Choosing reloading press...

[orangeusa]

Questions are fine, but it's time to get your feet wet.

Try out a singlestage/turret and then a progressive - neither one is perfect.

I have not heard what you are talking about on the ram or the bushings. I've sized over a thousand rounds in a month, made over 200 rounds. Which is nothing compared to the big boys here. I have little spare time... I made 100 rounds in one evening easily, but after the brass was primed.

I'm shooting larger revolvers and prime separately, just because it's so fast and I can inspect that a primer is inserted properly in OTHER steps...

I dunno.
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[JimWest]

Reconsidering purpose and logic, a turret press would indeed seem best. I've read some concerns about the Lee bushing system, and ram alignment. What's that all about? Does Hornady make a comparable turret?

Priming is a stage in the turret system? Or do you recommend separate primer seating equip.?

Lastly, I hear some systems don't handle flake powders as well as others. Another concern.

Sorry for all the questions. As you can see, the iinternet can be too much of a good thing for the uninitiated.

I checked CalGns for reloading groups but none around the Walnut Creek area that I see.

[orangeusa]

+1

In before all the Lee Classic Turret Lover... Damn, I can see there are more responses to read, I guess I missed that one.

Lee Classic Turret is prolly best for making a lot of pistol ammo. Here is a testimonial, I have ADHD or ADD and I have yet to get bored making ammo on mine... (LoL!) It is just so much fun and FAST, I will be looking at progressive presses for a long time all while making 150+ rounds an hour on my Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret. DO NOT GET THE ALUMINUM one, you want the CLASSIC 4 HOLE...

I know you are a long time reloader, but in my opinion nothing wrong with either the aluminum Turret or the Classic Turret. I got wound up and bought the Classic - and yeah it is cool looking, but they are so similiar in FUNCTION, that I don't see a big difference. Other than the Classic is better at not throwing primers all over the floor. But unlike LEE says - the Classic does poop 1 out of 50 primers on the floor. ("Every primer is caught - guaranteed."). I like LEE products a lot, but sometimes they get caught up in their own rhetoric.

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[omnitravis]

I load pistol and rifle on my 25 year old 3 hole lee turret. Buy extra turrets for $6 and your dies are set up every time.
Shotgun is a different animal entirely and takes a different type of press.

Thanks for answering my question about the shotgun. What would I need for a 12g? Or since I got the dillon 550 will that be able to do 12g?

As always someone is asking about a single stage, and it becomes a progressive topic. OP contact me if you're in SoCal and would like info about a reloading clinic.

Yeha, I kinda hijacked it, I didnt have to make a new thread though. I went ahead and bought the Dillon 550 with a set of .308/30-06 dies.

[ExtremeX]

Reloading pistol ammo on a single stage will get old real fast. 50 rounds an hour, don't believe anything else. If you have way more time than money and don't mind spending an hour loading 50 rounds then a single stage will work fine.

A Forster would be an absolute waste of money to load pistol on. A press that expensive is best suited to load precision rifle rounds.

Any brand single stage will work fine, even the inexpensive Lee ones. The RCBS is probably the most popular.

A turret is a much better choice for pistol. You could load 3 times as fast for about the same price as a medium priced single stage. The Lee turret is around $100.

solid advise

[ExtremeX]

The money spend on an RCBS kit is worth it when you break down the pieces individually. The press, uniflow and 505 scale make the kit worth while, everything else is just icing.

I agree

If this OP has his mind set on a single stage press the RCBS kit is the way to go.

Excellent value and all the included accessories are fantastic and of high quality. Great way to get started.

Just add up the main pieces a la cart and its easy to see its value.

That said for pistol loading... personally I would seek a turret at a bare minimum. I only use my Rockchucker for match rifle loads, case prep, and other odd jobs around the reloading bench.

[Ferrum]

Damn, I was hoping to get an "in before the blue koolaid crowd".

My vote would be for the rock chucker, especially the kit. If you're a casual shooter/reloader, lee is hard to beat for the money, but their safety scale and perfect powder measurer is garbage, which is why I go back to the rock chucker kit.

I'm sure there will be someone along here shortly to debate me on their blue koolaid products or the lee.


YMMV. Take everyone's opinion with a grain of salt.

Since the OP asked for single stage advice, ^^^^ this is good advice. I am particularly fond of RCBS. With that being said, I have to say that I like the new RCBS Summit press better than the Rock Chucker.... just my 2 cents.

[BajaJames83]

I would highly suggest the dillon 550, depending on the budget you have you could start with the basic no frills 550, use it similar to a turret or single stage, and later upgrade it to the 550B

[damndave]

The Redding presses are excellent, just expensive. That's why you don't see that many out there.

As for a casual shooter reloading pistol calibers, the Lee Classic Turret is hard to beat. You will find out that loading pistol on a single stage gets old REAL fast.

These are my suggestions for reloading.

Match Rifle - Single Stage
Pistol - LCT or Progressive

[gunboat]

Check the marketplace and buy a used press -- If it uses todays style shellholders just about any press will do --
Pays yer money and takes yer choice -
my ha-penny

[Bumslie]

As always someone is asking about a single stage, and it becomes a progressive topic. OP contact me if you're in SoCal and would like info about a reloading clinic.

[the_tunaman]

The Dillon 550 is a great press. You can use it as a single stage for load development or run it as a progressive. It is easy and fast to change to different calibers.

The 650 is a true progressive, with auto indexing and the case feeder will feed rifle brass.

I went with a 1050 and bullet feeder just to load 9mm ammo.

I wish I had a 650, but the 550 was part of a great deal and I have upgraded it with a case feeder (there are some big cons to the case feeder).

Absolutely be sure to consider the Dillon line... They are considered by many to be the industry standard.

I myself have a 550B and load 8 different rifle and pistol calibers. As noted above, I can (and do) load in single-stage mode for my precision match ammo, as well as cranking out mass quantities of range loads.

Be sure to check out the buyers guide on Brian Eno's site, as it gives excellent advice on the differences between the four models of Dillon presses - make the right selection and it will likely serve you well for the rest of your life.

And you can't beat Dillon's fault-free warranty for life on the 550 and 650 presses.

[CGT80]

The Dillon 550 is a great press. You can use it as a single stage for load development or run it as a progressive. It is easy and fast to change to different calibers.

The 650 is a true progressive, with auto indexing and the case feeder will feed rifle brass.

I went with a 1050 and bullet feeder just to load 9mm ammo.

I wish I had a 650, but the 550 was part of a great deal and I have upgraded it with a case feeder (there are some big cons to the case feeder).

[stilly]

Reloading pistol ammo on a single stage will get old real fast. 50 rounds an hour, don't believe anything else. If you have way more time than money and don't mind spending an hour loading 50 rounds then a single stage will work fine.

A Forster would be an absolute waste of money to load pistol on. A press that expensive is best suited to load precision rifle rounds.

Any brand single stage will work fine, even the inexpensive Lee ones. The RCBS is probably the most popular.

A turret is a much better choice for pistol. You could load 3 times as fast for about the same price as a medium priced single stage. The Lee turret is around $100.

+1

In before all the Lee Classic Turret Lover... Damn, I can see there are more responses to read, I guess I missed that one.

Lee Classic Turret is prolly best for making a lot of pistol ammo. Here is a testimonial, I have ADHD or ADD and I have yet to get bored making ammo on mine... (LoL!) It is just so much fun and FAST, I will be looking at progressive presses for a long time all while making 150+ rounds an hour on my Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret. DO NOT GET THE ALUMINUM one, you want the CLASSIC 4 HOLE...

[Bumslie]

What's your location jimwest? Check for some of the CGSSA reloading clubs that are getting started. Hands on experience would probably help a bunch. Good luck.

Geez I'm a state coordinator for this and I didn't even give myself a shameless plug

If you're in SoCal, Ventura is having their first workshop on the 30th. I will be there helping out.

Inland empire will be having one on the 15th

Orange County will be the 23rd. I will be there as well as that is my home turf.

Pm me for any details or questions you might have. We have a multitude of presses avail. RCBS, lee single and turrets, even a coax. We do show what a 550b and hornady can do as well

Link to orange county's workshop

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=768711