I am interested in reloading 9mm, 38/357. I have used a single stage once and I know that is not what I want. I am thinking about a 3 or 4 stage manual index since I am new to reloading. Any thoughts?

I am interested in reloading 9mm, 38/357. I have used a single stage once and I know that is not what I want. I am thinking about a 3 or 4 stage manual index since I am new to reloading. Any thoughts?

alpha,
Do a search in this section of the forum.
This question has been answered many times here.

There are no "one size fits all" for this one.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself. Remember to be honest in answering them!

"What is my ability to pay attention to detail?"
"What is my mechanical aptitude?"
"How much ammo do I need to make and how much time am I willing to use to get it?"
"Are there financial considerations that will affect my choice of equipment?"

Do the search and some reading, then report back what you found.

Do you know what your options are?

Thanks smith crazy for the questions. No A-D-D at present. Mechanical aptitude good (patience is a lifelong learning event). Need hundred rounds of each per month. Press cost is a consideration. What is driving me to reloading?
The possiblity of future high cost of shooting.
BTW like your quotes.

Alpha,
Send me an email. I too live in Northern Indiana. We may have some places we frequent in common.


I think the Lee Turret may be for you. The dies you would have to buy will fit in most other presses to be considered in the future. Price is reasonable. There is added flexibility for doing rifle rounds too.

p.s. Thanks for the comments about my signature!

I am mechanically challenged, but had no problems with the Dillon 550. It may cost more, but it sure is good.

I have been handloading for the last 46 yrs, mostly on a C type press or a RCBS Rockchucker. I am loading mostly handgun ammo now and like you only shoot 100-200 rds. a month. I bought a Redding T-7 Turret Press a few months ago and like it very much. Size decap and prime on first step, bell case mouth on second and remove from press. Charge all cases and re-insert charged case. Seat bullet on next step and crimp on Lee FCD at last step. Suits my needs very well. Room left for three more dies.

Julian

I would not hesitate to get a Dillon 550-B. You can use dies made by any manufacturer, load all pistol calibers and most rifle calibers, it is a manual indexing machine, and comes with a 100% no BS warranty from one of the best names in reloading.

You can keep it simple, or add upgrades such as a case feeder later on if you so desire. If I were you, I would at least check them out.

WG840

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Freedom above all else.

Dillion 550 B, I agree with all Dillion people above, plus you get a NO "BS" lifetime replacement of all parts.

For pistol ammo the Dillon 550 is hard to beat. I do not deprime on the Dillon. It really helps keep it clean. Any old C style press will hold a universal depriming die.

I still use my C presses a lot for small batch test loads in all calibers due to ease in changing calibers.

We are leaving out one thing the op has as criteria folks, price.

The op said he has a limited amount to spend. Hence the suggestion for the Lee.

The Dillon's are great presses, I have 4, 3 SDBs and an XL650. I don't have $600 in all three of my Square Deals BUT I bought them all used. For my money that is the way to go for handgun cartridges in medium amounts. The XL650 is the primo loader for all cartridges in my opinion. I could never envision needing more, no matter what the volume. I can do 100 223 match grade ammo in about 10 minutes! I have more than $600 in it alone though!

At any rate, the Lee Turret fits his criteria best using the information given. If he has double what the Lee costs available, then yes, a Dillon would be my next choice too.

One thing about the Lee though. It can be used in the future to do development on. If he was to purchase a progressive in the future there would be no need to take the Lee off of his bench. It would still be a viable part of a reloading room!

For a beginner, looking for a somewhat productive press, there is none better then a Lee Turret press.

Cheap and very effective, just do yourself a favor and get a four hole turret press. That way you can seat and crimp in two steps, this eases a lot of problems.

You'll want to buy four die sets for that, too.

i've loaded tens of thousands of rounds over the last 20 years on a Lee turret press. only thing i've changed is the little plastic ratchets, which last several years, and are only about $1 each.

buy extra turrets for around $6 each, and you can set up a turret for each caliber and never need to adjust them once set. the turrets change out in about 15 seconds.

this is available as a kit with a powder measure and scale for around $100. add the adjustable charge bar as an upgrade to the powder measure (about $8) and you're ready to go.

if you have any questions e-mail me.

Dillon 550

I have two 650's and one 550 and I just bought a used Square Deal press.

The first time I used it, it broke.

Called Dillon and THANKS to their no BS warranty the part is in the mail, No charge.

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Semper FI

I opted for the Lee turret, used it for 6-8 months of active reloading and regretted it. If you are fussy about exact powder weights, overall lengths, etc., it will drive you crazy because it never does quite the same thing twice. You check everything and adjust constantly. I bought the Dillon 550B out of frustration and the difference is night and day. Powder weights come out the same every time and overall lengths are within a couple thousandths, plus you are making good bullets way faster than you can shoot them which was never true with the Lee.

My preferences would be as follows:
Single Stage: RCBS RockChucker
Progressive: Dillon 550B

I'd say go with a Dillon. Get the 550 and it will last you a lifetime.

You can do all your pistol and rifle cartridges with the 550. I started out with a Dillon 300 many years ago and kept upgrading.

I now use my 550 for all my rifle cartridges and a few novelty pistols. I have a 650 for my .38s and shoot about 30,000 of those a year so the bigger machine helps.

Dillon's service is spectacular. I've had a few parts break over the years and after I call, they just send the parts to me in the mail.

Sgt Preston here. I'm a very picky individual. I designed industrial machinery for 45 years. I expect & demand absoulte perfection from the ammo I produce from round to round. I also have a low pain / frustration threshold & don't like machinery that needs constant readjustment and or repair. I decided to reload to produce better target grade ammo than I could buy. I also shoot a lot - to the tune of 15,000 rounds per year. In order to keep up with that level of shooting, I determined that I needed a progressive machine. I researched all the features of all the machines on the market. I selected, bought, use & recommend the Dillon 550. My 550 has been flawless. Dillon's customer service is also staffed by reloaders who can help you with general or specific reloading issues over the phone on their 800 phone number. Hope this helps. Sgt Preston USMC LLA

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NRA Life Member

I'm a Hornady Lock-N-Load AutoProgressive (LNL AP) man and would highly recommend one of them. However,it is fully autoindexing (and trouble free) and since you don't want a fully autoindexing one I'd recommend the Lee Turret as an alternative. They seem simple and rugged, not to mention reasonably priced, and take standard dies without a lot of extra costs for changeovers. I've considered getting one --- they seem good for rifle cartridge loading.

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" I said, good DAY! "

yesterday I ordered the Lee Deluxe Turret Press Reloading Kit 4 HOLE TURRET KIT, and a Lee Carbide Die .45 ACP, for starters. I reloaded some about 20 years ago, on a friends press, and really don't remember much about it. I also bought Lee "Modern Reloading Second Edi..." book to help.

ben,
Go to their website and watch the videos. If I remember correctly there are some just for the turret press. It will really help.

Also, read the front of the manual you bought. Lots of good information in there!

Have fun, be safe.

I got a great deal on an RCBS Jr. that I found in a shop and had never been used. I load everything from .38 Special to .41 Magnum and .45 Colt. Some say the Jr. isn't good for rifle cases, but it loads up my .257 Roberts ammo without a hitch.

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Vaya con Dios

Dillon 550B, it's easy to learn and master. It will load virtually any pistol caliber. It will load a large of amount of ammo in a relatively short time without a bunch of accessories. I've had mine for over 10 years and absolutely love it. Dillon's customer support is also top notch should you need it.

I've had an RCBS Rockchucker for almost forty years, never had a problem with it, but am starting to reload pistol. I researched all the machines and ordered, after trying my friend's machine, a Dillon 550B. I just received it on Friday so haven't had a chance to set it up yet. Pricey, yes, but you get what you pay for and I talked to several people that were disappointed in the Lee Turret Press after buying it.

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Kevin in Oregon

Dillon 550, you won't be sorry .

Yep, second (or third) the Dillon 550. I've had one for about 25 years, and lost count of how many thousands of rounds I have loaded on that thing. No trouble at all with the press.

When they say lifetime warranty, they mean it. I broke a small part on my press just yesterday, and called Dillon. They said they would ship the part right away, at no charge.

After 25 years of trouble free reloading, that was impressive.

I have been reloading for over 35 years. Recently got a Lee Turret press and am very happy with it. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to start reloading.

My only regret with my Dillon is that I did not buy one sooner. A friend bought a Dillon 450 when they first came out and tried to talk me into buying one too. I couldn't see spending $120 on a new press when I had a Lyman turret. A couple years ago I bought a used 450 for $120 and think it's great.

I still use my Lyman turret for small batches and load development. Also occasionally use a single stage press. But the Dillon has been great.

got my Lee press delivered today. Its still in the box. thanks for the advice SKIP, I will check out the video's. I need to build or find a table for it as well.

I started with an RCBS single-stage press, which was good for mass production, but lacked convenience in making small batches of experimental loads with various amounts of powder. The Lee turret press solved that problem, and was low cost, but not good for heavier use, such as rifles. The quality was not that great either.

Then I discovered the Redding 7-hole Turret Press. It has the advantages of both of the 2 previous presses, and superior quality and strength. It is beautifully made, and will last 200 years! Interchangeable turrets are available, which can be switched quickly. It takes standard dies. Redding also makes the best dies. Their equipment is like Snap-On tools and Rolls-Royce cars! Well worth the money!

Al Dash

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Al&Ash

I come to the discussion a little late. I have had Dillons since the early 1980s. I have gravitated to the 650 because of the production one can achieve if you use the case feeder. I have since bit the bullet and purchased a second 650 in order to have each machine dedicated to a primer size. My hands are very large and changine over primers can be somewhat frustrating.

You will not go wrong purchasing a Dillon Press. If you are a real serious shooter go for the 650, because you'll eventually end up there anyway. Regardless of which model you buy, you'll get great ammo from it. The Dillon no BS guarantee is just that no BS. Though, whatever you buy, get the spare parts kit, that way if something breaks or gets lost, you will have it to replace the broken part avoiding any down time while the part is in transit from Dillon. Dillon dies are also great, they are designed for progressive reloading. You won't regret getting a Dillon. By the way I don't work for Dillon, I'm just a great fan of a great product.

Another vote for the Lee turret press, specifically, the Lee Classic Cast Turret. This press was introduced about three years ago, and it's head and shoulders above the old Lee turret presses. I've had mine for a couple of years now. I like it so much, I sold off a bunch of other presses, including a Forster Coax, because I was constantly using the Lee and neglecting the others.

If you can only get one press, and you want inexpensive caliber changes, the ability to easily do single stage rifle or reasonably fast auto-indexed pistol...the press is amazing. I can crank out 250 38 specials in an hour, and then 30 seconds later, with nearly zero conversion effort, start loading .308 Winchester (or 30-30 or 7.62x39 or 7.5x55 etc.) on the same press. It's literally that fast.

My reloading bench is far less cluttered since going to a one press solution, and no matter what caliber I plan to load on a given evening, setup is absolutely minimal. It takes more time to get bullets out of a box and pour powder into the measure hopper than it does to change calibers. And the ammo comes out good.

With turrets you can choose the Lee or Redding. Manual progressives Dillon 550 or RCBS 2000. Auto-indexing progressives Dillon SDB and 650, or Hornady LnL AP. I went from a Lee Turret to the LnL. Didn't consider the 550/2000 because I believe a manual progressive is an accident waiting to happen. Each to his own, that's just the way I see it. I'd recommend the Lee or Hornady to anybody. Both are excellent. The only reason I got rid of the turret was that my shooting volume had increased dramatically, and I was tired of pulling the handle 4 times for each completed round. The LnL spits out 100rds per approx. seven minutes of handle pulling, and that's the way I like it.

I have 2 Dillon 550 presses; I use the second for .45 ACP exclusively. The other does all my small primer loads.

That said, I was THIS close to buying an LnL and got the second Dillon because it was unused, with strong mount, dies, primer flipper, a pound of powder and even primers (in baggies! ) for $225.

Had I not stumbled upon that steal of a deal, I'd have probably ordered a new LnL. With the new model, which allows the use of other dies w/o hitting that ejector wire, and the continued 1,000 free bullet offer, the LnL is a great value.

I have a Dillon 550b which I really like. I also have a RCBS rockchucker which I do my work up loads on. I would eventually like to get the Dillon 650 or another 550b to have one press dedicated to large primers and the other for samll primers.

The simple press is the only way to start and as you say always there for small quantities of test loads. I have two Lee progressives that are useless for such and I am looking close to replacing them with a 550.

I will say however that the manual indexing of the 550 is near as simple as a turret press so it's not a bad alternative.

bob

I have the 550 and the 650 both, the 650 is high out put, but the 550 is fun to run. The 650 has all the bells and stuff and i can load over a 1000 38 special in a hours time. The 550 will get around 500 per hour, but most of the time I run around 350 an hour (got to pet the dog in between strocks). The 550 is great if you like to load once a month, the 650 is for loading one month per year .

Dillon 550 is the way to go and their tech deparment can walk you through any problems you might incounter.

Cheers,

Gungle Geroge

we load a lot of rounds a month, both pistol and rifle. we wore out a lee in 5 weeks back in 1992 and bought Dillons and are still using the first 550 we bought used at a gunshow from a man who bought it in 1983

And for the cost of return shipping (about $70), Dillon will rebuild your old machine and send it back to you ready to load another 20K rounds or so.

I don't see how you could possibly go wrong with a Dillon 550B.

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NRA Pistol Instructor

So, did you buy a press?