Review: Hornady's Bullet Feeder Part 1 & Part 2 more pictures & 2 videos

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Review: Hornady's Bullet Feeder Part 1 & Part 2 more pictures & 2 videos

Posted: 12/7/2010 1:08:31 PM EDT

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Posted: 12/7/2010 6:32:08 PM EDT

[#1]

do you reload 9mm or 380? i would be interested to see how those work

Posted: 12/7/2010 7:13:30 PM EDT

[#2]

This thread needs PICS

Thanks for the write up!!

Posted: 12/7/2010 10:54:22 PM EDT

[#3]

Nice first post, in for moar.

Posted: 12/7/2010 11:27:33 PM EDT

[#4]

Lots of good info in your initial review. Thanks for taking the time!

Posted: 12/8/2010 10:32:12 AM EDT

[#5]

Arghh, it's reading stuff like this that ends up costing me $$$.

Posted: 12/8/2010 11:35:21 AM EDT

[#6]

We need pics!

Excellent write up. I've been looking at buying one for my 650.

Posted: 12/8/2010 11:38:06 AM EDT

[#7]

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Posted: 12/8/2010 1:49:32 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
do you reload 9mm or 380? i would be interested to see how those work

Not .380. and .40 has replaced my 9mm. I do have a friend who reloads his 9mm on my stuff. I'm thinking the least he can do is buy the $25 feeder die. When he does I'll test it and add the data to this thread...sorry.

Later today pictures and more review. It is amusing that my mod works pretty well to feed .40 now...all but the last bullet.

(9 out of 10 in a minute) Go figure. The single, lighter, angle-nosed .40 is totally unpredictable...it has an attitude. I'm willing to bet the 9mm with its traditional rounded nose will feed better.

somewhat related.....
ya i load 40 for myself and 9mm for my GF. i have loaded 40 with my new case feeder (i do have a LnL AP) but haven't tried to load 9mm yet. I was talking to someone that does load 9mm and they have constant problems with it to the point they were saying it almost isn't worth it. he has a really early AP

Posted: 12/9/2010 2:16:51 AM EDT

[#9]

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Posted: 12/9/2010 4:13:49 PM EDT

[#10]

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Posted: 12/9/2010 10:10:33 PM EDT

[#11]

Taggingfor more info and when I get one for my L N L.

Posted: 12/10/2010 1:54:43 AM EDT

[#12]

From looking at photos of the hopper , is there any way to ad a clear tube with a limit/micro switch. my one Question is how does the spring sit into the die and what is the diamater of the spring. I gess we will have to wait till you get the feeder mounted to see if you can shorten up the spring to add in a clear tube in.

Posted: 12/10/2010 10:37:00 AM EDT

[#13]

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Posted: 12/10/2010 10:42:01 AM EDT

[#14]

TAG for 411.

Posted: 12/10/2010 10:54:41 AM EDT

[#15]

Will this feed lead?

Posted: 12/10/2010 11:59:24 AM EDT

[#16]

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Posted: 12/10/2010 4:07:49 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
From looking at photos of the hopper , is there any way to ad a clear tube with a limit/micro switch. my one Question is how does the spring sit into the die and what is the diamater of the spring. I gess we will have to wait till you get the feeder mounted to see if you can shorten up the spring to add in a clear tube in.

I'm betting on it. The Spring tube just drops into the top of the die. Didn't measure it, but it probably sits in the die an 3/4 to an inch. No fastening just drop it in. I'm going to get out the calipers today and measure everything...so hang on....I will post that info with the pictures of the parts. But I'll let people know they're there in a new post.

I have tried out the dies on the press by dropping a bunch of bullets in the spring tube...that how I found out the .45 wouldn't feed at all...and went looking for the cause. Making the upper collet pass bullets did the trick.

As for a micro-switch...first thing I've got to find is tubing the right size...I got the rest.

Thanks, from looking at the pics is there a need for the spring at all can you just replace it with clear tubing. From my understanding on how the system works the spring does very litlle execpet guid the rounds into the die, then why do you need diftent size srping for each cal.

Posted: 12/10/2010 8:14:35 PM EDT

[#18]

Tag for more information.

The collator sounds pretty inefficient as far as feeding bullets into the drop tube. Which is something I noticed on the videos of the RCBS Bullet feeder. Seems like each rotation it knocks down more bullets that were oriented the proper direction then it actually feeds.

The real question is going to be how fast can it feed without running out of bullets in the feed tube?

I have been holding out to see what this Hornady feeder will deliver, but at least thus far I think I will be going with the Mr. Bullet Feeder instead.

I can't wait to see this thing hooked up and running on a progressive press w/casefeder and given a run for its money...

-Masta

Posted: 12/11/2010 1:10:09 AM EDT

[#19]

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Posted: 12/11/2010 3:42:28 PM EDT

[#20]

Well done GWhis, I set the toggle to keep this thread out of the archives.

Posted: 12/11/2010 4:20:37 PM EDT

[#21]

Wow, thanks for the review!! Are you going to further this post once you've had a chance to load with it? I'd be interested to know how well it actually works and how much time you think it saves you.

Posted: 12/11/2010 5:18:36 PM EDT

[#22]

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Posted: 12/12/2010 1:07:56 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

By collet do you mean the grooved wheel? the collets are in the die. The sweepers mounted above the wheel, which are there to prevent upside down bullets from feeding, definitely do knock some properly oriented ones off, part of the time. Two reasons: 1. the wheel is so rough, that the bullets sometimes don't slide down out of the reach of the sweepers in time. 2. when the sweepers do their job, sometimes the properly "bumped" ones, touch oriented ones on the way down and bump them.

Sorry, I ment collator not collet.

Quoted:
Would be interested in knowing how much quicker the Mr. Bullet Feeder is at that.

I would be interested to know that as well. But just by the design of the Mr Bullet feeder, where it doesn't matter what way the bullet drops into the wheel it'll get fliped if it's nose down, so it feeds every single bullet that drops into the feed wheel. That alone will make it feed alot faster/more bullets. I wouln't think that the Mr Bullet Feeder would feed bullets any faster or slower weather it has 200 bullets or 10 bullets, if any slower it with less bullets, I can't imagine it would be much.

Quoted:
The cost was a big factor for me, as over-belled brass is not the final goal IMO. When they improve feeders to not do that to the cases, I'm prepared to pay more for a more final and better solution.

BTW, both RCBS and Hornady require case mouths belled/flared .030" over the bullet diameter...does Mr. Bullet Feeder require the same? That is called "too much flare" in most reloading manuals.

I think one of the big things in reguards to how much the case needs to be belled, is how fast/smooth the press operates. The faster and more jumpy the shell plate rotates and or the more shaking the machine does when rotating to the next station will all affect how stable the bullet will sit ontop of the case. I would think that all the bullet feed dies will require about the same amount of flare based on each machine, setup, caliber, operator, etc. In other words if I can feed 9mm with a Mr bullet feeder with only .010" of flare, I think I could use any of the other bullet feed dies feeding the same bullets with the same flare. But I could be wrong.

-Masta

Posted: 12/12/2010 9:06:36 AM EDT

[#24]

This looks an awful lot like the RCBS bullet feeder-a few minor differences in the hopper but it's basically the same. What's interesting is Hornady's take on the feeder die, which seems to be more solid and easier to adjust than RCBS's die. And Hornady says a rifle adapter is coming soon (not a "whole new $400 tool" like RCBS's rifle feeder is). This is a Very Good Thing.

Posted: 12/23/2010 2:05:08 PM EDT

[#25]

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Posted: 12/23/2010 2:35:25 PM EDT

[#26]

What is the height of this off of the bench?

Posted: 12/23/2010 3:25:14 PM EDT

[#27]

Thanks for the video's and write up.

That aluminum plate in the center really makes that collator clunky sounding!

After watching these video's, video's of the RCBS and reading your information/write up's, I am now 100% certain that I am going to go with the Mr Bullet feeder.

The Hornady/RCBS bullet feeders are cheaper, but they take way too much tinkering and even after all of that seem to only deliver mediocre results.

I expect my reloading equiptment to work, I don't mind tinkering and setting it up but once it's setup I expect it to deliver.

-Masta

Posted: 12/23/2010 4:34:21 PM EDT

[#28]

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Posted: 12/23/2010 5:55:31 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Picky, picky.

Actually, I was surprised. I thought it would be louder...it's half the decibels of my buddy's case collator on his 650.

Yeah the case feeder/collator can be kind of noisy! But I think it's a different sound, the bullets are heavy and have more of the *THUNK* sound vs the cases which just sound like you took a spoon and are sturing a big bucket full of brass bases.

Quoted:
Go for it! Nothing wrong with Ricks piece of art...just the money and the expensive caliber changes.

Yeah, I don't mind the cost of purchasing the unit, but the price of the caliber changes is a bit extreme. That said though, I only reload for 2 calibers and maybe someday a 3rd. For those that reload for more calibers would probably be turned off more by the cost of the caliber changes on the Mr Bullet Feeder.

Quoted:
There's mediocre and then there's perfectly adequate. Actually 30 feeds in 30 seconds isn't bad at all...if I kept the hopper supplied that's what it continues to feed....

Yeah, it seemed to feed fast enough as long as there were plenty of bullets in the hopper, but it does look like a dog chasing it's tale!

Quoted:
...Compared with changing calibers on a case feeder, its a breath of fresh air...not even noticeable. I will change tool heads (feed die already adjusted and installed in it.) and pull off and replace the spring and funnel. Twenty seconds for both...easy.

I don't know what case feeder you've done a caliber change in? But the Dillon case feeder takes literally about 20-30 seconds to change calibers, even less if you are just changing from 1 pistol caliber to another or 1 rifle caliber to another. The case feed wheel literally just lifts out and the other size wheel just drops right on, then you change out the base plate in the case pusher slide and the drop tube bushing, that's it unless you are going from pistol to rifle or vise versa, then you have 1 additional step of reversing the case drop ramp, which takes about 10-15 seconds to do, you just rotate it.

-Masta

Posted: 12/23/2010 9:03:32 PM EDT

[#30]

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Posted: 12/23/2010 9:24:40 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
So for most installations, the bench to front hopper lip would be 22 1/2". That's way lower than RCBS's and I think the Mr. Bullet Feeder. If I mount the stop switch I'm building, I plan to raise it some more.

That is not too bad. I have seen the case feed quoted at 37 1/2" off the bench top. So that is still the limiting factor (height wise).

Posted: 8/13/2011 7:59:08 PM EDT

[#32]

What size are those spring tubes that they use? I see that there are 3 different ones.

Posted: 8/13/2011 8:52:13 PM EDT

[#33]

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Posted: 3/1/2012 12:37:37 PM EDT

[#34]

GWhis so how is the Hornady working out for you? wondering about put one on the 1050 as my hands tend to cramp after a bit

Posted: 5/18/2013 2:06:10 AM EDT

[#35]

GWhis: I realize this is an old post but wanted to make this public and use My first post on this site is to thank you for the time and effort you put in to this review!

In fact calling it a review falls far short of the critical analysis, problem solving and DIY instruction you provided...

I have been loading/reloading for almost 40 years due to the fact that my Granddad reloaded and started teaching me at a young age, and I have a large collection of mainly Hollywood and Dillion reloading equipment,

When I decided to add a new RCBS Pro 2000, I started searching for people that had added a Hornady Bullet Feeder to the press and I found this page...

Your concepts and their implementation saved me from buying a much more expensive and complicated bullet feeder, possibly multiple feeders....

Again,

Outstanding work!

FUBAR-6

Wounded Warrior Alumni

Posted: 5/18/2013 12:43:59 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:

GWhis: I realize this is an old post but wanted to make this public and use My first post on this site is to thank you for the time and effort you put in to this review!

In fact calling it a review falls far short of the critical analysis, problem solving and DIY instruction you provided...

I have been loading/reloading for almost 40 years due to the fact that my Granddad reloaded and started teaching me at a young age, and I have a large collection of mainly Hollywood and Dillion reloading equipment,

When I decided to add a new RCBS Pro 2000, I started searching for people that had added a Hornady Bullet Feeder to the press and I found this page...

Your concepts and their implementation saved me from buying a much more expensive and complicated bullet feeder, possibly multiple feeders....

Again,

Outstanding work!

FUBAR-6

Wounded Warrior Alumni

Welcome to the Reloading forum and Arfcom, great first post.

The important threads in this forum, like this one, have been toggled. Which keeps them out of the archives.

Last 4 or 5 pages of this forum is where they "hide" just waiting for someone to add a post to them.

Someplace to go and check when you have a question.

Near the top of the page, there is a tacked thread (Useful Posts) and that is where anyone can post a hot link to a thread.

Just beware, we will cost you money when you see the tools/techniques we are using.