Thinking

[LynnJr]

Hey you dumb sh^%!

You might want to consider case prep off press, maybe resize and trim on the single stage in large batches, then just put them in the progressive and go...



Wait, now I am confused. Did you want us to say you dumb sh^%? I read too fast and thought that was how you wanted to address you.

Stilly here is your advise about how to use untrimmed brass in a progressive press.

I hope you are not taking this as a personal attack but you advise the progressive for a new and you tell the guy with a progressive to buy a single stage.

[someoneeasy]

Hey you dumb sh^%!

You might want to consider case prep off press, maybe resize and trim on the single stage in large batches, then just put them in the progressive and go...



Wait, now I am confused. Did you want us to say you dumb sh^%? I read too fast and thought that was how you wanted to address you.

Stilly here is your advise about how to use untrimmed brass in a progressive press.

I hope you are not taking this as a personal attack but you advise the progressive for a new and you tell the guy with a progressive to buy a single stage.

Do you not know how to use the quote button? When you copy and paste, it seriously looks like it's your own writing.

[Squ1dward]

Man, people getting all fired up over a simple question this guys asked. It's a hobby for chrissakes. He can do whatever he wants to do, as can each of you. There are many paths to the same destination... Doesn't make any one path more wrong or right than the other. This is like the AR vs. AK debate. Pointless.

FJ, go with your gut and get whatever you want. Whatever it is, you can make it work for whatever you want. BTW, dude on eBay is selling a single stage conversion for the Dillon 650 and soon the 550... Food for thought. Everyone thinks there setup is the greatest. Make your own and enjoy. The rest of us, knock off the pointless bickering. Part of the fun of reloading is learning and tinkering.

[stilly]

Stilly
Contrary to what you might think nobody is here to get you and they sell meds to treat people who think that way.
The OP is loading for the first time ever and people yourself included think he needs a progressive press.
I simply don't agree with you or them.
I think giving someone a top fuel dragster who has never driven a car before is stupid and others here think it the right thing to do. Its called a difference of opinion and it seems yours is the only one that counts.
The only FP I know is my firing pin.
You seem to be insulted when others don't believe your advise is top shelf and you seem to have a lot of angst about shooters who have been reloading for longer than you have been on Terra firma or those that compete. As I am not a doctor I have no answers as to why.

No. I have never told ANYONE that they should start on a progressive press. What makes you say that? I know that there are genius reloaders and prodigies out there that have started on a progressive and had no issues, but just because you can drive home when you are drunk does not mean that everyone should. Interesting. It seems to be the ONE thing that you and I BOTH agree on, but yet you are saying that I still do not agree with that notion... WTH man?

No seriously. I have always preached that folks should start on a Lee Classic Turret so they can go fast if they need to. And I have taken flak from the progressive side that says they did it and so anyone can. Here, I just mention that it is good that OP has looked around, and has an eye for things, and now I am getting called a witch and *****ed at for saying he needs a progressive... JFC, it is like I can not say ANYTHING that upsets people or makes them off their rocker.

AND once again you have it wrong where you are taking some notion that you concocted from like 80 threads ago and you seem to think that I get all mad or insulted when people disagree with me. I do not know who your dealer is but clearly I need to give them a call and try some because that seems like the best way to deal with this. You are simply wrong when it comes to your analysis of me; you said that you were not a doctor and I believe you, but you have only kept repeating yourself with these ideas that are incorrect and well, anyways, it does cast a bad light on this now that even I need to correct what you are saying. Please stop putting words in my mouth and making accusations that are only there to mislead others.

I am thinking that a call to FP and the CGN cheerleaders might just be the next step here. We need the old LynnJr back. Perhaps a pegging might be the only way to cure this...

hehe.


OP: RUN! Just run FAR AWAY and wait for like 2 weeks and THEN come back and ask this question again. CG is clearly in the process of updating files and methods here and so things are a bit mixed up with the processes and how you are getting answered...

[readysetgo]

I set up my gucci kit yesterday, here's a pic, but I have one question. 9mm or 45acp?

[fighterpilot562]

I am thinking that a call to FP and the CGN cheerleaders might just be the next step here. We need the old LynnJr back. Perhaps a pegging might be the only way to cure this...

hehe.

Reporting for duty sir!

[Kestryll]

Watching....


Waiting....

[fighterpilot562]

Watching....


Waiting....

And here is the wild Kestryll, stalking and waiting to make his next move. An apex predator, the kestryll loves to feed on trolls, baiters, and rule breakers.

The Kestryll has a rumored weakness of girl scouts cookies

[Tom-ADC]

Way back when I first started loading 1971 I started with a RCBS Rockchucker JR single stage I used that press until earlly 90's when I bought my 550B its all I use now still have a single stage. Main reason I started with that single stage was money lack of, same reason I started reloading.
I think if I was starting out today and could afford a 550B I'd do it, today with YouTube, the DVD from Dillon on how to use the press I'm pretty sure I could do that without a problem. Just my .02

[LynnJr]

OP
Here are some pictures of what you can do with a slow single stage press in your kitchen.
I load thousands upon thousands of rounds each year and they seem to shoot okay.
And before I get the boot for offering you sage advise let me set the record straight on one matter "Reloading is an exact science" despite what you read here.

[CGT80]

The lee turret looks like a good compromise between single and progressive. The single stage turret that I have will hold 12 dies. This means I can leave it setup for 4 or more cartridges and just spin the turret to the die I want. This is much nicer than having to unscrew a die all of the time with the basic single stage. A twist lock style bushing would be a great feature for a single hole single stage. I think hornady has one. My Hollywood turret will not automatically index and the head takes some effort to turn. I would not load a lot of rounds by moving the turret for each step to finish one shell at a time.

When I loaded single stage, I would prep a coffee can full of brass at a time. That can would get each step done to all of it and then I would relabel it so I could tell which step I was on. Sometimes it would sit at a certain step for a while. I liked to have a can of brass that was always ready for powder and bullets on hand for each caliber.

Single stage takes a lot of handle pulling and brass moving. The lee turret would cut down on the brass moving if you do more steps in a row before taking that brass out. It should be quite easy to treat it as a single stage for learning, and then you could use multiple steps and then set it to auto index.

For me, pulling that handle more than necessary and moving the brass is not fun. It was very tedious when I was starting out at middle school age, but it was what we had. We also didn't have you tube or the internet like we do now. I could hardly stand loading up 130 rounds of 35 rem ammo for my neighbor, on the single stage. The turret would have been much better, but I would take a progressive first. I am spoiled and I also don't have the patience. High power/long range doesn't really appeal to me either.

I also never suggested starting on a progressive or claimed it was a good choice to start with, but it is possible. I did however say that progressives are not just for making crap ammo. Actually, I do agree with Lynn that a single stage is the best way to start. Where I disagree is that sticking with a single stage will be the best choice. You may have the discipline and time to stay with single stage, and that would be fine, but the fact is that progressives have become very popular..............for good reasons.

OP, if you could see yourself going progressive fairly soon, I would start with a single stage that isn't too expensive. If you decide reloading isn't for you, then you are not out a lot of money. If you decide to go progressive right away, you will still have the single for when you need it but at least you won't have to feel bad about putting a lot of money into it just to use as a second press. A sturdy, used, single stage press would be great. The really cheap lee single is a PITA.

You have to understand how each step is setup properly and how it effects your ammo before you start to do them all at once, or you will chase your tail. The 550 has much more going on than a single stage and it does have adjustments that a single stage won't.

The lee turret looks like it goes for around $150 without dies and accessories. It seems kind of pointless if you thought you might end up with a 550 in the near future.

There are many ways to go about reloading and people have different budgets, wants, and needs.

When I was loading on a single stage and learning to do additional calibers I ran into trouble when switching to 45 acp for a friends 1911. At that time, I could load ammo for my dad's guns, but I lacked the detailed knowledge of how each step in the loading process effected the ammo and how it worked in the gun. It wasn't until after I got the 550 and started to compete in action pistol matches that I really got a grasp on it. There were a lot of years where I just kind of got by with my bullet profile, seating depth, and crimp. I loaded to what the book listed. Now I know that two pistols of even the same brand and caliber will not necessarily be built to the same exact specs. Now I taylor the load to the gun, or have both guns on hand to make a load that will feed in both. My brother and I both have XD 40 cal pistols with factory barrels. They don't have the same dimensions.

When you start reloading, there will be a lot to learn about how the process works. The hobby can be as complex as you wish to make it. The more I learn about it, the more I realize that I have only scratched the surface in the shooting sports.

[stilly]

Actually, if OP shops at FSreloading, they can get the Lee Classic Turret for, WOW. On sale right now for $99.99

https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-classic-turret-press-90064.html

Pay no attention to the "out of stock, expected in 3 days" message at the bottom, that just means it will take another day or two to ship it, but in my last case, they said that to me and they shipped the item the next day. FSRELOADING.COM is your best friend when you are new to reloading and you wanna test the waters. You can get all things Lee there and for a cheap price. They have the best prices online, next to them is titanreloading but they are a bit more.

CGT80: How much was that Hollywood again? I have been checking fleabay but one guy was asking like $600. I forgot, can you swage on that if you wanted to? Did it have some extra stabilizer that also came down on the backside to brace it for swaging as well?

FP: Next week baby...

[the86d]

OP
Here are some pictures of what you can do with a slow single stage press in your kitchen.
I load thousands upon thousands of rounds each year and they seem to shoot okay.
And before I get the boot for offering you sage advise let me set the record straight on one matter "Reloading is an exact science" despite what you read here.

(If I were really good, they might let me sew patches right-side-up.

)

[FJ40 CRUZR]

Watching....


Waiting....

Now you guys and went and done it. The head Janitor is watching.

[Squidward]

Reloading, like many other hobbies, seems harmless at first. Then, one day, you look at your work area and suddenly you own a pile of reloading equipment, powder, components, and manuals. Be forewarned!

When starting out, many suggest a single stage press as it dictates slower (and perhaps safer) reloading as you learn. If you go this route, I'd suggest the Lee Press with the quick change bushings. Then you only have to set your dies once instead of every time you change them out.

The Lee turret press allows for quicker loading and affords the same ease in changing dies (between calibers) as the dies are mounted to the turret which is easily removed. This is nice if you intend to reload multiple calibers.

There are many other pieces of equipment that you'll need but don't forget a kinetic bullet puller... Because mistakes will be made! And buy several different reloading manuals.

Finally, a heads up! Handgun caliber reloading is less labor intensive than rifle caliber reloading. There generally is no trimming, annealing, chamferring, deburring, etc. which I find to be a PITA for as much as I shoot rifle calibers.

Enjoy and good luck.