For those of you loading on progressives, or anyone doing the seating and crimping separately for that matter, do you need a special four die set or can you just get a bullet seating die and then reuse your crimping/seating die after that? Sorry for the stupid question, but I've always used the seating/crimping together and I usually end up messing up a few bullets and cases before I get it setup. So I'm thinking of trying the steps separately but don't know if I'll need to buy different dies when I get my progressive or if I can just buy one more to accomplish this.

You can use the seat/crimp die followed by just a crimp die.  Just make sure that the seat/crimp die is only set to seat and not crimp.  Its as simple as that.

Enjoy

Ken

Seems like progressive presses don't have enough stations. Ideally I'de think you'de want:

 

Station 1: Deprime/Resize

Station 2: Bell Case Mouth

Station 3: Powder Drop

Station 4: Lockout Die

Station 5: Bullet Feed

Station 6: Bullet Seat

Station 7: Bullet Crimp

 

I would kind of like to Seat crimp in seperate operations, but I'm willing to continue using a dual purpose die. Do they make a bell/flare case mouth powder drop die in one? Also do the bullet feeder dies seat the bullet or just drop it into the flare? 

 

If it makes a difference I'm still debating between the Dillon 650 and Hornady Lock 'N Load Ammo Plant.

Pretty sure that most powder through dies bell the mouth as well. And if you use a seater/crimper in one, there are your 5 dies.

Seems like progressive presses don't have enough stations. Ideally I'de think you'de want:

 

Station 1: Deprime/Resize

Station 2: Bell Case Mouth

Station 3: Powder Drop

Station 4: Lockout Die

Station 5: Bullet Feed

Station 6: Bullet Seat

Station 7: Bullet Crimp

 

I would kind of like to Seat crimp in seperate operations, but I'm willing to continue using a dual purpose die. Do they make a bell/flare case mouth powder drop die in one? Also do the bullet feeder dies seat the bullet or just drop it into the flare? 

 

If it makes a difference I'm still debating between the Dillon 650 and Hornady Lock 'N Load Ammo Plant.

I'm pretty sure they make a Belling insert for the Hornady LNL Measure to free up a station for guys using bullet feeders

They do - Hornady has the Powder through expander inserts.

Seems like progressive presses don't have enough stations. Ideally I'de think you'de want:

 

Station 1: Deprime/Resize

Station 2: Bell Case Mouth

Station 3: Powder Drop

Station 4: Lockout Die

Station 5: Bullet Feed

Station 6: Bullet Seat

Station 7: Bullet Crimp

 

I would kind of like to Seat crimp in seperate operations, but I'm willing to continue using a dual purpose die. Do they make a bell/flare case mouth powder drop die in one? Also do the bullet feeder dies seat the bullet or just drop it into the flare? 

 

If it makes a difference I'm still debating between the Dillon 650 and Hornady Lock 'N Load Ammo Plant.

You can achieve most of these items on a dillon 650 or 1050

I have a Hornady LNL AP.  My setup is

 

1) Deprime/Resize

2) Flare

3) Powder Drop

4) Lockout Die

5) Bullet Seating

 

Then I have a Lee breechlock challenger for FCD and then chamber gauge.  I don't have a bullet feeder, so I don't need a separate station for that.

I have a Hornady LNL AP.  My setup is

 

1) Deprime/Resize

2) Flare

3) Powder Drop

4) Lockout Die

5) Bullet Seating

 

I have the same exact setup

Hornady LNL

 

size/deprime

poweder drop with expander in one. 

lockout die

seat

crimp

 

If you want a bullet feeder, you replace the lockout with it, and your job becomes to LOOK before pulling the handle rather than manipulating components and pulling the handle while keeping an eye on things. 

What is the lock out die and what does it do?

Checks to see if powder in case is within limits.  Hornady die is visual, you must look at the die at the top of the upstroke to see the "safe" ring.  Not sure how others work. Personally, I reloaded for 2o years without such a die being available and never had a problem on my old Hornady Projector (which I still use today).  I put one in the Hornady LNL and I am debating taking in out.  I use mostly ball powders and never had a problem with the powder drop as long as you keep it at least 1/3 full while reloading. I still check the charge drop on the scale every other primer reload and again is always within limits.  I have had more problems with the seating die gumming up with lead bullets and changing the seating depth. 

 

I really prefer the taper crimp die, so I will probably change to:

1. Deprime / Resize / primer on down stroke

2. Flair and Powder drop

3. Auto bullet drop

4. Seat

5. Taper crimp

 

If that presents a problem then I'll change Stage 3 back to Powder check, Stage 4 to bullet drop, and Stage 5 to seat and crimp eliminating the taper crimp die.

Thanks T Bill

RCBS Lock Out Die will lock your press up if you get no or too little powder charge or a double charge.

 

It is nice to have and saved my a** when my powder measure loosened up and moved up in the collar. Locked the press right up when no powder dropped. If I didn't have it, I would have had a bunch of squibs loaded.

 

I'm happy with it.

Seems like progressive presses don't have enough stations. Ideally I'de think you'de want:

 

Station 1: Deprime/Resize

Station 2: Bell Case Mouth

Station 3: Powder Drop

Station 4: Lockout Die

Station 5: Bullet Feed

Station 6: Bullet Seat

Station 7: Bullet Crimp

 

 

You really don't need that. Bell and powder drop in one step is fine. You don't want you bullet fed before seating because it is just going to wobble and move as it rotates into position. 5 station is all you need and if you can consistently do a visual check on powder level in case 4 is enough, as lots of 550 users will attest. 

 

Actually there are other steps you MIGHT want to have a station for like trimming for rifle brass and reaming out military brass primer pockets, which is why the 1050 exists. 

Hornady LNL

 

size/deprime

poweder drop with expander in one. 

lockout die

seat

crimp

 

If you want a bullet feeder, you replace the lockout with it, and your job becomes to LOOK before pulling the handle rather than manipulating components and pulling the handle while keeping an eye on things. 

+1

1. Size brass

 

2. Prime, bell case mouth, powder charge

 

3. Powder check

 

4. Bullet seating

 

5. Bullet crimping

 

These are the 5 stations for the dillon xl650. Station 3 is optional. Personally I just eyeball each case for double charges or no charges.

Gosh, if you NEED a bullet feed die, then you NEED at least a 1050. I can see no easy way on ANY progressive press to inspect the powder. The Hornady is the easiest, as it puts the charge case under you nose at station 3, but I am not going to start seating and crimping in one step. I tried that back in the 70s and it simply wasn't the best way to go.

As per the question, any die sets being made to today are made with progressives in mind.

My set-up on the L-N-L was

1) size (I already deprimed before case cleaning)

2) expand, bell and charge case using the Hornady measure and specific PTXs, the Dillon measure and their specific "powder funnels," or the Lee Pro Auto-Disk with the specific PTE dies.

3) RCBS Lock-Out (and look in case at powder before going to bullet seating)

4) Seat bullet

5) Crimp.

As for bullet feeding, I found my left hand shakes with age now when I try to do fine motor acts (like set the bullet straight on the case), so I started using the Lee Bullet Feeder manually. Some one that can drill-and-tap and probably make an adaptor could get the system automated. If I HAD to use a bullet feeder, I would try to hook up a video camera to look into the case so I could see the charge between station two and three.

anyone who is using hornady lock n load ap plant? whats your experience? what do I need to buy to reload .223?

I have two Hornady reloading presses. The old Projector press and the LNL press.  I like the LNL press.  Needs a little fine tuning now and then, but runs well.  Loading rifle on a LNL press will require that your brass be handled a little different than pistol calibers.  You will need to resize the brass and then trim it to length before loading the primer, charge, and head.  How you do this is up to you.  You can lube the brass, then run it through the press to resize and deprime, not loading a primer at this point. Then trim to size by what ever method you choose, a separate trimming tool, or perhaps mounting a dillon power trimmer to the press.  The trimmed brass will need to be chamfered, and then readjust the press stations to be ready to run the brass back through for priming, charging and bullet seating.  So what do you need, press kit with powder drop, dies, shell plate, lube, trimming tool, a bunch of little hand tools (deburrer, calipers, kinetic bullet puller, scale, loading block, to name a few).  Best to look on YouTube for video showing the process.  It is not a simple process and requires research and a learning curve to be safe.  If you new to this and 223 is your primary loading componet I would suggest a single stage press at first to get over the learning curve.  Everybody I know that has a progressive and loads rifle also has a single stage press. They are just easier for rifle ammo loading at times.  Some single stages come with almost all you need to get started.  Again, cannot emphasize enough the care required to load safe ammo.

I have two Hornady reloading presses. The old Projector press and the LNL press.  I like the LNL press.  Needs a little fine tuning now and then, but runs well.  Loading rifle on a LNL press will require that your brass be handled a little different than pistol calibers.  You will need to resize the brass and then trim it to length before loading the primer, charge, and head.  How you do this is up to you.  You can lube the brass, then run it through the press to resize and deprime, not loading a primer at this point. Then trim to size by what ever method you choose, a separate trimming tool, or perhaps mounting a dillon power trimmer to the press.  The trimmed brass will need to be chamfered, and then readjust the press stations to be ready to run the brass back through for priming, charging and bullet seating.  So what do you need, press kit with powder drop, dies, shell plate, lube, trimming tool, a bunch of little hand tools (deburrer, calipers, kinetic bullet puller, scale, loading block, to name a few).  Best to look on YouTube for video showing the process.  It is not a simple process and requires research and a learning curve to be safe.  If you new to this and 223 is your primary loading componet I would suggest a single stage press at first to get over the learning curve.  Everybody I know that has a progressive and loads rifle also has a single stage press. They are just easier for rifle ammo loading at times.  Some single stages come with almost all you need to get started.  Again, cannot emphasize enough the care required to load safe ammo.

Thank you, can you trim before resizing? and do you use hornady tool to trim?

Resizing must be done before trimming, need to know the length after not before

k thank you, so u run resizing on singe on singe stage? before lack and load plant?

k thank you, so u run resizing on singe on singe stage? before lack and load plant?

 

You don't have to --  You can just use the 1 station on the LNL  --  I have a dillon 650, hornady LNL and a RCBS rock chucker all set up next to each other on my bench

 

The LNL gets the most use but I have no problem using the rock chucker when needed -- I just made some 22/250 and did it all on the rock chucker --

 

The progressives really shine with pistol ammo -- yes you can make rifle ammo but it should be a 2 step process as Tbill suggested -- lube, size, trim, remove lube should all be done before primer 

 

I hand prime always so after a run thru the tumbler to remove lube I prime and powder charge manually -- I also have a redding 3br powder measure on the bench -- This is how my rifle cases get powder

 

After powder there's really only 1 process in the press -- seat a bullet --  a rifle case really only needs to go thru the press 2 times -- size/deprime, and seat a bullet 

 

everything else is off press for me --  I will admit, I've never made large amounts of .223 -- I would use the LNL if I wanted to make 300 + rounds at a time of .223 but my brass would go in the press prepped and primed no matter what

what do you guys use for trim?

I moved to this, it's been the fastest most accurate I have used.

 

https://www.bigcatcoffees.com/store_docs/B150_direct_plumb_kit_install.pdf

My iPad has lost its mind... Try this one instead. Although,I am enjoying that coffee maker.

 

 

http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html

I moved to this, it's been the fastest most accurate I have used.

 

https://www.bigcatcoffees.com/store_docs/B150_direct_plumb_kit_install.pdf

 

 

My iPad has lost its mind... Try this one instead. Although,I am enjoying that coffee maker.

 

 

http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html

 

 

i gess you need both of them to reload lol. thank you, nice trimmer 

the hornady case prep trio seem like guess work 

what is approx. cost of relading per round or 1000 rounds? for .223 55g fmj with new brass or reuse?