Which Press Should I Buy?

Ozzi

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Hey all,

I've been putting some serious thought into reloading. Now, what presses are all of you using?

Budget, I'm looking at $1000-$1500

I've seen that Dillon 750XL popup quite a bit, Curious if there are any others that are just as good flying under the radar?
 
If you reload pistol- rifle, the Dillon 550C work great. For multi calibers reloading, it’s hard to beat. Quick change and easy to set up.
I got the 550 and the 650. You just can’t beat Dillon warranty and service.
 
If your looking for a simple D type press for leading rifles look at the RCBS Rockchucker. A friend that's helping me start reloading is using one. You can buy a used one for around $200 or so.
 
Ozzi - sounds like you have not reloaded previously, and perhaps have no mentor to get you started?? Buy some reloading manuals first - 2 or 3 or 4 - almost all have first 1/4 or 1/3 with step-by-step instructions how to reload - different manuals seem aligned with different reloading tool makers. Does not really need to be latest edition - so Lyman 49th, Speer #13 or #14 and so on. But you are buying them for the reloading step-by-step information - as much as the reloading data for specific cartridges and bullets.

Then you probably need a dependable calliper that you know how to use - you are going to measure a lot of stuff - so accuracy to 0.001" about usual - not much gained for a person starting out to imagine that he is measuring to 0.0001" - is a VERY hard thing to do repeatedly.

Like many on here, I started with a Lee Loader - so a hand tool - neck sizes only - can only reload new brass or brass previously fired in your rifle - has a chart that tells you what powder to use with the included scoop - for whichever weight of bullet that you use. I have not bought one for probably 30 or more years - if they are still made, I suspect less than $50 - and you will make rounds that "go bang". I believe several of my earlier deer were taken with rounds that I made with a Lee Loader tool.

Pay attention to details and be a bit critical in your thinking. 4895, H4895 and IMR4895 are three different powders - so some will claim them to be interchangeable with each other - you will need to discover how they arrived at that - the manufacturer's are either defunct, or do not say that.

After that, is a plethora of items that could be bought - you will likely want some tool to weigh or meter powder - balance beam scales pretty popular for that - but then likely want a trickler to go with it. Getting a press - now need shell holders for the cartridges that you want to reload, and die sets. You likely want some way to trim cases to length - is the inexpensive Lee system, or much more expensive hand cranked lathe type machines - almost all need pilots and separate shell holders which often to not interchange from trimmer to press or vice versa - some do, some do not. Likely want some way to chamfer those freshly trimmed case mouths. Some guys fussy to clean primer pockets - is several tools made for that. Same with seating fresh primers - some do it on their reloading press - other use several hundred dollar dedicated tools. Some people want to stainless pin tumble and then anneal every reload - likely many hundreds dollars for those tools. In old days RCBS shell holders were $3 or $4 - now seeing selling prices on-line and in stores like $25 or more - so pays to pay attention to what a new tool needs, to be able to use it.

Basic advice is to get several hundred loads under your belt - so, primers, powder and bullets expended - making them "go bang" - even using just reloading manual start loads - will get you going. You can get more fussy as your skills improve - is my view that unless you can show result in smaller group on target, either you were not doing something correctly, or your skill is not to that level yet. Is no end of really esoteric reloading stuff that you will read about - do not loose track is typically done with exquisitely precise custom chambers in high end barrels - often with custom made dies - by shooters who fire hundreds if not thousands of rounds per week. No doubt they can show difference on their target - the question for each of us is whether we can or not, with our gear and our skill level.
 
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What Potashminer said. It might be best to buy a reloading kit from Lee or RCBS to start and go from there. I would add an electronic scale or powder measure like a Chargemaster Lite. All that would fit well within your budget. Once you learn a bit more you'll know what you need.
 
I bought a Lee anniversary kit for $250 and started from there. Loaded a couple batches with my uncle and began upgrading. In my experience almost every hobby it’s good to start modest and then upgrade into what you’re actually going to need. Save yourself some money right off the bat and just learn the process the simple way before you go fancy.. you’re also going to find yourself needing all kinds of little tools and parts to go along with that reload kit which adds up FAST.
 
OP: One big factor in answering the question is: What cartridge? The other question to answer is: How many reloads per month/year are you looking at?

A low volume rifle reload setup would potentially be very different from a high volume handgun situation. Low volume rifle - a single stage would probably be your best / simplest bet.
Lots of pistol ammo - you're probably looking at a progressive press, and a significant learning curve along with it.
 
Low volume versus high volume - Post #8 is very true!! I have never loaded for handgun, only for centerfire rifle - so I do perhaps 100 brass in a session - deprime and re-size, trim to length, chamfer or at least check that - remove the sizing lube, then re-prime. Usually takes an hour or so - I find my attention wandering, so is enough for one sitting. Is 25 sets of reloading dies on the shelf - so is lots and lots of boxes here with prepped and primed brass - waiting to be reloaded. I do the powder charging and bullet seating in a separate session - sometime 15 cases, sometimes 100 cases. Depends if I am developing a load, or going with a previous proven-to-me loading. I can imagine that a hand gunner who goes through many hundreds rounds per shooting session, would want to reload much differently than I do it.

The last time I was out to verify the scopes - two rifles - 225 grain Accubond in a 338 Win Mag (Leupold M8-6x) and 250 Accubond in a 9.3x62 (Leupold M8-3X). At 100 yards from sandbags, both rifles delivering multiple 3 shot groups that were triangular and about 3/4" hole to hole to hole. About as good as I can reload or shoot. Both rifles ended up to plunk their groups about 2" above the crosshair - at 100 yards.
 
Id go with a lee turret pres if your just starting out
with the turret you can set your dies and then forget about it they will always be set for that caliber
If you want to reload a different caliber you just need to get another turret and set up your new dies
I started out with a Loadmaster and it took some time for me to get used to it and work around its kinks
Dillions are good if you want to do lots of volume loading, they are expensive, and if you want to do multiple calibers as you have to buy the conversion kits
I was going to get a dillion but I have too much invested in the Loadmaster with all the shell plates and turrets, i load about twenty different calibers now
It would cost a fortune for me to switch over to a XL750
 
Ozzi,

I have the Dillon 650. I have nothing else to compare it with but I would buy it again in heart beat. Get a case feeder addon and you can pump out ammo as fast as you are able to drop a bullet into the case. I maybe ramping up on reloading in the future and grab a 750 too. Since you don't have one, get a 750. It's not that much more. The addons (depending how far you'll go) will easily cost as much as the press. You will soon develop a feel to know that you have pressed the primer in correctly or it misaligned (very rare) and know not to crunch it too badly. That is a big boo boo. I have crunched primers before with no detonation. I've read people setting off dozens if not 100 primers simultaneously and it ain't fun. I tend to wear hearing protection just in case but never experienced simultaneously detonation before and intend not to.

Lots of good info other gunnutz provided. A few manuals is a must and a very good scale. 2 maybe to compare just to be safe. Learning curve is definitely steep in the beginning but reading up in the reloading section here and some youtube helped me a ton in the beginning. After that, it was easy.

Bullet puller, digital caliper for measuring and lots of bins and shelves, sturdy reloading table, etc. My plywood bench is built with 2x4s columns in the basement and screwed down using the ceiling joists.
 
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Hey all,

I've been putting some serious thought into reloading. Now, what presses are all of you using?

Budget, I'm looking at $1000-$1500

I've seen that Dillon 750XL popup quite a bit, Curious if there are any others that are just as good flying under the radar?


For a manual progressive press, the 750 is tough to beat without spending a whole lot more money.

Just be sure you want a progressive.
 
What calibers and volumes do you plan on reloading?

I reload 9mm on a hornady progressive and the rest with a rockchucker.

I suggest to buy quality stuff used, that way if you want to upgrade or it's not your thing you can get most if not all money back.
I can set you up with a decent used kit, send me a pm if you are interested.
 
I have a Dillon 650 for average quality high volume ammo (ie 9mm pistil ammo & 223 semi auto rifle ammo) where the gun & monkey on the trigger is the limiting factor for accuracy.

i also have a Forster Co-Ax for low volume high quality ammo where the only limiting factor is the monkey on the trigger.
 
Ozzi,

I have the Dillon 650. I have nothing else to compare it with but I would buy it again in heart beat. Get a case feeder addon and you can pump out ammo as fast as you are able to drop a bullet into the case. I maybe ramping up on reloading in the future and grab a 750 too. Since you don't have one, get a 750. It's not that much more. The addons (depending how far you'll go) will easily cost as much as the press. You will soon develop a feel to know that you have pressed the primer in correctly or it misaligned (very rare) and know not to crunch it too badly. That is a big boo boo. I have crunched primers before with no detonation. I've read people setting off dozens if not 100 primers simultaneously and it ain't fun. I tend to wear hearing protection just in case but never experienced simultaneously detonation before and intend not to.

Lots of good info other gunnutz provided. A few manuals is a must and a very good scale. 2 maybe to compare just to be safe. Learning curve is definitely steep in the beginning but reading up in the reloading section here and some youtube helped me a ton in the beginning. After that, it was easy.

Bullet puller, digital caliper for measuring and lots of bins and shelves, sturdy reloading table, etc. My plywood bench is built with 2x4s columns in the basement and screwed down using the ceiling joists.

I had forgotten about pulling bullets. We all make mistakes - misread numbers in book, a batch just not working out. I consider to pull bullets and re-use them, and the powder and the unfired primer and the brass to be pretty basic to reloading - you will want to be able to dismantle a load as easily as you assembled it. I have two kinds - an inertial (kinetic) type - looks sort of like a hammer - insert a cartridge and whack it on concrete floor - bullet comes out - if there is a bit of foam within, there is no deformity to the bullet tip - powder is all captured within. Is made by RCBS and by Lyman - likely others as well. I also have the RCBS collet style bullet puller - puller body relatively inexpensive, but you need a separate size collet for each caliber that you want to pull - those add up quickly if you get 6 or 7 of them. Either system basically removes a bullet without a mark on them - except for where the bullet finish was maybe scratched as it was inserted into the case in the first place. Many other systems to pull bullets were made and sold - some guys will just grab bullet with side-cutter with cartridge in press and pull out bullet that way - so long as the "dents" on the bullets are balanced (on each side), those bullets are quite re-usable.

You do not have to own more than one type - I find the kinetic type very handy to pull one or two bullets - but if I ended up with 20 or 50 unknown reloads from somebody, I will set up the RCBS collet system and use that to pull down those rounds. I am aware of older "pullers" that are even faster to use - like when pulling a couple hundred milsurp bullets - but I think they leave small dimples in the milsurp bullets, which may or may not be a concern. Often times, I am after the brass - since I usually do not know what powder or primer was used, those get discarded - I discovered that a 1/2 hour tumble in stainless pin tumbler with fluid makes even grungy looking old bullets look shiny - so if I can identify them by weight and diameter, I re-use those bullets. That wet tumble does not erode away the exposed lead tip, like I thought it would.

Note that the above has been my experience with centerfire rifle cartridges - I have no clue if those suggestions work with hand gun rounds, or lead bullets, or not - I have never pulled bullets from any hand gun rounds, nor have I pulled many cast lead bullets.
 
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...are any others that are just as good flying under the radar?

Good for what?

Presses can be basic do-alls or they can be specialized, and they specialize in different directions, generally towards either precision or volume.

If you don't know what you want out of a press then I suggest you start with basic, until you figure it out.
 
Hey All,

I suppose I left some crucial information out from my original post.

I'm planning on primarily reloading handgun calibers to start. (9mm, .40SW, and .45acp).

I will however be reloading .308, and 6.5 Creedmoor down the road.

I'm thinking a progressive would be ideal for the higher volume when it comes to the handgun calibers. Now a single stage will be something i'd look into for the rifle rounds, as those will be much lower volumes.

I'm going to grab a couple of manuals to start, and i'll read through those to get an idea for it. As for the kits. Can those be easily brought up from the states? ie. no export permits needed?
 
Hey All,

I suppose I left some crucial information out from my original post.

I'm planning on primarily reloading handgun calibers to start. (9mm, .40SW, and .45acp).

I will however be reloading .308, and 6.5 Creedmoor down the road.

I'm thinking a progressive would be ideal for the higher volume when it comes to the handgun calibers. Now a single stage will be something i'd look into for the rifle rounds, as those will be much lower volumes.

I'm going to grab a couple of manuals to start, and i'll read through those to get an idea for it. As for the kits. Can those be easily brought up from the states? ie. no export permits needed?

Sounds like the Dillon 750 will be a good choice. I would add the case feeder too. Then you need some scales, calipers. Case gauges are nice,too.

Dillon has pretty good step by step instructions for their presses to get you started. Then you may want to add on extra primer tubes or a primer tube filling device and a few other gadgets.

No problem loading .308 on the 750 as well although you will want to follow a different procedure for precise ammunition. But a single stage for the rifle rounds is also a good choice as there is less set up when you swap cartridge's.
 
A Dillon 650/750 is not a good choice for someone starting reloading. The auto indexing is a pain in the ass if you make a mistake.
Cost of changing caliber is way more than a 550. Since the OP want to reload rifle down the road, the 550 is a way better choice.
You can easily turn out 350/550 rounds an hour on a 550. If you have screw up on a 650/750 you won’t do much more than that.

For rifle rounds, converting a 650/750 to load 100 rounds make no sense. Just a waste of time and money( conversion kit)

The main problem with progressive is the brass : Glock bulged case, crimped or too tight primer pocket create havoc in no time on a 650/750. Unless you buy a case interruptor, primer interruptor you are loosing quite a bit of time fixing it.
 
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