Resizing & depriming.
I know, I need to get a progressive press. And I know I have been saying that since I started the blog. I haven’t done it because still I don’t see it too much as a chore but as relaxing hobby.
One of these days, I promise.
By Miguel.GFZ
Semi-retired like Vito Corleone before the heart attack. Consiglieri to J.Kb and AWA. I lived in a Gun Control Paradise: It sucked and got people killed. I do believe that Freedom scares the political elites.
I spent a few years on a single stage. It’s slower but I found it harder to skip a step (like forgetting to place a bullet or realizing that your pickup didn’t pick up a primer until you see the round spilling powder in the bin).
That pic took me back. When I was shooting cowboy action (20 yrs ago) I’d load 1-200 rds a week (.38 & .44) on an RCBS Jr. press. 3 trips up the ram per round. Powder up w/a Lee spoon set.
I must have really loved it
Consider the Lee turret press. I’ve used it to crank out range food. I’ve also used it like a single stage with quick change capabilities.
For range food I get each station dialed in then use its ability to index. I normally use the Lee universal depriming die. Then clean. Sometimes wet, sometimes dry. Then I prime off the press as it is so much faster and I have much better feel.
Then I use the resizing die with no deprimer. Works fine with pistol and straight side cases.
In the turret press it then becomes a case of just measuring powder and adding it at the through die.
For rifle I’ll remove the auto index rod and just use it as a single stage press. With the extra benefit of being able to quickly pull up the right die.
I normally leave the universal depriming die in the plate.
If you get fancy you can buy extra plates and have a plate per caliber.
I have one too, love it. I bought a Dillion XL750 last year. Im still dialing it in… not much time.
Love both. I got my lee turret in a 3foot square box full of reloading stuff at a yard sale for $40. . Check yard sales!!
Took a bit of a wait, but I finally got a plate for the RCBS Piggyback II in .223
Now, to change out the 9mm dies…
As long as you load one more than you shoot, you win. Besides quality over quantity since you can’t miss fast enough to win.
Lee Classic Turret. Get one, you’ll like it. It’s probably the least trouble of all the various presses I’ve used over the years. (Lyman hand press, Lee hand press, RCBS Rock Chuck, Lee Pro 1000, Lee Loadmaster, Lee Breech Lock Pro).
I love reloading for the sake of reloading, but man once I got a progressive press it was clear I should have done so sooner.
I third (or is it fourth?) the turret press advice. I have a Lee Classic with the safety prime and auto drum powder measure and it’s perfect for me. Midway USA has the deluxe kit right now for $280.
Any time I buy dies for a new caliber, I buy a turret to go with them (usually about $12). Set the dies up in the turret and changing calibers is a matter of pulling off the current turret and popping on the new one. I keep the turrets in cheapo plastic storage bowls from Walmart when not in use.
Pull out the shaft that rotates the turret (which just drops in, so removing it is nothing) and it works just like a single stage, except all your dies for one caliber are already mounted in the turret, so no changing dies, just rotate the turret to the one you need. I use it that way when I’m just depriming for case prep.
I’ve had mine for many years now and the only issue I’ve had is the ball on the end of the handle came lose. A little epoxy and that thing is never coming off again.
But this is not a sales pitch for the Lee press, it’s just what I’ve got. I think a turret press in general is a good idea for a home reloader.
The problem with a progressive press (in my opinion) is that when you’re performing 3, 4 or even 5 actions with each pull of the lever, it’s too hard to keep an eye on everything at once, so if something goes wrong (powder doesn’t drop, primer doesn’t seat properly, etc) you’re less likely to spot it and your more likely to end up with squibs or other problems.
With a turret, the process is step by step and relatively efficient, but you have to pull the lever for each action for each round, so you’re watching exactly what’s going on at all times. It’s not nearly as fast as progressive, but much faster than single stage and, in my opinion, less prone to error than a progressive.
And way less complicated to set up and use as well.
Just my opinion so your mileage may vary.
Miguel, I have a similar Hornady single stage press. It’s good for what it does, but like you have been toying with getting a progressive press. It is NOT good for reloading any kind of volume rifle rounds, especially if you are not using new brass. If you need to trim the brass, you can’t deprime/prime in the same operation like you can with straight walled pistol cases. Its a major PITA. At the start of Covid, when guns and ammo were disappearing quickly, a buddy lent me his Lee turret press to load some 9mm. It was old and the indexing rod did not properly index the turret to the right location, but it was still 3x faster than a single stage. I think I’m gonna look for something like that and stockpile components. I have tons of brass, need to stock up on primers, bullets and powder.