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fourtimes4
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:09 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Posts: 241
Location: Kingsland, Texas

Anyone have a load that works well and has a nice finished crimp on a progressive machine?
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skeettx
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:03 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Amarillo, Texas

Sure, most all for my Texan MIV

What progressive are you wishing to use??

Mike


Last edited by skeettx on Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
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fourtimes4
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:33 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Posts: 241
Location: Kingsland, Texas

Well I am not sure. When I started I didn't think I would be reloading very much so I purchased the Lee Load All II. It does OK @ best with previously fired hulls. New ones not so much. Seems all my loads so far require some sort of filler to prevent concave crimps, which would slow down a progressive press. Also I never thought I would be reloading the 2.5" but I am now. I would like a better quality press and not sure if a progressive would be the correct route to take.
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skeettx
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:06 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Amarillo, Texas

OK, so lets get down to stuff.

How many reloads per year do you expect to shoot?

Do you like to reload?

Are you mechanically inclined?

Will you get two presses? One for 2 3/4 and one for 2 1/2?

Let's start there.

Mike
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fourtimes4
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 4:41 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Posts: 241
Location: Kingsland, Texas

I am currently shooting clays twice a month 5 to 6 rounds each weekend so 200 to 300 shells a month

With what little winter we get here I would guess annually 1500 to 2500.

Yes been reloading metallic cartages for some time now. Find it is very relaxing.
Replaced wood working & auto restoration for reloading

I am very mechanically inclined & I think that is half the attraction to reloading.
The inter workings of the P-W & Pacific DL-366 I find fascinating

Not sure. The 2.5" shells are the minority of what I shoot, but since buying the RST loads for my old Fox Sterling I see my self increasing those numbers. There is just something about shooting that old shotgun that is hard to describe and I have never hunted with it ....Yet.

I know I don't ever see myself using one of those electric or hydraulic assisted presses just because I like running the press.

so what press do you see in my future ........ a rare Hornady DL-366 in 16 ga. lol
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Boats
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:58 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 09 Sep 2014
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Location: Virginia

Another factor is you load the same all the time. My monthly volume is about yours however I have 4 12 G loads about 75 % one 25 % other 3. Load them all on a PW 375. Quick change from one to another. Have a 2nd PW 375 set up for 20 & 16.

Would not make sense for me to use a progressive given the variations in loading. I think about my most often used 12 load on a progressive but by spreading out the work I keep up with it fine on the 375. Last week loaded a dozen boxes on it 2 or three at a session . My supply had dwindled to 8 boxes now up to 20 be three or four weeks before I run them again. Progressive could have run the dozen one time.

If you like to tinker used PW 375 is a good start, old ones need some tweaking, once set up they are fine machines. Progressive I would go for a new one. PW 800 +

Boats
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kgb
PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:51 pm  Reply with quote
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A PW that uses tall dies will have to have those dies machined down to load 2.5" shells.

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Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern
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Boats
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:04 am  Reply with quote
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Location: Virginia

It's true Long dies may need to be shortened but PW will do it for you or it's a quick job for anybody with a lathe . Tool like the PW 375 in production for many years has gone through many small changes. Buying used better if you are able to work on machinery otherwise get a new one.

I prefer the older FL dies and trim them on my lathe for a nice crimp. New short dies don't need to have it done.

Boats
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fourtimes4
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 5:13 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Posts: 241
Location: Kingsland, Texas

My main concern is finding load data that gives me a shot column that crimps well without having to use filler or OSC. I haven't found a combination that doesn't require the addition of something to give that factory crimp. I like the idea of a progressive loader but if I have to add one of these components it would defeat the purpose of having a faster loader. I like the design of the Ponsness, Texans & Pacific 366 but have no idea how they actually preform
Rick
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mike campbell
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 6:16 am  Reply with quote
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Rolling Eyes


Last edited by mike campbell on Fri Aug 09, 2019 10:41 am; edited 1 time in total
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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:11 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

I used to own a Load All a long time ago. It started me with reloading. The crimping station is not adjustable and the chief cause of your crimping issues. I have been using Mec presses ever since and once the crimp dies (including the starter) are properly adjusted for a given load, the crimps are nice. I recently converted a Mec 650 progressive to 16 ga. and am quite pleased. Many of your crimp problems will vanish once you abandon the Lee press.

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rudolph31
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:28 am  Reply with quote
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I used to reload 2 3/4" and 2 1/2" shells. Recently I've decided to load 2 1/2" exclusively. I save a lot more money loading the short shells, and they'll shoot in the 2 3/4" guns just fine. But since I can get Herter's factory shells so cheaply, why bother?

If you don't have it already, get Byrdog's hull trimmer. It works GREAT!
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 1:06 pm  Reply with quote
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fourtimes4 wrote:
My main concern is finding load data that gives me a shot column that crimps well without having to use filler or OSC. I haven't found a combination that doesn't require the addition of something to give that factory crimp. I like the idea of a progressive loader but if I have to add one of these components it would defeat the purpose of having a faster loader. I like the design of the Ponsness, Texans & Pacific 366 but have no idea how they actually preform
Rick

If you organize and strategically place your hulls, plastic wads, and any other needed components around your press on your loading bench to your best advantage, then loading a 25 round box on a progressive loader becomes a well practiced, smooth sequence of minimal hand moves which takes maybe 2-3 seconds per round at most. In time, you will develop a rhythm to your loading sequence, so the whole process takes a minimum amount of time and thought.

I've been using old salvaged plastic ice cream and butter tubs of various sizes to conveniently contain and place my components around my various MEC Grabbers for decades now. This includes any filler wads I might need for any given load.

I've been loading my 3/4 ounce pet load on my MEC Grabber for about a decade now. My load calls for an RGL hull, Remington R16 wad w/ two .135" thick 28 ga. nitro card filler wads in the shot cup over 16 grains of Green Dot, and any standard strength 209 primer which fills the primer pockets well. Picking up the two filler wads from a small plastic butter tub laid out in the right spot w/ one hand and inserting them in the R16 wad held in my other hand adds maybe 1/2-1 second to the process before I insert the wad in the wad guide. So it adds about 30 seconds more at most to load a box of 25 rounds. I might use maybe two minutes more to load four boxes of perfectly crimped loads. I think the added time is well worth the end result.
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fourtimes4
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 4:36 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Posts: 241
Location: Kingsland, Texas

I would like to know some of the loads that come out great on your progressive machines w/o any OSC or fillers. I have about 300 Win. CF hulls & 750 Win Upland hulls that are the what I think are Reifenousser hulls. I would like to have a solid load for these hulls and then everything else is newer hulls that are readily available. I just loaded up this load & had to use an OSC

Win. Upland hull ( Reifenousser ) 1oz lead / 27gr Longshot / WAA16 / W209
1400 vel / 8000 psi
got it from the spreadsheet
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mike campbell
PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 6:04 pm  Reply with quote
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Rolling Eyes


Last edited by mike campbell on Fri Aug 09, 2019 10:41 am; edited 1 time in total
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