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Ok, so I see a lot of guys posting that it takes them 50-60 minutes to load 50 rounds of pistol ammunition. I figure I'd help your frustration and give you some methods to load a bit faster all the while staying safe. I have been reloading since mid last year but I have a couple friends who have been handloading for years that have given me their methods of efficient single stage loading. I can handload about 200 pistol rounds in an hour give or take if there aren't any hiccups, otherwise add another 10 minutes or so for various things. I don't generally time myself, but I have watched the clock at the start and and the end of my session. I don't stick to 200 rounds. Sometimes I will do 100 or sometimes I will do 500. 200 is just my baseline for about an 1 hr. This is also assuming you've worked up your most desired load.
DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility on the end result of your reloads of handloads. This is just a step by step of HOW I HANDLOAD for volume with safety in mind.
I'm going to walk you through the steps but this is provided that the dies are all preset, calibrated and locked in (rcbs type lock rings).
1. case tumbling/cleaning. I don't consider this part of the "timed" portion of reloading. I usually pour some cases in right before I go to bed (11pm) and unplug the tumbler when I wake up (5:30am). Then pour a new batch when I get home from work, play with the kids, eat dinner, etc. and if i'm feeling really good, load another batch right before bedtime again. Making the most of your time... By the end of these 3 batches or more, I should have 1000-1400 cases bright and shiny.
2. (optional) sort cases by headstamp. This adds a considerable amount of time, but if you're looking for accuracy this will get you the 1.5" groups. I'm just adding this step in if you have time.
3. Mount the preset resizing/decapping die. The locknut on this die should be locked and preset so all you have to do is screw it down and tighten A TAD. If it's already preset, you don't have to CINCH it down, otherwise you lose your preset calibration. This goes for all the dies.
-For this step, i'm working on 200 cases. You can fly through these cases. Resize, decap, resize, decap....
4. Expander die, again screw in your preset expander die. Check your first case with a loose projectile to verify it has been belled correctly. Same as step 3, fly through the cases. When done with the last case, unscrew the expander and screw in your preset seating/crimping die.
5. Load your hand priming tool with 100-200 primers and start to hand prime, load the next 100 and finish up. At this point, I like to have my cases in the loading block. But I don't load while on the loading block. I still take each case out, remove the desired empty primed case, charge it and load it onto an empty loading block. So the empty live primed cases are on the left and another empty loading block on the right. Pull from the left, charge and load it into the loading block on the right. Run through 10-15 cases and check powder charge on the 15th round. Dumped the weighed powder back into the measure and recharge that empty case (saves time). You shouldn't need to powder check more than 3 times per 50 rounds. But if you want to be as safe as possible, powder check every 10th round. It still shouldn't add much time unless of course your powder stem has worked loose and you do have an elevated load, you will need to correct. Charge all 200 rounds. Shine a light over all your loading blocks and verify that you have NOT double charged or have an empty case.
6. Now at this point you've already installed your preset seater die. Seat and crimp your first bullet. Grab your calipers and verify cartridge overall length. In my case 9mm 1.135" for a 115 fmj projectile or 1.260" for a .45 230gr fmj projectile. Have these numbers on hand or have your book open to the caliber and projectile you're loading. Turn the cartridge vertical and check your crimp with the calipers. You should be able to fly through the rest of the 200 rounds. I actually check everyone 40th round or so to make sure i'm getting very close to my desired COAL.
It took me a while to get this efficient in single stage loading. Hell I just started on my Dillon 550 but i'm still slightly quicker on my single stage process than I am with my 550. Partly because stopping the process in progressive loading is a LOT harder than in single stage handloading. I still like to stop and verify powder charges and COAL.
Obviously a turret press would make this whole process a tad bit faster but on a rock chucker, this process is quite possible in and around 1 hour.
DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility on the end result of your reloads of handloads. This is just a step by step of HOW I HANDLOAD for volume with safety in mind.
I'm going to walk you through the steps but this is provided that the dies are all preset, calibrated and locked in (rcbs type lock rings).
1. case tumbling/cleaning. I don't consider this part of the "timed" portion of reloading. I usually pour some cases in right before I go to bed (11pm) and unplug the tumbler when I wake up (5:30am). Then pour a new batch when I get home from work, play with the kids, eat dinner, etc. and if i'm feeling really good, load another batch right before bedtime again. Making the most of your time... By the end of these 3 batches or more, I should have 1000-1400 cases bright and shiny.
2. (optional) sort cases by headstamp. This adds a considerable amount of time, but if you're looking for accuracy this will get you the 1.5" groups. I'm just adding this step in if you have time.
3. Mount the preset resizing/decapping die. The locknut on this die should be locked and preset so all you have to do is screw it down and tighten A TAD. If it's already preset, you don't have to CINCH it down, otherwise you lose your preset calibration. This goes for all the dies.
-For this step, i'm working on 200 cases. You can fly through these cases. Resize, decap, resize, decap....
4. Expander die, again screw in your preset expander die. Check your first case with a loose projectile to verify it has been belled correctly. Same as step 3, fly through the cases. When done with the last case, unscrew the expander and screw in your preset seating/crimping die.
5. Load your hand priming tool with 100-200 primers and start to hand prime, load the next 100 and finish up. At this point, I like to have my cases in the loading block. But I don't load while on the loading block. I still take each case out, remove the desired empty primed case, charge it and load it onto an empty loading block. So the empty live primed cases are on the left and another empty loading block on the right. Pull from the left, charge and load it into the loading block on the right. Run through 10-15 cases and check powder charge on the 15th round. Dumped the weighed powder back into the measure and recharge that empty case (saves time). You shouldn't need to powder check more than 3 times per 50 rounds. But if you want to be as safe as possible, powder check every 10th round. It still shouldn't add much time unless of course your powder stem has worked loose and you do have an elevated load, you will need to correct. Charge all 200 rounds. Shine a light over all your loading blocks and verify that you have NOT double charged or have an empty case.
6. Now at this point you've already installed your preset seater die. Seat and crimp your first bullet. Grab your calipers and verify cartridge overall length. In my case 9mm 1.135" for a 115 fmj projectile or 1.260" for a .45 230gr fmj projectile. Have these numbers on hand or have your book open to the caliber and projectile you're loading. Turn the cartridge vertical and check your crimp with the calipers. You should be able to fly through the rest of the 200 rounds. I actually check everyone 40th round or so to make sure i'm getting very close to my desired COAL.
It took me a while to get this efficient in single stage loading. Hell I just started on my Dillon 550 but i'm still slightly quicker on my single stage process than I am with my 550. Partly because stopping the process in progressive loading is a LOT harder than in single stage handloading. I still like to stop and verify powder charges and COAL.
Obviously a turret press would make this whole process a tad bit faster but on a rock chucker, this process is quite possible in and around 1 hour.
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