I am planning on purchasing a progressive press soon and may in the future load rifle ammunition, everything I read you are supposed to lube the case, resize the case, then wipe the lube off. With a progressive this sounds fairly difficult. Does anybody here reload rifle rounds on a progressive? If so can you tell me how you get around this problem? Thank you for your time.

I use a turret press for rifle which is plenty fast for me so I can't address that issue.

Regarding lubrication I use the spray type which (IMNSVHO) is heads and shoulders above the icky rub on types.

If you use a spray lube like thisFrankford arsenal spray lube I bet you won't have problems.

I load for my AR-15 on a Dillon 550B, however I do all my sizing of the cases on a single stage press. Just works out better for me that way.

Rick

I use a Dillon 550 to load 223,308 and a lot of others.
I use small base dies .
Use a ball powder ,goes thru the measure better.

Johnch

I use a dillon 650 with case feeder for the .223. I tumble the brass until it's very shiny and clean. I also trim the brass back day-1 to .030 under the max listed...in this manner I never worry about case length with that lot of brass again.

When I load I put about 150 cases in a cardboard box and spray them for about three seconds while shaking them briskly in an effort to get a little spray on each case. I use Lyman spray lube and it works for me.

Here's the trick.....I use a carbide resizing die.

Just turn it on, fill the primer tube, use a ball powder and feed a bullet to each case and it makes a helluvalotta rounds in a hurry.

It comes with a buzzer to warn of running out of primers and I added the buzzer to let me know I'm running low on powder.

This thing works like a champ if you do it right.

Spray on lube. Tumble when finished - if necessary.

Don't you clean/tumble, lube, resize, clean off lube, then proceed with reloading?

I load .223 on my Dillon 650. I use the Dillon spray lube and run them through the autofeeder and load them as fast as you can crank the handle and load the primer tubes. Wipe them off after they are loaded, just toss a couple hundred on a clean towel and gently roll them around.
Use the Dillon Dies. Use a Dillon Press. I've wasted way to much money on other brands of progressives that didn't work. Other brands of progressives may work just fine, Dillon's Will!
223 loads that I load on the progressive shoot depressingly similar to loads that I've done full case trim, pocket squaring etc. on. Makes me wonder how much time I'm wasting when I don't load on the progressive.........DJ

Brims, ol' man;

There is a sizeable component in our midst who are perfectly ready to throw up their hands and holler "Mercy me!" at the slightest deviation from "accepted wisdom".

Don't worry about this segment.

Think about it...what harm can come from continuing to load the cases WITHOUT cleaning the lube off?

Just do as the other guys here have said. Lube the brass, put the case in the progressive press, and LOAD IT. Wipe the lube off once the round is ready to be put in the box. I've done comparison tests between ammo loaded on a single-stage press, one-operation-at-a-time, all the navel-gazing case-prep work, and the same load turned-out on my Dillon 550 WITHOUT cleaning primer pockets etc....and there was NO discernable difference, zero, nada, between the two batches of ammo in a very accurate varminter. These were 100-round-each-method comparisons with alternating groups from each batch all fired on the same day. I think the results are valid. It definitely is a good thing to select a powder which meters accurately in the progressive, of course.

Don't get too wrapped up in the "conventional wisdom". It's sorta like political correctness....good for talking about, but a damned small factor in reality.

I have a new Fulton Armory M14 arriving in the next few weeks (I HOPE). Its ammo will most certainly be loaded on my Dillon, and there'll be no nonsense about stopping to wipe cases or any other interruptions in the process. Put the case in the press when it's empty, and take the case out when it's completely loaded. That is the true function and beauty of the progressive press.

I have loaded lots of rifle and pistol ammo on the Dillon 450 & 550 progressive presses.

When loading large quantities of 30-06 match ammo, I tumble the fired rifle cases and de-prime by hand, clean primer pockets and trim each case w/Lee trimmer before lubricating cases. Tried spray on case lube once and ended up w/stuck case; probably failed to lube sufficiently, but now use Forster Sportlube and have had no problems. Since I use a custom die whick sizes neck of case to my rifle w/o use of inside neck expander, not necessary to lube inside case.

Once entire batch of brass is prepared in this manner, just start loading and when entire batch is loaded, the Forster lube wipes off easily. I never felt comfortable tumbling ammo loaded w/pointed bullets, but that's just MHO.

For handgun loading, just tumble fired brass and run 'em thru the Dillon decapping in the press and w/carbide dies, no lube necessary.


Regards,
hm

Bren, now that I know cleaning off the lube directly after resizing isn't necessary, I will disregard that part of the books. Normally when I read books that everyone says you should get I figure the information held within the pages are what everyone does and should do. I want to thank all who contributed to this as well.

The dry spray lube is a good recommendation. I always tumble clean used brass and decap them before I put them in the tumbler using a cheap Lee universal decapping die in an old RCBS press mounted next to my tumbler.

When I am not using my Dillon 650 (high class machine) and doing more deliberate reloading I use an RCBS Ammo-master and use manual indexing. For this press I lube the cases with Imperial sizing die wax.

I don't clean the loaded ammo until I do my last step which is to weigh EVERY loaded round on an electronic scale to verify that there is powder in each one. It only takes a few seconds and is part of my process of putting the loaded ammo into ammo boxes.

The other comments about not cleaning primer pockets - well you'll have to make up your own mind. Millions of rounds have been loaded that way on automated machines. Theoretically there could be problems. I've never heard of any. I still clean all my primer pockets. Just personal preference. I load around 5000 rounds a year. Got to have enough on hand if the varmints are out!

Here's my 650 dillon set up for .223.





I lube with a pad using RCBS lube, toss 'em in the feeder and load as usual. When I'm finished I toss 'em in the tumbler with bare corn cob media fo 5-10 minutes.

I use the Hornady case activated powder linkage with a Hornady measure. It works real well with any type of powder. Just a change of tool heads with .308 dies and I load .308's real fast too. A powder die body can be bought seperately so I can transfer the linkage part with the measure attached from one tool head to another.



Here's a close-up of the entire linkage with the powder check die removed.

Thanks for the heads up...........I intend to use my 650 for loading 45/70 stuff.

Hey Gris

Do you know if the Hornady case activated linkage will work on a RCBS powder measure? Or if the RCBS case activated linkage will work on a 650?

Thanks, Dennis/AnyRacoon

I'm going to have to slightly disagree with Bren MK 1. I think you should try and at least lightly wipe-off case lube after loading if for no other reason than greasy ammo will attract dirt and dust that could potentially scratch or gum up your chamber.
Increasing bolt thrust is another potential issue but I doubt that with reasonable loads it's that big of a deal.
I also just don't like the idea of handling greasy stuff while out shooting. I'm one of those people who can walk by dirt and it will jump up and get on me. I know if I still have ammo with case lube on it it's going to get on my clothes, car interior, lunch sandwich etc..
I think a little rolling in a towel will save enough potential nuisance later to make it worth the time now.......DJ

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis:
Hey Gris

Do you know if the Hornady case activated linkage will work on a RCBS powder measure? Or if the RCBS case activated linkage will work on a 650?

Thanks, Dennis/AnyRacoon

Yup it will. Don't know about RCBS case activated linkage, this is the first I've heard about it. The hornady will work with the RCBS, or any measure with a 7/8x14 thread and a handle like the horn or RCBS. You can get the linkage and extra die bodies from midway or direct from Hornady.

I was in the same boat about 6 months ago. I was informed that Hornady One Shot case lube (red can) is the only thing to lube and not have to clean the rounds. Dillons lube works too, but is messy. Just a small amount of One Shot spray in a ziplock freezer bag with 20-50 pieces of brass, roll the rounds and let them sit for a minute or two to let the lube set up. Just make sure you get a little in the necks if you are using the sizing button. Hornady claims it will not effect your powder or primers if you leave the lube on. I guess you can always wipe off your rounds when you are done, but I tend not to let the rounds get too dirty before I shoot and you can always wipe them off when you shoot if it seems to be a problem.

As far as the press goes, I love the 650 Dillon and have used them with great success with friends setups. I personally went with the 550b because it does not have the auto indexing that can make things more progressive than I wanted/ needed and I load six different rounds on the loader which gets out of hand with a 650 ($$$). Also Dillon is suppose to be coming out with a case feeder for the 550 late 2005 or spring of 2006 which will make the 550 80-85% as fast as the 650. If you are interested in a bunch of information go to:
Brian Enos (Which Dillon) and take your time reading through all the info and comparisons of Dillon presses and accessories. Then call Brain and he will take care of you and answer all of your questions. I was very happy

Also take a look at Long Range Tactical Shooting Page if you want to see a method that really gets into "match grade" progressive reloading. Just note that this is far more effort than required to get better than factory loads, but worth a look.

dj, pard;

No disagreement at all...

If you'll re-read my post, I said something like, "Wipe the lube off the case once the round is ready to be boxed"...or close to that.

I agree entirely with the presence of lube on the loaded round both increasing the likelihood of gathering dirt, and causing failure to grip the chamber walls properly when fired.

I've used the Hornady spray stuff, but find it very expensive for the quantity received. Dillon's spray lube caused me a lot of grief with stuck rifle cases, as I had more cases stuck in dies in two weeks than in the preceding 25 years.

Lately I've had great success with Midway's pump-bottle spray lube (not the aerosol can). It works beautifully and an 8oz bottle lasts about forever. I even like the smell!

BruceB, Thanks for the hint on the Midway spray lube. I may have to try some next go around, though I've not had any real problems with the Dillon yet (other than my wife complaining about me stealing her cookie sheet).
Just in case do actually own a real Bren, have you seen the latest Sportsman Guide Mil Surplus flyer. They had a boxed case of 10 Bren Mags for I forget how much but it was cheap. I wanted to buy a set just because Bren's are so cool, one of the funnest Class III's I've ever shot..........DJ

+1 one for the Hornday oen shot and the Dillon 550. First press, and probably will be my last. Best thing about the press so far has been Dillon's customer service.

I reload 223, 308, soon 30-378 and 458 socom for the long guns. Load a handful of pistol also.
CHris

Actually, dj, I DO own a full-auto Bren...only trouble is, it's still in Canada 'cuz the ATF wouldn't allow it into the US (due to that cussed 1986 Act) when we escaped from that country in '97.

I've had some experience with quite a few MGs and I agree that the Bren is surely amongst the finest of them. I was trained on the gun in the Canadian Army and was there when it was replaced with the heavy-barrel FAL in the late '50s. There's NO comparison between the two when full-auto fire is needed, as the Bren is far better at the job.

The Bren may just be my all-time favorite firearm, and that covers a LOT of guns over fifty-odd years, believe me.

To stay on-topic, I did load some ammo for MGs on my 550B.

How accurate is the powder charge from these dillons?Any double charges?

My 550 measures are very accurate w/ball powders, throw most charges, even using H4895, within +/- .1 gr. As with any measure, uniform technique affects accuracy of thrown charge.

Suppose if one really tried he could get a double charge, but I have never had a problem. You would have to fail to advance the shell plate and work the handle again to do so. A double charge in most rifle cartridges would overflow the case, so would mainly be a pistol reloading problem.

Regards,
hm