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Posted: 2/5/2012 11:58:14 AM EDT
| I am finally going to use my head and begin to reload, but I am brand new to it. So, I have the obvious question of which press would be best, and what other equipment will I need/want? So far, I am gathering that a turret press might be best, but if I am wrong, please correct me. I will be reloading several calibers including .223, .45acp, .308win, 9mm, and 762 x39, so the ease and cost of changing from size to size is something to keep in mind. While I am not seeking the cheapest items, I don't truly need the most expensive either. Quality and ease of use are the important points!! I have the ABC's of Reloading on the way, and I would to have the equipment in front of me as I am reading and learning. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all. |
| Well there are several things that we need to know. How many rounds are you going to make at a time? If you are going to run a few hundred of each round or several thousand. I have a dillion RL550B and love it sofar. I run 500-1000 at a time of 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, .223 and .308. The cost of changing calibers can add up quickly. |
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While it might be nice to have "the equipment in front of you" while you read....
I will suggest you take it a little slower and read as much as you can first. In addition to the ABC's book, grab one or two reloading manuals like the Sierra or equivalent. Read all of the sticky notes as well. Your first decision is a leap of faith, meaning you really don't know if you want to jump in with both feet on the right equipment since it tends to be a sizable investment. Going with less means waste since you may not achieve your goals without spending again. For example, single stage or turret machines tend to be better at precision and flexibility with progressive machines having an advantage in terms of time and efficiency. If you spend more, the progressive equipment can also tend toward precision with some compromises. 1) Think about your goals first. 2) Assume you will be successful and make it through the learning curve for the long haul. 3) Know that there are trades between tools and techniques, it takes research to avoid pitfalls and disappointments. 4) Get a mentor if at all possible. I started reloading very young. At first I did what I was taught and I was lucky to be taught well. Experience gained from others lead me to understand the trades between methods before I had to spend my own money to find out. In other words, get a mentor if at all possible. Better if they are versatile and objective. Guys who can load shot, pistol and rifle, both single and progressive will tend to give better advice with less prejudice. If you are really interested in loading, assume you will have both progressive tools for efficiency as well as flexible tools for small batch and precision load development. Take your time and select your near term goals after reading as much as you can before you launch. You may decide to get volume up quickly with a progressive, or to learn precision load development with that turret press first. You won't go wrong either way. |
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Well there are several things that we need to know. How many rounds are you going to make at a time? If you are going to run a few hundred of each round or several thousand. I have a dillion RL550B and love it sofar. I run 500-1000 at a time of 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, .223 and .308. The cost of changing calibers can add up quickly. I think this is one of the most important questions some one new to reloading should ask themselves. If you shoot 1000 rounds a month, loading for a couple hours a night will only take a few days. Easily done on a single stage. On a progressive it would only take a few hours one night. |
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I am finally going to use my head and begin to reload, but I am brand new to it. So, I have the obvious question of which press would be best, and what other equipment will I need/want? So far, I am gathering that a turret press might be best, but if I am wrong, please correct me. I will be reloading several calibers including .223, .45acp, .308win, 9mm, and 762 x39, so the ease and cost of changing from size to size is something to keep in mind. While I am not seeking the cheapest items, I don't truly need the most expensive either. Quality and ease of use are the important points!! I have the ABC's of Reloading on the way, and I would to have the equipment in front of me as I am reading and learning. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all. How did you conclude this? I don't really see the attraction to turret presses. The lee 4 hole auto advance turret, maybe. I had one, it was OK. I like my RCBS rock chucker IV better. |
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I am finally going to use my head and begin to reload, but I am brand new to it. So, I have the obvious question of which press would be best, and what other equipment will I need/want? So far, I am gathering that a turret press might be best, but if I am wrong, please correct me. I will be reloading several calibers including .223, .45acp, .308win, 9mm, and 762 x39, so the ease and cost of changing from size to size is something to keep in mind. While I am not seeking the cheapest items, I don't truly need the most expensive either. Quality and ease of use are the important points!! I have the ABC's of Reloading on the way, and I would to have the equipment in front of me as I am reading and learning. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all. How did you conclude this? I don't really see the attraction to turret presses. The lee 4 hole auto advance turret, maybe. I had one, it was OK. I like my RCBS rock chucker IV better. This is what I read from various posts here and elsewhere. I have read that progressive machines are not best for beginners, and that the single stage action was better for learning each step. I try to read what I can, and now I am asking for questions and opinions!! |
| Thanks for the replies. First, I would like to process around 2k rounds of .223, and several hundred of the other calibers a month. I used to shoot often, but the price increases have really put a damper on this hobby we share. The savings of reloading can allow me to once again enjoy myself at the range. As far as reading first, I agree with that. My thoughts are that there are definite advantages to being able to look at the item you are reading about. I believe that hands on learning is important. Many of the presses come with loading literature and I will read more as I am learning. The bottom line is if I am going to get into doing this, I would be thankful if someone shared their productive thoughts as to what equipment is a good start, and what stuff to steer clear of. I understand that the initial costs are high, but it will pay itself off in a short amount of time. Thanks again guys. I hope there is more to share with me!!! |
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Lot's of guys ask this question. It is good to know what people recommend, and also what they are actually using. I started a thread to get some input and several reloaders posted their gear. We haven't gotten to the reviews of good or bad, but for the most part it all works well.
The thread Now, you will hear all kinds of info from all kinds of people if you throw out a blanket statement like "what is best." I was going to start on a single stage, and eventually was convinced to buy a progressive. I bought the Dillon 550B and am so glad that I did. There is NOTHING wrong with a single stage or a turret. I had considered the RCBS Rock Chucker kit, the Lee Anniversary Kit, Redding Big Boss with the Versa Kit, Hornady Lock N Load (LNL) AP, Dillon RL550B, 650, and 1050. I thought that I needed a single stage to learn the steps and work up accurate loads. You can do that on a progressive. The progressive goes as fast as you do. For a beginner, the 550B is fine to use. There are guys on this forum and on Brian Enos forum that can help you get through a problem, and there is also a lot of info on youtube (so that you can watch and be the judge of whether it is good info or not). What is "best" is what will meet your needs and make you happy that you spent the money. For example, in single stage presses the RCBS Rock Chucker doesn't have a primer feed system. You need to prime by hand (just like the Lee). The Redding press does have a primer feed system, but it costs more. The Dillon 550B has to be manually indexed (turn the shell plate that holds the cases), and the 650 does it automatically with each pull of the handle. You can learn on a 650, but the 550 will be easier to control where the cases are as you are starting out. You also have to be more careful so you don't pull the handle without rotating the shellplate. The progressives will save you more time, so even if you only reload a few rounds a month, you will have more time to chase the kids around the house and other family duties. If you're a benchrest shooter, though, you may appreciate the time and accuracy that you get from a single stage. This has gotten long-winded. I recommend the Dillon 550B, with one caliber to start. You won't regret it. You may end up buying a single stage and a super-whamo-dyne bigger press later, but you won't regret the 550. |
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Lot's of guys ask this question. It is good to know what people recommend, and also what they are actually using. I started a thread to get some input and several reloaders posted their gear. We haven't gotten to the reviews of good or bad, but for the most part it all works well. The thread Now, you will hear all kinds of info from all kinds of people if you throw out a blanket statement like "what is best." I was going to start on a single stage, and eventually was convinced to buy a progressive. I bought the Dillon 550B and am so glad that I did. There is NOTHING wrong with a single stage or a turret. I had considered the RCBS Rock Chucker kit, the Lee Anniversary Kit, Redding Big Boss with the Versa Kit, Hornady Lock N Load (LNL) AP, Dillon RL550B, 650, and 1050. I thought that I needed a single stage to learn the steps and work up accurate loads. You can do that on a progressive. The progressive goes as fast as you do. For a beginner, the 550B is fine to use. There are guys on this forum and on Brian Enos forum that can help you get through a problem, and there is also a lot of info on youtube (so that you can watch and be the judge of whether it is good info or not). What is "best" is what will meet your needs and make you happy that you spent the money. For example, in single stage presses the RCBS Rock Chucker doesn't have a primer feed system. You need to prime by hand (just like the Lee). The Redding press does have a primer feed system, but it costs more. The Dillon 550B has to be manually indexed (turn the shell plate that holds the cases), and the 650 does it automatically with each pull of the handle. You can learn on a 650, but the 550 will be easier to control where the cases are as you are starting out. You also have to be more careful so you don't pull the handle without rotating the shellplate. The progressives will save you more time, so even if you only reload a few rounds a month, you will have more time to chase the kids around the house and other family duties. If you're a benchrest shooter, though, you may appreciate the time and accuracy that you get from a single stage. This has gotten long-winded. I recommend the Dillon 550B, with one caliber to start. You won't regret it. You may end up buying a single stage and a super-whamo-dyne bigger press later, but you won't regret the 550. Good post, and I completely agree with the high lighted statement. |
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I'll caveat the comments about time saved with progressive presses.
An auto advance press is no faster than a manual advance press if it does not include a case and/or bullet feeder. The time required to handle bullets and cases dominates the time during each cycle, the difference in time to advance the shell plate by hand or let it auto advance is trivial. I also think auto advance presses are a bad choice for most beginners, due to the auto advance; if something goes bad during a step on a manual advance press, it's easily corrected without the shell plate moving. Not so with the auto advance press, and that moving shell plate can complicate life. |
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I'll caveat the comments about time saved with progressive presses. An auto advance press is no faster than a manual advance press if it does not include a case and/or bullet feeder. The time required to handle bullets and cases dominates the time during each cycle, the difference in time to advance the shell plate by hand or let it auto advance is trivial. I also think auto advance presses are a bad choice for most beginners, due to the auto advance; if something goes bad during a step on a manual advance press, it's easily corrected without the shell plate moving. Not so with the auto advance press, and that moving shell plate can complicate life. This is what I had read and mentioned earlier. Everyone has a differing opinion, so which machine do you feel is best for a beginner? I am not worried about saving a few hours of time, but am worried about the quality of the equipment, and the quality of my work. I prefer the extra step over the speed. In time, I can imagine multiple presses, but for now, it is one good press that a beginner can navigate. Your thoughts, along with the other members, are very welcome!! Thanks |
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I'll caveat the comments about time saved with progressive presses. An auto advance press is no faster than a manual advance press if it does not include a case and/or bullet feeder. The time required to handle bullets and cases dominates the time during each cycle, the difference in time to advance the shell plate by hand or let it auto advance is trivial. I also think auto advance presses are a bad choice for most beginners, due to the auto advance; if something goes bad during a step on a manual advance press, it's easily corrected without the shell plate moving. Not so with the auto advance press, and that moving shell plate can complicate life. This is what I had read and mentioned earlier. Everyone has a differing opinion, so which machine do you feel is best for a beginner? I am not worried about saving a few hours of time, but am worried about the quality of the equipment, and the quality of my work. I prefer the extra step over the speed. In time, I can imagine multiple presses, but for now, it is one good press that a beginner can navigate. Your thoughts, along with the other members, are very welcome!! Thanks Try the Dillon 550 and start with a straight wall pistol cartridge till you see if you like it. The manual index will give you a chance to get a feel for what you are doing before you take on an auto-index with case and bullet feeds. Like many things which hold good value, if you decide to sell the 550 or keep it, you won't go wrong. You will have a better background before you take on bottle neck cases or more complicated tasks. You can then decide if you will go with something like a 1050 or other. |
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I'll caveat the comments about time saved with progressive presses. An auto advance press is no faster than a manual advance press if it does not include a case and/or bullet feeder. The time required to handle bullets and cases dominates the time during each cycle, the difference in time to advance the shell plate by hand or let it auto advance is trivial. I also think auto advance presses are a bad choice for most beginners, due to the auto advance; if something goes bad during a step on a manual advance press, it's easily corrected without the shell plate moving. Not so with the auto advance press, and that moving shell plate can complicate life. This is what I had read and mentioned earlier. Everyone has a differing opinion, so which machine do you feel is best for a beginner? I am not worried about saving a few hours of time, but am worried about the quality of the equipment, and the quality of my work. I prefer the extra step over the speed. In time, I can imagine multiple presses, but for now, it is one good press that a beginner can navigate. Your thoughts, along with the other members, are very welcome!! Thanks Try the Dillon 550 and start with a straight wall pistol cartridge till you see if you like it. The manual index will give you a chance to get a feel for what you are doing before you take on an auto-index with case and bullet feeds. Like many things which hold good value, if you decide to sell the 550 or keep it, you won't go wrong. You will have a better background before you take on bottle neck cases or more complicated tasks. You can then decide if you will go with something like a 1050 or other. Thank you for your input. Besides the press, I will need other items. Any thoughts on those things? |
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Don't guess small or cheap on your other equipment. If you go with a vibratory tumbler, get the biggest one you can take.
I like the Thumbler's Tumbler for the durability. Cheap ones don't last. Dillon also makes a large unit which my friends like. I also like Dillon's large media separator. If you go with single stage processes, you will also need a good scale and powder dispenser. The RCBS Chargemaster Combo has a fair scale and dispenses powder well. For traditional powder throwing, I like the Redding and Hornady units. Both are very durable. For traditional hand lathe trimmers, I like the Forster units. They can also neck turn and have a three-way cutter that does all three cuts at once so you don't have to debur. For volume trimming, I like the Giraud unit. I always keep at least one (or more) Rock Chuckers for details and load development aside from the progressive presses. |
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Dillon 550 or 650 for the volume you want to reload. I probably should add some more info. I did miss one caliber that I already own in my original list, and that is 6.8spc. I am also looking into getting into long range precision shooting and was leaning towards a .338 lapua. With all of the various caliber rifles and handguns I own, reloading is now the only option. In my previous post I answered the question of quantity and went to the high side. It is not out of the question for me to go through 500 rounds of .223 a trip, and 100-200 rounds of the other assorted calibers, but the more guns I take, the less I will shoot of each one. So, with the future addition of a precision rifle, would a single stage or turret press be the best choice? I have read that the progressive machines are not best for precision loads. I know I am talking far ahead in my reloading capabilities, and I will start with a straight walled handgun caliber before I try getting into bottle necked calibers, but I would say it is better that my initial purchases suit all my needs, present and future. Does this change your opinion? Thank You also for taking the time to help a new guy |
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No matter which equipment you choose, you won't make a huge mistake. However out of the LEE line, there are only two bench mounted presses I would recommend, one is the Classic Cast single stage, the other is the Classic Cast Turret.
Amongst the other tools you'll need, LEE dies are very good. My complaint with them is the feel of the aluminum components. Most people change the lock ring for one made by Hornady or Forster. Occasionally one of the die makers lets a bad die out, but it's rare, and they all will fix the problem without cost or drama. The LEE hand priming tool is known for its excellent feel, but it requires special shell holders and it's a little fragile. I would not say it's a best value, but it's close. LEE also makes a universal depriming tool that works as well as can be expected. The box of LEE shell holders is a pretty good buy for someone that loads many different cartridges with different case heads, but this isn't something that I would consider even remotely a must buy. I don't care much for the rest of the small LEE tools. They all embody good ideas in their concept, but the execution is weak in my opinion. I use a RCBS Pro 2000 manual advance press, a LEE hand press, and a RCBS Rockchucker for metallic loading (I gave my JR No. 2 to someone else). My Pro 2000 was made before the auto advance option became available. I bought this particular press for three or four basic reasons - I needed to be able to load more ammunition for shooting Highpower matches, the cost of caliber conversion for this press is palatable, I liked the location of the powder measure and seating die, the 5 holes available in the die plate, and important for me, the shell plate rotation is counterclockwise, the same direction as my MEC shotgun presses. I would buy another one without hesitation, except for the current prices! I've used other presses, but these are what I have set up right now. I like Uniflow powder measures, if the micrometer metering stem is installed. Mine is modified with a Sinclair conical baffle with an adapter for a screw on bottle. I also like the Lyman #55 powder measures, especially for small powder charges; there's no doubt it's superior to the Uniflow for very small charges for handgun cartridges. |
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Dillon 550 or 650 for the volume you want to reload. I probably should add some more info. I did miss one caliber that I already own in my original list, and that is 6.8spc. I am also looking into getting into long range precision shooting and was leaning towards a .338 lapua. With all of the various caliber rifles and handguns I own, reloading is now the only option. In my previous post I answered the question of quantity and went to the high side. It is not out of the question for me to go through 500 rounds of .223 a trip, and 100-200 rounds of the other assorted calibers, but the more guns I take, the less I will shoot of each one. So, with the future addition of a precision rifle, would a single stage or turret press be the best choice? I have read that the progressive machines are not best for precision loads. I know I am talking far ahead in my reloading capabilities, and I will start with a straight walled handgun caliber before I try getting into bottle necked calibers, but I would say it is better that my initial purchases suit all my needs, present and future. Does this change your opinion? Thank You also for taking the time to help a new guy I still recommend the Dillon 550B as your initial press. With the right dies and powder, it will make very accurate ammo in most calibers. If you are going to get into "precision" shooting, and want the most uniform ammo possible, you can still load it on the 550B. It will just take more time. I started reloading on the 550B in .223. It's not difficult, you just need to take your time and learn how (AND WHY) each step is done. For regular ammo, run the cases through each station and churn out loaded rounds. For precision ammo, place the cases in each station after taking them out for extra care. For example: Place a prepped case in station one and seat the primer. Take it out and use a powder trickler and funnel to charge each case. Trim the meplat of each bullet, sort them by weight, and use a bullet comparator to separate them further. Place the charged case in station three and seat the sorted bullets using a match seating die. ("match" means is has a micrometer for setting depth and supports the case during seating) Crimp if you have a cannelure bullet, and.........precision ammo. There is more to precision shooting than that though. You could put a few "ultra-precise super-sniper" .338 rounds in a stock rifle and not have them shoot as well as factory .308 in a purpose built rifle. That's why you should start reloading for whatever caliber you shoot most right now and get your feet wet. Good luck. |
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