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Lost Sheep · January 14, 2013, 12:27 AM

Thanks for asking our advice.

For your bottlenecked cartridges I would suggest a good single stage. It will also do for your straight-walled pistol cases while you are learning.

A progressive will set you back a pretty penny, but learning to load on a progressive is more difficult than learning on a turret or a single stage. Just as learning to walk wearing shoes is easier to learn than learning to walk wearing roller skates. Also, you may find the quantities you shoot do not justify the expense and complexity of a progressive. Both of those attributes will become clearer to you as you gain experience on your single stage.

I have never heard anyone regret owning a single stage.

Once you have the basics as second nature on a single stage, you can decide later if you want a nice auto-indexing turret, a regular turret of a progressive. Don't be impatient.

In the meantime, here are excerpts from an article I wrote a while ago

You need knowledge. About the process, about the toos and about load recipes that are safe. A mentor would be nice.

Manuals and instruction books. Lots of manuals. And web sites. Reliable ones, like the bullet manufacturers and powder manufacturers, not someone who doesn't have "skin in the game".

The early chapters of manuals are devoted to "how to load" information and the rest are load recipes. The bullet and powder manufacturers have lots of good advice and load recipes specific for their products. The excellent tome "ABC's of Reloading" has no load recipes, but excellent descriptions of the loading process, written by a selection of different authors.

Casual sources (like forums) are good sources of education and information, but you have to verify everything you find from casual sources.

Remember, only believe half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for what you get from the internet. Even this post. Maybe especially this post.

Do your own independent, confirming research when ANYONE gives you new facts on the web.

Also remember, even the idiotic stuff might have a kernel of truth buried in there somewhere.

I have compiled a few web sites that seem to have some good information (some of which came from me).

Go get a large mug of whatever you sip when you read and think and visit these sites.

For the New Reloader: Thinking about Reloading; Equipment Basics -- READ THIS FIRST
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238214

I am looking at getting into reloading for the first time
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=658971

Just bought my first press. Needs some info tho.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=659358

Considering reloading
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488115

Budget Beginning Bench you will never outgrow, for the novice handloader.
http://rugerforum.net/reloading/2938...andloader.html

Thoughts on The Lee Classic Turret Press
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=135951

Interested in reloading
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13543

Newby needs help.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=430391

I hope you enjoy the reading. Thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep

disclaimer:

I do not know you, so if my advice seems over-obvious, take into account my ignorance of your experience level. Also, other readers of all experience levels are reading.

January 14, 2013, 12:27 AM	#6
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Thanks for asking our advice. Thanks for asking our advice. For your bottlenecked cartridges I would suggest a good single stage. It will also do for your straight-walled pistol cases while you are learning. A progressive will set you back a pretty penny, but learning to load on a progressive is more difficult than learning on a turret or a single stage. Just as learning to walk wearing shoes is easier to learn than learning to walk wearing roller skates. Also, you may find the quantities you shoot do not justify the expense and complexity of a progressive. Both of those attributes will become clearer to you as you gain experience on your single stage. I have never heard anyone regret owning a single stage. Once you have the basics as second nature on a single stage, you can decide later if you want a nice auto-indexing turret, a regular turret of a progressive. Don't be impatient. In the meantime, here are excerpts from an article I wrote a while ago You need knowledge. About the process, about the toos and about load recipes that are safe. A mentor would be nice. Manuals and instruction books. Lots of manuals. And web sites. Reliable ones, like the bullet manufacturers and powder manufacturers, not someone who doesn't have "skin in the game". The early chapters of manuals are devoted to "how to load" information and the rest are load recipes. The bullet and powder manufacturers have lots of good advice and load recipes specific for their products. The excellent tome "ABC's of Reloading" has no load recipes, but excellent descriptions of the loading process, written by a selection of different authors. Casual sources (like forums) are good sources of education and information, but you have to verify everything you find from casual sources. Remember, only believe half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for what you get from the internet. Even this post. Maybe especially this post. Do your own independent, confirming research when ANYONE gives you new facts on the web. Also remember, even the idiotic stuff might have a kernel of truth buried in there somewhere. I have compiled a few web sites that seem to have some good information (some of which came from me). Go get a large mug of whatever you sip when you read and think and visit these sites. For the New Reloader: Thinking about Reloading; Equipment Basics -- READ THIS FIRST http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238214 I am looking at getting into reloading for the first time http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=658971 Just bought my first press. Needs some info tho. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=659358 Considering reloading http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488115 Budget Beginning Bench you will never outgrow, for the novice handloader. http://rugerforum.net/reloading/2938...andloader.html Thoughts on The Lee Classic Turret Press http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=135951 Interested in reloading http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13543 Newby needs help. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=430391 I hope you enjoy the reading. Thanks for asking our advice. Lost Sheep disclaimer: I do not know you, so if my advice seems over-obvious, take into account my ignorance of your experience level. Also, other readers of all experience levels are reading. Last edited by Lost Sheep; January 14, 2013 at 12:47 AM.