Reloading Setups

[TraderVic]

I've been reloading for probably 30 years, but pretty much rifle cartridges, using a Rockchucker press, etc.
I'm planning to reload 357 mag and am wondering what many of you use to reload your pistol calibers, in larger quantities ? Are there ways to increase efficiency of a single stage press, or is a progressive setup mainly desired/used ?

[GunnyMack]

My bench has an RCBS single stage, a Dillon 550.
I do most of my rifle stuff on the RCBS, pistol stuff on the 550. However I have run a few thousand 308 through the Dillon without a hitch.
I also have one of the small Lee presses for priming , crimping etc. I have it mounted so it's portable if I want to take it on the range.

[Walt]

I shoot mostly pistol calibers and I use two Dillon 550s, one for small primers and the other for large, to load them. I do use my Rockchucker periodically. I really like the Dillon 550s for ease of changing calibers and for their fine customer service.

[JimT]

My Dad started me with a Lyman 310 Tool when I was 10 years old .. nearly 70 years ago. I still use a 310 Tool. At times. Also use an old Lee Loader sometimes. I have had my RCBS Rockchucker single stage press for more years than I can remember .. probably since sometime in the early 1970's. I had a progressive for some years but eventually got rid of it. I prefer to do everything on the Rockchucker. I've got time. I ain't in a hurry. I have cases kept in stages .. NEEDS CLEANED ... CLEANED ... CLEANED, DEPRIMED, NECK EXPANDED ... PRIMED AND READY TO LOAD. Usually when I want to load something all I have to do is get out the powder and bullets, set up the scale and screw in the proper dies. I know it ain't for everyone but at this stage of my life it works for me. Find what you are comfortable with ... what you enjoy ... what does not frustrate you and carry on! Have fun.

[LeverGunner]

I mosly shoot pistol calibers, either in revolver or leverguns. I do try different presses from time to time, but right now I'm using an old Lee Challenger.

The efficiency that is found with a single state comes from being to quickly remove the worked case and insert a fresh. I do this by pulling the worked case out of the shell holder with my middle finger, while inserting the new case which is held by the thumb and pointer finger, all left hand, whilst the right hand never leaves the press handle.

That said, I do not consider 357 Magnum as blasting ammo meant for fast production and even faster disposal. Mostly, I take the time to trim my brass that gets a roll crimp, and I get better accuracy from the consistency. I also sort by headstamp. Once in a while i'll run a batch of mixed and untrimmed brass for plinking, but it doesn't shoots as well for me.

[Bronco]

What ever floats your boat I say!
Reloading should be all about relaxing and enjoying the time spent ! Thoughts of saving money are there but not so much as it used to be. It is my hobby and I do what I can, how ever I want and when I want to safely to enjoy it!

[COSteve]

What ever floats your boat I say!
Reloading should be all about relaxing and enjoying the time spent ! Thoughts of saving money are there but not so much as it used to be. It is my hobby and I do what I can, how ever I want and when I want to safely to enjoy it!

I agree completely! It's a hobby that is all about enjoying yourself. Saving money is nice but not my main motivation on handloading.

I'm lucky in that I've built up my equipment and components over the last 25+ years and now I handload 7 pistol and 9 rifle calibers on my 3rd press, a Dillon 750 with casefeeder. I gladly spend a bit more to have the convenience and ease of handloading as I do it these days as much to enjoy it as to save money. I say that a true handloader should wonder if he handloads to shoot or shoots to handload.

Seriously, it's a great hobby in itself if one has the right equipment and workspace so that the tasks flow and you don't have to fight a process. I'm about organization and ergonomics so that the process flows easily. That's why I have all my calibers set up on individual toolheads and ready to go so it's just a few minutes to change calibers and go.

Instead of a separate press for large and small primers, I opted to buy a 2nd primer assy for all 3 of my presses (started with a 550B, sold it for a 650 w/casefeeder and then sold that for a 750 w/casefeeder). It takes me under 1 minute to swap primer assys in my 750 so I use the extra money for any tools to make the process simple or added components.

Speaking of components, I was lucky rather than smart as I got a wild hair to stock up on components in 2018-2019 when they were on sale and so I've likely got enough to last me the rest of my shooting career.

[Bill in Oregon]

I have two single stages on my bench -- a Forster Co-Ax that I use most often and a plain vanilla Lyman O-ring press for cases with large rims -- and sometimes for cases with rims too small for the Co-Ax to keep hold of. I also use the Lyman with my Lee push-through sizing dies.
I've had progressives but never shot enough volume to put up with the fiddlyness. I started with an RCBS Junior and eventually switched to a Rockchucker -- still a tough press to beat and very nice that you can unscrew the 7/8 by 14 bushing for access to the 1 1/4 by 12 threads for loading oddballs like the .577 450. I've had a couple of turret presses and the Redding was the Cadillac, although the self-indexing Lee could be pretty handy.

[765x53]

I have two older non-Breech-Lock Challenger press that I use for hand gun ammo. I would add a third if I find an identical one for the right price. For rifle loading I use a RCBS Reloader Special.

[Shrapnel]

Dillon 650, Dillon 550, Rockchucker for rifle/pistol and 3 other presses for shotgun. No matter how hard I try, I can never get all my empties loaded…

[jeepnik]

I'd say go with Dillion. A progressive makes a poor choice for someone just starting reloading. But you're experienced so buy what you will eventually end up with first.

[4t5]

TraderVic , I applaud your choice of art….

[GunnyMack]

Oh we are talking shotgun too!
Dillon SL900, 12 and 28 that I swap back and forth. The 28 I bought another powder charger so I wouldn't have to fiddle with- set it and forget it.
I also have MEC Grabbers in 12,20,28 and 410 plus a 700 converted for 3" 410 . Now if I had room for all my hulls I'd be set!

[AJMD429]

.
I have a Rockchucker for one-time stuff or larger calibers (can even do 338 Lapua if I ever accumulate enough brass to reload, if I remove the insert), and I do have a Dillon RL550B, but for most reloading I actually just use my Lee Turret press, as it is strong enough and stable enough to do the job well, very convenient to set up and change cartridges with, and much easier to set up versus the Dillon. However if I would get a load I want a zillion of I'd get the Dillon set up for it, as the progressive multi-stage loader is going to be fastest.

Just be careful and DOUBLE CHECK everything no matter which system you use.

The de-priming I always do with the Lee Hand Press and a universal decapping die, and it is the one step I 'relax' most with, as it is hard to mess up. After tumbling/cleaning then the 'work' begins - starting with a thorough but quick inspection of each case for cracks or bulges.

[marlinman93]

I load mostly rifle stuff so my Rock Chucker Supreme does that fine. When I do load pistol cartridges I use my old Lyman Turret press. It has six stations, and not that much faster, but at least I only need to turn the turret to change from decapping/sizing to belling, or bullet seating. So it speeds it up a little, but not like a Dillon does.

[Ysabel Kid]

I started on Lee Precision equipment over 40 years ago, and have mostly stuck with it. Started on a turret press, but essentially use it as a multi-die single stage. Granted, it is not as fast as a turret set up properly, and certainly not as fast as a progressive, but I have never needed to crank out that many rounds that fast. So I use loading blocks, and deprime/resize 50 cases, prime those 50 cases, load them with powder (and visually check the whole 50 plus pull some for random weighing, then set and crimp the bullet on all 50. It's a system that works for me.

[COSteve]

I'd say go with Dillion. A progressive makes a poor choice for someone just starting reloading. But you're experienced so buy what you will eventually end up with first.

I disagree that a Dillon progressive makes a poor choice for someone just starting because of 2 processes you've overlooked.

With a progressive like a Dillon 550 that doesn't auto index, you can learn to load by just loading a single piece of brass and rotating it through the stations to learn the process. In effect, you've turned the press into a sort of turret press where the shellplate moves rather than the toolhead. After a couple hundred rounds a new handloader will usually be confident enough in the process to be ready to load brass with every stroke as they've learned the process.

With a progressive like a Dillon 650 or 750 that does index, all one needs to do is remove the shellplate bolt and shellplate (something you'll do with every caliber change) and then remove the Indexing Pall (p/n 13667 in both presses). It sits on a spring and pulls right out. It's a small, flat metal piece about 1" tall that fits in a grove and looks a bit like a flat hammer. It is the piece that advances the shellplate and with it removed you can manually advance the shellplate as you do with the 550 by pushing on the piece of brass.

The Indexing Pall (Item No. 18) is shown on page 52 of the Dillon 650 manual at: https://www.dillonprecision.com/media/m ... nglish.pdf

I learned by myself to handload on a 550 that way about 25 yrs ago and now that I have a 750 with a casefeeder, I've removed the pall 2 different times to teach new handloaders the steps a couple of years ago. I believe that if one is mechanically adept enough to learn to handload, one can easily learn by the processes above. BTW, both the new handloaders I taught on my 750 were confident enough after 300 rds to go out and buy a 750 with casefeeder as their first press.

Now, a little more than 2 years later, one is loading 2 pistol and 1 necked rifle calibers and the other is loading 3 pistol and 2 necked rifle calibers and both are having a ball. Every so often they'll call and ask a question but by and large they've got it down and are cranking out quality ammo.

[Griff]

This is my reloading bench right after I rebuilt it in 2013:


Nice & neat... that lasted all of about a month! Maybe, one day, I'll straighten it back up and take all the stuff off the bench that needn't be there. I also use 2 Dillon 550s, one for large primer & one for small. I mostly load 45 Colt, 45 Auto & C45S, so the large primer machine sees far more use. I bought the original 550 back in 1987 and Dillon "rebuilt" it in 2021, (actually replaced it a new 500C)! The Rockchucker still sees a lot of use loading rifle cartridges. I got the second machine from a forum member here. I was told it was a demonstrator machine in a gunshop that fell into disuse. It was only set up for .38Sp., which I guess I've loaded about 3,000 rounds on, and maybe about the same in .223.

I have 2 MEC 600 Jr's, for 12 & 20 gauge, plus a Hornady 336 that I now use for my BP 12 gauge ammo. The 4th metallic cartridge loader I have is Lyman Bonanza "C" press that goes with me to the range when I doin' load development. At our gun club the rifle range consists of 2 50 yard ranges, a 100 & a 200. If there's anyone else during the week, it might only be one or two guys spread out over those 4 ranges, a few over on the pistol ranges, so clamping my Lyman to an unused bench is not displacing anyone and very convenient to work up my loads like that. I don't have to pre-load a variety of loads, and can immediately adjust to determine accuracy, etc.

[Sixgun]

There’s no need for speed unless you’re shooting several hundred rounds a week. I use RCBS exclusively (except for one Lyman turret press) for many reasons and one of them is parts interchangeability. Although the RCBS Piggyback gets bad press I’ve loaded 1/4 mil. on mine. I use that for short rounds and a Pro 2000 for rifle rounds…….also have several single stage presses for specific jobs. No machine works by itself, you have to pay attention with each upstroke and downstroke of the handle.

If your using a single stage press a fast way is to have a butter dish instead of individual trays that hold each round. Do the different stages by leaving them bulk until you get to the powder, then use an individual cartridge tray.

Over the years I’ve always bought the best equipment, whether it’s reloading equipment, tools, and other machinery I could afford. The way I see it we all pay thousands of dollars in taxes to feed the parasites and thousands more for insurance because of law suit happy parasites and what do we get out of it other than a piece of paper that’s marked “paid”.

Just one side.——006

[LeverGunner]

When using a single stage, I too use containers for brass as I process through the stages. Only for powder charging do I use a loading block. I charge 50 or 100 cases, check them, and then seat bullets, or seat & crimp, depending on bullet and application.

As the completed rounds come off the press, I give each a quick final inspection for cracked neck and overall, then into a tub/bag.

[BobM]

I have a Dillon 550 currently set up for 45 ACP and a Redding Turret for rifle rounds.

For revolver ammo, I use my grandpa’s CH Tool and Die Pistol Champ H press. It has four die stations and a primer feed. It’s not as fast as the Dillon but I like using it. Grandma gave it to me after grandpa passed.

[LeverGunner]

I have a Dillon 550 currently set up for 45 ACP and a Redding Turret for rifle rounds.

For revolver ammo, I use my grandpa’s CH Tool and Die Pistol Champ H press. It has four die stations and a primer feed. It’s not as fast as the Dillon but I like using it. Grandma gave it to me after grandpa passed.

That's a great reason to use it. I'd like to see it, if you have a picture.

[TraderVic]

Certainly a variety of preferences and I thank you all for your responses. I believe I'll add an additional press I already have, and work forward from there.
Regards, Vic