An essay: Progressive Press Takes the Fun Out of Reloading

[Dudedog]

I can relate. When I am loading ammo on my LCT I am usually smiling, relaxed and feeling good, still very vigilant but it is easy to follow along.

The 650 isn't like that at all. I am attentive and concentrating on everything, it isn't stressful, but I am not relaxed and pleased while using it. The pile of ammo after a session leaves a satisfactory feeling though.

I don't have the Classic Turret, just the Deluxe, and you can substitue Hornady Lock and Load Ap for the Dillon 650 but I pretty much agree with the first and second.
However I am still getting used to the progressive.

Using the Turret is relaxing and fun, the progressive with more stuff going on requires more focus, and feels a bit like work. JMO.

 

[Dudedog]

I can relate. When I am loading ammo on my LCT I am usually smiling, relaxed and feeling good, still very vigilant but it is easy to follow along.

The 650 isn't like that at all. I am attentive and concentrating on everything, it isn't stressful, but I am not relaxed and pleased while using it. The pile of ammo after a session leaves a satisfactory feeling though.

I don't have the Classic Turret, just the Deluxe, and you can substitue Hornady Lock and Load Ap for the Dillon 650 but I pretty much agree with the first and second.
However I am still getting used to the progressive.

Using the Turret is relaxing and fun, the progressive with more stuff going on requires more focus, and feels a bit like work.

I like the progressive, just a different loading experience IMO.

 

[ljnowell]

I used to really consider reloading to be a fun thing to do. I looked forward to it. Nowadays I shoot in several different leagues and it's just something I have to do to compete.

 

[WestKentucky]

Reloading is its own separate entity related to, but not directly involved with shooting....just like mechanic work is not the same as riding a motorcycle, or tying a fishing fly is not the same as fly fishing. Some do these activities out of necessity as ammo may be cost prohibitive where components arent, just like a brand new Indian will cost several times what an older bike will, and buying flies at 3 bucks each is beyond me when you can buy and find the supplies for pennies. I personally do all three out of love. I like working with my hands, especially now that "work" is being a desk jockey. If you had a love for loading and the progressive has somehow deprived you of that, sell it and invest in something else that you will enjoy.

 

[TexasDon]

I guess I'm one of the guys that just love to load ammo.
Actually I like the setup time and load development, I can get lost in the details of loading different or new loads. Not OCD, just get into the act of development and look for ways of making the process faster or better in my case.
That may mean making special tools or fixtures.
( You can learn a lot that way)

All that happens usually when I get burned out on just normal reloading.
I get to feeling like an assembly line robot sometimes and have to change things up some...

Thats why I change loading presses from SS to AP or Turret and sometimes to an old Lee loader with a mallet...
Hammers are good therapy.

Just more of my 2¢
Have fun and be SAFE.
TxD

 

[RealGun]

Creating ammo is just a byproduct of tinkering with the press, trying to get it to run more than a few rounds without issue. The challenge is in how many rounds can be produced between sprints. It is sort of a tortoise and the hare story, isn't it? It takes some talent to keep one of these things running, so it's not for everyone.

One thing I know is that, for me, loading without at least a turret is nowhere near what i would call "fun".

 

[jmorris]

Just like in cars, there is a butt for every seat.

I also understand, I have at least a dozen presses and not one of them is "the best" just the best for the particular job I use it for.

In life I like "crafting" things but am not as fond of mass production. The only way I can remain interested in mass production is in finding ways to make a part faster, better, with less work or a combination of all.

 

[SSN Vet]

I've enjoyed reading all of the replies and am reminded that this hobby/sport means a lot of different things to different people.

Using the Turret is relaxing and fun, the progressive with more stuff going on requires more focus, and feels a bit like work. JMO.

That pretty well summarizes what I was trying to say.

I love to learn new things and reloading definitely completed the "circle of knowledge" for me.

That's probably why setting up, dialing in and mastering the LM was fun... Loading 500 rounds in one or two sessions.... Not so much.

Thanks for rolling with my long winded thread....

 

[Gravedigger56]

I can see where you're coming from. I've got a Dillon 650 and when I need to crank out 9mm I just check the setup and crank them out. It's production work, nothing particularly enjoyable about it. It get's the job done fast.

That was what swayed me to go with a turret press instead of a progressive when I upgraded my press. One of the main reasons that got me into reloading (and still does) was the hands-on control of every single element of the process. A bonus that I discovered later was that I really enjoy the relaxing atmosphere the slow-pace turret press offers and use it to unwind after a hectic day at work.

 

[mgmorden]

To each his own I guess. Personally, I don't ENJOY reloading anyways. Not on a single-stage, and not on a progressive. Reloading is work - work that I endure to get cheaper but more importantly tailored ammo.

My Progressive keeps my guns fed with minimal time in my loading room.

To me, its akin to modern farm equipment. Maybe driving a big picker isn't as fun as hand picking, but it makes you a lot more efficient and frees up time to do things a lot more fun than picking crops .

And yeah - with an auto-indexing press and a RCBS Lock-out, over-charges are actually LESS of a worry compared to when I was doing single stage.

 

[Toprudder]

For me, reloading goes beyond enjoyment to the level of therapy. My wife says I always come out of the reloading room happy, not always the case when I come home from gun shows.

The time spent in my reloading shop is sometimes therapy for me, sometimes it is just about getting another 300 rounds ready for the range. Either way, I get my fun time.

Actually I like the setup time and load development, I can get lost in the details of loading different or new loads. Not OCD, just get into the act of development and look for ways of making the process faster or better in my case.
That may mean making special tools or fixtures.
( You can learn a lot that way)

Yes, you can. I get so involved in load workups. I've been doing this for about 2 years now, and I have over 500 lines in my spreadsheet, each a different load. Most of the lines are just 5 or 10 rounds each. I have tried over 20 pistol powders and am still looking to buy more. The next time I spend my allowance, it might be on a Ransom Rest.

But it all started out that shooting was my hobby.

Then I started reloading so I could shoot more, but then reloading became my hobby.

Now, truth be known, cleaning brass is my hobby. Shooting and reloading are just means to an end. But they are all fun!

 

[gahunter12]

Every man/women is different. Our ammo needs are different, and our process to meet those needs are different. I really enjoy loading on my XL650, and RL550. Both presses handle my pistol rounds, and .223 rounds. Between practice, and matches my wife and I shoot about 2500 rounds of 9mm, and about 800-1000 rounds of .223 per month. My 9yo daughter, and 7yo son also have their own AR's, and normally shoot about 300 rnds of .223 per month also. There's no way I could keep up on a turret, or single stage. On average I spend 3 evenings in my shop loading, preping brass, etc. I also try to spend 1 entire Sunday afternoon after church per month in my shop. This gives me my reloading fix for the week, and keeps ammo ready to go.

My SS presses handle my belted mag, and .308 rounds. These are bench/hunting rounds, and rarely load over 100rnds at a time. I also enjoy this slower pace loading, but from a different perspective. I enjoy loading high quality rounds that make tiny groups down range.

 

[goofyoldfart]

I have to respect each and every viewpoint. As for me, I'm retired and have 5--6 presses--all manual with SS and Turret. having just had Pancreatic cancer surgery on Sept. 15, being told that it was gotten and then 6 months later being told that it's back--well, simply put, the single stage and the turret press gives me much needed relaxation and serenity. to each his/her own. God Bless to all and theirs.

Goofy

 

[doubleh]

What ever flips your switch. To me reloading is just work to obtain a result I want. That's to be able to shoot more than I could afford to if purchasing factory ammo and to make accurate loads for various firearms. At least it beats mowing the grass.

 

[mmorris]

You're the Governor

Before you abandon the LM (or any progressive), consider that the stress level you find in operation is mostly due to the speed of production.

... Loading 500 rounds in one or two sessions.... Not so much.

I moved from a LEE Classic Turret to the LNL-AP primarily because I did not like 4 lever pulls for a single round. What I really mean is, my shoulder hated it. I don’t need so much ammo that I have to load progressive.

I think a person who has acquired the skills to setup and operate a progressive press, but whose ammo demands are low, can [gasp!] slow down on the lever pulling. Who says you have to pull the lever as fast as Jerry Miculek pulls a trigger.

So, you have a progressive that works well and you like the attention you can give to a Single Stage press. Why not pull the lever down and stop to calmly look at each station. When you’re satisfied, run the lever up and stop to calmly look at each station. Do this again and again at a pace equal to the rounds-per-hour you get on a Single Stage press.

Now you are comparing the machines equally, based on the criteria (Rounds-Per-Hour and stress) that are important to you.

If you are still dissatisfied with the progressive experience after this test… ditch it and be very happy.

Mike

 

[higgite]

mmorris nailed it. It isn't mandatory that you run a progressive press at warp speed. You can get 150 rounds an hour by pulling the handle on a LCT every 6 seconds or on a progressive by pulling the handle every 24 seconds. Either way gives you plenty of time to check powder level in each case, etc. If you like to run in batch mode, that's a different animal altogether, but it's really up to the operator to set the pace, not the press.

 

[SSN Vet]

More insightful discussion...

Thanks again.

I don't feel like I'm trying to load fast... but rather, it's a very fast press.

none the less.... there's no reason I couldn't slow down

 

[BCRider]

I shoot and reload far too much handgun ammo to even consider the idea of ditching my progressive. I work at a pace on it which let's me check stations as I move but so that I can smoothly run up about 300 rounds an hour.

And like Mike says it's as much about reducing the lever pulls for the arm as it is about speed.

On the other hand accurate rifle ammo for me demands the single stage so I've got more control over the various factors.

 

[slpmmp]

I agree with the less fun with progressives. I started off with a Hornady prog press, but over the last 10 years I've been reloading predominately off of my Lyman Turret and Lee Classic Turrets. I've been reloading over 25 years now and have never had any ammo issues which I attribute to being very careful within the whole process. But to each their own!

 

[Lennyjoe]

I'm a LCT guy as well and though sometimes I wish I could load more ammo faster, I'm comfortable with the LCT and my process so why change it. I do not shoot as much as most of you so reloading for me is more of an ammo build up and store more than shoot, reload and repeat.

 

[Toprudder]

Before you abandon the LM (or any progressive), consider that the stress level you find in operation is mostly due to the speed of production.

I had not really thought about that, but you are absolutely right! I started with a Dillon 550B (and I don't regret that decision) but I sometimes felt the need to try to speedup to get to the advertised production rate. Once I decided I did not need to go fast, the stress level went away. I am perfectly happy cranking out 250-300 per hour.

I find that I can really cruise along with my single-stage, too, since I don't have to think about anything except the one step I am working on at that time.

 

[41 Mag]

Hammers are good therapy.

^^^^ I agree, but I get plenty of that at work......

I grew up loading on a single stage and it wasn't until I was in my early 20's that my then girlfriend now wife purchased me a RCBS 4x4. This was before I had ever even heard of Dillon.

That said in the months ahead of her purchase, I was easily putting 4-500 rounds a week through a couple of revolvers each, then loading everything back up on that single stage in the evenings. Needless to say I was REALLY working that poor ol thing.

After setting up the 4x4 and learning how to tweak it so I could simply roll along I was easily knocking out several hundred rounds in a couple of hours. This was all fine and well but like mentioned it took away from the real hands on processes.

Don't get me wrong that single stage still rolls out a nice round, but I also have added several others since, along with an RCBS Turret which I picked up for a decent price in new condition, with 6 turrets. To be honest up until this week, it has been turning out more ammo than any of them lately. I did however set up the 4x4 and roll through 5-600 45 ACP loads, with different bullets. The sweet thing is though I only had to load the primers, and set the seater with my dummy rounds for the different profiles. After that rock and roll. I used the same primers and powder charge in them all so it was really easy to do.

Now I will be sitting behind the turret this morning turning out some 454 loads. No sense changing up the arraignment on the progressive when all I have to do on the turret is pull and replace one screw and get going.

 

[ljnowell]

mmorris nailed it. It isn't mandatory that you run a progressive press at warp speed. You can get 150 rounds an hour by pulling the handle on a LCT every 6 seconds or on a progressive by pulling the handle every 24 seconds. Either way gives you plenty of time to check powder level in each case, etc. If you like to run in batch mode, that's a different animal altogether, but it's really up to the operator to set the pace, not the press.

Exactly. I run a pro1000 and I can seriously crank out ammo. I don't though. I usually run about 200rds an hour. On the progressive that's a pretty leisurely pace.

To me it's not about cutting down the time as much as it is reducing the pulls of the handle. 200 rounds on my turret was 800 pulls of the handle. That makes four times as much ammo on my progressive with a lot less work.

 

[Dudedog]

I really enjoy the relaxing atmosphere the slow-pace turret press offers and use it to unwind after a hectic day at work

Yes, I do the same.

I am not trying to set a speed record with the progressive but when I go to it, I go to save time reloading bigger batches of ammo, and the feel is just different for me.
( a little more used to it now, but stand by my orgional statements)
So I wouldn't say I don't like the progressive it's a just tool to accomplish a job for me while the turret is entertainment/relaxation.


PS:
Goofyoldfart, sorry to hear that about the cancer and I understand what it implies.
Having had Pancreatitis, I know how much pain an organ I never thought about can cause.
Opiates can be wonderful when you need them.