Best reloading press for beginner?

[bro2]

Hello,I want to start reloading 45acp. Looking for a good single stage kit. Maybe later get a progressive press. Help!

[Casimer]

I'd go for something inexpensive, like one of the LEE kits.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...TurretPressKit

Also you can use a turret press like a single-stage, to get started, and then use it as it's intended once you're more comfortable.

[Antipasta]

I'd have to agree with Casimer. I've loaded thousands on a Lee Turret Press and have been completely satisfied. Some here that operate munitions factories might have a different opinion, but based on what you say you'll be doing, start with Lee.

[Dan The Sig Man]

I just recently bought the Lee Deluxe Pistol Turret Kit... It was pretty cheap and if you go to www.factorysales.com they are about 2 miles from the Lee Factory, and are a very nice place to deal with. I paid $99 for the Kit, $31.90 per 4 Die, Die set, and $9.98 for an extra 4-Hole turret... I think shipping was $13... Very worth looking into and I cant wait to get mine. It is on the way and I should have it by middle next week.
Good Luck

[RickV]

I have been reloading for about 8 months now. I started with and still use a Lee Pro 1000. At first I was only doing one round at a time I would hand feed and allow the round to go thru each phase of the reloading cycle. After I became more comfortable with it I was able to add the shell feeder tubes and go progressive. I can do about 200 rounds an hour with no problem. I would suggest if you go with a Lee product that you pick up a copy of Lee's Modern Reloading 2nd Edition beside the load info Richard Lee gives a lot of good info on using the various Lee Loaders.

[Lavid2002]

I bought a lee single stage kit. Its great, but I wish I bought something faster. I learned ALLOT on this kit and its an excellent press, but im disappointed in the speed in which I can reload cartridges. If I could to it all on one swing of an arm.....ohhhhh :P

[ems-1]

Hands down the best press for a beginner is the Lee Classic Turret press. It can be used as a single stage press until you get familiar with hand-loading then you can switch it to a progressive press. Its also extremely reasonable in price and built to last. I've had one for over 8 years and gave it to my brother a couple of years ago. He's still using it... 1000's and 1000's of rounds later!

[Tex S]

Forster Co-Ax if we are talking single stage. I feel this is undebateable. No other manufacturer offers such a well designed press.

[Dan The Sig Man]

I want to let everyone know that I messed up on the Webiste I added. It is www.factorysales.com... I forgot the S on the website when I added it earlier... That is where I got my Lee Turret Press Kit and Dies. It is about 2 miles from the Lee Factory and they sell Lee stuff a LOT cheaper.

I got 2 die sets (9mm & .40), and extra 4-Hole turret, and the Press Kit for about $187 shipped.

[thetoecutter]

I just loaded 200 .44mags on my old 3-hole manual index Lee turret press. The 3-hole turret gets the expander (or powder drop) die, the seater die, and the factory crimp die.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...rretpress.html

Have been running it for almost 20 years. I used to use an old non-breech lock challenger press for sizing/decapping.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...s1.html#breech

Recently replaced it with a Classis Cast.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...g/classic.html

Still use the single-stage for sizing/decapping, and use a Lee hand auto primer sitting in front of the TV. I am on my second auto primer in 20 years.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata.../primtool.html

Use an old auto-disc powder measure that I installed a "Pro" update kit on.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...g/powhan1.html

If I was starting out all over again, I would probably go for the Classic Turret press. Would still likely use it manually, poke all 4 dies into the turret, and still go through and decap/resize and hand prime, then run them through the last three dies in the turret.

Using sized, primed cases and the double disc in the powder measure, I can load 150-200 rounds an hour in my 3-hole turret (just did it). I have spare turrets for all the calibers I load for, so I just leave the dies in the turrets.

Hope this helps;

TTC

[indiandave]

If you are just loading for pistol a Dillon SDB would be a good choice. You can load just one round at a time at first. When you get the hang of it you can use it as a progresive. Dillon also has exellant customer support.

[dmazur]

Even though the Dillon 550B is a little expensive, I'd look into that. If you shoot .45 in IDPA or any other form of competition, you go through ammo fast.

As the 550B is a manually-indexed press, it is easy to "break out" the first station for resizing/repriming bottleneck brass for rifle, then reinsert resized/primed/trimmed/cleaned brass at the first station and resume operations as a progressive. I usually do a tub of 100 at a time. Remember to index before pulling the handle.

The Dillon carbide dies are excellent and work fine without lube. This saves you time as both the brass and the press stay cleaner.

[Walther22lr]

A good single stage press is the RCBS Rock Chucker model. I have been using an RCBS single stage press for over 30 years reloading among other calibers, .45 acp.

The carbide resizing die is a good thing to use. No need for resizing lube.

[wncchester]

"Hands down the best press for a beginner is the Lee Classic Turret press."

It's perhaps the best multi-hole press currently available at any price. One of the best period, excepting the single stage Forster CoAx and Redding Ultramags and those are VASTLY over built and expensive for reloading any hangun cartridge!

The Classic Turret has a simple auto-index head that can easily be disabled so you can use it as a single stage until you get your feet on the ground. Then add the indexing parts and use it for all time! It's plenty fast unless you load and shoot more than perhaps 3 hundred rounds a range trip so no much more expensive progressive is worth its price, IMHO. But, if you ARE going to shoot 300+ rounds a week, you would surely benefit from a progressive.

[round pounder]

I have been reloading with a single stage challenger for 2yrs it is slow but my rounds are very accurate. I reload for .223, 30-06, .308, .270 but maybe it is that I just enjoy the peace lol.

[zxcvbob]

The best is the C&H 444, or an older equivalent model. http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=61 You can sometimes find them at eBay pretty reasonable. (I don't think I'd pay full price for a new one) Texan also made a press like this a long time ago.

[Teuthis]

I have a Redding Boss now. It is light, portable and plenty strong. I think a good press for a beginner is a single stage press of any major brand. Redding, RCBS, etc. Think about the calibers you may want to load in the future. If they include rifle calibers, you might get something like the Redding Big Boss or RCBS Rock Chucker. They are simple and strong. I think my Redding Boss will load many rifle calibers just fine. I can do .30-30 and .30 carbine with it.

[draggon]

Hi Bro2,

You specifically asked for a single stage press. I have and currently use, nearly every press mentioned in the answers above.

The best single stage press for the buck is the Lee Classic Cast. It gives away nothing in strength or precision to any of the others except for specialised high end reloading when the top of the range Redding or Forster presses offer advantages, but only when specialised dies are used as well. For 45 this press will do anything the others will do and do it just as well.

This press will serve you well for just about any rifle cartridge also.

When you want to speed up a bit, get the Lee CLASSIC turret (not the smaller original one). It can be used as a single stage as mentioned above but has a bit more slop despite which it produces remarkably good ammunition.

When you get serious about large quantities of ammunition, the you have a good choice of colors and I won't get in that here.

[bro2]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am considering going with a Lee classic turrent kit from Cabela's. $189. What about the T-Mag by lyman?

[Shaun_300]

I have the Lee Challenger press, works awesome! I just got into reloading a month or so ago, this is very easy to use.

[ForneyRider]

I started off reloading .41 mag on a Pro 1000. It was hard to find ammo and it is $$$. The Lee kit was $130 or so at the time and all I needed was bullets, primers, and H110. I never cleaned the brass and had a great time.

Then I found out the Pro 1000 didn't work very well with my 7mm Mag.

I got a single stage(Lee breech lock) and sold the Pro 1000. Resale value on this stuff is pretty good. Just try and find a used T-7 turret.

With KISS idea, the single stage is great way to go. But if you plan on shooting a lot, like hundreds of rounds a week, then get a progressive.

Lee, is the best bang for buck. But RCBS, Lyman, Redding et al all make nice stuff. I have stuff from most of the manufacturers for about 10 calibers now.

I think I have about $1k in tools and components over the past 3 years. :P

[ah141nj]

I have been reloading since the end of November. I started out with the Lee Classic Turret Press. Learnt everything about reloading online, forums, magazines & manuals. I didnt want the slow pace of a single stage. Didnt think I could handle a Dillion or Hornady LNL progressive as a newbie.
Good press, does its job very inexpensively & with good results.
In about 3 hrs this past Friday & Saturday nights, I loaded 500 rounds of 9mm & 250 rounds of 45 acp. The Lee CTP serves its purpose.
The only problem I see with a progressive is that you need to stock everything in bulk....powder, primers, brass, bullets, ammo cases/boxes & a place to keep it all. Whats the point of being able to reload 500 rounds in a hour if you only have supplies for a 1000 -2000 rounds?

[zxcvbob]

Whats the point of being able to reload 500 rounds in a hour if you only have supplies for a 1000 -2000 rounds?

The point is you leave the press set up for the cartridge you shoot the most. You need 100 rounds of .38 Special target loads tonight? you spent 20 minutes loading 'em and you go shooting. (I still prefer loading on my C&H 3-station single-stage press most of the time.)

[B.L.E.]

You may just as well just bite the bullet and get a premium press right off the bat because you are eventually going to trade up to that press anyway.

[WESHOOT2]

When in doubt buy RCBS.

Not because they're the best, but because they're always good enough.....and they offer a superior warranty.



I have LEE, Dillon, Lyman, and Bonanza presses (but both of my LEE presses are broken, although I still use one).