What's the difference between different brands of presses?

[6bg6ga]

Gentlemen I'm very sorry for forgetting that not everyone is capable of operating a press that is more complicated than a single stage press. Damn good thing they make the cheap single stage presses for those of you starting out. Your absolutely right in your thought process. A short time back I purchased a Lyman -T- Mag press for the wife so she could learn to reload beside me and now she has graduated to a Dillon 550 and has her eye on my 650.

[kmw1954]

Gentlemen I'm very sorry for forgetting that not everyone is capable of operating a press that is more complicated than a single stage press. Damn good thing they make the cheap single stage presses for those of you starting out. Your absolutely right in your thought process. A short time back I purchased a Lyman -T- Mag press for the wife so she could learn to reload beside me and now she has graduated to a Dillon 550 and has her eye on my 650.

Now there is a nice and very condescending comment for the rest of us.

[6bg6ga]

Now there is a nice and very condescending comment for the rest of us.

And thank you for pointing it out. Give yourself a pat on the back

[fast ronnie]

I know this has been beat to death, but will still offer my opinion.
A beginning loader should start with a single stage press, and if not sure if you will stick with it or enjoy it, try to find a good used press. I have purchased a couple of used Rock Chuckers for $50. That way, if you decide this is not for you, you can pretty much get all of your money back. If you stay with it, a good single stage will last a lifetime and for small batches is the ideal way to go.This way you can learn the basics first. After the basics have been mastered, one can step up to a progressive if so desired. A progressive can load a lot of good rounds in a hurry, but by the same standard, can load many bad rounds in the same amount of time.
I recently had to disassemble 400 rounds because I forgot to check for stainless pins inside the cases after tumbling. (I didn't find a single one) I do use a progressive (SDB2) that I traded from a friend who never used it. (literally had never been out of the box) I load several different rounds on it, but still use one of my Rock Chuckers for rifle and for short runs of different sorts.

This doesn't seem to be the case with the OP, but is a word for newbys. Get what suits your needs and budget best, but learn the basics first, and the first is a good loading manual. After 40 years, I still get out the manuals and read the "how to" sections from time to time. It is easy to forget some things through habit or whatever. This is one hobby that is not a real good idea to make mistakes, as they can be costly.

[kmw1954]

And thank you for pointing it out. Give yourself a pat on the back

And Thank You! But I am not into self aggrandizement like someone here!

[6bg6ga]

I disagree whole heatedly. Why take baby steps when with a little thought and patience you can buy once and save yourself a good deal of money. You don't need to start with a single stage press. Reloading isn't complicated. Its very easy to set up a FL die and then set up the next stage/die and so forth.

[kmw1954]

I disagree whole heatedly. Why take baby steps when with a little thought and patience you can buy once and save yourself a good deal of money. You don't need to start with a single stage press. Reloading isn't complicated. Its very easy to set up a FL die and then set up the next stage/die and so forth.

You sir are a joke. There are no baby steps involved here and neither is there patience or intelligence. You have made it perfectly clear by your comments that there in no reason for any other press than a Dillon. You have pointed that out in every topic where this has come up, not just this one. You refuse to accept that not everyone that reloads and uses a reloading press needs a multi-function progressive reloading press yet you keep preaching the same sermon.

Then you come here and offer such a condescending comment insulting everyone that disagrees with you I find silly and disparaging.

[XDROB]

I disagree whole heatedly. Why take baby steps when with a little thought and patience you can buy once and save yourself a good deal of money. You don't need to start with a single stage press. Reloading isn't complicated. Its very easy to set up a FL die and then set up the next stage/die and so forth.

As I stated in my previous post, I think a beginner should start with a single stage press. It teaches you what each step is. And teaches you safety. What not to do or what to look for.

I started to research reloading. Read a bunch of how does. When I had finished my research I was ready to spend my money. Then Sandy Hook happened. I went to Cabelas in Hartford Ct. Oh yeah I forgot to say I live in Ct. When I got to the store again as I said before The Shelves Looked Like The Bread Aisle Before A Storm. The Only press on the shelf was a Hornady LnL. So here I go reloading. Paid serious attention to what I was doing. Learned very quickly how fast you can make a mistake and quadruple it quickly. Luckily never realized it at the range. One of the first accessorie I bought was a powder cop die. Next was a lightning system by Inline Fabrication. Only reload straight case brass. 45, 9, 380 right now. I still read everything I get my hands on.

And have been having a blast (no pun intended) shooting something I put together.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[1hole]

As I stated in my previous post, I think a beginner should start with a single stage press. It teaches you what each step is. And teaches you safety. What not to do or what to look for.

Correct. And, truth be told, very few of us ever have any need or desire for a turret OR progressive. Pompously pronouncing that everyone needs - or at least wants - a progressive is foolish. After some 60 years of avid handloading, mostly for precision rifle ammo, my several single stages still do exactly what I want them to do. And that's true for virtually all of my (longish) list of reloading friends; we are not fools. In all those years, I've never even known but two loaders using a progressive.

But it IS amusing to read silly web expert pronouncements about what other people need!

[Kev18]

Everyone is arguing about the presses! Honestly I dont own any calibers that would fit in there. I have the lee manual on my lap right now and they say the biggest caliber that fits in there is a .223! I dont reload anything that small. A turret would be good for me... It would be nice to just poop out 100 rounds in 5 minutes but I dont even have any "simple cartridges" all odd ball stuff. Maybe except .44 mag. I only wanted a new press for more ease with the damn dies. Always fumbling everywhere, changing them out, and whether you want it or not they get messed up with the adjustments and all...

[onelight]

Hang in there Kev18 you sort through this mess look at what you can and make your own choice the truth is they all work .
I am unsure why some people feel their choice is the only valid one.
The LCT in my opinion is Lees best press and is rather unique in its combination of features and a good fit for what you say you want to do , but there are many good choices , I think you would also like having your old press mounted it just handy to have more than 1 no matter what you might add in the future .
What ever you choose give us a review after you have loaded on it , or if we can help with setup or operating .
Have fun and make some ammo.

[Three44s]

Kev18,

I agree with your frustration about screwing dies in and out. A turret press or a single stage with either the Lee breech lock or hornady’s lock and load system installed are remedies. The Forester coax as well.

Progressives get at that problem but upon caliber change there is likely some adjustment period before you are back up and running.

Something that has not been pointed out yet is that any single stage such as my Redding Boss has a bushing installed that can be removed and Lee and Hornady make and sell their conversion bushing that changes that press into a breech lock or lock and load press. I believe the RCBS Rock chucker also has such a bushing you can remove and thus convert.

Three44s

[Three44s]

An aside: Natchez shooting supplies has the Lee LCT for $113 in stock but there is also a 10% coupon good for purchases over $99 that looks to be good until 12 midnight tonight eastern time.

Just thought the Op might want to know about that.

Enjoy

Three44s

[richhodg66]

You guys almost have me convinced to buy a Lee Classic Turret. I recently bought a nice Lyman All American turret press, it'll be my first time using a turret. If I like it, I may have to look into a Lee.

[Kev18]

What do you guys do with multiple presses?
one for each stage?

One for each caliber?

You people have solid setups it sounds like!

And unrelated: What do you guys use as a mat on the bench for cleaning or resting a rifle on. I bought 2 hoppes green mats but they are pretty much just cheap felt and are already falling apart leaving green fluff on guns and tools...

[onelight]

You can use the single stage for any thing from bullet sizing as a dedicated depriming with a universal depriming die to fully loaded rounds it makes less since to have it with the LCT because of the quick change turrets and its has one of the better depriming setups . That light press on a portable stand is also nice to take to the range when working up loads , I have 2 single stage presses that get rare use but they won’t bring much used and I am glad I have them.
I have also given a couple away to guys getting started.

[Three44s]

What do you guys do with multiple presses?
one for each stage?

One for each caliber?

You people have solid setups it sounds like!

And unrelated: What do you guys use as a mat on the bench for cleaning or resting a rifle on. I bought 2 hoppes green mats but they are pretty much just cheap felt and are already falling apart leaving green fluff on guns and tools...

I have set all my presses and other tools one would normally bolt down permanently up on wood or steel bases and c clamp them onto the bench when I want to use them.

On steel I mount the press on a piece of channel iron by bolting it to the flush side of the web and weld the channel open side face down on a steel plate of sufficient thickness and size then clamp that plate down. The open space between the channel and the flat plate is where the nuts go to hold the press onto it’s constructed base.

For sometime I have been relying on my Redding Boss for just about all my loading as my thoughts have all been towards more precise rifle work. Even my LCT and LNL progressive are retired at the present.

Three44s

[Kev18]

I dont even know if I make enough rounds to need 2 presses. Hopefully sometime soon il finish my little log cabin in the woods. One day I want to add a little table and add a small press to it!

[onelight]

I dont even know if I make enough rounds to need 2 presses. Hopefully sometime soon il finish my little log cabin in the woods. One day I want to add a little table and add a small press to it!

The sound of that is enough to generate LUST in an old Baptist

[kmw1954]

Kev18 regardless of whether you obtain another press to use of not I hope your original questions have been answered, that you've gained a little more insight into the different type presses and have seen 1st hand how these press discussions progress. They most usually digress this way.

I try very hard not to make recommendations as to which press to buy because for me which press you buy is as personal as the firearms you own. I am a firm believer that what works for me most likely will not work for anyone else. And the way you reload will not fit with the way I reload. All I can do is relate what I have and how I use it. If anyone wants to adopt it that is fine by me.

If you decide to stay with what you have then that is what's right for you. Just the same if you decide to move on to something else. That is part of the beauty of it, we are not tied to one press or one way to do this.