Reloaders

[Jacobo2012]

How many load with a singe stage press and how many are using a turrret or progressive?
Been thinking of pulling the trigger but can’t justify it quite yet
Do you really get that much more out of a progressive?
And are the lees really as bad as they say they are? Lol


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[EastHumboldt]

I’m just using a single stage press but I have two... a C frame lee and an O frame lee. One for decapping/sizing and one for seating bullets. The C frame is pretty light duty ( which is why I’m using it for seating):but the O frame is pretty heavily built and should stand up to many years of work. Im fairly new to reloading but to me it looks like the RCBS stuff is better made and more durable. I like my RCBS dies better than my Lees. The Lee stuff is sort of like a Tikka stock. Feels kinda cheap but it works well enough. I do like the lee breechlock system for quick changing dies Without having to adjust.

 

[Couescrazy33]

I run a dillon 550 for 9, 40, 45, 38/357, 44mag and 223. Using dillon dies.

I use a single stage rcbs for rifles other than 223..

Progressive is great for target loads and and mass production however i would not use it for hunting ammo/precision.

The single stage seems more percise for seating depths and using a electronic powder dispenser is much more percise than a powder thrower on a Progressive press.

I use either rcbs or redding dies on the rcbs.

Can not answer your question about lee dies. However im sure they will work but like everything else, you get what you pay for.

 

[RichP]

I have a RCBS Rock Chucker. Single stage

 

[MidGAHunter]

I use a Dillon 550 for pistol ammo and RCBS Rockchucker Supreme for rifle ammo.

 

[ADR]

I have a RCBS Rock Chucker. Single stage

Same here. I’ve been happy with it.

 

[FLAK]

Same here. I’ve been happy with it.

Same
(Rock Chucky)

 

[RCL]

Been using the same Rock Chucker for 40 years.
Redding, RCBS, and Lee dies.

 

[Wapiti1]

I have two old Pacific single stage presses, one Dillon 550, and a Lee Loadmaster. I used to have a Hornady progressive, but sold it for lack of use. Nice press, but I like the setup on the Dillon and Lee better with the tool heads.

I use the 550 and the Loadmaster 90% of the time. The 550 does most of my high power hunting ammo and the Lee does anything high volume. The single stage presses get used to swag bullets, uniform primer pockets, and run small batches of test ammo when I don't want to setup the other presses for a new cartridge.

Every press that I've used has it's quirks. Once you know what they are, they all work well. My opinion, the Lee presses work fine. I've never had issues with mine for many thousand rounds of ammo. Yes, progressives are a lot faster, but take more time to setup. They aren't great for load development when you are changing charge weights, etc every 5 rounds or so.

Powder measures on the progressives is where I find the most annoyance. I don't like the Dillon setup as it's annoying to adjust, but it works the best with long grain powders. I like the simplicity of the Lee autodisc, but it is leaky with flake powder. I mostly use RCBS, Redding and Hornady measures with a case activated conversion for the progressive presses due to their ease of adjustment, but they are sticky with long grain powder. With ball powders they are sweet.

Jeremy

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I have three types of presses set up. Progressive, turret, and single stage. For my big game hunting rifles, I use a single stage press on them all. On pistols, I use progressive presses. I buy the Lee caliber specific progressive presses. They work great as long as you don’t try to switch them over to another caliber. It takes a while to get things dialed in once you do that. My bench space won’t support all the presses I own, so I unbolt and store my progressive presses until I load for that caliber. And, when I load, I pump them out.


the Lee progressive presses work great once you get them timed right. And, loading several hundred rounds an hour is a piece of cake when you get it right. I’ll load a for 4-5 hours when I do this.

I use the turret press for my 5.56 rounds. It’s the cats meow. I can probably make a hundred rounds an hour once I’ve got everything set up and my rhythm down. I bought the Lee oal tool. On my first stroke, I deprime and resize, pull the case, stick it in the cutter, pull that cord to trim it, reinsert and start pulling that handle. It works well.

thr single stage needs no explanation.



If you are only getting one, base it on your needs. The progressive press needs justification if you buy the expensive ones. And, only useful for pistol casings. The turret by Lee is a great press. Any single stage will work fine.

 

[mauserfan]

Rockchucker for rifle and handgun. MEC 9000 for shotgun.

 

[pcmem]

A lot depends on what you want to reload and how comfortable you're with it. A single stage will load everything and makes it easy to learn on. Most of us started that way.

Progressives add expense and complexity to combine stages to increase production. As mentioned once setup and tuned they will crank out a round with each pull.

You could get a progressive and load one round at a time as most modern models will do case detection and not make a mess using it in this fashion to learn. This is typically how one tunes it for a specific caliber before going full tilt.

All the modern presses have their quirks but are capable machines. Any chance there are folks in your area, a sporting club, store, etc. Where you could try some out? Get a feel for what you like and dislike. I've found reloaders in my experience like to get others interested in reloading.

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[Jesse Jaymes]

Before you make all these plans...I would look at availability. I've reloaded for over 38 years. I just added a Dillon last May when the Pandemic really began to kick off. It was months to get the press and more months to obtain 9mm dies.

Components are non existent at this time. Do some research before you get hot and bothered about taking the plunge.

It's unfortunate....as you are about 8 months too late. There are over a million other people that asked themselves the same question and acted upon it....LAST YEAR.

 

[hunterjmj]

I run a single stage for depriming and a turret for sizing and bullet seating. I'm running the Redding comp dies. The turret is nice as I don't have to set up each time I swap dies.

 

[ODB]

I use a very old, small frame RCBS. Weigh every load, slow, slow, slow....seems to work just fine.

 

[BFR]

Started out with a Lee Loader, the one you used a block of wood and a hammer at the kitchen table, knew everything I needed to know. Fill brass with powder, tamp in down, add more powder to case was full then drive in the bullet, fun times. Man that 06 kicked. Now I have a Dillon 550, and use it as a modified single stage, I weigh out EVERY powder charge, I’m just anal there.

 

[czyolman]

95% of my handgun ammo is with a Hornady Projector progressive.

Rifle shells are all with a single stage.

 

[rayporter]

single stage Lyman c press bought in '65 for anything bigger than 6 BR

a hood double ram [ i have a pair of them] for anything smaller than a 6BR. since i shoot more small stuff the hood gets the most use.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Basic RCBS rock checker here.

 

[KurtR]

rock chucker here to