Progressive or Single kit

[jimmy.jet]

As a total hand loading new-comer I don't have a clue what to buy to get started in .38 target loads. Am considering both of the following 2 kits.
Advice welcome.

Midway Lee single-stage kit without die set for $115:
Lee Breech Lock Challenger Single Stage Press
1-Breech Lock Die Bushing
Lee Auto Prime XR
Lee Auto Prime Shellholder Set of 11
Lee Cutter and Lock Stud
Lee Perfect Powder Measure
Lee Chamfer Tool
Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner
Lee Safety Powder Scale
Lee Powder funnel
2 oz Tube Lee Resizing Case Lube

Kempf's Gun Shop Lee progressive kit for $220 :
Lee Classic Turret Press
Lee Deluxe 4-Die Set for the pistol caliber of your choice.
Lee Auto Disk Powder Measure
Lee Safety Prime System (Large AND Small)
Lee Auto Disk Riser (Required for the Safety Prime System)
Six MTM 50 round Plastic Ammo Boxes

 

[mr-mom]

You will get as many takes on this as there are folks in the forum. Everyone has a favorite, or settles on one after years of trying stuff. In the last 20 years I have loaded 1000's and 1000's and 1000's of rounds on an RCBS single stage press and see no need to change. I prefer the slower, more relaxing, watch every step method. Whatever you decide, just enjoy the reloading. It adds a wonderful dimension to the hobby.
Dave
SWCA #2778

 

[MyDads38]

You can't go wrong with either kit, but if you find yourself loading more than you originally thought you would ( and believe me, that WILL be the case); then go ahead and get the Classic Turret press kit. I just bought the same press to upgrade, and it is a PLEASURE to use! I have an older RCBS single stage and an older LEE 3 hole turret press; the Classic 4 hole turret w/auto index is the way to go!
You can use as a single stage by removing the center auto index rod, you can manually rotate the turret if you desire or use with the auto index feature. This is not considered a "progressive" press, but is actually a happy medium between a single stage and a progressive, in my opinion, anyway.

 

[Twoboxer]

Either one will work for low-volume pistol; the turret tends to be a better solution as batches rise to 200 or so. If your pistol volume is low and you also plan rifle, and want to begin to refine rifle loads for accuracy, a single stage press like the Rockchucker might be a better way to start

I would encourgae you to read primers and other materials on press manufacturers' web sites, as well as reloading videos on the same sites and on youtube. They will give you a feel for what the operation is like.

 

[MyDads38]

You will get as many takes on this as there are folks in the forum. Everyone has a favorite, or settles on one after years of trying stuff. In the last 20 years I have loaded 1000's and 1000's and 1000's of rounds on an RCBS single stage press and see no need to change. I prefer the slower, more relaxing, watch every step method. Whatever you decide, just enjoy the reloading. It adds a wonderful dimension to the hobby.
Dave
SWCA #2778

I agree completely, I too loaded thousands of rounds on my single stage before getting the 3 hole turret. Just because you have a turret press doesn't mean you skimp on safety. That's really the beauty of the turret press (to me) is that you can remove the cartridge case at any point during reloading; to clean primer pockets, to check powder charge/weight, etc.

Yes, you can load pretty quickly on the turret press, but you don't HAVE TO! Too many people get in too big of a hurry, and reloading should be done carefully and cautiously, whether new to the hobby or an old hand. I also have/use the original LEE handloader kits (with the plastic mallet/hammer) because that's how I learned, and because it can still be fun!

You'll get plenty of responses, you decide how you want to go forward. Be safe and have fun

 

[Chukar60]

I agree with Twoboxer, I have been loading on an RCBS Rockchucker for over 25 years. Just made the jump to a progressive this week and bought a Hornady Lock n Load AP. It is taking some getting used to, but the increased production is very nice.
If you are just starting out, I would suggest a single stage then graduate to the progressive once you are comfortable with the process. (keep your single stage as a back up and precision work)

 

[Rockets]

Go with the Lee classic package. You'll love it!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since you are loading .38 Special ammo I highly suggest you buy the Classic Turret Kit. At the bottom of the page do the Pro Auto-Disk upgrade because it's a much better powder measure and well worth the additional $14.

Once you get experience with reloading you will be able to safely load between 180 and 200 rounds/hour.

 

[Gunhacker]

For total newbie's starting out with hand loading, I strongly feel that they should walk before they run and first learn the basics and become proficient on a single stage press. The progressive presses have inherent "gotchas" that single stage presses do not have... less things for a newbie to keep track of while learning the ropes.

A single stage press only requires a swap of dies and a shell holder to load different calibers. Progressive presses usually require a shell plate change, unless the newer ones are a universal type. Shell plates for my older Hornady progressive press are vastly more expensive than a shell holder.

Plus like others, a single stage press served me well for decades, I only switched to a progressive to volume load when I started shooting CAS.

A true progressive press has a rotating shell plate that advances a shell under a set of dies, through the progression of the reloading stages... re-sizing/de-capping, case mouth expanding, powder charging, bullet seating. Each pull of the ram handle results in a completed round being ejected after it has gone through all of the stages.

A good alternative to a true progressive press for speed is an index or turret press... those have a fixed single cartridge ram, and holds the die sets in a block or "turret" that you can rotate each stage die into position over the ram.

The Lee Classic Turret press looks great.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The good thing about the Lee turret press is the removable auto-index rod. You can load like a single stage while learning the ropes...

 

[Twoboxer]

OP: Just noticed the title of your post on the second go-round. Want to tell you the "Turret" is not normally classified as a "Progressive". The Turret requires 4 strokes to complete one cartridge, while a Progressive drops a finished cartridge with every stroke (after the first few of course).

A Turret is faster than a single stage because you only handle each case once to make a finished cartridge. A progressive is faster than a turret because it takes ~504 strokes for 500 rounds vs 2,000 strokes on a Turret.

Generally speaking, progressives take far longer to set up than the Lee turret so you need a decent batch size or you won't save any time.

 

[Harley Fan]

You will get as many takes on this as there are folks in the forum. Everyone has a favorite, or settles on one after years of trying stuff. In the last 20 years I have loaded 1000's and 1000's and 1000's of rounds on an RCBS single stage press and see no need to change. I prefer the slower, more relaxing, watch every step method. Whatever you decide, just enjoy the reloading. It adds a wonderful dimension to the hobby.
Dave
SWCA #2778

After starting with a simple Lee loader, This (the RCBS Partner single stage) is exactly how I went. I'm 1,000 rounds down, (I know this because I'm out of my 1k box of primers) and enjoy the process and the quality of results.

 

[peterthefish]

Here's my advice, having been where you are now just a few months back.

1) Start on a single stage. I'm more mechanically inclined than most, but there's a steep learning curve to reloading. Starting on a progressive adds to that exponentially. When there's a problem on a single stage, you back the round out, diagnose, and continue on. On a progressive, there are a greater variety of problems, and restarting the batch incorrectly after fixing it is the cause of many if not most of the missteps you see / hear about on a progressive.

That said, and as others have noted, the Lee Turret is not, strictly speaking, a progressive. A turret has some benefits over a single stage, especially for load development. You can quickly size, flare, seat, and crimp a dummy round to make sure adjustments to one die have not thrown another part of the process out of whack. On a true single change you have to do your adjustment / setup in batches.

However, most turret presses have inherently more slop than a true single stage, which I think is a bad thing for a beginner. I started with a Redding T7 Turret. I loaded a few thousand pistol rounds with it over the months I had it before I bought a progressive, and learned a lot in the process.

I recently bought a Hornady LNL AP to crank out large volumes of the loads I've developed for Pin & Steel Plate shoots. There's a whole new learning curve there, but forget about the consistent + / - .0005 OALs that you can get with a good single stage. The LNL was also my first experience with a powder measure (used an RCBS Chargemaster before that) which also has a bit of a learning curve.

I still have the Redding for when I start reloading rifle (to go through the learning process again) and for loading target pistol rounds.

With that in mind, I would advise that you start by buying a quality single stage. If the Lee Turret has a good reputation that's probably a good way to start (using it as a true turret / single stage) and you can use the progressive feature as you get some practice.

It's also cost effective, but may lack the durability of a Rockchucker or other single stage press. I'm a buy once / cry once kind of guy, but if you can't swing a Rockchucker or Redding to start the Lee Turret should work out fine.

Final caveat - the advice to start on a single stage assumes you don't have a buddy with a Dillon, and you want to enjoy the process of working up your own loads and the accompanying satisfaction. If you just want to crank out a large volume of a few of your favorite loads and have someone who can show you how to run a Dillon (and avoid the frustration of learning to load on a progressive), by all means save up and go that route - you're likely to get frustrated with the limited production volumes you can accomplish on a single stage.

 

[derrelw]

I say go with the Lee Classic Turret over a single stage for pistol cartridges and use it as a single stage while learning. It is a very good quality press and turns out outstanding ammo with Lee carbide pistol dies.

 

[Rule3]

Wait for it, it will be here shortly, things will be Blue.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Where are all you guys finding those "Fancy" RCBS loaders with the double ramming arms ?? !!

I'm not saying my RCBS is old but it does not have all that added iron on it..................

Its all good.

 

[scooter123]

I'm not a fan of "kits" because they tend to be loaded down with stuff you'll never use. Take that Midway kit as an example.

This is what you get in that kit.

Midway Lee single-stage kit without die set for $115:
Lee Breech Lock Challenger Single Stage Press
1-Breech Lock Die Bushing
Lee Auto Prime XR
Lee Auto Prime Shellholder Set of 11
Lee Cutter and Lock Stud
Lee Perfect Powder Measure
Lee Chamfer Tool
Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner
Lee Safety Powder Scale
Lee Powder funnel
2 oz Tube Lee Resizing Case Lube

This is what you actually need for loading 38 special.

Midway Lee single-stage kit without die set for $115:
Lee Breech Lock Challenger Single Stage Press
1-Breech Lock Die Bushing
RCBS Universal Hand Primer
Lee Perfect Powder Measure
Lee Safety Powder Scale

Note, the RCBS hand primer is about 3 times the cost of the Lee hand primer but you get a universal shell holder and more leverage with the RCBS unit. In addition I have a hunch the RCBS hand primer will out last the Lee by at least 3 to 1.

I'll also note that you will find the Lee Safety Scale a real pain to set up and if it's subjected to vibration caused by the press it will lose it's zero setting. I've been there done that and my Lee Safety scale is not stored in a closet.

A much easier to use scale is the RCBS model 502. Just take note that with the RCBS scale it is possible to set the heavy poise so it's not perfectly settled in it's notch. So, if you get the RCBS scale make it a habit to "vibrate" the heavy poise into it's notch by tapping on it lightly with a pencil or powder dipper.

Now about the Lee Perfect Powder Measure. Believe it or not I actually have three of these powder measures. Because they do work with powders with a medium small granule size and I do most of my range loads with powders chosen specifically for excellent metering properties. However, with a very fine grained powder such as Accurate #5 the Lee measure leaks powder all over the bench and powder particles trapped between the drum and body make the throw get extremely heavy. In addition getting the powder charge dialed in to the correct weight is an extremely fiddly task, which is why I have three of these measures. Basically I had a measure set for 38 special, a measure set for 40 S&W, and a measure set for 45 ACP, all range loads. For any experimental loads I would bypass the measures and hand weigh the charges. Finally after a session loading up some 45 ACP with AA #5 the arthritis in my thumb got to hurting me so bad that I decided to get a new powder measure.

I ended up purchasing the RCBS Competition Powder Measure in the Handgun/Rifle kit. That is not at all cheap but I now consider the 75 bucks spent on those 3 Lee measures to be money wasted. That micrometer adjustment on the RCBS measure makes dialing in a charge a very quick operation only taking 3 or 4 attempts at getting the charge perfect. In addition I can record the setting for future use and with most of my powders that recorded value will be within 0.05 grain of ideal. Finally, the RCBS measure is so well machined and fitted that it doesn't leak at all, even with AA #5. So the throw is always light and easy and no strain at all on my arthritic thumbs. End result is those Lee measures will be going into the same closet as my Lee scale.

My point is this, you can go cheap now and pay the price in the long run or you can go first class now and save the money spent on trying to go cheap.

BTW, I'm not anti Lee specifically. In fact I happen to like Lee's powder through dies and hold their Rifle Factory crimp dies in high regard. I also think there handgun die sets are a good value for the money spent. As for the Handgun Factory Crimp dies I have them but over time I've come to the conclusion that they are a solution still searching for a problem to fix, meaning they aren't really necessary.

 

[Gyrene6891]

To quote Sgt Shultz "I know nothing!" When it comes to reloading but and certain to start in the not too distant future. I am currently saving my expended casings. I have looked at this issue from a couple of different sides and still have a need for input. I have heard many say start with a single stage then get a progressive, but if a progressive can be used as a single stage is that really cost effective? I have talked to a couple of people who say Dillon is the way to go with progressive (I understand everyone has their opinion and am not going to debate that) but have also said do not get a 550 because after a while you will buy add ons so just start with a 650 and save the money. Speaking of money there is only so much of that around as I am sure most of you will agree. You can reply here or you can send me private messages either way thank you all in advance for you input.

 

[Wassup8687]

The Lee Classic Turret Press is an awesome piece of machinery. I doubt it'll ever wear out add it is very solidly built.

I bought the kit for 9mm off Amazon and it had everything except the consumables.

Guys say they can load 200 an hour with it. I don't need that much at once so I'm taking it easy and having fun reloading.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[Tony Marbury]

If your just starting out, go ahead and get a dillion
And enjoy reloading instead of the other things
I spent years reloading and bought a used
Square D for 200 bucks.......... I wish I had known
Long ago what I do now. I can not make it fluctuate
On powder weights, takes 3 min to go from 9mm
To 38 spl, or to 357 mag, and never scrap a shell.
I think there advertised rate is a little high, I only
Get 200 to 300 rounds a hour. I never have to work
On it, my Lyman, and Lee, its a constant adjust this
Tweek that, I loaded over 40,000 rounds last year
On it, with no issues, had to order 0 parts!!!
Tickled pink with it.