To progressive, or not to progressive

[WestKentucky]

With the impending move to a location currently unknown, I have dismounted my single stage and started packing up the gear. I will be buying myself a new toy of some sort to play with once I get settled in at my next place, and I am considering that new toy being a progressive press. I am cheap, so it certainly will not be one of the super-presses like a LNLAP 110v or even a 650. I am looking more towards the Lee pro-1000, or other "low end" progressives. I am also considering a turret. I just can't produce the volume I wish to produce with the caliber count climbing if I continue using my single stage. I'm really looking to load pistol and 5.56.

Currently loading...pistol
32short, long, auto, mag
380
9mm
38spl, 357 mag
38sw

And rifle
223/556
308
270 win
30-30
7-30 waters
256 winmag

So please offer any advice on what to look at and what to avoid. I'm pretty picky about my gear and I will heavily research a press before I buy it.

 

[horsemen61]

Lee classic turret can run as a single stage or a turret I love mine that's what I would do

 

[maxxhavoc]

I have a couple Pro 1000s and don't see any reason to switch to anything else. I played with a LoadMaster and still prefer the Pro 1000. I don't use any more than 3 stations for pistol, so it does fine by me.

With that said, with all the off-press work required for rifle, I do not use the 1000 for them. I resize and decap with a hand press or single stage, prime off-press (better primer feel for those stubborn primer crimps that won't go away) then finish up on a Turret press. Since I only charge and seat using the press at that point, the turret does fine, and is easier to seat finicky .224 bullets on.

 

[45_auto]

If you consider the Hornady and Dillon as "super" presses and won't consider them, then you've pretty much limited yourself to the Lee. Should make your "heavy" research much easier!

 

[GBExpat]

How much ammunition do you go thru?

I replaced my 1974 RCBS JR3 single stage press with a Lee Classic Turret press in Dec'14. I have found that the 200±rds/hr (straight-case pistol) that I can produce fits well with my needs.

The fact that it also easily serves as a single stage press is a big plus.

I can recall reading about Dillons back in the '80s. Tempting. I have considered them several times since then ... but ... they are not a good fit for me when I consider my reloading/shooting needs & patterns.

I have read of some folks who have Dillons setup for just the caliber(s) that they go thru in volume ... and use other presses for for their low-volume calibers.

 

[RandyP]

As others have ably said and I will add my agreement to the growing list...if you can live with 150-175 rounds per hour at a leisurely pace, it would be mighty hard to beat the Lee Classic 4-hole Turret by any standard.

Initial cost, versatility, ease of use, auto-indexing and economy of caliber changes are all typified in the turret. IF you don't need high production.

 

[Schwing]

I had a pro1000 for years before getting my Dillon 650 and still use the Pro1000 for several calibers. I can't recommend it enough if you are on a budget. I have very few issues with mine and it is about as simple to operate as a progressive can be.

Having said that, I do not believe you can reload .308 on it as-is. .223 is doable but you would have to modify the tool head (drill out the center) and manually index to do .308. I have seen people do it with pretty good results but...

 

[Blue68f100]

The LNL-AP would only be a super model if you add all the auto feeders. The std press is designed to run manually with out all the feeders. Which means you feed the brass and bullets. Now the 650 was designed around the brass feeder so it's a pretty much required. The std LNL would be a better choice over the Lee. Hand loading the feed tubes on the Lee takes as much time as it does to manually place the bullet in the cartridge.

 

[joem1945]

Before I started reloading I had saved brass for perhaps 10 years (lots of brass). I bought a Lee C frame press but it broke the pot metal links and it was slow. I bought the 650 and ran it hard for several years to catch up. I still use it and also load on a SS for calibers I don't shoot that much.

 

[WestKentucky]

The electric case feeders are expensive, but are nice in that they do the little thing that would normally make you stop and start quite a bit. I wonder how hard it would be to make something similar to use on the Lee, but maybe have it be a hand operated operation. I haven't ever seen one run so I'm not entirely sure how they are designed.

 

[45_auto]

Now the 650 was designed around the brass feeder so it's a pretty much required.

Now you tell me. Here I've been happily running my 650 for over 20 years without the brass feeder and now I find out that its' a required part!

My 650 feeds brass through a plastic tube that's a couple of feet long. It was the owner's decision whether they needed to stick a brass feeder on the end or not. Have they changed the design to require a brass feeder now?

 

[ATLDave]

If you're reasonably ambidextrous, you can run the Lee turret pretty quickly with one hand running the lever and the other hand feeding bullets, cases, and primers into the machine. And it's super cheap.

 

[ny32182]

I normally load several hundred a week on average, so consider whether that is relevant to you, but my opinion is just save up and get a 650.

You can load anything on it. The only brass processing you have to do off-press is primer crimp removal. Chances are for rifle you will need to run them through twice, once for processing and once for loading, but it definitely beats any of the alternatives unless you get a 1050. Cartridge changes are pretty easy.

I shoot mostly 9mm, so it is set up for that 90% of the time, but I've also loaded .40 and .223. I load some .308 on a turret because that is such low volume for me there is no point in bothering with it on a progressive, but you could load .308 if you wanted, no problem.

And once you've used a case feeder for 5 minutes it will be a required part, so if you don't want to buy one, make sure to never try one.

 

[Hangingrock]

45_auto

If you consider the Hornady and Dillon as "super" presses and won't consider them, then you've pretty much limited yourself to the Lee.

End of search.

 

[WestKentucky]

I didn't eliminate the base lnlap, only the powered version. 400 is at the top of the range I want to spend, but it is in the running. I also would consider used presses.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

With rifle stuff, between sizing, then trimming, chamfer and debur, then finally loading, I'm not fooling with progressive or even my auto indexing Lee turret. It's just not worth it to me. I love loading pistol stuff on the turret because I touch the case one time and don't touch it again until it is a loaded cartridge. With rifle there are still several steps.

Others disagree and load rifle on a progressive and that's fine. I like my method though of keeping rifle stuff single stage and pistol stuff on the turret.

I would like to upgrade to a progressive eventually, but it will be handgun only.

 

[LiveLife]

I am cheap ... I am looking more towards the Lee pro-1000

So please offer any advice on what to look at and what to avoid

If you do any significant volume of pistol reloads, I would suggest progressive over turret.

Since you are reloading multiple calibers, if you want lowest cost progressive with caliber changes, it's hard to beat Pro 1000.

I have several Pro 1000s setup for dedicated calibers along with Classic Turret and 650 with case feeder but often find myself using the Pro 1000 for load development and bulk reloading of 380/9/40/45 loads.

I prefer to load rifle cartridges on single stage.

 

[Teachu2]

My advice is to keep your single stage and add a progressive. I have a LNL-AP and a Rock Chucker II. These days, I buy a lot of factory ammo because the availability of components sucks, the cost savings is small, and my spare time is worth a lot. I rarely load for pistol any more, and prefer the RC for precision rifle and working up loads.

 

[AR-Bossman]

I didn't eliminate the base lnlap, only the powered version. 400 is at the top of the range I want to spend, but it is in the running. I also would consider used presses.

remember you get 500 bullets with the LnL AP...

You won't find many deals on LnL and ESP. Dillon. A few deals are to be had, but you have to be quick and not on Ebay.

 

[double bogey]

For pistol only consider the Dillon square deal b. Dies are proprietary, but it is a true 4 station progressive. And under $400.


I wanted to add, when I first went to a lee classic cast turret, in my enthusiasm for loading faster, I would have an occasional squib. Shooting .44 mag, with cast bullets. Not really a problem for me. I carry a brass rod to push bullets back into the cylinder. When you increase your speed, there will be a higher likelihood for mistakes. None of mine have been overcharges, all have been no powder. Since I went progressive with the 650xl and the SDB have not made those errors.

 

[roval]

I'm very happy with my dillon 550. Going dillon doesn't mean going 650. Square deal is even less expensive but i don't know how easy it is to switch calibers. I thought it was caliber specific. But i see caliber conversion kits so obviously not.

Try reading Brian Enos FAQS regarding 550 vs 650, if only to research on a progressive press purchase. I think some of the points raised can be applied to different brands and models.

 

[jmorris]

The electric case feeders are expensive, but are nice in that they do the little thing that would normally make you stop and start quite a bit. I wonder how hard it would be to make something similar to use on the Lee, but maybe have it be a hand operated operation. I haven't ever seen one run so I'm not entirely sure how they are designed.

Not that hard if you have stuff and things that can turn it into other stuff.

This is one I did for an RCBS press using cheap Lee parts and things I had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hObNbSATBOE

This is one I did for a Dillon SD with scrap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUdzxJenkX0

Collators can be made too and what you will want if your aim is to speed production. You don't gain much if you have to drop things base down into a tube vs putting it into the shell plate (or onto a case mouth with bullet feeders).

This is a Lee Loadmaster I converted to collated case and bullet feed, 100 rounds loaded in under 4 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9pjmuHAkBU

 

[rbt50]

if it were me I would get a Dillon 550. I have had lots of different presses over the years and do most of my reloading on a Dillon 550 or single stage. I also have Dillon 650 , hornady lnl that get very little use.














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[springer99]

I was in your position a while ago and was using a Lee Classic Cast Turret for many years. I honestly think that if you're happy with producing around 125-160/hr, in multiple rifle/pistol calibers, it's hard to find a better press. The LCT press is strong, compact, highly repeatable, and easy to change-over if you buy some spare turrets.

That being said, I just made the switch to a Hornady LnL press as I wanted a bit more production. I didn't want to go Dillon SDB as I have all the dies I need and want to load rifle and pistol cases. Going to a manually indexing progressive like the 550 just seemed like almost stepping backwards. Their 650 just was more than I was looking for right now and the price was off-putting.. They do have a great reputation for quality and service and have a lifetime warranty. Of course, so does the Hornady. Having a Cabelas coupon, coupled with free 500 bullets, made my decision an easy one. I figure I'm only out of pocket for around $250 when the dust settled.

So for now the Lee press, powder measure and turrets are packed up and put on the shelf, and I'm into a new kinda' red.

 

[thomas15]

A turret press is a single stage press with the ability to hold multiple dies and/or other accessories at the same time. A turret press is not a progressive press and nothing available to the hobbyist handloader except a progressive press can make anywhere near 400-500+ rounds of ammo per hour.

I'm sure some of the calibers you handload for are small quantity use. So for those why not consider just using your single stage? Then do an analysis of the amount of ammo you need or want to need for your big quantity users and then decide if having the capacity of a progressive press is for you?

This is for most of us a hobby and with hobbies I think we can purchase what we want not what a balance sheet dictates. So if you want a progressive press get one.

I know that there are some who use Lee progressive presses and have few complaints but if your loading for the sheer joy of handloading then why not save your money and get the press that will give you the most joy? While your waiting for the funds to accumulate you can still make ammo and shoot your guns using the press you already own. I vote for saving up for one of the super progressives.