Progressive press for a beginner?

[Bbryant132]

Thanks alot for all the info guy. This makes me feel more comfortable picking up a progressive press. Now i just got to figure out what press to buy... lol

 

[ed308]

Always a tough decision. If I were buying, I would look at either Dillon and Hornady LNL. Dillon presses hold their value. Usually, you can buy a press and resale for around 85-90% of what you paid for it. Not sure about the Hornady since I've never owed the LNL. But I would image it's no different.

All of the press have plus and minuses. The Dillon 550 with a case feeder is a great press. The fact that you have to index manually slows everything down for a beginner which makes it easier to learn. What sold me on the 650 is the extra spot on the tool head for the powder check system (alerts to gross over/under loads) and the auto indexing. Watch some You Tube videos to get a better idea how each press works.

Here's a good video for loading 5.56 LC brass on a 650XL. The video breaks down the steps needed to reload 5.56 LC Nato brass:

 

[Bbryant132]

Yeah, so far everyones said to go with dillon 550 or 650. I guess thats where ill start looking

 

[Jon Payne]

A wad of cash, sore back, and no chicks...NO thanks. Be cheap somewhere else.

No where did I say that lee and dillon are the same quality. But I think you proved my point the cadilac and yugo will both get you to the same place and with the yugo you still have a wad of cash in your pocket.

 

[Dawico]

Yeah, so far everyones said to go with dillon 550 or 650. I guess thats where ill start looking

I love my Hornady LnL AP. The nice thing is readily available caliber conversions.

 

[dobarker]

All of the press have plus and minuses. The Dillon 550 with a case feeder is a great press. The fact that you have to index manually slows everything down for a beginner which makes it easier to learn. What sold me on the 650 is the extra spot on the tool head for the powder check system (alerts to gross over/under loads)

I'll second that as a big plus. The first time you get a squib load and send a .45 slug oozing towards a pissed raccoon you'll consider powder checks necessary.

 

[boomgoesthedynamite]

I run my hornady lnl in two stages. The first is deprime followed by tumble/cleaning. The next phase is for sizing and filling. A powder check is a must, and having extra slots for that is awesome. I like the quick change bushings on the lock n load for that reason. I plan on stepping up to a dillon 1050 at some point.

 

[scap99]

Started with a Dillon XL650 20 years ago. Still runs strong.

 

[Deavis]

A wad of cash, sore back, and no chicks...NO thanks. Be cheap somewhere else.

Exactly, you are buying a tool that should be used 15 or 20 years. It should be a joy to use, not a hassle for that lifespan. Lee is the harbor freight of reloading, one time use tools.

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[Wyldman]

Some of my Lee dies are 30 years old and still work just fine. My Lee presses and hand press have a solid 10 years on then and still look like new.

So, I guess I would dispute your statement about them being throw away Harbor Frieght quality tools. My experiences state otherwise.

Crush, kill, mangle, maim, destroy.

 

[Deavis]

How much do you load a year? I've worn out plenty of lee dies processing brass. Also, talking about machines, not dies alone.

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[Wyldman]

I generally load around 500 or so rds a month.

Crush, kill, mangle, maim, destroy.

 

[Deavis]

Fair enough, I can see why you'd disagree. 500 is a short loading session on a progressive, half an hour. Lots of guys running progressives load in a month what you load in a year or two.

I load in a day what you load in 5 years so I have a very different viewpoint than you on quality based in heavy usage.

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[matefrio]

How about staring with a $35 investment that will teach you the basics before getting into the big stuff?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/735723/lee-classic-loader-308-winchester

 

[Mreed911]

How about staring with a $35 investment that will teach you the basics before getting into the big stuff?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/735723/lee-classic-loader-308-winchester

Never knew about this - Thanks!

 

[Younggun]

Who woulda though a reloading thread would devolve in to bashing Lee products?


Vaq nailed it. If your only purpose is to save money and you can make simple adjustments on a simple machine Lee is a good option.


If you are unable to make simple adjustments on a simple machine, or you are more concerned with speed than savings, go with a Dillon.

Not everyone loads 30,000 rounds a month, and not everyone is willing to spend a few minutes setting up.

Both work just fine, anything beyond that is Glock vs 1911. People shouldn't let their ego get in the way of the thread.


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[Jon Payne]

Who woulda though a reloading thread would devolve in to bashing Lee products?


Vaq nailed it. If your only purpose is to save money and you can make simple adjustments on a simple machine Lee is a good option.


If you are unable to make simple adjustments on a simple machine, or you are more concerned with speed than savings, go with a Dillon.

Not everyone loads 30,000 rounds a month, and not everyone is willing to spend a few minutes setting up.

Both work just fine, anything beyond that is Glock vs 1911. People shouldn't let their ego get in the way of the thread.


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I don't see where anyone has let their ego cloud their judgement. I do see honest reviews of different products. Like I said in my first reply, there are some Lee products I prefer; the Lee Autoprime happens to be one of them. Comparing progressive presses, there is a marked difference in build quality. As long as one knows what they are getting the choice is their own.

 

[Younggun]

Agree 100%.


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[Vaquero]

I don't see where anyone has let their ego cloud their judgement. I do see honest reviews of different products. Like I said in my first reply, there are some Lee products I prefer; the Lee Autoprime happens to be one of them. Comparing progressive presses, there is a marked difference in build quality. As long as one knows what they are getting the choice is their own.

The original Lee Autoprime is badass.
The Autoprime XP brought them down a couple of notches. But still one of the best hand priming units available.

I'll pay top dollar for good, functional replacement "Autoprime" parts.

 

[ed308]

I like the quick change bushings on the lock n load for that reason. I plan on stepping up to a dillon 1050 at some point.

I love the quick change bushings. If I was going single stage it would with one that can use that system. I've been thinking somebody needs to develop a Dillon tool head that use those quick change bushings. I see a market for them with a Dillon press. Would be a lot cheaper than buying a separate tool head with all the trimmings for a caliber you may not load that offer. Like my M1 Garand.