What progressive press do you use

Which Progreesive press do yo uuse?

  • Dillon

    Votes: 122 46.0%

  • Hornady LnL AP

    Votes: 76 28.7%

  • Lee loadmaster or Pro 1000

    Votes: 46 17.4%

  • RCBS Pro 2000

    Votes: 21 7.9%
  • Total voters
    265
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My LNL AP arrives tomorrow. I only have space for one press, and need to load multiple calibers. Looking at the price (net of the bullet offer), caliber and primer change cost/conveniece, superior powder measure and relative operating speed, the choice for me was a no-brainer.
 
Dillon 550B for the past 15 years. It's great for working up loads or banging out your favorite. I loaded literally tens of thousands of pistol and rifle loads on it and the only part that has broken so far is the primer return spring. Actually the spring was still usable but Dillon sent me another one for free anyway. Can't beat their customer service.
 
Started looking at the blue press last fall, but after more research, and the free bullets, I am fine tuning a new Hornady LNL-AP. Just great so far, and yes, I am a sucker for freebies.
 
After getting my Loadmaster all tuned up and dialed in, its a nice step up from my Pro1000.

The only step up at this point is the Dillon 650XL.
 
I started on the cheap with a Lee Challenger kit. I used that for a couple years and then decided to try a progressive Dillon out and bought the Square Deal B. I used that for a week or so and decided it made more sense to get the 550B and returned the SDB and bought the 550B. I ended up buying and selling used presses for a while and in the process got a couple 650 presses for my needs. When a great deal on a used 1050 came my way I sold the two 650 presses. I still have my 550B and load most of my reloads on the 1050. I'm a Dillon fan, but have heard good things about the Hornady progressive too. Had I not been finding all the used Dillon presses when I did, I probably would have been happy with the two 550B presses I had.
 
RCBS Pro2000, great press, great customer support.

It was a tough decision with all the Dillon fans out there trying to convince me otherwise. At any rate I had had experience with the APS system with my bench mount model and thought that the system would be great on a progressive. I also liked the idea of 5 stations verses 4 with the 550, gave me a place to put a lockout die.

As far as caliber changeovers, the powder measure is easy to adjust and the die plates make it a snap to switch calibers. I have no doubt the other brands are great machines, but I sure am happy with my RCBS.
 
LoadMaster here, never posessed any of the Dillon or RCBS stuff, but my friends swore by them. (Hey, I had to be different)

I chose the Lee product because I found the press to be solid, and for $215 I was able to have a complete press, set of dies, brass feeder and auto primer and carbide dies for .45 ACP ready to go. With carbide die sets running less than $25, I saw a nice, quality and economical solution for my reloading needs.

Been using it for quite a while now and have run into zero mechanical issues. All of my reloads chamber and fire just fine, no issues with primer installation or mis-sets, haven't crushed any plated rounds due to poor case sizing or crimp operations. I may change my song in a few years, but so far the LoadMaster has been better than I expected based on my opinionated Dillon-ites friends!
 
I have a Dillon 550, a Lee LoadMaster and a RCBS AmmoMaster. I'm probably the exception to the rule here but don't have any major complaints about any of them. Originally I had serious issues with the RCBS but they stood behind their product and repaired the problems with the priming set up and all is well now. I don't like RCBS's lock rings on their dies, I've changed the RCBS dies to use Lee's lock rings on their dies. I've also had minor problems with Lee's priming system with most of the problem stemming from the use of plastic parts in the primer feed. I now know what to look for and change the part when there is sign of wear and have no problems with this press (I keep spare plastic parts on hand). The Dillon has been rock solid and the only downside (if it could be considered such) is the fact that it's not fully automatic (the user advances the rotation of the shell holder on this model). I've added most of the bells and whistles to this press and really like Dillon's roller handle. I've also added the most of the available upgrades to the other presses mentioned (case feeder, bullet feeder, low powder monitor, low powder lockout dies etc.) For the most part I just keep a certain set of dies on changeable die plates and use whichever press is set up for that caliber as opposed to having one favorite press. When push comes to shove and all is working the way it's supposed to work the Lee probably pushes out the most ammo in the least amount of time.

I have an RCBS RockChucker and a Lee Big Classic press for rifle cartridges. I use the Classic for loading .50 BMG.
 
I voted early on and have been following the poll. To be honest, I was surprised that many people checked in with Dillons. I've not known many Dillon owners--but I run in a pretty small local world and most of my shooting associates are pretty much "good value" type buyers.

It would be interesting to see this poll done again, with a breakout of the different models of current progressive presses--e.g., the Dillon SDB, 550, 650, and 1050; the Lee Pro 1000 and Load-Master, etc.--(I'm not up to speed on current Hornady and RCBS models).

Jim H.
 
I have 7 presses:

My main progressive press is a Dillon XL650.

My 2nd progressive press is a Dillon XL650.

My 3rd progressive press is a Dillon 550B.

My Turret press is a Redding T7.

My First press is my old RCBS Rockchucker.

My last purchased press is my Lee Challenger Press.

My favorite press is my Lee Classic Cast single stage.


LGB.
 
Dillon 550B

Oh, yes!

I load 12-15 thousand rounds a year in over a dozen calibers, mostly handgun, but also .223, .308, .30-06, 7.62x39, (oh, gosh, more like 20 calibers) :evil:

It's a HUGE productivity tool. It's the only progressive I've ever owned in nearly 40 years of handloading. I can crank out ammo like a small factory. The Dillon has very elegant features like quick-change toolheads and all. Dillon also has very helpful people on their hotline AND truly, as they claim, a "no-BS warranty policy." I've bought boatloads of loading equipment and work it hard sometimes. The couple times I needed a minor part (usually my fault) they helped me on the phone and sent a free part ASAP. For MY purposes - Dillon's the number one choice and the standard by which I judge others. They're so good, in fact, that I buy from them as the "favorite provider" of most of what I buy.

I won't say ill about anybody else's rig - because I haven't used them - but I am one contented customer and I am PICKY.:)
 
Guess!

Better dead than RED. J/K Dillon 550 also. Awesome machine. Love it, 60,000+ rifle and pistol rounds and still love it!
 
RCBS Pro 2000 auto indexing

Comparable to the Dillon 650, but simpler, with fewer and tougher moving parts (to keep clean, lubed, and working). It has a superior and safer primer feed system, and much faster (not to mention, considerably cheaper) caliber changes. The true sleeper of Progressive Presses, and now RCBS makes a bullet feeder for it.:)

P.S. RCBS's service is the equal of Dillon's. I've never paid for my own mistakes for 35 years.;)
 
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