A Brave New World...

[44Blam]

I have always reloaded with single stage presses... For me, it never seemed like I really needed a turret or progressive press.
Part of this reason was I was always reloading things like 308 or 44 mag or Tokarev, etc...
BUT, I've been shooting a fair amount of 40 S&W and 10 MM and these guys are a lot simplier to load... SOOO, I bought a turret press... I just got it and haven't set it up yet, but I plan on doing a trial run with some 40 S&W tomorrow. Currently, I can load around 100 in about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. And they are very easy - no fussing with things, very mechanical. I'm gonna see how many I can make in a couple hours... I've got about 500 cast boolits to load and the next match is next Thursday. So Between now and then I should load the 500 and then cast another 500 or 1000 for next month.

[samari46]

Start off slowly and check every 10th case for proper powder charge. I used to shoot steel plate matches so usually friday found me loading 1000 for the weekend. One good reason I stopped buying powder in 1lb cans and went to jugs, same for hard cast bullets and primers. buy them in 8lb jugs, 5k primers or one case, 4-6 boxes of 500 bullets. Used to get the bullets back when mining the berm when they held their monthly high power matches. Frank

[44Blam]

Start off slowly and check every 10th case for proper powder charge. I used to shoot steel plate matches so usually friday found me loading 1000 for the weekend. One good reason I stopped buying powder in 1lb cans and went to jugs, same for hard cast bullets and primers. buy them in 8lb jugs, 5k primers or one case, 4-6 boxes of 500 bullets. Used to get the bullets back when mining the berm when they held their monthly high power matches. Frank

I don't have the powder drop. I've got an RCBS electronic powder dispenser and it works great. Been using that guy for a couple years.
So, I'm just gonna drop that through the pass through expander die. It usually makes a charge in about 30 seconds. So I can do all the other things while it is making the charge...

[Rcmaveric]

A Lee powder dropper is pretty cheap and accurately reliable.

A turret press really helps. You should be able to double that. If you use a scoop or powder dropper you can go faster still. I check every 10 powder through.

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[Don1357]

I own a Hornady Lock-n-load progressive. I got it two years ago for so cheap I'm still feeling guilty. I haven't used it yet... The main press i use is my Lee Value turret.

I don't do my reloading all at once. I like to do my case prep as a separate step so all my decaping sizing dies are on two holders. After cleaning the inspection and priming happens while I binge watch a show. I basically prime all the brass for a given caliber, probably about 800 for .44 mag/special so that may be one priming session for the year. The final loading is the charge/neck expander, bullet seating, crimping.

As you can see my workflow just lend itself well to the modest Lee value turret. Would the Hornady be any faster? Not unless I change the way I reload which right here, right now, I don't care to do. I think you will really like the turret press and how you can preset all your dies.

[lar45]

I've got a Dillon RL550B and absolutely love it. I can load 100 45acp in about 10-12 minutes.
Put a case in pull the handle, put a case in pull the handle, put a case in and a bullet on pull the handle...
The only thing that slows me down is stopping to load up another 100 primers.
I would suggest to get a powder dropper if at all possible.

[Patrick L]

Yeah, +1 on going to a powder drop of one make or another. They're all good.

Personally I have an Old Lyman 55.

You might even consider going "all the way" someday with a full blown progressive!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

You didn't mention which turret press. I've got the Lee Classic cast 4 hole and love it. WAY batter than a single stage. 100 pistol rounds takes me around 30 mintues if my dies are preset in a turret. I use the Lee auto drum and get within .1 gr with most powders including the Alliant flake powders as long as I settle the powder. I do not use the priming gizmo, prefering to load each primer by hand. Seems nearly as fast and I probably only drop 1-2 out of 500.

I recently bought the Lee charging dies so I can load rifle rounds completely on the press.

[ioon44]

I am using the same Dillon 550 I started with in 1986 for rifle and pistol, just added up grades as they came out.

[lightman]

I am using the same Dillon 550 I started with in 1986 for rifle and pistol, just added up grades as they came out.

Same here, except it was probably 1988. I've never loaded on a turret press.

[Green Frog]

When I’m serious about loading a volume of 327 FM ammo, I break out the old Lyman All American. It has the Lyman through-the-die powder drop that will accept a Lyman 55 or Accu-Measure, a Little Dandy, or any other one that can mount directly into a 7/8 x 14 hole. I haven’t set up a die head and shell plate for my Dillon Progressive yet to load the 32 revolver family.

Froggie

[dverna]

You won’t pick up much in production rate until you address the powder issue.

[toallmy]

I didn't shoot handguns very much when I weighed every powder charge - I just figured if I was going to go through all the trouble I would load my rifle rounds , but after using a little dandy over a loading block my eyes were opened to the wonderful world of dropping the powder charge compared to weighing every charge . Throwing charges is a game changer once you gain confidence in your equipment .
Over the years I have heard stories of dropped powder loads shooting just as good as hand weighing loads , but I could not get my head around the idea of less perfection working as well on target . So a week or two ago I took out my model 12 in 223 with 20 rounds loaded with hand weighing powder charges & 20 rounds loaded with powder charges dropped from a Dillon powder measure all were loaded on a Dillon 550 with a known load of IMR 4064 . I worked out a blind test so I wouldn't know what I would be shooting at the time of the test . The results of 4 strings of 5 shot group's with both loads without my knowledge of what I was shooting at 350 yards showed on target that the dropped charges shot as good or slightly better .
If I hadn't actually done this myself I wouldn't have believed it , it could have been a fluke but I'm now a believer . Sorry for the long story but if it can be done at 350 yards with a rifle and 4064 powder , it can be done with a handgun cartridge and powder as well .
Did I forget to mention I love my plastic lee disc powder measure for loading my handgun ammunition ?

[44Blam]

So tonight, I unpacked and setup the new Lee Value Turret press.

Took 2 hours to install the press, setup my dies and and churn out 100 rounds. It actually took me a while to figure out where stuff should go. I also think I need to move my press mount to a different part of the bench - but this will be another day.

But the second 50 took right around 30 minutes. So, it looks like it is about twice as fast as my single stage method. But I was getting more efficient, so it may end up being a bit quicker. And if I move stuff around so everything works better it might be slightly faster too.

My powder thrower is the rcbs chargemaster lite. It throws a charge, you pick it up and dump and it starts going again. Pretty cool - wife got it for me for my last birthday.

My thoughts on the press is that it is very much more involved than a single stage. With the single stage, you do one thing for a while then another thing for a while, etc. I kind of like how the turret does all the steps and out comes a boolit after 4 pulls.

[onelight]

Very nice I find the Lee turrets to be enjoyable to load on . Hope you enjoy yours for many years.
With the pro auto disk you can shave another 10 min off your time on 50 rounds , it takes me about 18 min for 50 at a speed I still have time to watch each stage carefully.

[kungfustyle]

I have an RCBS Uniflow with a small drum and a case activated powder drop. I have to say that was the best single investment for my turret press. If you prime on the press make sure all the little screws are tightened down (aka primer cup) and you should have no problem. Carbide dies will eliminate having to lube the cases. If you are focused you can bang those 500 out in no time.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

So tonight, I unpacked and setup the new Lee Value Turret press.

Took 2 hours to install the press, setup my dies and and churn out 100 rounds. It actually took me a while to figure out where stuff should go. I also think I need to move my press mount to a different part of the bench - but this will be another day.

But the second 50 took right around 30 minutes. So, it looks like it is about twice as fast as my single stage method. But I was getting more efficient, so it may end up being a bit quicker. And if I move stuff around so everything works better it might be slightly faster too.

My powder thrower is the rcbs chargemaster lite. It throws a charge, you pick it up and dump and it starts going again. Pretty cool - wife got it for me for my last birthday.

My thoughts on the press is that it is very much more involved than a single stage. With the single stage, you do one thing for a while then another thing for a while, etc. I kind of like how the turret does all the steps and out comes a boolit after 4 pulls.

That Lee Turret press is so easy to run as single stage I don't know why anyone would recommend a single stage press anymore. I used to loas .35 Whelen which was better to go single stage. So I would just remove the turret with the pistol dies, pull out the index rod, and plop in the turret with the Whelen dies. Then I would run it exactly as if it were a single stage, only difference was when I ran 20 cases through one stage, I just gave the turret a turn and was ready to run them through stage 2.

Then switching back to the index rod for pistol ammo was a cinch.

I recommend the turret press even for beginners because it is so easy to learn as single stage, then move up when you're ready.

[whisler]

And the dies are still adjusted for the next time.