SINGLE OR MULTI STAGE PRESS?

[WAP]

I started with a Rock Chucker Special, added the piggyback, got another Rock Chucker 2, added another piggyback that a guy sold to me here on Calguns. Now I have two progressives both running at the same time. I can almost make bullets as fast as I shoot them now.

[Nessal]

I started on a single then bought a progressive. I wouldn't have it any other way. I actually use the single MORE than the progressive. But then again, I mainly load for my bolt action rifles and I take my sweet time. I might spend a few hours on the progressive to pump out cheaper plinking ammo for my gas guns. Anything accurate goes in the single.

[bumpo628]

Thanks for the inputs guys, keep 'em coming.
I only spend about 400 +/- rounds of 223/5.56 and about 300 rounds of 9mm a month, so this basically would be the rounds I'll be reloading. But I probably would start reloading rifle rounds since this is what I enjoy shooting the most.
@Bumpo628, thanks for the info on the 4 hole Lee turret. So this would be like having a single stage if auto advance is set to off, so meaning I can at a leisurely time say just do resizing and depriming all the casings even if I'm not planning to reload all of it at the same time. All the more reason to go for this type of press.

Diverhunter brings up a lot of good points. I just do it my way - I can't say it's better, it's just what I do. At least for now...who knows what I'll be doing in 30 years from now.

I buy a separate turret and powder measure for each caliber that I reload. That means that I just need to drop the turret into the press and change the shell holder to change calibers. I keep the shell holder in the center of the die set and the turret sits on the bottom half of the red box that the dies came in. I don't do a lot of load development right now, I find what I like and keep it simple. Turrets are about $10 and powder measures are about $25.

I also cast my own boolits. I keep three Lee sizers on each turret with the rams inserted in the top hole. I can pop in the turret, rotate it around the the right size, insert the the ram and size away.

My 3-hole turret is a little old, so it came with the auto index. I took it off a while ago because I think it makes more sense to process in batches. It feels more efficient and helps to minimize errors. I think Lee has a good system here. Anyway, that's my two cents.

[Divernhunter]

More thing I forgot to add is that I hand prime my brass as I watch TV. I stopped press priming years ago. Hand priming is fast and easy. I have at least 20,000 sized/primed brass ready to put in powder(with either a RCBS Uni-flow measure or my electronic set-up) and the bullets when I want. The only brass I do not hand prime is my 50bmg but I have taken the time to size and prime approx 800 of them.

All part of batch processing of the brass.

[bumpo628]

More thing I forgot to add is that I hand prime my brass as I watch TV. I stopped press priming years ago. Hand priming is fast and easy. I have at least 20,000 sized/primed brass ready to put in powder(with either a RCBS Uni-flow measure or my electronic set-up) and the bullets when I want. The only brass I do not hand prime is my 50bmg but I have taken the time to size and prime approx 800 of them.

All part of batch processing of the brass.

Hand priming in front of the tv is the best part of batch processing. It gets you back in the house every once in a while so your family still recognizes you.

[five.five-six]

Mainly just to keep the starter from getting in over their head too fast. I recommend a single stage mainly as a safety thing. It's too easy to miss or overlook a step and have problems with your loads that, 1) may damage your gun and 2) may cause injury to you or somebody else.

If you can describe yourself as very precise, patient, and meticulous then you should have no problem with a progressive or turret press. I started off with a progressive loading pistol rounds and was asked the same thing by the shop owner. I also recommend starting off reloading straight walled pistol rounds.

Nothing wrong with having a single stage press either. I bought one later so I can prep brass and load rifle rounds.

^ that and all my precision rounds are loaded single stage, it's just too much trouble progressive

but both

[RaymondMillbrae]

I like what F4Tweet said. Get a progressive and load one boolit at a time until you are comfortable with it.

If you are mainly doing precision rifle (.223 or. 308, etc...), then a good single stage press is in order. (Although a progressive can also pump out some nice long distance loads).

In Christ: Raymond

[altxf4]

A lee challenger was given to me with a powder scale and a set of 7.62x39 pace setter dies for free. 3 years of having it and still haven't loaded a single cartridge... guess I am nervous as I don't have anybody immediate to learn from, and my primary rifle is a 1891 Argentine Mauser that uses the 7.65x54 Arg round, so I have to cut down and reform other size brass I guess.

[gemini1]

How is a true single stage press advantageous when loading precision rounds?
What are the plus marks over the multi/4 hole that has its auto advance turned off, which also makes it a single stage?

[RaymondMillbrae]

How is a true single stage press advantageous when loading precision rounds?

It does not have a shellplate (a moving/tilting part), so there is no movement. This means the boolit seating will be much more accurate.

But then again, it also depends on how the press is mounted to the table, and the quality of the press materials and it's construction.

In Christ: Raymond

[Cowboy T]

I was thinking lee classic turret so i can run single and turrer...can i do .308 on it? And does the auto disk support .308?

I plan on making precision handload .308 on single.
Quick plinker loads of: .223, .40 on the turret.

Yes, it does support .308. Matter of fact, it'll happily reload anything from .25ACP all the way to .460 Wby Mag. I've done a little .223, .308, and 7.62x54R on it, all with no problems. BTW, any other decently made bolt-down press will do likewise, not just the Classic Turret.

[Bill Steele]

How is a true single stage press advantageous when loading precision rounds?
What are the plus marks over the multi/4 hole that has its auto advance turned off, which also makes it a single stage?

I agree with Raymond's post above.

My Classic Turret will not seat the bullets as precisely in OAL as my single stage. It tends to jump around a little (a few thousandths).

When I look at my turrets, they cock up some when the press is working up. I think the amount of cocking that goes on is what causes this lack of precision. I use the auto index, so maybe if you used the turret in the non-index mode (batching in each step) you would get a little more repeatability in OAL, but I doubt it will ever be as close as a good O framed single stage.

[bohoki]

my single stage has served me well

i generally do batches of 100
i size/decap 100 cases drop in a box, prime/expand100 cases,drop in the box, then charge and seat each one and drop them in the box

pour the box in a ziplock write down my charge primer and date put in the closet

i dont do extreme loading marathons i just do a batch of 100 every now and then and it sure builds up

but i cast my own for 9mm and 45

[Sky_DiveR]

A lee challenger was given to me with a powder scale and a set of 7.62x39 pace setter dies for free. 3 years of having it and still haven't loaded a single cartridge... guess I am nervous as I don't have anybody immediate to learn from, and my primary rifle is a 1891 Argentine Mauser that uses the 7.65x54 Arg round, so I have to cut down and reform other size brass I guess.

I'd be nervous too if I didn't have any load manuals or at least, "The ABC's of Reloading" book at hand. If you're interested (or curious), see if the public library has "The ABC's of Reloading" and check it out first.

Perhaps another reloading clinic needs to be done.

[submoa1]

Go with a Redding T7 Turret press. Set and forget.