Press recommendations?

[Misssissippi Dave]

The Lee Classic Turret seems to be the best bang for the buck when it comes to a first press. This is probably the reason it is suggested most often for someone wanting to get into reloading. Often it becomes the press they continue to use for a long time.

The main reason you don't normally see Hornady and Dillon presses suggested for a person looking for their first press is because they are harder to use safely when starting out. They also tend to work better when used by people with a mechanical aptitude. Mechanically they are more complicated compared to single stage and turret presses. I would prefer to have someone wanting to get into reloading to have a positive experience when they start out. This way they will continue to load their own.

There are mostly 2 types of reloaders.
The first is the one wanting to make ammo to shoot and often just want to save some money doing it.
The second one is the person wanting to create the perfect load for their gun.
Both are valid reasons to reload and often the first type starts leaning more towards the second type over time. Techniques developed by the perfectionist have often helped the process used by those just cranking out ammo to produce much better ammo in my opinion.

 

[CrustyFN]

For a new loader the Lee classic turret is the perfect press. It is easy to setup and easy to use. If you are like most of us after a week or two on a single stage loading pistol ammo at around 50 rounds an hour you will want something faster. Buy single stage and you will want another press in a few weeks. Buy the classic turret and just add the auto indexing rod and you go from 50 RPH up to around 200 RPH without having to buy anything.

 

[Cesure]

For a new loader the Lee classic turret is the perfect press. It is easy to setup and easy to use. If you are like most of us after a week or two on a single stage loading pistol ammo at around 50 rounds an hour you will want something faster. Buy single stage and you will want another press in a few weeks. Buy the classic turret and just add the auto indexing rod and you go from 50 RPH up to around 200 RPH without having to buy anything.

I've been reloading for a few weeks and I'm still happy with a single stage and a Lee Hand Press. I wonder if this need for speed is an age thing. I just started reloading and I'm younger than the hills but older than many of the trees and I'm content with low productivity rates. I'm retired, so maybe that helps. I don't have kids, so maybe that helps. I've never been the type to go for the fastest, highest horsepower, slickest, shiniest, etc. with my toys, so maybe that helps. So maybe the best press for someone who is just starting out is dependent on some lifestyle things. I don't think anybody would be going wrong by buying the Lee Classic Turret over the single stage. It's not that much more expensive.

 

[CrustyFN]

I've been reloading for a few weeks and I'm still happy with a single stage and a Lee Hand Press. I wonder if this need for speed is an age thing.

That's why I said most and not all. I enjoy my reloading time but would rather load 200 rounds in one hour instead of four, but then you might not shoot as much as me. But I'm sure I will look at it a little different when I retire.

 

[boxing21]

Another vote for the Hornady Lock N Load classic. I'm somewhat newer to reloading, however over the past year or so this press has served me very well. I really like the bushing design, making die changes fast and easy.

I'm a high volume pistol shooter, so I think next year I will step up to a Dillon. I knew going into this that I would end up on a progressive, but I will still use the single stage for my rifle loads, and even some pistol loads that I don't shoot as much as my 9mm, .45acp loads.

 

[Misssissippi Dave]

I'm a high volume pistol shooter, so I think next year I will step up to a Dillon. I knew going into this that I would end up on a progressive, but I will still use the single stage for my rifle loads, and even some pistol loads that I don't shoot as much as my 9mm, .45acp loads.

If you haven't already started saving your brass for pistol loads, I suggest you start doing it now. You can't have too much brass on hand when you are loading pistol ammo on a progressive press. 5 gallon buckets of brass on hand is a good thing to have.

Many reloaders tend to have certain times of the year when they have more time to do their loading. High volume shooters will enjoy having a lot of ammo loaded and ready to shoot when there is less time to do some loading. It is also nice to have enough of everything on hand to get through times when ammo and components are in short supply. Even low volume shooter will see the advantages of having enough on hand to get through those times.

 

[pathdoc]

I started out single-stage because I wasn't confident of my ability to handle a progressive press as a start and, loading only one rifle calibre for about a thirty-round-a-week habit, didn't really need anything more. Had I my time all over again, I would do the same (I got an RCBS Partner Press starter kit). I intend to stay with it for the foreseeable future.

If I end up reloading for a second bottleneck calibre, I will consider getting a four-hole press so that both calibres can stay set up, but it will be manually indexing.

If I give in to the desire to buy a .410/.45LC single shot rifle, just for the fun of it, I will probably get some sort of three or four hole turret press to avoid frequent die changes. (What to do about the .410 will be a separate issue.)

 

[GRCummins]

Thanks for all the input! Found a Rock Chucker complete with a number of dies, a tumbler, and a bunch of misc. assessories. I think it will be a great beginner set, and I can grow from there into a turret or progressive unit.
I appreciate all the feedback, and I'm sure others will benefit from your experienced words.