Shades of $28 Bullet Feeder! LnL Bullet Tubes!

As you know I use a RCBS Pro 2000. Having a little experience with a Dillon 650 and a Lee Pro 1000, and analyzing the features, anomalies, and annoyances of each, I bought the green press. I was looking for a tool that would allow 3 caliber changes per night without taking half of the time changing calibers. For me the green just fit best.

However its hard to not like Dillon's built-in case feeder, and even Hornady's more troublesome case feeder is useful. Lee's case feeder is simple and it works pretty well too. But none had a bullet feeder until RCBS came out with theirs. Hornady followed, and though Richard Lee's inventions are mostly great his bullet feeder is an exception.

My attitude has changed a bit since I first started loading on a progressive. I am not entertained my the loading races you see on Youtube. I think it's dangerous to load with abandon like that. However....feeders are more useful than just speed. They allow total focus on what's important....powder charge.

Tube bullet loaders came about because I was modifying my new Hornady Bullet Feeder to use clear tubes and a stop switch, and I posted the "How-To" thread over on AR15.com. A fellow who calls himself AlliedArmory, read my thread and a light bulb in his head lit up.  He started a new thread called "$28.00 Bullet Feeder for Any Progressive" using the same tubes I described in my thread that I mated to my Hornady Feeder Die.  AlliedArmory's Thread went viral!  Soon it was in every reloading forum in the world.  Suddenly loaders who couldn't afford the expensive feeders could build one quick and and save a lot of time.  RCBS noticed, and they came out with their "Tube Bullet Feeder" within a few months.  It took Hornady much longer to see the light. 

The light?  Some have opined that without an electric collator it's a waste of time.  They argue that you can feed bullets on cases as fast as filling tubes with bullets.  However they miss seeing an opportunity it can provide.  When one relaxes with the wife in front of the TV (together time pleases the wife), watching your favorite TV Series, you can sneak in a little hand activity.  Popcorn comes to mind, but popping bullets in tubes isn't any harder than stuffing popcorn in your mouth, and only one doesn't make you fatter.   (also that's one of the FEW reloading activities, where you don't need 100% focused concentration)

So, say you want to load 500 of two calibers when the shows are over.  Think how simple and fast the session will go if you already have 1000 bullets loaded in tubes ready for action.  (and you don't have to change your bullet feeder other than changing the feed die.  The plastic tubes are laughingly cheap to buy.

Finally to answer Dan's question:  While feeding everything is best (that's what I do now), if I can only have one feeder, I'd rather have a bullet feeder.  Cases are a breeze to shove into a slot in the case plate.  You hardly need to think about it.  Bullets are another matter.  You have to place then on a case, then guide them into the die so that two things happen.  They go in straight and you fingers don't get pinched or mashed between the case and the die when you try to speed the process up to get a rhythm going.