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First press, new reloader

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hijinx

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Starting to get into reloading my own ammunition. I'm planning on reloading for a rifle at first. I have decided to start out with a single stage press to really learn what I am doing before possibly moving to a progressive later. Any benefits of one single stage over another?

Hornady seems to have a good kit with their Lock and Load classic. I have also heard good things about Lee and RCBS. Is there anything that would make me choose one over the other? Thanks for any input.
 
hijinx said:
I have also heard good things about Lee
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you don't travel in the same circles i do. if this reloading business of which you speak is going to be a life long obsession, buy the best stuff you can right out of the gate. i've mentioned before here i have 2 presses on my bench, and i'm not recommending the brands, a rcbs jr. single stage i bought in the '70's and a hornady upgraded pro-jector progressive, vintage mid 80's. not the latest and greatest by any means but they are still serving me well after tens of thousands of rounds each. never saw a need to up grade.
 
I started out with the Lee single stage and stuck with Lee products. I don’t reload all the time so I never justified spending a lot on other products. I have my original single stage and a turret press, happy and comfortable with both.
 
I bought a Hornady single-stage kit to start, and the press has served me well. I hated the hand-primer, though, and I suffered with it far later than I should have. I also only used the scale once or twice before upgrading (and then only used that one for a short while before upgrading to an RCBS Chargemaster). Except when loading 9mm (which I have done but generally don't do because it isn't worth it to me), I haven't wanted a progressive press. A turret press would be kind of nice. I cope with the single stage by priming and resizing in batches, storing the resized and primed cases to load later. I know it isn't necessary to clean the primer pockets generally with handgun cartridges, but I prefer to decap with a Frankford Arsenal hand decapper (generally after coming home from the range), wet tumble and dry in a case dryer on a different day, on a later day resize with the press and prime with the Frankford Arsenal "platinum series" hand primer. When I want to load something, I just flare the cases for whatever bullets I'm using, load, and crimp. Point is, knowing what I know now, I might choose the same press but not get the kit.
 
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I have a Lee Classic Cast, but a RCBS rockchucker would be just as good.

I reload all of my rifle on a single stage press. As referenced above, I also prep brass in stages - so the actual reloading is powder measure + bullet seating.

I prefer to prime with a hand primer - currently using a Lee version.

Electronic scales will eventually give you problems, get a beam scale straight away like the RCBS 505.

The tool that has actually saved me the most time in my reloading workflow is the Giraud trimmer.

Edit, get one of these as well - very helpful: Lyman Electronic Scale Powder Funnel Pan - MPN: 7752433
 
I will say this for what it's worth.
Take a long look at what comes with the kit.
As for single stage presses. Almost any of the solid O frame styles will work and produce ammo as good as your components and attention can .

I will try and list a few things that I learned.

1. No matter what manufacture the quick change bushings are great. Down side is you need to buy a ton of bushing eventually.
2. I found only about 1/2- 2/3 the stuff in the kits to be any good.
3. I use a lot of LEE stuff BUT other than the single stage press you have to have some mechanical aptitude or you will drive yourself nuts.

Personally if I was going to buy another single stage in kit form I would by the one that goes on sale at the cheapest price with the most usable stuff in it.
I picked up my LL classic on eBay few days before xmass and it was 1/2 the price as a week prior.

My first press was the hornady L&L classic.
Only thing I use from that kit
Press, data book, case prep tool , quick change bushings and powder measure.
The scale sucked drifted like crazy , the primer flip tray would not successfully flip , hand prime tool was Crap.

The lee challenger kit is ok but lee has gone up in price making it not the deal it used to be.
I have a challenger press and friend bought kit last year BUT I have owned just about everything in that kit from the turret presses I have.
The scale : it's accurate but it's pretty brittle and seems everyone breaks it eventually.
The quick trim works well but it makes a mess of the press and bench. Plus you need to buy bushings for each cal.
The powder measure works, hopper is small.
I,have the newer auto drum that works much better but still a small hopper.

In the end take a look a t your local clubs for sale board.
Deals can be had. Just have to be quick as deals don't last.

I think money would be better spent buying non kit form and piece it together.

The rock chucker is a solid press. I can't comment on the M500 scale as I have a old 505 (Redding) or the powder measure.
As for dies , I use every manufacture out there.
I,have more LEE than anything else though.
Lee dies are not bad at all.
If you really think your going to get into reloading invest while you can.
You can usually run a progressive one round at a time until you learn. Every time I say I'm going to get a progressive for rifle loading I end up saving up some cash and usually buy more reloading supplies or do something silly like build a M1 a!
 
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Been a long time coming but finally bought a Dillon Square Deal B for 9mm. Got bit by the USPSA bug and have been shooting 9mm a lot. Bought most of the accessories for the press from Dillon. Looking at the spent primer chute upgrade on Ebay and found a LED light that mounts on the press. Are their any other upgrades that are worthwhile out there and does anyone have tips or tricks for this press?
 
mac1911 said:
If you really want to easy into reloading try one of these

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_zD6B6Ph60
Click to expand...

fyi - watch out if you have a .308 Semi-auto (i.e. M14) - I had Lee dies & had to return them for "adjusting" & still they didn't size the cases enough per the chamber (bolt wouldn't close) or the HDY gage (stuck up ~1/32")
RCBS Small-base dies work perfectly now.
(note this is the only caliber where I've experience issues .... Lee .223, .30 carbine work fine & neck sized .303British)
p.s. RCBS Rock-Chucker kit has worked well for 40 years... (the benefit of single-stage over progressive is that you only make 1 mistake at a time.... & it's more accurate when you tweedle in the powder grain-by-grain)
 
Arto said:
fyi - watch out if you have a .308 Semi-auto (i.e. M14) - I had Lee dies & had to return them for "adjusting" & still they didn't size the cases enough per the chamber (bolt wouldn't close) or the HDY gage (stuck up ~1/32")
RCBS Small-base dies work perfectly now.
(note this is the only caliber where I've experience issues .... Lee .223, .30 carbine work fine & neck sized .303British)
p.s. RCBS Rock-Chucker kit has worked well for 40 years... (the benefit of single-stage over progressive is that you only make 1 mistake at a time.... & it's more accurate when you tweedle in the powder grain-by-grain)
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Yeah the lee classic loader, slamOround are not a full length sizing die which can be a problem in semi auto.
 
Go with cheap stuff first. Good to learn the basics on. Won't get you where you want to be, but it'll get you in that area. Beware the "bargain kits", you'll find it difficult to make consistent ammo with inconsistent tools.
If you find yourself not liking reloading, you can toss it or re-sell it, its not big money loss.
You can always upgrade to much better stuff, and when you do, you'll wonder why you bought the cheap stuff to begin with.
 
TrashcanDan said:
Go with cheap stuff first. Good to learn the basics on. Won't get you where you want to be, but it'll get you in that area. Beware the "bargain kits", you'll find it difficult to make consistent ammo with inconsistent tools.
Click to expand...
nah, no need to do this, it's crazy. :) you can buy entire reloading set ups of decent stuff right here in the classifieds.
very recently there was a whole set up, everything you need plus stuff you'd eventually buy as you progress for what i'd consider a pretty nice price. i think the stuff was rcbs. i've seen dillon and hornady equipment too over the last year. nothing wrong with used reloading equipment, a little rust on a press ram is nothing, you can tend to that quickly.
 
The Brownells Catalogs used to have a great quote by John Ruskin on buying cheap $#!%, inside the cover:

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little.
When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done.
If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Quote by John Ruskin: “It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to ...”
 
Arto said:
The Brownells Catalogs used to have a great quote by John Ruskin on buying cheap $#!%, inside the cover:

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little.
When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done.
If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Quote by John Ruskin: “It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to ...”
Click to expand...
I like b rownells, they dont sell every single product and seem very much to sell only products they feel worthy of Brownells policy
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
Jim do you have one of the FA presses?
I've read mixed reviews on them and was wondering if it's hit or miss on QC?
Click to expand...
I do. The quality on the one I got is fine. I think the first ones had some issues, but the company has been responsive to customer input and taken steps to improve the press.
 
The Lee Classic Cast Turret press deluxe kit is $215 from Midway. That's the press I use and it works for everything I need, including .45-70.
 
Lots of good presses out there but remember this... You can make a progressive press into a single stage press while you learn the basics of reloading then expand to 2 or 3 stations at a time until you've ironed out all the kinks, then go full out and crank out a few hundred rounds per hour.... You can't make a single stage press progressive....having said that, I still use my single stage press for depriming and sometimes for resizing but not often... JMO
 

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