Multiple Reloading Presses? How many & what

C

Clark

New member
In the 2014 hunting season I was a house guest 900 miles from home, so I built 32 feet of bench for one guy I hunt with and 6 feet for another guy.

I settled on benches 24" deep and presses mounted on 2x6 boards 24" long.

The press board is then trapped in the back of the bench with a wall mounted board, and the press board is clamped at the front of the bench with a C clamp.

I got my deer and left town. I hear the masonite tops I ordered finally arrived today.
 

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J

jmorris

New member
nice looking set up... what do you do with the ( I assume ) tempering oven ???
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Thanks, it is an enclosed air compressor out of a dentist office, that a friend gave me. Super quiet and enough volume to run my pneumatic vaccum and general reloading bench air needs.
 
G

grisbald

New member
Have three presses. Lee single stage and Hornady LNL in the garage, Lee turret in an extra bedroom. Use the single stage for rifles and popping out the primers. Hornady LNL for 9mm and .223. And the Lee turret when its too hot/cold in the garage.
 
W

Woolecox

New member
For multiple calibers of pistol and semi automatic rifle, I highly recommend the RL550B with the Dillon quick change kits. Caliber conversion literally takes less than a minute unless you change components. Then you may have do a little tweaking but, the dies and powder measure stay put. Still, very efficient.

After having my 550 for a couple of years now, I have collected dies, caliber conversions, and quick change kits for 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, and 223/5.56 NATO. As funds become available, I am going to buy kits for 300 BLK and 38/357 Mag (My wife is getting a Model 60 for Christmas :)


My RL550B with Quick Change in background.
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My Forster CoAx
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Link to Dillon’s Quick Change Kits. I think this is a super deal for high volume shooters.
 
E

emcon5

New member
I have multiple tool heads for my square deal. Maybe a second primer feed assembly so I can have one set up for large pistol and one for small pistol primers...
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Then based on this, I would say you are doing something wrong.

readjusting powder, bullet seat and crimp settings when changing calibers
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The whole point of the tool head is the dies stay adjusted.

That conversion kit also comes with a powder measure, so you wouldn't have to change that either.

You can get the powder measure to go with your tool heads separately here: http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23509/catid/3/SDB__039__Powder_Measure

You can get the primer assembly here, for $60
http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/co...43/Square_Deal_Automatic_Priming_System_Parts
 
L

lee n. field

New member
How do you guys allocate your presses? How many do you have set up?
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An RCBS Rock Chuck II, I seldom use these days.

A Lee Hand Press that gets used for misc. stuff -- priming with a ram prime die, stuff like that.

A Lee Pro 1000, sitting unused now because I stole the Pro Auto Disk off it to get the turret press going. I contemplate setting it up again.

Lee Classic Turret, that I do the vast majority of my loading on now. It's just a whole lot less trouble than the Pro 1000.
 
S

sawdustdad

New member
The whole point of the tool head is the dies stay adjusted.

That conversion kit also comes with a powder measure, so you wouldn't have to change that either.

You can get the powder measure to go with your tool heads separately here: http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...Powder_Measure

You can get the primer assembly here, for $60
http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...g_System_Parts
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Well, I have one set of .38 dies that I have to readjust to .357 when I reload that. I just ordered a second tool head so I won't have to to that anymore.

Buying extra powder measures, primer assemblies...I might as well just buy another press.

The other problem is I have a Square Deal, not a SDB. Powder measure looks different...
 
P

Pond James Pond

New member
I have a Lee Cast Turret. Swapping out is easy with that, carting reloading gear down the road to my garage and then reloading in dim, freezing conditions is not. I've since bought a Lee Hand Press and I've loaded more ammo on that in the last 4 months than I did all year on the other.

I doubt I'll sell the turret, but I see it getting less and less use in its current location.
With the volumes of rounds that I make up, the extra time taken on the hand press is no big deal and the comfort of home makes up for it.

When I get our country cottage sorted out, then I will find a corner there for the turret to reside.
 
H

Hunter Customs

New member
So what kind of powder measure do you have now, Bob?
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Jim, each tool head has a RCBS Uniflow powder measure mounted in it, both are preset for the powder charges I was using.

I throw my powder charges by hand, it really does not slow down the amount of ammo I can produce per hour all that much.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
J

jmorris

New member
Well, I have one set of .38 dies that I have to readjust to .357 when I reload that. I just ordered a second tool head so I won't have to to that anymore.
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Always wondered why Dillon doesn't punch out shims that folks could simply remove the tool head, install shim and bolt it back down, when going from 38-357 or 44spl-44mag.
 
M

Machineguntony

New member
I have a 1050 for each of my major calibers. Changing calibers on the 1050 is a real pain, so just having a press for each caliber is totally awesome.

Add in a bullet drop and an auto primer, and reloading is quite enjoyable.

I can't recommend the 650. It's not too away in cost from the 1050, once you add the 650's optional case feeder, which is included in the 1050. The 650 has this nasty powder spilling problem that can't really be solved (I've tried all the solutions, and the solutions only partially solve the problem).

The only advantage to the 650 over the 1050 is that it is way easier to change calibers on the 650. Changing primer sizes on the 1050 is a nightmare.

 
D

darkgael

New member
Presses

I have fifteen presses spread out over a garage and two houses. Five are shotshell presses....12, 20, .410.
Three progressives - 2 Lee and a Dillon SQB, a semi progressive (Dillion 550B), a turret press. A CH H -press, a Rockchucker, two Lee Hand presses, a Lyman 310.They tend to be mounted in threes on different workbenches across the locations mentioned.
 
J

jmorris

New member
I can't recommend the 650. It's not too away in cost from the 1050, once you add the 650's optional case feeder, which is included in the 1050. The 650 has this nasty powder spilling problem that can't really be solved.
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A 650 currently runs $557 + $ 219 for the case feeder =$786

A 1050 currently runs $1719

You do realize that the case feeder for the 650 is also identical to the one on the 1050 and only takes an Allen wrench backing off one bolt to swap from one machine to another. Actually the case feeder doesn't even need to be bolted to the 1050 post, just dropped on.

I have have had a few 650's and only had a powder spill problem with one and the thrust bearing fix cured it.

However, I agree the 1050 is superior in just about every way except for using the same plastic primer tube tip that the SD and 550 use. They really take the work out of reloading once you automate them. All you have to do is keep them full.
 
M

Machineguntony

New member
The difference is more like $800. Most people add the optional bullet trays, the raised press stand, and the optional handle. In the whole scheme of what we spend on this hobby, $800 isn't that much.

I agree the case feeder is exactly the same. The added complexity comes from the rest of the caliber conversion.

I tried every fix possible for the 650. In large cases, the spill isn't much of a problem. The problem is in small cases like 380. I've yet to find a solution.
 
R

ranchito457

New member
I run 5 at this time
3 LNL,1-lee classic turret and 1 rcbs rock chucker
1 LNL=45
1 LNL=38-357
1 LNL=9mm-40
Lee=semi auto 223/308,50 AE,500 SW
Rcbs=22/250 bolt-308 bolt-204 bolt
 
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