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  #1  
Old 11-07-2011, 06:46 AM
shil shil is offline
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How many out there use single-stage presses and how many use progressives, and, why?
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  #2  
Old 11-07-2011, 07:18 AM
ronnie gore ronnie gore is offline
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i use both, i have several dillion square deal presses in 45, 9mm,38/357,40 cal.
and lee turret that i use for calibers i don't shoot as much, 45 colt, 44 mag, 44 special, 44-40, 32 mag.38 super and several others. they alow you to produce a lot of ammo in a short time.
i also still use a rcbs rockchucker press for several rifle calibers, and i assemble carry ammo on the single stage press so i can check each powder charge. if you are going to load you need both, but you could just buy a dillion 550b with conversion sets, but i don't like to spend time converting the press.
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  #3  
Old 11-07-2011, 07:20 AM
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have had progressives prefer single stage for more accurate priming and powder charge just better accuracy overall. If I shot a lot of handgun rounds I wold use a well made progressive.
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Old 11-07-2011, 08:31 AM
Skip Sackett Skip Sackett is offline
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Both. Shot competition needed volume. You forgot to include another viable option, turret. Lee Classic Cast with auto advancing head is a "tweener" option.

Still have single stages use Lee as a single stage for most slow fire rifle rounds, i. e. .30/06, 358 WSSM, 7.62X54R and others.
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  #5  
Old 11-07-2011, 09:56 AM
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I use single two different single stage presses, a turret press, and a progressive press. I like being able to use the RCBS Rock Chucker for loading rifle ammo while the RCBS Pardner press is reserved for universal depriming duties. I also use the Redding GRX die in the RCBS RC for un-Glocking .40SW cases. The Lee Classic Turret gives me the ability to load most of my handgun ammo at a high enough volume to meet most of my shooting desires and offers a very fast caliber change out. The Hornady LNL AP is right now reserved for my bulk .45ACP loading. I know I’m going to add a 9mm setup and maybe a .40SW and .38 special if I ever really go nuts with them. I guess there is no reason I couldn’t reload everything in the LNL AP, but I just enjoy having the options to load as I see fit.

That, and I’m so addicted to reloading that if there is a tool for it, I’m probably going to have it someday… It’s a madness.
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  #6  
Old 11-07-2011, 10:01 AM
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I still use my Herter's single-stage press I started out with in '75. I don't load large volumes of ammo at a sitting (100-200 pistol rounds maybe) and it works for me. I found it simpler to use when loading multiple calibers. I also use a Lee hand press these days so I can prep my cases while I watch TV. I like to mulit-task in my Lazyboy.

But if large quantities of reloads is the name of your game, you can't beat a progressive.
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  #7  
Old 11-07-2011, 11:17 AM
TheTinMan TheTinMan is offline
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Single stage for .308 Winchester and .270 Winchester rifle cartridges.

I also use the single stage to re-size pistol cases and prime with a bench tool at the same time. I like loading powder in trays, but partly because it seems like I'm usually working up a load for this or that. Then on to a Lyman turret press for expander, seating and crimping. It's much faster than doing each step separately on the single stage, but still much slower than a progressive would be.

IMHO if you're going to be loading more than 100-200 pistol rounds per week, a progressive press makes the most sense.
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Old 11-07-2011, 01:54 PM
CMD-KY CMD-KY is offline
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Generally I use a Dillon 550B for volume because between my wife (Grannie Oakly) and myself, I can't keep up on the RCBS single stage. I still use the RCBS for precision on a low volume but that decision is a superstition rather than hard data.
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  #9  
Old 11-07-2011, 02:58 PM
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I use a single stage, as my current demand doesn't warrant a progressive.
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  #10  
Old 11-08-2011, 08:48 PM
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Thanks, Everyone, for your input. I, too, have both a single stage and a progressive: an RCBS Rockchucker that has performed yeoman service for over 30 years and an about 5-year-old Hornady LNL. Rifle ammunition I always load with the Rockchucker and I bought the Hornady for large-volume loading of handgun ammo. I long ago broke even on the purchase of the Hornady. I'm finding my volume requirements have diminished a lot, making the Hornady set-ups for different calibers and loads more and more trouble than worthwhile to me. I was curious about how many have found themselves in a similar situation.
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  #11  
Old 11-08-2011, 08:53 PM
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I traded my progressive for a single stage and a powered dispenser/scale system. Much happier with my results now.
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  #12  
Old 11-08-2011, 08:56 PM
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I use both, I use progressives for high volumes of .38 special and .45acp, my magnum loads and rifle rounds are crafted slowly and carefully on a single stage.
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  #13  
Old 11-08-2011, 10:34 PM
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I use both. I have two Rockchuckers I use to size rifle cases and load small volume stuff, and precision target loads.

I also have five Dillon presses, four are 450 models dedicated to single calibers that I shoot a lot of, such as .30-06, 5.56mm, .308, and .38 Special. I got tired of changing the calibers all the time and already had 2 of the 450's, found 2 more cheap and stayed with them. I also have a 550 that I use for .45, 9mm, and .380.

I can turn out a lot of ammo with the Dillons, even the 450.
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  #14  
Old 11-08-2011, 11:43 PM
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Single stage Rock chucker, and along with all the other need toys that go with reloading all picked up at gun shows, the smith forum, and word of mouth sales through friends of friends.

Why?
Its a cheap set up. I can go over and use dads 650, but I dont like it. When I finish school and get a job or find some magic pixie dust I wanna get a Hornady turret press.
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Old 11-08-2011, 11:55 PM
jepp2 jepp2 is offline
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I have a RockChucker, Forster Co-Ax and a pair of Dillon 550B's. Not counting my Pacific 366.

I might have gone a different direction than the Dillon's but I already had the one I bought long ago and find them very easy to change calibers on. Since I already had the tool heads set up with my dies on them, it was no decision.
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  #16  
Old 11-09-2011, 07:29 PM
lmcgust lmcgust is offline
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Pretty well like smith357, same idea.

.308 on rockchucker
LUGER and 45 acp on 550
High volume .38 on 650 for PPC
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  #17  
Old 11-09-2011, 07:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lazy View Post
Single stage Rock chucker, and along with all the other need toys that go with reloading all picked up at gun shows, the smith forum, and word of mouth sales through friends of friends.

Why?
Its a cheap set up. I can go over and use dads 650, but I dont like it. When I finish school and get a job or find some magic pixie dust I wanna get a Hornady turret press.
If you mean this, it's not a turret... But I bought it and I LOVE IT!!! I admit that I did have to polish a few bits but I am sooooooooooo happy with it now:

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Presses and Kits :: Lock-N-Load® AP™ :: Lock-N-Load® AP™ Reloading Press

Mine (ignore the mess...):

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  #18  
Old 11-09-2011, 10:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smith crazy View Post
Both. Shot competition needed volume. You forgot to include another viable option, turret. Lee Classic Cast with auto advancing head is a "tweener" option.
^^^ This. I have the Classic Turret and it can easily turn out 100+ of handgun ammo in an hour and easily converts to single stage operation if you desire.

Additionally, while nothing is "impossible," double charging with the Auto Disc would require major rectocranial inversion.
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Old 11-10-2011, 10:27 AM
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Single stage for any cartridge/load I weigh individually. Dillon 550 for all my volume calibers, 45acp and 9mm. If you shoot a lot of pistol, progressive is the only way to go and it's hard to beat a Dillon.
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  #20  
Old 11-10-2011, 10:57 AM
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I use a Lee turret press for volume. It still is slow enough to let me monitor each step, but is faster than single stage. I only load handgun loads at this time.
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  #21  
Old 11-11-2011, 11:41 PM
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I use both. I started on a ss press 35+ yrs ago. I still use it quite a bit for my target/hunting rifle & to do small batch load developement. I load all my other handgun needs on a 550B or 650. Speed is the primary reason to go progressive. Loading 150rds of 45acp for a match is going to take you a solid 2hrs from scratch on a ss if you are well organized. With a progressive like the LNL or 550B, I can do 15rds in 15min form start to finish.
A serious pistol or semiauto rifle shooter needs a progressive, the casula shooter or monthly competition shooter can do evverything on a ss press. The other thging that a sss press excels at is special tasking. I can size bullets, form cases even swage bullets on my ss press. It's great for loading large rifle rounds, like the 50BMG or AFrican heavies, & the larger ones will load shotshells w/ the right setup. So it is versitile, just not fast.
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  #22  
Old 11-11-2011, 11:57 PM
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1 35 year RCBS Rockchucker, 1 20 year old Dillon 450. No plan to upgrade or change..
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  #23  
Old 11-12-2011, 10:01 AM
Ivan the Butcher Ivan the Butcher is offline
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I have and use 310 tong tools, Lee Loaders(bang 'em together w/ a club) ,2 rock chuckers converted to L-N-L and a couple of other ss presses, a T-7 turret press, and a Dillon 450/ 550B w/case feed. I also have A L-N-L progressive unused in the corner. You can't have too many presses. The right tool for the job. The 310's and the Lee Loaders are ultra portable! I haven't tried Wilson arbor press dies but the are portable and super accurate. When on a trip, an on the go set-up can come in handy, just have all the componets with you. A 50 cal. ammo can or small tool box can hold everything you need to load 200-300 rounds of 3 or 4 different cartridges.
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  #24  
Old 11-13-2011, 02:07 AM
Rawhyde Rawhyde is offline
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I use a Dillon 550 that I got for Christmas in 1985 for cartridges I shoot in fairly high volume (.38 wadcutters, .44 Magnum, .32 Magnum, .45 ACP, and .45 Long Colt). I load .22 Jet, .22-250, .30-06, .357 Magnum (I have an extra set of dies), .41 Magnum, & .500 Magnum on a Rockchucker I bought used in 1986. I wouldn't want to give either up them up!
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  #25  
Old 11-13-2011, 02:33 AM
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Since I only shoot 44 revolvers (of as many kinds as possible)
and 6mm and 44 rifles, the Redding UltraMag has kept me happy
for 30 years.

Like may previous posters, I craft 50 or 100 rounds at a time.
Usually takes me a football game in the background to do 50.

The scientific aspects of reloading have always fascinated me and
I spend as much time studying and loading as I do shooting.
Sometimes I have to go shooting to just free up some brass!

Sounds backwards I know but I have always been accused of that.



---
Nemo
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