Looking to reload. Single stage or AP?

[kingdarb]

If you are going to load 20 rounds a go, a progressive machine will be a waste.

If you shoot a lot of pistol ammo, and are going to load a few thousand a year, a progressive machine will save you tonnes of time. I have a Dillon 550b and I can load 4-500/hr of 9mm without a case feeder. You could probably load a bit quicker on a LNL AP. Don't worry about quality control for pistol ammo as far as progressive vs single stage go. Progressive machines turn out pistol ammo that is as accurate as you will ever need. World Champion pistol shooters usually load their own ammo on progressive machines, if that is any indication. Once you have your load dialed in, and you machine dialed in, you be able to tailor your ammo to you gun and your progressive loaded ammo will shoot better in your gun than commercial stuff.

If you are planning on shooting precision rifle, then a single stage is a better option to consider.

My first press was a Dillon 550. I learned to reload pistol on my own, on that machine. I don't regret buying it one bit. The only reason I would go to single stage would be to start loading precision rifle ammo.

 

[rookie wildcat]

Here you go:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/25686/catid/1/Dillon_BFR_50BMG_Reloading_Machine
http://www.tenxammo.com/tx-50.html[... a progressive press available to the public.

 

[Ganderite]

I load 20 or 30 different calibers. I have 4 presses on the bench. (Dillon 650, Dillon 550, Redding T and a Lee single stage.)

If I was going to load 30-06 and 338 I would use my turret, but I would use it as a single stage:

First, I would lube and size-deprime a pail of brass.

Then I would prime the brass (unless my press was set up to prime at the same time as I deprimed.)

Then I would throw the powder charges and put the brass in 50 round trays.


Then I would seat the bullets.

So, I think a good single stage press would be perfect for you.

 

[rookie wildcat]

Here you go:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/25686/catid/1/Dillon_BFR_50BMG_Reloading_Machine
http://www.tenxammo.com/tx-50.html[...apologies to the contributors of this thread.

 

[fingers284]

I have loaded 45-70 with my Dillon 650...used the case feed while doing it, they do recommend a feed shute changeover for rifle length cases but have used with the same as my pistol uses and it worked "passable". I plan on trying it with 45-90 before spring.

 

[rookie wildcat]

I load 20 or 30 different calibers. I have 4 presses on the bench. (Dillon 650, Dillon 550, Redding T and a Lee single stage.)

If I was going to load 30-06 and 338 I would use my turret, but I would use it as a single stage:

First, I would lube and size-deprime a pail of brass.

Then I would prime the brass (unless my press was set up to prime at the same time as I deprimed.)

Then I would throw the powder charges and put the brass in 50 round trays.


Then I would seat the bullets.

So, I think a good single stage press would be perfect for you.

This, OP, is your answer. You will discover this when you join the Gun Club. They are really a great bunch of guys.

 

[Ganderite]

Again, NOT a progressive! Just a turret press that loads .50BMG. However, the 650 COULD load large rifle cases, but Dillon doesn't seem to stock many calibre conversion kits and don't even sell a 7mmRM die set. Also, several other pieces needed to upgrade to the magnum cases. But those are just accessories that don't really count in my book as unnecessary purchases if you want to do something with your equipment. But, it seems to be a true progressive. So, as much as I HATE showing my azz, thanks for the education.
And, you can't buy a bullet feeder die in most of the Hornady AP, 110 VT, or 220VT system large cases (if .30-06 is large) and they don't even LIST components required to load .50BMG, leading me to believe that you won't be loading on tha , kind of takes the fun out when you have to insert each case in a progressive you spent $2K on. So, NOT REALLY A PROGRESSIVE, again, more of a semi progressive.
RCBS pro2000 owners claim you can load 7mmRM on it, but no you tube videos showing it is a true progressive press when doing so and many reviews say that the rotating shell plate must be MANUALLY indexed. So, I'm gonna say, Nope, NOT a progressive.
So, that's Dillon, only, as a true progressive to load large case magnum rounds.
Definitely learned something today. Perhaps no one of my acquaintance bothered to load beyond .308 on their progressives leading to my mistaken impression. Not many people would need to reload for such in Canada since FA is illegal and after 200 SA rounds, you would probably be done for the week. My apologies to the contributors of this thread.

My Dillon 650 is set up with a case feeder to load 7.62/308. All it gets fed is virgin primed brass. It has a little over 500,000 rounds of match ammo through it and it now needs a re-build. I have not yet got around to sending it back.

All we use for powder is ball power since it measures + or - a tenth of a grain, and most rounds are right on.

And before you think match quality ammo can't be loaded on a Dillon, take a look at this group. A friend of mine has a rail gun (Kreiger barrel) that he shoots at 525 yards. This was the test result (20 shots). Not much vertical spread.

 

[Trinimon]

My Dillon 650 is set up with a case feeder to load 7.62/308. All it gets fed is virgin primed brass. It has a little over 500,000 rounds of match ammo through it and it now needs a re-build. I have not yet got around to sending it back.

All we use for powder is ball power since it measures + or - a tenth of a grain, and most rounds are right on.

And before you think match quality ammo can't be loaded on a Dillon, take a look at this group. A friend of mine has a rail gun (Kreiger barrel) that he shoots at 525 yards. This was the test result (20 shots). Not much vertical spread.

Good thing he missed your watch or that would have been a costly experiment....

 

[Paatz]

Maybe use a single stage to develop loads with laddering.
You're only going to load maybe 5-10 rounds at each weight anyways.

 

[rookie wildcat]

My Dillon 650 is set up with a case feeder to load 7.62/308. All it gets fed is virgin primed brass. It has a little over 500,000 rounds of match ammo through it and it now needs a re-build. I have not yet got around to sending it back.

All we use for powder is ball power since it measures + or - a tenth of a grain, and most rounds are right on.

And before you think match quality ammo can't be loaded on a Dillon, take a look at this group. A friend of mine has a rail gun (Kreiger barrel) that he shoots at 525 yards. This was the test result (20 shots). Not much vertical spread

Ganderite, I didn't say anything about not being able to load match ammo on a progressive. I know many that do. I SAID that if you are going to be loading precision ammo, you would probably need more than A Lee Challenger. This isn't like you to take a comment out of context. As I stated in what you have bolded, no one of my acquaintance loads bigger than .308 ammo on a progressive. How in the hell did you get me saying that I didn't think you could load decent .308 ammo on a Dillon. Read the comments, please. Then #### on me if it's called for.

If you want to learn or want precision go single stage

THIS IS NOT ME!

+1 Exactly right I use my single for rifle precision target work and my Dillon for all my pistols..

THIS IS NOT ME!

For 308 or any precision ammo, I load 'em on the single stage.

THIS IS NOT ME!

I load 20 or 30 different calibers. I have 4 presses on the bench. (Dillon 650, Dillon 550, Redding T and a Lee single stage.)
If I was going to load 30-06 and 338 I would use my turret, but I would use it as a single stage:
So, I think a good single stage press would be perfect for you.

Even you won't load bigger than .308 on your Dillon.

 

[tjhaile]

Again, NOT a progressive! Just a turret press that loads .50BMG. However, the 650 COULD load large rifle cases, but Dillon doesn't seem to stock many calibre conversion kits and don't even sell a 7mmRM die set. Also, several other pieces needed to upgrade to the magnum cases. But those are just accessories that don't really count in my book as unnecessary purchases if you want to do something with your equipment. But, it seems to be a true progressive. So, as much as I HATE showing my azz, thanks for the education.
And, you can't buy a bullet feeder die in most of the Hornady AP, 110 VT, or 220VT system large cases (if .30-06 is large) and they don't even LIST components required to load .50BMG, leading me to believe that you won't be loading on tha , kind of takes the fun out when you have to insert each case in a progressive you spent $2K on. So, NOT REALLY A PROGRESSIVE, again, more of a semi progressive.
RCBS pro2000 owners claim you can load 7mmRM on it, but no you tube videos showing it is a true progressive press when doing so and many reviews say that the rotating shell plate must be MANUALLY indexed. So, I'm gonna say, Nope, NOT a progressive.
So, that's Dillon, only, as a true progressive to load large case magnum rounds.
Definitely learned something today. Perhaps no one of my acquaintance bothered to load beyond .308 on their progressives leading to my mistaken impression. Not many people would need to reload for such in Canada since FA is illegal and after 200 SA rounds, you would probably be done for the week. My apologies to the contributors of this thread.

A progressive press is one that performs more than one operation per pull of the lever. In contrast, a turret press handles one case at a time, performing one operation at a time per pull of the lever. This is what separates progressives from turret presses; neither the presence of a case and/or bullet feeder nor automatic indexing have anything to do with it. The Dillon BFR 50 BMG is similar to a scaled up 550 in that it indexes manually, but it does indeed have the ability to perform multiple operations simultaneously on the same pull of the lever. Separate case preparation does not change this, either. Throughput certainly takes a hit when reloading bottleneck cartridges compared to pistol cases, but it is still much faster than a single stage press.

I'm not sure how the fact that Dillon does not offer 7mm Remington Magnum dies is relevant; any other standard 7/8"-14 threaded dies will do.

Also, look at the other link I posted. The TX-50 does index automatically and can be had with a case feeder.