Progressive Press Search

[Limpy88]

never get rid of a press you dont have 2 of. rcbs stuff is great but the primer thing is stupid. if you have the money get the dillion. if not the hornady. my next progessive press will be a dillion.

 

[mac45]

I voted Blue........Love my 550.
But truth be told, Hornandy makes a fine press too.

Whatever you do, keep the turret.

 

[Coach]

Okay, I give up and I don't want to hear, "I told you so!" I need a press with greater capacity than I'm able to achieve with my Lee turret press. I absolutely love the press, but I reload, stock, and shoot a pretty large quantity of 9mm, .38, .357, .40, and .45. So, I need a time-saver.

Because I currently have so much equipment for the Lee press, I'm wondering if I should purchase the Lee 1000 and if I could use the dies I currently own? This would be the only reason I would go with the Lee progressive press. If not, it looks like I'll basically be starting from from scratch with dies and everything else, unless my equipment can be used with other manufacturers. If that's the case, would you guys recommend selling off my entire set-up or just keeping it?

Lastly, if I do go with a new manufacturer, should I go blue or green?


Westside is not allowed to take part in the poll!

If you can't **** off the front porch with the big dogs don't go out the back sideways. In other words quit jacking around in the minor leagues and get a Dillion. There is not a better press nor a better warranty. When you are in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging. Sell all of the Lee stuff and go blue. I am 100% certain this is the right thing to do.

 

[bwframe]

If you don't buy the 650 (and case feed) you'll always wonder. I'm sure the others are fine, but everyone wants a 650. The question is how long will you torture yourself continuing to want it?

I bought mine at Bite The Bullet. There are different owners now and they seem like fine folks, on top of being INGO advertisers.

 

[hockey3236]

Lee dies with the correct collets and its a one time set-up for ea caliber. am currently loading 40, 45, 44 mag and 30-30 rifle and it works fine. Put some low grade lock tite on it or even some of ur wifes finger nail polish

 

[Pitmaster]

Dillon's quality, service, and warranty can't be beat by any other manufacturer making progressive presses for quantity and quality rifle and pistol reloading. There are a few presses where the quality might be a little better but those are single stage presses designed for precision which is irrelevant to most reloaders needs. Most of us are interested in quantity and quality and not precision.

 

[Pete]

I use a Dillon for pistol ammo & a Hornaday for 12 ga shotshells. You can't go wrong with either.

 

[IndianaGTI]

I like Hornady because that's what I have. I do enjoy the quick change bushings. I can go from loading 308's to having a couple hundred loaded 45's in an hour.

 

[Que]

I like Hornady because that's what I have. I do enjoy the quick change bushings. I can go from loading 308's to having a couple hundred loaded 45's in an hour.

You may bot know the answer to this, but does the Dillon require a more difficult process to change bushings to load different calibers?

 

[IndianaGTI]

You may bot know the answer to this, but does the Dillon require a more difficult process to change bushings to load different calibers?

I think that dillon has some new quick change bushing option, maybe. The caliber change in Hornady is like 10 seconds plus adjusting the powder metering.

 

[rockhopper46038]

For the Dillon 550, I think its just easier to have extra tool heads. They're about $20/ea, but then there is no reason to ever remove the dies.

 

[phidelt208]

i make 500 or better with my Lee Pro 1000 just saying and i've go over 15k reloads in just 9mm. When you figure it out, Theres just NO way to justify the cost of anything else. just saying.

 

[rockhopper46038]

i make 500 or better with my Lee Pro 1000 just saying and i've go over 15k reloads in just 9mm. When you figure it out, Theres just NO way to justify the cost of anything else. just saying.

Oh, there's plenty of ways to justify the cost of other presses - as a group we're nothing if not adept at coming up with justifications to buy stuff! But I agree; as an owner of a couple Pro1000s along with some other presses they work just fine and can make ammo very quickly.

 

[Caleb]

It takes me forever to make rounds on my lee classic turret, but now that my sister bought her kimber and her boyfriend and my mom looking at 45 acps...I'm going to have a hell of a time keeping up with reloading. Those of you with non-progressive setups, how are you guys able to quickly AND accurately throw charges into the cases? What slows me down the most is getting the charge just right.

I'm loading with 4.5gr of titegroup.

 

[rockhopper46038]

It takes me forever to make rounds on my lee classic turret, but now that my sister bought her kimber and her boyfriend and my mom looking at 45 acps...I'm going to have a hell of a time keeping up with reloading. Those of you with non-progressive setups, how are you guys able to quickly AND accurately throw charges into the cases? What slows me down the most is getting the charge just right.

I'm loading with 4.5gr of titegroup.

I'm guessing you don't have a powder measure? That would be my first suggestion. You can bench mount it, but most can be installed right into your powder through belling die to drop the powder directly into the case. Alternatively you could buy an electronic powder measure that would have the next powder charge already dispensed for you when you are ready for it. And this may be heresy to some on here, but if I am working somewhere in the middle or to the low side of the range of powder charges for my cartridge (and I almost always am, I shoot powder puff rounds for Steel) then I don't sweat a .1gr over or under charge. If you find yourself dumping and remeasuring charges a lot, allowing yourself a TOUCH of leeway might help your throughput. BE MORE CAREFUL AS YOU APPROACH MAX CHARGE THOUGH!

 

[Caleb]

I'm guessing you don't have a powder measure? That would be my first suggestion. You can bench mount it, but most can be installed right into your powder through belling die to drop the powder directly into the case. Alternatively you could buy an electronic powder measure that would have the next powder charge already dispensed for you when you are ready for it. And this may be heresy to some on here, but if I am working somewhere in the middle or to the low side of the range of powder charges for my cartridge (and I almost always am, I shoot powder puff rounds for Steel) then I don't sweat a .1gr over or under charge. If you find yourself dumping and remeasuring charges a lot, allowing yourself a TOUCH of leeway might help your throughput. BE MORE CAREFUL AS YOU APPROACH MAX CHARGE THOUGH!

I have a Lyman dispenser...completely inconsistent, so much so I have to weigh every round. So considering an more expensive dispenser or a charge master.

 

[Caleb]

Yep...I'm cranking out about 15 rounds an hour...

 

[smileman]

go with the dillon, my brother went with a hornady" and its a good press" but the dillon is just so easy to use. he heard the dreaded "I TOLD YOU SO"

 

[billybob44]

At post #38.......

Well Que, at post #38, 56% says Dillon---What say You??????Bill.

 

[Caleb]

If I could afford a Dillion progressive press, better know I'd buy one in a heartbeat