Reloading setup for novice

[oregon45]

If you want to experiment with loads: single stage / turret press. Redding T7 / Hornady Lock N' Load / RCBS Rockchucker.

If you want volume production of known loads: progressive. I'd go with a Dillon 550 to begin with, as it is easily upgraded to increase production.

If you're committed to reloading, the correct answer is both. A single stage/turret press for developing loads and small-scale production, and a progressive press for producing vetted loads in quantity. Eventually you'd want two progressive presses, one set up for large primers and one set up for small, as changing the priming system is a time-intensive task.

My personal set up is a Dillon Square-Deal B in 45 ACP, a Dillon 550 set up for small primers for loading .38spl and .223, and a Redding T7 for everything else.

One thing to think about if you go with a progressive press is quality control: taking time to spot-check and correct for any drift in the die and powder settings can save you a lot of time and frustration down the line.

[bofe954]

The dillon 550 is really hard to beat.

[GyroF-16]

I won’t try to talk anyone out of a Dillon 550.

But yesterday afternoon I used my Lee Classic Turret Press and loaded 200 rds of 9mm, then swapped disks and did 116 rds of 300 BLK.
I love how easy it is to change calibers in about a minute.
I learned on the Lee Turret, and it’s still serving me well at a 6k/yr rate for 9mm.

Just something to consider.

[ECK]

I have 2 presses for all my reloading chores.

The first one is a Hornady single stage press I bought back in college in the early 90’s. I honestly don’t know how many rounds I’ve loaded on it, but I’ve reloaded 4-5 pistol calibers and three rifle calibers on it over the years. Its dependable, accurate, and solid. I’ve torn it down a couple times for a deep cleaning, and still use it for precision rifle loading.

Loading 200-300 pistol rnds per week on a single stage is definitely doable but takes time. I loaded on it for my first year of USPSA competition shooting before I threw in the towel and got a Dillon bc try as I might to streamline things, I could only load about 75 rnd per hour even batch loading (prep all brass and prime in one sitting, then powder and seat bullet in another).

Enter the Dillon. I went with the 550B bc I still wanted to be able to quickly change out tool heads and load 9mm, .40SW, .45acp, and .223. I have tool heads with powder measurer set up for each caliber. If I stick with calibers that use SPP or SRP then I don’t even have to change out the primer feed tube and shuttle. I figure I can comfortably load 100 rnds in about 12 min, 15 I I have to change tool heads. That includes the time it takes to load the primer tube. The manual index of the 550 doesn’t bother me, in fact I prefer it. It’s just a matter of developing a good work flow.

Friends of mine have the 650/750 Dillon, but IMO to make the best use of that press you need the case feeder and bullet feeder. Once everything is setup you can knock out 100 rnds in about 5 mins. I will say the 650/750’s primer system is smoother than the 550.

But I still use the trusty ol’ Hornady for my 6.5CM and soon the 6GT. In fact I just got done using it to reload 75 rnds from Saturday’s PRS match.

[Trigger]

Dillon 550

[SecondsCount]

I started on a Lee single stage and 3 months later I bought a Dillon 550. If you are going to do a loading for a semi-auto, you'll outgrow the single stage/turret right away.

Like others have stated, you can use a 550 like a single stage until you get comfortable with reloading.

[vcdgrips]

Executive Summary-Dillion 550

Ramble follows:

My first shooting/reloading mentor had a conga line of Square Deal b's via caliber (38/57-9mm/44-45 acp). He ultimately sold them all for more than he paid and bought 2 Dillion 650's-i set for large primers, the other for small.

As such, I started out with a SDB in 9mm. later I added a 550 for 45 acp as I found the auto indexing of the SDB ( and by extension) the 650, a bit persnickety.

The 550 lets you control all aspects like a single stage yet will load 300 an hour all day long in "progressive" mode.

Made in the USA, solid QC and CS.

Please know that

1. in the end, reloading will likely save you little money in anything approaching normal conditions re primer availability. You will however become a better shooter if you you do your part because you will have the ammo to practice with.

2. you can go down very deep rabbit holes chasing perfection in a load. Profit from the experience of others re certain go to loads with certain powders and bullets. COPY shamelessly and drive on.

YMMV/FWIW

[Spartan1980]

You've gotten good info here. I'll just parrot that a Redding T7 turret press would be my first purchase. Then if your volume of a certain caliber or two (or more) merits it, I'd look hard at a Dillon. Properly used and cared for your great grandchildren will be able to load ammo on that Redding.

If you need some easy low load power in your reloading area this might work well for a Dillon casefeeder.

M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 175-Watt Powered Compact Inverter for M18 Batteries

[mmc45414]

If you were starting from scratch reloading for several calibers (shotgun, rifle and pistol) ... that wasn't overly time consuming, would do everything you needed it to do, and you wouldn't "outgrow" soon, what would it be?

Already good replies, but maybe more info about what is maybe a reloading triad:

- Volume?
How much do you plan to load and shoot? I loaded a lotta pistol ammo on my Dillon 550, but at my current volumes would really rather not go back to that. OTOH, your needs may be met by a Lee Turret? Just to understand, the "progressive" presses have a shell plate with multiple positions that perform multiple operations on each stroke and complete a cartridge each stroke, the "turret" presses have a single shell holder and cycle a sequence of dies over it and require multiple strokes to complete each cartridge, the "single stage" requires you to put the case in and out for multiple steps and do each operation in batches.

- Emphasis?
How much of this is going to be rifle and how much pistol (will talk shotgun later...)? Pistol is easy, rifle is a bit more painstaking. What is your rifle volume? If not so much you might enjoy a single stage more than the other options, simpler to change over. Is a batch of rifle ammo going to be 100 or 1k? For pistol are you planning 1k of something like 9mm at a time, or 1-200 of several different things like 38, 357, 45, 45LC, yada, yada, yada. How frequently would you be changing? You will hate volume on a single stage, but there is nothing simpler to change over from cartridge to cartridge. A single stage is also just handy, like no matter how many tools I have a crescent wrench still comes in handy. And it can be a walk before you run option.

- Budget?
I sure am enjoying the Dillon RL1100 I finally managed to get, but it was a buttload of money and I started out fifty years ago with a single stage.

wanted a durable, no external power required system (if that is even a thing...can't tell with add ons...some seem like they would need that, but I don't know)

This could make the decision simpler, because the higher volume Dillon and Hornady products are going to use an electric case feeder. Do you plan to load in a detached building that is not wired?

Also, I was looking at Dillon, but some of the model numbers seem to have changed and the more complex systems only have a limited warranty while the less complex systems have a lifetime warranty. I also reviewed posts that mentioned breakage of the Dillon press.

I managed to use a 550 until it broke, and that still gives me a sense of twisted pride...
And they sent a new part out quickly at no charge. Dillon stuff is not flawless, but they do not break very often. Only the very high end systems (RL100, RL1050, etc.) have the limited warranty, and that is not likely to be where you start out anyway..

shotgun

Loading shotshells is a separate batch of equipment, but probably a much simpler decision matrix, MEC is probably the baseline. Depending on volume the same progressive action is the consideration. I would avoid the 600 Jr because it uses a die, I would want at least the Sizemater because it uses a collet, and then at least the Grabber if you want progressive.
But... what is your motivation for loading shot shells? I do it and it can be cool if you want something that is not easy to get off the shelf, and you do save money, but you have to do a lotta volume to save much.

[Willard]

Great info folks. Lot to consider & some of you bought up points I hadn’t considered. Appreciate the advice very much.