Beginners and Dillon progressive press....

B27:

If things like wanting to shoot more so you decided to reload and you are relatively handy and can understand mechanical device well enough and you are sure you want to reload for years to come then.... Get the Dillon RL550B.

It is extremely versatile. It can be used as a single stage press (you do one operation on the entire lot of cases you are reloading, then do the entire lot on the next process, etc.) or as a turret press (you put only one cartridge on the table at a time and complete all three (or four) stages (processes) on that one cartridge or full progressive with four cartridges on the table and a finished round off the press with each pull of the handle. The manual indexing of the table makes that all very easy.

I have one press I use for all of the 30+ different cartridges that I reload for... the Dillon RL550B. I don't have or want another press for those cartridges. The Dillon can do it all even if it is a partial process like only de-priming, for instance. I see no point in having an extra single stage around that never gets used but since you started out with a single stage press and later moved to a Dillon progressive you still have it. It is a waste of money to go through a graduation process from single stage to progress IF you stay with reloading.

I know, the experts say start with a single stage but the Dillon RL550B can be three or four single stage presses all on one frame if that is the way you want to use it. There is no learning curve any different from using a single stage press that you set up differently three or four times to complete a reload cycle. Then when you understand it all you can move to full progressive.

I started on a LEE progressive with auto indexing of the table. What a mistake that was! The thing broke every time I used it and the mess it made with each of those breakdown was bad and might have even been dangerous. The auto indexing is what makes progressive presses a handful to use initially. I eventually got the Dillon RL550B, and used it as a single stage first then a turret and finally as a full progressive, all in a day. But I did understand reloading as I had used the LEE for some months before abandoning it. You could stay at single stage or turret operation for as long as it takes to get use to the Dillion operations.

So... Get the Dillon RL550B. Read multiple reloading manuals (the Hornady manual explains the whys of the reloading processes better than any of the others and with pictures). Go through the Dillon set up manual slowly and deliberately to get it all correct. Then try some single stage operations, then turret, then when the press seems like an old friend, go to full progressive. You'll not be sorry as your reloading time will give you at least three times the production of reloads and they'll be as good as any done on a single stage press.

As an aside The Dillion RL550B can use anyone's sizing and seating or separate bullet seating dies, not just Dillon dies that are very expensive. But you must use their powder die, powder funnels, shell plates, and pins. There is a lot of crossover in the those items and you do not have to buy the complete conversion kits to change cartridges, only the unique individual parts from the kits needed which Dillon sells separately to augment the conversion kits you already have.

LDBennett

wow.. considering 25$ a total life threatoning waste is odd.

i can blow 25$ THINKING about reloading.. let alone actually doing anything

I can remember buying a set of lyman case prep tools.. liking them soo much that a week later i bout the electric case prep center.. pretty much obsoleting the tools except for very rare / occasional use.

that inexpensive starter press is also a good one to teach youngins on.. or even thech, then gift to another person who is getting into reloading.. etc. good way to get friends into it.

I've also seen gus take thos small presses.. mount to a 2/6 section, and then take tot he range with 2 big c-clamps and set at the range and make 1-of test loads to dial in with.

op's call... just pointing out in a b=hobby such as this.. 25$ is a drop in the bucket.. thus the notion that buying a used or less expensive single stage press is a chest clutching end of the world waste is a lil overboard IMHO anyway.

those of you that make more ammo than winchester, and / or have been doing it since projectiles were whittled out of stone may be loosing touch withthe regular hobbiest who may want to set down and bang a few out.. and teach his grandkid to do the same.. or have the neighbor he shoots with who is interested come over.

kind anice setting there with some cold drinks while a helpfull individual deprimes and sizes batches of 300 rounds at a time of different brass while you are doing other more important tasks.

hard to do tha qwith a single $$$$press, vs that single $$$$ pres and an additional $ pres.

that's all i'm saying...

soundguy

Everybody has their own system. Few of us have help reloading. I can only use one press at a time. $25 buys 1000 primers. What use is a "dead" press with no planned usage. That is all I'm saying.

There is nothing to be gained by reloading on a cheap single stage before progressing to a Dillon RL550B IF you know that reloading is what you want to do for sure. You can get the same learning experience using the Dillon as a single stage as you can on a cheap $25 single stage press. So IF you are sure you want to reload why not step up and buy the Dillon first?

There is more than volume reloading to be gained by using a full progressive press. It saves you time. Before retiring, and making several 3 week long trips a year for my job and being a single DAD for my then teenage son, my time was limited. I had to plan exactly when I could reload. Tripling my time at the reloading bench was out of the question so I would have been short of ammo for my weekly and monthly shooting outings if I reloaded single stage. Needless to say I could not afford commercial ammo.

Then there is the tedium of single stage reloading. I had experienced it helping friends reload some 25 years before and decided the only way to minimize it was progressive reloading. My first press was a progressive.

LDBennett

to some.. tedium might be a fun way to pass the time.

as for seeing into the future about getting into relaoding. I know for sure I couldn't forsee the future.

I own as many guns as the next compulsive gun collector.. thus shooting and ammo bills are generally steep. even knowing that.. I was not sure I would like reloading.

If someone knew without a doubt they were in for a pound not a penny.. then going to the knuckle i=on the first plunge is probably fine.

Many of us can not see the future however ( would have helped 4 years ago.. )

besides.. used relaod equipment can be sold..

anywho.. time to move on.. tack hammer to sledge hammer.. and I'm not gonna come out..