I have a hard time keeping bullets in the case between the feeder and seater

My prep setup is:

Casefeed
1) deprime
Swage it
2) empty
3) empty
4) trim

My load setup:

Casefeed
1) resize/deprime X die
Prime
2)powder
3)bullet feed
4) hornady micrometer seater
5)lee FCD

Adding an M die to the prep stage seems an obvious solution, but if I keep my brass sorted I don't have to prep it more than once since I use the x die, so the m die there would increase my workload

Adding an M die to the load setup means I either lose crimp, or lose micrometer seating by going to a seat and crimp die

I thought there was some sort of PTX die for 223 that gave it a slight mouth to receive the bullet

Looking for advice

1050/1100 or buy a Dillon rt1500 and size/trim on your prep toolhead.

Move the resize die to prep and the m die in station 1.

He’s trimming as a separate step so that won’t work for OP.

The goal is to be able to run the x die on the loading head of the 650, so if I'm able to keep track of my once prepped brass it doesn't need the prep toolhead anymore.

Relying on the prep toolhead to resize means I lose that ability and everything gets processed every time.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but I would prefer to combine seat and crimp to use an M die, or obtain a magical .223 PTX type thing

Did you trim your once fired brass down to 1.74” ?

If so, for the 2nd, 3rd, and possibly 4th firing/reloading, the brass might still be under 1.76” long.

You can just use a universal decapper in station #1 of your load toolhead.

Then you could use a Redding S die with a 0.245 neck bushing.

Powder/charge through die like normal.

Then use boattail bullets for seating.

Using a crimp die is optional.

Shoot em!

EDIT:


You could keep the X die (for decapping/resizing) in station #1.

Put the M die at station # 2

The Dillon Powder Measure can go in station #3 (if you Retrograde the powder measure and get the two tension springs that make the powder bar return to the "neutral" position)

Bullet feeder goes in at station #4 .

#5 is your micrometer adjustable seating die....

Skip the Lee FCD entirely.

Make sure they all fit the case gauge.

Then shoot ‘em.

When you size/trim in station 4 on your prep toolhead, doesn't that size your brass? How are you trimming?