Sharing a press

sclifford

sclifford

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So I am expecting a little flaming here on this thread, but it is just an Idea and I am trying to find a solution to the problem and maybe get some input and ideas; if you never ask you never know!

So I would really love to get into reloading. I have searched a lot, and have read even more. The general response is always pay once cry once. The challenges are, we are in an expensive hobby. If I were to open up and buy an expensive press, and all the parts needed, it would cut into the amount I could afford to buy components. A true catch 22 situation; try and save money in the long run but pain upfront that would make the near future hard to get out and shoot.

My solution would be having a group of guys share the upfront cost of a press and dies, get the best and then share the equipment. Yes I know sharing things is not always a good Idea, but I have had luck borrowing / sharing other items and no major issues; just finding the right responsible people! I don't really want to buy a cheaper package for myself, only later wish I had something better, and then have to upgrade.

In all reality, I do not need a Dillon 650 sitting in my garage for months at a time doing nothing, but at the same time, would love to load a bunch at one sitting and be good for the near future. I would like to know if anyone else is doing something similar to this. I would like to know if there would maybe be some interest where a bunch of us could get together as a group, hammer out the details and a plan and see if this would be a worth while project. I know that I could probably load everything I planed to shoot in a year in a week or two.

Alternatively, if any dealers are reading this, why would you not look into having a rental program? Like anything there could be damage, thats what deposits are for! Just my guesstimate is I would be willing to pay $100 to have access to rent a Dillon 650 and $10 for each die set needed for a week!

Spitball your ideas! Some are not open to this idea, and thats fine, others in a same situation may like the idea!
 
I have 3 guys that come over and use my presses. We are all on the same team and shoot the same loads so why not? Its saved them lots in ammo costs over the last year. They keep my beer fridge full in return
 
Love the idea! Although I am looking at it from the same perspective as you, which is - wanting other people to share their stuff with me.:redface:

Getting together a group purchase would be good if the people already have a good sharing relationship going (like a family) but I would bet
that businesses would want to stay away from renting out because of the high risks associated with the finished product.
 
Even in the medium term, the costs of the press are marginal in comparison to the cost of components. Rather than sharing ownership, one person buy the press and his buddies just chip in when they use it. The only complication then is who pays for breakage.
 
I got into reloading this year with a couple friends, one way I think it would be easier looking back is instead of doing a group buy if I would have bought the stuff and they payed some to use it.
But it works good anyways, just make sure you have an excellent working relationship with the people you do it with.
I do think it's worth the trouble though, with four people in on the buy you can get a lot of good stuff for significantly less than if you buy it yourself.
 
Great until somebody moves or has a falling out..........add one female and having the boys over to reload will soon get to be a sore point..........Harold
 
All great points. Mbogo guessing that you had a problem like that?

I'm looking to make the cheapest ( and accurate) rounds possible. So I can get out more. Just can't throw 1000 at a press, 1000 at components and more at misc costs.

What I'm doing now is throw a few hundred at a case of rounds, and we all know that's not the most economical! Expensive sport, doing what I can with what I have!
 
Buy an inexpensive single stage press to get started. I can commend the Lee Classic Cast as a solid piece of gear. Inexpensive does not have to mean cheap! But I started out with a Lyman Convertible hand/bench mount press (~$25, brand new)that would make the cheapest Lee press look like a pretty skookum piece of kit, and I ate a lot of Venison and shot a lot of gophers with ammo loaded on it.

If you think you can only get started by laying out thousands of dollars on gear, you have been listening to the wrong people.

Cheers
Trev
 
When I first got into IPSC I shared a D550 with a buddy. Eventually I sold my half to him and got my own, but it was a great way to get started.
I know a couple of precision shooters who share equipment. Allows them to buy higher-end than they would be able on their own.
 
sclifford said:
So I can get out more. Just can't throw 1000 at a press, 1000 at components and more at misc costs.

What I'm doing now is throw a few hundred at a case of rounds, and we all know that's not the most economical! Expensive sport, doing what I can with what I have!
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Lee Classic Turret $196 at Higginson Powders. Costs less than 500 rounds of 223 and you will be reloading both pistol and rifle rounds for decades at about 50% of the cost of Commercial ammo while getting match-grade quality.
 
If you do decide to go with a few acquaintances, take the time to sit around a table and WRITE DOWN THE DEAL. Talk about every scenario where someone could get PO'd. Who keeps the equipment, when can it be used, how to set it up, who pays and performs maintenance and those expenses are shared. In a partnership agreement the escape clause is very important, how do you dissolve the partnership. A shotgun clause is good (I offer to buy your share for $x which is also an offer for you to purchase my share for $x). A verbal agreement and a handshake is great if all partners remember/interpret the contract the same way. Otherwise it's a $h!T show.

If a contract sounds like too much work or you don't have the courage to have the conversation, then sharing isn't for you. Buy your own.
 
When I was in northern Quebec/Labrador we the shooting range bought the press we supplied the rest on our own. so the press was there to use by all members but we had to supply the dies and scales etc. worked out not too bad. we had half a building with a nice indoor range built for the artic winter games. Only problem we had was the heat was controlled in the other half of the building It got darn cold reloading there at 40 below out side
 
I didn't group buy m'stuff, but have offered it's use to a few folks. Few buddies pop by regularly to press their own stuff. Limited risk with presses, but one friend did manage to get a case stuck in my die. I'm leaning toward a "supply your own die" policy, as the same fella bent my decapping pin a few months ago. (I replaced it with a nail)

Depends on the individuals you choose to share with, but it could be a cost effective way for a few folks to get pressing.
 
Buying a high end progressive first off seems overkill unless you shoot competition, ie. thousands of rnds/yr. Nothing wrong with a basic Lee setup, with advice about what other brand aux tools to buy. You don't know what you want because you lack experience. No sense spending big before you know better.
 
I know of one person who would be in the sharing idea, but other than that I am in a pretty rural area so likelihood of finding others in the local area would be a challenge. I have tried to look at all options. In reality for my budget I would be looking at a lee single stage. Now that would be fine for budget, accurate loads, but I do shoot mainly 9mm. So a very long process to do any larger amounts. Its hard as my time is worth something as well! meaning that I don't have a lot of extra time! 2 kids both with some medical issues, sports for them, work and regular life challenges, if I did just go with a simple press, I am not sure how many I could get pumped out. However that is a viable option. I just really would not like running out of loads because of time to roll em'. Also I hate throwing money at something only to need an upgrade later (HOWEVER right now this is looking like my only real option!)

On lets say a single stage, without a turret, how many rounds would be a ball park number per hour, doing it as fast yet as safely as possible?
 
Get a basic 2nd hand rig, and spend hours with it.

Then, after a few years you'll know what you really want, or will have moved on to another hobby.

Either way you'll be able to resell it for most of what it cost you.
 
On lets say a single stage, without a turret, how many rounds would be a ball park number per hour, doing it as fast yet as safely as possible?

thats a million dollar question, depends on what you are loading and other factors such as if you want to sit for a hour straight flat out or casual pace passing time, I load both single, turret and progressive, I will load on the turret to pass time and remove the boredom of the progressive, after a couple thousand rounds the progressive gets a bit of a drag,

I figure the press is the economical part once you add the extras such as scale, tumbler, case length trimmer ect, often I have loaned the spare single press only to be asked what else do I need and as for sharing my reloading area the answer is likely not, I enjoy the fact its ready to use and just as I left it

also I will add that I purchased many reloading items off CGN, unless you over pay in most cases when I have sold a item typically I get my money back out of it

again just my opinion
 
sclifford said:
I know of one person who would be in the sharing idea, but other than that I am in a pretty rural area so likelihood of finding others in the local area would be a challenge. I have tried to look at all options. In reality for my budget I would be looking at a lee single stage. Now that would be fine for budget, accurate loads, but I do shoot mainly 9mm. So a very long process to do any larger amounts. Its hard as my time is worth something as well! meaning that I don't have a lot of extra time! 2 kids both with some medical issues, sports for them, work and regular life challenges, if I did just go with a simple press, I am not sure how many I could get pumped out. However that is a viable option. I just really would not like running out of loads because of time to roll em'. Also I hate throwing money at something only to need an upgrade later (HOWEVER right now this is looking like my only real option!)

On lets say a single stage, without a turret, how many rounds would be a ball park number per hour, doing it as fast yet as safely as possible?
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I do mine in batches, usually 50 at a time. Do 2-3 steps at a time; means I can use 1/2hr chunks of time. Step away from the computer/tv and spend 20 min 3 times a week to reload for your weekly?? range visit. Honestly most family guys are lucky to hit the range 2x a month. 200rnds/visit works. My biggest time user is individually weighing the powder charge. Spend the bucks on a charge master. I would expect to be able to do 100/hr basic pistol rounds if the powder weighing was faster.
 
I would never share a press or reloading gear. I want all of my gear where it is convenient, and where nobody else can mess with it. I see way too much potential with issues with several people sharing a press, scale, etc.
 
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