High Volume loading question?

[lelongcarabine]

I am considering getting a turret or multi-stage press for reloading handgun ammo. I've been using single stage loading techniques for 4 decades+ and need to spend less time at the loading bench and more trigger time with revolvers and auto loading handguns. What do you folks think would be the best avenue? A Dillon, Redding turret or? This is new territory for me. I am aware of flexing of the turret presses and methods employed to minimize the flexing. I do want to use the standard 7/8" X 14 Dies. Will be reloading .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .44 Magnum and .357 Magnum. Cast bullets as well as Jacketed. Any input would be appreciated!
Greg

 

[Billch]

I can't say as my opinion will be all that helpful. (as per usual )
My experience with presses is very limited. I started off reloading with a Dillon 550. I'd gotten back in to the 1911. Going to the range with store bought ammo was breaking me. I talked to some people at my local range and did some reading. The Dillon seemed popular. So, I got one.
Loading my own for the one 1911 inspired my to get another. Then I got a USP, 40 S&W. I started to do plinking ammo for my Mini-14. I use it for my M1A too. A good friend of mine bought a set of dies for me to use to whip up 357 loads for him. I've loaded lead, plated and jacketed bullets with no problems that I'm aware of. Down the slippery slope I went. Instead of going to the range with a box of a hundred round to shoot, I figured it wasn't worth going if I didn't shoot 250.

I don't know how you've lasted so long without some type of progressive press.

I started shooting bolt action rifles, a lot, a few years ago. I was using the Dillon like a single stage. It was fine at first. I found that the single stage was really what I needed for that low volume, precession stuff. I bought a Co-Ax.

I'm happy with both of my presses. I don't know any different.

Good luck. With all that pistol ammo to load, 'sounds like you need to get something - and right soon.

B

 

[Medic07]

I have a Dillon and love it!...With the Dillon presses, you have the option of getting a "basic" press platform which you can upgrade anytime your budget and/or preference allows...plus if you own any Dillon equiptment, you get their "Blue Press" magazine for life, which features new equiptment, hot deals, and even hotter half-naked models sporting awesome firepower/weapons!

 

[Cort]

I have a Dillon 550 progressive press and a Herters C-type press. I load .45ACP, .308 Winchester, 6BR and .223. Before I bought the Dillon, I loaded everything on the Herters press. Now, I load the .45 ACP, .308 Winchester, and .223 on the Dillon and load the 6BR on the Herters. When loading .45 ACP, I use the Dillon in full progressive mode; when loading .308 Winchester and .223, I use the Dillon in semi-progressive mode. I resize and decap in one operation, I then wipe the lube off the cases, inspect and prime them with a Lee hand primer. Then I charge the cases using the Dillon powder measure and place the charged cases in a loading block. I check each charge by dumping the powder onto my scale and trickle it to the final value. I return the final charge to the case and replace it in the loading block. Finally, I go back to the Dillon and seat the bullets. If I were using rifle powder that metered well, I would load the rifle cartridges in full progressive mode. However, I am consuming the remaining stick powder from my single stage days so use the semi-progressive operation to get more consistent powder charges. Once my stick powder is gone, I will look for a better powder choice for the Dillon and load the rifle cartridges in full progressive mode.

I have not used a turret press so I cannot speak to ease and accuracy of operation of one. The Dillon works very well for me and Dillon supports it extremely well. I bought mine used. There were some issues which Dillon fixed by sending me the parts free of charge. Since then, I have had one failure from a stripped set of threads on the primer setup. Dillon, again, sent me the part free of charge. This failure occurred after loading over 20,000 .45 ACP cartridges. I use Dillon dies for .45 ACP and .308 Winchester and Lee dies for .45 ACP and .223 (I load two very different bullets in .45 ACP so I use two setups for it. The press came with the Dillon .45 ACP dies and I already had the Lee .45 ACP dies from the single stage days). Switching calibers on the Dillon is pretty easy. Other than the dies, switching between .45 ACP and .308 Winchester requires no change to the press. Switching to .223 requires changing the base plate. If I were priming the .223 on the Dillon, I would also need to change the priming setup. Since I am not, I leave the large primer setup in place. Changing the base plate and the primer setup is a relatively quick and easy activity.

I really like the use of the Dillon tool heads. Once I have the dies setup in a tool head for a particular cartridge, I can be loading consistent ammunition very quickly. One only needs to insert the dies into the press, adjust the powder charge as needed, load the primer tube and start turning out complete ammunition.

I have continued to load my 6BR on the Herters press. I take more care at each stage of the loading process with it. I think that the single stage environment encourages the extra care. My .223 and .308 Winchester loads are fired in AR platforms so the extra care is not a requirement. I am currently building a single shot .308 Winchester. I do not know which system I will use to generate ammunition for it.

Good luck with your decision.

Cort

 

[jimbires]

I use a redding T-7 press . I really don't think it saves much time over a single stage press . for my high volume loading of handgun ammo , I bought a Hornady progressive press with the brass feeder . it does really speed up the process . Jim

 

[Joe O]

95% of pistol reloaders use a Dillon,the rest use a Hornady.I would set up a T7 for rifle only.Check out both the Dillon and Hornady LnL progresive.Costs vary for caliber change-over.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I use a RCBS pro 2000. Quick easy caliber changes. Solid cast iron. Made in the USA. I have been very pleased. Bought it over a Dillon 650 because I usually load 300 round batches for multiple calibers and would be changing caliber almost every time I load. If I was planning on loading 100 of a single caliber I would have bought the Dillon I think. If you are only doing pistol ammo, look at the Hornady LNL. I don't like that you have to hold the bullet in the seating die when loading rifle ammo.

 

[jr600yd]

Skip all the hassle, get a Dillon 550B and be done with it.

 

[284driver]

+1 on the Dillon. Against my instinct I bought and sold hornady progressive and rcbs pro2000 before settling on Dillon 650. Wish I saved myself a pile of money and bought blue the first time around.

 

[FroggyOne2]

Get a Dillon 550B or a 650 and use the Whidden tool heads for either and never look back! You can load anything on the Dillion that way with great accuracy. John"s tool heads allow the dies to float so it greatly reduces runout! You can have the tool head set up for pistol with a powder despencer and load your ammo rather quickly. I like the 550B over the 650 because it does not auto index, I know what your thinking, why not auto index, well with the manual indexing, you have less of a chance of getting into a trance and for get to charge a rifle case if your loading with a scale and dumping the charge with a funnel, which is the way I would be doing it. Just have your different tool heads set up and change them out as needed along with the stars and buttons that keep the particular cases in place and go to town. Change over will only take a few minutes and you be up and running on the next caliber. In my opinion. This is the only way to go when wanting to load accurate ammo in volume!

 

[lelongcarabine]

Thanks EVERYONE, for your replys! You're the BEST! I knew I would get outstanding input from you all!
I was leaning toward the Dillons. Dont know which one? I am aware of the Widden tool heads for the Dillon progressives.. Which head would you use, The regular head or the floating head?
Cort, Not suprisingly I also started out with Herters Magnum "O" Press when I was 17 years old! I graduated to an RCBS Rock Chucker, back in 1970. Still use the Herters balance beam scale and the same Rock Chucker in conjunction with Neil Jones, Redding and RCBS dies , with Wilson hand dies in a Sinclair arbor press. So you all can see, that I have been mostly one laboriously assembled round at a time ;D. Now we need VOLUME and a little less precision!
The next step is the procurement of the press!
Thanks AGAIN!
Greg

 

[FroggyOne2]

Go with the floating tool heads.

 

[amlevin]

If you're loading strictly pistol and perhaps only one caliber (like myself), give some real serious thought to a Dillon Square Deal B. You can even get it delivered with your specific caliber already set up. Ready to load ammo with only minor adjustments necessary.

If you will never load rifle rounds on a progressive this is a great value. It's a real progressive press with auto indexing, just like the more expensive 650 (the 550 is a manual indexing press where you have to move the cases by hand to the next station).

Can't really go wrong with Dillon. Far fewer people that buy Dillon presses as their first press have second thoughts while many who opt for those that are cheaper, easier to change calibers, etc, do have such thoughts.