Old Timers Advice, Interested?

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Coaltminer

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Been loading handgun and rifle ammo for half a century. Here's the deal. I want quality ammo, factory or better. I have a Dillon progressive press that's stated to turn out a lot more ammo than I do per hour. I'm sure it's capable. Not interested. For me, it's quality I'm interested in, not a need for speed. Take your time and enjoy this hobby. If you have to go fast, perhaps another hobby, like racing. If you're competing for big money, someone's paying for your ammo, if you're trying to get there, you need good loads, but for most of us, we're just trying to save a buck and shoot more and enjoy our firearms. Reason enough for me to load for a lifetime! Love ya, mean it.
 
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Yes, I've read about just how much ammo the progressives are capable of reloading per hour. To match it, I think I would have to insert a cable into a certain bodily orifice and plug the other end into a 220 volt outlet. A fistful of uppers would also help. But please don't try either.

Reloading is a relaxing hobby and I'm more interested in turning out quality loads than saving money. I shoot most every week. I also enjoy solving problems or improving my technique or practices, even if it means adding steps to my reloading procedure. For example, I bypass my Dillon to decap my pistol rounds on an RCBS Rockchucker using a universal decapper. This insures that primer pockets get cleaned when tumbling.

However, I never realized just how satisfying reloading could be until I bought a chronograph and I may now know exactly what my loads are doing, compared to what the reloading manuals say.
 
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I have a Dillon progressive press that's stated to turn out a lot more ammo than I do per hour. I'm sure it's capable. Not interested. For me, it's quality I'm interested in, not a need for speed.
Click to expand...

Baloney. My Dillon press produces ammo identical to the best I can make on my single stage, and it is equally foolproof when used correctly.

Use whatever press that suits your personality, because the personality of the user is the variable, not the quality capability of the press. Of course, it is human nature to blame the machine, because it sure can't be the operator!!
 
I just don't need big production.

I've been too much of a hurry sometimes, but I'm learning to slow down. It would be nice to pull a crank and have ammo pop out, but I just don't need that kind of production. When I have reloading or shooting time, it's special and I'm not in a hurry to get past it. Cakes are good, but baking is fun.
 
OKFC05 said:
Baloney. My Dillon press produces ammo identical to the best I can make on my single stage, and it is equally foolproof when used correctly.

Use whatever press that suits your personality, because the personality of the user is the variable, not the quality capability of the press. Of course, it is human nature to blame the machine, because it sure can't be the operator!!
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood what the OP is saying. He's just saying his press is made to turn out tons of ammo but he's not in a hurry just to make 'production'.
 
OKFC05 said:
Baloney. My Dillon press produces ammo identical to the best I can make on my single stage, and it is equally foolproof when used correctly.

Use whatever press that suits your personality, because the personality of the user is the variable, not the quality capability of the press. Of course, it is human nature to blame the machine, because it sure can't be the operator!!
Click to expand...

You pretty much missed the entire simple point the OP was making. He likes his Dillon press. He simply does NOT run it full bore to make a LOT of ammo in a short period of time. He likes to take it slow....so he does. Go back and read what he wrote.


Edit: That being said....I have a Dillon 650....and I have a RCBS press from 35+ years ago. They both see regular use. They both serve a specific purpose on the bench.
 
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I have a Dillon 550 and have used it for many years turning out high QUALITY ammo in generous volumes...in fact used it to reload for my M1A when I was doing a lot of NRA High Power Service Rifle shooting.

Another competitor would argue all day long if he could that there was NO WAY I could make Match level ammo on a Dillon 550...especially using IMR 4895, Hornaday 168 match bullets and Lake City brass.

All I wanted was to replicate LC M852 and then make lots of it!!

The ONLY way to make quality ammo for him was to weigh each and every case, each and every charge, clean the primer pockets, check the casings for run out, chamfer the case mouth, true the case neck, neck size only as any other method just ruins the brass etc.....

Well, I made Master with all of the awful ammo made on my Dillon and he stayed a Sharpshooter.

How do you think the factories manufacture their ammo? Not on a single stage press...they use bigger versions of progressive presses.

Rant over...

Randy
 
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Smurfs are supposed to be Happy, Happy folks but my they get all in a dander quickly!:D


smurfs_1600_grouchy.jpg
 
When I worked full time I had go with speed and quantity. Now that I'm retired I prefer a single station press and feel I'm getting better quality reloads as well as a nice pastime.
 
I am not sure what you are implying. I load on two dillons & a ss press. All my ammo shoots as good or better than factory. The idea you can't make quality ammo on a progressive is just old reloaders BS. Todays better machines will turn out match quality ammo.
In my AR, I use Fed GMM ammo as my benchmark. If I can make ammo that equals that on my 550, it certainly is good enough.
 
I understand the Op point here. I have a progressive and pondered the thought of getting a automatic case and bullet loaders?? Then I said to my self WHY it's so much more enjoyable to load watch and check at your own speed . I also have a rCBS Rockchucker for other uses lead resizing
G depriming etc.

Thewelshm
 
I always have, and always will, crank out each round I make on my now-antique Herters single stage press. I enjoy the thrill of making my own, don't care about mass production. Other than two dud primers from the same pack, I've never had a bad round in almost 40 years.
 
There were several quotes I could point out to use, but I don't want anyone to take it personally.

Quality of handloaded ammo is subjective to who is making it. What is good enough for one may not be suitable for another and others may not even be able to notice the difference due to their shooting styles, habits and etc.

I have a progressive loader and it will indeed make ammo comparable to factory...but one of the reasons I handload is because factory ammo isn't good enough for most of my shooting and handloading is the only way to get it done right. I learned a lot reading some of those old timers reloading/handloading books that isn't even mentioned today.
 
fredj338 said:
I am not sure what you are implying. I load on two dillons & a ss press. All my ammo shoots as good or better than factory. The idea you can't make quality ammo on a progressive is just old reloaders BS. Todays better machines will turn out match quality ammo.
In my AR, I use Fed GMM ammo as my benchmark. If I can make ammo that equals that on my 550, it certainly is good enough.
Click to expand...
That's not what the OP was saying. You should reread the OP too...
 
There are times when I actually need a progressive.
The Wisconsin death trips with my buddy where I come home with north of 2000 empty 45 ACP husks.
Otherwise, I am happy with the single stage.
 
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