Whats the best reloading press

Hey guys I am new to the forum and new to reloading. I have some reload book and have been reading on the whole process. I am looking to reload 9mm, 40s&w, 45 ACP, .223, and 7.62. The majority of the reloads will be for the hand gun ammo. I am unsure what the best press is for what I am looking to do. Should I go progressive? Any help appreciated. Thanks
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Frequently Asked Question time.

Get a good manual. Read it first (the instructional stuff up front, not the load data). I learned on Lyman's manual.

Learn on a single stage*. Go slow at first. If you've got concerns, ASK. We've all been there. If you see a warning in the load data, heed it. Don't stray from published load data.

Move on only once you're up to speed on the process.

Buy quality. The good stuff will last your lifetime, and the lifetime of your heirs.

(*To my mind, for this purpose, the Lee Classic Turret, with the center rod removed, counts as a single stage.)
 
After six months of studying, reading manuals and talking to other guys, I bought a Lee Classic Turret. Found out that reloading is a hobby I thouroughly enjoy. I shoot about 1200 rounds a month of 38, 357 and 40 S&W combined. I can load 130-150 rounds an hour and rarely spend more than an hour per reloading session. So far, this has worked great for me..Thought if I reloaded, I could save money, BUT I JUST WANT TO SHOOT MORE, YEE-HAAA!
Load safe, shoot safe, Hoosier
 
I have the Lymans Manual and have been reading it. Starting at the front LOL
I really appreciate all of the words of wisdom and advise. I think my best route to go is the Lee Turret and once I am comfortable buy a Dillon progressive later.
Jmorris I like you statement of "making a years worth in 8 hrs" lol that really put it into perspective.
I am looking to enjoy the hobby not just pump out hundreds of rounds per hour.
 
You will be fine. The LCT is likely the best deal in reloading equipment. I gave one to one of my friends that wanted to start reloading. I picked it up for $20 used myself years before.
 
Very good

The advice is top shelf.
I keep wondering, though, at this particular time in the country, where are you going to find components that will allow volume reloading. Every where I look, I see empty shelves or "out of stock/on backorder notices.
Good luck finding what you need.
Pete
 
I started with a single stage, then a turret then a progressive in less than two years. I still have the single stage. I use it for my 30-06 and .243 rifle rounds (I'm pretty picky about those because if I take an animal down with one of them I want to get as clean a kill as possible.

Get a progressive and forget it. Run it in single stage mode till you get the hang of it, if needed. It's easy to do and I did it with my LNL, I'm assuming you can run a Dillon the same way.

Food for thought:
A single stage press is a good investment, you will use it if you have it, even if you have the best progressive press in the world.
 
No,

jaguarxk120 said:
tech135 the Dillon is the way to go. Dillon has one of the best warrenty programs in the industry.

Just as one member signs off with: Oneounceload -- " The bitterness of poor quality is long remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory. Aldo Gucci"
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Dillon has THE best warranty program in the industry.

While I am a fan of the Lee Classic Turret for my own use, (easy, fast and simple caliber swaps and modest space requirements) Dillon presses will outrun my meager production speed by at least a factor of 3.

If I had the space and the funds, I might well have a quartet of Dillon SDBs on my bench. But I don't shoot that much centerfire ammo per week and don't have the space or the funds. So the Lee Classic Turret fits my needs better than anyher press currently made.

You have to decide what will fit your needs now and in the near future.

Lost Sheep
 
Keep checking the last page of the "Where is everything?" sticky thread in the General forum. People post there as stuff becomes available. Key items seem gradually to be available with more frequency. I've seen a couple of predictions by industry folk that September will see supplies start to catch back up. No guarantees, but if it's starting to look a little better now, that seems plausible.
 
tech135 money will save you time and effort

tech135 I too pondered that question when I first started reloading.

I figured that I could always use a progressive press as a single stage until I got comfortable with each step and then wanted more bullets faster. Three years later I'm glad that I chose a progressive press because once you've got the basics down it's the only way to go in my book.

A word or warning, if you go with a progressive press, use ball powder. I got frustrated and wasted time and money trying to make stick powder work. It won't measure well and will give you grief.

I choose to go with the Hornady Lock-n-Load AP because I liked the bushing system that makes changing caliber/dies a snap. I'm not sure if you can use other maker's dies with the Dillon? If you're locked into their dies that should be a deal breaker. Many of the best dies are not made by Dillon.

By the way the Lyman manual is OK to start, but I winded up buying half dozen books until I got the Sierra manual, now I use it like a bible. I go back and re-read sections and find more gold nuggets that I missed on the first reading.
 
I'd get a couple of reloading manuals and study up! Get a Dillon of your choice. You can load one case at a time. there is a learning curve that takes reading the instructions and going slow , Baby step slow. I learned to reload in the early 1970s . 1991 is when I bought the Dillon 550 and have loaded at around 4,000 rounds per year. My friends have come over and used the loader. The 550 has loaded 38 special, 357, 9 mm, 40 S@W, 45 acp, 223, 30 carbine, 308, 30/06, 300 Weatherby mag and 338 Lapua. 22 years of use "properly maintained" and I really like the Dillon and their no BS warranty is just that. Buy once Cry once.
 
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Press is the best reloading press on the market . This is a solid press. The Lee reloading manual will tell you that most presses are over-engineered and it's right, but I've found that weight in your press means stability which promotes consistency and that's a great trait for a piece of reloading equipment to have. I've tried reloading with a Lee Classic press (cast aluminum model) and I wasn't a fan. it was light weight and the up rod had, what I considered to be, an unacceptable amount of play in it when operating the press. That is not the case with the Rock Chucker and this piece of equipment gives me peace of mind when creating potentially very dangerous things: rounds of ammunition.

I've loaded only 200 rounds of .223 and .308 with my press so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I will say that this press was recommended to me by a friend with decades of reloading experience using this press and, as far as I'm concerned, it was a fantastic recommendation.
 
I learned how to reload on a Dillon 650 progressive. It's a very flexible machine and while not the least expensive option, they do hold their value well.
 
I learned on a Dillon 550, myself and a friend set it up watch the video and reading the manual. The first couple of hundred rounds took more than an hour as we checked everything at least twice to make sure it was correct.

So yes, you can start out on a progressive press if you're somewhat mechanically inclined and can watch a video at the same time. I also have a single stage press as some stuff is easier to do with it and then transfer the info to the other press.
 
Dillon has THE best warranty program in the industry.
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RCBS' warranty is every bit as good............

Don't forget to budget for all of the extra stuff you'll need like scale, calipers, brass prep, etc.......
 
tech135 said:
Hey guys I am new to the forum and new to reloading. I have some reload book and have been reading on the whole process. I am looking to reload 9mm, 40s&w, 45 ACP, .223, and 7.62. The majority of the reloads will be for the hand gun ammo. I am unsure what the best press is for what I am looking to do. Should I go progressive? Any help appreciated. Thanks
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Every handloader needs a good single stage press, and "new" handloaders need to begin with a single stage press in order to fully understand, practice and internalize each step of the process, one round at a time, a few thousand times over.

Pick one, the color doesn't matter... green, orange, blue, red...
 
tech135 wrote:
I am unsure what the best press is for what I am looking to do.
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I recommend people never ask what is the "best" of something. The reason is that you get their belief, not a recounting of their objective experience that can help you make an informed decision.

I would answer your question and say, "RCBS Rock Chucker". But then you would never learn that but I've never owned one. Never even used one. In fact, the only presses I've ever had have been RCBS Reloader Specials. I say the Rock Chucker over the Reloader Special/Rock Chucker Junior because I see the limitations my press has. And I prefer RCBS over Lee, Lyman, Hornady and the others because I have had better experience over the years with RCBS Customer Service than I have with anyone else.

So, I would urge you to ask for recommendations from people for the equipment you're looking at and ask them to explain their reasons. THEN, you will get responses that can help you in making a decision.

Welcome.
 
This is another question that has been asked many, many times.

There is no "best" of anything.

Go single-stage until you are absolutely certain what you are doing and what is occurring. Then think about a progressive.
 
I started reloading with a Dillon 650XL. I figured buy once cry once. Wasn't that difficult plus I didn't have anyone local to help me. I got all the help I needed from forums like this one plus Dillons 800 number. With that said, it takes the right kind of person to do it. If your good at figuring out mechanical things plus willing to be cautious, then go for it.
 
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