Hi,

Used to reload for my 4mag years ago and have just purchased another. Just wondering if the technology has changed any in 40 years or if the RCBS carbide dies and press are still the way to go for lite reloading. Used to use 2400 powder... What's a good powder for 44 special /44Mag today? Defense and target use...

For light reloading I still use an old Lyman turret press. However 95% of my reloading is done on a Dillon 450. I only use the single stage for large rifle calibers.

I'll try to help, however I'm sure what you mean by "lite" reloading and you haven't provided any budget parameters.

You can get by with a basic single stage press such as the RCBS Rockchucker or those of that genre from other manufacturers. Those will work great, but are slow compared to any of the turret or progressive style loading presses. Further, the prices of some of these progressive machines may not be all that much more than a single stage press. Some of this depends on how much time you wish to expend per each round you load.

I'll leave it to others to chime in as to their recommendations for presses and powders. I still use 2400 in some of my .44 loads, Unique and WW296 in others, but I know there are newer powder formulations out there that also work very well.

for "lite" loads in the .44 mag and special I use bullseye and unique with either 200 grain wadcutters from Rimrock or 215 grain SWC from Bayou bullets.

Sill using my old Pacific "O" frame press from 40 years ago with my RCBS carbide dies. Recent die purchases for the 9mm came from Lee and I am very hapy with the dies.

Just put another 100 44 mags together, with a Redding Big Boss single press, and Lee 44 Special/44 mag die set. It has four dies.
Worked just fine.

I still use my SS press for small test batches of magnum rds. Just don't want to retool the 550 for 20rds. Everyones dies are good. I like the inline seating of the Hornady but Lee, RCBS, Redding, Dillon, all good. Dillon are designed for as progressive with powder thru die, so if you go ss press, you need to buy an expander/flare die.
I am still a 2400 fan as an all around powder. I have some BE86 to try as a Unique replacement for midrange stuff. AA#9 is also a winner for full power stuff.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

For single stage or turrets I like the lee pour through powder dies.

No need to waste money on the "green, blue, or the other red" brands if your are not going to reload in high volume. On second thought, even if you are going to give it heavy use the Lee dies and press will still give you the best for your buck. The warranty aargument about those brands is a no go as far as I am concerned as you are paying two or three times for their for it when purchased. I can't remember how long Lee is all I have had and had no problems with them whatsoever. I know others will chime in here with contradictions but you can't argue with success and thrift. Paper punching powders , Bullseye can't be beat. Mid range, Unique. High end I can't make any claims, I don't go there.

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Lost in Penn's Woods

I've been sold on RCBS for a very long time. The Rockchucker is a great single stage press and their carbide dies can't be beat. The greatest thing about RCBS is their customer service, as an example, I've been using one of their hand primers for years and just yesterday the spring broke and a quick call to RCBS and I have a new spring on the way at no cost. You can't beat this combination for lite reloading.

Just to clarify your question(s)

You are looking for a press dies and powder for those two calibers? Yes?

By light you mean not a large quanity of ammo?

If so than any single stage press will do the job as will any dies

Without knowing you "budget" it's impossible to say. There are all the other items needed that add up. Like scale, calipers manuals etc etc.

Regardless I always recommend this. All good stuff, no junk, and will last forever,

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Single Stage Press Kit

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Still Running Against the Wind

I bought the LEE Challenger kit yrs ago . It's single stage low volume . Their dies have worked fine for me as well . The dies include the shell holder , something the others don't . After all these yrs , I still reload on my LEE equipment . Instead of spending all my money on reloading equipment , it gave me the money to purchase more supplies .
Probably a good powder for what you are wanting in " lighter " loads in the 44 mag/special would be W231--HP38 , they're the same . I personally really like Ramshot Zip . It's about the same burn rate as the previous 2.
Others like Unique , I dropped it years ago . Universal , Winchester Super Field , BE-86 , Power Pistol are all good mid range powders and better than Unique , IMO . Alliant 2400 has been " MIA " for years and years . Soooo I switched to Accurate #9 . I really am impressed with it . For years I have used IMR 4227 for the magnum loads . I have dropped 2400 from my powders of useage. Alliant has slowed way down on the production of 2400 as they have had high demand for " the dots " , red , green, blue , clay dot etc . Their new powder MP300 has received some good reviews and seems to be available a lot , but I can't comment on it personally as I have never tried it .

Reloading hasn't changed much in 40 years, the same principles and procedures still apply, no need to overthink it. Powders have changed somewhat, but 2400 still works. For small volume handloading, just about any method will work fine. Welcome back to the madness.

LEE Classic Cast Iron (single stage) Press, the LEE 4 Die Sets (includes FCD, a MUST for 44 mag IMHO), HORNADY L-n-L bushing sets (conversion bushing + 8 of the quick change ones), RCBS Universal hand primer and you are good to go...

WIN 231works great for both 45acp and lighter 44mag loads: WIN 296/H110 will take care of heavier 44mag work, but definitely NOT for 45acp! Set the dies up in the L-n-L bushings once, and other than a little fine tuning for bullet weight and design you don't have to mess with them very often.

If you shoot a lot of 44mag at ranges or practice you'll be amazed at how saving 50-60(?) cents per round really adds up!

Cheers!

As mentioned above, any good single stage press will do the job for low level amounts. For less than the cost of a Rock Chucker, you can get the Lee Classic Cast turret press and leave all your dies set up for use and can have auto index, if you desire or can take out the index rod and use as a single stage. I have 3 Lee presses and my original RCBS Reloader Special, they all do the job at hand. All my dies are Lee and I ve had no issues with any of them, rifle or pistol. Glad to have you back-ENJOY :-)

Light loading is subjective to the thinking of the speaker.

What's light for him may be ulta light for others.

I shoot on average twice weekly and usually take two pistols or 1 pistol and a 15-22 rifle to the range.

So with that in mind I need about 300 rounds weekly for the center fire pistols.

While living in an apartment without a dedicated loading bench I used a Lee Hand Press,Lee Hand Primer,Lee Classic Powder Measure,Lee 4 Die sets and an RCBS 10/10 scale.I bought the whole shabang from an ad on the state gun trader for $100.

I've since then purchased a townhouse with a 2 car garage where I set up a loading bunch.I purchased a new Lee 4 hole Turret Press and Lee Pro Auto Disk powder measure.I can now load about 6 rounds a minute where the hand press was a slow 50 an hour.I still use the hand press for my 45 Colt and special small batch loadings.

The Lee 4 hole Classic Turret press was $103 on Amazon and the Lee Pro Auto Disk powder measure was $35.

I once was an every day practice competition shooter and loaded thousands at a sitting on 2 Star Machines but those days are long gone.

The hand press is very good to keep the upper body in better shape.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

A single station press works just fine for normal amounts of loading.
If you still have the equipment use it . If not , a package kit deal by any of the loading companies will get you going again.
Lee has very affordable equipment and it will work.
I do a LOT of pistol reloading with a Lee Hand Press.
Powders....there are so many now it makes your head swim. 2400 is still a great magnum load , Unique is good for cast/midrange and Bullseye for 44 special target loads still work. A lot of companies make powder to compete with them. Universal , AA #2, AA#5, AA#9, Tightgroup...a quick look in the Lyman #4 handbook listed 15 different powders ...might want to pick up a new manual to see what new powders have hit the market...the number of them boggles my mind !
Gary

If you are bouncing in and out of the hobby, just use what you can find on Ebay or gunshows. It all works. As for components the only "advances" made in the last 40 years are in powders and bullets. If you happen to shoot in temperature extremes (think Africa and Arctic) then the new temperature stabilized powders offer marginal advantages, but probably not in .44 mag. There are a couple of emerging choices in bullets. Plated and polymer coated bullets are gaining fans. Plated bullets offer a cost effective alternative to jacketed where range bans exclude traditional cast lead bullets. Polymer coated bullets are emerging as a good choice to eliminate lead fouling at even better price points than plated bullets, and they are cleaner to handle and reload than lubed lead.

I use an old RCBS single stage press for all my reloading. I reload a decent quantity of ammunition, but I regard the process itself as being somewhat therapeutic so speed is not an issue for me. In addition I prefer to prime my cases with a hand primer off the press. Just me I guess, but it works for me.

If you get the chance pick up a pound of Hodgdon CFE-P. I load a 240gr. SWC (plated or coated) to around 1100fps with it that I can shoot all day long.

I would caution against getting sucked into the idea that "faster is better" and getting a progressive press. I use a turret, hand indexing for most of my reloading and "batch load" so time is not a consideration (I have a 50 to couple hundred cases primed and prepped for each caliber I reload). I have 2 single stage presses mounted on plates to switch with what's mounted on the bench (one for extra heavy swaging/forming, and one "C" press dedicated to priming). You did fine with RCBS equipment and it still is quality made tooling/equipment.

I have used 6 different makes of single stage presses (and one exception, total junk; Smart Reloader) and all work quite well if I do my part. Same with dies; most of my dies are Lee but also have Redding, Lyman, Herters and Pacific. All are good dies. If anything, I'd suggest some up to date reloading manuals.

BTW, 2400 is one of my favorite .44 Magnum powders (3 revolvers, one 10" Contender, one Puma)...

If you consider 100+ round each in several calibers a "good day at the range", then a progressive press should be a consideration. I like my Dillon 550, still mostly manual, and put it to good use for pistol and rifle reloading. In my dotage, I have more money than time to spare. With the 550 I can load 500 rounds in a little more than an hour, and change over in 15 minutes. A .45 takes a lot of feeding. .44 Mag (especially in short barrels) takes less to "make my day."

Taking the OP at his word for volume, a single stage press would be the best choice. I'm not fond of turret presses, because the manner of mounting the dies is questionable. All you save is the time to screw in a set of dies at the onset. The best procedure is to complete one stage at a time, then turn the turret. for safety, I like to charge all the cases at one time, and inspect the results by scanning the lot.

You can accomplish nearly the same thing in a single stage press by using split collars on the dies once they are set. Once that is done, they can be replaced without changing their setting. Split rings hold better than the set screw types that come with most dies.

I also recommend a separate crimping die for roll crimps, .44 Magnum in particular. There's much less stress on the case, or your press arm, with nearly no tendency to crumple cases. Case length variation is a non-issue. I use a Redding die, and adjust the RCBS (or whatever) seating die so that the crimp is not engaged.

I've loaded .357 and .44 Magnum exclusively with 2400. IMO, it's the best overall choice. .45 ACP needs a faster powder. I've used several with good success, including Unique. Unique has a reputation for dirty burning, but I find it burns clean if loaded hotter than mid-range. It's still my favorite.

Last weekend, I put a batch of 600 9mm's through the Dillon 650 (progressive), and then followed through with 200 more. A rather quick & painless procedure.

This week, it's a couple of hundred 44 mags on the single press. Still working on the second hundred. But I do enjoy it. However, when it comes to 9mm & 45's, which I shoot a heck of a lot of, the progressive is the ONLY way, except for specialty loads.

I load 45 ACP for Bullseye competition. When I first started loading I was using a Hornady seating die that also crimped. I was having difficulty getting consistent COL, and the LSWC bullets were being marked up during crimping. I then bought a Dillon 45 ACP seating die and a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die , problems solved. The Dillon die seats perfectly every time and is so easy to clean. Bought it direct from Dillon for $25.95

I am using Bullesye powder, Titegroup when I can't find Bullseye.

RCBS, Redding or Dillon dies.

Lots of OK dies out there, some are more OK.

I run a cheap press (Lee Classic Cast) and use mostly RCBS dies.

SS presses are mostly the same in quality and function. Never found anything wrong with my Lee. If I had it to do over I would go with RCBS or Redding 100%.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I'm probably and average shooter, shooting mebbe 300-400 rounds per month I have no need to sit down and crank out a whole months worth before dinner so I spread out the fun. I batch load so I keep between 50- 100 prepped and ready cases of each caliber I reload. Often when I have enough loaded ammo on hand I'll occupy some time and process some brass (I might sort and clean a few hundred cases, or sit down and deprime/size and flare a couple hundred cases, next time I may prime some, then save them for a charge and bullet).

I'm not anti-progressive press and I have used one (I loaded about 1,000 45 ACPs on a friend's Dillon, and didn't care for it. I was so removed from the reloading process, I could have been playing a slot machine), but unless you need 1,000 loads, right now, during half time, they are not for everybody. (Now someone will say they use their progressive for just 100 rounds per session, once a month and like it just fine ). It's all personal choice...

I do use a Dillon 550 for a of of my loading, but small volume jobs I still do on my old Texan Turret, any single stage loader can do as well. I doubt if anyone used non carbide dies for pistol leading regardless of the kind of press being used. The elimination of the lubing step, (and cleaning it off later), is wel worth the little added initial cost. I only load a few hundred 44 Mags a year, and usually do about 100 at a time. Slows me down enough to pay close attention and make some really fine attention to detail loads.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I use a Dillon 550 for general, bulk reloading and a Rockchucker for "specialty" reloading (< 100 cases or so). Whatever dies but I will use a Lee Factory crimp die if available.

Have mine about 15 yrs. Just change shell holder and dies for pistiol to Rifle.

For the number of rounds you want to load I doubt you will find a better press than the Lee Classic Turret Press. You can safely load up to 200 rounds/hour and it is strong enough to load most anything.

My powder trinity is W231(HP-38), W540(HS-6) and W296(H110) and can load any handgun cartridge with those three. W231 is a great choice for the 45 ACP and W296 is a great choice for full power Magnum ammo. HS-6 will prove useful for midrange magnum cartridges too.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

....but reloading still consists of prep, deprime, size, flare, charge, seat and crimp.

Carbide dies are standard now and a lot cheaper than they were.

Lee has a 'factory crimp die' that does a good job of crimping.

Any of the well known brands will do the job well.

Probably the biggest changes and improvements are in powder. 2400 is still a good magnum powder, but Accurate #9 is good (I like Accurate powders).

Hodgdon Trail Boss is a unique powder that is so bulky that you just fill up the space under the bullet, back off 10% and that's your starting load. You can't overcharge it. This is used for 'Cowboy Action Shooting' where soft bullets at low velocity are used.

IMR hasn't changed very much (!).

For less than magnum loads there are a plethora of medium and target powders from several manufacturers.

Vihtavuori powders are excellent, but expensive.

Western Powders like Ramshot, Trublue and Zip may be available in your area. I haven't tried them, but I don't hear much about them.

Newer powders may have flash suppressant built in. In general they may be cleaner than some of the older powders, but that's really no big deal.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Personally I would suggest a Lee 4-hole turret....

A kit set up for 44 Mag is relatively inexpensive.

The BIG advantage I feel, while having slightly more production than a single stage and big enough to do rifle, you don't have to swap dies around.

You can sit down with an hours free time and make 200+ rounds. You just fill the powder hopper and go.

You don't HAVE to use the auto index if your not comfortable with it until your ready.



Classic Deluxe kit


Standard, Value Kit

Dillon dies and a RCBS 450 jr reloader.

I bought an RCBS Reloader Special press and a set of 30 Carbine back in 1978 and I never looked back. Neither press nor dies have let me down and when I have had a concern, RCBS has been there to support their product almost 40 years later.

I don't load 44 magnum, but I do load 25ACP, 38 Special, 9mm, and 45ACP in addition to several rifle calibers (including one wildcat) and the two times I have tried someone elses' dies, I have ended up replacing them with RCBS.

You may be able to do just fine with someone elses' dies, but from my own experience the little bit extra you pay for RCBS pays off in the long run.

I use Dillon Carbide Dies on my 650 and RCBS Rifle Dies on my Rock Chucker. No complaints and the Dillon Dies come apart in 1 second for cleaning. I also own a few sets of Lee Dies that were given to me. I use them on the Rock Chucker when making only 100 rounds or less of 357 Magnum and I don't want to change the .38 Special set up on the Dillon. They work OK, but IMHO they are not as good as the Dillon or RCBS Dies. I also have a set of Lee's for 30-06 but have not used them yet.

If you are only going to do LITE loading, then the RCBS Dies on a Rock Chucker will work perfectly. If you THINK you will be more of a serious re-loader, I'd go with a progressive press. The initial investment will be $400 or so more but in the long run you will be MUCH HAPPIER! I can not say enough about the Dillon 650. The Rock Chucker is well, as solid as a rock - but SLOW.

The Lee hand press and dies will load you a few hundred no problem. Very portable.

For a small volume occasional reloaded, a single stage press is plenty fast.
Equally as important, however, is that it is conducive to following proper procedure which will keep you out of trouble and your loads at a consistent quality level.
Powder selection is a whole different issue: keep it simple and, in my opinion, stick to the more traditional powders which have lots of published data and a known and proven track record.
Aside from a very strong prejudice toward carbide dies, product selection is totally a personal choice but, in general, like so many other things in life, the middle ground is probably the best place to be, avoiding both the cheapest and the most expensive.
Of primary importance is a couple of good reloading manuals (such as Lyman) and probably best to be cautious of some of the recommendations posted on the Internet.

I have loaded many thousands of rounds on my RCBS single stage press, it is not a Rock chucked but one of their less expensive models. Still works great. I have RCBS dies as well. You might try shopping for used presses and dies on EBay, often great deals to be had.