Should I start with a single stage press

[Corbin Dallas]

He's not buying a Dillon. He's already ordered a Hornady LnL AP.

Besides, I might well be younger than you, kiddo! :-)



Actually, that's not true. I did 1,000 rounds on a cheapie $30 Lee single-stage before I went progressive, and I definitely didn't have to do all that. I'm also a better reloader for it, and I have a great little single-stage on which I can easily--and quickly--develop loads...and resize large quantities of my cast boolits...and fix the occasional errant round that pops up.

Besides, Golf is for wussies. Quiche-baking--now, there's a REAL MAN's sport!

I never said what press to buy, not sure why you need to bring the red v. blue issue into play.

Golf is for men who cannot shoot.

Baking is for people who cannot BBQ.

[chesterthehero]

i really love my rcbs turret setup... all the glory of single stage without having to change out dyes... ive used a buddies progressive and sure its nice to just crankout a ton of ammo.. however i shoot because i enjoy it.. i reload because i enjoy it..

[gorblimey]

[]
For 100 rounds you will:

Deprime & Resize
Prime (by hand maybe?)
Bell & Powder drop (You have to set proper bell & drop when you change dies)
Seat (Remember you have to re-set the COAL when you change dies)
Size and Crimp (Again, you have to re-set crimp when you change dies)
[]

Two minor points. Point the first: LNL bushings. Secondly, re-establishing the proper set points is not a bad thing if one wishes to enjoy reloading in total. It's a good opportunity to think about the process and to improve one's art. In the case where reloading is solely a means to an end, I would defer to your efficiency considerations.

[Nessal]

I was a first time loader a few years back and I also asked the same question. Single stage or progressive.

Now, 5 years later, WOW am I glad I bought a Dillon 650 and DID NOT listen to the old men who insisted I start with a single stage.

Unless you're loading 20 rounds for hunting or some bullseye benchrest match, the single stage is a waste of time and money IMHO.

It took me all of about 2 hours to learn how to load on a progressive press. I went VERY slow making sure to follow each and every step of the setup before ever putting out a live round.

Once I was happy with everything I was then able to crank out rounds at a slow 300/hour. I then took my case gauge and checked each and every round.

Now some years later and much wiser, I would NEVER recommend a single stage press to anyone unless they are not loading in quantity.

So, here are the answers to your questions:



For the quantity you say you'll be loading, stick with the progressive



Yes, you will.



A LOT more. You MIGHT be able to do 100 rounds in 2 hours. Remember, each step requires a new setup.

For 100 rounds you will:

Deprime & Resize
Prime (by hand maybe?)
Bell & Powder drop (You have to set proper bell & drop when you change dies)
Seat (Remember you have to re-set the COAL when you change dies)
Size and Crimp (Again, you have to re-set crimp when you change dies)




If you like doing the same thing 5 times, yes.



With a single stage, forget Golf and computer games. Move your bed in the man cave, because that's where you will live if you try to make 1000 rounds on a single stage.

Do you own a single stage? You sure sound like you know a lot about single stage presses. 100 rounds in 2 hours? Lmfao, are you using one arm? Even with 1 arm i can do better than that. Reseting dies every stage? That is so absurd that i don't even have to address that notion to refute it.


Btw I don't think anyone is saying that he has to learn on a single. But since it is slower, it prevents the user from going faster than his/her skills are capable of.

[mnguyen84]

i dont buy the concept that people need to start out on a single stage. anyways, if you decide to go with a single stage press, then i highly recommend you also get an electric drill if you dont have one already. i was doing everything by hand... and god did it suck.

[freonr22]

my first press was the lnl ap.... i processed 4k .223 to size, deprime w/ case feeder, as basically a single stage, then trim w/ possum hollow on my cheapy drill press, then load without sizing, kinda nice... depends on your aptitude... if you are tenacious, you are good, if you are not mechanically inclined, then start single and move where you are comfortable

[mattmcg]

I like to recommend the Forster Co-Ax single stage as somebody's first press. It is an excellent press that can be table top mounted easily with a Dillon base platform.

Once you've learned the entire loading process stage by stage, you can then look to a Dillon progressive or similar.

The progressive is definitely meant for improving your volume but really ups the complexity. The Forster will allow you to methodically go step by step and allow consistency beyond the typical progressive setup.

Of course that is my $.02.

[Bert Gamble]

I can honestly say that I never dreamed there would be so many posts on this thread. There are nearly as many opinions as there are people. The Rockchucker is on it's way so it is a done deal. I am sure that in a while, I will buy a progressive, but I think I need to start on a single stage, even if I have to recalibrate after each step. I know that it will lower my chance of making a mistake, and keep my anxiety level at a manageable level. Also, the lower price allowed me to buy higher quality assesories that sould last me for many years

Thank you to all who responded, and please don't take offense if I didn't decide on your way of doing it.

I look forward to being a contributing member some day soon.

Bert

[AAShooter]

You are off to a great start.

[SKSer]

Changing dies really isn't that bad on a single stage. I have the lee which has the breech lock, so it is only 1/3 turn and out, but even with the regular thread in and out, just get the dies that have the set screws or drill and tap your own and you can change dies fast. The slowest thing about reloading is trimming, and it doesn't have anything to do with your press.

[chickenfried]

You got thoughts from both sides and decided what was best for you. Can't argue with that. Good luck! Hope you enjoy reloading.

Thank you to all who responded, and please don't take offense if I didn't decide on your way of doing it.

I look forward to being a contributing member some day soon.

Bert

[Cowboy T]

Come on now, getting a little silly with the dillon disdain.

?

- T

[C.G.]

I can honestly say that I never dreamed there would be so many posts on this thread. There are nearly as many opinions as there are people. The Rockchucker is on it's way so it is a done deal. I am sure that in a while, I will buy a progressive, but I think I need to start on a single stage, even if I have to recalibrate after each step. I know that it will lower my chance of making a mistake, and keep my anxiety level at a manageable level. Also, the lower price allowed me to buy higher quality assesories that sould last me for many years

Thank you to all who responded, and please don't take offense if I didn't decide on your way of doing it.

I look forward to being a contributing member some day soon.

Bert

I started on a Rockchucker and thought I would sell it at some point after I would get a progressive. A couple years after I bought the Rockchucker I bought the Hornady LNL AP and still have the Rockchucker for round development and precision rounds; I won't sell it.

[Tythagoras]

I loaded thousands of rounds on a single stage press and a few months ago, I got a LnL AP. I feel like I'm at a severe disadvantage for making test loads and other small experimental batches. My single stage press won't accept the LnL bushings, and I don't want to take the dies out of the bushings, so I'm currently without a single stage option that's very usable. The progressive is great for volume, not so good for small batches.

I'm now weighing the costs of buying new dies for the single stage vs. the hassle and cost of normalizing the die/ram spacing on a Hornady single stage. (so that my dies don't need adjustment between the two)

[gorblimey]

I loaded thousands of rounds on a single stage press and a few months ago, I got a LnL AP. I feel like I'm at a severe disadvantage for making test loads and other small experimental batches. My single stage press won't accept the LnL bushings, and I don't want to take the dies out of the bushings, so I'm currently without a single stage option that's very usable. The progressive is great for volume, not so good for small batches.

I'm now weighing the costs of buying new dies for the single stage vs. the hassle and cost of normalizing the die/ram spacing on a Hornady single stage. (so that my dies don't need adjustment between the two)

Hmm, no 1-1/4-12 thread on your single stage for these?

http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-Load-Conversion-Kit/