only.I've not timed myself rifle ammo.

 

[KH56010]

Is there such a thing as an automatic reloader? (As I search google) I shoot about 1000 - 1500 rounds per week of reloadable calibers. If its an hour to reload 200 rounds, from a time perspective it doesn't seem feasible, I would rather pay the higher price then spend 5-6 hours reloading. But, if there was something to 'set it and forget it' it maybe worth it. I would spend several thousand for something like that.

They sell an autodrive for the 650. That with a bullet and case feeder and the whole thing is automatic. If you're willing to pay that higher price, then just get a 650, bullet feeder and case feeder and 15 primer pickup tubes and do them all in one sitting over less than 2 hours. You can also probably afford the primer tube filler machine that fills the primer tubes for you, that's another 30-45 minutes saved right there on the 15 tubes. The other thing you don't seem to be taking into consideration is the tuning of your loads. I mixed factory ammo with my reloads the other day (my reloads comfortably make major PF) and it was brutal how much recoil they had. I never ever want to go back to factory.

 

[milktree]

I have a 550B.

Once I have the machine set up with a bucket of clean brass, a bucket of bullets, I can load about 500 .38 spl per hour including loading the primer tubes. (takes me about 90 seconds to load 100 primers in a tube and into the machine)

That's assuming everything works smoothly, which it nearly always does. It's not including inspecting the brass or tumbling.

9mm is slower because the cases don't sit in the bucket as orderly, so they're a little slower to manipulate into the machine.

With a case feeder 650 rounds/hour would be pretty easy.

But.. all these assume the machine is set up already and you've got a good rhythm, looking in all the right places and checking all the right things as part of the routine. I used to be a lot slower when I had to think hard about checking everything.

 

[Madisonian]

I have a 550B.

Once I have the machine set up with a bucket of clean brass, a bucket of bullets, I can load about 500 .38 spl per hour including loading the primer tubes. (takes me about 90 seconds to load 100 primers in a tube and into the machine)

Wow, that's what I would call reloading virtuosity. I don't doubt that you can do it, but note that it's exactly in the middle of the speed range that Dillon claims for the 550B; though as I said previously I believe there's is an instantaneous rate, not sustained as you achieve.

What do you think your instantaneous rate is? Could list the steps including the visual checks, like "index, place case, visual powder, place bullet, handle down, handle up, ...?"

 

[The Professor]

Dillon has better looking women in the catalog .

No argument.

 

[PMD]

ammoload.com

Yup Ammo Load or Camdex ...Ammo Load being the better machine.
These machine are finicky, unlike. Dillion changing bullets, powders and calibers is a pain in the a$$.

Once a load/bullet is set the machine will crank out ammo..

Btw the production rate for the Ammo Load is rated at between 3k and 5k per hour.

 

[SteelShooter]

Yup Ammo Load or Camdex ...Ammo Load being the better machine.
These machine are finicky, unlike. Dillion changing bullets, powders and calibers is a pain in the a$$.

Once a load/bullet is set the machine will crank out ammo..

Btw the production rate for the Ammo Load is rated at between 3k and 5k per hour.

Thanks

 

[PMD]

As an FYI the P&W auto drives for the Dillon 1050/RL1050 are set up to run at 900 and 1200 rounds per hour. That does not factor in primer/bullet filling or jams.

Here's a link to the best auto drive for the 1050
http://www.forchtfirearms.net/index.html

 

[Marcus99]

I use an RCBS turret. At the top end of things I can put out 150rds an hour (think 9mm), the low end something like 20rds (think .30-40 Krag, where I work slow). I enjoy reloading and shoot small batches per session, plus I prefer the hands-on approach of a single stage or turret, so I don't feel the need to put out 600rds an hour.

 

[Fixxah]

The setup and understanding of the mechanical aspect of presses will keep anybody's numbers down. My LnL took me a while to fully get it tweaked so I can runn as fast as I want.

If it sits for any length of time between sessions, I have to use fine emery on the powder rotor or it will get hung up and ruin brass while expanding.

Then again, to each his own. Red or blue, the argument isn't worth my time.

-tapatalk and Devin McCourty blow chunks-

 

[Gammon]

Yup Ammo Load or Camdex ...Ammo Load being the better machine.
These machine are finicky, unlike. Dillion changing bullets, powders and calibers is a pain in the a$$.

Once a load/bullet is set the machine will crank out ammo..

Btw the production rate for the Ammo Load is rated at between 3k and 5k per hour.

When I was selling cast bullets I did business with commercial reloaders using Camdex machines. The output was impressive but maintenance and set up time ate into this impressive performance.

 

[Gammon]

The setup and understanding of the mechanical aspect of presses will keep anybody's numbers down. My LnL took me a while to fully get it tweaked so I can runn as fast as I want.

If it sits for any length of time between sessions, I have to use fine emery on the powder rotor or it will get hung up and ruin brass while expanding.

Then again, to each his own. Red or blue, the argument isn't worth my time.

-tapatalk and Devin McCourty blow chunks-

I have been shooting 9mm loaded on my 1050 almost exclusively for the last three years in USPSA Production division. For all this time my Dillon 550 set up in 40 has lain dormant. I decided to shoot a 40 in the NB steel match tomorrow and fired up the 550 last week. It kicked out 600 rounds without a hitch.

 

[M1911]

I do about 300 rounds per hour on my 550b.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

With ANY PRESS, the faster you TRY to go, the more your quality will suffer.

Please..........

Go as slow as you need to go to assure that your quality is where it needs to be.
Forget published production rates.

Just make GOOD AMMO!

 

[The Goose]

With ANY PRESS, the faster you TRY to go, the more your quality will suffer.

Please..........

Go as slow as you need to go to assure that your quality is where it needs to be.
Forget published production rates.

Just make GOOD AMMO!

Well said!