Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
Articles
Latest reviews
Author list
Classifieds
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
AR15/10 Rifles
What learned over time building AR's
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="budlight" data-source="post: 3082637" data-attributes="member: 2939"><p>AR's require a progressive reloader to be able to pump out hundreds of rounds per hour. I personnally have a dillion and several single stages all set up for individual jobs. I used to buy one shot Lake city brass by the 1000 round bags. At a typical meet I have picked up a couple of 5 gallon buckets full from their 55 gallon drums of empties.</p><p></p><p>The first thing is triming to length. I have found that Wylde chambers have no problems with over 1.77. So I do a trim length of 1.76 for just a little more bullet hold and allow for some growth without having to worry about triming or checking all the time. I also inside champher for ease of incerting the bullet without scraping it.</p><p></p><p>Step 2. Next is the decapping & sizing die. Lee has the best decaping sizing pin. I got so tired of replacing RCBS pins. Any case that has red around the primer just throw it away. The mil spec or what ever glued in primers are going to bend pins.</p><p></p><p>Step 3. I gave up on phoney media tumblers. it's hard to shake the crap out of most cases and it leaves everything dusty on the inside. I bought the Thumblers Tumbler wet steel pin media. about 250 cases per load, a big shot of dish soap and a tea spoon of lemon shine dish washer powder. Tumble for about 3 hours, drain, and wash them off. They will look brand new and completly resizing oil free. Summer I air dry in the sun for a couple of days. Rainey days I have used a food dehydrator. Bright hot southwest sun is the best!</p><p></p><p>Step 3.5 I forgot about the swagging step. You can't put a primer in most once shot brass. The primer pocket needs a swagging. The best swagger is the Dillion product that is about $100. I mounted it on a 4X6 block and place it in my bench vice. Then just stand there swaging away</p><p></p><p>Step 4. Sorting. All the manufactures have different case water volumes. So I sort by manufacture first. Then like my lake city has different volumes on differnt years. So you sort down to year stamp into lots and then for pure competition even water pipet measure so all the cases are exactly the same. It's a bit much for most people, but how can you even sight in a rifle if you have bullets of different impact points. So I sight in a rifle with one lot of maybe a two thousand rounds all the same. If you change anything the impact point changes. So I write on the ammo boxes what rifle is sighted in with this round and everything about the round.</p><p></p><p>Step 5. I hand prime everything. I have a lee, RCBS, and I found Forrester heavy duty to be the best most consistant seating depth and ease of Feed from the tray. Sit in front of the TV and pump out a 1000 in the evening. That way all the progressive is doing is dumping powder, bullet feed seating, and minor crimp. Filling the feed tubes is a PITA, hand priming goes fast. Put a couple hundred primers in the tray and go to town! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> It's a lot of man hours to go from a 1000 once shot to the finished ready to go product. I use a brass catcher on my rifles and don't pick up anything to get mixed in to my finished stuff</p><p></p><p>Previously I did bench rest time with a chrono using a lead sled for sighting in. I have tried probably over 10 powders and 4 primer types and zeroed in on one combo that works for a given bullet grain. Keep good notes on everything. Back in the day when 8 pounds of powder was only $140 and can do about 2000 rounds I would buy 6 pack of 8 pounders to save on the hazmat fee. or 10,000 primers for $135, and bulk bullets under were 8 cents when you bought by the 5000 or 10,000 lots. They are easy to go through when you might be shooting 500 a day at meet or squirel hunting. I'm so glad that I bought big numbers of 55 - 75 grain bullets back in the day. My buddy ask me if I wanted 5000 69 grain match bullets the other day because he isn't ever going shoot all his. I don't need them even for free! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Yes, I do annealing. It's just not imperative like rounds with 2-4 times the amount of powder. I don't think that I've ever had a cracked neck. Also I have so many crap goes in the brass bucket like anything with a red around the primer</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="budlight, post: 3082637, member: 2939"] AR's require a progressive reloader to be able to pump out hundreds of rounds per hour. I personnally have a dillion and several single stages all set up for individual jobs. I used to buy one shot Lake city brass by the 1000 round bags. At a typical meet I have picked up a couple of 5 gallon buckets full from their 55 gallon drums of empties. The first thing is triming to length. I have found that Wylde chambers have no problems with over 1.77. So I do a trim length of 1.76 for just a little more bullet hold and allow for some growth without having to worry about triming or checking all the time. I also inside champher for ease of incerting the bullet without scraping it. Step 2. Next is the decapping & sizing die. Lee has the best decaping sizing pin. I got so tired of replacing RCBS pins. Any case that has red around the primer just throw it away. The mil spec or what ever glued in primers are going to bend pins. Step 3. I gave up on phoney media tumblers. it's hard to shake the crap out of most cases and it leaves everything dusty on the inside. I bought the Thumblers Tumbler wet steel pin media. about 250 cases per load, a big shot of dish soap and a tea spoon of lemon shine dish washer powder. Tumble for about 3 hours, drain, and wash them off. They will look brand new and completly resizing oil free. Summer I air dry in the sun for a couple of days. Rainey days I have used a food dehydrator. Bright hot southwest sun is the best! Step 3.5 I forgot about the swagging step. You can't put a primer in most once shot brass. The primer pocket needs a swagging. The best swagger is the Dillion product that is about $100. I mounted it on a 4X6 block and place it in my bench vice. Then just stand there swaging away Step 4. Sorting. All the manufactures have different case water volumes. So I sort by manufacture first. Then like my lake city has different volumes on differnt years. So you sort down to year stamp into lots and then for pure competition even water pipet measure so all the cases are exactly the same. It's a bit much for most people, but how can you even sight in a rifle if you have bullets of different impact points. So I sight in a rifle with one lot of maybe a two thousand rounds all the same. If you change anything the impact point changes. So I write on the ammo boxes what rifle is sighted in with this round and everything about the round. Step 5. I hand prime everything. I have a lee, RCBS, and I found Forrester heavy duty to be the best most consistant seating depth and ease of Feed from the tray. Sit in front of the TV and pump out a 1000 in the evening. That way all the progressive is doing is dumping powder, bullet feed seating, and minor crimp. Filling the feed tubes is a PITA, hand priming goes fast. Put a couple hundred primers in the tray and go to town! :) It's a lot of man hours to go from a 1000 once shot to the finished ready to go product. I use a brass catcher on my rifles and don't pick up anything to get mixed in to my finished stuff Previously I did bench rest time with a chrono using a lead sled for sighting in. I have tried probably over 10 powders and 4 primer types and zeroed in on one combo that works for a given bullet grain. Keep good notes on everything. Back in the day when 8 pounds of powder was only $140 and can do about 2000 rounds I would buy 6 pack of 8 pounders to save on the hazmat fee. or 10,000 primers for $135, and bulk bullets under were 8 cents when you bought by the 5000 or 10,000 lots. They are easy to go through when you might be shooting 500 a day at meet or squirel hunting. I'm so glad that I bought big numbers of 55 - 75 grain bullets back in the day. My buddy ask me if I wanted 5000 69 grain match bullets the other day because he isn't ever going shoot all his. I don't need them even for free! :) Yes, I do annealing. It's just not imperative like rounds with 2-4 times the amount of powder. I don't think that I've ever had a cracked neck. Also I have so many crap goes in the brass bucket like anything with a red around the primer [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
AR15/10 Rifles
What learned over time building AR's
Top