Start with Single Stage Press or Progressive? What Company?

[cali shot doc]

I want to get into reloading and have watched alot of videos on youtube and looked at a lot of posts on here about presses and reloading in general and I'm not sure if I should just get a single stage press to start with or go to a progressive. I can't spend alot of money right now due to school so that kinda takes dillon (sdb/550b) out of the running unless anyone wants to help a future surgeon lol.

I have a springfield xd9 tactical and thats all besides my sig mosquito (.22lr) so 9mm is all I will be reloading. My next gun will probably be either a 9mm or 40s&w (most likely 9mm). I don't plan on loading rifle rounds anytime soon since I don't plan on buying a rifle in the near future.

So far I have been shooting 115 g TMJ reloads from Miwallcorp and I really like them. I also shoot 115 g fmj from Blazer and UMC.

I might buy some 147g bullets from Montana Gold or something just to feel them out but will most likely be loading 115g FMJ rounds.

I'm just getting into practical shooting and as I said earlier am a med student so there isn't a whole lot of time to shoot but I find time to relax and keep me from going crazy.

So do I get a single stage or get a progressive.

Is the LEE 1000 good for a beginner? I'd appreciate any comments and advice on this. Please let me know what kind of press and from what company.

Thanks everyone!

[The_Vigilante]

No, the Lee 1000 is not good for a beginner. It takes a lot of fiddlin' with to get it running and keep it running right. I would recommend a good turret press which you can also operate as a single stage at the beginning until you get all the steps down. Lee, Redding, Lyman, and RCBS all have turret presses for your selection.

[warpspeed]

Get a progressive.

Get a Dillon.

See here

[Jman]

If you are not shooting a high volume I would definitely stick with quality re-manufactured ammo from places like Atlanta Arms and Ammo. Just do some group buys with some of your shooting acquaintances to keep the cost down. The subject has been beat to death here for many years. The simple answer is no one who seriously pursues practical pistol is using a single stage. Do some more "search & research" here. You should be able to determine your needs without much help. How many rounds do you shoot in practice and competition each week? You must base your answer on what you are actually shooting not what you see yourself shooting. Again if it's a couple matches a month and a hour or two of live fire practice mixed in, buy your 9mm reloads. Get a least a dozen matches under your belt and reevaluate.

[DWFAN]

Progressive..

I went through this same issue last December. I was CLOSE to buying a Lee Turret.. VERY glad I didnt, because it would be collecting dust and I would now have a progressive anyways. I bought a Hornady LnL AP. The only thing I regret is not getting a case feeder. Im sure i would be just as equally happy with a Dillon 650.

It was a small learning curve, and I made some mistakes. But its great now. Go slow, have someone show you the ropes, double and triple check everything for a while.

Cough, Cough.. a good deal on a 9mm Dillon Square Deal B in the classifieds.. (or atleast it was there this morning). That would be an ideal 1 caliber set up, and much better than a single stage..

[calishootr]

I have been reloading for nearly 30 yrs, in the beginning it was all done on a single stage, till 21 yrs ago i started shooting USPSA matches, and suddenly realized that the ammo i burned on the weekend, took me all week long to load....and it was this big cycle that seemed never ending, the number of matches i was shooting increased(i was up to 9 matches in a single month at one point) ...i went with a dillon 550 and never looked back,the machine has seen conservatively 250,000 rds, and have enuff caliber conversions to do 21 different calibers with a quick change of toolheads and shell plates. you can load at your own pace, nothing advances unless you want it to, and you can load around 100 rds in 15 minutes

[Del]

A progressive is the way to go for this sport.

[Field]

enuff caliber conversions to do 21 different calibers with a quick change of toolheads and shell plates.

wow

[boz1911]

A Dillon 550 is a tough machine that will last forever and is plenty versatile. See Brian's FAQ's regarding this subject.

[johnny7]

Progressive, wait till you have the money and go this route, if you are not going to be shooting rifle go with the Dillon square deal. Watch the ads on here or look for one used somewhere else. I found one

For $125 at a local country gun shop. It will be worth waiting a little longer. Loading on a progessivewill give you more time to study.

thanks

Johnny

[CocoBolo]

I was dumb as a rock about reloading. I hated the primer flip tray it, took forever to get them facing all the right way. Then one day someone told me to put the lid on and flip it over, wowowow I started with a progressive I was making excellent ammo two hours after I opened the box. Hand a little trouble with flipping primers.

You can load a lot of ammo in a short time with a progressive I recommend in cost order Hornady LNL, SquareDeal B, XL650.

Any omission from the list was purely intentional.

I've never loaded on a Lee 1000 I only know what I read, and it is not good, I do have one of their $20 single stage presses and it works fine..

[MemphisMechanic]

Dillon Square Deal B.

Hornady Lock-n-load.

Pick one. (I load exclusively with Blue, so you know what my vote will be)

[scherertech]

If money is an object, start with a single stage, Midway has a Lee Press, Cabelas also handles Lee, Lee also has a Hand Press, this is how I started. I still use it, but I progressed to a single stage, which I still use for rifle cartridges, then I moved on to the Lee Turret Press. You can get about 200 per hour if you put your heart into it. I would however recommend Lee Carbide Dies. I have used others but to me they seem to set up the best. Plus if you get the Lee Autodisk you have to have the Lee set. One other place to look for reloading equipment, Ebay! At cabelas you can get the Lee Turret press with a scale, Autodisk, and other accessories for $109. It might even qualify for free shipping.

[GuyC]

I have a LnL with case feeder and it works great when you do not have to tweak it. I feel like I have to do alot of work to get it to run the way I want it, but it could be user error. If I could go back I think I would go with a 1050 or a 650.

Hornaday has the best customer service that I have ever seen. If a part brakes the do not ask questions they just send you the part for free.

Go progressive!

[CocoBolo]

I have a LnL with case feeder and it works great when you do not have to tweak it. I feel like I have to do alot of work to get it to run the way I want it, but it could be user error. If I could go back I think I would go with a 1050 or a 650.

Hornaday has the best customer service that I have ever seen. If a part brakes the do not ask questions they just send you the part for free.

Go progressive!

The biggest issue with the Hornady LNL is the operator. I struggled a bit with mine for a while, then I manned up and adjusted the indexing. Once the indexing was set correctly it runs like a raped ape. The case feeder adds another level of learning and adjustment and 40 S&W is the worst, 9 mm, 38 Super, and 45 are easy. It just takes a little adjustment. I keep a small brush and a can of brake cleaner handy, when powder spills I use the brush to clean it off, when it gets in the primer punch I just spray a little brake cleaner in it a go on. I'm in a metal building not the bedroom so I can do that.

A small piece of card board is like a technological miracle, just put it in the case feed shoot and no more brass rain no more upside down cases, its a miracle, works on LNL and Dillon. The trick is to narrow the shoot so that it isn't wide enough for a case to turn side ways this cures the problem.

Switching to a XL650 won't be much of a change and I wouldn't waste the effort. I have a LNL & XL650, I consider them to equivalent, that is equal each has its own little pluses and minuses but in the end they are equals.

I'm thinking my next improvemt will be a bullet feeder in between the two loaders and just switch it back and forth.

I can't talk about a 1050 never tried one.

Just to be fair I struggled a bit with the Dillon when I first got it as well. I had the most trouble with the primer wheel not advancing and pulled back primers. Took the primer wheel out and Filed it smooth fixed it. The pulled back primers drove me to the brink, I'd change decapping pins and after a few hundered the problem was back. I pulled it out went to the bench grinder and ground a 15 degree angle on it and chamfered the outer edge no more problem.

[bassochist]

buy a dillon 550, you can use it as a single stage, and after a time if you are more experienced with reloading you can use it as a progressive.

[TRev1911]

I use a Dillon 550 bought from Brian. On his web site he gives a great explination on which Dillon. Also when you purchase the press give him a call he does a great job of walking you through the process. He even helped me when I had some questions about the intial set up. I now reload 4 pistol and 2 rifle cartidges. It is a simple work horse that will last a life time.

[jar]

If you're going to load high volume, get a LnL or a 650 and be done with it. If you shoot more than 50 rounds at a time, a single stage sucks; it takes forever.

[GForceLizard]

I load on the Hornady LNL. Don't buy anything less than a Dillon Square Deal B. Progressive all the way for handguns.

[xdnok]

I have been through a few reloading press's and now have a Dillion square deal and a XL650 which are great machines but the one I still use ALOT is my Lee turret press, there is no telling how many 1000's of rounds I've made with this press and the reason I still use it is to develop loads and make small runs of ammo. It changes calibers in minutes, parts and dies are easy and cheap to get. You can pickup a new one for $100 or much less used, when there is more money in the budget for shooting goodies the nicer press's can be added for volume loading. Oh yes, the turret press does a decent job on 223 as well

Edited August 26, 2010 by xdnok

[MARKAVELI]

You asked the question and now you are going to get a bunch of replies Doc! My experience I thought single stage but just seemed to be time consuming, and (you gotta make time for your studying!) I thought to even start loading on a 1050, spend 3K for the press and all the equipment I would need to get started and that's just one caliber(guessing)!.. I started looking at the 650 and the # of rounds I can crank out in an hour but the conversions boosted the price up just to upgrade! And I looked at the 550 I know I wanted to load for more then 5 handgun calibers (so the SD was out the question+ I planned on loading rifle) I also go to school and work a full time job and have kids(5-1/2) so the 550 is the direction I went!what does family & school have to do with it? I don't know but I got a pile of ammo I shoot every week or two I shoot out a few hundred, that my progressive press kicks out with no problem! I have been reloading for about 6 month so I am still a newbie. The 550 is easy to set up and use!what ever you decide to load on its going to spend money, the initial setup is what you got to get past, once you do everything should be a breez! You mentioned shooting at matches, most people reload that shoot in matches. Maybe hookup with a few guys who reload and also buy some components(powder,primers bullets and brass) ask if they can show you thE ropes I'm sure they would not mind! Especially if you buy em a beer or two!good luck! I don't wonna tell you what to get but, Get a Dillon RL550B! Lol...