Dillon 550 and never look back again!
Pistol only.
Must use Dillon dies, and the change over kits are not cheap.
Dillon 550 and never look back again!
Pistol only.
I suggest you start with a good single stage press, learn the process step by step. Within a couple of years, you'll figure out yourself which type of progressive would work best for you. Your single stage press will be your goto press for precision rifle rounds so it is still going to be a good investment...
From that perspective, I recommend RCBS Rockchucker as a great press to start with. Very precise, built to last. Redding Ultramag is another great press that I have been using for 13+ years and very happy with it as well but it is on the expensive side...
Pistol only... must use dillon dies.
I think a Lee pro 1000
Is that a good start?
The Lee turret press that I bought from Henry has served me well. I can go as fast or as slow as needed. Slide the rotating rod out and it becomes a single stage press for rifle cartridges. get some spare turrets and changing calibres takes around 15 seconds. The Dillon is great for producing high volumes of pistol rounds but switching calibres takes time and money.
I have been reloading for years with my lee pro 1000 press, i first got into lee because of the lower price point than the others....i finally started to wear out parts of the press after many years of use, and was time for an overhaul
Instead of overhauling my pro 1000....I decided to try lees new auto breech lock pro press....and the price was fantastic...200 bucks new!!
I really like it a lot, it doesnt need to be fiddled with as much as the pro 1000, and its sorta can be described as a hybrid press....has a good solid plate locking pin between stages...and is very easy to swap out plates
Just ran off 1000 44mag thru it for its maiden voyage.....and i am very happy with it....if you are on a tight budget (who isnt these days) thats the one i would recommend
Umm.. no!!!! Stop spreading misinformation. You have obviously never used / seen a dillon.
I had two single stage presses when I started out: never went a year before upgrading to a progressive & that was almost 30 years ago now....
Dillon machines use the typical 7/8 thread which means dies from any manufacturer will work in their machine. Many precision shooters have proven time and again (including David Tubb 20+ time world / international etc etc champion, developer of the OCW etc etc ) that precision rifle rounds are done on a dillon progressive. The 550 can do from the smallest pistol up to 338LM and do it very accurately (all my rifle reloads shoot sub moa out to 1580M; a testament to the capabilities of a dillon progressive). FYI my Dillon is over 28 yo and still rocking out.
The options / convenience/ speed & product support a dillon machine has is unparalleled. Pretty much everyone who shoots any amount of ammo / has multiple calibres to reload always ends up with a progressive anyway; buy once cry once. If you only shoot a few hundred rounds a season, reload for only one or two calibres and are hell bent on a single stage then go for the rockchucker.
If I had to do it all again I would just buy the Dillon from the start and be done with it!
Not very fond of Dillon presses, expensive if you want to add other calibres, got to use Dillon dies... Like to have different options... Have been using RCBS progressives for 20+ years, great products, great warranty...
There must be a lot of us misinformed, or Dillon has changed their designs?
Not sure where the BS about proprietary dies comes from: I have never even heard that mentioned before until you posted it!
I suspect it's from the Square Deal line, which does use specialized dies.
Finally, someone who has used one! I am considering one of these for my third progressive. What are other features on this press that you would consider improvements over the pro-1000?
Can't speak to the square Deal line but I specified a Dillon 550 and was met with "pistol only" and "must use Dillon dies".