First time operating press in progressive mode

[Oreo]

So I ran my first batch of a hundred in full progressive & auto index mode on my Hornady LNL AP.:)

:banghead:

Man I had some problems though. The press was fine, but I was being stupid. I kept forgetting to seat the primer. (For those who don't know, seating the primer on the LNL is a separate step between sizing & charging where the arm must be pushed forward instead of down.) I would go about 3 cases at a time before realizing that I had been forgetting that step. Powder all over & under the shell plate; I have a couple cases with powder & a seated, crimped bullet but no primer! Then I would put a new case on the shell plate but forget to set a bullet for seating. I had a couple of charged & crimped cases with no bullet! Doh!!

Moral of the story: Learning to use a progressive press requires some time to train the muscles to consistently perform each part of the process in order. Until ya got that down, ya best take your time.

:prrr:

Is it time to go shooting again yet?

[Murphy's Law]

I can truly appreciate what you're saying even though I load on a 550b. When I first started, I forced myself into a routine to "train" my muscles into the exact order of steps I wanted (i.e. insert brass station 1, look into station 2 to ensure powder, place bullet on top of brass station 3, etc). I can almost equate these steps to golf......do certain things to train yourself. Anyhow, now it feels like "clock work" and I'm quite comfortable in my routine. I may not be fast at it (don't know how some can possibly load 400-500 an hour), but speed is not a priority for me......quality is. Anyhow, there's my two cents for what it's worth.

:yesnod:

[RustyFN]

I know what you mean. I am used to loading on a Lee classic turret and went over a friends to test drive his Dillon 550. Needless to say it took a little getting used to. The one good thing was that they both prime with the ram at the bottom.
Rusty

[Steve Koski]

It does take a while to get a rhythm.

I helped a guy set up a pro 1000 a while back. Seemed fairly straight forward to operate to me, having used a 550 for years. However, watching him you'd think he was trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle in mid air with his fingers and toes.

I kept wanting to chant out the order of operations. He never "got it" while I was there. I imagine he did eventually. The joys of learning...

[creophus]

Oreo, when you make a mistake, slow down and do it over again. Pressing the ram forward instead of down is a habit that you need to get into. The LCT and the 550 as well as some others (already mentioned) require that same step.