Turret or Progressive required for pistol ammo?

[oneounceload]

Sure, it'd be a pain to size one case, then change a die, prime and bell the case and change the die, seat one bullet and then start all over again but that's just not the way single stage press reloaders with half a brain do things.

Amen to that - went back to using my RCBS Jr after getting rid of a Dillon 550 - too many issues with primer feeding and the powder measure for 223 rifle - sold it for what I paid for it.

Like you said, I reload pistol in two sessions - size/deprime/reprime and bell the mouth in one. Later, I'll fill and add the bullet - can load all I need, with no major issues. Of course, I also don't go to a range and try to spray and pray 200 rounds in 30 minutes either.

It would be interesting to see how many progressive folks only shoot autos.....IMO, there seems to be a connection......

 

[Floppy_D]

Sure, it'd be a pain to size one case, then change a die, prime and bell the case and change the die, seat one bullet and then start all over again but that's just not the way single stage press reloaders with half a brain do things.

Right, because that's what I suggested in my post.

@ OP: When I loaded pistol on a single-stage, I worked in batches, like krs... I just didn't have the time to make the amount of ammo I wanted to shoot. The numbers that you list would make a single-stage viable, but if you find yourself shooting more, that turret might look tempting.

I still say turret.

 

[ohioshooter]

I say for what you shoot in a month, a single stage would be great or a turret press. I'm new to reloading and and I have both and if time isn't a factor for you then take your time and enjoy it rather than just making mass quantities just for the sake of being able to do it. You'll get addicted like everyone else and you miss the whole enjoyment process of it if you just crank bullets out without taking the time to process mentally what you are doing. IMO it's easier to tinker with different things on my single stage before I try them on my turret and I probably got both of my presses for less than the cost of most progressives.

 

[nulfisin]

Don't get ahead of yourself

Progressives are great if you really, really shoot a lot of rounds. In fact, they're almost a necessity. Otherwise, I don't see the value -- especially if you're just starting out.

I returned to handloading in the past year with the Lyman turret. It's a great tool, although I'm sure the Lee and others do the same job just as well. I can easily crank out 100 rounds in an hour, more if I try. I don't shoot more than a couple hundred rounds (all calibers included) per month, so a progressive would be a waste of money for a shooter like me.

Finally, consider quality. A progressive certainly can make perfect rounds. You do, however, need to inspect all your work for quality, just as you woud with any other press.

 

[ranger335v]

"A good inexpensive set up is Lee's Classic Cast "O" single stage press and Lee's Classic Cast turret. Of course you still need all the trimin's. Like caliper, case trimmer, dies, turrets (if you get the Lee turret), manual or two, etc, etc.... }

Very good advise from a man who knows what he's talkng about.

As the owner of a conventional turret press let me say that no turret (EXCEPT the Lee Classic Turret) is a really good option. I keep mine - it's been paid for over 40 years now - but I rarely use it anymore, and then only for specific purposes, not for normal loading. I only use a single stage because my ammo volume is not great.

The Lee Classic (all-steel body) Turret is big and strong enough to load any conventional cartridge as well as any single stage. The well supported turret can be used fixed OR as a sort of semi-progressive/auto-indexed system so it's much faster than manually rotating the turret. It's unique in that the turret heads are actually inexpensive enough and simple/fast enough to swap out to have a head set up for each cartridge you load for.

I do perfer single stages and would gladly swap my old but perfect condition Rock Chucker II for a new Lee Classic Cast single stage, even trade. Fact is, the Lee is bigger, stronger and has much better user features than my RC, including a spent primer catcher that works!