New to Reloading. Which Press?

[tt0511]

Hi TGO. I've been wanting to get into reloading lately and I've decided to go ahead with it. Today I got a nice workbench as my foundation. See it here. Someone recently recommended the Lee Turret Press to me, and another friend who's a long time reloader said he thought that would be a good press for me. It is certainly cost effective. One thing I believe I've come to like about that press is having the dies rotate rather than multiple rounds. I like the idea of paying attention to a single round of ammo being made rather than four like full progressive setups. As a beginner, that may save me from having to watch too many things at once and thereby from making some lame-brain mistake.

I know people really seem to love the Dillon stuff, but it is much more of an initial investment. They do have a great warranty from what I've read on forums. But that initial cost, ...ouch.

What do you think? Is the turret press a good place to start? I want to load .45 acp and 9mm. Possibly .40 cal, but probably won't be loading all three of these. Most likely 45 and 9mm.

[titan14]

My opinion....if you are just starting...get a single stage press. You can pay attention to EVERY round AND each stage on EVERY round.

[kb4ns]

Go with the Lee turret press, but follow the instructions to use it like a single stage (where it won't rotate to the next die) until you get your feet wet. This way, you'll get the foundations, but will have a turret when you're ready for it. I have the Lee turret and it's a great press.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

That's the way I learned, but the Hornady Lock n Load progressive press is almost fool proof

if you take it slow and observe the process. For repetitive pistol loading, it or the Dillon products

are both good. You can always start with one process at a time until you appreciate all the

features of a progressive press. In the end, you can save a bunch of time with one.

I started with a Lyman T-Mag 2000 from Widener's about fifteen years ago. Reliable as the

person operating it and a very good press, but for pistol cartridges, it's the Hornady progressive.

I still use the Lyman for rifle cartridges like .30-30, 8mm Mauser and others.

I agree with what Titan14 says, except that you can one stage a progressive and work your way up.

It comes with a very good powder drop, also.

[SpacemanSpiff]

I started with a Lee single stage and learned the process. Someone gave me a Lee Pro 1000 last year which I use for 9mm. Still use the single stage for everything else I reload.

[gregintenn]

I started with a Lee single stage press......I STILL have a Lee single stage press. I suggest you start with one. Even if you one day want to move up to a progressive press, you will still use the single stage for one offs for load development and other things.

[Slasher]

Go with the Lee turret press, but follow the instructions to use it like a single stage (where it won't rotate to the next die) until you get your feet wet. This way, you'll get the foundations, but will have a turret when you're ready for it. I have the Lee turret and it's a great press.

+1 to what kb4ns says. I recently started reloading and I purchased a Lee Classic Turret loader and it is great. I would have loved to start with a Dillon or Hornady progressive but it is just too easy to get off task,especially with kids, and either forget something or double charge a load and risk destroying a gun or worse, hurting yourself. The turret is great to start out with. Take your time and learn as much as you can, it is a great hobby.

[Mike]

That's the way I learned, but the Hornady Lock n Load progressive press is almost fool proof

if you take it slow and observe the process. For repetitive pistol loading, it or the Dillon products

are both good. You can always start with one process at a time until you appreciate all the

features of a progressive press. In the end, you can save a bunch of time with one.

I started with a Lyman T-Mag 2000 from Widener's about fifteen years ago. Reliable as the

person operating it and a very good press, but for pistol cartridges, it's the Hornady progressive.

I still use the Lyman for rifle cartridges like .30-30, 8mm Mauser and others.

I agree with what Titan14 says, except that you can one stage a progressive and work your way up.

It comes with a very good powder drop, also.

I agree with this. Not only will it allow you to seamlessly upgrade to full on progressive reloading when you are ready, it will also allow you to do only one round at a time while you are learning and figuring stuff out. Get a powder cop die and place it directly after the measure. You will be able to spot an off load if by chance you double charge one.

Mike

[dlm37015]

i live in ashland city if you like you can come over i have several presses set up try what you want

[SonnyCrockett]

For handgun loads..........Progressive is DEF the way to go just pick your flavor........

I am in favor of the Dillon550

[Guest USARO4]

I have the Lee Turret press and the Lee Classic Turret press. I have reloaded on both for years and both are reliable and produce good ammo. The Lee Classic Turret is built of cast iron and steel and is as strong as much more expensive presses. Lee makes some good affordable tools and also a few shoddy ones. I own green, orange, and another shade of red from other well known companies so I am not a brand zealot. I buy what gets the job done for me within my budget. The Classic turret is the best bang for your buck and you use it as a single stage as well.

[Guest guardlobo]

Go for the Lee Turret Press. It should do nicely for what you are wanting to do. If you want more volume, you'll want to get a progressive, but for starting out this one is hard to beat. I have a friend that is an LEO, and he just finished reloading 1000 rounds of 40 S&W on his Lee Turret Press. They have given him good results on the range.

[Guest DaG]

Dillon.

[McAllyn]

Dillon 550B. Pay once, cry once. It's not true progressive, so you can go as slow as you want, but when you're comfortable, you'll be pumping out ammo like a machine. My mistake was putting off buying one until it was my third press. However, I've saved enough by reloading in the last 2 years to pay for 3 or 4 550's, and I know I'll never have to buy another one.

Mac

[gsbell]

Everyone is different, but I jumped head first into it with a Dillon 650.

[tt0511]

i live in ashland city if you like you can come over i have several presses set up try what you want

Thanks dlm. What a gracious offer.

I am about laughing here. There seems to be as many opinions about this as there are about which firearm is top dog, LOL. I will take all of these replies to heart.

From what I've seen on youtube videos, I wouldn't exactly call the production process of the Lee turret "slow". It may be compared to the progressives, but it looks to me like a fella can turn out a bunch of ammo pretty fast with that press. Between my wife and I, we probably shoot anywhere from 300-600 rounds per month. That's my best guess so far, but as you know, the more you shoot, the more you want to shoot! So, is that something I can reasonably expect to turn out on a turret press in a decent amount of time?

Edited November 9, 2010 by tt0511

[56FordGuy]

With my Lee turret press, I could do 100- 150 rounds an hour with a powder thrower. That said, I wouldn't recommend one. I would start with a single stage. If you're just starting out and are going to be using it as a single stage, there's no need to spend the extra money for the turret capability. In my experience, once you get used to reloading and get into the swing of things, the turret is just too slow. While that may not be the case for everyone, it is worth considering. I can easily load 400-500 per hour with my Dillon.

If you do go with a turret style press, look into brands other than Lee. I may've just had a lemon, but I had to make three calls to their customer service line, order spare parts, and was generally unimpressed with mine. They use a plastic collar to turn a steel shaft, the little collars don't seem to last very long. A brand new press comes with a spare, if that's any indication of their longevity.

[Guest spoolie]

Hornaday Progressive Lock N Load with shell case feeder and bullet feeder....

[/thread]

Just pressed 2500 rounds today.

[tt0511]

Hornaday Progressive Lock N Load with shell case feeder and bullet feeder....

[/thread]

Just pressed 2500 rounds today.

This is the press I initially was set on. Some folks say not to start with a progressive, hence the turret. I may just go with the LNL. My reloading books arrived today so I can start reading and smarting up on it all.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I think most everyone on here are saying to go slow, get something you can work up to mastering in your

skill set. Some people are more comfortable than others about progressive reloading for good reason. It takes

a little more getting used to and for the unexperienced it could be daunting. Just pick out something you will

feel comfortable learning on and take your good time. Everyone on here has been a beginner at it and has a

good reason for their answers, but you will know, ultimately, what you can do with your equipment. So just

take your time and enjoy the experience. You will eventually save some money. Have fun!

BTW, I don't know of any bad presses.

[titan14]

I think most everyone on here are saying to go slow, get something you can work up to mastering in your

skill set. Some people are more comfortable than others about progressive reloading for good reason. It takes

a little more getting used to and for the unexperienced it could be daunting. Just pick out something you will

feel comfortable learning on and take your good time. Everyone on here has been a beginner at it and has a

good reason for their answers, but you will know, ultimately, what you can do with your equipment. So just

take your time and enjoy the experience. You will eventually save some money. Have fun!

BTW, I don't know of any bad presses.

+10000....very well said.

[dlm37015]

i have several dillons and a star but find myself reloading with my lyman most of the time . i have had it over 40 years its like an old friend

[Guest tnvolfan]

I have to tell you that I vote for the Dillon 550B press. Yes, I know they are expensive, but I have been told by SO MANY people who started reloading with other presses, only to get fed up because they broke or continually gave problems, so they spent money needlessly instead of initially going with Dillon. There is a man in my Sunday school class, who bought a press four years ago, got lazy and put half of it up, lost the directions and a few of the parts, and finally another man in my Sunday school (my reloading mentor) went over to his house and put it together for him, and made a list of the parts he had lost. The lazy guy contacted Dillon, and they sent him the parts AT NO CHARGE. How's that for a guarantee? Dillon also has a lot of videos on their site, they have really good phone help, and they sell a CD that shows you everything you want to know about starting out reloading. I bought a Husky workbench at Home Depot, put it together, and then mounted my Dillon 550B on it, ALL by myself. I reload 380 acp, 9mm Luger, 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 45 acp, and 223 Remington, all on this Dillon 550B press. I am a 56 year old woman (I do have a mechanical engineering degree), but if I can do this, ANYONE who has a sincere interest can do it. Now I know a lot of folks out there love their Lees, their Hornadys, and everything else, but you have to agree that Dillon probably has the best "No B.S." guarantee out there. I rest my case.

[tt0511]

Any reason why no one has recommended the Square Deal B by Dillon?

[56FordGuy]

Any reason why no one has recommended the Square Deal B by Dillon?

Biggest issue is that it takes special dies, and if Dillon dies aren't available for the caliber you want to load, you can't load it on that press. I believe that it's also limited to pistol calibers.