I've only been reloading for a year or so, sorry if this has been covered.
I started with a Honady single stage kit, and have worked up some pretty good loads for my AR's. Next I plan on loads for .40S&W and .243.  I've convince myself I won't get into a progressive press until I work up loads for .40 and .243 on my single stage that I'm happy with.
Anyway, here's my question: With a progessive press that has a case feeded, if you're pumping brass into it then resize/decap, prime, and start dropping powder, when do you messure and trim your brass? It seems to me (again, new guy) that some brands of brass grow quite a bit after resizing. Are you concerned about not trimming brass?

Pistol brass doesn't stretch when you size it, so there's not much need for trimming it.

What about progressive loading for .223 or .243? Do you just resize and prime everything on the progressive, then measure and trim, then go back to the press?

You could use the case feeder, and run all of them through the sizing/depriming station, then trim them all. Then, just take out the sizing die, and run the cases back through to prime, charge, and seat.

I load pistol and rifle ammo on my Dillon XL650. The press has 5 stations, with the case feeder bringing polished/lubed brass to Station 1.

For pistol ammo, I load in one pass:
1) Deprime and resize (Lee carbide sizing die)
2) Prime, flare case mount and dispense powder (Dillon powder die)
3) Powder Check (optional)
4) Seat bullet (Dillon seating die)
5) Crimp (Lee Factory Crimp die)

For rifle ammo, I load in two passes:
A1) Deprime (Lee universal depriming die)
A2) Empty
A3) Full length resize and trim (Dillon RapidTrim die)
A4) Empty
A5) Flare case mouth (Lee Universal Flaring die)

... then I tumble the brass to remove the lube and flash from the trim operation, swage the primer pockets if necessary, then:

B1) Deprime to remove any polishing media from the flash hole (Lee universal depriming die)
B2) Prime and dispense powder (Dillon powder die)
B3) Powder Check (optional)
B4) Seat bullet (RCBS seating die)
B5) Crimp (Lee Factory Crimp die)

After I build up a good supply of once fired reloaded brass, I am going to switch to an RCBS X-Die for sizing rifle brass, so I can reload it in one pass like pistol ammo (that's the theory anyway).

HTH

for .223 i think i deprime and trim on the press first and then once the brass is ready i put it in the auto feed hopper. from there the first down stroke is a fresh brass then the primer, then powder, then seat bullet, then crimp, then kicked out.



IIRC I dont have my notes with me right now.



 

Necked rifle cases take a two step process to handload.  The first pass through the press is a case prep cycle and after that's completed many handloaders put up their prep'd brass for a later time when they actually reload it.  The reloading cycle is a completely separate cycle using different dies and processes.






• Dillon
Decapper / Resizer die in #1 - I resize and decap at this stage
5. Drop
Brass in Casefeeder and crank handle to Decap / Resize and Trim - if necessary




7. Inspect
brass again and Dillon Case Gauge - Lot samples: 10% of total. If question,
then gauge every case
9. Store
prep'd brass for reloading in future










• Lee
Universal Decapper die in #1 - to remove any media in flash hole
• Dillon
Powder Check die in #3
• Dillon
FCD in #5
3. Inspect
finished rounds








 
 
 

Thanks Steve, great ino for a new guy. I guess I better get busy with my .40's and .243's so I can buy my Dillon guilt-free!