So I'm going to start reloading...

[idleprocess]

I don't know if to get the lee because that its cheap or the rcbs because it cost more and could be better quality. With rcbs are you just paying for the name or is it a better set up?

thanks

Given that I've yet to get my Lee progressive running, I think that perhaps I ought to have gone single-stage or at least turret before progressive...

 

[ForneyRider]

I have a Lee single stage and a Lee Pro 1000 (progressive).

I recommend getting a single stage or a turret press to start out.

I started on a progressive and was very slow for a while.

Lee is affordable. RCBS can be pricy, but their priming system (APS) seems to have the least number of complaints.

Dillon is high dollar, and can crank out a lot of quality ammo, but it is not without its own share of complaints.

Depends on your budget, all the brands have their own list of bugs and features.

Hornady has a good deal on their LnL AP press with 1000 free bullets.

 

[DangitDon]

I started reloading in 1965 or '66. There was my older brother, my wife and myself. We reloaded .38 specials with wad cutter bullets We used a rock chucker press, dies I can't remember but I can remember that you had to lube straight wall cases because there were no carbide or other alloys. we reloaded for 4 to 6 police departments for target practice. ( Back then the LEOs had to buy their own at 3$ a box) We would sell for $1.50 for 50. At that time primers were one half a cent, powder (1 and 1/2 grains)Bullseye so less than a cent and we could have all the brass from the shooting area. We bought Lee or Lyman 6 cavity molds for hollow base wad cutters and some for semi wad cutters. At that time single stage presses had to be set each and every time you removed a die. Since my brother was the smart one he made up the lead bars. (wheel weights, plumbers lead, roof flashing and tin. This is the way it worked (we also had full time jobs and would spend a couple to a few hours each evening on the reloading) first all brass was washed with Tide and water and dried in the oven, the damaged brass went into the trash,Brass was then lubed and wiped down (wife's job) Then it was sized and de-primed and re-primed ( about 6 hundred or 1000). Then it was belled and held under the powder dump and set into loading blocks and visually checked for powder levels by two of us or all three sometimes,every tenth one was checked on a balance scale, then the bullet seat/crimped. It was then wiped down real good and inspected at that time, if any had cracks or bulge from the seating crimp they were tossed into a bucked . It was wife's job to take those to the ravine and shoot them and throw the brass away. The only dependable progressive press that was available at the time was a Star and you could buy a new car for less than the press. The weekends were used to mold, size and lube the bullets.

 

[Deavis]

Given that I've yet to get my Lee progressive running, I think that perhaps I ought to have gone single-stage or at least turret before progressive...

Well, you bought a Lee press... If you had bought a Hornady or Dillon you'd be posting about how awesome the press was

Joking aside, I've got a lot of progressives but I still have a single stage press. Two of them actually, there is always a use for them I have found.