Progressive presses

[C7AR15]

Hello Yall,

I am sure this has been gone over many times -so please go easy on me - I'm new here.

I have been using a Lee turret press for as long as they have been out 15+ years.

It has it's glitches and little irritations but with a sense of of feel, a reloader can get the job done. 180++ RDS per HR.

Is there anyone out there who has tried them ALL ?? 9Progressive that is)

Dillon Square deal, RCBS, Redding And Lee .....etc

which one was the least finicky once you got it set up??

Should I ditch the Lee and get .... What??

Thanks in advance for your answers JD

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

C7AR15,

Well, first off I am not a Lee fan.

However, there are a bunch of people that use and like their presses.

There are the folks that hate anything that is not blue in color, but that is their problem I guess.

I have a Hornady LNL and have had it for 18months or so after reloading since the 60s with a single stage press.

Like with your Lee, you need to learn and understand the issues with every different piece of equipment.

Some folk want to maximize production, but I find that an easy pace turns out handgun ammo at almost warp speed when compaired with the single stage of years past.

So, if your press is giving you good service, why change, even if it is a Lee but if you really need/want a new one I think the "other" red press is just fine in spite of what the boys with blue may say.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[shootniron]

Ol'Coot gives good advice....

If you can get 180rds per hour with the turret, that is good and you will not gain a significant amount with the progressive, or at least in my experience. I have 2 progressives, 1 turret and 1 single stage that I use for different things. Having had the experience with these presses, if I were you, I would buy the Hornady progressive just for the experience of using a good progressive press and increasing the output a little. To be honest, I have the Lee turret and I have never been able to get your output as the indexing on mine has never been exact and it limits me to about 125 per hour. Now I use it for .44mag, .45lc and .454 because I normally do not load them in high volume and I also experiment with loads so the turret seems to work well for them. I have my progressives dedicated to .45acp and .38/.357 as I shoot more ammo for these calibers.

Anyway, if I were in your position, I would probably give the Hornady a try as I think you would enjoy the change.JMO

[Shoney]

C7AR15

WELCOME TO TFL!

I have the LNL AP and the Dillon 550. Have also reloaded extensively on my buddies 650. I prefer the LNL AP for many reasons, which would fill a page.

The 550 is not a true progressive, as you have to manually turn the shell plate. The 650 is an excellent machine but for reference, my buddie sold his 650 to buy an LNL AP after many sessions reloading on my LNL AP.

The Dillon$ have ob$cene price$ for a$$ories. If an LNL and a 650 are set up with 5 different cartridges, all using different shell plates, the 650 will cost twice as much as the LNL.

Then when you factor in the FREE Bullet offer, it's a no brainer.

[Jim243]

C7AR15

I understand the AR15 but what is the C7 or is it suppost to be CZ?

But back to your question, I have stuck with the Classic Trurret becasue of component costs and only purchase 100 to 250 at a time, so my need for a Progressive isn't there.

I like Lee too, but stay away from the 1000 press and look at the LoadMaster or Honady's L-N-L press. They both will do you well and cause only a slight headache. (LOL)

If what I think you want to do is load a lot of 223/5.56 then get the LoadMaster in that caliber, set it up and don't change it, use that press for 223 only.

Just a suggestion.
Jim

[darkgael]

I have a Lee turret, two Lee Pro 1000's, a Dillon Square deal, and a Dillon 550B (semi-progressive). They are all make good ammo. The Lee Pros work as well as the Dillons.
180 per hour out of the turret is fast. The progressives simply make it a bit easier.
Pete

[dlb435]

I've currently have the Dillon 550B and an RCBS Ammomaster progressive..
I've also had the Dillon 450, SDB and the Lee Pro 1000. I've had a good look at the Hornady LNL but have never used it.
The best over all press is the Dillon 550B.
When you look at a progressive press you are really looking at several different machines all built into one unit. I'm going to take thing one item at a time.
Basic frame: The hands down winner is the RCBS press. They really know how to build a strong frame that will stand up to anything. You can get the Pro 2000, old Ammomaster or even the 4X4 and not go wrong. The next best frame is the Dillon. When you get up to the Dillon 1050 they are built as well as the RCBS presses. The Hornady comes in next and dead last is the Lee.
Tool Head: The winner here is the Dillon. It's simple, easy to use and just doesn't fail.
Advance system: The auto advance system is the same on the Lee, Dillon (650) and RCBS It's a rod and clutch assembly. The Hornady uses a pall system that I don't like. The manual systems are all the same. No clear winner here. Take your pick.
Shell stations: As good as the Dillon 550B is, it only has 4 stations. So does the RCBS 4X4. The Lee only as three. The Hornady, RCBS Pro 2000, Dillon 650 all have 5 stations. I feel that 4 stations is a minimum and prefer 5. It's your call.
Primer system: Dillon is once again the winner here. They simply have the best and most reliable priming system on the market. This one item has done more to get Dillon to the top of the heap than anything else. Even better, they built a blast tube around the primer tube to help keep you safe. All other system come in second.
Keeping set: Both Dillon and RCBS are tops here. Once your dies are set, they stay set. The worst is the Lee. Other presses come in somewhere between.
Handle stroke: Dillon again is tops here. They split the balance between stroke length and force just right. I find the force needed on the Lee is too much. The Stoke length on the RCBS is too long but this is good if you're going to be reloading lots of big rifle ammo.
Primer catch: It's a small thing. Those messy spent primers. I like the RCBS the best, it never drops a single spent primer. Lee is the worst, no system at all, they just collect under the press. Everyone else is about the same.
Powder drop system: OK, it's Dillon again. I'd have to say the Lee is a good second. They're system is cheap, reliable and easy to use. None of the other automatic powder systems are nearly as good. I even use the Dillon powder measures on my RCBS press.
For the money, the Dillon 550B is about the best you can get.
If you're willing to spend even more, then the Dillon 650 or the RCBS Pro 2000 are good choices.
I didn't factor in the cost of caliber changes but Dillon is the most expensive. Lee is the cheapest.

[Waldog]

I have loaded on the following progressive presses; Dillon SDB, 550, 650 and 1050, and the Hornady LNL. I currently own a LNL and Dillon SDB. I have comparison notes I can forward you if you are interested. PM if you want the writeup.