.22LR revolver vs. Dillon press

[OlongJohnson]

The smart thing, as usual, is to save my money and go to the range more.

If I was going to be un-smart at this juncture, it's between scratching an itch for a sweet .22 revolver and being more efficient reloading all calibers.

I currently have a really nice single-stage press. It's good, but very slow.

I currently have semi-auto .22s, but they are all SA. I don't have a .22 revolver and I don't have a DA .22 anything.

Revolver wantsies list is:

S&W because K frame in .22LR. It would probably be nicer to shoot and more accurate than any Ruger.
317 to have in my pocket when walking in the woods. I have a Browning 1911-22, so it's hard to make the case for this as an unfilled role.
GP100 to be a little brother to my GP100 MC. The 4.2-in GP100 is pretty close to being a twin to the MC. Half-lug barrel, even the same sights. So it would make a nice high-volume trainer, in theory.

Mid-range wadcutter loads that I could crank out on a Dillon would also support low-cost revolver practice. The break-even point to buy another pistol and shoot .22LR instead of .38SPL is somewhere in the 3000-6000 round range, depending on what you plug in for costs. So I'll get there eventually. But buying .22 doesn't take as long as loading, even on a Dillon.

What would y'all do?

[CCT125US]

The press. There is just something about having the means of production. My Dillons have paid for themselves many times over. I can currently load 9mm for about $6.25 / 50 using premium bullets. If I went cast I could probably drop 5 off that. Currently, I have been shooting factory, because it is so inexpensive. The time starts to factor in when prices drop, but if prices spike, I have components on hand to level out the peaks.

[Jared]

I'm gonna be that guy and say.....get both.

Seriously, both make shooting so much better that IMO, it's a matter of deciding which one to do first and not an either/or thing.

Now, if funds are limited such that both is just never ever going to be an option, then I say get the press.

[andre3k]

Go for the press. Unfortunately, in the long run it will be way more expensive than the 22. But there's nothing like being able to load whatever you want whenever you want. The only ammo I've purchased since the AWB is defensive ammo.

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[holmes168]

Go with the press. Right now ammo is cheap, but who knows if Trump will get re-elected. Then you have protection if ammo skyrockets.

[Lester Polfus]

During the waning years of the Ammo Panic, I could reload bunny fart .38 wadcutters for cheaper than what I could buy .22lr.

[LittleLebowski]

The press.

[mmc45414]

I also have the wants for a .22 revolver. I am also on a bit of a J-frame frenzy right now and want a 3" 317, I figure lightweight trainer, still good for what I want (I don't even kid myself by saying "need" anymore...) a .22 for.

But you have several nice ones and you will never regret the press. And I haven't been watching (because I was one of those that bought a butt load when I could), but have .22s got back to being really cheap again? You can at least find them, but as mentioned it is not that much cheaper, as long as you have your brass.

And the press is a cool tool, I bet a year from now you will look at reloading as part of the fun, instead of simply a money saving task. And I don't know where you live, but you can use the press when it is dark and cold, like we are coming up on for a few months. Get the press NOW, load a bunch over the winter, get a 22 in the spring. :)

[ralph]

Get the press, as has already been stated, god only knows if Trump will get reelected, if he dosen't you can bet the ranch the commie democrats will come after gunowners with a vengance..With a press you have a means to make pistol, rifle ammo at a reasonable cost. If you do buy the press, I'd also suggest starting now, to stock up on components, while they are reasonably priced, if in 3yrs or so, if Trump loses the election, you'll be real glad you did. I was lucky, after Sandy Hook, I was pretty well stocked up and was able to go shooting anytime I wanted,while most other folks could'nt, as the prices of ammo skyrocketed overnight, what was cheap, suddenly became real expensive.That was a lesson I did'nt forget..

[OlongJohnson]

Get the press, as has already been stated, god only knows if Trump will get reelected, if he dosen't you can bet the ranch the commie democrats will come after gunowners with a vengance..With a press you have a means to make pistol, rifle ammo at a reasonable cost. If you do buy the press, I'd also suggest starting now, to stock up on components, while they are reasonably priced, if in 3yrs or so, if Trump loses the election, you'll be real glad you did. I was lucky, after Sandy Hook, I was pretty well stocked up and was able to go shooting anytime I wanted,while most other folks could'nt, as the prices of ammo skyrocketed overnight, what was cheap, suddenly became real expensive.That was a lesson I did'nt forget..

Trust me. I bought my first .22 pistol in the year after Newtown. It was two weeks before I found ammo, and that was in a big city in TX. I say I'm like the grandparent who grew up in the Depression...

I've also watched CA's idiocy closely, as that's where I've lived longer than anywhere else. If I still lived there, I would have had the Dillon a year and a half ago. It's more than scarcity - the Fascists are actually going after the ammo itself.


I, too, think you should buy the press; however, I’ll just say that my favorite .22 revolver is a Sig P250C in .22LR and they are readily available for under $300. :)

Oh, no you don't. First you recommended the SD9VE, and I have had a project chasing what can be wrong with one of those. Somehow, I still like it.

[mtnbkr]

The revolver.

You already have a press. It's slow, but you can make ammo.

K-frame revolvers aren't getting cheaper, but presses aren't really getting more expensive, nor do they appreciate like classic revolvers.

Chris

[45dotACP]

If you want something to improve your training?

Get the press.

.22 recoil is negligible and is basically ballistic dry fire. The more real ammo you shoot, the better you will get. The more you shoot the gun you'll carry, the better you'll get. Want to improve your trigger press? Dry fire.

Soooo...either buy lots of factory ammo, spend eleventy billion hours in front of a single stage, or just get a good progressive.

I have neither a casefeed system or a bullet feeder, but in the time it takes to listen to a 15 or 20 minute podcast, I have 100 full power practice rounds loaded up. Practice ammo for the next day I just load up the night before and it rocks.

My progressive press and my range membership to a club that allows rapid fire, holster draws and shooting on a timer, have been the two biggest drivers of my shooting development.

I've had a .22 for way longer than either of those, but the skill development didn't come til I could verify my dry fire with a bunch of live fire.

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[willie]

By all means buy a revolver and at the same time begin saving for a press. But take your time and shop for a real plum. You can always find a press but can't always find a real nice revolver plum. From one genius to another genius, sir, take my advice. :cool: