best reloading press for beginners

[NyFirefighter357]

Lee classic turret

[RED BEAR]

I have been loading with the same lee classic single stage press for 40+ years. I did rebuild it a little while back and tightened it up better than new. Never saw a reason to change. I did buy a smartloader c press mainly because i wanted to see what a $13 dollar press looked like. I will admit it ain't the best but it does work and for thirteen dollars what the heck. I think a lee turret press is a good press. I like the single stage as i weigh every charge.

[onelight]

If you are just getting started you as has been pointed out you have many items you need in addition to a press ,manuals , a good scale , a few case prep items , powder measure , dies ,
Shell holder , you will want a press that will accept a primer feed or a hand priming kit ,if you maximum loads you will want a powder trickler.
I have 2 electronic scales but I have much more confidence in my old Lyman beam scale. A good scale is one of the most important items you need. I’m not a fan of the Lee scale.
The point of this ramble is you have to decide how much you want to invest to start.
The Lee classic cast turret is probably the most bang for your buck and many experienced reloaders keep and use them even after getting much more expensive equipment.
You can add a powder measure and primer feed to it and still be less than $200.00
A good scale will be another $100. + or - if you go with this press get the Lee 4 die set another 40 to 50.00

[juggernault98]

I went with a turret press from midwayusa.. Two years later in ready to upgrade to a progressive.

[gypsyman]

Start out with what you can comfortably afford. You can upgrade later, if you decide to really get into hand loading. I spent less than a $100 on a Rock Chucker press, Lyman balance beam scale, powder, primers, bullets. Of course that was 1975.

[Wayne Smith]

Of your choices the Lee Cast single stage press - it is strong, versatile, and doesn't dump spent primers all over the floor!

Start with a single stage press for the above stated reasons and one more - you will make mistakes. It is much nicer to recognize a mistake when you have loaded five or ten rounds. Much more of a problem when you are 100-300 rounds in.

All of my currently used presses were purchased used. They basically don't wear out. My only new press is my Buchannon - and I'm about to loan that to a friend to learn on! Unfortunately prices on e-Bay are such that you will spend as much on a used RockChucker as the Lee press new and still have spent primers going everywhere - thus the advice to get the Lee new.

[Froogal]

what is the best reloading press for someone who is just getting into reloading? ive been looking around and i was thinking about the lee classic turret press or the lee 1000. what do you guys think? im mostly going to be reloading for 357 magnum

Lee single stage anniversary kit. You don't need a turret until you know exactly what happens at which stage of the reloading process and can observe the quantity of powder that is dropped, etc. Reloading is not a show of strength, nor is it a race to see how quickly you can get done.

[str8wal]

classic turret press

Been using one for decades, but have never used it as "progressive". The advantage to me is changeovers. To change to a different chambering all you need do is swap out the turret. To change processes all you need to is twist the turret. The only disadvantage is primer ejection as many wind up on the floor. The Lee breechlock press has a much better primer system and is still pretty quick to change processes if you get the bushings.

[rbuck351]

Any used single stage cast iron press with compound linkage and a primer arm. This press you will keep forever. By the time you get loading figured out you will know what you want next. That and a decent manual scale and a couple (or more) of loading manuals, dies and shell holder and you can start loading. There are more items that you will want but get started so you can figure out what you will want to make loading easier and faster.

[Taterhead]

Not many of us have just one press. I grow weary loading high volume ammo on a SS, and a turret wouldn't be quick enough. So the short-sighted view asks which press. The long view is what is the right path to presses that will cover all bases.

New loaders have a very narrow view. They don't realize that mission creep is real. How many of us load for far more cartridges now than we envisioned when starting out?

This is why I recommend a good SS kit like the Rock Chucker master reloading kit. A good SS is invaluable. Always useful. And the accompanying gear is great.

Then as the reloader gains experience and context, the path to a higher volume companion press is better informed.

[Pete44mag]

I started a little over two years ago reloading for the first time. I read several books including the Lee Manual before I started to see if it was what I wanted to do. A friend gave me a life time loan of a RCBS Rock Chucker to load 9mm. After about 1000 rounds I moved on to a Dillion 550c because of the amount of ammo I was using per month. (You don't save money reloading you shoot way more!) I still have the Rock Chucker mounted to my bench and use it for any number of reasons. My friend was smart enough and had enough experience reloading to know he was not getting that single stage press back. You will not go wrong by starting on a single stage press because it will show you step by step how to reload. Another benefit of a SS press is you will always use it in the future no matter what type of progressive press is in your future. Get several good manuals, follow them, be save and the very best of luck to you!!!

[Froogal]

I started a little over two years ago reloading for the first time. I read several books including the Lee Manual before I started to see if it was what I wanted to do. A friend gave me a life time loan of a RCBS Rock Chucker to load 9mm. After about 1000 rounds I moved on to a Dillion 550c because of the amount of ammo I was using per month. (You don't save money reloading you shoot way more!) I still have the Rock Chucker mounted to my bench and use it for any number of reasons. My friend was smart enough and had enough experience reloading to know he was not getting that single stage press back. You will not go wrong by starting on a single stage press because it will show you step by step how to reload. Another benefit of a SS press is you will always use it in the future no matter what type of progressive press is in your future. Get several good manuals, follow them, be save and the very best of luck to you!!!

My thoughts exactly. I wasn't sure how much I would like reloading, or not like it all, so I didn't want to invest a lot of money for stuff that would just be abandoned and neglected. The Lee single stage filled that bill very nicely. 6 years later, that press is still serving all my needs. I may eventually add a second press, but I doubt I will ever feel the need for a turret or progressive press.

[Livin_cincy]

I would never recommend a SS press unless you know you will need one for a specific caliber. Otherwise after you move on you will keep it dedicate it to a function that you can do on your new press. They become " My First Press " trophy.

The Turret Press is superior in that you can complete a round without changing dies.

The Lee self indexing designs are excellent for handgun calibers. The ability to manually index is often preferred for rifle calibers.

The Lyman 8 station & Redding 7 station turrets are manual indexing and great for all Rifle & handgun Calibers.

The Dillon 550 is a pseudo progressive / turret since you must manually index them. It is a time tested & proven design.

The year old Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro is an interesting design that does not fully fit into the which type of press box. It seems it is closest to a Dillon 550 than anything else. The first station is directly over the ram so it is great for anything you might need a single stage for. The other three stations make it a progressive in the sense that it will make a completed round with each pull. It does not produce the output of a fully progressive press as priming & case feeding is manual s it comes out of the box.

[15meter]

Of your choices the Lee Cast single stage press - it is strong, versatile, and doesn't dump spent primers all over the floor!

I've cured 99% of the primers on the floor on my old Rockchuckers by putting a short piece of McDonald's drink straw in the ram, it channels the primers down and lets them drop neatly into the primer catcher.

I think the new Rockchucker drops the primers out the back of the ram into a redesigned primer catcher. Still like RCBS.

[kmw1954]

Everyone has 2 cent so here is mine.

In your very first post you clearly state that you will be loading mostly 357mag., not rifle which in my mind makes a difference. I started long ago on a Single stage press and also was only loading for 357. While the single stage press was simple, safe and adequate it was slow and tedious for doing large amounts of pistil rounds. The because of life changes I retired from shooting for a long time.

A few years ago I found myself back to shooting which once again lead to reloading. From past experience I already knew I did not want to do it all over again with a single stage press. Today I have 4 presses; a single stage RCBS JR3, Lee 3 hole turret, Lee Pro1000 and a Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro. They all end up with the exact same finished product. Put 4 boxes of the same load on the shooting bench and I could not tell you which press they came off of! The difference is in the time it takes to produce those boxes.

I see absolutely no difference in use between a single stage press and any turret press other than a turret press one can mount all the dies at one time. They still only get used one at a time, this is not a multi station progressive press. So if you feel the need to batch load then do it. To me the decision between a single stage or a turret press is a non-issue. Just buy one of the mainstream presses and it will last for years regardless of Brand.

As to actually buying equipment I have to agree with a few others here and spend the time to look in the used market. As stated it takes a lot to wear one of these presses out and an abused one will show it with broken or missing pcs and covered in dirt or rust. 3 of the 4 presses I have were all purchased used and at a fraction of the cost of new. Also by looking used at times you will come across a bundle sale with the press and a bunch of other stuff included. Then if you find a nice used single stage press for cheap, buy it, use it and keep looking for that next used press, be it a turret or a full blown progressive.

Good luck and keep us informed of your results!

[pertnear]

+1 Get a single stage. If you become an avid reloader you'll always find it handy, even if you buy the most expensive progressive.
+1 Check for used to save $$. It would be very hard to ever wear a press out. Besides, all major brands have ridiculously good warranties!

...enough said JIMHO!

[Maine1]

lee hand press.
You will learn every step intimately, have to pay attention, and your entire kit will be mobile and compact.
Once you upgrade to a bench mounted press, your dies will transfer, and you will STILL have a mobile setup.

I learned on a used Dillon 550. made a lot of mistakes that could have been avoided if I had started with the hand press, or a simple single stage press.

[1hole]

A lot of avid loaders tilt new reloaders towards what they wish they had done from the first. Thing is, only a few new guys will ever be picky or high volume loaders. IMHO, every new loader will be best served with basic tools and simple presses, i.e., single stages; I'd guess that 90% (plus) of loaders will never need a turret, progressive OR a high dollar press of any kind. That leaves us with single stage presses.

Now, which SS to suggest to noobs? Well, some happy advisors will tout their 30-50 year old RCBS Rock Chuckers that still do good work.; I'm sure they're correct in that. My own RC II, which was purchased in 1990, is as good (or bad, due to it's poor spent primer catching) as new but ... I've used a lot of presses over the last 50 years and don't think RC's have a single advantage over any other maker's heavy built single stage press, at any price. No matter how heavily anyone gets into reloading he will always have occasional need for a single stage so it's not money wasted.

IF I had to replace my trusty old RC II tomorrow I'd get a Lee Classic Cast and I suggest it to all new reloaders. Lee's massive cast iron CC is the best dollar value single stage press on the market. It has a much better auto-prime feed system, and spent primer catcher system than others AND it has a fully adjustable lever. New guy or old guy, what's not to love?

Wellll ... I don't care for any maker's current fad of a "quick twist" die holder system, including Lee's. Hand tightened dies can be quickly swapped and there's no need to wrench them down anyway. I'd pay extra just to have the plain ol' 7/8" x 14 threads in a press.

[daloper]

First I will say Welcome to this madness. I use the Lee classic turret. I see you are in Michigan, what part? If you are just getting started maybe someone close by will give a hand showing you the ropes. I use the extra space for my powder cop die to check the powder throw with. Before I had that I would measure every charge before charging the case. I load for different hand gun calipers so the turrets are easy to change once they are set up. When I get home I will check around the bench to see if I have a spare Lee single stage press laying around. If I find one you can have it. I will pm you if I find it so that I can get an address to mail it to.

[kmw1954]

One take on buying used.

I see 2 main reasons for used equipment. One being that the owner purchased the stuff, loaded for a while and either lost interest or found that reloading wasn't for them. The others are caused by upgrades and people need more space on the bench.