[yesterdaysyouth]

i recently purchased this, http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43781 and they've been sitting behind me for a day now so i figured it was time to get em out....

i don't have the #4 shell carrier so i had to use my challanger press, i only loaded the fifty 50 fmj bullets, and damn my left arm is wore out....

i already had some brass cleaned so i started capping, this was fast and easy, but the priming was the worst, i was using the ram prime that came with the press...

my big sweaty sausage fingers on ham hands trying to grab those little small pistol primers .. yeah boy!!!

charging was interesting, had the auto prime off the progressive in the die, but had to reset by hand after every round :uhoh:

at this point i was ready for a nap... but seeing myself knocking over every last one of those charged casses sitting on the bench pushed me on....

this is the samllest caliber i've loaded yet, doing mostly .357 and .44.... these little 95gr super slick basdtids and my sweaty ham hands weren't best of friends...

only 50 more strokes before i can actually use these, im thinking....

crimping is something i usually do in this press anyway, and that didn't seem to effect me too much....

although the amount of work involved was unreasonable, i did learn some things about single stage reloading....

1. only for low volume rifle loading....
2. this more than justifies the purchase of carrier plate #4
3. gonna have to get a loading block


and most important...
4. if you're thinking of buying a single stage press for pistol reloading because you don't think you can justify the increased cost of the progressive, or you're not sure if you'll like reloading...

DON'T DO IT... spend the money now, you arms will thank you later....

and #5.... you can still have a great time handloading .380 in a single stage press... as long as you don't do it very often....


:D

[lee n. field]

I've loaded .380 on a single stage press. It _is_ a pain.

[P95Carry]

Yep ........ single station is definitely for rifle only!! Slow, tedious but methodical ...... pistol ammo needs some thru-put! My humble Lee turret gets the job done.

[DamnedDirtyApe]

The ram primers on dinky presses are a bad joke.

I don't use the ram primer on my Dillon 550B.

Get a $15 Lee Auto-Prime hand primer, and the red box of shell holders for it.

Prime hundreds of shells while watching MNF .... no more sausage digits fumbling with teeny - weenies .... :)

[labgrade]

& I thought 9mm was a pain on a single stage! ;)

Started reloading close to 40 years ago - maybe 100K+ rounds & while bitchin' about pistol calibers, The Wife mentioned one day, "why not get a progressive?"

God love 'er! :D

[Thirties]

single stage pistol reloading is for the birds.....

This bird likes his turret press for handgun ammo:
.32acp, 7.62 Nagant, .380acp, .38spl, 9x18 Makarov

If you don't enjoy loading your own ammo, why bother?

[Byron]

A RCBS Special single stage has been my reloading press since the about 1981 and I have loaded into the 10's of thousands rounds on it of handgun and rifle. The RCBS priming tool is used. It is relaxing to work with.
Byron

[Art Eatman]

Yeah, the hand primer is the only way to go. I use it for everything except volume loading.

But, hey, look, yesterdaysyouth, slow loading kept you out of some beerjoint, so you're money ahead, right there. :D

Set up a TV by your reloading area. Reload on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights during football season. You learn to do things between plays, so you get the mix of entertainment and accomplishment. :)

Art

[Okiecruffler]

I prefer my Lee hand press and don't plan on going progressive anytime soon. Of course, I only load a couple hundred a week, so why bother.:D Nothing like spending a nice night reloading and watching the Duke put it to some bad guys.

[MrPhil]

Yesterday morning I loaded 300 rounds of 45 ACP on the progressive and finished 150 rounds of 44 Spl on the single stage. It took as long to charge cases, seat and crimp bullets for 150 44's as it did to fully process 300 45's. And, I had a good rhythm going on the single. Need to get a .44 shell holder.

[C.R.Sam]

I used to be happy as a clam reloading rifle and pistol on a single Pacific.

Was in tall cotton when I upgraded to one that used removable shell holders so didn't have to change rams when changing cartridges.

Tis all relative.

Sam

[Steve in PA]

Been using a RCBS Rcokchucker forever. Load .380, 9mm, .357, .44mag, .45 and .30/06 with it. I also use the priming arm/tube with it. No complaints.

[Delmar]

Have been using a Rock chucker myself forever, combined with a Lee die set for my pistols-that powder disc drop through the expander die is a pretty slick deal, especially when you use the adjustable disc for the powder drop.
Have been eyeballing a turret press but can't really decide on whether to go to an RCBS or a Redding-both look pretty good to me. I can get a few hundred rounds an hour with my current setup, which works for me.
If I shot more, a progressive would likely be in my cards.......

[einnor1040]

Another vote for the Lee hand primer. I can watch TV and prime 500 cases in a jiffy.

[griz]

Well I'll keep my progressive, but I used to load everything on a single stage press. A hand primer is pretty much essential, and 95 grain bullets are dinky, but the only reason I went to a progressive was time, not frustration.

And not only do you need a loading block, you need several. I would load in bigger batches than 50 so a couple of blocks sure simplify things while charging lots of cases.

[rayra]

http://home.earthlink.net/~rayra/mar/my550b.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~rayra/mar/45goodness.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~rayra/mar/rounds.jpg

:D

[WESHOOT2]

That every rd of 41 AE I manufacture is done on single-stage presses?
Size, flare, powder-drop, seat, crimp.
Priming is by hand tool (RCBS's).
For UZI shooters.

Not no more LOL.

As C.R.Sam says, relative............

[Archie]

[old man rant]Young whippersnappers! When I started, everything was done on a single stage... [/old man rant]

Seriously, I have loaded thousands of rounds on various single stage presses. I upgraded to a Lyman "Spar-T" (six position turret press) and could leave a couple three die set set up. Then I bought a Lee Turret (the original one that did not turn automatically) and that was handier too.

Now I have a Dillon XL 650 and an AT 500. The 650 is what I use for mass loadings of developed loads. The 500 is for precision rifle ammo.


I'm spoiled. I like the convenience of the progressive.

[Kamicosmos]

I am actually thinking about selling my progressive press. I have yet to get it set up.

Maybe I fear...errr. wait, let me try that again:

Maybe I ph34r change, old habits die hard, whatever the reason, but I keep going back to my RCBS single stage. Sure it takes a couple hours to make 50 rounds of something versus 50 rounds in 5 minutes on a progressive. But so far, I get better, more consistant ammo out of the single stage. Right now, the amount I shoot, and the level of accuracy I demand of myself, the guns, and the ammo pretty much makes a single stage the only way to go.

Plus, I enjoy reloading, and a progressive takes some of the fun and Accomplishment out of the process, at least for me.

Maybe I should sell my progressive to pay for a fancy electric powder scale/dispenser...

[P95Carry]

Kamicosmos - what is your progressive?

Just wondered ... and seeing as I have been half considering one for .... well, years! Throw me the nod should you actually decide to sell .. depending what it is of course!

[BigG]

RELATIVITY - an old Lee Loader (tap, tap, tap) makes a single stage look pretty good. :uhoh:

[WESHOOT2]

tap, tap, tap, BOOM!, "*#@&#*&@#%!!!"

[SnWnMe]

I too, am glad I didn't listen to the old hands over here about getting me a single stage press until I learn the ins and outs. I should've however, listened to the guy who told me that I want at least 4 stages in my progressive. Now I have to crimp on a single stage.

[Kamicosmos]

P95Carry asked:

Kamicosmos - what is your progressive?

Brand Spanking new, yet to be set up, Lee Loadmaster.

I even have a couple extra die holders, and shell plates for .357, .40S&W, and .223.

[P95Carry]

Lee Loadmaster Thx ...... give some feedback can ya when you have it commissioned?

[Poohgyrr]

I dunno, but I like to use a progressive, slowly, for regular handgun rounds. Visually check the powder level in each case. I still use a single stage for rifle and full power 44 Maggies, but I can hear a turret press calling my name..

And those Garand clips look good :D

[Kamicosmos]

P95Carry wrote:

Thx ...... give some feedback can ya when you have it commissioned?

Setting it up today actually. Built a new bench (with Black_snowman's help) and am going to load up some .40...

[Kamicosmos]

Press works great! Cranked out 300 rounds in an hour and a half. That time included me loading cases and bullets manually, reloading primers and powder, chatting on the computer, making and eating lunch, playing with the dog, and surfing at THR! (I love having my computer in the same room as the reloading equipment! I just roll back and forth between them!)

So, now that it's up and running, I'm not so hot to sell it. Still want a fancy electronic powder distributor/scale thingie for the single stage loading though.

[P95Carry]

Kami ........ thx ..... and why am I not too surprised!!:p Didn't think you'd want to sell!

I reckon you were doing twice what I manage thru a turret .. and you were able to do many other things along the way during that time frame. My office is primarily office but a close second is loading/guns room .. there is much to be said for having these things together.:)

One last question .. forget right now where you got it or how .. did you pay normal selling price or get a good deal? It could still be that I will look into one of these, even tho I have all I need ...... well, for the ''slow'' approach!!

[Kamicosmos]

Normal price...bought mine from Natchez. Same price as Midway. I went with Natchez cause I'd have to pay sales tax at Midway since I'm in Missouri.

I say normal price I mean what they had advertised at the sites. I don't see the loadmasters at the stores...or even the gun shows, so I don't know what a more normal retail outlet price would be.

[P95Carry]

I checked at Lee's site and they are listed at $330. Not bad I suppose compared with other progressives. Guess I'll plod on with what I have for now .... don't load quite as much as I did ...... having said that ..... I have an awful lot of new loads in mind to try!:p

[Kamicosmos]

yeah, that's the retail price. I got mine setup for 223 including dies for I think is was $219.

That's why I say lots of bang for the buck with the loadmaster. If I was going to pay $300 for a press, it would be the RCBS Pro2000.

[P95Carry]

Thx ...... glad you came back on that ... wow ..... way better price ....... remarkable in fact!!

Could just be tempted! Had some stuff from Natchez other day . they seem to have some very good deals.

[achadwick]

For over 20 years I reloaded everything on a Rock Chucker press. Bought a Pro2000 press about 6 months ago and love it for pistol and small rifle ammo. Still use the single stage for precision reloading of 30-06, though. Everything that goes through the Pro2000 gets weighed on my digital scale to catch any cases that are under-charged.