Single stage ,Semi progressive , Full progresive

Ok things have got quiet round here long enough ! What's your faverite style of Press ? O type ? who remembers or still uses the C type ? Turrets are in vouge at this time ! What about the fully progresive offerings ?

Dave

I load rifle and pistol on a Hornaday 'Lock and Load" progressive with great results. Most of my rifles have never seen a factory cartridge.
Also have loaded thousands of .40 sw over the years. Not much anymore though.

Well I have a SDB Dillon Progressive. My rifle and shot gun days are over, and all I load is .45acp, .44spl, and .38/.357. If I was doing rifles I would get me a good single stage press too.

I use a Lee turret for pistol & .223 ,but for any thing else I still use a single stage !

Dave

My 550 Dillon does it for me. I load all my pistol on it and use the press essentially as a single press with a twist for my 30-30 and 30-06 rds. I like to weigh each of my rifle loadings therefore I set the powder measure so it throws just a hair lighter and trickle to exact loading. Re-insert the case and finish the round like normal. A bit faster than reloading with a single stage and finished product is the same.

Because I shoot a lot of 9MM/.45acp I wouldn't mind picking up a used Dillon Square Deal press and just dedicate it to the one cartridge and one loading. Maybe next Christmas, although I do like that case feeder for the 550. Have to start on Santa about July! Decisions, decisions.

Take Care

Bob

For Rifles I use the old Single Stage. For the Pistols it is a 650 Dillon, Man does that SOB ever eat up a pile of brass and Lead in short order.
You have to watch what you are doing like a hawk or before you knbow it you have 20 rounds that are not primed, have old primers in them yet, stuff like that .
17 unprimed loaded cases is the worst I have done with it so far but hey I was new to it and it to me.
Ken.

I use a little Lee Reloader for priming with an AutoPrime2 and also push-through boolit sizing. I have been using a Rock Chucker single stage for almost 35 years, and still use it for FL sizing rifle cases. A little over a month ago, I bought a new RCBS Turret press which I like a lot, but I don't use it for priming, never even unpacked the primer tooling. It sure saves a lot of time screwing dies in and out and handling cases for each step. I have it mounted on a Midway portable reloading stand, which is not rugged enough for FL sizing, though the press would be if I mounted it on my regular bench. (But there's no heat in the garage and I would like to do some loading this winter when there's a few feet of snow on the ground and the garage is at deep freeze tempertures.) I'm up over 1000 rounds per month now, so I figured I could finally justify buying it for the time it saves, leaving me more time for casting.

For rifle rounds I prefer my Hornady L-N-L single stage and for pistol rounds I like the Hornady L-N-L progressive. I just upgraded in October from a Hornady Pro 7 from about 1977 that still works well but the L-N-L is smoother. For me there is not other press than Hornady.

For volume production, I love my Hornady LnL.

For low volume production and economical caliber changeover of lower volume rounds, I've just purchased one of the new Lee Classic Cast Turret presses and am waiting for it to come in.

For long distance rifle rounds, I plan on buying a Lee Classic Cast Single stage in the near future to replace presses I've sold or lost in the past.

I use my Lee classic cast turret almost exclusively since buying it over a year ago. I also use the safety prime unit with it and rarely use the auto prime hand tools anymore. For volume production for 45acp I use Lee Load master progressive. Dave, try the turret press in the single mode, you may decide to save the price of the classic cast single stage. I haven't used my rock chucker in a year, except to form some cases from other brass. Dale

Been using a Bonanza Co-Ax press continually for the past 40+ years. A very fast and easy to use single stage. Quick die change too. Now marketed by Forster Products. Automatic shell holder is a real *Jewel* to use.

For volume, the Lee Pro 1000 - mostly 38 special and 32 auto. I've been using a new Lee Classic cast turret for 40 S&W and I like it enuff to stop using the old Rockchucker for anything but BP cartridge. Just bought 4 more 4-hole turrets, so I should be good to go for rifle calibers soon. I haven't loaded shotgun shells for years, but I got an old Pacific 155 dirt cheap, so I'm going to start again. Need to stock up on lead shot - it may be illegal one of these days. Trouble is - I'm spending way too much time reloading and not enuff time shootin'.

RBCS AmmoMaster (3 Calibers), 550 Dillon (17 Calibers) , Dillon Sq Deal (3 Calibers) , Dillon 650 (8 Calibers) , Dillon 1050 (1 Caliber) Retired love to reload. Reload for around 25 calibers. Need to shoot more to get empty cases. Tend to go on one caliber for about a week then go on to another caliber. Would undoubtly shoot better if I did not jump around so much. Use single stage for load development then go on to progressive. Like 650 because of powder check station. If I was starting over would cut down to AmmoMaster and 650 Dillon.

river-rider I have to agree with you, now that I have stuck a few thousand through mine. Them 650's are nice never tried any other Dillon or Anyone elses progressive but man they are nice.
Still like the ols single stage though for my rifles.
Ken.

I use a RCBS Rock Chucker for Rifle and a CH H press with 4 stations for pistol. Easy to change dies and it will turn out more ammo than I have time to shoot.

Still using a Herters for rifles. Dillon 550 for most pistols and 30 carbine. once in a while a lyman 4 stage turret but its getting tired. BWB

I'm still new to reloading but decided to go with a Lee Pro 1000 for my first press just in case I decided my time was worth more than the money I spend on ammo. I've slammed about 1,000 rounds together in a couple of weeks and am happy with it.

Only a three station press but it's not too hard to be sure that everything that's supposed to be happening is actually happening...wish it had a forth station so I could use the Factory Crimp Die without having to cycle all of my cartridges again.

I really like the ease of changing calibers...set the lock nuts and fuggedaboudit...die set + shellholder costs less than 40USD.

BTW - after reading the bad reviews of the Lee autoprimer I deprime on the press before cleaning (love carbide dies huh???), tumble/polish for a few hours, and hand prime while watching TV. Takes a little extra time but I'm not loading over 1000 rounds a week.

Blaster,

Resize and deprime on a separate single stage.

My Pro1000 is packed right now so I can't be sure, but it seems that as you don't use the priming feature, you could set the powder measure on the first station, seating on the second and crimp on the third.
You'll have to attach the measure's link somewhere else and probably forget about the case feeding tubes, unless your measure is spring actuated (watch for interference with other dies).

Also, in case you need to change shell plates to a different size, I found it easier to do without removing the carrier (turn the hex rod with a small hex wrench, being carefull not to mark it).

kg

That thought never crossed my mind...still to new to this stuff to try to innovate too much...unfortunately I have the link chain for the powder measure...

I guess it's just time to figure out what takes more time, placing the empty shells or running back through the FCD...wonder if I'd still have room for a bullet feeder??? You gave me some good points to consider.