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The #^$%*&%ing Hornady Bullet Feeder Die

4K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  CBirnley 
#1 ·
This is all I can say right now!!!!

I'll check back when I am not so f(*&$&g ticked off at having wasted nearly a $%*^&#g hour trying to get this %(%*&#$_)g die to work correctly. What a ^(&$%g joke of a design...I am so (*&^*&&^g glad I wasted my money on this &^%*$g HORNADY BULLET FEEDER DIE. Maybe Hornady should stick to developing their rinky dink primer tube loader and BS quick draw safe. Stupid (*&^g POS!

I'll check back after I've washed my mouth and brain out with soap. Stupid mother(*&^(*g POS!

I need some aspirin!!!!
 
#3 ·
;)

GD, I would tell you to go *&^% yourself if you weren't a Mod and I wasn't such a nice guy! This is what I get for trying to support the Home team (I'm from NE.) My hope is that I am just a (*&^(*g idiot (which many folks would agree on) and that with some guidance, I can get this thing to work.

UGH!!!
 
#8 ·
I had seating variances on the LNL AP then read about a couple possibilities. One was a shim needed for die that those that have used it can speak to it to do the discussion justice. The other is the flex of the shell plate that fixed my seating variance. I use the other die positions to offer counter pressure for the seater die. I do the final seater adjustment with all the die position and shell plate positions loaded. I also lightly graphite lube the seater with the one shot dry lube to prevent friction drags. Any variances after that are the bullets problem that I resolve. All progressive presses have some seater variances from time to time. I called several tech support lines form the various press companies and they all own up to it. Hang in there and work with the tech support and they should get you thru it. Keep us posted.
 
#9 ·
Just return it for a refund. I have the LNL AP but I do not have the case feeder or bullet feeder. The case feeder looks like a decent add-on but the bullet feeder looks like a lot of headaches. I think you agree. Drymag has a couple of good tips, maybe they will help.

I cherish my time in the garage assembling ammo so I load at a slow to moderate pace, spot checking powder weights, COL and crimp, so I have no interest in further automation. I try to keep my press operation as simple as possible. My machine is dialed in and runs pretty much flawless (knock on wood).
 
#10 ·
RCC, my Case Feeder is dialed in and rocks...the darn bullet feeder was dialed in w my .40 s as well as .45 acp at 180g, but now that I am at 230, it is buggy.

I agree w you about the time spent loading. We have a 6 and 8 yo, so any free time I do get, I need it to be ultra-productive, hence my frustration.

I will most def heed the advice received on TFF...a great group of people!

Good night.
 
#11 ·
CBirnley:

The more automation you add to a progressive press the less reliable it becomes regardless of who makes it. It is also that some progressive presses are better designs, use better materials, and manufactured to better tolerances.

That is why I like the Dillon RL550B without auto advance of the shell plate. Of course, the limit of eliminating automation in the press is a single stage press. Been there, done that....I'd give up reloading if forced to go back to single stage reloading.

It is nice that Hornady and Dillon offer these presses and accessories that increase the speed of reloading (case feeders, bullet feeder, auto advance) but there is a price to pay...reduction in reliability. When automation is an add on feature rather than designed in, that also impacts reliability and initial fitting.

With all the frustration and %$#^^&*%..ing, do yourself a favor and get your money back. You may live longer.

LDBennett
 
#12 ·
Sorry to hear about your troubles...my bullet feeder works well (took a while to get everything going) for both 9's & 45's. Only 2 things that I don't like -- 1) collator is WAY too noisy; and 2) can't feed lead bullets through the dies. But when I'm running jacketed it works well for me.
 
#14 ·
I am sure you allready tried it, but you try screwing the adjustment die out a tiny bit so the longer bullets have some more room?

I have only used my feeder die with 9mm but I am pretty happy with it, FMJ as well as plated.
(Lead bullets are rare here)
 
#15 ·
I just started working with the bullet feeding dies (9 MM first) I have some RIGID "AQUATIC" TUBING on order from a California company, I'm making 3 foot bullet feeder tubes with
Hitch Pins to hold projectiles. (I do not have the collator).

I'm polishing the collets a bit as I use HI-TEK coated projectiles, not jacketed ones.
 
#16 ·
Woo hoo! Got it running, smoooooth!

I called Hornady and must have gotten a new engineer (or maybe he just finished up his night job at McDs or maybe he was the Mensa that designed the bullet feeder die) as he wanted me to call Precision Delta and discuss the SAMI specs with them, given that the outer diameter of their bullet was .006 smaller than the Hornady (re: expensive bullet), and THAT was what was causing the problem - I think he felt like I was calling his baby ugly. As I often tell people...do you want nice or honest? Sometimes you can't have both.

If you can't impress them w brains, baffle them w BS.

I kept working the problem and was able to get the die dialed in...

Thank you all for your insight.
 
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