I guess... depends on your volume. I shoot 7500-10k 9mm a year, which basically means I'm spending as much or more just on reloading components. The press setup amortizes itself pretty quick after that, especially when the reload to retail price spread widens out. It pretty much paid for itself and then some just in 2020.
It depends on how much you shoot, what your regime is far as
I do not shoot nearly that amount of ammo. I shoot about 500 40S&W, about 350 45/70, about 200 30/30 and about 450 .500 S&W Mags.
Definitely not worth a progressive. I shoot a few hundred 44 a year and do them single stage.
Yeah, that's the awkward volume where a progressive is helpful but not a requirement. Lee Classic Turret with a reverse ejector worked fairly well for stuff like that for me... Lee APP/ACP up front for initial processing, perhaps. I used to use an RCBS bench mounted primer (on an Inline Fab QD plate) for priming cartridges, which I felt was marginally safer than using a hand primer.
I have a set of calibration weights from lyman I use them for both my Lyman accu touch and my hornady beam scale. I loaded up some test loads today with Enforcer and H110 for the .500 S&W magnum rounds. I have not used these powders before. I have been trying to diversify my powders. Made some .500 S&W special rounds using titegroup and long shot. they are about .375 shorter than the magnums.I started with a single-stage reloading press and decided to bump to progressive. I think for some things, a single stage setup is more than fine - anything for any larger rifle caliber where batches are going to be 50-100, and I think single-stage would be the way to go, mostly for powder charging where each load needs to be trickled to a specific charge weight. With anything else you'll shoot more of - 9mm, 45 ACP, 223, 300 Blackout, etc - I wouldn't want to try to do that bulk of ammo any way other than progressive.
So, what have I been doing lately? I processed about 600 rounds of 223 range pickup - that's always "fun" - not. But, it's better to put in the time to make sure everything is trimmed to length for consistency and to make sure any crimped primer pockets are dealt with.
I also swapped my press back over from 223 so that I could load some 45, and I put together 100 rounds using 185 gr Hornady XTP with 8.1 gr of Power Pistol. It's a stout load, but a few 10ths from max with that bullet - Lyman lists 8.3, Hornady lists up to 8.9.
I finally broke down and bought a second powder measure so that I can leave one set up for rifle with the large powder bar, and the other set for pistol. I already have a quick-change setup for the powder measure so that it quick detaches to move to another tool head, so I personally won't go to the lengths some do by having a dedicated powder measure for every tool head.
I also picked up an inexpensive set of calibration check weights, and I checked them on my Frankford Arsenal electronic scale last night. The FA scale gets a lot of hate in the reloading community, and I'm not really sure why. There are guys who claim it's pure junk, but I've checked mine against a beam scale several times and it always read the same as the beam scale.
This is the set of check weights I picked up.
These were my results according to my FA scale:
.5 gr weight - .5gr
1 gr weight - 1.0 gr
2 gr weight - 2.0 gr
3 gr weight - 3.0 gr
4 gr weight - 4.0 gr
5 gr weight - 5.0 gr
10 gr weight - 10.0 gr
20 gr weight #1 - 20.0 gr
20 gr weight #2 - 19.9/20.0 - it fluctuated between the two depending where on the scale it was sitting
50 gr weight - 50.0 gr
100 gr weight - 99.9 gr
200 gr weight - 199.8 gr
I learned that the scale is slightly sensitive to placement. It reads more accurate towards the front that the back, but only by 1/10th of a gr, if at all.
Overall I've been very happy with that little FA scale, and this set of check weights seems to be pretty much on the money. I don't know if the issues with the heavier weights are due to the scale, or if the check weights are slightly off. Because of the heavier weight, they read the same no matter where I placed them on the scale, but if it's the scale, we're talking about 2/10ths of a gr at 200 gr, and all of my loading will be under 100 gr, and most will be under 50, where the scale seems to be very accurate.
I think that the one 20 gr check weight is probably off, but only by a half grain, if even that much.
In any case, I'll continue to use that scale with confidence. It's important to be able to trust your powder scale, and at this point, I fully trust it.
This is so true. I've just started checking shops, and all the soccer mom shops with waiting rooms like to inform me loudly that "They recycle those metals".. The small shops were all throwing them in the trash
What is the ROI in purchasing a BMW or Saab? The value added is in getting to pilot a fine machine. The same is true with Dillon presses.
Guess the name like Dillon, BMW or Saab, nah.. definition of "Fine machine" that can be subjective. Everybody's version of fine machine is different, would love to have a P51(D) Mustang..but..My version of "fine machine" to pilot when it comes to cars 57 T-Bird, 63 Split window Coupe, 58 vette, 65 Mustang coupe, Hemi-Cudas, Model"A' / "T's" Have you used any Star reloaders? Hollywoods, Texans. Dillons are just that.. presses, The Area 419 "Zero" reloading press is a fine machine. Just A thought or opinion
I rebuilt a 65 back in high school. White, red interior, straight 6 with auto. Sold it to help fund engineering school.... would love to have a ... 65 Mustang coupe...
now were talking
A lee Classic is a good option though. Fairly inexpensive, hella faster than a single stage. A good progressive with the appropriate feeders is still easily 3x faster. But the Lee classic is an easy 3x faster than a single stage.
Tried to like a turret press from lee. Couldn't. And last year they straight pissed me off on a shit qc issue so I'll never buy another thing they make. Too many options to put up with "tech" people who know less than the customer
that sucks. So far I’ve just had good experiences with them. They sent me a bunch of free parts for my Lee APP when I ordered them. $0, including shipping. Just spares I was ordering, not replacements (I wanted a spare of all the plastic bits)
Have a few sets of their dies. All over ten years old. Couldn't find Forster FL size die for my buddy's creedmoor to save my ass. Ordered a lee die set. Huge disappointment. Visible cut marks in body/shoulder and neck area actually screwed up cases. No burnishing done at all above mid body. Called lee. The dumbass I talked to actually had to ask me what burnishing was. After talking about the issue with at least three people, I got a story about how the lack of polishing in the neck/shoulder area prevents case stretching. Horseshit. I sent pictures of cases sized in a lee 308 die with no marks, striae, or frosting on them. Next to cases ruined by their new production die. Add in that they ran the damn reamer in too deep and the die wouldn't make minimum headspace tolerance as compared to my headspace gauges. Screw them. I called scott in the Forster service shop (who, by the way, is one smart guy) and begged for a size die. It took a couple weeks but I got (and gladly paid msrp for) a full length sizer and a benchrest seater. I've been buying Forster for years and I think I'll only be buying from them, john Whidden, the Harrell brothers, and maybe redding from now on. QC and service from the big companies has gone to hell. And they don't seem to care because people buy the junk.
