Lee Precision Pro 1000 and Six Pack progressive reloading presses shown above.
Handloading is a rewarding activity that cuts ammunition costs while increasing the performance of any given firearm. Having better loads also forces you to be a better shooter and allows you to press your limits, again fostering proficiency. The glaring downside, of course, is the time investment. When I started this journey, I was deeply committed to the hobbyist aspect of handloading. However, as things progressed, the novelty of it all wore off, and I found myself struggling to keep up with my personal ammunition demands while balancing the three jobs I had at the time. Already hooked on my pet loads, going back to factory ammo just wasn’t an option. With that said, I started noting the areas of the process that seemed to chew away at the clock the worst. Here are some of the places where I’ve found avenues for improvement, as well as what I have done to bump up production.
Use Spray Lubricants
The devil is in the details, which can be something as small as aligning cases on a lube pad. If you’re full-length sizing, you’ll need a lubricant to keep cases from seizing in your sizing die. In the past, this meant using a thick water-based lube and applying it to a stamp-pad-like applicator. Cases are rolled across, with special care being taken not to get any on the shoulder, as it would clog the die's vent hole and dent the cases during sizing.
It doesn’t sound like a project, but laying each out in such a way that it lubricates without hitting no-man’s land does take time. Conversely, spraying the inside of a zipper-lock bag with a spray lubricant, dumping in an indiscriminate handful of cases, and tossing them like Chex Mix takes seconds on the minute. A good spray lube is thin enough not to matter if any gets on the case shoulder, and some also boast that they don’t need to be removed after sizing.
Work While Powder Is Dispensing
Let me ask you, honestly, do you stare at the toaster each morning waiting for it to pop? Now, imagine if instead of doing that, you wiped down the counter or did some of those dishes piling up in the sink. Nothing is faster than the task that didn’t happen, but the closest we can get is handling smaller ones during an appropriate amount of downtime. If you use a powder dispenser, you’ve not only simplified the propellant weighing process, but you’ve also freed both hands for multiple 30-60 second increments.
This is ample time to log what you’re loading, prime cases, set up dies, or seat bullets. Personally, I like to get charges throwing well ahead of time, as this is always the process that I find holding things up. I typically perform all of these tasks as I build a buffer of charged cases, saving bullet seating for last. Now, if that’s a scary amount of multitasking for you, limit yourself to maybe just seating bullets. I’d also advise keeping to loads that cannot hold a double charge as an added failsafe.
Get A Second Powder Dispenser
If you want to know how I really feel, nothing cuts time like throwing powder while you throw powder. Investing in a second powder dispenser literally cuts this process in half and also gives you a backup should one fail right before an important range day or hunt. If you go this route, it’s best to get powder measures that are identical and, if possible, buy them from the same lot.
This is the best way to ensure that they will be consistent with one another and not introduce a variable into your handloads. If they are the same, you can also calibrate them with the same check weights to further ensure uniformity. When running two dispensers, sometimes I’ll use the process that I outlined in my last point, while other times I’ll sit down with a bucket of primed brass and just pull from one machine at a time as I seat bullets. In this manner, I have a hard time keeping up with powder charges.
Invest In A Premium Powder Funnel
Sometimes I wonder if the rifle handloading community was the first to establish “bottleneck” as a metaphor. I’ll admit, I was a little late to this one, but a substantial amount of time is lost to stuffing powder into a case. This is especially true for smaller-diameter magnums, as they thrive off stout charges of larger kernels. The one included with most kits is choked down to as small as .17 in an effort to make them more universal, which really only best serves those loading smaller calibers.
High-end powder funnels kits like the RCBS MatchMaster work with caliber-specific inserts that allow for a higher flow rate without the risk of spilling. Being that this procedure requires both hands and demands all of our focus, this is certainly an area that we should turn our attention to. Multiplied across 200 charges, saving even 10 seconds each will get you off the bench more than a half-hour sooner.
Switch To Ball Powder
Nothing is harder to work with than extruded rod powder. The larger, more irregular shape disqualifies them from accurate use in a powder measure and thus must be weighed to realize their true benefit. While often yielding the most accurate results, today’s ball powders give them a run for their money. Product families like Winchester Staball deliver temperature-stable usage and flow like liquid through powder measures and the like. In my experience, most ball powders can be metered to +/- 0.1 of a grain or less, which isn’t enough for most cartridges to notice. This also opens the door to progressive presses, which can churn out completed cartridges at rates approaching 500 rounds per hour.
With a little ingenuity and an honest appraisal of your habits, you can find plenty of ways to cut down on the time spent at the loading bench. Be creative, but remember that safety should always trump efficiency. As you progress in your craft, many of your processes will smooth out on their own, while others ought to be evaluated. Something as simple as repositioning your tools, or even your chair, can yield substantial results. Above all, have fun, take your time and be safe.
