Recommendations for pistol loading set up.
- Thread starter 12-34hom
- Start date
If ya gonna use your single stage press the best time saver is to get dies that flare & drop powder in the same operation .
I use & am well satisfied with the lee system, powder thru dies flare but don`t expand for cast though. Not a problem with the hard cast ,but maybe for the softer swaged bulk bullet with lite loads.
I use & am well satisfied with the lee system, powder thru dies flare but don`t expand for cast though. Not a problem with the hard cast ,but maybe for the softer swaged bulk bullet with lite loads.
SauerGrapes
New member
I'm brand new to pistol reloading so all I can tell you is my Lee 4 hole turrett press works great. It gives you the option of loading in single stage mode or turrett mode. I'm still getting the hang of it, but even I can load 150-200 rounds an hour.
yodarkritch
New member
eLe vs Dillon
I started DECADES ago with HERTERS equipment. After a marriage which forbade reloading and shooting because of children I got smart and moved out and started teaching my offspring when they were in my care about shooting, firearms care and discipline and reloading.
THEN I got the Lee turret press and I think the cast iron Turret press is Lee's finest product for the new reloader. The Lee auto disc powder measure goes right ON the press and makes powder charging a delight!. A separate P.M. wastes bench-space and a press-mounted press seems to be more accurate and precise. The Lee iron Turret press is the best starter press for anybody or a budget or is not SURE they will make reloading a part of their life.
You will learn most of what you need to know about successful and safe reloading and it will probably last you decades till you see the need for a Dillon.
When you learn the disciplines of dimensional quality control, upper and lower dimensional limits, etc. you will see the DILLON is best able to retain your settings and keep all your product dimensions within the the upper and lower limits when the lee, with age, and heavy use,will require resetting noticeably MORE than the Dillon 550B with heavy use.
Get yourself a set of 6" digital calipers and extra button cells at Harbor freight
and find an "Elmer" (That's what HAMS call a mentor)
I started DECADES ago with HERTERS equipment. After a marriage which forbade reloading and shooting because of children I got smart and moved out and started teaching my offspring when they were in my care about shooting, firearms care and discipline and reloading.
THEN I got the Lee turret press and I think the cast iron Turret press is Lee's finest product for the new reloader. The Lee auto disc powder measure goes right ON the press and makes powder charging a delight!. A separate P.M. wastes bench-space and a press-mounted press seems to be more accurate and precise. The Lee iron Turret press is the best starter press for anybody or a budget or is not SURE they will make reloading a part of their life.
You will learn most of what you need to know about successful and safe reloading and it will probably last you decades till you see the need for a Dillon.
When you learn the disciplines of dimensional quality control, upper and lower dimensional limits, etc. you will see the DILLON is best able to retain your settings and keep all your product dimensions within the the upper and lower limits when the lee, with age, and heavy use,will require resetting noticeably MORE than the Dillon 550B with heavy use.
Get yourself a set of 6" digital calipers and extra button cells at Harbor freight
and find an "Elmer" (That's what HAMS call a mentor)
yodarkritch
New member
pistol relaoding setup
I forgot to mention the pistol SETUP OF MY DREAMS is the Dillon Square Deal.
The SQUARE DEAL is the ultimate pistol only reloading setup cause it takes half the foot print that a 550 does.
It's cute as hell and is excellent and highly productive for all pistols.
Truthfully you are forced to buy Dillon's proprietary dies, and setup when switching calibers is slower than the 550, but I will have mine set up for .45 acp and never need to use it for anything else
I forgot to mention the pistol SETUP OF MY DREAMS is the Dillon Square Deal.
The SQUARE DEAL is the ultimate pistol only reloading setup cause it takes half the foot print that a 550 does.
It's cute as hell and is excellent and highly productive for all pistols.
Truthfully you are forced to buy Dillon's proprietary dies, and setup when switching calibers is slower than the 550, but I will have mine set up for .45 acp and never need to use it for anything else
ArizonaRick
New member
Dillon to Lee
I have been using Dillon products for 20+ years. Started with the RL450, converted to 550, bought a square deal also. They are all great machines, and they have worked well for many years and 10's of thousands of rounds but...... if I was starting all over, I would go with the Lee Load Master. Half the price, comes with auto case feeder, low cost optional auto bullet feeder, five station, auto index, auto eject. $220 with dies from Factory Sales. They make great dies also.
I have been using Dillon products for 20+ years. Started with the RL450, converted to 550, bought a square deal also. They are all great machines, and they have worked well for many years and 10's of thousands of rounds but...... if I was starting all over, I would go with the Lee Load Master. Half the price, comes with auto case feeder, low cost optional auto bullet feeder, five station, auto index, auto eject. $220 with dies from Factory Sales. They make great dies also.
You need to do a little research...no a lot of research!
Just posting here or on some other gun forum will get you the same answers. 1. Dillon 550 2. Dillon 650 3. Hornady LnL. And for the low budget folks the Lee Loadmaster or Pro 1000. Once in a while someone will mention an RCBS Pro 2000. It's a popularity thing...with many just following the loudest noise (often the Dillon folks) without first analyzing their personal needs and preferences. What perfectly fits a IPSC competitor, who only loads for his tricked out pistol isn't going to be a good match for someone who wants to load for a couple of pistols and a an AR 15. And what fits that loader won't fit someone who wants to change calibers 4 times a week and 8 times a month. You need to analyze what you do and what you plan to add to what you do.
Do keep in mind that here you will only get biased opinions (mine as well) because we all want to extol the virtues of our own decisions...which of course were based on our needs not yours.
I spent six months researching when I was in the market for a progressive. I started my search with Lee, once I picked my jaw up off the floor after checking out the prices of complete systems of Dillons, the Hornady and the RCBS. There's quite the price diference between the upper tier presses,(Dillon, RCBS, Hornady) and the Lee progressives. I spent weeks looking through the reviews, videos, tip web sites, and decided I could make them work, but not without more maintenance than I wished for. What you don't pay in money, you pay in TLC time.
Then I looked over Hornady...nice press...fits several types of reloaders, but I wanted one with removable shell plates. So gulp, it meant spending a little more additional cash. Dillon 550...no. Good press, but 4 stations limit what I thought I wanted to do. So the Dillon 650....nice, nearly perfect press, but caliber changes pricey and slow, too many parts to keep clean and synced, less than perfect primer system, and I would have to buy (for the convenience, I expected in caliber changes) 10 change kits with powder measures! That's when I decided and bought the least popular (because it's the least known about) RCBS Pro 2000. I saved myself a lot of money having to only buy 1 extra powder measure, and not having to buy the most expensive option for Hornady/Dillon folks...a case feeder...because it doesn't have one. The idea was to buy a bullet feeder someday instead, when I come to think more speed is useful... and can afford it... maybe this Christmas, if Hornady gets their new one stocked by then. I'm really happy with the Pro 2000....especially having the most advanced, safest, and fastest APS primer system. With CCI preloaded APS primers, having to peck a 100 primers into a loading tube is over...and good riddance. Also, it has no parts that can go out of sync. A big plus in my book. It's simple, fast, trouble free, and the only cast iron frame.
Now all that bunch of bias said, one of the others may fit you best. They're all decent products, but do yourself a favor and don't leave out looking at the RCBS Pro 2000, like so many do. That would not give you the complete picture. And that is your loss. Good Luck.
BTW, you can take the advice of the post ahead of me...but there's two important requirements to stay happy with it: You need to be mechanically savvy. You need to be naturally patient. A close friend went that route...he's savvy, just not patient...at all. He uses a friend that is....me. I get a phone call and go running 1 a month...sometimes twice. I don't mind...we're close! And I thought by buying the RCBS that I wouldn't have to keep tweaking a Lee. Remember lots of TLC!
Just posting here or on some other gun forum will get you the same answers. 1. Dillon 550 2. Dillon 650 3. Hornady LnL. And for the low budget folks the Lee Loadmaster or Pro 1000. Once in a while someone will mention an RCBS Pro 2000. It's a popularity thing...with many just following the loudest noise (often the Dillon folks) without first analyzing their personal needs and preferences. What perfectly fits a IPSC competitor, who only loads for his tricked out pistol isn't going to be a good match for someone who wants to load for a couple of pistols and a an AR 15. And what fits that loader won't fit someone who wants to change calibers 4 times a week and 8 times a month. You need to analyze what you do and what you plan to add to what you do.Do keep in mind that here you will only get biased opinions (mine as well) because we all want to extol the virtues of our own decisions...which of course were based on our needs not yours.
I spent six months researching when I was in the market for a progressive. I started my search with Lee, once I picked my jaw up off the floor after checking out the prices of complete systems of Dillons, the Hornady and the RCBS. There's quite the price diference between the upper tier presses,(Dillon, RCBS, Hornady) and the Lee progressives. I spent weeks looking through the reviews, videos, tip web sites, and decided I could make them work, but not without more maintenance than I wished for. What you don't pay in money, you pay in TLC time.
Then I looked over Hornady...nice press...fits several types of reloaders, but I wanted one with removable shell plates. So gulp, it meant spending a little more additional cash. Dillon 550...no. Good press, but 4 stations limit what I thought I wanted to do. So the Dillon 650....nice, nearly perfect press, but caliber changes pricey and slow, too many parts to keep clean and synced, less than perfect primer system, and I would have to buy (for the convenience, I expected in caliber changes) 10 change kits with powder measures! That's when I decided and bought the least popular (because it's the least known about) RCBS Pro 2000. I saved myself a lot of money having to only buy 1 extra powder measure, and not having to buy the most expensive option for Hornady/Dillon folks...a case feeder...because it doesn't have one.
The idea was to buy a bullet feeder someday instead, when I come to think more speed is useful... and can afford it... maybe this Christmas, if Hornady gets their new one stocked by then. I'm really happy with the Pro 2000....especially having the most advanced, safest, and fastest APS primer system. With CCI preloaded APS primers, having to peck a 100 primers into a loading tube is over...and good riddance. Also, it has no parts that can go out of sync. A big plus in my book. It's simple, fast, trouble free, and the only cast iron frame.Now all that bunch of bias said, one of the others may fit you best. They're all decent products, but do yourself a favor and don't leave out looking at the RCBS Pro 2000, like so many do. That would not give you the complete picture. And that is your loss. Good Luck.
BTW, you can take the advice of the post ahead of me...but there's two important requirements to stay happy with it: You need to be mechanically savvy. You need to be naturally patient. A close friend went that route...he's savvy, just not patient...at all. He uses a friend that is....me. I get a phone call and go running 1 a month...sometimes twice. I don't mind...we're close! And I thought by buying the RCBS that I wouldn't have to keep tweaking a Lee. Remember lots of TLC!
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Kevin Rohrer
New member
For pistol only, check out the Ponsness & Warren P200. It's inexpensive and does a great job.
For .45 only get the Dillon Square Deal B and load away. I have one for .45 and one for 9mm. The dies come with the machine and don't cost extra after you buy the press. Dillon is the best on customer service and they make an awsome machine. I have loade thousands of rounds on bothmy presses and no problems.