hey CGN looking for a little wisdom/advice, I want to get into reloading and have read elsewhere that beginner's should start off with a single stage press, but I want to be able to load large quantities of ammunition which wouldn't be too practical with a single stage. Are there any substantial reasons why a beginner shouldn't start out with a progressive press? Any reccomended videos/tutoritals/books that I could start looking at before I setup a workspace and start trying to decide on a press to invest in?
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- Thread starter seamus
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hatman1793
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Im liking your ambition. One suggestion is to buddy-up with someone who loads progressively & learn/visit him & see what it’s all about.
Posting your inquiries here is a good start. There’s gotta be someone in your area that will offer to help you. Coach you.
Start reloading progressively? Sure, why not.
I like the Dillon reloading machines, specifically the RL550……..
Posting your inquiries here is a good start. There’s gotta be someone in your area that will offer to help you. Coach you.
Start reloading progressively? Sure, why not.
I like the Dillon reloading machines, specifically the RL550……..
The above post sums it up nicely. There is a substantial learning curve to reloading in general, and becoming proficient with the equipment. Starting off with a progressive will test you in this area. So, rather than jamming this forum with questions/problems with your newly acquired progressive press, get some hands on experience with someone who knows.
You can start with a progressive. There is more going on at once in progressive reloading and that makes the learning curve a bit steeper but the average person can figure it out if they have some patience. Learn about the actual reloading process and understand the steps and what is happening at each station before you start.
Best to start out on a single stage first and learn the steps. I just set up a buddy’s Lee progressive for him. Definitely a learning curve. He doesn’t like priming or the bullet feeder on it. He doesn’t have to use them. Their are where differences in how each of us operated the press so had to be adjusted for him.
I have a few presses here , single stage, semi progressive and progressive. My Lee Classic turret can be used single stage if I remove the turret rod. Progressive presses take some time to set up and work the bugs out. The quickest progressive set up was my Dillon 550. I started on a single stage and used it for years loading may thousands of rounds. When I started shouting pistol I found it wasn’t fast enough. Now I can do 200 to 500 per hour depending on which press I use. Caliber changes are fairly easy as all dies are set in the tool head and can easily be swapped out by changing the head.
Having hands on experience on different types of presses will give you an idea of what you want.
Been mentioned find someone close to you to show you the ropes. I am offering to help. PM me if interested.
I have a few presses here , single stage, semi progressive and progressive. My Lee Classic turret can be used single stage if I remove the turret rod. Progressive presses take some time to set up and work the bugs out. The quickest progressive set up was my Dillon 550. I started on a single stage and used it for years loading may thousands of rounds. When I started shouting pistol I found it wasn’t fast enough. Now I can do 200 to 500 per hour depending on which press I use. Caliber changes are fairly easy as all dies are set in the tool head and can easily be swapped out by changing the head.
Having hands on experience on different types of presses will give you an idea of what you want.
Been mentioned find someone close to you to show you the ropes. I am offering to help. PM me if interested.
fingers284
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One thing that is often overlooked in the Progressive's-single stage argument is that every progressive that I know of available to the home re-loader can be used "single stage" until the new user is sufficiently confident in his SAFE reloading adventure.
I have a Dillon 650 that I have loaded a couple hundred thousands of rounds on but still use it "single stage" if the need arises....if you buy a single stage it will always be a single stage and more expense needed when you go progressive...if you buy the best progressive your current finances will allow, it can be both.
I have a Dillon 650 that I have loaded a couple hundred thousands of rounds on but still use it "single stage" if the need arises....if you buy a single stage it will always be a single stage and more expense needed when you go progressive...if you buy the best progressive your current finances will allow, it can be both.
If you are looking for a single stage press, don't forget to consider a Turret Press. Regardless of the volume that you reload year by year by using a turret press you set your dies only once. This gives your reloaded ammunition a consistent overall length year after year.
you want to start with a single stage because if you make a mistake, it is usually one round. On a progressive, you will easily run through many rounds before you realize it.
you need to have a good reason for reloading. like IPSC, hobby, caliber no longer in production, etc.
money is a bad reason to get into reloading.
progressive is usually for pistol caliber or 223/556 where you are shooting a semi and can easily burn through hundreds or thousands of rounds a day.
ultimately the choice is yours. There is no reason why you can't spend thousands of dollars on a progressive press.
you need to have a good reason for reloading. like IPSC, hobby, caliber no longer in production, etc.
money is a bad reason to get into reloading.
progressive is usually for pistol caliber or 223/556 where you are shooting a semi and can easily burn through hundreds or thousands of rounds a day.
ultimately the choice is yours. There is no reason why you can't spend thousands of dollars on a progressive press.
I recommend reading at least two major reloading manuals first (if you have not done already), before committing to any system or buying anything.
In my case, I read the Lee and Lyman manuals for rifle reloading before I purchased anything. The manuals look terribly thick at first glance, but the back half is all caliber specific data, and you can skip front sections/chapters that do not pertain to your purpose, e.g. I skipped all the pistol stuff and lead bullet casting stuff since I was only going to reload for rifle cartridges with jacketed bullets. The total net reading time was not difficult, and I enjoyed the reading, and I learned a ton.
RE videos: There are thousands of reloading videos on YouTube. The content ranges from super excellent, to the good, the bad and the ugly. By reading the reloading manuals first, you should develop a good filter to be able to search and filter out the junk on YouTube and be able to find the really excellent content. There are world class shooters on YouTube sharing excellent reloading content that can enhance what you first learn from the reloading manuals, and from experience as you get started.
RE setting up the reloading workspace: The YT videos I watched really helped me in this regard. Some videos are specifically on setting up the space, but most indirectly show you what guys are using based on what their camera is showing. In my case (single stage press), I do well with a 2 ft x 4 ft bench (standing height) for all operations, except brass cleaning which is laundry room for the brass sonic cleaner and washing/rinsing in the sink and brass drying shelves, and outside in the garage for the brass media tumbling. But holy cow do I need alot of shelf space all over my basement for all the containers for powder, primers, boxes and bags of bullets, boxes of prepped brass per caliber per number of firings, boxes and coffee cans of unprepped brass per caliber per number of firings, etc. I am soon adding a new rifle in a new caliber, and am struggling to find some space to make make some new shelf space for all the new containers of sorted brass and bullets for the new rifle. The shelf space is more difficult to create and manage than the bench space!
Best of luck. Reloading is great!
In my case, I read the Lee and Lyman manuals for rifle reloading before I purchased anything. The manuals look terribly thick at first glance, but the back half is all caliber specific data, and you can skip front sections/chapters that do not pertain to your purpose, e.g. I skipped all the pistol stuff and lead bullet casting stuff since I was only going to reload for rifle cartridges with jacketed bullets. The total net reading time was not difficult, and I enjoyed the reading, and I learned a ton.
RE videos: There are thousands of reloading videos on YouTube. The content ranges from super excellent, to the good, the bad and the ugly. By reading the reloading manuals first, you should develop a good filter to be able to search and filter out the junk on YouTube and be able to find the really excellent content. There are world class shooters on YouTube sharing excellent reloading content that can enhance what you first learn from the reloading manuals, and from experience as you get started.
RE setting up the reloading workspace: The YT videos I watched really helped me in this regard. Some videos are specifically on setting up the space, but most indirectly show you what guys are using based on what their camera is showing. In my case (single stage press), I do well with a 2 ft x 4 ft bench (standing height) for all operations, except brass cleaning which is laundry room for the brass sonic cleaner and washing/rinsing in the sink and brass drying shelves, and outside in the garage for the brass media tumbling. But holy cow do I need alot of shelf space all over my basement for all the containers for powder, primers, boxes and bags of bullets, boxes of prepped brass per caliber per number of firings, boxes and coffee cans of unprepped brass per caliber per number of firings, etc. I am soon adding a new rifle in a new caliber, and am struggling to find some space to make make some new shelf space for all the new containers of sorted brass and bullets for the new rifle. The shelf space is more difficult to create and manage than the bench space!
Best of luck. Reloading is great!
I'll preface this with saying I load pistol and rifle (my reference for straight and bottleneck cases in this thread), everything from plinking to precision ammo on an RCBS Rockchucker, Dillon 550 with a case feeder and a Dillon 650 with a case feeder. I've owned and enjoyed a Hornady Look n' Load as well.
The Rockchucker is dedicated to doing precision handloads with competition quality dies from predominantly Forster, RCBS, Redding. It does some load development and odd calibers that don't see a lot of use like milsurps in 7.5x55, 6.5x55, etc.
The Dillons do mostly pistol and some higher volume rifle calibers like .308 and .223 on most dies under the sun, but for pistol I like the Dillon dies.
I started with a Rockchucker and then progressed to the 550, and then 650 when I was competing with pistol in IDPA and IPSC.
Here are my recommendations:
- As already stated, it is really dependent on what you want to do, and how you shoot (volumes, expectations of your ammo).
- Skip the Lee and Lyman junk - at least for now (both make some decent stuff, like the Lee factory crimp dies), but get your feet wet with better brand stuff first. Bear in mind that people that recommend them, or have only known these brands often don't know what they don't know. Likewise with folks that have and only have used a single stage).
- If you compete, and are a heavy volume shooter, the 650 is an awesome setup, and can easily be set up to do pistol and rifle.
- If you don't compete, but don't like burning time at the reloading bench either, the 550 is great too and can do both rifle and pistol. It doesn't auto advance like the 650 and the addition of the case feeder is separate. (these attributes can actually be an advantage, albeit slower when you are trying to churn out ammo). It is cheaper than the 650, and you can pretty much do everything on it, even using it as a single or with modified stages (like one would do with bottle neck cases).
- You could add the Hornady Lock n' Load as a good substitute for either the 550 or 650.
- Go to the Brian Ennos forums and surf through the recommendations. (https:_//brianenos.com/dillon-2/#which_
The Rockchucker is dedicated to doing precision handloads with competition quality dies from predominantly Forster, RCBS, Redding. It does some load development and odd calibers that don't see a lot of use like milsurps in 7.5x55, 6.5x55, etc.
The Dillons do mostly pistol and some higher volume rifle calibers like .308 and .223 on most dies under the sun, but for pistol I like the Dillon dies.
I started with a Rockchucker and then progressed to the 550, and then 650 when I was competing with pistol in IDPA and IPSC.
Here are my recommendations:
- As already stated, it is really dependent on what you want to do, and how you shoot (volumes, expectations of your ammo).
- Skip the Lee and Lyman junk - at least for now (both make some decent stuff, like the Lee factory crimp dies), but get your feet wet with better brand stuff first. Bear in mind that people that recommend them, or have only known these brands often don't know what they don't know. Likewise with folks that have and only have used a single stage).
- If you compete, and are a heavy volume shooter, the 650 is an awesome setup, and can easily be set up to do pistol and rifle.
- If you don't compete, but don't like burning time at the reloading bench either, the 550 is great too and can do both rifle and pistol. It doesn't auto advance like the 650 and the addition of the case feeder is separate. (these attributes can actually be an advantage, albeit slower when you are trying to churn out ammo). It is cheaper than the 650, and you can pretty much do everything on it, even using it as a single or with modified stages (like one would do with bottle neck cases).
- You could add the Hornady Lock n' Load as a good substitute for either the 550 or 650.
- Go to the Brian Ennos forums and surf through the recommendations. (https:_//brianenos.com/dillon-2/#which_
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If you’ve decided to go the single stage route to start out, Tenda has a great deal on a Lee kit. If you decide to go to a progressive later, the Lee could be used for decapping or other things.
Personally I went with a Lee turret to start out and stayed with it.
Personally I went with a Lee turret to start out and stayed with it.
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You need a progressive for what you're planning. No sense wasting money on something you won't need later.
Get a Dillon 550 or 650. Just put one case in it at a time until you've got it figured out.
RUN AWAY from Lee Progressives. You get what you pay for.
Get a Dillon 550 or 650. Just put one case in it at a time until you've got it figured out.
RUN AWAY from Lee Progressives. You get what you pay for.
