KAG
New member
I just thought I would write something up on it. I have several other presses I use some much more spendy than this one. They all have their quirks....except my single stages.
I bought it to load nothing but 223 rounds for an up coming PD shoot my boys and I are doing with 4 AR's + bolt guns we will be bringing. The $143.00 price from Midway was right up my alley. I did buy the double disk kit that it is recommended. Came with everything needed to load. I did not set up the auto primer as I bought 1000 223 cases already primed from a place out in Colorado for like $140. Plus I have always been told the auto prime just blows....I use my hand primer on most everything else.
The contents are well packed. First things first....when you open it has the instructions....just throw them away. You will have various parts that you have no idea where the go and instructions do not show you, Some are replacement parts anyway.
To put it together took about 2 hours of trial and error to get a few case to cycle. 1 1/2 hours to figure it out and 1/2 hour to actually put together, but once you get rolling it is quick to figure out. The case drop was slightly frustrating for a while but trial and error.....
Then came setting up the dies and powder drop, took me another 2 hours of playing with it. Pick a powder that meters very well. I used Ramshot X-Terminator. You are going to have to pick a happy medium on the charge with the disks. Mine finally worked out to be about 24.1gr after a lot of messing with it to get it to throw fairly consistent charges. I charged and weighed about 20 before getting it right. Then I set the dies up which is like setting up other dies....its straight forward. The dies come installed already in the turret. I took the sizer and seater dies out while messing with the powder charges....its easier that way.
I then put the cases in the case tubes, the case collator I bought for like $15 to help load cases does work but not exactly a great piece of equipment either. I then began cycling the press and putting a bullet on the case to seat it not an easy feat if you have large hands but once you figure a technic out it works. The loaded round has a slide slot it is supposed to kick out into but it doesn't most times, it lands somewhere that will jam the press...just a quirk. I did weigh the first 20 or so loaded rounds to ensure I did not squib a load. About 175gr total weight loaded, thats with 55gr Vmax and winchester cases.
When I first set up my Hornady lock and load progressive press I squibbed several so lesson learned there (on the Hornady press, buy the powder cop, its worth it).
Once I got everything worked out and de-bugged I cranked out 200 rounds in the first hour. The press needs to be a 4 hole turret instead of a 3 hole so you can crimp the bullets......Loading more cases into the drop tubes and remembering to hand rotate the case drop tube when empty was the worst issue I had once I got it going.
For the money all in all it works and I would buy another one and may. Once I get these progressives set up and running I very rarely change anything or switch calibers....Now that I have set this one up I could do a 2nd one in about 45 minutes.
Total set time to crank out rounds: 4hrs
I bought it to load nothing but 223 rounds for an up coming PD shoot my boys and I are doing with 4 AR's + bolt guns we will be bringing. The $143.00 price from Midway was right up my alley. I did buy the double disk kit that it is recommended. Came with everything needed to load. I did not set up the auto primer as I bought 1000 223 cases already primed from a place out in Colorado for like $140. Plus I have always been told the auto prime just blows....I use my hand primer on most everything else.
The contents are well packed. First things first....when you open it has the instructions....just throw them away. You will have various parts that you have no idea where the go and instructions do not show you, Some are replacement parts anyway.
To put it together took about 2 hours of trial and error to get a few case to cycle. 1 1/2 hours to figure it out and 1/2 hour to actually put together, but once you get rolling it is quick to figure out. The case drop was slightly frustrating for a while but trial and error.....
Then came setting up the dies and powder drop, took me another 2 hours of playing with it. Pick a powder that meters very well. I used Ramshot X-Terminator. You are going to have to pick a happy medium on the charge with the disks. Mine finally worked out to be about 24.1gr after a lot of messing with it to get it to throw fairly consistent charges. I charged and weighed about 20 before getting it right. Then I set the dies up which is like setting up other dies....its straight forward. The dies come installed already in the turret. I took the sizer and seater dies out while messing with the powder charges....its easier that way.
I then put the cases in the case tubes, the case collator I bought for like $15 to help load cases does work but not exactly a great piece of equipment either. I then began cycling the press and putting a bullet on the case to seat it not an easy feat if you have large hands but once you figure a technic out it works. The loaded round has a slide slot it is supposed to kick out into but it doesn't most times, it lands somewhere that will jam the press...just a quirk. I did weigh the first 20 or so loaded rounds to ensure I did not squib a load. About 175gr total weight loaded, thats with 55gr Vmax and winchester cases.
When I first set up my Hornady lock and load progressive press I squibbed several so lesson learned there (on the Hornady press, buy the powder cop, its worth it).
Once I got everything worked out and de-bugged I cranked out 200 rounds in the first hour. The press needs to be a 4 hole turret instead of a 3 hole so you can crimp the bullets......Loading more cases into the drop tubes and remembering to hand rotate the case drop tube when empty was the worst issue I had once I got it going.
For the money all in all it works and I would buy another one and may. Once I get these progressives set up and running I very rarely change anything or switch calibers....Now that I have set this one up I could do a 2nd one in about 45 minutes.
Total set time to crank out rounds: 4hrs
