Single stage vs progressive?

[RestrictedColt]

My friend makes all his precision .223 on a Hornady LNL AP.

I make all my ammo on one, except .25acp which would require a $130 custom shell plate. You can single stage a progressive, but not the other way around. If you think you'll want a progressive just get it. Caveat: The Hornady lends itself well to single staging. The Dillon doesn't look to be as single stage friendly so if you like blue and want to be able to single stage it check that out yourself.

[Rg422]

I’d get a decent single stage first, especially when reloading for a rifle. You really want to hone in on the fundamentals and using a single stage is the best way to visualize it all. A decent scale and calipers will also be of great use.

I started reloading with Forster Co-Ax. I reload all my rifle ammo with this now, but do use a Dillon 650 for pistol rounds. I’m sure using a single stage will produce better ammo, but for pistol rounds a progressive is much more efficient.

Good luck

[Whiterabbit]

IMO, the real advantage to starting with a single stage, even if you intend to reload progressively, besides having the SS machine at the ready, is that education for reloading each step, as described above.

What that gives you, is enough experience that when you start setting up the progressive machine, you know exactly what to do and what the result should feel like, and if you have any trouble while cranking the rounds out, troubleshooting is almost instant since you know by feel how things should be, and what is causing the feeling you have on the lever. (Now THAT is a nice run-on sentence!)

Basically, it makes it easier to keep the progressive running like a top.

[Lead Waster]

Match grade rifle ammo? Get a single stage. I recommend the RCBS Rockchchucker modified with the Hornady Bushing system (the bushing system allows you to set each die with it's lock collar onto a bushing and the whole bushing can be swapped out with a twist, instead of tediously unscrewing the die from the press).

For pistol ammo, no question, get a progressive. Remember that if you are a newbie, you can run a progressive like a single stage press. Insert one case and run it through all the stages by itself without feeding in any new cases (ie don't pipeline the cases).

[Lead Waster]

I like the RCBS Rockchucker. It's the standard for single stage presses. More expensive is the FOrster co-ax which is pretty neat.

yes, SS and progressive (but not the Dillon Square Deal press) use the same dies, however, you probably won't want to unscrew and screw in and readjust the dies to swap between the two methods and probably won't anyway. Likely you'd just get two sets of dies, then set it and forget it.

['ol shooter]

I have had my 'Chucker since 1978 with no complaints. I installed the Hornady bushing kit and upgraded the handle with the newer ball type some years back, free from RCBS. I have since changed to the Inline handle with a foam cover from Exile Machine, much easier on my old arthritic hand. If I were ever to get a progressive it would likely be a Dillon 550.

[xMAC1x]

I started off with a progressive Hornady lnl it took some tweaking and learning for me to get the hang of it.
Four years later got the Forster co-ax lot less going on with the single stage and better out of the box or I just had a lot more experience.

If you’re good at multitasking progressive are great for pistol rounds.
If you’re a one job at a time kind of person like the majority of men get a single stage and take it one step at a time. You’ll end up with both anyway, you won’t save any money reloading.

When you make your decision, one way to save money is to post what you want to buy and reload the good people here could line you up, so you don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Plus you can get powder and bullet suggestions.

ABC of reloading book.
Lyman reloading Manuel.
hodgdon annual reloading manual 2019.
Another bullet manufacturer you intend to reload.
You can not have enough books.

[drkphibr]

...anyone who owns a progressive should also have a single state press on their bench. It comes in very handy at times.

^ This.

You can get more expensive SS presses and you can also get more expensive progressive presses, so saving money on your press shouldn't be your biggest factor. If match grade ammo is your focus, get the press that does what you need at the price you can afford. SS and progressive presses each have pros and cons. Over time, you'll end up owning both IMO.

[RiskyBusiness]

The only people that will tell you "single stage is the way to go" are pushing 50+ yrs and only know how to drive in the slow lane. Nothing is preventing you from making match grade rounds on a progressive, only your attention to your technique. You can adjust any progressive to work like a single stage or a turret so when you're ready to take the training wheels off you can dont have to buy your 2nd press. Still a single stage cost like $80 so either way its not much money to throw away to dedicate maybe some larger or oddball calibers, or to make it a sole depriming station, etc. I know i use my lee turret now for 45-70 because i dont want to cough up the dumb *** prices dillon sets for conversion kits and im just fine on the turret.

At the end of the day, think of progressives as a luxury item and if you have the funds then 100% go for it. If you're trying to make reloading into a budget hobby you can get out of with minimal investment than try a turret, its not that much more and hell of a lot faster than the grandpa single stage.

[RestrictedColt]

I'm in that age range, but drive in the fast lane. I guess that's why I started with a progressive.

[dscoduc]

As I reload for load consistency I only have an old RCBS single stage press. Been trying to justify buying a progressive. With the price of 9mm under $0.20 per round and the price of 5.56 under $0.30 per round it just doesn't justify the cost or time to reload.

I find that match grade ammo starts at $1.00 per round and up, but after buying the factory load I can get 4-6 reloads easy using that brass, reducing my cost to near half the price of factory ammo.

Find yourself a good used RCBS single stage press - these things last forever so it doesn't make sense to buy brand new. Spend your money on a good electronic powder dispenser/scale and preparation center and you will be good to go.

[dscoduc]

The only people that will tell you "single stage is the way to go" are pushing 50+ yrs and only know how to drive in the slow lane.... and hell of a lot faster than the grandpa single stage.

Ha ha ha... I'm almost 50 but I definitely don't drive in the slow lane...

Reloading match grade ammo on a progressive makes no sense to me. You will want to deprime separately so you can get a clean primer pocket. You will want to size and trim separately since you are looking for near exact tolerances. You will want to hand prime in order to see that each primer is seated consistently and correctly. You will want to be as exact as possible on powder disbursement which doesn't happen with the progressive powder dispensers.

Can you run a progressive as a single stage, yes of course. But why would you spend 5x the cost ($500 progressive) vs $($100 single stage) to run it as a single stage?

One last factor is space. I keep my single stage mounted on my desk but only because it's small enough to be out of the way. I can take it down and put it in a drawer easily and quickly. If I had a progressive it would have to stay on the desk full time and would take up a huge amount of space...

[RiskyBusiness]

Can you run a progressive as a single stage, yes of course.

The whole point of investing more at the start is he wont have to upgrade in the future if he wants to go faster. If money isnt an issue theres no point in starting off with a single stage only press.

He can deprive individually, size individually, etc all while while having them being run progressively. Like I mentioned, this is only the case if hes not trying to work from a budget. Then of course, $100 into a single stage makes more sense.

[RestrictedColt]

Risky pretty much nailed why I went straight to a progressive. You can single stage a progressive, but not the other way around. My first few rounds I did one at a time. Now I have case and bullet feeders and go full throttle on some stuff and single on others.

I like to decap, resize, do any case prep needed, then tumble before loading. On the LNL AP I can rip through a bunch of cases, tumble, then rip through the loading process or cruise through weighing and measuring. It takes under 5 minutes per hundred.

That said, the Hornady is very single stage friendly where others may not be so that is something to consider. I've noticed a small trend of people talking about single staging a progressive having the Hornady. Not sure if that's coincidence or what.

[SnWnMe]

How much time do you have?

I can crank out 100 rounds in 20 minutes from my prog. The SS user will just barely be de-priming 100 pieces of brass in that time. I handload hot 10mm, 45LC, 44 Mag and others from my two presses.