How long to reload a box of shells?

[gregintenn]

You made me wonder, so I did a little experiment. I grabbed a box of 44 mag brass we "unloaded" this afternoon, and headed to the basement. Keep in mind that I did this just as I'd ordinarially do it. I sized/deprimed, belled, cleaned primer pockets, primed, and loaded 50 rounds in 50 minutes using a Lee Anniversary kit, Lee dies, and a frankfort digital scale. This time included getting everything out, adjusting the powder measure, and weighing every charge to ensure that no charge was off by more than 1/10 a grain. It also included putting everything back up, and several minutes crawling around the floor looking for a primer I dropped. It wouldn't have taken much longer to have loaded another 50 rounds. This is an honest amount of time for a single stage press. I hope this helps.

 

[pbcaster]

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE..

I can load a box of 50 in an hour on a single stage press. That includes getting everything set up and adjusted. I can load the second 50 in half that time.
I usually clean, size, trim, and prime all my available cases when I'm bored and it's bad weather. There's nothing much to do anyway, and I hate watching T.V. After that's finished, assuming that my powder measure is already correctly set, I can charge the cases and seat the bullets in just a few minutes.
I've used a Lee Anniversary Kit, which includes a Lee Powder Measure and an O Ring Press for over 15 years now. I don't want anything else. There are little things, such as adjusting your powder measure, or getting your dies adjusted properly, that you on't have to do every time you reload. You do it once, and unless something changes, it's still properly adjusted the next time you use it.

Less than a minute on a progressive press, with a bullet feeder.

 

[JohnnieB]

The 50 was just thrown out there as a point of reference. I really had no idea how long reloading takes - wasn't sure if it was in the 20 minute, 60 minute, or ??? range.

Sorry I didn't give you the straight answers you were look for, but I thought they had already been answered by reloaders far more knowledgeable than me, so I made a feeble attempt at dry humor.

IIRC, the first 50 rounds I reloaded (.45acp) took me the better part of a day, but a lot of that was learning how to adjust the dies, measure the powder, etc.
After I finally figured out how everything worked and fit together, I could easily reload 50 per hour, not counting case prep time. (Washing and/or tumbling)

But, you may be right about the turret press. I just looked at a YouTube video about loading .45s with a turret. Looks pretty slick.

Basically, a turret press is 4 single stage presses in one assembly. The increased throughput is from only having to mount the case in the caseholder once and not having to dismount and remount the dies between each step in the reloading process. If so desired, the auto advance can be disabled and it can be used manually as a single stage for batch processing.

You didn't ask, but mentioned here a few times, progressive presses are faster than turrets because once the case, bullet and primers feeder as well as the assembly line contained within the press are filled, you get a completed round with each pull of the handle.

Much to my wife's chagrin, I don't keep track of time while reloading , but I'm pretty sure I'm at least two or three times faster with my Lee Classic Turret than I ever was with a single stage press. I used to use a hand-primer and now I do it on the press, so eliminating that step cuts the time also.

I only reload .38spl & 357mag these days, but I'm still set up for .45acp and will do more of them if my stash ever runs low.
I've got separate turret plates with dies and powder measures (Lee Auto Disk) for each caliber, so changing flavors is quick and simple.

Some people don't like the Lee auto Disk because it (allegedly) doesn't drop flake and extruded powders consistently, but I only use spherical grain powders with them, so I've never had any issues with them. BTW - I used to weigh every 10th powder charge, and then every 20th, but now I weigh the 1st, then when the hopper is about 2/3rds and refill it when it gets down to 1/ 3rd . Of course, I'm only building mid-range loads for plinking and punching holes in paper, so 0.1 grain either way doesn't matter. If I was loading near max pressure, I would weigh each and every powder charge.

I'll have to do a little more research about what might be missing from the single-state kit v. what might be missing from the turret kit. I know I'll have to buy caliber specific die sets, but I'm not sure what else I'd need (other than the kit, casings, primers, powder, and bullets) to pick up to get running.

If you don't already have one, Modern Reloading by Richard Lee is an excellent book. Granted it leans heavily towards Lee equipment, but it cover all aspects of the reloading process in fairly clear and concise language. The book is ~$13 at Midway and over $40 at Amozon, but you might find it cheaper elsewhere.

Lee "Modern Reloading 2nd Edition" Reloading Manual - MidwayUSA

You may want to buy other reloading manuals also, and there is a lot of info available at the various powder and bullet manufacturers' websites. Also, Lee (and other) reloading equipment manufacturers have some good info and videos available on-line.

Whatever you decide to go with, have fun and be safe.
John

 

[OKFC05]

Last night I decided to time a loading session so I could answer the original question.
56 minutes to load 300 .40 S&W 180gr TC on a Dillon Square Deal B, starting when I got the primers out of the cabinet and ending when I washed my hands after finishing.
The SDB was bolted to the counter, had the .40 dies on it, and the hopper had Titegroup in it.
I had to put 100 primers at a time into the pickup tube and then into the loader. A box of 1000 .40 bullets was on the shelf, as was a quantity of cleaned used .40 brass. I wasn't trying to hurry, just loading at a normal pace.

 

[cptdco]

Like JohnnieB mentioned above, I cut my time down considerably when I went from single stage to the Lee Turret. I often leave it set up for a particular load for days or even weeks so all I have to do is sit down and start reloading. Under those circumstances, with no real set-up time, I will reload a box of 50 straight-walled pistol cartridges in just under 15 minutes. And as has been stated, you can easily disable the auto-rotation for initial set-up or for loading rifle cartridges. For me the turret press was just what I needed.

 

[dickttx]

Occasionally I will head for the reloading room thinking "I've got to reload a box of XXX NOW".
When I find myself thinking that I turn around and go back to the house.
That is not the attitude to have when reloading. It leads to slopiness, and bad habits.
Reloading should have your full concentration.

 

[mikerault]

As a beginning loader myself, let me tell you my experience. I have the Lee 4 place turret loader. I use a rotary tumbler with walnut media to tumble my cases. I tumble them before I deprime them. Takes about 2 hours to tumble the cases to get them cleaned up a bit.

I then set the turret to single by removing the indexing bar and deprime the cases into my staging trays. Takes about 30 minutes to do 100.

I inspect the primer pockets and if needed, clean them.

To load 100 using the Lee autoprimer setup with the turret and the carbide dies, it takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to load 100 rounds validating your charge every fifth round. I will probably move t validation on every 10th or so.

When I finish I weigh each round to make sure none deviate more than a grain or two from an average weight (I have found using 124 grain JHP rounds the average weight is about 189 grains for a 9mm). I have had some rounds weigh in at 196 and I set them aside, but when I pulled the bullets using a kinetic puller (a must have) the charges where fine.

So there you have it:
For 100 rounds:

2 hours case prep (some say it isn't needed but I like my brass to shine a bit)
1/2 hour deprime
1 hour 45 minutes to load

So, start to finish about 4 hours and 15 minutes. 2 hours of which you can do other things while the cases tumble.

Since primers and other components seem to come in lots of 100 I usually just do 100 at a time. That is also how many I tend to shoot in a weekend at the range. Works out well!

Mike

 

[JohnnieB]

IIRC, the Dillon Square Deal B is a progressive, so 300 straight walled pistol rounds per hour without cutting any corners ought to be well within the potential of most reloaders here, with a little practice.

The first one down is a step by step walk through using a turret press. Four stroke per round. (Five if you count the down stroke to seat the primer)

Lee Precision, Inc. Reloading Tools and Equipment: Setup and Operation Help Videos

The second one down show the same guy loading 5 rounds in just over a minute (1:05) That's also in the 300 rounds per hour range.
Of course, I doubt if he could keep up that pace for an hour, I know I couldn't.

Personally, I prefer a far more leisurely pace and probably do about half that, or less. YMMV

I've kicked the thought of getting a progressive press around a couple of times, but given the choice of going progressive or getting another gun, I've gone with the gun option every time so far.

Also, there are videos on adjusting dies and other stuff on the linked page,
John

 

[JohnnieB]

"mikerault" --- Some food for thought.

Instead of disabling and re-enabling the auto rotate on your turret press when you reload, an inexpensive single stage with a universal decapping die might come in handy.
I bought one of these for sizing the cast bullets I buy, but I occasion put a Universal Decapping die in it to decap military brass and S&B brass the first time I process it.

Lee Reloader Single Stage Press - MidwayUSA

Lee Universal Decapping die runs about $8.50 at same place, but may be less elsewhere.

To each their own, but I use a Lee Safety Prime setup on the press rather than priming by hand with a Lee Auto Prime.
In fact, I normally go straight to the carbide decapper/sizing die after tumbling and haven't had a FTF. (First time Mil and S&B being the exceptions)

John

 

[DGNY]

Reloading time

I always found 1.5 hours for a box of 50 .44 Mag or similar using Herter's Model 3 [I think] turret. Great time for directing attention just to this activity. No phone, TV...

Included set up with just one primer, powder and bullet type on bench, changing dies, primer arm if needed, inspecting for split mouths, decapping/sizing, eyeballing/detailing primer pockets, charging and setting powder measure with numerous trial throws weighed to 0.1 grain, seating primer/belling mouths, charging cases from loading block and checking at least every 10th for charge weight, checking every case for charge, seating bullets, crimping often by separate step, inspecting every cartridge for uniformity, detail label each box of cartridges. It was fun - I should get back to it!

Some things I like to do quickly, but reloading not, for me, one of them.

In the slow lane,

Dyson

 

[Ceapea]

My fastest time with the powder measure preset, was 200 38's in 2.5 hours. That is the full deal...decap/resize, bell, prime, powder charge and seat bullet. This, with weighing every tenth charge dropped. I did that on two separate occasions. Usually, it takes me about 1.5 hours to load 100 rounds at a comfortable rate. It all comes down to preparation and following a sequence or technique.
My press is a manual RCBS2.

 

[kreativecid]

My friend reloads rifle on a single stage but will do 45acp once in a while. As others have stated it takes quite a bit of time to get a 50 count.

So he has me reload pistol on my 550b which does rifle, but should the day come I get into long guns he'll be the first I call for reloads.

 

[jon9]

I have a Lee Breech Lock Challenger Press that I still use. If you have not reloaded before, take your time and learn the basics. A single stage press is slower and forced me to concentrate and focus on each step of the loading process.
Safety is paramount in reloading! In my opinion its quality of each reload and not quantity.

I like the Lee press because it has what Lee calls Breech Lock bushings. These are fittings into which you insert and set their dies. In this manner, all you have to do is pop the die into the press, there is no wasted time fiddling with adjustments.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Thanks, everyone. I think I remember seeing that those progressive presses were a lot more money. I'll check out the turret press and the quick-change bushing option. Depending on price, I may just stick with the single stage press - at least for starting out. Appreciate all the input.

Progressive presses do cost allot more. Especially the "blue ones". More importantly though, a progressive is not the best way for a new reloader to start. too much going on at once can lead to accidents.

I would suggest a turret press . Takes about 20 min a box, gives better control than a full progressive, is less troublesome and can be had for well less than $200. ( Read: Pays for itself in 10 box's or so.)

 

[Bullseye Smith]

I would start with the single stage first, learn the real basic's first. Do that for a year then move on to a Dillon. When you start - you will load around 50 rounds every two to three hours because you will check yourself two three times to see if you done it right. Go with the single stage and enjoy yourself.

 

[jag312]

I have a Lyman single stage press that I bought many years ago. I have never felt a need for anything else. For me, reloading is a form of relaxation. One day I may feel like casting bullets. Another day I may feel like lubing and sizing them. Another day I may feel like depriming brass. Another day I may feel like priming the brass. Eventually, when I finish all the steps, I'll have some reloaded ammunition. How long did it all take? Don't know, don't care. All I know is that it is time to head for the range to have fun unloading the ammo so I can have a relaxing time loading it again.

I guess this is why it is called a hobby.