I am saving money doing this and usually just load up a 30 round mag when I'm not loading anything else. I clean the once fired through Franford Arsenal Tumbler. Resizing a bunch at one time is no issue. Last night I sized 200 rounds. Not too long to do so. Took forever to trim and chamfer and debur. Arthritic hands so I usually prime off the press but thought I might speed it up with the Lee hand primer. Can't hardly move right hand today. I got up this morning and since I'm using benchmark it throws same charge plus or minus 1/10 of a grain each pull and I weighed every 10th. Seating bullets took about an hour measuring every half dozen rounds. Then off to Lee crimp die. So on average almost 4-5 hours to knock out 200 rounds of fmj and 55 grain vmax for my AR which will be gone in a 2 hour range trip. I done on this on a Lee classic cast. I don't know if a turret would be much faster other than a crimp. Most time is spent trimming and prepping. I've still got 800 pieces to prep to load. Seemed more enjoyable when I was just doing it in spare time to load some mags and put away for when needed.
Reloading 223/556 on Single stage
- Thread starter Wendyj
- Start date
I keep trying to convince myself I'm saving money too.
Brass prep can be downright drudgery. I recently bought a Ruger Mini 14. Now I have to feed it. Plenty of components on hand but they don't prep and assemble themselves.
I never saw value in the expensive brass trimmers. I saw this thread and thought I would share this. I ordered one today for 223.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121976996874?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Brass prep can be downright drudgery. I recently bought a Ruger Mini 14. Now I have to feed it. Plenty of components on hand but they don't prep and assemble themselves.
I never saw value in the expensive brass trimmers. I saw this thread and thought I would share this. I ordered one today for 223.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121976996874?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I saw the video on the 223. Looks quicker and more uniform than my Lee lock stud trimmer. I put one in 223-308 and 30-06 in my cart. Before I purchase I'm wondering on the 223 if you are having to chamfer and debur afterward. I don't mind on the 308 or 30-06 but would like to push the 223 quicker. I bought one of the press trimmers and dies from Lee for 308 and 7 mag but it's very inconsistent. Sitting in a box for 2 years now. Also finding my bench is low for long periods of time. I think I'm going to order the 9.5 inch riser from Midway so my down stroke isn't making me bend so far. I would like to have my shell holder closer to eye level.
I plan to report on the tool once I get it. I sized and primer pocket uniformed ~300 brass today. When the World's Cheapest Trimmer arrives I will trim them. This particular tool does not debur and chamfer.
My bench is 42 inches tall, I like to stand when I reload. A bar stool is on hand if I need it. It is nice having the work elevated to a natural posture level and not having to bend over.
My bench is 42 inches tall, I like to stand when I reload. A bar stool is on hand if I need it. It is nice having the work elevated to a natural posture level and not having to bend over.
turtlehead
New member
Am using the Giraud Tri-Way trimmer for 223. It chamfers and deburs. Also wear a rubber coated glove which saves even more wear and tear on your hands. It really is worth every penny.
I feel you pain, I load 8 calibers on a single stage, a lot of that being 223. By FAR the trimming is the worst part of the gig. I'm saving up for a dillon 650xl, but even then Ill still have to process a TON of brass as it's my second most used caliber behind 9mms. Gotta find a way to speed that process, but the price of that girard......yeah no.
Brass prep for high volume rounds is the pits; I just try to size and trim/chamfer a hundred or so at a time when I don't need them, so when I do need to load I have brass ready to go. I'm also using a Lee Classic Cast; I'm not convinced a turret would really speed anything up. Ball powder that meters consistently through the PPM does help. And you can really skip the extra crimp step; I have not crimped a .223 round since the first year I loaded it. If your neck tension in the case is decent it just isn't necessary IMO.
turtlehead
New member
OK. Suit yourself. I'll just be over here trimming, deburring and chamfering my brass in one easy step. Zip. Zip. Zip. Oh look, all done. 
turtlehead
New member
I'll just put this here in case people haven't seen it before. I have a bad hand that has never fully recovered after a surgery. Anything that helps take stress off it is really a good thing for me. I wouldn't load 223 without this.
http://www.giraudtool.com/Tri%20Way%20Trimmer.htm
I know it's a little expensive but it really is a great tool for people like me. Bought a cheap, heavy duty Harbor Freight drill to leave it on.
http://www.giraudtool.com/Tri%20Way%20Trimmer.htm
I know it's a little expensive but it really is a great tool for people like me. Bought a cheap, heavy duty Harbor Freight drill to leave it on.
turtlehead
New member
1-4 seconds per case initially. If you trim after each firing it's really quick.
Reloading speed on a single stage is about manufacturing technique. Primarily the use of both hands and having bins on either side of the press until you get to the powdering stage, but also doing one operation to all your cases then changing dies.
You do not have to trim every time. Check lengths every time, yes, but you only need to trim(chamfer and deburr) "as required".
Set your calipres to the max case length, 1.760" for .223, and check 'em.
And use a good powder thrower.
You do not have to trim every time. Check lengths every time, yes, but you only need to trim(chamfer and deburr) "as required".
Set your calipres to the max case length, 1.760" for .223, and check 'em.
And use a good powder thrower.
JeepHammer
Moderator
Turret press will speed things up considerably.
Its a good sold frame, so it will do primer pocket swaging without breaking the frame.
I'd rather cut the pockets than swage them, takes a lot of 'Arm Strong' to swage primer pockets.
Once resized, case walls pushed back in and shoulder pushed back where it belongs,
Check your head space with a gauge.
L.E. Wilson makes one for about $20 that indexes off the shoulder 'Datum' point to the head stamp, the correct way to headspace.
Once you know the shoulder/head space is correct,
Then use a length cutter that indexes off the Datum point on the shoulder.
I've tried a few, the one I like best runs about $130 since its infinany adjustable,
Trims to length AND cuts both inside & outside champfers/tapers.
http://eztrimit.com/
The Origional 'Trim It' is flat faced, no tapers.
'Trim It II' is the ones that trim to length and cut tapers.
Once the trimmer is set up, all it takes is a hand drill to turn and you trim/champfer brass at literally one per second.
I have arthritis myself, it was worth the money for the pain it saved, and the speed of production.
A drill with a collar for side handle gives you a clamp surface to mount the drill,
Then trimming becomes a 1 handed, one second operation.
The 'Trim It' cutter is carbide, so it lasts a LONG time, and the trimmer bit has THREE cutting 'V's on the bit.
The first bit has lasted about 500,000 rounds, so its good quality and long lived,
Additional bits are $35 for the next half million.
The ONLY thing I don't like about it is the set screw used to hold the bearing in tends to set up a 'Ketch' in the bearing,
I glue mine into place to prevent that from happening.
Its a good sold frame, so it will do primer pocket swaging without breaking the frame.
I'd rather cut the pockets than swage them, takes a lot of 'Arm Strong' to swage primer pockets.
Once resized, case walls pushed back in and shoulder pushed back where it belongs,
Check your head space with a gauge.
L.E. Wilson makes one for about $20 that indexes off the shoulder 'Datum' point to the head stamp, the correct way to headspace.
Once you know the shoulder/head space is correct,
Then use a length cutter that indexes off the Datum point on the shoulder.
I've tried a few, the one I like best runs about $130 since its infinany adjustable,
Trims to length AND cuts both inside & outside champfers/tapers.
http://eztrimit.com/
The Origional 'Trim It' is flat faced, no tapers.
'Trim It II' is the ones that trim to length and cut tapers.
Once the trimmer is set up, all it takes is a hand drill to turn and you trim/champfer brass at literally one per second.
I have arthritis myself, it was worth the money for the pain it saved, and the speed of production.
A drill with a collar for side handle gives you a clamp surface to mount the drill,
Then trimming becomes a 1 handed, one second operation.
The 'Trim It' cutter is carbide, so it lasts a LONG time, and the trimmer bit has THREE cutting 'V's on the bit.
The first bit has lasted about 500,000 rounds, so its good quality and long lived,
Additional bits are $35 for the next half million.
The ONLY thing I don't like about it is the set screw used to hold the bearing in tends to set up a 'Ketch' in the bearing,
I glue mine into place to prevent that from happening.
I have ss pins in it. Five pounds it came with and I bought another five but only use 7 lbs total. I may not be much at trimming but I don't cleN primer pockets anymore. Lol. I do ocassionaly use the vibratory tumbler in the wet winter. I keep my tumbler in our storage building which has ample room and lights. I tried it in the house but way too noisy. I'm drying what I cleaned 3 hours ago. I picked up 75 30-30 and about 150 super dirty 5.56 and they look like store bought inside and out. I'm using coral wash and wax from Wal mart and lemishine. Keeps the pinkish spots off after drying.