Action type and press type

[Broom_jm]

I'm running a poll to get a better idea of how reloaders are using the equipment they have and how that corresponds to the action type of the weapons they primarily use.

 

[Six Shooter Steve]

What about us revolver guys? I primarily own revolvers and load on a 650

 

[42769vette]

i only use a foster coax and mainly rung bolt actions

 

[Broom_jm]

I considered revolvers but wasn't sure if I should add another line in the poll, or make the 2nd option a big ambiguous. I wouldn't be surprised to hear from guys who shoot revolvers, but load with a single-stage or turret...probably depends on the volume of shooting they do.

 

[Six Shooter Steve]

Yeah that's true. Most revolver shooters I would think shoot lower volume of ammo than auto shooters. I happily am not one of them hahaha

 

[Dr.Midnight]

My handgun collection is about 70% revolver and 30% semi-auto, and I reload using a turret press. All my life I have shot pretty much by myself on the family farm, so I don't have any kind of sample size as far as number of rounds other people shoot in each outing. I will say that when I go out, it's not uncommon for me to shoot 400-600 rounds in either revolver or semi-auto. I'm not sure if that's high, low, or average.

Edit: I forgot to mention when the weather is nice, I'll go out and shoot two or three times per week. When it's plum nasty hot like last week, that's when the press does a litte overtime and gets me stocked up for better weather.

 

[NullSyndrome]

My option isn't there. I shoot mostly semi-autos but use a turret press. I don't shoot in high enough volume that I really feel the need for a progressive.

 

[Broom_jm]

My option isn't there. I shoot mostly semi-autos but use a turret press. I don't shoot in high enough volume that I really feel the need for a progressive.

Sorry about that...guess I didn't cover the bases very well with this poll!

 

[XtremeVel]

My handgun collection is about 70% revolver and 30% semi-auto, and I reload using a turret press. All my life I have shot pretty much by myself

Same here but if I break down number of rounds put through revolvers vs semi-auto's, it's probably reverse 30% and 70% the other way.

Now days I only use the Turret press... The single stage usually just hosts the bullet puller...

 

[wsenefeld]

8 out of my 10 firearms are semi-auto. Of the 2 odd balls, one is a bolt action and the other is a pump shotgun. I reload on my 550b. I still have my single-stage Lee that I use simply for depriming. I tried it once just for kicks and ran 100 rounds of 45acp through it. Felt like a waste of time when the 550b did the next hundred in 20% of the time and the quality/reliability is equal. Some may say you have to pay more attention to a progressive but shouldn't your attention be undivided regardless?

 

[Broom_jm]

8 out of my 10 firearms are semi-auto. Of the 2 odd balls, one is a bolt action and the other is a pump shotgun. I reload on my 550b. I still have my single-stage Lee that I use simply for depriming. I tried it once just for kicks and ran 100 rounds of 45acp through it. Felt like a waste of time when the 550b did the next hundred in 20% of the time and the quality/reliability is equal. Some may say you have to pay more attention to a progressive but shouldn't your attention be undivided regardless?

Absolutely...but for the most precise bolt-action and single-shot ammo, I prefer the rugged simplicity of a single-stage press.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

As for rifles, I load for my AR and a bolt action. I only use a single stage press. Same goes for my pistols.

 

[Dr.Midnight]

As for rifles, I load for my AR and a bolt action. I only use a single stage press. Same goes for my pistols.

If I were loading a very few number of precise and accurate rounds, then by all means a single stage would me my choice. With that being said, I wanted a decent amount of volume, so I upgraded to the turret press.

It's funny that the only time I had trouble with my reloads was using a single stage press. I measured and weighed every tenth charge, but I'm assuming a couple of under charged rounds made it through because I did have a couple of squibs in a six month period. Knock on wood, since switching, I haven't had a single issue.

 

[mydoghasfleas]

I shoot/load semi auto. I have an RCBS JR3 (got it for free) that I started out with for about 150 rds or so, but then wanted to go a little faster (I shoot about 450 per month) so I got a Lee 4 hole turret press which seems to be the best of both as I can watch every round and still load around 200 per hour.

I could see one day going full progressive since I plan on starting to shoot even more, but I enjoy the process so I will wait untill I just want a change. Or find an incredible deal.

 

[spencer rifle]

Almost all semi-autos and a turret press, so my choice is not on there.

 

[billybob44]

Bolts,Revolvers+Semi-Autos..

I shoot all flavors. Most of my handgun loads are assembled on a Dillon RL550. Most rifles on a RCBS RockChucker.
As far as volume goes, I would say on my handguns, 65% Semi-auto, and 35% Revolver.
Rifles, 60% Semi-auto, and 40% bolt guns.

The Glocks/CZ's, and the AR's just like to "Eat" a lot faster than the Smiths, and the Remingtons...Bill.

 

[Ter]

I own primarily manual feed actions and use a single-stage.

 

[Broom_jm]

I ran this same poll on a site called "Shooters Forum", which is not isolated to primarily one state, like the INGO forum. I will say that Shooters Forum has quite a few older guys who have shot mostly rifles in their lifetime and don't have as much interest in pistols or semi-auto rifles. That is reflected strongly in the different responses to the poll.

Whereas 75% of the respondents on this site use a progressive for at least some of their reloading, on the other forum, 60% use a single-stage or turret press to create loads for bolt-action or single-shot rifles. Only 40% of the guys on that forum use a progressive press for any of their reloading.

I think this is a result of both age demographics and the allowable hunting weapons for Indiana. Where I grew up in California, most guys reloaded ammunition for their bolt-action rifles because 300+ yard shots were a fairly regular thing and we all wanted the best possible accuracy. Three of the first five big game animals I killed with my 270 were taken at over 200 yards...and at the time, that didn't seem at all noteworthy, to me. That's just what you did if you wanted to hunt, out West.

I've been reloading shotgun and rifle ammo for over 25 years now, but didn't crank out my first semi-auto pistol rounds until about 5 years ago. It used to be so cheap, we would just buy what we needed, for no more than we shot them. Prior to my son getting interested in guns, I had fired maybe 300 rounds of pistol ammo in my whole life. It was (and is, still) pretty boring, to me. There is only one real "purpose" for a semi-auto pistol, and I hope to God I never need one.

To me, rifles are just so much more useful and COOL than any pistol will ever be. I got into reloading because I hunt and want the most powerful, accurate ammo I can put in my guns. I don't shoot a lot of rounds each year, but 99% of them go right where I want them to, and that's what reloading is all about, to me.

I don't care to see how fast I can empty a magazine and I don't practice "tactical" operations. To be honest, my home defense weapon has an 18" long barrel and if a would-be criminal ever hears the sound of that 12 gauge pump action cycling, I have a feeling he'll pee himself trying to get back out of the house.

I will not be surprised if my son has a progressive press, some day. If he wants to get one, I'll be more than happy to help him set it up and get it running, so he can turn out the numbers of ammo he likes to shoot. You'll find me sitting at the one-armed green monster, slowly turning out what I believe to be the most accurate ammunition I can produce, one round at a time.

And I'll be happy as can be, doing so.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

If I were loading a very few number of precise and accurate rounds, then by all means a single stage would me my choice. With that being said, I wanted a decent amount of volume, so I upgraded to the turret press.

It's funny that the only time I had trouble with my reloads was using a single stage press. I measured and weighed every tenth charge, but I'm assuming a couple of under charged rounds made it through because I did have a couple of squibs in a six month period. Knock on wood, since switching, I haven't had a single issue.

I reload a lot of rounds. I have a Chargemaster, and it speeds things up. It takes roughly 30 minutes to charge 100 cases. I know that's not as fast as a progressive press. It's fast enough for me, for now.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

My option isn't there. I shoot mostly semi-autos but use a turret press. I don't shoot in high enough volume that I really feel the need for a progressive.

Me too. I just pull the handle more often.