Bulk .223 ammo

**janfred** · 21-11-2021, 14:19

Originally Posted by Ocali

So do you load for both on the same press?
Curious to find out the effort in tuning the press when you swop the dies out .

I have a press setup for 9mm. And planning on purchasing a rifle in .223 soon. From the research done it seems for rifle reloading better to get a separate single stage press specific for the caliber you want to reload , rather than swoping out the dies.

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Basically it depends. Bulk loading for using a semi-auto, a progressive press works just fine. Anything up to 300m you don't need a super low ES. Using ball powder you can keep even that to less than 50fps and you wouldn't know the difference.

If you already have a progressive press, a new turret ring, shell-plate and powder thrower and you are good to go. Then it is just a matter of replacing the turret ring and shell plate. No need to remove the dies from the turret.

For precision shooting, as with any other calibre, a single stage would be best.

**PietSkiet2** · 21-11-2021, 18:43

Most reloaders already have a powder measure so no need for a new powder measure. A turret is not a progressive press. Although it is faster than a single stage press. If you talking progressive press a Dillon XL750 or bigger will do. With the Dillon you need a 223 conversion kit. The better the ES the more accuracy you will get. Who is shooting an AR at 300m? Most sport shooting is done 50m and in so perfect for the LEE 55gr mold no matter the rifle's twist rate. (But a 62 to 77 gr mold will work better in a 1:7 twist rate)

**Gbyleveldt** · 21-11-2021, 19:07

Originally Posted by Ocali

So do you load for both on the same press?
Curious to find out the effort in tuning the press when you swop the dies out .

I have a press setup for 9mm. And planning on purchasing a rifle in .223 soon. From the research done it seems for rifle reloading better to get a separate single stage press specific for the caliber you want to reload , rather than swoping out the dies.

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

I have a Dillon 650, so it’s easy to replace tool heads and bottom plate. No need to adjust dies or anything else; very, very convenient

**Gbyleveldt** · 21-11-2021, 19:11

Originally Posted by PietSkiet2

Who is shooting an AR at 300m? Most sport shooting is done 50m and in so

We were just doing 50-100m gongs today and I had no issue hitting 6” gongs standing. Granted, hardly great but in field positions, you are the biggest handicap when it comes to accuracy, not your reloads.

**Wild coast** · 21-11-2021, 20:43

Originally Posted by PietSkiet2

Most reloaders already have a powder measure so no need for a new powder measure. A turret is not a progressive press. Although it is faster than a single stage press. If you talking progressive press a Dillon XL750 or bigger will do. With the Dillon you need a 223 conversion kit. The better the ES the more accuracy you will get. Who is shooting an AR at 300m? Most sport shooting is done 50m and in so perfect for the LEE 55gr mold no matter the rifle's twist rate. (But a 62 to 77 gr mold will work better in a 1:7 twist rate)

Yes I'm referring to frontier 55 grain plated bullets disintegrating in a 1:7 twist barrel, was wondering if Hi Tek coated can be any better.

**PietSkiet2** · 21-11-2021, 20:56

Originally Posted by Wild coast

Yes I'm referring to frontier 55 grain plated bullets disintegrating in a 1:7 twist barrel, was wondering if Hi Tek coated can be any better.

Better than frontier 55 gr I doubt, but cheaper. Only 2000% cheaper.

**janfred** · 22-11-2021, 00:40

Originally Posted by PietSkiet2

Most reloaders already have a powder measure so no need for a new powder measure. A turret is not a progressive press. ...

According to the Lee website, for the Loadmaster progressive press, the disk that you screw the dies into is called a 5-hole turret, as per https://leeprecision.com/5-hole-turret.html

And yes, that is exactly how i change between 9mmP and .308. I replace the shell-plate, priming assembly and turret. No need to unscrew or setup dies as the dies are not removed from the turrets. Having the extra powder thrower on the turret saves you from having to adjust that between changes.

As you have probably noticed for youself in the past, a small ES does not necessarily mean good grouping at short range. And even a relatively large ES can give satisfactory accuracy and precision for practical purposes. Specially for semi-automatic rifles.

**PietSkiet2** · 22-11-2021, 09:05

Originally Posted by Wild coast

Yes I'm referring to frontier 55 grain plated bullets disintegrating in a 1:7 twist barrel, was wondering if Hi Tek coated can be any better.

Keep the Hi-Tek bullet under 2400 fps. Also decrease the charge with the CMJ bullet.
Are you crimping with the CMJ's? At which velocity are you shooting the 55 gr bullet that disintegrating?