Order of operations... Make fun of me.. Want opinions.

[asmo]

Okay.. I posted awhile back that I got a new Dillon 650 and I am going to join the progressive revolution. Its been a good long while since I reloaded and I am having to buy everything new and start from scratch. The press, dies, swager, scales, trimmers are all bought and setup and all is well..

But now I am getting ready to start loading up - in bulk - and I am thinking about my order of operations. I know there are many schools of thought on this so I wanted to post my current thought process and get feedback. The rounds I am loading up will be 5.56 and 7.62x51. I am mainly loading for 'decent' accuracy in my main semi-autos - and I will do my real precision perfect loads in a slightly different way (I'm weird and enjoy individually weighing each component and doing by hand).

My thoughts... (this is all after sorting of course).

1) Quick clean of brass in my tumbler - not trying to get things perfect, just to knock the major crud off (I shoot a lot of suppressed and in the mud)
2) Lube up the brass
3) I have a toolhead setup with just a carbide resizer/deprimer in it. Run the now semi-clean brass through it to deprime and resize only -- nothing else in any station
4) Put brass in tumbler (SS media) and do a real clean to get everything shiny and new looking
5) Deswage (as needed)
6) Trim to length and chamfer
7) Put everything back in the 650 - this time with a different toolhead. Nothing in station 1, but all the normal stuff (prime, powder, seating, etc) in all the others
8) Spot check on occasion
8) Enjoy

Again, two different tool heads here. The first with only something in station 1 -- the second with nothing in station 1.

Main thing I am trying to do here is avoid cleaning each primer pocket individually for large volumes. I'm clumsy and I'm constantly drop stuff - doing each primer pocket annoys me.

Thoughts? Something I am missing - or better way?

[Great-Kazoo]

Okay.. I posted awhile back that I got a new Dillon 650 and I am going to join the progressive revolution. Its been a good long while since I reloaded and I am having to buy everything new and start from scratch. The press, dies, swager, scales, trimmers are all bought and setup and all is well..

But now I am getting ready to start loading up - in bulk - and I am thinking about my order of operations. I know there are many schools of thought on this so I wanted to post my current thought process and get feedback. The rounds I am loading up will be 5.56 and 7.62x51. I am mainly loading for 'decent' accuracy in my main semi-autos - and I will do my real precision perfect loads in a slightly different way (I'm weird and enjoy individually weighing each component and doing by hand).

My thoughts... (this is all after sorting of course).

1) Quick clean of brass in my tumbler - not trying to get things perfect, just to knock the major crud off (I shoot a lot of suppressed and in the mud) Just tumble until clean why waste 2 steps.
2) Lube up the brass
3) I have a toolhead setup with just a carbide resizer/deprimer in it. Run the now semi-clean brass through it to deprime and resize only -- nothing else in any station CHECK, only i have another die in station 3 to minimize plate flex.
4) Put brass in tumbler (SS media) and do a real clean to get everything shiny and new looking See #1 I see no reason to do a 1/2 ass clean then go and clean again.

5) Deswage (as needed) Here is where i separate by head stamp.
6) Trim to length and chamfer One run through the giraud but yes
7) Put everything back in the 650 - this time with a different toolhead. Nothing in station 1, but all the normal stuff (prime, powder, seating, etc) in all the others CHECK
8) Spot check on occasion Kind of anal, I check powder every 10 or so rounds. However i am installing the uniq-yek powder measuring unit. So it should cut down on any variances i may have. http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1231
8) Enjoy

Again, two different tool heads here. The first with only something in station 1 -- the second with nothing in station 1.

Main thing I am trying to do here is avoid cleaning each primer pocket individually for large volumes. I'm clumsy and I'm constantly drop stuff - doing each primer pocket annoys me.

Thoughts? Something I am missing - or better way?


Other than that,every one has different ways to achieve the same results. While setting up a new load, grains, OAL etc, here's a tech tip i do. To avoid the continual flow of primers ever time you pull the handle, remove the primer cam.

[asmo]

Other than that,every one has different ways to achieve the same results. While setting up a new load, grains, OAL etc, here's a tech tip i do. To avoid the continual flow of primers ever time you pull the handle, remove the primer cam.

Much appreciated. Didn't even think about putting another die in the first tool head to minimize flex. Great idea.

The reason I was wanting to clean them 'twice' (in reality I don't but its the only thing I can come up with) is that my brass is usually really dirty and I wanted to clean it up a tad before I sized it. But since it isn't decapped yet I would still need to clean the primer pockets later (which I hate doing - see above).

I think I am going to have to look at the Uniqetek seriously.

Thank you for the input!

[silentshooter]

Do NOT put dirty brass thru a Carbide resizing die. Any debris on the case can scratch your die.

[Danimal]

Honestly I would buy a little single stage press to re-size the brass. Pick one up used somewhere when you can find one and set it up on the side. It will save the time of swapping the tool heads and the wear on the Dillon from sizing the brass. Other than that I do everything the same way. I like my brass to be clean and shiny because it helps me to see any faults in the cases that I could otherwise miss. I kinda baby my Dillon, not because I think that it cant take the abuse, but because I take care of my investments.

I used to check the powder every ten rounds or so, but the longer you use the dillon, (even with the stock powder measure) the longer you will go without checking the powder. I check every time I fill the primer tube and I have yet to need to change between runs. I think that I am almost to 10,000 flawless rounds on my 550B.

[Danimal]

Plus there is still a bunch of crap that comes out of even cleanish cases when de-priming and it finds its way all over the priming system which is not ideal. That brings me to another thing that I have had issues with. If you are tumbling your brass a second time prior to using it, watch that a little piece of media that sometimes sticks in the flash hole does not fall out into the primer cup. I have had a little chunk fall in there and the following primer is smashed up a bit when it is seated. It is not a huge deal, but you don't want to run through 100 rounds and realized somewhere around #10 they are all smashed up. Just check the primer seating ram every so often to see that it is clean, and watch the rounds that come out complete to make sure the primers are not dented in.

[cstone]

I have been considering the stainless steel pins in a Thumler for four hours. It seems so anal retentive, but I haven't seen anything else put out better looking brass.

My recommendations would be to either have someone else process your brass for you (there are members here who do that sort of thing and he turns out really nice looking brass), or as Danimal suggested, single stage sizing.

If I am processing the brass myself, I deprime everything (Harvey Deprimer) and then run it through the tumbler over night. Dillon Super Swage it, then lube and size on a single stage. Tumble it again for an hour or so to get the lube off and then case gage it to separate out what needs trimming and what doesn't need trimming. Someone else on the board has a Giraud trimmer and he is nice enough to let me use it. I hand prime every round (yes it is part of my therapy, I have Daddy issues [gohome]). I take my processed, primed brass to the same member with the trimmer and use his 650 to charge and seat bullets.

I think it is important to use the process that works for you. As you do it, you will refine your process and make adjustments based on what works for you.

Be safe.

[Great-Kazoo]

There are no short cuts in reloading, only ways to ease the process over so many K rounds.
As Cstone said do what ever is the most comfortable for your needs. I tried s/stage, however do to physical limitations, doing it on a s/stage doesn't work. Ok it works, for about 50 rds then done. I like (this is where comfort level comes in) the ability to do enough prep, brass processing , then loading it's worth my time and effort. They are plinking rounds not sub-MOA target or hunting rounds.
Time for another 550;) 5-6 weeks out delivery time:(