What press(es)?

[b4uqzme]

It's getting time to graduate to reloading. I've been webberbrowsing and find 2 schools of thought: 1) buy a great do-all press and save your money for the accessories to load various rounds. 2) buy 2 or more presses that excel in specialized applications.

Which do you recommend?

I'm considering ordering a Dillon Square Deal B in 40sw and just leaving it set that way. I can always buy conversions for other handgun calibers later but 40 is what I want right now.

If I do that I will also add a single stage press for rifle calibers.

It seems practical not having to break it down to set up different calibers (as often).

Or I could just get a Dillon 550B and load everything with the same press.

Any advice is welcome. What is your set up?

[Bawanna]

My thoughts were very much like yours. I loaded on a single stage for many many years. I finally a few years ago bought a Hornady LocNLoad. I pretty much leave it set up for 45.

I use the singles stage for everything else but planned to use it mostly for rifle which I don't need to load much for.

I have since bought other parts to load other calibers but generally the progressive is ready for 45 most any time.

I researched the Dillon and they are a good press and they have good customer service and a great little catalog from time to time. I liked some of the features of the Hornady better and they were on sale so I went that route.

It rotates half a position on each handle movement rather than a full which is kind of nice. Being able to remove a case at any station anytime is a real plus. I don't recall now if that's possible on the blues, but I suspect it is.

I think you'd be happy with either.

My single stage is an RCBS Rock Chucker, tough do anything press.

[ozkahr]

I just handloaded my first 110 rounds of 9mm FMJ. I bought a barely used (300 rounds) Forster Co-Ax b3. I'm liking it a lot.

I read many reloading forums and the general opinion was to start with a single stage. Too many chances to make a mistake with a progressive. Lots to watch all at once.

I'm quite happy with the single stage. You may be a better multitasker than I.

[garyb]

Both Dillon and Hornady LNL are good presses. My buddy swears by the Dillon, but I went with the Hornady LNL auto progressive. Like Bawanna, I reload one caliber now - 40S&W. However, I have full capability to quickly change over to another caliber without much nonsense. Hornady has the advantage of quick change over. It is a very reliable and versatile system. Research them both for yourself. You will be happy either way. You'll be especially happy that you made the decision to reload and develop your own loads you can be happy with. It will pay for itself. Great hobby. Just buy components as you can find them (primers, powder, bullets, brass, etc...) and you will no longer be shopping for ammo.

[Tilos]

There's lots of press info here for every color:D
http://ultimatereloader.com/

[AIRret]

We have a hornady ammo plant and we are very happy with it, but I can see a day if the right slightly used press comes along we might buy it so we can have one set to 45 and one to 9mm.
We haven't been loading all that long (so far 9mm (4,000 fired another 1,000 loaded) and two hundred 45) but we really love it and this forum has been tremendously helpful.
Early on Bawanna suggested that we buy a progressive press and just take one round at a time through all the stations until we were comfortable with all the operations. The idea was a sound one and allowed us to be safe while we were learning. Before long we were full speed ahead....which is still moderate, we load 100 rounds in about 50 min Which is fine, I'd rather be safe than fast!!

[b4uqzme]

Thanks for the input. All good advice. Now lets shift gears. Any equipment I should definitely avoid? Example: I haven't heard much good about Lee presses but are they good enough for a single stage press?

[Tilos]

if your looking for opinions, you'll find a lot more reloaders, using a large variety of equipment...even threads devoted to upgrades/fixes and modifications to loading equipment....here
http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=15& (http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=15)&

:D

[TucsonMTB]

Thanks for the input. All good advice. Now lets shift gears. Any equipment I should definitely avoid? Example: I haven't heard much good about Lee presses but are they good enough for a single stage press?
http://img.rakuten.com/PIC/42841334/0/1/500/42841334.jpg
Nothing wrong with Lee. I use one of their turret presses to load 30-06 for a Garand. My only regret is that I could not find one of their "Classic" turret presses when I bought my first press during "the craziness" last year. The Classic Turret Press (pictured above) has a hollow ram to which you attach a clear tube to collect spent primers when you remove them from spent cases during full length resizing. My "Precision" turret press (pictured below) was available and is still a few bucks cheaper but it lacks this one, convenient feature.
http://img.rakuten.com/PIC/23017235/0/1/500/23017235.jpg
Lee must update their pictures on the same schedule that Kahr uses for their website. My press came with a different handle that has a foam padded grip, rather than the wooden ball.

As a ham fisted newbie I started out putting a lot of muscle into my work and cracked a piece in the linkage. Three days after I dropped Lee an email identifying the cracked part, a replacement part appeared in my mail box. The press never stopped working, but the crack worried me. I would rate customer service as excellent.

Lee dies are also excellent, in my opinion and the opinion of many of the guys on the reloading forums . . . especially considering their modest cost.

Oh, and you could probably manage pretty well just buying one of their remarkably inexpensive hand presses. I bought one to be able to set bullets in my air conditioned office rather than my steamy garage during our famously warm summers. It works well enough that investing another $30 in a second set of dies allows me to perform all reloading stages in air conditioned splendor. I like that.

I am still pleased to have the turret press, but a Lee hand press will "git her done" very nicely. I mention that as a possible low cost option that does not require a dedicated bench for mounting.

Best of luck with your entertaining new hobby! :)

[otium]

I started with a single stage RCBS rockchucker a long time ago and have loaded thousands and thousands of handgun and rifle rounds with it. I still have it and use it for more mundane duties like decapping fired brass prior to tumbling. I also use it for low volume medium bore rifle loading where I prefer to hand throw and trickle up to 70grs of powder for some of the loads. In that case 50 rounds would be about as large a run as I might do in an evening.

In the 90s I added the Dillon 550 and use it for handgun calibers. I utilize multiple tool heads to help keep the caliber switch adjustments to a minimum. I don't often switch the primer setup and leave the 550 set up for large primers since I generally load for the 45acp the most. I find switching primer sizes on the Dillon rather tedious, so I do the small primer loading back on the single stage.

As far as what to start with, I would lean towards starting out with a single stage press, especially if a person does not have a mentor available to help learn all the initial adjustments and how to do spot checks along the way that need to be made on the progressive.

Being me, I'd probably be a little more leery starting out reloading with the 40SW as a new reloading person on a progressive as there is much less margin as there is in say loading normal pressure 9mm or 45 where both have a +p spec for a little more leeway in allowable pressures.

While the single stage produces much less volume per hour, there are a lot of details a person needs to learn and a single stage gives you the opportunity to check your work more thoroughly at each stage. For example, you load all your brass with powder, and now you can do a visual check to see if any charges look to be dissimilar after they are all in the tray before you press the bullet on it. With a progressive press you only have a small window to check it after you throw the power charge and when you seat the bullet in the next station.

Once you feel comfortable with the single stage, then by all means go with a progressive so you can increase your volumes. IMO the single stage will remain useful for a reloader for a long time to come.

I find this to be a mostly fun hobby although these persistent component shortages do get frustrating especially when trying to start loading a 'new to me' caliber. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

[b4uqzme]

Thanks everyone, especially for the links and personal experience. I'm going to a gun show next weekend and want to be prepared in case I run across a good deal on some used equipment. A question for otium: would you recommend I start (and) learn loading rifle calibers on a single press first? I plan on getting both a single stage press for rifle calibers and a progressive for handguns. It doesn't matter which comes first.

Midway has the rockchucker kit, including a scale and a bunch of stuff I'll need anyways for 270 after rebate or a similar lee challenger kit for 120. Is the rockchucker that much better? I expect to use them in small batches.

[Ikeo74]

You have 2 choices, buy the rcbs kit for $270 and spend $270, or you can buy the Lee set for $120 and then later upgrade to the rcbs kit and spend $410. So the way I see it is to upgrade now and save the $120.

[Ikeo74]

I use the rcbs rockchucker and have for 30 years. It is a lifetime useable product with better quality and perfect for both pistol and rifle reloading. It will do everything that an adverage hunter sportsman will need. If you shoot competition you can get a progressive later and still use the rockchucker kit for all rifle loads.

Buy new because the price will be almost the same as you will have to pay for used equipment. Used equipment holds it's value so when you buy new, you can always sell it and get almost all your money back.

[otium]

For rifle I would go with a single stage. It can be done on a progressive, but it is not quite as convenient. It essentially makes you use the progressive kind of like a single stage any way.

I've not used any Lee press and have only used a few Lee pieces, so I can not give you any kind of a real world opinion on them. I can say the RCBS has been very good to me and it will likely outlast me even with over 30 years on the clock with it already.

In addition to looking at gun shows, I would also take a look at the used market such as arms list and other online avenues (or perhaps if you belong to a shooting club/range) to see if you can find any deals from folks who are either getting out of shooting/reloading or perhaps made available through an estate sale.

[garyb]

I started out on a Hornady progressive loading 40's. Got some very helpful advice from Hornady on what to put where on the stages. However, the manuals were very self explanatory and I had NO problems out of the newbee gate. I took my time. I recommend a good scale and calipers. I don't see where you need to start reloading handgun ammo on a single stage press, but I don't see where you can't do so either. The AP presses are not all that complicated if you think through each stage and check your powder charges often from the start. I also recommend to start with light loads for target. Get a couple of reloading manuals to reference and you will be fine. The details are all in the manuals and operating instructions. Not all that complicated. If you get in a bind or don't understand something....ASK. The press reloading manufacturer is helpful...at least Hornady is. I am confident the same applies to Dillon too. Good luck with your entry to reloading. Take it slow and cautious and you will be fine. I was.

[TheTman]

I have a Lee single stage press, never had a problem. My buddy has a Lee multiple stage press set up for 9mm right now, and it does a good job. Nothing wrong with Lee. But I would go with the Dillon Square Deal over the Lee multi stage press.

[ruf45]

Can not go wrong with the Dillon. Have used a Square Deal for over 15 years without a single problem

[hardluk1]

I just bought a rcbs pro 2000 . Many years on a single means almost nothing when moveing up to a progressive. Got to learn all over again it seems.

[b4uqzme]

all good advice...decisions, decisions.... most likely the square deal. I'm primarily interested in loading handgun cartridges: 40, 38sp, 357.

THANKS

[garyb]

Good choice. Great press. I started with the 40 too, but with my Hornady AP. It will do everything and has some very nice upgrades should you ever want to go faster. Not to mention that it will change over to other handgun cals and rifle loading very easily. If you are looking for versatility and reliability, go Hornady AP. Great customer support (in my experience). Wait till one goes on sale and grab it.

[b4uqzme]

thanks garyb -- that you can get the Hornady stuff on sale does make the choice more interesting although the Dillon is still a little bit cheaper for how I want to set it up. Certainly more options with the Hornady since it will also load rifle cartridges. The biggest hurdle for the Hornady is that you have to buy all the dies separately. For a newbie, it's nice to just order the Dillon with everything you need to start loading (even if the dies are proprietary). Hmmmmm, Just thinking out loud.......

[garyb]

I could be wrong but I thought the hornady included one set of dies with the purchase. Either way, you will be using he quick change out adapters too. That allows you to change dies in under a minute. You'll be buying more dies down the road anyway for your other applications....they are simply not that expensive. And I'd stick with Hornady dies if you go the Hornady route. That way, the factory is there to support you should you need help with set ups. You will be happy either way....Dillon or Hornady. The Hornady gives you a bit more versatility, flexibility and quicker change overs IMO. It has worked flawlessly for me. However, Dillon is a good system too. I almost went Dillon. A friend had one and would set it up for me. I chose Hornady because it was on sale, I had gift cards for Cabelas and they had the free bullet offer at the time. It cost me nothing out of pocket. It was my first reloader. Hornady helped me pick out the dies and told me how to set them up. Very helpful folks. I built a work bench and was reloading fast. Never regretted my decision and was glad I did not go with the Dillon. My buddy has had his Dillon replaced since. Something broke on the arm and they replaced it. They are a good company too. Bla, Bla, Bla...haha.

Old pic when the bench was new. My bench has more components on it now.

[garyb]

One more thought before you buy a reloader. Decide where you are going to put it and how much space you have. Think through your layout...where your scale will be. Where will you store your components (powder, bullets, brass, spent brass, polisher, primers, extra die sets, etc...). Then decide where you will place things when you start reloading so you can grab them systematically and conveniently. Then decide where you need to mount the reloader. Then decide which one will fit better. Think about if you do go with an AP and later want to add a single press or a shotgun reloader, etc.... In other words, think it over one more time so you spend your time on setting up things once and the best way you can. These are the issues that come into play later....long after you get used to the reloader and are competent at reloading. Your space and layout need to be considered. Just a thought.

[garyb]

Please be sure to research the Hornady LNL AP "Die Bushings" which allow you to quickly change over "adjusted" dies to another cal very quickly and easily. Once you have your dies adjusted in their individual die bushings, you simply twist them out 1/6th turn and change to another cal. No need to go through the painful re-adjustments of your dies every time you change cals. This is a great reason to stick with Hornady. With the 5 stations available on the LNL, you can also add a powder cop to quickly make a visual check of your charge drop. Once you get rolling, you will appreciate that 5th station with the cop in place. You will spend less time checking the accuracy of your powder drop on your scale and more time reloading. Nice features on Hornady's press.

[CJB]

Hey I've got an old Hornady Projector press... works great still. I use it for the calibers I shoot a lot of, .45, .223, and .308... in times past .44mag and 10mm. I used to do a bunch of .38's on it too.

Very easy to set up, has the strength, but...most of all, has GREAT feel of primer seating. You can feel the primers just 'pop' right into the pockets. Any ol progressive will size and seat. Primer seating is where its at in my humble opinion.

I did adapt, with off the shelf items, a nice RCBS powder measure... works like a champ.

Once the press is loaded with cartridges, pull handle as you seat a bullet manually, flip the powder measure, pull the handle up, then up a little more for primer seating. Repeat... just tosses 'em out perfect all the time.

[garyb]

Good point CJB. My Hornady LNL AP press does a great job with seating the primers too. It is easy to load and works great. I can feel the primers seat into position as you described. I just need to keep the works clean and lightly lubricated then wiped down, to keep them flowing smoothly. I can tell when it is time to give the works some minor attention every 1000 rounds or so. Primer seating is a key part of the operation, so it must work.

[Tilos]

GaryB:
You have posted a lot of good/spot on info/advise in this thread...thanx.
Placement of the scale is important and I would suggest moving yours, based on the pic you posted.
Having the scale at eye level will help in reading the beam settings and the up/down "balance" pointer:D

[garyb]

GaryB:
You have posted a lot of good/spot on info/advise in this thread...thanx.
Placement of the scale is important and I would suggest moving yours, based on the pic you posted.
Having the scale at eye level will help in reading the beam settings and the up/down "balance" pointer:D

Thanks for the input Tilos...good point, but look again. My scale is in a stored position under a shelf....to keep my work bench clear. I don't use it where it is stored. I pull it out and only use it to spot check my powder drop, to check accuracy. I started using it every 5 rounds. However, my powder drop on the Hornady LNL is so accurate, that I only spot check it every 25 rounds now. I can see it just fine in any location on the bench...but your point is well taken. ;)

[b4uqzme]

Garyb, can you build me a bench? ;)

[Bawanna]

Damn, beat me again.

[garyb]

haha. I had to put an angle on the left side, because it sits next to a closet door. Needed the angle to allow the door to swing open. It is a small bench, but gets the job done. When you build yours, build it out of heavy materials to make it solid. Be sure to include some shelves for small items. Small drawers would be handy for bullets, primers, dies, etc... I left the top open, so I can add drawer units as I expand. I use the small dresser that sits on the right side of my bench for some of the dodads. There is a thread here someplace that shows photos of guys benches. You can get some ideas from them. Filter out some of the "stuff" they have laying around on their benches. Although, I am sure it is all "important stuff"...haha. Seriously, it pays to keep your bench clean and neat. I believe everything has its' place and I want to see it there when I reach for it.

[garyb]

Good lighting is important too. I added a simple LED flash light to the top open port of my Hornady LNL. Cheap way to see inside your cases to check powder drops. They do market expensive fancy lighting systems to do the same thing.

[b4uqzme]

I probably will build it too. I went around looking to buy a table and there are few heavy enough or the right size. Found one on sale for $176. Nah! Thanks for the tips.

[garyb]

I hear ya. I found the same thing and decided to build it custom for the location I was planning to reload. It is a basic project of common 4X4 legs, plywood and 2X lumber. Screws and glue. Some stain and a finish. Done.

I'd stay away from damp areas, unless you use a dehumidifier. I wanted to put mine in the garage, but in the winter, melting snow and ice off the vehicles creates a problem. Rain a problem in the summer. So, I went with a small room I have on the lower floor where I keep some of my hunting gear and a dehumidifier. It is quiet and away from the living area, where wifey might not like seeing the reloading action. I can concentrate on what I am doing. It makes for a peaceful hobby. Out of sight, out of mind.

[Tilos]

Thanks for the input Tilos...good point, but look again. My scale is in a stored position under a shelf....to keep my work bench clear. I don't use it where it is stored. I pull it out and only use it to spot check my powder drop, to check accuracy. I started using it every 5 rounds. However, my powder drop on the Hornady LNL is so accurate, that I only spot check it every 25 rounds now. I can see it just fine in any location on the bench...but your point is well taken. ;)
Thanks,
Perhaps some explanation belongs with the pic as a footnote if you post it again, as some newbs might go by the visual...maybe take and post a different image next time :cool:
I built a box/cover for mine, and have taped the scale base to the shelf, so it stays were I use it, at eye level.
Scale location created a critical problem for another member here and it's never talked about much, the only reason I brought it up.

[garyb]

No problem. Understood. My bench looks a little different these days, with more components and reloading manuals on the shelves. However, my scale is still stored in the same place. Handy where it is. It's an older scale (from the 70's) but I know how to use it. For the newbs...Footnote: Go digital....haha. Thanks.

[Southerngunner]

There is a lot of great presses out there ,and I still have my 40 year old RCBS Rockchucker but now days I use My Dillon 550B or the Square Deal . The 550 is easier to change calibers and I leave that one set up for large primers it also is indexed to the next station by hand which allows you to slow down a little until you are more comfortable with loading. The Square Deal is auto indexing and a little more complicated to set up different calibers but my shooting buddy has one that has over a 100,000 rounds loaded through it. The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is Dillons "No B.S. warranty for Life even if you buy a used press they will repair or send you replacement parts quickly and free. I have used this warranty evn when I screwed up and broke something myself, I explained what happened and offered to pay for the parts and they said No Worries and shipped what I needed out rapidly.

[AIRret]

We have the Hornady ammo plant (5,000 montana gold 9mm, 3,000 precision delta and
1,000 45 acp montana gold so far).
We followed through and just bought a single stage Hornady for rifle rounds and assorted
special projects.
If you are thinking of eventually having a single stage and a progressive press it might be easier if you stay with the same manufacturer.
Just one more thing to put into the hopper of ideas to which you've been exposed.

[downtownv]

Dillion for 1 huge advantage! NO If's and's or Buts they will replace ANYTHING , ANYTIME even if you were NOT the original purchaser!
I have a SDB with 3 quick changes (Change dies and the head/powder charge and can, I never have to recalibrate the powder charges) unless I change the powder type.
I do 9mm 40cal and .45acp.
I am lucky, as my shooting buddy has a 550 and does .223's for me! I have never been to the store for ammo in 1.5 years!

[b4uqzme]

I've been dragging my feet but I'm sold on the SDB. It's really not even that expensive all things considered. I gotta make this happen. Thanks for the encouragement.

[AIRret]

I've been dragging my feet but I'm sold on the SDB. It's really not even that expensive all things considered. I gotta make this happen. Thanks for the encouragement.

Hey, that's what choice is all about.

Let us know how things go.

Hubby and I take things slow and double check each others steps.

[Southerngunner]

I've been dragging my feet but I'm sold on the SDB. It's really not even that expensive all things considered. I gotta make this happen. Thanks for the encouragement.

It's better to make sure about what you want before you lay out money. But in my humble opinion you can't go wrong with Dillon products whichever one you choose.
Best of luck with your decision.