Rounds in the last month

I reloaded 4,069 rounds of .40 S&W last month. 406 rounds were 180 grain Hornady Action Pistol (HAP) bullets. 505 rounds were from Eggleston Munitions. These were 180 grain polymer coated bullets loaded really light for steel matches. 504 were blue and one was purple (it somehow found it’s way into the container of blue bullets). 1,567 rounds were loaded with red bullets from Acme Bullets. These were also loaded for steel matches. 1,591 of those rounds were 180 grain Montana Gold JHP to be used for practice at indoor ranges.

This is the most rounds I have reloaded since the first month I started reloading back in October 1996 when I reloaded 10,944 rounds. The Dillon XL650 made the difference. Ignoring the time running the cases through the case gauge after assembling it more doubles my rate of production I was getting with the Dillon 550B. If I don’t have many malfunctions with a messed up piece of used brass or something I can reload 800 rounds in an hour.

This month will not be so productive. I reloaded a few .40 S&W rounds but am switching back to the 550B to reload .223. Back in 2016 I purchased a bunch of components in preparation for a Hillary Clinton presidency and with the passage of I-1639 I now feel a need to do something to support the AR.

This brings my lifetime reloaded ammunition totals to:

223: 4,813 rounds.
30.06: 756 rounds.
300 WIN: 1,591 rounds.
40 S&W: 94,462 rounds.
45 ACP: 2,007 rounds.
9 mm: 21,641 rounds.
Total: 125,270 rounds

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3 thoughts on “Rounds in the last month

  1. Maybe a stupid question; To what do you attribute the faster loading rate with the 650 compared to the 550? Is it the auto indexing alone, or did you also add accessories to it, such as a case feeder, that you didn’t have with the 550?

    • I have a case feeder as well. The automatic powder level checking also helps. I don’t have to look into each case (and occasionally miss one). Combined I can run the press with my right hand and keep my left hand and eyes involved in grabbing the next bullet and putting it on the next case a fraction of a second after the press hits bottom and then repeat the cycle. If you were to watch I think it would look like my right hand/arm doesn’t even pause at the bottom of the cycle.

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