OK, this is JMO. Not starting a debate over brands or styles of presses. That has been hashed and beaten to a pulp!
You are spending you beginning learning curve time on the function of the dies, powder measure . seating, crimping etc, not learning how to operate a press that spits out ammo.
Too many new reloaders just want a press now that ammo is expensive and want to crank out lots of it without knowing the basics. I see a lot of it on another forum that has a lot more reloading questions than here.
Buying a single stage press or turret costs very little and can always be used or sold. Call it training wheels for reloaders
In the overall price tag of getting into reloading it is pennies well spent. I also think it is best to start with a straight wall revolver round like 38 Special/357 Mag or if you do not shoot revolvers 45 ACP is easy also.(low pressure big bullets)
Use one for while, get the basics down then you have a better idea of what you need in the future. Maybe it's all you need. Or you become obsessed and shoot more and more and need high production!. So buy the biggest and baddest press you can afford
Don't forget there are many other items to buy other than a press.!!
You can disagree all you want, just stating my view. Yes, it is slow production but if it's a hobby who cares?, if you need tons of ammo for competition , then no it's not for you.
With a SS (single stage) you are batch loading. The main advantage I see is you are handling the one piece of brass many times (3-4) It's all repetition. You get to look at case mouths, primer pockets etc.
You get to check and recheck every piece. Yes,it's redundant but that's the point. Then comes the Well I have done this 200 times and folks become complacent.
You learn how to set the dies how they work, re adjust them if needed for different bullets.
Sit and resize/de prime 100 rounds. You get the flow. Stop when you want.
Now learn to flare correctly, test a bullet to see how it seats. (handguns)
Learn how to prime either by hand or on the press. Stop when you want.
Now most important. get a loading tray, your powder measure and a quality scale (most important tool)
Drop your powder, weigh it. Do it again and again. Drop the powder in a case and set it in the tray. Check on the scale every 10th round or so. Load 20 rounds for testing. If you load more and there is an error it's more work to break them apart. Once you establish it's a good load than load whatever you want 50, 100 etc.
Now put your glasses on and use a flashlight and scan every case, do it again! They all look the same? All have powder?
OK, now put a bullet on top of every case.
Back to the press, first make a dummy round (no primer or powder) Learn how to set your seating/crimping die. If you use lead bullets it pretty easy seat to the cannelure (groove)
Most seating dies when set to crimp will seat the bullet a fraction more so watch for this.
Seat your bullet and learn how to adjust the crimp. If you use Lee FCD than that's a separate step (please no debate)
Check OAL (for revolvers and lead it's gonna be different than the manual) if it crimps in the groove no doubt you are fine.
Look at your finished dummy round. Check it in your gun, does it chamber?
Now go ahead and seat/crimp your rounds from the loading tray and put them in you ammo box or bag.
After you do this for 100's of rounds you understand all the little steps and it is actually therapeutic to do. Play some nice music (no commercials!)
When loading SD test loads and rifle loads I still single stage them.
I started with a single and still have it. My Lee turret serves me well for my needs now, It can still be a single stage. I can load about 150 rounds an hour on the turret and about 100 per hr single stage taking my time, so no big difference.
Sure I have missed some steps but this is the gist of it .
Everyone is in a hurry these days and want the easy way for everything. Learn the basics, read manuals (the front part, not the load data!) Get 3 manuals and the powder companies online data. Read, review and read some more.
Be safe and ask questions if you are unsure.
You are spending you beginning learning curve time on the function of the dies, powder measure . seating, crimping etc, not learning how to operate a press that spits out ammo.
Too many new reloaders just want a press now that ammo is expensive and want to crank out lots of it without knowing the basics. I see a lot of it on another forum that has a lot more reloading questions than here.
Buying a single stage press or turret costs very little and can always be used or sold. Call it training wheels for reloaders
In the overall price tag of getting into reloading it is pennies well spent. I also think it is best to start with a straight wall revolver round like 38 Special/357 Mag or if you do not shoot revolvers 45 ACP is easy also.(low pressure big bullets)
Use one for while, get the basics down then you have a better idea of what you need in the future. Maybe it's all you need. Or you become obsessed and shoot more and more and need high production!. So buy the biggest and baddest press you can afford
Don't forget there are many other items to buy other than a press.!!
You can disagree all you want, just stating my view. Yes, it is slow production but if it's a hobby who cares?, if you need tons of ammo for competition , then no it's not for you.
With a SS (single stage) you are batch loading. The main advantage I see is you are handling the one piece of brass many times (3-4) It's all repetition. You get to look at case mouths, primer pockets etc.
You get to check and recheck every piece. Yes,it's redundant but that's the point. Then comes the Well I have done this 200 times and folks become complacent.
You learn how to set the dies how they work, re adjust them if needed for different bullets.
Sit and resize/de prime 100 rounds. You get the flow. Stop when you want.
Now learn to flare correctly, test a bullet to see how it seats. (handguns)
Learn how to prime either by hand or on the press. Stop when you want.
Now most important. get a loading tray, your powder measure and a quality scale (most important tool)
Drop your powder, weigh it. Do it again and again. Drop the powder in a case and set it in the tray. Check on the scale every 10th round or so. Load 20 rounds for testing. If you load more and there is an error it's more work to break them apart. Once you establish it's a good load than load whatever you want 50, 100 etc.
Now put your glasses on and use a flashlight and scan every case, do it again! They all look the same? All have powder?
OK, now put a bullet on top of every case.
Back to the press, first make a dummy round (no primer or powder) Learn how to set your seating/crimping die. If you use lead bullets it pretty easy seat to the cannelure (groove)
Most seating dies when set to crimp will seat the bullet a fraction more so watch for this.
Seat your bullet and learn how to adjust the crimp. If you use Lee FCD than that's a separate step (please no debate)
Check OAL (for revolvers and lead it's gonna be different than the manual) if it crimps in the groove no doubt you are fine.
Look at your finished dummy round. Check it in your gun, does it chamber?
Now go ahead and seat/crimp your rounds from the loading tray and put them in you ammo box or bag.
After you do this for 100's of rounds you understand all the little steps and it is actually therapeutic to do. Play some nice music (no commercials!)
When loading SD test loads and rifle loads I still single stage them.
I started with a single and still have it. My Lee turret serves me well for my needs now, It can still be a single stage. I can load about 150 rounds an hour on the turret and about 100 per hr single stage taking my time, so no big difference.
Sure I have missed some steps but this is the gist of it .
Everyone is in a hurry these days and want the easy way for everything. Learn the basics, read manuals (the front part, not the load data!) Get 3 manuals and the powder companies online data. Read, review and read some more.
Be safe and ask questions if you are unsure.
