Newb Here - need help with progressive press info

[Lbrewer42]

I only recently decided to start reloading. I am sick of the ammo shortage.

After hours of research into press types, I have decided I want a single progressive press for reloading the following:

Pistol: 9mm, .40 S&W
Rifle: 30-40 Krag, 30.06, .223.

I am interested in knowing actual press model numbers that would allow for reloading all of the above.

Does someone in this community reload some of the above on just one press that could give me some advice?

I am looking for the most economical way of doing this. After all, to me this is about having ammo and saving money doing it.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Nature Boy]

What’s your budget?

 

[chromatica]

People are using the Dillon Square Deal (progressive press) to load handgun calibers plus .223. I don't know if the Square Deal can easily handle larger rifle cases. The Square Deal typically comes set up for one particular caliber (like 9mm or .45 auto). Then you buy conversion kits for the other calibers you want to load. I get the idea that the Dillon presses require that you use Dillon dies. Can any of you verify this?

 

[tom k]

square deal is pistol only and you have to use their dies.

 

[Hoser]

Grab a Dillon 550 and dont look back.

 

[Shaggy357]

Get a Rock Chucker press, RCBS powder measure, RCBS balance scale, powder trickler, and RcBS dies. Get “carbide” pistol dies, a tin of Imperial Sizing Die Wax, and a priming tool. I like the old Lee, but there are some newer ones that are as good. Check out the RCBS starter kits. They may have all of this...except the dies.

 

[Lbrewer42]

What’s your budget?

I am approaching this from a viewpoint that I have already spent enough money on ammo in my life to have gotten the best press out there years ago. So why not keep the money I will spend from now on in my own pocket plus have something my kids can benefit from as well? But...I also don;t want to needlessly drop a grand when I can fo it for maybe half that price with satisfactory results.

Having said that, I also have no doubt certain models will have almost religious followings. Name brand is not something I want to pay for b/c of name brand.

Grab a Dillon 550 and don't look back.

I note an awful lot of people immediately respond like this. The comparison videos, side by side, of Dillon presses that I have seen have shown me this press is missing things like auto indexing and an on-demand primer feeding system. The lack of auto indexing is major issue for me. To step up to a model with auto indexng is a large jump in price and by that time i would get just the press, I could have had another brand with auto feed everything. If I was a professional - no doubt I would go this route.

Get a Rock Chucker press, RCBS powder measure, RCBS balance scale, powder trickler, and RcBS dies. Get “carbide” pistol dies, a tin of Imperial Sizing Die Wax, and a priming tool.

The Rock Chucker progressive is one I have looked at more, but I also note you have to get the bullet feeder and shell feeder as extras. I see where the Lee Loadmaster comes with the shell feeder, but not the bullet feeder.

I appreciate your mentioning the Lee press us something you like. THis tells me its not junk!

I appreciate all of the feedback!

 

[Dub]

auto indexing is not always the way to go. The 550 is very capable of large production numbers without the auto indexing. Some benefits follow that

 

[Dub]

I can EASILY produce 300 rounds per hour on my 550. Change calibers in just a few minutes. Slightly longer if primer size changes

 

[SSL]

You might want to consider a Lee Loadmaster for your 9mm, 40 S&W and .223.
Just get the matching shell plates and spare die heads and you can swap cartridges in mere minutes. I load all my handgun rounds (.9mm, .38 Special, .44 Mag, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt) on one and wouldn't trade it.
Lee makes no recommendation for bigger rifle cartridges.
You lose the true progressive concept but can also buy a Lee Turret Press to load your 30-40 and 30-06 on and still probably cost less for the two of them together than most other brand's price for one press.

 

[MarkG]

I know most guys like the Dillon progressive presses, but I have a Lee Loadmaster and ever since they redesigned the priming system about 5-6 years ago, its works great for handgun rounds. It loads rifle cartridges but I only use it for my 5.56 and 7.62 ARs. I went back to a single stage press (Lee Classic Cast) for bolt action rounds. The Lee dies aren’t the finest, but they’re a good value and certainly good enough for inexpensive handgun rounds.

 

[Falfan2017]

I never had good luck with the lee progressives. Maybe some get lucky with them.
If you want an all around decent progressive press with easy and cheap caliber changes the hornady lock and load is a good choice.

 

[cem]

My suggestions are the Hornady LNL 'AP will be good enough and a little less money while easy enough to change cartridges including primer sizes. The Dillon 750 will be more than good enough but only with the additional at extra cost case feeder and die plates and measures are a big big help.

For my purposes including pistol cartridges where I seat and crimp in separate steps the 550 needs an additional stage so that's what I bought. Given a 550 I would batch process by decapping and sizing then tumbling followed by processing to fully loaded ammunition from clean sized cases.

I find a case feeder indispensable but do without a bullet feeder because I load messy soft lube cast pistol bullets and I don't want to drop my precision cup and core bullets for fear of distorting them if only slightly.

Starting with a progressive is OK but start slow, read a lot and make sure the mount is solid. Did I mention make sure the mount is solid and the press doesn't jiggle and the cases in their shell holders are square.

 

[drano38]

Look at the Hornady LNL AP. Progressive, auto indexing, easy primer size changes, works great without a case feed or bullet feed, but those are available options. Caliber changes can be cheaper than the blue brand since using one powder measure can be changed quick with the "LNL" inserts, and a Quick Change Powder Die, item 050074, for each caliber.

Keep in mind, when ammo is hard to find, your favorite reloading components may be also.

 

[chromatica]

Many of us have discovered that we don't really save money by reloading. It just lets us shoot more...

 

[Cecil S.]

Many great suggestions here. But you might want to consider loading pistol on the progressive and rifle on a single stage. Depends on the budget. JMHO

 

[Iowa Fox]

20-25 year old Dillons sell for more today than us guys paid for them new.

 

[pirate ammo]

I've loaded thousands of handgun rounds on my Lee Loadmaster,only thing I didn't like about it was the primer system so I went to hand priming.Loading up 500 38Spc. on it today.
Handgun rounds I prefer Lee dies they work for me,everything else I've went to Redding.If by chance you go with Dillon get the case feed to go with it,you'll never keep up with it
loading cases in by hand,still got to get the bullet feed for mine.Lee loadmaster
in the background.

 

[Hoser]

When learning how to reload, auto indexing is not all it is cracked up to be.

That is why I suggested the 550. It is a very easy press to learn on.

And after you figure out exactly what you are doing, it is still an awesome press. I have two and load everything from 17 Mach IV to 338 Lapua on mine.

When I want to crank out lots of ammo I use my 1050s. But that isnt the easiest press to learn on because there is so much going on.

 

[PopCharlie]

I am approaching this from a viewpoint that I have already spent enough money on ammo in my life to have gotten the best press out there years ago. So why not keep the money I will spend from now on in my own pocket plus have something my kids can benefit from as well? But...I also don;t want to needlessly drop a grand when I can fo it for maybe half that price with satisfactory results.

Having said that, I also have no doubt certain models will have almost religious followings. Name brand is not something I want to pay for b/c of name brand.


I note an awful lot of people immediately respond like this. The comparison videos, side by side, of Dillon presses that I have seen have shown me this press is missing things like auto indexing and an on-demand primer feeding system. The lack of auto indexing is major issue for me. To step up to a model with auto indexng is a large jump in price and by that time i would get just the press, I could have had another brand with auto feed everything. If I was a professional - no doubt I would go this route.


The Rock Chucker progressive is one I have looked at more, but I also note you have to get the bullet feeder and shell feeder as extras. I see where the Lee Loadmaster comes with the shell feeder, but not the bullet feeder.

I appreciate your mentioning the Lee press us something you like. THis tells me its not junk!

I appreciate all of the feedback!

I have a Dillon Square Deal B progressive I use for loading my handgun ammo. Hindsight has shown me I should have purchased a 550 because I load .30-06 to feed an M-1 Garand and .223 to feed an AR. I load my rifle ammo on a Forster co-ax. I think the Dillon 550 has alot going for it. For some one just starting out, a full auto indexing press may cause problems. I think for safety's sake, controlling the speed is important for some one new to reloading. Its important to understand the process. There is alot more involved than you might think.
Also, with reloading, there is always a new tool or some other whiz-bang that you'll want to buy. Especially if you get bitten by the accuracy bug.
PopCharlie