Presses - so many choices

[Cdhutson]

I've spent the last month reading and re-reading two different reloading manuals. Now I'm ready to take the leap of buying the equipment. I have read many posts on scales, dies, etc but I'm looking for some sound advice on what to buy. At this pont I will be loading .45acp, .380 auto and 40 S&W for hole punching. I've been shooting WWB from Wally world. I think I'll start out trying to duplicate and then move into something a little more precise.

As for a press - I've read so much on everything from single stage to turret to progressive and I'm not quite sure where to start. I think a progressive (Dillon 550B) is probably a little too advanced at this stage. The turret sounds like a good option but which one and how many stations? I looked at some reloading kits at Cabellas yesterday but some of the components looked a little cheap and they came with digital scales and I beleive the consensus is that a beam scale is the way to go. Is it better to purchase the components seperately or get them in a kit?

[Texas Size 11]

I load the exact same calibers...I use a Hornady single stage press and I somewhat new to reloading so I did not want to mess with working with the turrets and progressive presses. I can sit down and knock out 100-200 at time easily. It's pretty easy to get moving once you get used to doing it. Hornady sells a nice kit that has everything but shell holders and dies. That is what I bought and have been very pleased with it from a quality standpoint.

I've rolled several of my own and have had no problems. After the intial outlay of cash my cost to shoot has gone down, especially as you keep going through your brass over and over. I have found I also enjoy reloading...it is a nice way to unwind for me.

Good luck.

[AggieMM]

For me, it was about volume (Competitive Shooting). I wanted a press that would allow me to load a good number of rounds in the least amount of time, without braking the bank. I settled on the Dillon 550B. Why? I liked how the 550B allowed you to setup for multiple calibers with minimal retooling (using multiple tool heads), and how with 104 pulls of the handle, I have 100 rounds. Most single stage presses would require 400+ pulls to achieve that. And I load 500-1000 rounds per sitting, so do the math.

Dillons aren't cheap, but you can find great used ones on the Brian Enos forums. And Dillon has a 100% No-bull Warranty, and even helped me on the phone to get mine running right.

YMMV, but I'd definitely recommend a progressive style press.

Here is my press, I added the Casefeeder recently to help speed up the process. It helped ALOT. Yes it wasn't cheap, but "time is money"......


Click for Larger Image

Good luck on whatever you decide. Reloading is FUN!!!!

Ryan

[gfmun]

I started reloading with a Dillon Square Deal B. That is a wonderful press. I moved up to a Dillon XL650 because I wanted to load some rifle (.223) which the SDB can't do.
What really worked for me was a buddy who came to the house and helped me get started and was available by phone with questions.

thanks,
George

[speedsix]

...RCBS Rock Chucker did me well...2 calibers and averaged only about 600 a week...it was relaxing and easy...if I went back to reloading, 3 calibers would be my limit...I'd go with another Chucker...the customer service is great...seldom needed...I loaded from a Speer #8...now THAT is "outdated"...

[fulano]

I started reloading for rifles and shotguns in the 70's when I was in my twenties. I have always used single stage presses even when I began to load for pistols. The single stage served me well. I sold my older Lee single stage press in 2003 and replaced it with a Hornady single stage. I wish I had bought a progressive press instead.

The reason is that my hands and my left shoulder are now troubled with arthritis and after a couple of hundred rounds I can feel the effects. I try to do the loading in stages separated by a night or with a long break in between but once you charge the cases you've got to finish and those are the longest sessions.

I may yet sell the single stage and buy a progressive. If my bones were younger, I'd be ok with the single stage.

[OldCannon]

I have a Lee turret press. I think the best advantage of such a press is that I can easily switch it from a 4-stage to a single stage in 5 seconds without any tools.

When you consider it's not significantly more than a single-stage, the advantages really start to show up.

Edit: This was the package deal I got about a year ago (https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?pag ... &Itemid=41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). It's still working great for me. No "buyer's remorse"!

Edit #2: I do _not_ recommend a beam scale, personally. I purchased a nice electronic scale from Cabelas and have been extremely happy with it.

[BobCat]

If you start with a single stage press it will never be wasted, you will always have use for it even after you get the Dillon. I still use the Rockchucker my brother and I bought used in 1971, for rifle. Dillons for pistol (was too cheap to buy a 550, found several 450s on ebay long ago - the 450 does not have interchangeable tool heads).

You can use the Dillon as a single stage press while learning, just put only one case in and run through all the stations, then the next one.

Whatever press you get will serve you well. Even Lee equipment, which many people look down on, gets the job done properly and reliably - it is not junk.

Have fun!

[RHenriksen]

I was in your shoes just a few months ago. I wound up getting a Hornady Lock& Load progressive, and have been very pleased. It's cheaper than Dillon, but has performed very well.

[PBratton]

'It's cheaper than Dillon" applies to most other presses...

I ran through the same thoughts when I started looking into reloading. I ending up with the XL650 and haven't regretted the decision.


It handles my .45, 9mm and 6.8 rounds now, looking to expand into .223 and maybe 7mm Mag.

Good Luck!

[UpTheIrons]

I love this place! On almost any other forum you'd hear "Buy the brand I use, 'cause all the others STINK!"

FWIW, I use a Lee turret press (for 9mm and .45 now, soon to add .357/.38) and will also get a single-stage soon (for rifle calibers). I like the flexibility of using the turret as a single-stage (that's how I knocked out my first 500 rounds) and then kicking the 'progressive' capability into gear.

I think a turret would be a good choice to start with (mine is a 4-position, and it came with all the doo-dads), but as BobCat said, you'll never get rid of a single-stage if you buy one. My dad still has the ancient Lee loaders he bought 40+ years ago for reloading 12ga and .410, and they're what I used to learn how to reload shotgun shells.

This is what I bought, and I've had no problems with it, but after reading more, I might have spent a few dollars more on the Classic Turret Kit. Lee Deluxe Turret Press Kit:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lee-Delu ... l+Products

[NcongruNt]

I don't have a lot to tell you, as I've been reloading for a year and a half and only have a single stage. I got the Lee 50th Anniversary kit with the single stage Challenger press.

As others have mentioned, if you start out with a single stage, you will always have a use for it. If you ever want to load some precision ammo, there is no substitute. I've had load workups (5 rounds for each charge) of .223 where my extreme spread on some groups was in the single digits with a standard deviation of 4.35! You can't reproduce that precision on a progressive. Single stage is certainly slower, but it also allows you to isolate the variances in your loads and much more easily and produce more consistent ammo.

I understand that you mainly want to make plinking ammo, so volume may be more of a concern for you. I'd recommend a turret over a progressive for your first press. The turret can still be used as a single stage so that you can familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of each step and understand where things may go wrong before you get into full-tilt production.

[OldCannon]

This is what I bought, and I've had no problems with it, but after reading more, I might have spent a few dollars more on the Classic Turret Kit. Lee Deluxe Turret Press Kit:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lee-Delu ... l+Products

I've seen lots of people ask about the difference between the Lee Classic and the Lee Deluxe, since they both appear identical (and are in function and purpose). Here's a good link that shows the differences, with pics!

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?p=2482152" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I believe the Classic can also be used more easily to reload "long" rifle ammunition (i.e. 30-06)

*edit: Fixed broken quote

[Gyrogearhead]

All the above advice is excelent. Whichever way you go you will be happy because in the world of big boy's toys you can never have enough equipment.

I started with an RCBS Rock Chucker kit and was very happy with it until I heard about and saw a Dillon progressive. When I finally got the Dillon I sold the Rock Chucker and bought more tool heads and dies with the money. Now that I've started casting my own bullets (45 ACP 200gn SWC) with a Lee six cavity mold I wish I had the Rock Chucker back to swage the bullets and run the hardness tester & etc. No matter when you get a progressive you'll always have a use for your single stage for odd jobs so don't get rid of it!

Gerry

[troglodyte]

Don't know nutin' about turrent or progressive.

BK I used a friend's Rockchucker to load thousands of rounds of .45 and .38/357mag. I'd spend a week or two loading up what we shot our last weekend out and then go shoot it all again. He had all the equipment and components, I supplied the manpower (and scrounged a good deal of lead). We both got to shoot a lot. Pretty sweet deal.

After a few years we both moved and my reloading days (and a lot of shooting) came to an end.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago and a different friend from church was moving and gave me his Rockchucker set up. It's like I never stopped (although I still don't get to shoot as much as I'd like. Who had these kids anyway?) Had to purchase some dies and components and I was up and running.

I really like the Rockchucker. Simple, pretty slow but it is relaxing. I tend to run a hundred miles a minute so having a press that makes me slow down is really good for me.

It's hard to beat a single stage press.