No,my our question is valid.

Reloading for rifle always has extra steps because of the shape of the case. You always want to prep the case before you start reloading. You need to clean, deprime, lube, size, (clean again), then trim to length... and possibly remove the primer crimp. THEN you can start the regular loading process of priming, loading powder, inserting bullet to the correct length and crimp.

Now, for pistol caliber rounds the straight walls make all the difference. After cleaning the brass you can deprime/size in one go, then primer, powder, seat the bullet/crimp....

I recommend you read a few books (ABCs of reloading), watch some youtubes and even get some experienced people to show you. You need to learn, learn, learn!

 

I real take a long time reloading rifle cartridges I check and recheck everything.

 

I've loaded over 10,000 rounds with that press, mostly .45.

My system is that I size and de-prime. Step two is clean the brass, by either tumbling or chemical. Step three is prime with a Lee handheld priming tool.
Then I get my heads together, powder filled and then just put the primed case in, hit the powder, turn the turret, put the bullet in and seat, and then finish by turning to the taper crimp. I batch about 100 at a time, and then do some more. I don't check case length as my loads headspace on the edge of my cast heads wadcutter shoulder. I don't lube cases with my carbide pistol dies.

YOU on the other hand should include steps of primer pocket checking, case lube and trimming somewhere along the way for your bottlenecked rifle cartridge loading. Speed is not your concern.

 

Its not that your overthinking it, but once you start reloading it will start to make sense. Also, everybody reloads a bit differently so steps may vary.

I just started reloading 300 Blackout with the Lee classic turret press. My brass has been coming out like new but I put a lot of time into it. My steps are as follows assuming i'm reloading once fired 300BLK (as opposed to 5.56 I cut and convert to 300BLK)

1. Deprime with deprime / decapping die ( extra step but necessary if military crimp needs to be removed)
2. Swag or ream out military crimp if reloading once fired lake city brass ( only needs to be done once )
3. Tumble briefly to clean for sizing (I don't use the SS pins for this step)
4. Lube and Resize ( i also check each piece with a Sheridan headspace gauge for proper size and headspace )( The Imperial Sizing wax works Very Well)
5. Trim - ( i trim close to min length, next few reloads will not require triming again )
6. Chamfer, deburr, clean and uniform primer pocket
7. I uniform the flash hole (only needs to be done once) ( this allows more consistent powder ignition ) ( i use the Lyman prep center for steps 6 and 7)
8. Clean with Stainless steel pin wet tumbler for 3 hours (highly recommend, the brass comes out like new) ( Dry and ready to load)

 

You may want to consider getting the cheapest Lee single stage press and the Lee universal de-capping die to remove the primers first and then go on to the rest of the process. This is what I had set up in my old house to do reloading and it worked good. As others have said, rifle reloading is time consuming but you will eventually develop a rhythm and it will not seem so tedious .

 

You may want to consider getting the cheapest Lee single stage press and the Lee universal de-capping die to remove the primers first and then go on to the rest of the process.

I already have it.

Some great information provided above and I started reading Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.

 

I also do reloading in stages.
Tumble clean,
Deprime,
Lube and resize,
Trim (if needed),
Uniform primer pockets,
Re-tumble brass,
Hand prime ( I like to check that the primers are seated nice and tight),
Then I go to the press and finish reloading.

 

I prep my brass in batches (100 per batch) and store it in plastic bags until I'm read to load it. I do like one or two a week until its all prepped.

 

I've loaded thousands of .223 rounds on a Lee Turrent press.
What I do is deprime and size in one step (You can remove the indexing rod and fly through it).

Next I remove primer crimp with my drill mounted primer removal thingy.

Next I trim with my uber expensive Giraud drill mounted thingy.

Now I have prepped, unprimed brass.

Now move to the turret press...Raise ram (NO case in shell holder) and press primer in to primer cup. Lower ram to halfway point. insert case and LOWER ram to install primer.
Proceed as usual.
Works like butter and still Waaaaay faster than a single stage.

PS: I tumble my brass once in walnut media and that's it. No primer pocket "Prep" either.

 

I tumble, lube, deprime/resize, prime, drop powder, seat and crimp. Done.

Prior to that I separate what been de-crimped and what has not. If a crimp needs to be cut out I deprime, use a countersink bit and drill, one second and the crimp is gone.
I don't uniform the flash hole, I don't clean the primer pocket, I don't trim .223/5.56, this is plinking ammo, and I have not had any problems.

 

I currently have 3 stages of .223 reloads in stock:

Group 1 is reloaded once, not trimmed and still has primer crimp.

Group 2 is reloaded twice, no primer crimp and not trimmed.

Group 3 is reloaded one or twice, no primer crimp and Trimmed to correct size.

Loading group 1 and having to stop every 25 or so rounds to pry out a demolished primer from the primer cup got me thinking I was wasting a lot of time, better start addressing the primer crimp issue.
Loading group 2 was how I planned to proceed moving forward. The primers slip in like BUTTAH.

However...

I started reading about why brass needs to be trimmed and began measuring a random sampling of my once fired brass. I figure half were off by a little and several were off by quite a bit, like break your fingers trying to hold the shell in the trimmer bad.
Bottom line is if your case is too long and the case shoulder rests in the lands of the rifling your AR can indeed go BOOOOOOOM.

This is why from now on, i'm sticking with group 3.

Be careful my friend.

 

How many plinks have you terminated without cleaning the primer pocket?

OP-

The die makers have tried to take a step out of a cumbersome process. They have combined decapping with sizing, either neck sizing or full sizing the case.

Some use a collet,sizer with decapping pin like Lee, some use an expander button that the decapping pin sits in (just about all of the other die makers). It is a matter of preference. I have a single stage RCBS press and usually will decap with a separate decapping die (no sizing or expanding being done) and then (after cleaning, etc.) I use a neck bushing die to get the outside neck measurement exactly where I want it for minimal neck tension. It is an extra step but I am not doing several hundred handloaded rounds per week. If you want to decap separately, you can always unscrew the decapping rod and pin from your resizing die.