Hey folks,
Regarding ArchAngel's response to flash, his response is reflective of what I meant about many folks who start with a progressive press never have an understanding nor an appreciation for the utility of a really good single stage press. I may be wrong about ArchAngel, but I suspect he is one of those folk who jumped right in with a progressive model and are only concerned with how many bullets he can make in an hour.
ArchAngel states, "I just find it painfully slow to reload handgun rounds or high volume rifle rounds like the .223 on a single stage press." I would submit that reloading is not about pain; it is an interesting and relaxing pastime that should be enjoyed, not looked at as drudgery to go through just so you can blast thousands of rounds away on a Saturday.
The person who started the thread, Dave, says he is a beginner and would like to start with a .40 pistol round and the .223 and .308 rifle rounds. He did not say he was blasting thousands of rounds on the weekend, and he also indicated he was concerned about his budget. Most folks I know in the reloading practice started the same way; they were concerned about saving pennies and started with a single stage press. This gave them valuable experience over the years before they had some additional funds available to buy a progressive press. Like most others in my generation, I kept my single stage press when I bought my progressive press (Hornady L&L) many years ago.
I shoot hand gun calibers as well as semi auto rifle calibers, and I do use my progressive press when I have a large batch to do, but I do not blast thousands of rounds on any weekend (very few people do, actually). I also find I have many small batches of rounds to load for testing purposes, and this work I do on one or more of my single stage presses. If all I had was a progressive press, this would not be as convenient as it is with having a single stage press. ArchAngel recommends using the Lee Classic Turret press in a single stage mode by stopping the auto index, and I would submit that this is not anywhere near the same as having a single stage press. I know others say they can reload single stage on their Dillons or Hornadys, and I would again submit this is not the same as the convenience of having a good solid single stage press to use instead of the progressives.
I like having my progressive press and find it to be extremely useful. But I also like and need my single stage press which is also extremely useful. Those who suggest starting with a progressive press are missing out on a very valuable tool as well as a very valuable learning experience. If all you care about is how many rounds you can load in an hour, why by a cheap Lee, Dillon, or Hornady progressive? Why not just go to a commercial machine that doesn't even have a handle to pull?
As far as pistol rounds and "high volume" rounds as mentioned by ArchAngel, I know a lot of folks who loaded these rounds for many years on single stage presses and did quite well. I also know some folks who still use old Lyman 310 Nutcracker hand tools and are quite satisfied and content. I like them all and reject none. They all have advantages.
The single stage press, however, has the advantage of being a fairly inexpensive way to get started making precision ammunition at home, and that is what the original thread starter was asking about. Progressive presses are not inexpensive in any way. In fact, the Lyman 310 tool is more expensive if you are going to load for a half dozen calibers - but it does have its own unique character.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile