Hornady LNL progressive press ?

[rebs]

are any of you guys loading match grade 223 ammo on this press ?

 

[SeabeeKen]

Nope, and never will

 

[mac86951]

are any of you guys loading match grade 223 ammo on this press ?

Define match grade.

Yes I've had my LnL work great, but match grade for me meant several process changes and it's not as simple as a pull of the handle. LnL for me is optimal for the blend of supporting match grade, while still supporting all the quick plinking ammo outputs.

Match grade tweaks for my 2.260 77gr loads - prep and prime brass separately; weight each charge, don't rely on powder measure. Essentially this makes the LnL a sequential single stage.

-Mac

 

[Mcrider55]

Pretty much what Mac just said.

 

[bozo699]

Nope, and never will

^^^^^^^^
Wayne

 

[bozo699]

Define match grade.

Yes I've had my LnL work great, but match grade for me meant several process changes and it's not as simple as a pull of the handle. LnL for me is optimal for the blend of supporting match grade, while still supporting all the quick plinking ammo outputs.

Match grade tweaks for my 2.260 77gr loads - prep and prime brass separately; weight each charge, don't rely on powder measure. Essentially this makes the LnL a sequential single stage.

-Mac

^^^^^^^^This 100%
Wayne

 

[bozo699]

are any of you guys loading match grade 223 ammo on this press ?

The manufacturer says all you need to know. IMO Hornaday is not synonymous with precision!…. I have a lnl ap and it’s fine for my pistol ammo but I don’t compete with pistols , if I did I would load them as I do my match Amo….. one at a time.
Wayne

 

[DRK]

The manufacturer says all you need to know. IMO Hornaday is not synonymous with precision!…. I have a lnl ap and it’s fine for my pistol ammo but I don’t compete with pistols , if I did I would load them as I do my match Amo….. one at a time.
Wayne

I agree, I have automated equipment to load pistol ammo, rifle I still do one at a time.

 

[Bluefink4895]

Pretty much what Mac just said.

Ditto +1

Key questions:
1) What is the ammo end use?
and,
2) What are the accuracy requirements for said end use?

When set up and used properly, a progressive press can be used to load very accurate "match ammo". Look up a fellow named David Tubb...

In my case, I have a LNL progressive which I use to load ammo for NRA/CMP high power (mainly 77's and 80's in 223). I have to load ammo in volume that is also accurate for my purposes (MR 600 yard target). The LNL is not without faults, but it serves my purposes in this regard.

However, as noted by other posters, I do not run it in "full progressive" mode...sizing, case prep, priming and related are separate processes. I have also had to do many tweaks and carefully operate said press for best results. They can be fickle beasts.
In my case, when dropping powder with the LNL, ball powder is best choice for smoother operation for volume operations (this is the case for most progressive presses).

As progressive presses go, the LNL is affordable and functional. I feel it is in between a Lee and a Dillon. Regardless, it is a progressive and progressives can be a difficult beasts to master regardless of brand.

 

[rebs]

thank you for the replies. I will continue to size and prime on my LNL, then add powder with my RCBS charge master and then seat the bullets on my LNL

 

[divingin]

thank you for the replies. I will continue to size and prime on my LNL, then add powder with my RCBS charge master and then seat the bullets on my LNL

If you're doing that, stick a funnel where the powder measure goes. Run it progressive, but dump powder from your CM. You'll be a little slower than running the way Hornady intended, but you'll only be running the brass through the machine once.

 

[drop_point]

Yes. There are some tweaks that it needs here and there, but you can load good ammo on it.

You won't run it "full progressive", but you'll make good ammo.

 

[bozo699]

thank you for the replies. I will continue to size and prime on my LNL, then add powder with my RCBS charge master and then seat the bullets on my LNL

I also believe this should work fine, let us know what you think after you load and shoot some.
Wayne

 

[mac86951]

I also believe this should work fine, let us know what you think after you load and shoot some.
Wayne

rebs
thank you for the replies. I will continue to size and prime on my LNL, then add powder with my RCBS charge master and then seat the bullets on my LNL


Watch out for cracked bushings on the quick change inserts, especially sizing. I've got a thread here somewhere on that. Easy fix; I removed the quick change bushing on the sizing die and threaded in a standard threaded bushing like one found from RCBS. Sizing consistency improved greatly.

Love my LnL; I do switch back to my RCBS for my "ultra-precision" or anything case longer than 30-06.

6.5 Grendel is loaded exclusively on the LnL; ball powder works just fine; and it's a joy to have clean unprimed cases run through the whole loading process with the pull of a handle.

All pistol rounds are loaded on my LnL. By the time I'm a good enough shooter to see the accuracy difference, the dinosaurs will be back.