• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Need to start prep on 5-6k 223 brass

I’ll take Dusty’s recommendation further to include case and bullet feeders. Dillon also makes a trimmer that can be mounted on the press tool head. Might need a 650/750 for that option.
If you go with a Dillon Rapid trim, you’ll need a secondary expander.
 
Lanolin goes a long way. 12:1 by volume (with 99% alcohol) is about right. A few ounces makes a lot of case lube. Put a little in a large ziploc bag, fill it with cases, slosh it around a little, and then dump them out on a tray to dry. It’s very easy and works well.

The trouble is getting the stuff off the cases. Acetone makes quick work of it but it doesn’t last long before it gets full of lanolin and starts leaving a residue. Tumbling is the only other way I’ve found that isn’t ridiculous. Boiling water sort of works - it melts the lanolin but doesn’t dissolve it or cost anything like acetone. But it’s not really practical.
 
Several choices on hand. 550, Chuckers, Partner, Hornady, Co-Ax.

I'm thinking "keep very detailed journal notes as well as maybe a 3x5 card in the die boxes stating which press / die combo."

I'm at the stage where keeping track of my Contigo coffee cup is time consuming. I did solve the reading glass game after the lense implants by getting the magnetic bridge style. Get up, hearing aids in and glasses around the neck. Those are two things off the "Now where the heck did I leave those" list.
 
How many fresh barrels are you bringing?

I've lived all my adult life in Nevada, for 46 years now. Without giving anything away, would this hunt be for "picket pin" squirrels on a ranch in NE Nevada about the size of Rhode Island?
-
 
Dillon 1050 will do all the prep work for you
For a guy worried about the cost of lanolin, this might be a stretch. I use single stage for sizing and seating, and load more than this for my annual PD hunt each year. My bottleneck was stick powder going through my Chargemaster, so I added a second one. I can load 700-1000 a day with prepped brass easily.

This is just part of what I take each year.
2017.jpg
 
My favorite.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012981057


VERY little is needed when sizing cases. VERY slippery. At most, roll on a towel to remove any excess.

It is usually 1 to 20 days between me loading and punching paper. Without removing any remaining lube, you cannot feel any on the case.

You might consider using a carbide 223 sizing die (yes, you should still use a tiny bit of case lube, every 3rd or 4th case).

As others have said, electricity will be your new friend. 3 way cutter makes short work of inside/outside/trim to length.
 
I prep (& load) batches of about 7,000 .308 for high level Palma competition.

I tumble 500 at a time in 25/52 grit walnut (doesn't clog flash-holes), treated with an ammonia-free auto metal polish. Now I've built my treadmill tumbler I guess I could stainless tumble them, but it would mean an extra pass through the press for the initial decap. Then they go through a rotary media separator, quick tumble in a towel, then garden blower.

Spray liquid lanolin + Alcohol lube in trays of 500. I've never found it to be expensive.

1st Press Pass: Decap, Small Base Body Die.

2nd Press Pass: Decap, CH4D Dillon Trim Die + RT1200 Trimmer, Sinclair expander die with floating .307 carbide mandrel. The CH4D die neck is chosen to match the brass neck thickness and ensure suitable sizing for subsequent expand.

De-lube in 25/52 grit walnut treated with (just a little) ammonia-free auto metal polish and just the right amount of mineral spirits.

If primer crimp swaging is required it's done as a extra press-pass before lubing.
You could probably combine some of the operations into fewer press-passes if you're not so concerned with getting minimum variation in shoulder placement, trim length etc. In the video below 50 cases were measured from 500 showing a 0.001" spread of trim length and shoulder position.

The loading video shows weighed-charges being dropped, but this is only really necessary for the longest distances (e.g. 1000 yards). An on-press thrower is more than sufficient for short range work or less demanding applications.

Some videos of my process in case there's anything useful in them:


Tumbling, Separation, Swaging:


Lubing Sizing & Trimming:


Loading:


Stainless Tumbling (optional):

 
The basic Super 1050 includes:
  • Auto indexing shellplate
  • 1 set of dies
  • Built in primer pocket swager
  • Automatic powder measure system
  • Automatic priming system
  • Electric casefeeder
  • Low Primer Alarm

  • add the trimmer that they have, think there‘a 8 stations on the shell plate. Not sure if they have the adapter for bullet feed for rifle.
 
1050 - I checked the link provided earlier. Tempting but a hefty outlay, even breaking out the reloader. I have to buy LANOLIN you know. :D :p:rolleyes:
 
There was a guy on Youtube who used a cement mixer to clean brass. Not sure what he used as a cleaning solvent, but when he finished the brass came out bright and shiny.

 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
164,684
Messages
2,182,648
Members
78,476
Latest member
375hhfan
Back
Top