Loading 223 on a progressive

[Ruger15151]

I have been reloading precision loads on my Forester Coax press for a while. My process is the usual.... de-prime, anneal, tumble, size, trim (Chamfer and debur), prime, powder charge, and seat bullet.

However, I have recently decided to start loading 223 for my ARs on a progressive press. However, I'm a little confused about the most efficient process.

I typically trim all bottle neck brass for the first couple of reloadings until it stops growing and I think this is where I need to figure out how to be efficient when this step is part of my reloading process.

With that said, do you de-prime, anneal, and tumble. Then, do you

1. First trip through press - size, trim (chamfer and debur) then tumble to remove sizing lube
2. Secod trip through press - prime, powder charge, seat bullet


What do you guys do?

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Which progressive press are you using ?

Hobo

 

[Ruger15151]

Which progressive press are you using ?

Hobo

Hornady LNL

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

I think it depends on what you're going for.
I have a dillon 550. I run a sizer in station one, powder in two, seat in three, and crimp in four. If I'm loading for my AR, I can do it all in one pass. Tumble, then dillon lube, size/decap prime, ball powder thrown from the dillon hopper, seat, crimp, done. I think I end up loading somewhere north of 250 rounds an hour like that. Accuracy is acceptable.

Otherwise, its two passes- size on the first (effectively single stage), tumble, then prime/powder/seat on the second pass.

 

[mercervillerental]

With that said, do you de-prime, anneal, and tumble. Then, do you

1. First trip through press - size, trim (chamfer and debur) then tumble to remove sizing lube
2. Secod trip through press - prime, powder charge, seat bullet

Yup, this is exactly how I do it, except I trim after wet tumbling and deprime while I resize. I trim with a Giraud so I don't want it getting gummed up with any lube

 

[Ruger15151]

I think it depends on what you're going for.
I have a dillon 550. I run a sizer in station one, powder in two, seat in three, and crimp in four. If I'm loading for my AR, I can do it all in one pass. Tumble, then dillon lube, size/decap prime, ball powder thrown from the dillon hopper, seat, crimp, done. I think I end up loading somewhere north of 250 rounds an hour like that. Accuracy is acceptable.

Otherwise, its two passes- size on the first (effectively single stage), tumble, then prime/powder/seat on the second pass.

What is missing in your process is ... trimming the cases... which is what I am asking about. Because you have to size before trimming cases, it disrupts the process and I was curious how guys were dealing with it.

 

[Sincerd]

I load on a hornady.

First run stations
1. Bushing die and decap
2. Empty
3. Dillon rt1500
4. Empty
5. Empty

Wet tumble. Lemi-shine, dawn, simple green and wash n wax. ANY cases come out looking new. I do not anneal 223 unless working up loads. If I do, I do after tumbling. Seems to get that nice annealed discoloration after tumbling. Also helps dry out the inside of cases.

Second run & stations
1. Lyman M Die (light)
2. Prime & powder drop ( funnel or Hornady drop)
3. Mr Bullet feeder
4. Seater
5. Lee factory crimp.

When using the powder drop every so often I will pull out a case after station 1 and zero the scale. Drop the powder then weigh the case again.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

What is missing in your process is ... trimming the cases... which is what I am asking about. Because you have to size before trimming cases, it disrupts the process and I was curious how guys were dealing with it.

Skipped my brain.

Trim after sizing/tumbling in the two pass method. I find I don't have to trim except after about every third or forth firing, and not for any interference reasons. It doesn't grow much if you only bump 3k. If you want to be really lazy, trim after tumble, then run them through one pass. If I'm cranking out full progressive, I'm not that anal about it.