Need Choosing A Press

[Lead Waster]

If you shoot more than 300 rounds a week then you might consider a dillon still. BUT, if you are new to reloading and for many folks that are then I recco a Lee Classic Turret. I find that I can pump out about 150+ in about two hours or less. It is all about getting a feel for what you are doing and being familiar vs being clunky. I have yet to make a squib on accident but sometimes I feel that if I am not as familiar with that load recipe or round or mechanics of what I am doing that I can screw up.

I've pointed this out before, but if you have a progressive press, you DON'T HAVE TO RUN MORE THAN ONE ROUND AT A TIME.

For a newbie, you can easily insert one case, pull the handle. Then it either auto-indexes or you index it manually. DON'T PUT IN ANOTHER CASE. Then pull the handle again and repeat until you watch that one little case go all they way around, visiting each stage until a finished round pops out. Then do it again with another single case.When you are comfortable with what's going on, then go ahead and put a new case in each time.

You do not have to pipeline a progressive at all times!

[madjack956]

I got a Dillon 550 and a Square Deal. Dillons' equipment stands the test of time and their no B.S. warranty is the best in the business.

[AR-Realtor]

You could always get a press monitor that will prevent a double charge.

http://www.pressmonitordevice.com/

But if you add the price of the monitor you will be better off getting a 650

[bigdrunk92037]

I with the others that says to get a 5 station press. Also, I would pass on the Hornady Powdercop die and get the RCBS Lock-Out die. Freaking thing works awesome. No charge or double charge, it will catch it. I have both the Powder Cop and Lock-Out and the Lock-Out wins hands down.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/536792/rcbs-lock-out-die

Caliber changes on the LNL are ultra quick and easy. Hornady's bushing system is great.

Better yet, changing primer sizes on the Hornady is also very, very easy. I can do it about two minutes.

I recommend either a LNL or XL650. Watch a lot of youtube videos, read the forums and you will get a feel for which you think may work best for you.

[lincoln45]

Get the Dillon 650XL and you will never look back. There is a station for a powder check die and it has a buzzer also to tell you if the charge is high or low. Self indexing and a great machine I have one that currently has change overs for 45ACP and 9mm. Have another set up for 223 now. Get the case feed and primer sensor as well as the powder measure sensor.

Dillon. may cost alittle more but worth every penny.

+1

if ur in sac Discount Shooters Supply has a 650 they use and i have gone in there several times for post buy help and pre buy advise, they were very helpfull

[onewheelwes]

I bought a XL 650 to do some pistol loads for target. I was always a believer in a single stage for precision. The dillion is starting to change my mind. The consistency is very good. I do not run it to try to get 800 R/Hr. I always visually check my charge. Since I have not used any other progressives, all I can say is I am very happy with the purchase. The bad news is their web site says they are 6-8 weeks out on their machines. My "panic buy" of a .223 die set in December still has not shipped.

[Waldog]

Go here: http://www.nwgun.com/2013/02/04/new-...un+Magazine%29

They have a good write up on the good and bad of the Hornady LNL. It will cost you $2.99

[onewheelwes]

I bought a XL 650 to do some pistol loads for target. I was always a believer in a single stage for precision. The dillion is starting to change my mind. The consistency is very good. I do not run it to try to get 800 R/Hr. I always visually check my charge. Since I have not used any other progressives, all I can say is I am very happy with the purchase. The bad news is their web site says they are 6-8 weeks out on their machines. My "panic buy" of a .223 die set in December still has not shipped.

[Inkman]

1. I have a 550b and am perfectly happy with it. Load a couple hundred a nite and within no time you can have 1000s loaded and ready to shoot.

2. That being said, if i was starting out new again, i'd probably get a 650 just for the speed of use.

3. If i get another press now, it will be a 1050. Period. No questions about it. Case feeder, bullet feeder, everything. Doubt that will happen anytime soon though as the 550b does everything i need.

4. Forget about the cost and spend the most you can afford for the best press that fits your needs. You'll forget about the cost in no time and be loading long into the future with it.

Al

[klewan]

If you select a powder that fills 60% or more of the brass, a double charge prevents placing a bullet on that one because the powder will be overflowing the brass.

If you're only going to do a couple of different cartridges, Dillion is ok. But if you start doing lots of different ones, the caliber change kits are going to eat up cubic dollars. Dillions got the buy extra parts down pat.

I've had a Loadmaster for 17 years, only downside for me is you can't run a lockout die when you have all the other turret holes occupied. The LM is really a four station tool.

Two months ago you could buy a complete LM with dies for $215, now they're pushing $300. I bought mine after pricing out the Dillion; I could buy 20,000 primers, 10 pounds of different powders, 5,000 cast bullets for about what the Dillion was going to cost extra.

I haven't had the "difficulties" I see about the LM; you need a certain mechanical sensitivity about it. I saw a thread where somebody was using a single stage press and it started getting harder to pump the handle. He kept at it until the press froze up. It needed some lube on the ram, but he didn't do that. That's the kind of person that shouldn't get near a LM, or any other press for that matter. You have to be the kind that actually reads the instructions and follows them. You try just winging it, it's not going to work very well. YMMV

[Ad0nis]

Researched the ever loving heck out of this subject.... LnL hands down. Ignore all the "Dillon and never look back" BS and do your own in depth research.

[Lead Waster]

You don't NEED a powdercop or check die if you make "looking into the case" just a regular part of the loading process. Yeah yeah, easier said than done.

The 550b forces you to be more hands on than a fully decked out 650 with case and bullet feeder.

If I were to upgrade my 550b, I would definitely look at the LnL as well as the 650, but in all likelyhood, I won't ever upgrade.

[chickenfried]

I have an auto indexing press, a check die, and I look into the case. If one bad round gets through all the savings from reloading, gone. So I do anything I can reasonably do to prevent human error from entering the picture.

You don't NEED a powdercop or check die if you make "looking into the case" just a regular part of the loading process. Yeah yeah, easier said than done.

[Ad0nis]

I have an auto indexing press, a check die, and I look into the case. If one bad round gets through all the savings from reloading, gone. So I do anything I can reasonably do to prevent human error from entering the picture.

+1000

[Lead Waster]

I have an auto indexing press, a check die, and I look into the case. If one bad round gets through all the savings from reloading, gone. So I do anything I can reasonably do to prevent human error from entering the picture.

OK, fair enough. My point is that you can't rely on the equipment, you need to QC the rounds yourself, which means checking yourself with your own eyeballs. ie; you can't just crank out the rounds by madly pulling the handle and never looking.

Obviously, do both if you can. Let let the equipment back up your eyeball and vice versa.