Reloading Press UPDATE post 114

[beetle]

Trying to discourage the guy?

Otherwise I concur. I enjoy the hobby. I can load whatever I want, whenever I want.

lol not trying to discourage the OP -- just didn't want him to go overboard if he has never reloaded before. But since he has reloaded 9mm, he knows what reloading is all about. In that case he can go with a better machine...

It's gotta' be looked at as a hobby, or maybe a subset of shooting and guns generally. Old saying is you'll not save any money, but you'll have a lot more ammo.

The Lee Load-All is a very basic tool...lots of plastic. On the very high end is a Mec hydraulic-powered press I and two shooting buddies bought while in Texas.

yes the load-all is very basic, but I know of a couple of shooters who reload using it. they are not high volume shooters -- maybe 2-4 boxes every few weeks.

the MEC hydraulic is a good press, but if you want to go high end it's gotta be a hydraulic Spolar!

[trapperjohn]

[Revoman]

MEC puts out a good product at a good price point. It is a Ford or Chevy price range where a Ponsness Warren (PW) is more like a Cadillac, where a Spolar will be likened to a Ferrari.
That said, I agree that resizing is best done either as a separate operation on the MEC sizer or on the Grabber style reloading machine.
The MEC 600 while a fine machine, lacks speed as every shell must go through every station to complete each one before dropping it in your box. Each drop of powder and shot must be hand done by sliding the charging bar back and forth. Wad setting at the right station also must be hand done.
There are full-on progressives such as the hydraulic mentioned that advance the turret and drop powder and a primer, all you need to do is watch for assurance that they drop and insert a wad at the right station. Every 'pull' drops a loaded round for the box (faster). Then there are middle of the road progressives that operate with arm power. These are the mids, better than the basic MEC 600, yet less than the fully automatic progressive style. A MEC 650 or Grabber would fit that bill for instance. Not too automated, advance turret by hand to each station, has a primer tray and is very easy to adjust and operate. Drops shot, powder and primer, you just insert the wad at the right station. Again, every pull drops a loaded round for the box. The 650 would need a resizer as an aside because it does not have a resizing station.
Any one of those that you chose can be bought at a greatly reduced price when searching for used machines. The 600 is the least expensive, 650 more, Grabber (which is a 650 with the resizer) more, 9000 more and so on. The more the automated, the more money (of course).
Buy components in bulk aids tremendously in saving money. 5K wads and primers minimal, more if possible. Shot by the 100 or 500 hundred pounds, not a single 25 pound bag, you get the picture.
And it IS a disease, a good one (at least to my mind) that enhances what you do at the range by tenfold.

[XVIga_Rob]

[RandyD]

I started off with a MEC, and it was a good reloader, but if you are shooting a semiautomatic, then you will need a resizer. I then bought a Hornady 366 Auto but I hardly use it because ammo is so inexpensive.

[JagerDog]

I started off with a MEC, and it was a good reloader, but if you are shooting a semiautomatic, then you will need a resizer. I then bought a Hornady 366 Auto but I hardly use it because ammo is so inexpensive.

Most the Mecs resize. I think it's the 650 is the only one that doesn't.

The Grabber is basically the same as the 9000, but doesn't auto index.

If you've got a few hours/week to load a flat/week, the Sizemaster is hard to beat. Myself, I'm running 9000's in 12 and 20g, but I load 500-1000 at a time of my various volume loads.

The 366 requires a separate station off the carousel to size.

[fecalguns]

WOW! Thanks everyone. I think I will look into every model you all mentioned in the mec line. Don't know if I'm really for a Spolar yet. But I will look into it.

[Garand1911]

I could load about 90rnds an hour of 12ga on a Ponsness Warren single stage press.
Over 300rnds an hour on a PW progressive.
MECs are ok, but not as nice as a PW.
I used a Mec to load 410ga.

[Cheep]

I use single stage Mec's for custom 12 & 20ga and a PW for volume in both. If you are interested in a 12ga PW, pm me.

[Tom-ADC]

I started with the MEC 600 JR had a 12 & 20 gauge worked great when I started shooting more I went to the MEC 9000G and replaced the 600's they a great presses.
Reloads from these functioned great in my semi auto's a Remington 12ga 11-87 Sporting Guns and a Beretta 20ga

[W.R.Buchanan]

With a little practice and discipline you should be able to load 150-180 rounds an hour with any decent single stage machine. It's all about keeping the machine running. My record is 8 boxes /200 rounds on my Pacific DL266 which is also a single stage machine, but I can't do that often anymore.

If you need more then that then the next step up is a Hornady/Pacific DL366 which is considered the Chevrolet of Progressive Loaders. MEC has similar machines. If you pay attention and don't screw up you can load 4-500 rounds per hour with one of these. Once again it's all about keeping the machine fed and running.

The other thing that needs to happen is getting the completed rounds away from the machine. They build up fast, and having a bench with a hole in it and 5 gallon buckets below is the best way to deal with this problem.

Had a Spolar which is the Rolls Royce of shotshell loaders and they claim 900 rounds per hour on it. That is one round every 3 seconds and it is possible. But that is with one kid pulling the handle and another one keeping the shot, primer, and powder dispensers full. and a box full of wads.

I traded it for a Dillon SL900 which I think is a better running machine. With the Dillon there is no possibility of dumping shot or powder without a hull present. With all the others there is, and it usually takes 5-10 minutes to clean it all up. That's why I feel the Dillon is the best machine out there.

I know guys who shoot up 2000 rounds a week, all of them reload as you can't afford to shoot that much without reloading. If you are shooting .410's or 28's it is even more of a problem as they are both $12.50 a box anywhere.

When I bought my .410 O/U I immediately went to www.trapshooters.com and bought a DL266 in .410 along with 1000 O/F hulls and started loading. It cost me $250 to get started and it paid that back in the first 6 months of shooting Skeet.

The standard Trap Program at our club is 250 rounds per day. That's $60 worth from Walmart. I can reload that much in an easy hour for $25.

If you want to be a good shooter you must reload. it's the only way to shoot enough to get good unless you're rich.

Randy

[novelty]

Buy a Spolar, very nicely built machine

Or eventually buy a spolar

[BOBGBA]

...The standard Trap Program at our club is 250 rounds per day. That's $60 worth from Walmart. I can reload that much in an easy hour for $25...

I'm trying to understand how you get that cost. Are you shooting trap with a .410 (1/2 ounce loads)?

I can't get anywhere near that low of a cost. How long ago did you buy your components and can you share your math with us? Are you using reclaimed shot?

A 25lb bag of new shot goes for about $40.
There are 400 ounces (25 x 16) in a 25lb bag.
If you are making one ounce loads, you would get 400 shells from a 25lb bag.
That's $ .10 per shell just for lead.
250 shells time 10 cents = $25 in lead cost only.
You would have to add in the cost of powder & primers.

[Ducky's Dad]

Until the dopey new CA ammo laws went into effect, it made no economic sense to reload 12 or 20 for casual shooting. Now, with the FFL transfer fees, the hassle of internet orders, the upcoming ammo purchase license requirements, and the recent Supreme Court decision on sales tax collection by internet merchants, reloading is beginning to make sense, even for casual shooters. That could change if the fools in Sac decide to restrict the sale of loading components. I have been trying to order some specialty loads this week and the usual internet sources are drying up for those of us unfortunate enough to live in CA. For example, Mack's Prairie Wings will ship to only one FFL, and that one is in Vacaville. Mack's management won't even return my calls about their shipping restrictions. Natchez Shooters Supply will not ship any ammo to CA, period, not even to established FFLs. Gamaliel sold their internet business to Brownell's and Brownell's doesn't carry the loads that Gamaliel did (Clever and NobelSport light target loads). J&S Wholesale in NorCal is the only distributor I can find now for Clever Mirage shells from Italy, and they don't stock the specific shell I like. So, I might have to start reloading again.

For OP, as a noob, he is probably better off starting with a single stage, as others have suggested. Once he gets his mojo and has a better idea what he wants, move up to a progressive and keep the single set up for whatever special load he shoots occasionally. I have always found that changing loader setups is a major PITA. So I have four singles and one progressive on the top shelf in the garage, plus some gauge and length convesrion kits.

If all OP wants is cheap 12ga #8s, WalMart will have piles of them before dove season, so no real need to reload for that shell.

[ceh383]

Yeah, this CA nonsense really has me thinking about reloading shotshells.