Progressive Press Help

[TXCOONDOG]

I use a single stage press for my hot loads and precision rifle loads. I use a Lee Classic 4-hole turret press for 9mm, 10mm and 556 which is great when only shooting 100 rounds a week. However, since I retired, I've been shooting 250 plus rounds a week.

I want to speed up the process and not sure what progressive press setup to go with.

I was looking at the Lee 4000 (it seems to have everything needed), but just not sure what is the best route to go and hoping someone can help with lessons learned when you first went this route.

FYI- I use the inline fabrication system so changing out press' is a breeze

[rbuck351]

Years ago when I wanted to load faster I bought a Dillon 550b. I am very happy with that choice. 400 rounds per hour is taking your time to make sure things go right. I am not familiar with the Lee 4000. The only other progressive presses I have used are the Lee 1000 and the Star universal, I would not recommend either for your use.

[onelight]

If you have and like your Lee turret the 4000 should be a good fit for you .
I like mine and have loaded a lot of rounds on it. Just take your time at the beginning so you miss any of the manual steps in the process and you will have a loaded round each pull of the lever :)

[dverna]

This should be interesting.

[kevin c]

In the action shooting crowd, who are all very high volume reloaders (thousands of rounds per month), the Dillon presses are very popular for functionality straight out of the box, durability, reliability, the excellent warranty and, when needed, their repair service.

Their 550 (manually indexed) and 750 (auto indexing) models are the most popular. If you just reload handgun cartridges and don’t mind having to use press specific proprietary dies (the other models use standard dies), their basic SDB model works well (it’s what I use).

Dillon presses are not inexpensive, though, and, like a lot of shooting related gear, have been hard to find recently.

[AnthonyB]

You are doing retirement wrong…
Tony

[Winger Ed.]

I'd go easy on speeding up your reloading rate.
You may want to re-think this and consider going back to a single stage press or even a Lee 'whack-a-mole.

The time you save may well get used for 'honey-do' projects that involve real work.

[TXCOONDOG]

I'd go easy on speeding up your reloading rate.
You may want to re-think this and consider going back to a single stage press or even a Lee 'whack-a-mole.

The time you save may well get used for 'honey-do' projects that involve real work.

Too late. Widened the driveway for a new pontoon catfish rig, finished my doghouse (workshop), new roof, new brakes on the truck, new swimming pool ....now it's all about hunting, fishing and shooting or whatever!

[Half Dog]

If you’re near me, I can introduce you to 5 stand shooting and that will fill your days.

[TXCOONDOG]

If you’re near me, I can introduce you to 5 stand shooting and that will fill your days.

LMAO....I worked construction over 30 years and can always find something to do as my family always needs help with something. Besides, never been much for shooting clays...fun but not my thing

[TXCOONDOG]

You are doing retirement wrong…
Tony

Of course I am as it's new to me, but I'm enjoying the #### out of it.

[TXCOONDOG]

This should be interesting.

Life would be boring any other way :)

[farmbif]

I'll put my $0.02 in here. if your doing a lot of different calibers the hornady LNLAP is much less expensive than the cost of caliber change kits for the Dillion.
for many years ive used a Lyman orange turret, t-mag I guess they call it. but then when I got the hornady right after they changed it from the projector press, it was like night and day and the sunshine was coming in. some how I got to reloading right at about 50 different calibers and I never could have afforded the Dillion caliber change kits for all of them. but the Dillions are excellent presses and everyone who has one says its the best thing since sliced bread.

[sukivel]

I'll put my $0.02 in here. if your doing a lot of different calibers the hornady LNLAP is much less expensive than the cost of caliber change kits for the Dillion.
for many years ive used a Lyman orange turret, t-mag I guess they call it. but then when I got the hornady right after they changed it from the projector press, it was like night and day and the sunshine was coming in. some how I got to reloading right at about 50 different calibers and I never could have afforded the Dillion caliber change kits for all of them. but the Dillions are excellent presses and everyone who has one says its the best thing since sliced bread.

You don’t need caliber conversion kits for each caliber.

After I had about 5 caliber conversion kits I just started buying separate shellplates and powder funnels. There are only 5 different buttons, and I have those. Now I could load about 50-60 or so calibers with the 7-8 plates and 10 or so funnels I have.


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[David2011]

A friend had a Hornady Ammo Plant. When he used my Dillons he was blown away by the ease of operation and reliability of my presses.

I would not give up my single stage presses in lieu of progressives. There’s plenty that progressives either won’t do or won’t do easily. If I’m not loading at least 100 rounds I use a single stage press. All of my hunting, competition rifle and heavy handgun ammunition is loaded on single stage presses. When I got the 550 in 1991 I was loading 500-1500/month for myself and with a friend. When I started shooting in matches the volume went to 2500+ per month and I got a 650XL with a case feeder.

[TXCOONDOG]

Will I be able use my Hornady dies with the Dillion or will I have to Dillion dies ?

[dverna]

Will I be able use my Hornady dies with the Dillion or will I have to Dillion dies ?

The only Dillon that does not use standard dies is the Square Deal.

[Walter Laich]

SDB is for pistol cartridges only--just in case no one mentioned it

[TXCOONDOG]

SDB is for pistol cartridges only--just in case no one mentioned it

I appreciate the heads up. I went to Dillion's website and read up on them. Looking at the XL 750. Does Dillion every run a promotion on their presses?

[Livin_cincy]

Many progressive press designs offer quick and easy caliber change overs.
- Then why do people have more than one press for different primer sizes ?
- Caliber range overs are quick if you have a powder measure set up for every caliber with some powder measure designs.

A progressive press is " best enjoyed " doing many thousands of rounds between caliber changes. There is also cleaning of " primer funk " & powder from the press to keep it going.

Look closely at how the press works and how your hands work. Some like one hand on the lever and one for sitting bulles. They all operate similarly but different.

[jmorris]

I want to speed up the process and not sure what progressive press setup to go with.


What is your goal, fastest/easiest setup to load with? Cheapest setup that will be faster than a turret? Something in between?

Speed and ease come at a price and generally makes converting from one caliber to another take more time.

A bullet and case collated progressive can load 100 rounds in a few minutes, some like this 1050 also swage crimped primer pockets (that you have likely found loading 5.56) as part of the process vs an additional step.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La83ZVKnBzw

[jmorris]

You would absolutely hate changing calibers on the machine though and why many have a number of progressives. I generally have at least two of everyone just so I don’t have to swap the primer system between large and small.

The 550 is by far the easiest to convert with this little short cut.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rCGV-JPYaE

Speeding up the time it takes to convert between the 3 calibers you load is going to make a big difference as your average speed is 0 if loaded rounds are not falling from the machine.

A “tortoise and the hair” situation can occur where a machine is blazing fast but very involved to convert. For example if you did 250 each of 9mm, 10mm and 5.56 on a 550 and the 1050 above the 550 would win. Load 2500 of each and the 1050 wins. So operating speed, once set up, isn’t the only concern.

[jmorris]

This is another method I use to speed up conversions without buying complete measures for every toolhead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdNZkkTFQEM

[Dragonheart]

I am a long time Dillon fan starting off with the Dillon 450, then 2 550's and now 2-650's. I personally think the 750 was a step backward, but that is just my opinion. In my 50+ years of hand loading I have gone through a lot of presses, including making my own. You can't go wrong with a Dillon.

Texas covers a lot of ground, but if you are anywhere close to Katy, Texas I will be happy to give you an up close and personal experience with the Dillon 650, just PM me.

[Kenstone]

You are at an important crossroad in (re)loading that will affect all reloading in your future.
Most posting "what's best" are just what they started with and continued with, not as the best they have used.

Many who started with Lee and switched to something else out of frustration, discount the experience they gained from using Lee stuff was a big factor in this transition.
With the exception of @jmorris, who has posted vids of about every press available running like a Swiss watch...:drinks:.

Me, I started with an RCBS Piggyback, worked out the bugs/weak points/modified it, and have bought 2 more along the way at gun shows for cheap.
I have since bought both a Lee Pro 1000 and a Lee Loadmaster for the challenge of getting them working to a @jmorris level.
The biggest drawback of the Pro 1000 is that it's only 3 stations and the Loadmaster affectively is a 4 station, as the priming-at-the-top process eats up the 5th station.

If I was in you shoes today, I'd pass on the Lee 4000 because of the Pez dispenser priming and the 4 station limitation.
Even in the review at Ultimate Reloader he hand inserts the primers:
https://ultimatereloader.com/2020/12/13/hands-on-new-lee-pro-4000-press-kit/
He uses it here though:
https://ultimatereloader.com/2021/01/11/lee-pro-4000-caliber-change-and-loading-6-5-grendel/

Watch vids of all presses being considered at the Ultimate Reloader:
https://ultimatereloader.com/

The Hornady LNL AP would be my choice for a progressive today, I'd buy it stripped (no dies/no powder measure/no shell plate) if I could and use Lee dies, Lee powder thru the expander, Lee Pro Auto Disc measure or Auto Drum.
Change-over would be quick and inexpensive and enough stations to add a tube fed bullet feeder, and/or a case feeder later.

jmo,
.:smile:

[LarryM]

I've been using a Hornady LNL progressive for about 13 years. Maybe a little more finicky than what I've seen on line of the Dillon stuff but it works for me. I mostly load pistol cartridges on it but have also done 5.56 and .30-30. I recently added the case feeder and like it. I still prefer my Lyman T-mag for .45-70, particularly for blackpowder loads, though.

[TXCOONDOG]

I am a long time Dillon fan starting off with the Dillon 450, then 2 550's and now 2-650's. I personally think the 750 was a step backward, but that is just my opinion. In my 50+ years of hand loading I have gone through a lot of presses, including making my own. You can't go wrong with a Dillon.

Texas covers a lot of ground, but if you are anywhere close to Katy, Texas I will be happy to give you an up close and personal experience with the Dillon 650, just PM me.

Yes my brother lives in Katy, mom lives in Richmond and I live in Highlands near San Jac River. I appreciate the offer, but found someone near me that has a Dillion 550, 650 and he also has a Lee Turret along with the LNL Ammo Plant. I really liked the manual indexing of the 550's. On his Lee Turret he had a case injector that worked pretty well too.

I really appreciate the input all!

[Glwenzl]

I have used a Hornady APP sincebut 2004. It’s been a beast, I’ve loaded everything from a little short 17 squirrels on it all the way up to 45 caliber including my 7 mm STW. I have three case forming days and if used extensively per case for me different wildcat cartridges… very pleased with it and The printed case and bullet feeders that I use.

I also have a Hornady single stage classic that has a in-line precision ejector on it and has seen a lot more used since I installed that ejector

Been in the last several years I’ve changed my reloading style especially since I’ve purchased a Lea in APP and A FART.

I pretty much deprive on the APP, run them through the FART, and if they need primer pocket swaging I can do it on either but prefer the Hornady AP press over that APP. It’s from this point on I choose the AP or single stage.
I do the majority of my priming either on the AP or using an RCBS bench primer with the Holland attachment.

I can never see myself ever going back to threading dies into a press ever again.

What I’m developing loads for the first time it’s almost always on my single stage press but I have been known to use my AP as a single stage press sometimes

[truckjohn]

After playing random whack-a-mole with random squibs and sideways primers salted in nearly 1,000 rounds of 45 acp, I threw away my Lee progressive. If I do another progressive, it will be a quality unit with powder checking for both over and undercharging.

Luckily, there was no way to double charge, but that setup wasted a giant amount of my time and money. I had to slow way down and look in every single round for powder before I got rid of it, but I've still got a stack of ammo that I have to watch. I take a hammer and rod to the range every time, just in case. Yeah, no thanks.

My other advice is.. Doing full scratch setups on progressives takes a lot more time and fiddling than on conventional presses. Just changing to different powders or bullets can be an ordeal. They are a terrible choice for a tinkerer who wants to run 20-rounds each of two dozen bullet and powder combinations.

They excel at running a big stack of the same ammo, and don't touch it once you get it dialed in. I've seen more than a few folks buy a progressive and dedicate it to one setup.

If you want to swap calibers, get a high end unit with a plate you can leave setup on one caliber and interchange when you switch, rather than unscrewing all the dies and starting completely from scratch.

[David2011]

Many progressive press designs offer quick and easy caliber change overs.
- Then why do people have more than one press for different primer sizes ?
- Caliber range overs are quick if you have a powder measure set up for every caliber with some powder measure designs.

A progressive press is " best enjoyed " doing many thousands of rounds between caliber changes. There is also cleaning of " primer funk " & powder from the press to keep it going.

Look closely at how the press works and how your hands work. Some like one hand on the lever and one for sitting bulles. They all operate similarly but different.

At one time I was shooting over 4000 rounds/month, casting boolits for them and working full time. Add to that driving time to matches, gun maintenance and the need to sleep occasionally. Anything that can reduce the time spent at the press is an advantage. For a while I had two 550s, one each for small and large primers. Eventually I sold one and bought a 650. At that volume the 550 was too slow. The bulk of my shooting was USPSA Limited, .40S&W so the 650 was used exclusively for that caliber. Most of the rest was a much smaller volume of .45ACP

Now that I’m retired and farther from USPSA venues loading is done at a far more leisurely pace.

[Dragonheart]

At one time I was shooting over 4000 rounds/month, casting boolits for them and working full time. Add to that driving time to matches, gun maintenance and the need to sleep occasionally. Anything that can reduce the time spent at the press is an advantage. For a while I had two 550s, one each for small and large primers. Eventually I sold one and bought a 650. At that volume the 550 was too slow. The bulk of my shooting was USPSA Limited, .40S&W so the 650 was used exclusively for that caliber. Most of the rest was a much smaller volume of .45ACP

Now that I’m retired and farther from USPSA venues loading is done at a far more leisurely pace.

A IDPA match a week was why I ran one small and one large primer, 2 Dillon-550's and now 2 Dillon-650's. Changing out the primer set up is mainly where the work is for different calibers. Other than that, maybe the shellplate change is needed. Slide in an already dialed in toolheads & check the powder dropper. If I decide on a different bullet, I just adjust the micrometer die. In just a few minutes I can be cranking out the rounds. I too am retired and no longer involved with the IDPA, but now I have so much to do I don't know how I was able to get it done when I was employed, so I still need the speed of my 650's.

[Smoke4320]

Dillon's customer service is excellent .. on par with RCBS. They make fine presses with very little issues. If you want to load rifle and pistol progressively (that hard to even get out of my mouth :) ) the 550 with manual indexing is good if you want to load 500 to 600 an hr the 750 xl is even better . Of course you will want to invest in the low powder and primer alarms