Comparing with my loading buddies, the lee has the smallest ram. We may be looking at different presses, and if so I apologize. I realise that there are different lee presses, but I have never been fond enough to learn them all. I ended up selling all of them that I owned. Won't truly trash talk them, but I view them as getting started hardware. Gotta start some where. All things aside, Lee still has the best primer system. Seconds on the minute for getting loaded vs everyone else. If I am wrong, some one else please jump in.
Question for Handloaders: Which Press to Build Off Of?
- Thread starter 73mountaineer
- Start date
Sorry 73,
I think I might have lost track of what you were looking for. What is your annual est on rounds? Low volume can be done for very affordable with the right equipment. High volume can get more laden prone. I don't want to lose focus. What is your real goal with getting started in hand loading? Cost with value for limited shots per year get watered down with bottom line cost with thousands of rounds per year. Don't want to steer you off of any ideas you had, just want to make sure that what I say is in you best interest.
I think I might have lost track of what you were looking for. What is your annual est on rounds? Low volume can be done for very affordable with the right equipment. High volume can get more laden prone. I don't want to lose focus. What is your real goal with getting started in hand loading? Cost with value for limited shots per year get watered down with bottom line cost with thousands of rounds per year. Don't want to steer you off of any ideas you had, just want to make sure that what I say is in you best interest.
The next big question is if you are going to get stared in casting your own boolets? This year I have started trying my own bullet lubes mixed with essential oil scents. One of my most favorite things about shooting competition, is when at a match everyone tries to guess what your lube of choice is. Have a US Marshal on my team that is 10 for 10 on what everyone used for their lube. I do so love to beat the government. If you find a unique scent, please share.
Im not a fan of the kits, I think you end up re-buying things that you specifically need or want. First Kit i bought long time ago (RCBS) i ended up having to rebuy most of it.
As far as type of presses, make sure you consider FIRST what your gonna reload. If ur loading for ar's or handguns then a progressive is the way to go. If your in to the rifle accuracy game, than Redding single stage is top of the line. Theyre others, some better, but for the money I like everything Redding.
As far as type of presses, make sure you consider FIRST what your gonna reload. If ur loading for ar's or handguns then a progressive is the way to go. If your in to the rifle accuracy game, than Redding single stage is top of the line. Theyre others, some better, but for the money I like everything Redding.
I have a variety of presses courtesy of inheritance. I will say that the Dillon 550 is all I would ever recommend for a progressive. If I had been buying it myself I would have gone cheaper but now I have one, and I've experienced friends who battled with various other presses, the Dillon just works, always. It doesn't vary once you set it up, it doesn't break, it's not finnicky to get good ammo out of, it just does what it's supposed to. That's valuable to me more than the cost.
I also have a standard old green press for single stage work. I see no reason to get anything else, although I don't know that there's much difference in any other variety of single stage.
I have a Lee turret press also. I use it mostly for revolver cartridges since I don't want to do them one at the time in the single stage but I don't want to make 1k of them either. It works great for that, it's very easy to change calibers on it.
Everyone has different goals in what they're loading, how much, how often, how valuable their time is vs cash, so it's hard to really recommend anything specifically. That's my experience though, others will be different.
I also have a standard old green press for single stage work. I see no reason to get anything else, although I don't know that there's much difference in any other variety of single stage.
I have a Lee turret press also. I use it mostly for revolver cartridges since I don't want to do them one at the time in the single stage but I don't want to make 1k of them either. It works great for that, it's very easy to change calibers on it.
Everyone has different goals in what they're loading, how much, how often, how valuable their time is vs cash, so it's hard to really recommend anything specifically. That's my experience though, others will be different.
I put the lock n load on my Rock Chucker Supreme kit. I load .38 & .357 Mag, 44 Spl/Mag, 45 ACP, 10mm, and 41 Mag. I use a Lee press for decapping/resizing, and I have a Hornady and RCBS powder dropper. I even bought a Lee Classic Cast (love that thing, just never used it!) for when I want to get into .50 BMG, but that was back in 2004/5 and my handloading has slowed down to zero, but I just need primers and powder and I'm back in business. I wanted to get a Redding Turret back then, or a Dillon - I just didn't shoot enough to make the purchase worthwhile to me.
- Thread starter
- #68
- Thread starter
- #69
Ended up going with the Lee Classic Turret. Cast iron base, all steel linkage, made in the USA and incredibly stout, top to bottom. Still piecing the rest together, but I am very pleased with the quality of the press. I am setting it up for.45 ACP first, as that is the most expensive round I currently shoot.
Good choice!! I have this one as well as a couple of Dillon SQD. What I like on the Classic is that I have total control of each stage, and could go manually back if needed, which is not a possibility with the progressive presses. The progressive are much faster, that is true, but I find myself having more fun with the Classic press.
I had a Lee loadmaster that I used for several years, it served me well, but eventually it got to be "finicky" and I had to keep fiddling with the press to keep it working properly. I upgraded to the Dillon 550, I wished I'd made the move years earlier. Not that I think you won't be happy, just my experience.
- Thread starter
- #72
If I had gone with a full progressive, I would have probably looked elsewhere, but there really isn't much that can go wrong with the turret, the thing is really built like a tank. As mentioned earlier in this thread, if I were doing any case reforming, I would probably look for the biggest hunk o' steel single stage that I could get hold of, but for what I want it to do, the Lee is the perfect tool for the job, I think. I think the Dillons are a high quality, precision piece of equipment that I hope to someday both need and be within my budget. Ideally, I would love to have need of several presses in a full shop, but for the time being, I have a 10' bench along one wall in the garage and only 3 current calibers to be concerned with, maybe a 4th by later this year.
I have learned a TON from this thread; B&B, and B&B'ers, never let me down.
Congrats on deciding what press to buy! Let us know how it works out for you! So what's next to select and buy, a powder scale and/or dispenser? You know we want to chime in on that process as well!
I can't believe you haven't posted pics yet. Didn't you start the whole "pics or it didn't happen" mantra?
Get on it man!
Get on it man!
- Thread starter
- #75
I am ashamed.
My workbench is a disaster as a result of a hardwood floor installation over the weekend, but I will snap a couple of pics when I get it cleaned up.
I am ashamed.
My workbench is a disaster as a result of a hardwood floor installation over the weekend, but I will snap a couple of pics when I get it cleaned up.
Shaweet! What kind of hardwood did you go with?
- Thread starter
- #77
Purdy! I moved this weekend and the new house has hardwood in the living room and kitchen. I believe it to be oak stained dark. I would prefer hardwood throughout the house.
Sure. Just send me a check for $10,000. I'll cash it and send you a press, the rest of your money back + $800.00
In reality, a 650XL ready to go is @ $631.00, the 550B is $504.00... If you are going to load in any sort of volume I would get the 650XL with a case feeder. Keep in mind that I load 20,000+ 9mm's and 10,000 38spls a year. If you are going to load only pistol, and only load a few 1000 a year I would get a Square Deal and be done with it at $385.00. I'm actually considering getting a SQD for loading 38 spl so I do not have to mess with my 650XL. As with all things, YMMV.
