So how many presses do you have

[gahunter12]

I currently have 2 Dillon RL550b, and a RCBS Rock Chucker. One of my RL550b's runs everything with small primers, and the other runs large primers. My RC runs my hunting loads for 7mm Remmag, and .300WM. I mainly keep my small primer 550 set up for .40s&w since I shoot 1,500+ rounds of .40s&w per month for IDPA, and practice. I have tool heads for each caliber with powder measures, and dies. I can swap from .40 to .38, or .223 in about 3min. My plan is to get another RL550b just for .223 since I shoot 800-1000 rounds per month. That is after I get my Reloading shop built. The wife said I could break ground on my 16'x16' shop on Jan 2nd.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Rushthezeppelin, if that's your plan, instead of just depriming the 9mm cases, I would deprime and resize on the single stage press at the same time. You'll be amazed how smooth reloading on Pro 1000 is with resized brass as you only need to flare the case neck and seat/taper crimp. With resized brass, you can even seat and taper crimp in separate stations.

I already basically this. Since 9mm is short I dont even have to take out the index rod, just keep my press towards the top of the stroke. I'm one of the lucky ones who has never had problems seating and crimping on the same die but thats probably due to my bullet choice (150gr swcs that seat halfway into the case) creating alot of neck tension only requiring me to remove belling.

 

[Bud0505]

So I would really be better off with a quick change assembly for my 550B. Yes? No?

Yes you would IMHO. I load 9mm, .38spl, .357 mag, 45 ACP and .45 Colt. I have tool heads for each caliper and swap out the powder measure when I change from one caliper to another. I actually have separate tool heads and dies for .38 spl, .38 spl wadcutter and .357 mag. Swapping calipers is not all that time consuming and I will load all SPP rounds I need before switching to LPP calipers.

 

[DM~]

You certainly don't-won't need as many as i have, ONE single stage press will do everything you need done, just a little slower than having a progressive press...

DM

 

[ranger335v]

"I've noticed others have one press for every handgun caliber they shoot. The thought has occured to me that this may be a time saving option. What do you think"

I think that's a fine idea. Save the time for finding and setting up dies and such; do it for all of your rifles too. (For me it would require some 6 handgun, 9 rifle and 2 shotgun presses, but ... it would save minutes of time per loading session! )

 

[ess45]

I have 2 progressives, 1 turret and 2 single stage.

 

[lauderdale]

I Have 1 Dillion SDB for 45acp 40S&W 9MIL. 380 and a rock chuker on the way.
I don't really find changing out the primers are all that bad.

 

[kudu]

8 presses.

4 Mec Grabbers in 12,20,28, .410 gauges
1 RCBS Rock Chucker older press
1 Lee Challenger O-frame
1 Dillon RL550
1 Dillon 300 old Dillon original

 

[cfullgraf]

I currently have ten presses.

In order of appearance

RCBS Reloader Special
Four MEC 600jr's (12, 20, 28 gauges and .410 bore)
Redding Boss
Hornady L-N-L
Two Dillon SDB's (45 ACP and 9x19)
RCBS Pro2000

I have equipment to load for 30 different cartridges plus 4 shot gun.

The Reloader Special has been retired to mostly decapping duties.

 

[1911Teacher]

Two. One is a 550 in .45ACP and the other a square deal 9mm.

 

[HexHead]

Two. RCBS RC Supreme and Dillon 550b. I use the RCBS for pulling bullets, depriming military brass, and loading batches of pistol or rifles ammo in smaller quantities where it doesn't make sense to buy the Dillon parts for another caliber.

 

[horseman1]

Unlike most of the rest here I have just one, a Redding Boss. I'm slow but the press makes good ammo if I do my part correctly. I use the Hornady die rings on all my dies and that helps keeps things in adjustment for a pretty fast swap from one die to another. Well, fast enough for now . Demand will go up when the weather gets warmer I suppose.....

 

[James2]

Just one single stage.

 

[Hanshi]

Three; a Dillon 550 (B)?, and two RCBS Rockchuckers.

 

[taraquian]

Just the one. A lee turret, use the auto index for pistol and have 2 rifle die sets on a disk for single stage use with no setup time

 

[Nanook]

I have 2 Dillon 550B presses, one each for large and small primers. I also have an old RCBS Reloader Special single stage. And then a Redding T-7 turret press which is used for accurate rifles.

Overkill perhaps, but it works for me. I use a Rock Dock to move the T-7 and the RCBS around as needed. The two Dillons are on strong mounts so they're fixed.

I used the Dillons mostly for handguns, but also for AR ammo which it handles very well.

If I came across an old RCBS Rock Chucker, I'd probably bite on it just because I like those presses.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO spending all that money buying 4 Dillon progressive presses just to save 15 to 20 minutes changing things over is ridiculous! Really????

 

[kostner]

Have four
2 SDB's 45 & 9mm & 38/357
Mec Jr 12 gage
LCT 223, 3006, 30-30

I cast for all of them but the 12 ga. slug & 00 buck are the most fun.

 

[blarby]

7, not counting all the lee handloaders.

 

[Elkins45]

RCBS Reloader Special 3 for rifle
2 Lee Pro 1000, one originally in 45acp, the other a converted turret press for 300blk
Lee turret press for non-progressive handgun loading

 

[Arkansas Paul]

My dad, brother and I pitch in on reloading tools and equipment. We currently have 4 presses.

1 - RCBS Reloader Special
1 - Lee Challenger Breechlock
1 - old Lyman aluminum press that we use with the Lee cast bullet sizer dies
1 - Lee 4-hole turret press with extra heads for pistol calibers

We plan on eventually getting a progressive. Prolly will be a Dillon 550B or a Hornady LNL.

 

[cfullgraf]

IMO spending all that money buying 4 Dillon progressive presses just to save 15 to 20 minutes changing things over is ridiculous! Really????

Maybe the reasoning is similar to the fellows that will not reload because their time is too valuable.

For a Dillon SDB, the cartridge change kit including a powder measure is about half the cost of a whole SDB. For the couple of cartridges that I load the same thing year in and year out, and the low cost of the SDB, it makes sense to me.

But then, I do not size cases at the same time as loading and I use a hand primer for my progressives.

 

[jmorris]

IMO spending all that money buying 4 Dillon progressive presses just to save 15 to 20 minutes changing things over is ridiculous! Really????

I guess that depends on how often you would have to change them out and how much money you are willing to spend to not have to.

One could say the same thing about spending $20,000 or $30,000 on a boat, motorcycle or swimming pool that you only get to use a few times a year. Some people actually have all of the above so they don't even get to use any of them as much as someone who only owned one.

For that matter it would be silly to buy a calculator to solve math problems you learned how to solve with a pencil in grade school or a microwave to pop corn than would only take 3 more minutes to pop on the stove top.

It's just different strokes for different folks.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I guess that depends on how often you would have to change them out and how much money you are willing to spend to not have to.

One could say the same thing about spending $20,000 or $30,000 on a boat, motorcycle or swimming pool that you only get to use a few times a year. Some people actually have all of the above so they don't even get to use any of them as much as someone who only owned one.

For that matter it would be silly to buy a calculator to solve math problems you learned how to solve with a pencil in grade school or a microwave to pop corn than would only take 3 more minutes to pop on the stove top.

It's just different strokes for different folks.

I understand your point but some of your examples are very different than buying 4 of the same exact very expensive tools just to save a few minutes.

BTW, I don't own a pool or a boat and I have had my bike a good long time...

 

[medalguy]

I have 5 Dillon 550s, set up for 9mm, .45 ACP, .30-06, 7.62 x 51, and 5.56.

I have 2 Rockchuckers, and 2 Lyman Spartans.

Generally I deprime and resize on the Rockchuckers and then finish loading on the Dillons. The Rockchuckers and Spartans I use for those really infrequent odd calibers that I load maybe once every couple of years.

As far as the time to change over, multiply 20 minutes times 10 times a month times 30 years since I bought my first Dillon press. Time does add up.