Reloader...come on in and show me your work benches

[Old Syko]

I find that brand new brass or wet tumbled brass requires a lot more force when going through the dies on a progressive. Especially the case mouth expander. I prefer dry media because it does leave just a touch of residue behind that actually acts kind of like a lubricant.

The one shot lube works ok but make sure you follow the directions. I have come to like imperial wax for loading single stage rifle and a lanolin/alchohol lube (Dillon or homemade) for progressive loading.

How would you use Imperial or any of the other gel or paste lubes on a progressive unless you're feeding by hand? Feeding cases one at a time sort of defeats the purpose of a progressive. I tend to do a quick clean which is why I mentioned using a concrete mixer as a tumbler first and then let them dry for a bit. I then spray a couple thousand randomly which means lube even gets into the neck. I run them through the press to size, decap and trim and then wet tumble to remove all the lube then run them through again to prime, charge, seat and possibly crimp depending on the round. Leaving any lube at all on the cases destroys any chance for accuracy and can cause other issues since the case isn't allowed the necessary purchase on the chamber wall. Using a single stage press which is all I will use for most bottleneck rounds other than high volume 5.56 and .308, is a different ballgame and other lubes can be used as long as they are properly cleaned before loading but even then I now only use spray lubes. Haven't used anything else for a lot of years because it's just quicker and less messy.

[Transom]

I do not use the wax or gel lubes with a progressive. I use the lanolin spray lubes with a progressive. I sometimes just use a towel to wipe the lube off but I often tumble the loaded rounds instead for ten minutes or so.

[Old Syko]

So you don't clean the lanolin from inside the cases or are you not lubing the inside of the necks at all?

[ColdSVT]

That Franklin is a good buy. You're gonna want that Franklin case separator to go with it.

BTW you mentioned 22-250. You might want to consider picking up some Sierra BTHP match bullets to try. I have 4 22-250s and they all handle these exceptionally well. The only catch is they all prefer a different powder and loading. The only reason I mention this is because this is my all time favorite caliber. Still have the first I bought in 1968 but it's been rebarreled twice over the years since they're only good for 3000 to 4500 rounds before they give up the ghost.

I have a few hundred hornady vmax bullets for mt 22-250...i have the sierras bthp in 243

Ill look for some of those for the 22-250 for sure

[Transom]

So you don't clean the lanolin from inside the cases or are you not lubing the inside of the necks at all?

If I am loading rifle on a progressive it is 223 or 45-70 and I do not lube the necks. When I am doing other rifle cartridges on the single stage I lube the necks with that mica powder using the ceramic media from redding.

[Old Syko]

I learned my lesson about failing to lube case necks 40 some years ago and how it distorts cases. Back then white graphite was the only dry lube and even it didn't do a good job. I've used aerosol lubes for everything for 30+ years for everything from full length sizing, necks both inside and out, and even primer pocket swaging military crimps.

[yetti462]

KIMG1427.JPG

[brushsjigs]

I use this work bench for my reloading/gun cleaning platform:
https://www.samsclub.com/p/height-ad...d/prod22651720Heavy, stable and looks good.
Reloading for rifle is a tough place to start. So much case prep work compared to pistol. I am a long time shotshell and pistol reloader that made the jump into rifle in the last 6 months. It's been an expensive education, and I'm still learning/spending. I also have wet and dry tumblers. Wet is superior if you also use the pins, but the clean up/drying is more time consuming. Both get the outside of the cases shiny, but the wet gets the inside of the cases clean too, something dry tumbling is poor at. Good luck on your setup, and I hope you enjoy reloading.

He is right, same table I have. Its solid as can be.

[ColdSVT]

google vietnamese to english

Got the bench put to gether and stocked...now to mount my press, and add some power.

[Old Syko]

google vietnamese to english

Got the bench put to gether and stocked...now to mount my press, and add some power.

Looks like a good start.

[ColdSVT]

Old syco...what powder do you like for you 22-250...im eyeballing RL15 or IMR 4064...i also saw H380 as a gpod one in my books

[Old Syko]

Old syco...what powder do you like for you 22-250...im eyeballing RL15 or IMR 4064...i also saw H380 as a gpod one in my books

I have 4 in this caliber and honestly when loading for top accuracy no 2 prefer the same powder or bullets. One prefers Varget, one 4064, one WW748, and my bench gun prefers WW760/414 which btw are the same powder. For general all around shooting with an assortment of bullets H380 stands up to it's original designation believe it or not. I would like to add, never trust charge weights from any online source. Always use verifiable info from at least 3 printed sources. A good rule of thumb is to use one book from the powder manufacturer, one from the bullet manufacturer and the third from an independent source and work them up carefully. A chronograph is a fantastic investment and can be a lifesaver when used correctly.

[ColdSVT]

I have 4 in this caliber and honestly when loading for top accuracy no 2 prefer the same powder or bullets. One prefers Varget, one 4064, one WW748, and my bench gun prefers WW760/414 which btw are the same powder. For general all around shooting with an assortment of bullets H380 stands up to it's original designation believe it or not. I would like to add, never trust charge weights from any online source. Always use verifiable info from at least 3 printed sources. A good rule of thumb is to use one book from the powder manufacturer, one from the bullet manufacturer and the third from an independent source and work them up carefully. A chronograph is a fantastic investment and can be a lifesaver when used correctly.

I have Nosler 9, speer 15, and the hornady 11 book...all rhree very interesting and different lol

[jejb]

Be careful of Varget. Great powder, but does not flow well through some reloaders. Can be a PITA for a progressive loader.

[Old Syko]

Be careful of Varget. Great powder, but does not flow well through some reloaders. Can be a PITA for a progressive loader.

Quite true but neither does 4064. The catch is when loading for maximum accuracy you don't do so on a progressive press and you certainly don't use a powder measure. Such equipment is used for high volume loading only. You'll never see a benchrest shooter use either.

As to powder warnings, nearly every powder has its quirks but most go unnoticed by many. Loading too light as well as to heavy with H110/WW296 can cause dangerous pressure spikes. WW760/H414 is extremely temperature sensitive. Say you work up a load at 70 degrees and try to use it in extreme cold you may not have enough pressure to get the job done but the worst part would be to then use it on a hot sunny day and you might experience enough pressure to do damage to either the gun and/or the shooter. Blue Dot, Well I'll put it this way, this is a powder I suggest not be used by a novice.

[Transom]

I have Nosler 9, speer 15, and the hornady 11 book...all rhree very interesting and different lol

The books just report data. They are a report of what they experienced in their lab with their equipment and components. Variable exist in the different component lots, test barrels, environmental conditions, etc. Your firearm, component lot variations, and environmental conditions will vary from theirs. That is why working loads up is so important. For years I never used a chrono. I got one last year and it is a great tool to see how well I am tracking with book data. I never load hot loads anyways unless groups tighten up near max.

[dvl2700]

I have one of these but I haven't touched it in probably 20 years. There's a much better way to prep brass. For low volume stuff like you mentioned I would suggest a rotary tumbler. I use a Model B but there are a number of knockoffs on the market now that will do the same thing. Next you'll need a case trimmer. I use the Lyman Case Trim Express but there are a large number of trimmers available both manual and powered that will work when coupled with a good dial caliper. This is all you need to get you started for case prep.



Summary,

Solid heavy bench in a well lit area.

Single stage cast iron O-press

Dies correct for caliber. Full length to start and neck dies later on when you start going for superior accuracy.

Balance beam scale (not digital). You can add digital later on if you like but just starting out they can be a hazard.

Powder trickler

Dial caliper

Priming system that works with your press of choice or a separate bench system.

Case lube. You'll be happier with a dry lube such as Hornady One-shot or any other aerosol dry lube. The last few cans I went through had Caterpillar labels. If it's good enough to use on a dozer it's good enough for hand-loading.

Case tumbler. Preferably wet/rotary with 5# stainless pins, can of Lemme Shine and a bottle of Dawn.

Case separator such as linked is handy but not an absolute necessity. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016958652?pid=271904

Anything else can be added later.

Add a check weight set for calibrating your balance beam or electronic scale. Use it every time you set up. I have my balance beam set on a shelf at eye level with a piece of thick glass it sets on, separate but close to the loading bench. Label every box/bag of ammo you load with the date, components used etc. You would be amazed at how quickly you forget what you loaded when.

My bench uses 4 x 4 posts, plywood back and sides for stability, and a thick formica counter top. Dillon 550 on the left, RCBS Rock Chucker on the right. I also have the RCBS bench primer, case prep center and swaging press for sizing hand cast bullets. The later stuff is bolted onto a seperate bench from the loading area. I have loaded thousands of rounds for pistol competition and rifle hunting loads.
dvl2700

[tdt91]

My benches are built from solid wood doors that came from a construction materials salvage business. Each is 7'6" wide x 3' deep and 2"+ thick. I used one door for the top, another I cut down for the 2 vertical legs and cut down a third to make the lower shelf. Everything is both glued and bolted together and is extremely heavy which is a necessity for use as a loading bench. I don't have any good pics of the benches but here is a partial of one of them. Attachment 479644

Whats the deal with two powder droppers on the Progressive?

[Transom]

Whats the deal with two powder droppers on the Progressive?

Look like one is case activated to use with the progressive press and the other is just mounted to it to use manually for single stage loading.

Most folks that use a progressive still have a full single stage setup as well.

[Old Syko]

Look like one is case activated to use with the progressive press and the other is just mounted to it to use manually for single stage loading.

Most folks that use a progressive still have a full single stage setup as well.

Exactly. I made up a mount that locks into place on the LNL to avoid 2 things. I don't leave my single stage measure mounted to the bench to save space and since the LNL was set up for 45acp i didn't want to break it down and set it up just to run 60 500 S&Ws.