Thinking about Reloading, Single Stage Press (Lee) vs Progressive (Dillon 650)

[Shinne]

I was searching around to see if I could get some information about the single stage and a lot of people were saying that they started off on it, but after awhile they wish they got the progressive.

I'm wondering if I should just go straight for the Dillon 650 instead of the Lee Single Stage Press. My biggest concerns at the moment with the Dillon is the price.

I want to reload 223 and 45 ACP. I put all the information in a excel sheet and calculated that I needed to reload 23000 bullets of 45 ACP just to even out. Which seems a lot to me since I only shoot around 100 rounds every weekend. Maybe 100 45 ACP and 100 223 if I get a Saturday to myself. The reason why I shoot so little is because the price of ammo, so if I reload it would let me shoot more.

I want to start off with the Lee Single Stage because it's a cheaper option but it seems like only being able to reload 50 rounds an hour would be slow and inefficient. The thing that I like about the Lee is that it's small and seems like you could put it away if needed. I figured I would do each stages in 2000 round batches if I can.

I'm wondering what everybody advice is on this. Should I just buy once and cry once? If I get the Lee Single Stage, would I be able to sell the press and keep the dies to reuse on the Dillon?

[noylj]

For 100 rounds per weekend, a single stage is fine.
If you were to go with a progressive, forget the Dillon and look at the Hornady L-N-L--it is very ergonomic and you certainly don't need a case collator.
If you want, you can look at the Lee Turret where you can cycle the handle 3-4 times a produce a loaded round. This might be better for you than processing by the batch--you would just make the number of rounds you want.
A lot of people seem to delight in getting others to spend a lot of money.

[Cowboy T]

I would recommend you start with the little cheapie $30 "Lee Reloader Press". This is a simple single-stage press that is tiny, but useful. I reloaded my first 500 rounds on it to learn how to reload. That experience saved me from both double-charges and squibs when I went to the progressive. It's always handy to have a single-stage on your bench, even if you're loading progressively.

Crawl before you try to run. Seriously.

Noylj's suggestion of a turret is also a good one. I use Lee's Classic Turret Press which is good 'n' solid. It gives me an output of about 120 rounds/hour without rushing.

[brettkeating]

If you're on the fence I would also recommend the Lee Turret. You can use it as a single-stage press, but also have higher production if you want. Not as much as a progressive, but better than a single stage. Many say if they were only going to have one press, it would be the Lee Turret.

I have a rock chucker single stage, and looking back, I think I would have rather had the Turret press. However, I do not regret passing on the option to buy a progressive... I can't imagine trying to learn on one of those things. Some do fine right away on those, but I'm pretty sure I would have become frustrated quickly. Anyway, I was primarily interested in loading for rifle, which was another minus for the progressive route.

[twotacocombo]

I have a Lee turret, and it's great if you aren't needing to load 500+ in a session. I'd suggest running a single stage or a turret in manual mode before you move to a progressive. it's much easier to learn the basics without having to worry about multiple steps for each pull of the lever. I'd also suggest finding a powder measurement system you can trust before going progressive. Every now and then I'll find my powder measure drops a super light charge, which would cause huge problems if I didn't visually inspect each case fill before the projectile went in. It's much easier to catch your mistakes when going at the slower pace of a non-progressive.

[Shinne]

I figured I get one of those powder measurement things from Lee.

Seems like everybody is suggesting the Lee Turret and I'll look into it. Have any of you guys used Lee Dies on Dillon 650 when you upgraded?

[4DMASTR]

After much research I ended up getting a Lee turret kit. You can remove the rod and use it as a single stage at first. A lot of people will knock the Lee stuff but I have everything I need to reload at a low cost and if I decide to move to a Dillon later on I am not out a lot of cash.

[1to3]

After much research I ended up getting a Lee turret kit. You can remove the rod and use it as a single stage at first. A lot of people will knock the Lee stuff but I have everything I need to reload at a low cost and if I decide to move to a Dillon later on I am not out a lot of cash.

Im pretty new to reloading, but came to the same conclusion after TONS of research. The Lee Classic Turret is about 120 at most places, and can be found for just under 80 sometimes. Other parts depend on what you want to do.

You can take out one rod and go single stage, and when you are ready move to progressive (though one at a time). Some people claim to be able to do 300 an hour on the Lee Turrett in progressive mode. (Though 150-200 is more common.)

[Howitzer1987]

you can always go the route I went with and buy the progressive and just treat it like a single stage. As you get more and more comfortable you can just start adding steps to each round. Honestly the best advice I ever got was to read the manuals till I practically memorized them. Another aspect you have to think of that I didnt was the lack of powder. You have to be hunting for it relentlessly and get ready to pay premium for pistol powders.

[Eldraque]

Thinking about Reloading, Single Stage Press (Lee) vs Progressive (Dillon 650)

It was recommended to me to start with a progressive, i did and i am extremely satisfied, i did TONS of reading, watching videos, and had a 3 hour session with an experienced Calguns reloader before i bought my press. I think if you are smart and competent the whole "start on a single stage" is bogus (unless you have lots of time on your hands). Just start off loading one case at a time on a progressive, then work your way up.

If the price of the 650 is too high, start with a 550, it is a fantastic machine.

Also worth mentioning that reloading isnt really about saving money, its about being able to shoot more

[Shinne]

Have any of you guys tried the Lee Pro 1000 Progressive Press Kit? It seems to come out cheaper then the turret when I add all the stuff together.

[Capybara]

You should come to the Ventura County Reloading Club's next clinic on Sunday, July 6th. We have a Rockchucker and a Lee LCT you can try as well as several other single stage presses. We also could have one or two of our instructors bring out their progressives and you can SEE a side by side comparison of how reloading on a single stage compares with reloading on a progressive.

For most reloaders who have an average attention span and average mechanical aptitude, learning to reload on a single stage is best, much less chance of you turning your gun into a grenade. If you are hyper detail oriented, have a solid mechanical background and are patient, you could begin with a progressive. But most important of all, come to a reloading clinic and get your hands dirty before you buy anything! Reloading is really just all about safety, procedure and common sense, just like shooting. Jumping in not knowing what you are doing can be very dangerous to your health and harmful to your bank account.

[KeithET]

With only 100 rounds a week you would do very well with a single stage press. A progressive is overkill at that volume. Also I would recommend all new reloaders starting with a single stage press just to learn how to reload. Its not a difficult thing to learn but there are some seemingly minor things that can bite you if you get them wrong. If you are loading on a single stage press you are more likely to catch them before loading 1000 or even 100 rounds of ammo. On a progressive you will load that 1000 rounds and then find out you did something wrong. That's when you learn about the "BULLET PULLER"! Start with a Lee single stage and "learn how to reload" before you invest a lot of money into a progressive.

With that I will state that I started using a single stage press. After about 15 years of reloading I decided to go with a progressive only when I started shooting 200 to 300 or more rounds a week. Time became the limiting factor. I could load 500 rounds in just a couple hours and be set for the week and still get all my "Honey Do's" done. Also to justify a progressive its not the cost of the equipment vs the savings in ammo cost that decides the switch its the cost in time. I like reloading but when I was spending so much time reloading it started to interfere with other parts of my life.

KeithET

[JMP]

I'm wondering if I should just go straight for the Dillon 650 instead of the Lee Single Stage Press. My biggest concerns at the moment with the Dillon is the price.

I want to reload 223 and 45 ACP. I put all the information in a excel sheet and calculated that I needed to reload 23000 bullets of 45 ACP just to even out.

I think there is a flaw in your math. A Dillon 650 to load only .45 ACP is going to cost about $1,000, give or take. If 23,000 rounds of .45 ACP is the breakeven point, then you are planning on saving about $0.04 cents/round. At today's prices, using the best components, the savings is [significantly] more than $0.04/round.

That's not to say that there isn't an amount needed to recoup your investment, but I think it is quite lower than 23,000. Perhaps you meant 2,300?

[Shinne]

I calculated it with buying the brass. It's more around 10k if I can collect my own. It was a rough estimate with expensive components that I just took off the internet. I put down the price as ~$1500 because I wanted to add the .223 and .45 die price together.

If I was only reloading .45, without buying brass. It comes down to 6k to get the return on investment. Math isn't exact but I think I considered what was needed to see ROI.