[RM]

Assuming you have either a good turret or progressive press, is it still worth owning a single stage press? How much would you expect to use it and what tasks would you use it for? Thank you.

[PotatoJudge]

I have a turret and still load rifle rounds on a single stage so I can clean the primer pockets, trim if needed, and use a better powder measure than the one on my turret press. I could use my turret as a single stage, but the aluminum turrets can stop turning smoothly with wear (as with resizing some rifle brass or fixing certain stupid mistakes).

[CBS220]

If I could only have one, I would take the turret.

But for some reason I also enjoy the single stage for rifle cartridges.

[capbuster]

Its good to have a spare just in cast you run into a problem. my spare is mounted on a wood block and I attach it to my bench with C clamps when I need it. Right now it is primarily used to deprim 45 acp cases that are headed for the dillon 550.

[neal7250]

I use mine to decap military brass prior to swaging. I also load some large calibers such as 300 mag and up.

[koja48]

I use a Forster Coax when I'm loading accurate, uniform rifle ammo & that's why I bought it . . . works for me.

[ReloaderFred]

I have three presses mounted on my loading benches, an RCBS Rockchucker, a Hollywood Senior, and a Hornady Pro-Jector. I wouldn't be without any of them. When I die, they'll probably be used to weight my casket for the burial at sea..........

Every bench should have a single stage press mounted to it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[scrat]

i have two of three of them. i have them in series. 1. decapping or fullsize and decap. Next. then i prep the brass, trim pocket clean then install primer (by hand). Then charge them all of this is on loading blocks. Then i take them charged to the next press where i take the case put a bullet on it. Press the bullet move to the right then my son takes the bullet puts it in his and crimps it lfcd. then moves it to the right. Then my other son checks them for length quality control and boxes and labels. Them. Then we put them away until we need to go shooting. The three of us do all the loading together. We all have our jobs to do. This ensures that we get quality ammo.

[packnrat]

i have one "C" type from lee used only for decaping the cartridges.

another one (also a lee but a full "D" style for test loading, or for a special loading,

for bulk i have a rcbs rock chucker with a piggeyback on it.

thinking about getting a perpous built progressive.

.

[Mojo-jo-jo]

You'll always have a use for a single stage press: decapping, rifle cartridge resizing, small-batch test loading, etc.

If you are loading a variety of powder charges and/or OAL's working up test loads, it's much easier to load on a single stage then reset a progressive or semi-progressive between each load.

Of course, for volume production, single stage is not so great. However, you can't go wrong having one when you need it.

[Ben Shepherd]

Swaging, working with caseforming on wildcats, and putting together test loads during development are 3 very good uses off the top of my head.

[FieroCDSP]

Keep a Hornaday collet bullet-puller in the single stage and you'll always have a use for it. I use mine for that and for my rifle loads.

[TexasSkyhawk]

Have two.

I do all my serious target/match loading on a single stage--both rifle and pistol.

The other one handles other various chores such as decapping/de-priming, FCD work, bullet-pulling and size/lubing my Lee tumble-lube cast boolits.

Jeff

[Idano]

I have progressive but I don't like running lubed cases through my case feeder so all of my rifle rounds get resized on my Rock Chucker. I also use it for my low usage calibers that I may only shoot 100-200 rounds a year. If I could only have one press and I had to make a choice between a progressive and my single stage I would pick my single stage because it more versatile IMO.

[cpttango30]

I have a Dillon RL550B sitting right next to my RCBS RS press. The RCBS does nothing now but Rifle ammo. The Dillon is onlyfor pistol right now. Though in the future if I ever get into pdog shooting it might turn into a 223 makin machine.

[Ala Dan]

I have NEVER left the single stage press, for any other type~! ;) :D

[Bullet]

How useful is a single stage press?

Useful enough to load all my ammo. I started with a Rock Chucker and then bought a Dillon progressive but then sold the Dillon and bought another Rock Chucker. Now I have 2 Rock Chuckers:D.

[Bob_M]

Everyone has valid reasons and ideas that posted a reply.

I would add that to do a small run of a lesser caliber that you may not shoot that much, a change of bullets, or to try a new powder, a single press would serve you better. You wouldn't need a Rochchucker(I think) or other compound press to load a .380, for instance.

You wouldn't need to spend a lot of money on a simple press, but it would be a worthwhile addition.

All this assumes you would be loading more than a couple of calibers.

[ArchAngelCD]

I have only one press, it's a turret press but I will be buying a heavy single stage press when I get the money up. I'm not sure yet which one I'll be buying but the RCBS Rock Chucker is in the running along with a Lee Classic Cast Press. IMO they are a useful tool to have especially when you want to make target rifle rounds. Also, like said above, it's good to have a second press around for a backup.

[tube_ee]

But I'll be adding a turret press for pistol loading. I load shotshells too, and I like the "one cartridge at a time, until it's done" way of doing things.

My rifle cartridges (7.5x55 and 7.62x54R), I weigh every charge on the scale, so the single stage isn't a drawback. Only two dies, too, so that's one less thing.

--Shannon

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

It's very useful, especially for oddball tasks and for reloading a caliber you don't want to spend any more money than the die set for at the moment. Let's say you want to reload some 8X56R. You're going to shoot a rifle of this caliber once in a blue moon, as it's expensive. You can add that caliber to your single stage for the cost of the die set. Any other press costs more to add it.

In addition, if you want to swage, you can use it to swage. If you want to use a lee sizing die for some cast bullets you cast, you can use it for that. You can put a powder dispenser on it.

All kinds of things a single stage is useful for.

That's why I have a Lee Classic Cast single stage on my bench beside my Hornady LnL and my Lee Turret press.

Regards,

Dave

[mallc]

I pick up presses at gun shows and flea markets when I find them cheap. I've also rebuilt a Lee Challenger and a few RCBS presses that went through a gun shop fire. I currently have 3 single stage presses mounted to wood plates that clamp to my workstation as needed.

I have a Dillion 650 which I use for production and a Redding turret for small batch and rifle. The Dillon is NOT good for small runs or working up loads. I don't like to put hard loads on the turret.

I use the Lee for my dial comparitor. A RCBS Reloader Special for my Dillon 1200 size/trim setup, and my Rock Chucker for large rifle resizing and pulling bullets. I could part with the Reloader Special and trim on the Rock Chucker but what fun would that be?

If I could only have one, it would be the turret.

Thanks,
Scott

[David Wile]

Hey RM,

I've had a Hornady L&L a long time now, but I still spemd more time using my RockChucker than I do with the progressive. I don't load more bullets with the RockChucker, but I spend a lot more time working on special loads with it. I don't see how someone does without a single stage press unless they simply load a 1,000, blast a 1,000, load a 1,000, blast a 1,000... The progressives are great for bulk loadings, but a single stage is much easier to do small batches and test loadings that require precision powder charges and the like.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

[Clark]

I have one rotating and 5 single stage.

Don't wait until you are old to spring for the Co-ax press.

[adweisbe]

Very. No tool head or die bushing necessary. You can use it for those random things that require a press like priming or swaging etc. It may also require less force for difficult tasks.

[rcmodel]

If I could only have one, I would take the single-stage. In fact, I did!

Just too good for a lot of things.

rcmodel

[Doug b]

I started on a Lyman turret and advanced to a Lyman single stage when the turret started flexing.Never had a kaboom,never had a squib/ftf/hangfire,or had to pull bullets in anything loaded on either press in 30+ yrs.Darn lucky and a good mentor I reckon.

Clark I have been considering a co-ax for sometime now just to see if it will do a better job.

[BigJakeJ1s]

Clark is right, once you get a co-ax, you'll kick yourself for not getting one sooner.

Andy

[The Bushmaster]

I use a Lee single stage press for resizing/decapping all rifle and handgun cases. I use a Lee single stage press to prime all cases. I accomplish all other reloading operations on a Lee turret. I also use a Lee single stage press for special operations. Yes...A single stage press is an asset to any reloading bench. I would go with one of the "O" presses...

[Eric F]

If you have a specific single taks for it then it is quite useful but if you do everything with it then it is a drag but still useful. I load BPCR and my 4 hole lee classic is 1 hole short so I am looking for one to do my powder compression stage. I also need one to size bullets.

[callgood]

Clark is right, once you get a co-ax, you'll kick yourself for not getting one sooner.

Andy

Another vote for the Coax. I got one three years ago and loaded approximately 5400 rounds of various pistol/rifle ammo. As my shooting increased I got a Dillon Square Deal B to load my pistol ammo and am slowly adding conversion kits for other calibers.

I still load .223 Remington and .308 Winchester on my Coax, as well as a bit of 7.7 Jap. I also use it to prep my brass for my SDB.

Since I started out reloading with sizing/decapping on the Coax and priming with my RCBS hand primer I found I prefer this arrangement. I like to prep all my brass before I reload it later in a marathon session. I have plenty of time in the evenings listening to the news or financial programs when I can use the Coax in my den and "multitask."

Then, when I set up my Dillon, I don't have to worry about loading the primer tubes or any associated glitches they might have. It's just 'mount a case, seat a bullet, and cycle.'

I don't have a dedicated area for reloading. I use the Dillon in the garage and unclamp it to store inside away from the moisture, grunge, etc. If I pick up brass at the range, I can prep it on the Coax in the comfort of my den, prime it and add it to my ready to load brass. Works for me.

ETA- I still use the Coax when working up a load for pistol. It is easier/faster to set up.

[jlficken]

I think I would choose my Dillon 550B. It can be used as a single stage, turret, or progressive. Since it doesn't auto-index it is up to you how you want it to run and a quick look for conversion kits shows that you can load up to a 45-70 Govt on it as well as all pistol rounds. That being said I still like my single stage for depriming brass for swaging or rifle rounds as well as loading precision rifle rounds.

[lgbloader]

Dave in a flower,

You are right about costs when you want to add a caliber to a progressive, When I made my decision to buy the Dillon 650, I was going to get a couple of quick change caliber "thing a ma bobs" and realized that for a $175.00 bucks more, I could just get another XL650!!!

So...
1 XL650 for 9mm
1 XL650 for 45acp
1 Redding T7 for everything else... (I will add a 550b soon for .223, 38 spcl, and 357 mag)


...BUT... I still use my single station press (LEE Classic cast replaced my now retired old Rock chucker) practically every day. Decapping, mostly. and for holding the Uniflow when running batches of 38 spcl, and 357 mag)

I could get by without all my presses EXCEPT one, my single stage.:cool:

[R.W.Dale]

When seating and resizing for the highest precision possible down to the nearest 0.001 nothing else but a quality single stage press will do. I've loaded on turrets and for me they don't offer nearly the same degree of repeatability and precision.

Turret and progressive presses are for the person making ammo to go shoot. The single stage press is for the HANDLOADER. There is a diffrence:)

[lgbloader]

I agree with you, Krochus.

What can I say, I live to shoot, not to reload so I guess that makes me a shooter, first and foremost. Don't get me wrong, I love reloading but it's just that I love shooting way more... I reload so that I can shoot:D
And like I said before...

* * I could get by without all my presses EXCEPT one, my single stage:cool:

Drinks all around...

[The Bushmaster]

That seems to have answered your question. I have two presses on my bench. A single stage and a turret. I use both every time I sit down to reload...

[280shooter]

I have a pro 1000,does that count as a press as it sits under my reloading table.and not on my table,
I have a old Lyman, its ugly, grey,and its a C type,I been using that for 9mm-38s=357s-221 fireball,44 mag,8 mm, 30-30-30 Herrett,I use that old press to form cases for the herrett,I load 280s,223s,One thing about the single press,they work,No indexing,just yank on the handle,'I love to get a bigger press,loading them 280s seem to be getting harder on the joints lately,Whats the co-ax you guys talka bout,?

[280shooter]

that should do a nice job on my 280s,

[Essex County]

Put my turret press away when I stopped loading for handguns. I currently use a Redding single stage, since my son scoffed up my old Bonanza Co-Ax. I'm retired and I have plenty of time on my hands....Essex

[taliv]

i load
>blasting ammo in 223 and 45acp on a 1050
>my precision FL ammo and misc calibers on the aforementioned co-ax and i highly recommend it
>50bmg on a big ammomaster
>my neck-size-only precision ammo on an arbor press with hand dies

[BigJakeJ1s]

Essex,

At least your co-ax has a good home...

I don't think I could go back to a regular press; I like my co-ax too much.

Andy

[coyotehitman]

I have a single stage and a progressive and I wouldn't want to be without either. So far, the single stage has been the workhorse of the two.

[DWARREN123]

I use a single stage press for reloading 40 S&W. Great press for what I do.
Lee Anniversary Kit.

[hawkeye1]

I use a Lee 3 hole turret press for the majority of my reloading chores, but have a single stage Lee that I use for the Factory Crimp Die after I seat the bullets. This works great for me.

good shooting