Should I Buy A Case Feeder for Hornady LNL?

[Barbarosa]

I added the case feeder to my LNL last year. It better than doubled my reloading speed. It is a simple addition from a mechanical standpoint and fairly easy to adjust and get running. Hornady has some great videos to walk you through the process. Now that I've used it with the case feeder I couldn't imagine going back to manual. I recommend it.

[NewbieLoader]

I added the case feeder to my LNL last year. It better than doubled my reloading speed. It is a simple addition from a mechanical standpoint and fairly easy to adjust and get running. Hornady has some great videos to walk you through the process. Now that I've used it with the case feeder I couldn't imagine going back to manual. I recommend it.

+1 ^

[Michael in California]

The OP has not said what is "Bulk" to him.

I reload 500 to 1000 at a time, but not many times a year. I seem to get by just fine without a case feeder. Grab a bullet, then a case as the press is cycled. Slide the case in place then place the bullet. It takes really no more time than bullet only. It is all in how you hold things in your hand.

Perhaps being left handed helps.

[bigdrunk92037]

Not trying to be negative, but I ran a case feeder on my LNL for 3 years. It felt like I was always chasing issues with different parts of case feeding process.

I actually was able to reload faster when I used a bullet feeder and hand fed cases. I found it easy and quick to grab and feed a case by hand (while not taking my eyes off the rest of the operation).

Hornady and Dillons both have their strengths, but as far as case feeders, Dillon > Hornady (and its not even close). Having both a 650 and a LNL I am able to appreciate the engineering of both presses. The LNL has TONS going for it, but case feeding is not one of them IMHO.

[Jmoreno88]

Fwiw I have the case feeder and wouldn't want to go without it now. I haven't had any issues. I can understand how some may have trouble understanding the timing of it but once you know what to do, it's very simple. I change from 9mm to 45 to 223 all the time and i can switch them over and running perfectly in less than 10 minutes.
If you need something that's plug and play then no its not for you but I don't think anything is (including dillon) but if you're mechanically inclined its well well worth it

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

[at_liberty]

They can take a lot of patience and time to get it to feed properly but when they do they definitely speed up the process for bulk plinking ammo

I found it more a matter of carefully reading the instructions, which I didn't find very organized. The combination of parts for each cartridge and the adjustment advice should be highlighted. I like my case feeder but find that the need to mess with the case feeder, let alone switch primer sizes, tends to make me avoid changing setups and to prefer to use my turret for short runs.

Right now my machine is setup for sizing 223 (one die), and I wouldn't care to do that without my case feeder. You will likely need more than one feeder plate. I have large and small pistol and small rifle.

[rmi63]

I would recommend the case feeder. I had a defective part at the beginning which was causing lots of issues but once I had that taken care of, the feeder works great. I load 9mm and .40 S&W. There is also a extra piece that I would recommend. It is a adapter that allow you to use the large tube for .40 S&W. The small tube is barely big enough for .40 and if you have any buldged cases, it would plug the tube. The other item that I highly recommend is the RCBS lock out die. I try and look for powder in each case as I load but with this die, it will stop the press if no powder or if there is a double charge.

[beetle]

the secret to the Hornady case feeder is that your bench has to be SOLID. Examine your press as you push the lever down. Is there any flex? Does the press tilt towards you?

Any flex in your bench will be cause the case feeder to jam. Because of the design and how high up the case feeder is, a little movement in the press will result in a lot of movement in your case feeder. This will in term cause the brass to turn sideways as it is entering the feed tube and jam it up. The feeder will continue to feed resulting in "brass rain".

Dillon has a better design in there are two additional parts that Hornady should have included. One is a brass "sweeper" that knocks misaligned brass, and the other are inserts that get placed into the drop funnel before the drop tube. As a result it is better able to deal with flex in your bench.

anyways, the Dillon design is better than the Hornady design, but the Hornady design does work -- as long as your bench is solid.

[Carcassonne]

How many people have to "tinker" with the red machine to get it to work right. Just drink the blue kool aid and be happy.

I bought a Dillon 550 when they first came out. I had to do a lot of tinkering to get it to run. They sent me a lot of "updates" to get it to work right (safely). I don't think there is any difference between Blue, Green, Orange, Red 1, and Red 2



.

[Noonanda]

If you're not using a bullet feeder, a case feeder is a good addition.

It's one less thing you have to pay attention to, so the left hand only has to place the bullet in the case. You get to pay more attention to the powder drop/powder cop. You just check to see that the case is correctly inserted while you prime.

Be aware that the case feeder is limited in how many cases you can place in it at one time. Also that certain cases will require additional parts (you just have to ask for them)

I got mine through Jet.com when they had a sale...good price, plus free shipping and an additional 15% off as a first time buyer

I love my case feeder, it allows me to more easily focus on ensuring each case has the correct amount of powder, and it will speed up your process. I hand seat every bullet after verifying powder, and would not automate this portion of my process