whats the best reloading press?

[hotrod150]

My first handloads were 45acp using a (used) RCBS Jr single-stage press back in 1983, when Dillons were first starting to become the big thing. I've loaded over 15,000 round since then & never really felt the need to upgrade to a progressive-- still using that RCDS Jr. Nothing wrong with Dillons at all, if you really need to load in volume they're the way to go, but I wouldn't suggest one for a beginner-- too much going on at once & too easy to goof something up because of it.
I have a friend interested in getting started loading for handguns, & I suggested a Lee starter set-- you can get most of what you need for $200 or less. I've always used RCBS dies but this last time around I bought a set of Lee carbide 38 sp dies & while no RCBS's they're not bad. Lee sells a little C-style press-- it's only like $30 & should be plenty enough for handgun cartridges. A set of Lee carbide dies, a Lee autoprime tool, a modest powder measure & scale, a vibrating case cleaner, & a reloading manual, and for about $250 you'll be in business.

 

[J-FRAME]

Dillon 550 or 650. A lifetime loader.

 

[Moonman]

WHICH Reloading Press Model to choose depends upon what you load and how much,
along with a time frame of available time, including your AVAILABLE $$$$$$ BUDGET?

Just one caliber HANDGUN WITH A STRAIGHT WALL CASE, say a 45 ACP, or a .40S&W, the Dillon Square "D" is wonderful.

The DILLON Square "D" is a 4 station PROGRESSIVE, but it only takes it's OWN "SQUARE D" SPECIFIC DILLON DIES,
that are more expensive than standard die sets and it takes longer for a caliber change.

Most people have them ("SD") for one specific pistol round that is set up and they leave it alone and just crank out ammo.

Mike "DUKE" Venturino, the gun writer, has one Dillon Square "D" set up loading 9MM and one set up for 45ACP
just to feed his WWII submachine guns, along with his other presses for loading rifles and pistols.

If you intend to load many calibers both pistol and rifle, the Dillon 550B
is the machine for you. (You have to MANUALLY move the shell plate to each station though)

If you need a lot of ammo in say 45ACP, 40S&W, or 9MM pistol along with RIFLE AMMO, the Dillon 650 or Hornady LNL
are full 5 station PROGRESSIVE MACHINES may just be right up your alley.

The Dillon 1050 is actually a COMMERCIAL TYPE machine and will crank out a boat load of ammo for you to.
This machine, the 1050, ONLY HAS A 1 YEAR WARRANTY though.

*** For further info concerning DILLON RELOADING PRESSES, you can visit THE BRIAN ENOS WEBSITE.
He has breakdowns to help you decide upon which Dillon press is the machine for you.
The machine limits matched to your actual needs.

The old "STAR" machine (long out of production and difficult to find parts for existing ones) was a great machine.

****Everyone needs a single stage press on there bench also.****

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHOICES !!!!!

 

[novalty]

I'm guessing the OP has already made a decision already, since this thread was started on July 28 2011, and his last activity on the forum was 02/15/12.

 

[Moonman]

We do have many NEW FOLKS stopping by every day.

 

[Monticello Marshal]

My first press a Lyman SparT. Still have and use. 2nd SDB, sold after 7yrs use. 3rd RL550B, 4th RCBS Rockchucker(old one). I still use the 3 I have. Each has a valid reloading use at different times. I.E., the rockchucker is good for resizing .308 cases fired in an M1A. Takes more resizing effort than feels comfortable on a lessor press. Just my view get what you need to get to do the intended job. That being said you can use a 550 as a single stage, a primer unit only, size and primer only or as intended as a progressive just depends on your particular need at the time.

 

[CMD-KY]

There is not a "best" press. There are personal preferences and some consider their preference to be "best". I have the 550B and RCBS Pro 2000. I have a preference for the 2000. It has five stations, strip primer feed, and I have added the auto-advance option. I have never needed customer service for either so I can't comment. Eventually I will sell the 550B; the 2000 simply fits the way I work; I am comfortable and confident with it.

 

[novalty]

We do have many NEW FOLKS stopping by every day.

You're right, and we still have the search feature.

 

[AABEN]

I like the LEE turret with auto index cost is 73.00 at midway USA 3 hole turret is 9.00 and that way you do not reset your dies every time or you can get the deluxe kit for 113.00. That way you will have money to buy powder and primers and some brass case tumbler cleaning media and media separator OR you can go with a ultrasonic cleaner Lyman 115.00 cleaning solution 13.00. I have went to this it is a lot faster cleaning the brass. GOOD LUCK

 

[fredj338]

You can run it as a single stage or semi progressive. Will deliver 150+ rounds /hour if you need it too. Very well built and thought out.
I sold my square B to buy mine. Square B was troublesome and used only dillon pistol dies. Teh Clasic Turret will even do rifle .
Read the reviews and you will be convinced.
Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Press - MidwayUSA

btw> The Classic Turret is 1/2 the cost of the Dillon and comparable in cost to a single stage.

A turret presss is just that, not a semi progressive. WHat defines a progressive press is the rounds "progress" thru the process w/ EACH pull of the handle & you get a finished round w/ each pull of the handle. A turret requires you pull the handle for each operation, & rotate the single round thru the processs. 3-4x as much work & 3-4x slower. The LCT is a good press, but never will be a progressive, semi or otherwise.

 

[SweetMK]

I started with a Hornady 007 press. Luckily, at work we had zinc plating capability.

I plated the link arms, and while I had it apart, I moly greased all the pivot pins etc....

The reason I am happy I did this is that press has not been used for anything, except collecting dust, since I got my Dillon 550B. At least the 007 has not rusted solid!!

I did side by side accuracy comparisons of ammo using the two above presses after the 550B arrived.

IMHO the consistency of progressive press loaded ammo is far more accurate than single step hand loaded ammo.

I attribute this mostly to the powder measure on the 550B being operated by the long throw of the 550B's operating handle. It is very easy to get consistent results, which is necessary for repeatable ammunition.

 

[WR Moore]

About a year ago, I was helping a gent at work make this decision. Much to my surprise, when we added up all the stuff you need (not want) to load pistol ammo, there really wasn't much difference in price between a Dillon Square Deal and a good single stage press. IIRC, the difference amounted to about a box of JHP ammo.

He decided on the single stage press. The advantage of the Dillon and other progressive presses are generally the speed of loading. If you clean primer pockets, that kinda evens the speed thing out. Also, the Square Deal doesn't use standard dies, I'm not sure if you can get bushings to adapt them to a 7/8-14 thread used in standard presses.

One suggestion: if Dillon still has them available, their AT-500 was a press that uses standard dies, stripped of all add on gadgets. You'd have to buy the primer feed system (IIRC) and a powder measure, but you could, if you wanted to, turn it into a progressive press over time.

I've got a Dillon 300 set up for .45 ACP and like it. Yeah, I've gotta rotate the shell plate and manually operate the primer & powder systems, but it's less stuff to go wrong. I still load the rest of my stuff on a 1968 Lyman Spartan.

 

[dwpmusic]

I haven't been into reloading very long. I read a ton of stuff before I finally made up my mind what to buy. You've got a lot of good information in this thread. In the end it will have to be you and you alone who will have to sift through it all and make up your mind. I went with the Dillon 550B and couldn't be happier. Hope you'll be happy with whatever you finally decide on.

 

[SMSgt]

Learning and lower quantities; single stage. Too lazy to swap dies; turret. Massive quantities; progressive.

Reloading isn't a chore, it's a way of life.

 

[Prof_Fate]

Like any hobby as you progress in knowledge, experience and time in the hobby you commit more money to it.

Nobody is likely to suggest a new shooter go buy a $2500 custom 1911 as their first gun.

Why do you want to reload?
To save money? For what? To shoot more or just to spend less on ammo? (most find you shoot more and don't really "save" (as in left over) dollars when you reload).
For some kind of ammo you can't buy? (Lead in a 9mm for indoor range use perhaps) Light target loads?
For better ammo, as in accuracy?

Each and every press type and brand has a reason for existing - so each can be 'sold' to you if we only talk the positives. Like cars - more room? Better mileage? Easier to park? Better warranty? Better handling? Bigger trunk? Or do you want a truck instead?

If you're loading pistol you want a true progressive. Its nothing to blow thru 200 rounds on a trip to the range and to go there once a week. A progressive can load that in 1/2 hour or so, vs 4 hours or more for a single stage.
IMO progressives are safer - once you set the powder charge it's darned hard to double charge a case or leave one empty.

I'd spend a bit more upfront and get a press with more die positions/stages. My Loadmaster has 5 (like a dillon 650) and I use everyone of them. The pro 1000 / dillon 550 has 4, which of course can work, but for the small upcharge ($50-100) it's well worth it.

The loadmaster, starting from nothing to loading 9mm cost me about $350. I know more now than then so would do it a bit differently (skip the lee scale for example) so perhaps $400-450 would get you loading.

A dillon 650 locally is $750. A lot of money for something you're not sure you're gonna like. But if you reload a lot it's not much more money. I'm sure you'll add $150 to that price (scale, bullet puller, tumbler) so it's gonna end up twice the price of the loadmaster.

If money is an issue then get the lee. it works fine with some tweaking, but the info is out there on the net and it's better IMO to know your press intimately than with say, the square deal B dillon that comes ready to run - if anything goes awry you're lost as to what/why/how. And things will go awry with any and every press. Machines get dirty, out of adjustment, wear, break. It just happens.

I'm saving for a 1050 super. Guessing the cost to be $1900 range. Why? I"m getting into rifle reloading and it can automate some steps that I have to do manually. It can also load 1200 rounds an hour (vs 400 with a loadmaster). I"m finding i'm shooting more and want to shoot more yet.
I've shot 3000 rounds of 9 and 38 this past year and am working on reloading 1000 30-06 and plan to get into 45 and 223 next year. The savings on the 30-06 is over $500 alone. I've saved over $600 this year on 9/38. So while the dillon it pricey it will pay for itself in 2 seasons and last me a couple of decades. But it's not something any newbie should buy!

 

[HappyHunter]

BUY QUALITY!

I would suggest a kit. Perhaps a RCBS Rockchucker single stage kit with the additional equipment needed for reloading.

Read two books, what does not soak up from one author will possible be better covered by the other.

After you learn how to reload with rockchucker you will know when it is time to move up.

I still have my Rockchucker, but now use a Redding T-7 turret press, the perfect match to my two Dillon 650's. (My second press was the Dillon 550)

Reloading is fun and it requires a learning curve for any press. Get a press that will last a lifetime. If you want to trade up some day it will retain much of its value. When I sold my Dillon 550 I accually lost $10...try doing that with a Lee machine. This is kinda like buying a Smith and Wesson over a Taurus.

Read those books!

 

[Tennjed]

I personally think a Lee Turret Press is perfect for beginning pistol loading. Perfect middle ground of single stage and progressive. Best thing for me is no need to "move up". 250 rounds an hour is perfect to me

 

[THEWELSHM]

For me its the RCBS for resizing lead bullets and the Hornady LNL AP for the rest. both great presses.

thewelshm

 

[chief38]

My vote goes to the Dillon 650 which runs just under $700 not including Dies. IMHO it's the first and last you'll ever need. I did not buy it until 30 years after I stared reloading, and now regret waiting so long to upgrade. I love the damned thing!

I also own a RCBS Rock Chucker and still use it for 38-55 and 45-70 but all other calibers get done on the Dillon 650.

 

[novalty]

This thread brings back old memories.