batch loading

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boondocker385

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I load on a single stage and usually "batch load" (deprime, then bell, then prime, etc) between 500 and 1000 rounds. Curious to know what others do.
 
I do the same for rifle cartridges on my Rock Chucker.

1. polish in vibratory tumbler
2. deprime and size the whole batch
3. (optional steps-new/first time/once fired brass) trim/chamfer/crimp removal)
4. Hand prime the whole batch
5. Charge, and seat bullet
 
I have a Lee Classic Turret and started out batch loading just to understand and learn the process. I did however charge powder by using through powder die and then set the bullet instead of charging powder in a tray in batches (to me would be an accident waiting to happen). I soon after tried using the auto index feature and found it to be much easier and faster. Much less handling time. I have since added a Lee Pro Auto Disk with adjustable charge bar. I find this set up not only faster but I think it is safer in (at least for me) less chance of double charging. You still definitely have to pay attention to what you are doing but just seems like less chance of double charging. I do visually check each charge and weigh every 5 or 10 powder loads. I only reload for pistol at this time.

At one point I deprimed before tumbling thinking I needed to get primer pockets clean. I have moved on from that and now just vibratory tumble before doing anything just to have clean cases for my dies.
 
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I batch load on my Lee turret press. I got my press 12 years ago and 11.9 years ago disabled the auto index feature (if I wanted a progressive or semi-progressive I'd have purchased a Dillon). I reload 9 cartridges and find it much easier to batch load; size/deprime a bunch of brass. Next time flare and prime. Next session charge and seat. I usually keep primed and ready brass around so I can just charge and seat a bullet when I decide on a load, and I'm not locked into one load...
 
I batch loaded for a couple decades. In a way, I still do... kind of. My time available for shooting changed radically a few years ago and I found myself with a need/desire to up my production some but continue to stick with my tight budget. To complicate matters, I have a whole lot of fun working in an array of calibers, so I wanted to find a balance of these four things:
1) quality
2) production
3) slew of different calibers
4) budget

At my bench, my own personal key to the quality of my ammo comes from metering my powder each round at a time and seating my bullets. I like/need to see a full tray of 50 charged pieces to ensure visually that the powder level is the same across them. I also love to seat bullets single stage so that I can get the feedback in my press handle, letting me know that I have the case mouth tension that I want and all of this (for me) adds up to high quality ammo that I have a lot of confidence in.

So I needed to find a way to speed up the resizing, depriming, priming and case mouth flaring operations.
I went semi-progressive. I picked up a used Lee Pro-1000 and started with 9mm. No powder handling, no bullet seating. I wanted to see if I could use the lowest-cost progressive on the market to prep my pistol brass.

With this machine, I am not only doing three operations with each full lever throw, I am handling brass a fraction of the time. I only have to drop a piece in one at a time and it moves between stages and gets kicked out in to a collection automatically.

Now, I can pile up a large lot of fully prepped brass. It is clean, sized, primed and the mouth is flared and it sits in a container until the day I want or need ammo. Just grab a container, drop them in to a tray of 50, use my Lyman 55 to charge each piece and my Lee Classic Cast to seat bullets.

Caliber changes for the Lee Pro-1000 are (by far, not even close) the cheapest on the market. For some changes, I only swap a turret (I paid $8 a turret) and I'm doing a different caliber. I use this machine across a dozen different handgun calibers. With my hybrid setup, my ammo is absolutely as good as it has ever been and I spit out around 20k a year this way. Been using this method since... 2011 or 2012?
 
Yep, I batch load also, but generally in batches of 200 or less. This is due to the different types of shooting I do and the different folks that shoot my reloads( other than close family, in my guns, not theirs). When I go to the range I generally will shoot half a dozen different calibers minimum. When I get home, all cases get tumbled and then resized/deprimed. Then depending on the loads and bullets, they get belled and primed in their corresponding batches later on.
 
I load in batches of 50 rounds / 1 tray on my Redding T-7 turret press. I usually shoot 3 or 4 calibers each 50 rounds in one range session. I'm not that kinda guy that shots 200 or 300 rounds of the same caliber on the same day.
 
I usually clean,size,deprime and clean again as soon as I get home from the range. So I have buckets of brass ready to be loaded. I actually have about 5000 rounds of 9mm primed with a slight bell, filling half of a powder drum. So when I want to load I just powder and seat. The only problem with belling in mass is if you use a bullet that doesnt need it, or needs more. But I am pretty solidified in my 9mm choices.
 
Stage 1
-Deprime
-wet tumble
-dry

I like to deprime on a separate press to keep my progressive clean and running smooth without the debris from the primer potentially gumming up the operation.

Stage 2
-Load

Stage 1 takes far longer per thousand than stage 2.
 
Pistol, not really, just run them with the index rod in in the classic cast turret, size,deprime,prime,bell charge and seat.

Rifle more so, as I break the case prep separate from the prime,charge and seat.

So it is deprime,size,trim,chamfer,debur,remove crimp,brush neck and primer pocket.

I may hand prime, or I may press prime, lately I have been hand priming.
Not a big deal to charge and seat prepped brass.
 
Thanks all...I load for 45 acp 38 special and 357 magnum for handguns. I try to keep at least a 1000 of each loaded but have at least 5000 of each that I am working on getting finished.....

I try to process at least 20 every time I go into the garage where my bench is....some days only 20 get processed other days more, and slowly I am getting the rest processed. I usually do powder and bullet seating in batches of at least 300 since I hate putting powder away.
 
How many of you who do powder charging in batches have ever detected and corrected charging inconsistancies or errors and corrected them before seating a bullet? Was it enough times to give you concerns about progressive reloading?

:D
 
I have 3 single stage presses in the reloading room.
I have 3 single stage presses next to my desk where I watch TV.
I have 2 single stage presses in my vehicle.
I have a tumbler on top of foam rubber in the basement bathroom

Deprime
-----------------
wet tumble with stainless steel media
-------------------
dry on paper towels on cookie sheets or file folder box lids
-------------
lube
size
---------
prime
-----------
bell [handgun]
charge
seat
crimp [handgun]
 
With my Lee Classic Turret I batch load rifle and for pistol, I leave the index rod in and load as the press was designed to do.
 
How many of you who do powder charging in batches have ever detected and corrected charging inconsistancies or errors and corrected them before seating a bullet? Was it enough times to give you concerns about progressive reloading?
Click to expand...

not really. depends on the powder though, 4064 out of the PPM isn't very consistent, but flake powders never need adjust after the first few. I still check every 50, but have almost never had to change it doing pistol. large rifle can be different. as to a progressive, I just don't feel I need one. but I am pretty young still, I could have a change of heart in a few years
 
Yrs ago I used single stage presses...but for the last 10+ yrs everything has been on a progressive ( Dillon 650 with a case feeder -- and more importantly with a "Powder Check Die"...).

Powder drops are very consistent --- and the powder check die will alert me to any issue --- with most powders as little as 0.1 grain variation.
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I shoot quite a bit ( its a major hobby ) --- 6 to 10 boxes a week ( mostly in 9mm, .45acp or .357 Mag )...with 75% of it being 9mm.../ in 2 or 3 range sessions a week.

I box and keep about 20 - 80 boxes of ammo, per caliber, stacked on top of my safe. When I load one caliber - I will typically run about 50 boxes / and on the 650 with the case feeder that only takes me about 3 - 4 hours of bench time....and I'll spread it over a few days / no reason to rush it.

Then I switch calibers ( clean and lube the press )..and switch the tool heads out.
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I leave the press setup with 9mm quite a bit...since its the caliber I shoot the most. I have a couple cases of bullets coming on Thurs ( 5,400 bullets) in .40 S&W so I'll get one of those cases loaded up ( 54 boxes ) next weekend or so ---and I may not load .40 S&W again for a yr or more...or until I get down to about 8 or 10 boxes...so it just depends on the caliber.

I load for 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 acp, .38 spl, .357 Mag and .44 mag ( and 12ga, 20ga, 28ga and .410 for shotshells )...
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For case prep.... I separate cases by caliber....then I dry tumble them in a vibrating tumbler. Then I sort the cases ( throw out anything that has dents, just doesn't look good )...cases go in a "clean and sorted 8 gallon tub by caliber". I store up to two tubes each - per caliber for most calibers I shoot quite a bit ( only 1 tub of .44 mag and .38 spl)...../ I keep one extra tub of "Dirty and Unsorted" by caliber as well / sweep up brass from concrete range floors every time I shoot. Keep the calibers I use / give the rest away to buddies that need brass.

When I get ready to load that caliber....I lay cases flat in a box lid...spritz them with case lube.....let them dry about 15 min ...and dump them into the case feeder.
 
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