Reloading Greenhorn

[J-cat]

I dissagree. I started out with a 550. Yes it is a little more complicated but with a little instruction he will be up and running. I think it is a waste to have a guy spend a ton of money on a single loading press that he will never get his money out of. Then when he switches over he will ask why did I ever have a single stage press to begin with.

A single stage press is a more precise machine. It is easier to use. It makes better ammunition. It forces you to pay attention to detail. It is more sensitive. This is how you get your money out of one.

[jwest]

Another couple of 'facts' about the 550 from Dillon Precision - it can handle more calibers than other machines (Dillon) and changing calibers is generally faster than on the other machines - meaning the 650 mostly.

I think it is a good/great reloader to start with - there's another guy that I've met at Gun Shows - 'Sugar-Free' Bob - http://www.sugarfreebob.com/ - take a look at his site.

[Chief-7700]

A single stage press is a more precise machine. It is easier to use. It makes better ammunition. It forces you to pay attention to detail. It is more sensitive. This is how you get your money out of one.

I'm going call BS on the above statement.

[jwest]

You can run a progressive any way you want - there's no one to tell you how. If you want seating dies with micrometers - you can do that. All depends on how you drive it and what you want out of it. The only issue I can see with single stage is just that - it's single stage.

[J-cat]

I'm going call BS on the above statement.

That's because you don't know what you are doing.

[BigBronco]

I have both single station and progressive. I will not load 30-06 for hunting or accuracy on my progressive. I Size on the rockchucker I then trim the case length , chamfer and deburand prime off press. Then hand weigh each the powder charge off press. Finally seat the bullet on the press.

This IMO is the only correct way to accurately load for a bolt action 30-06. This kind of quality simply cannot be done on a progressive. It is by the book!

I have measured .010" case stretch during the resizing. A case could end up out of spec if done progressively.

So to sum it up unless all you do is spray ammo all over the place you will need a single stage Press. I use mine for working up loads before I set up the progressive for pistol cartridges. I might load 223 on the progressive unless shooting for groups.

So there start with a single stage or both.

Also do not reload in large groups of people this is when mistakes will happen. Hard to keep ones mind on what you are doing when several folks are all chatting. At least it is for me.

[Chief-7700]

That's because you don't know what you are doing.

Well you must be right! Since I bought my first Lee (beat with a hammer) kit in 1966, moved up the C&H H press, then a Star. When Dillon came out with the 400 series bought one then the 500 series machine, after 40+ years reloading bought the XL-650. So in those 40+ years I have learned one thing BUY WHAT WORKS FOR ME. Single stages are good however they don't meet my reloading needs, shooting close to 4000 to 5000 rounds a month a single stage is a major waste of time.

[J-cat]

Just because a single stage reloading press does not meet your needs does not invalidate my statement in post# 16. With a progressive you are multitasking. You have sensitivity issues. You have alignment issues. You have deflection issues. You have sizing issues. I don't think the OP is ready to deal with these.

[BigBronco]

Exactly!!! Especially if they learn to reload in a group Cluster F**K

[Fjold]

A single stage press is a more precise machine. It is easier to use. It makes better ammunition. It forces you to pay attention to detail. It is more sensitive. This is how you get your money out of one.

It only applies if your single stage machine is built perfectly, which none of them are. They bore a hole through the top end the bottom of the press and then thread the top hole do you know what their tolerences are for these two holes?

A number of benchrest shooters are experimenting with rubber O rings under their dies to let the die float and align itself. Kind of like a progressive press does.

I had a single stage Lyman press once that the threaded bore in the top was bored at an angle to the vertical plane. Nothing guarantees that a single stage press will load more accurate ammunition. There are a lot of world class/champion shooters who load on progressive presses.

[Boots]

I agree.... being a reloading newbie myself, I'm glad I got a turret press. Years back I drooled over the thought of getting a progressive press but now realize it was best to stay with the basics. And yeah, along with financial restraints.. it was also the fact that I was looking more for accuracy than quantity. Once I feel I'm more experienced, I will get a progressive.
But I think the issue here, more often than not, is that whenever someone posts a topic about being a newbie and what equipment to get.. most responses are about what others use or prefer... but not necessarily what is appropriate for the OP to start with.
I think that when one provides such information, they should put themselves into the OP shoes, so to speak. Or look back to when they first started.. what they used... and what may be the easiest for the "newbie" to understand and master.
As for myself, a progressive is in the future... but only after I've mastered and gained complete confidence in the process.

ok, bring it on.

[CSACANNONEER]

Every reloading press made is interchangeably. It is simply the more you spend the easier it is to interchange.

This is not completely true! There are presses like Dillion's Square deal and Lee's 50BMG press which have propriatry dies, non-standard thread sizes, etc.

To the OP,

I would suggest going with a Hornady LNL or Dillion 550 AND a decent single stage press as well.

[gvbsat]

If you have 5 people all chipping in for one press, you need to go blue (dillon). Go for the 650 and get all the extras with it, case feeder, bullet feeder, case trimmer. With a dillon, you are going to get speed, witch you ALL will want, as I am sure it will be at one home, and the others are going to have to take time out of the day to go to that persons house to reload.
Expect there to be a learning curve, but once you are all familiar with it, you can really crank out the loads with a 650 and all the extras.

[killshot44]

Another vote here for a turret press. The OP didn't mention pistol ammo which the Dillons do excel at making.

But for precision rifle loads, I'm not using a progressive.

[Boots]

Another vote here for a turret press. The OP didn't mention pistol ammo which the Dillons do excel at making.

But for precision rifle loads, I'm not using a progressive.

yeah, my take was they the OP was referring to rifles because of the calibers mentioned and from mentioning ar15barrels. made that immediate assumption.
Interesting that we haven't received more (any) feedback from the OP about specifics.
Also, does anyone know why ar15barrels was banned? I must have missed something.