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What is everyone using for a reloading press

15K views 95 replies 60 participants last post by  BBMike 
#1 ·
I'm looking to see what everyone is using for there reloading press , I use. RCBS rock chucker for my long range rifle loads , and I use a Hornady LNL for my handgun loading and for my 5.56 when I'm putting together plinking rds
 
#7 ·
I have a decades old Redding single stage press that my FIL gave me about 8 year ago. This thing is solid and must weigh 35 pounds or more. I also use the Redding competition powder measure he gave me that is very accurate. Those are pretty expensive at $220 which is way more than I would spend for a powder measure. My father-in-law went to college on a rifle team scholarship and still shoots long range rifle so I imagine that is why he had the heavy duty equipment.

That is what I use currently. What I want is a different story. I hope to purchase a Lee Turret press and then outfit it with the case ejector and reverse rotation rod from Inline Fabrication. Money is tight with a three week old baby so I do not see a progressive press in my future anytime soon. I also like the simplicity of single stage reloading and enjoy the meditative aspect and really do not want to fiddle with a progressive at this point. I am thinking the Lee turret with the upgrades(that increase output) will be a nice balance between simple/faster output/cost.
 
#27 ·
I had a Lee Progressive 1000 about 30 years ago, reloaded thousands of .38spl and .357 mag rounds, worked like a dream.
Now I have a Dillon xl650 and love it, load 9mm, .40, and 45acp with it, works every time you pull the handle and measures powder accurately every time, I check powder weight after about every 25 rounds.
Once you drink the BLUE Koolaide its hard to go back.
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
I have an old (25 years) Dillon 650 that is in mothballs for need of a couple of parts. Right now, I am using a Lee Turret press for 9mm and .45 acp. A progressive would be great, but for now, it works.
 
#61 ·
Mix here,

Dillon 550: Handgun, bulk .223, 7.62
Redding Ultra-Mag: Majority of my rifle
RCBS Rockchucker: Depriming
Ponsness-Warren 375: 20GA, 16GA, 12GA, 10GA hunting loads
Ponsness-Warren 900 Elite: 12GA target loads



Hoping to add a Dillon 650 next year for strictly 9mm.

Chuck
Just fixing the pic cause of the ^%^&*&*$ PhotoBucket chuckleheads.

Chuck
 
#20 ·
One red and one blue. The red one (LNL) I bought new and find that it has a personality that is persnickety. It's temperamental. The blue one (550) I inherited and find that it just works. Period. You set it and it does what you said to do, every time. You can ignore it for the longest time, go back to it and it still does the same thing. The red one......don't even go eat a cheese sandwich cause it's gonna be cranky for the first 20 loads when you get back to it.
 
#23 ·
I only load pistol ammo right now and use a Lee Loadmaster progressive press but I use it in stages not full progressive. Deprime and resize on the loadmaster then use the newish Lee Auto Bench Primer to prime the cases as I never liked the loadmasters priming system then back to the LM to finish the round. Its not as fast as going full progressive but its fast enough for me.
 
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#24 ·
RCBS Rock Chucker for hunting loads. Dillon 550 for pistol, and maybe AR in the future.
 
#31 ·
Twin Dillon SDB's since 1993. Before a single stage RCBS. Needed more faster loads. One was Small Pistol Primers the other Large Pistol Primers. Have since learned how to swap the Primer feed guts.
 
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#32 ·
I started with a RCBS Rockchucker back in the late 70's or early eighties. I even started shooting IPSC while loading on it. Didn't take long to realize I needed a faster press and added a LNIB Dillon 450 to the loading room. I used that while shooting about 25K rounds a year until Dillon debuted the 1050 and early adopted the 1050. At that point the Rockchucker got used for low volume loading and the 450 was mostly used for .45 with the 1050 always set up in .38 Super. There's also a Hornady 366 progressive shotshell loader bought when I thought I wanted to shoot a bunch of skeet.
 
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