FAQ Thinking about Reloading? Read This!

[doser]

doser submitted a new resource:

Thinking about Reloading? Read This! - A short introduction to Reloading 9mm

Reloading ammunition is more than just a cost-saving measure; it's a commitment to precision and customization in shooting and a hobby in itself.. Here’s a short guide on the reloading process, the financial benefits, and the practical considerations involved.

So you're thinking about reloading and want to know if its worth it. The answer really depends on how much you shoot. Based on the type of rounds and amount, that would influence the type of equipment you would need to purchase. A...

Read more about this resource...

 

[Leasud]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! For someone new to reloading who wants to start with typical 9mm and 556 range brass to just jam it out, would you recommend just starting at a progressive press?

 

[ikeo1]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! For someone new to reloading who wants to start with typical 9mm and 556 range brass to just jam it out, would you recommend just starting at a progressive press?

Yes, the Dillon XL 750 is the best all around affordable press imo. Lots of flexibility, upgradability, good support, tons of information. You would just need 9mm and 5.56 conversion plates. And maybe a separate toolhead for convenience. If you find you do a lot and want to upgrade. You can upgrade to a direct drive or sell for ~50-75%+ of what you paid for it. Also amazing warranty. Time is more valuable to me so single stage is a no go.

 

[steves86ta]

Yes, the Dillon XL 750 is the best all around affordable press imo. Lots of flexibility, upgradability, good support, tons of information. You would just need 9mm and 5.56 conversion plates. And maybe a separate toolhead for convenience. If you find you do a lot and want to upgrade. You can upgrade to a direct drive or sell for ~50-75%+ of what you paid for it. Also amazing warranty. Time is more valuable to me so single stage is a no go.

I agree don't waste money on a single stage. I learned the hard way and started on a Lee Turret press, then a Lee Pro 1000, and finally a Lee Loadmaster.

About a year or two ago i picked up a used Dillon 550 and it is 1000% better than anything I have ever used. I scored on it used and it came with all the upgrades (stand, roller handle, etc.) and a lot of extra tool heads, stands, etc.

I shoot with a few guys that have 750's and they love them, but i will say they have more primer issues than i do. Or at least more primer issues that are not caught in the reloading process. With the 550, if you have a protruding primer you know it right away when you manually index the shell plate. I haven't used a 750 nor have i ran into an issue with one, but based on the guys i shoot with and the amount of times its happened i think the auto indexing is strong enough to not notice it maybe idk.

I can load 4-500 rounds in an hour easily and that's not even trying to crank stuff out fast. I've also used it for 308 and 5.56. Just wanted to share my experience as it's a bit cheaper than a 750 and a great option

 

[Joker67]

I learned on an XL 750… you can use it as a single stage as well. That’s how I learned to reload 5.56. I was really careful before I started spitting them out. As long as you are careful and conscientious, it’s ok.

Small batches at first , that way your mistakes are small.

On Calguns , people will jump down your throat for saying this. I asked a GM and Master class shooter for their advice on reloading and they said just buy what you’ll end up with. I took the advice of people I actually knew rather than people who post a lot online but may not be truly knowledgeable.

 

[ChestnutBleach]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! For someone new to reloading who wants to start with typical 9mm and 556 range brass to just jam it out, would you recommend just starting at a progressive press?

Completely agree with others on the 'spend money once' mantra. If you have the funds, space for the equipment, and consume a lot of rounds a year, then definitely go for a Dillon 750. Do not waste time with a single-stage press. However, going to play devil's advocate for a moment.

Are you absolutely sure you want to drop the coin and get into reloading? Do you currently, or expect to, run through thousands of rounds a year? Do you have the space to dedicate for reloading? If no to any of these questions, then I would suggest considering a Lee hand press and a set of dies. It's inexpensive and a space saving way to get into reloading. Down side is that it is SLOW and time consuming, so definitely not recommended to support high-volume round consumption. But if you're only going to run 100-200 rounds/month, then it's not that bad. No point having a setup that can run at 500 rounds/hr if it'll take you 3-6 months to consume the rounds, IMO.

What are your considerations? Space? Money savings? <-- FYI, money savings is a MYTH! You'll just shoot more!

 

[Nautworthy]

I would not ‘jump down your throat’ for buying a single stage first but it’s the route I took. I bought my Rock Chucker first, knowing I would end up with a Dillon. I started loading 45LC, followed shortly by 45acp. I then purchased an xl650 and was soon loading 40s&w. I now load several other additional cartridges but many of them are still done on the single stage. The single stage comes in handy for small batches and working up loads, as well as for rounds where I don’t need the volume of a progressive. My RC still gets a lot of use and I’ve even added a Redding Ultra Mag.

If you’re primarily loading 9mm or .223 or another high volume round, then going straight to a progressive might be for you. For me, this was not the case when I started out. I have several family members who have Dillons, which is why I knew I would end up with one, but they also shared the value of a single stage.

 

[Warpspeed]

I'm with @Nautworthy on this one.

I like have a single stage press for things like load development or the dreaded pulling of bullets.

I have a dedicated press for 9mm and one for 223 just so I don't have to make any charges but that is a luxury for sure.

BTW, my first progressive was a Dillon 1050 and I have owned every press Dillon currently makes at one time or another. I still think most people should get a 550 as their first progressive press.

 

[L4Dtwo]

I started off with a LCT. It is perfect for my load development, precision loading and one off's but damn it really sucks for 9mm and .223 in increased volumes.
The idea was to have it mobile enough that I could move it wherever. With how I have it setup I can move it anywhere and load.
Its time for a progressive.

When I added everything up, I threw cost out the window and never looked back at that...to me its about the ability to roll your own.

If youre not a hoarder, you will be...

 

[GeeQ87]

I get it, I’m looking into reloading as well. Primarily for the potential of .38 super, factory loads are kind of weak

 

[6MMBRA]

Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t load precision ammo on a progressive either. I load extremely accurate ammo on a 550.

 

[ar15robert]

I started on a single stage and don’t regret it back about 98. I got a Dillion sdb for doing 45 a year after because I shot a lot of it.

I do my rifle on the single stage and still do today. I like to trim each brass and like clean primer pockets for rifle. IMO a single stage will always have a purpose.

I also recomend learning doing it single stage til you are familiar because even though a progressive can load fast it can get you in trouble even faster if you dont catch a mistake. I have had my Dillion screw up at times and it can be a motherless . Mine was missing primer drops and at times primer flipped and went in upside down. Recently rebuilt it and had to re time the shell plate. Easy to do though.

 

[Dooder]

It doesn't matter which press you start with. The important part is to learn the theory and methodology before demonstrating on the press, regardless of which press you get. You gotta know what you're doing and why you're doing it even if you get a Lee hand press and squeeze the rounds together with your hands. The Lee hammer kit is even fun to break out once in a while. A good reloading bench has both a single stage and a progressive. It's not like people can only choose one press. In the years that I've been around this hobby, people start with either one and end eventually end up buying the other one in the near future.

A real good way to get a forum full of sore slingers is to ask the question of which press is best and which one to get haaha. I guess that could be the entertainment.

The old school thought is to get a single stage first but that leads to tediousness and boredom rather than helpful an productive. I've met people that gave up on loading after they tried loading on a single stage setup some A hole salesman talked them into.

Yes progressives are plenty capable of making accurate ammo. Just because it's a single stage doesn't mean it's more precise. There's more and more reloading lore that is being debunked as time goes on.

But the most important thing is to learn the why's first before attempting the how. Then the user can chose what press is right for them.

 

[BigBossman]

The old school thought is to get a single stage first but that leads to tediousness and boredom rather than helpful an productive. I've met people that gave up on loading after they tried loading on a single stage setup some A hole salesman talked them into.

Way back in the mid-90's I took an interest in IPSC, and so got into reloading. I bought a progressive press set up for .45acp, and the rest is history. Progressive presses can be used as single stage presses to learn, and once learned the user can go into production without having to spend additional capitol. They are not complicated, complex, or mystical. I don't really see a reason to start on a single-stage, unless you're getting into reloading on a budget and you have your hands on a used press for cheap, or you're not sure if reloading is for you. And if the latter is the case, then loading on a single stage will likely bias you towards deciding to give up reloading.

I did start reloading shotshells on a single stage, because someone gave me an old Pacific DL-105 for free. What a pain in the butt - I soon moved on to a used MEC 650, and have been happy ever since.

I do have a Rock Chucker on my bench, and use it frequently for rifle rounds..... the reason being that I do a relatively low volume of them, so I can't justify the expense of stepping up to a progressive for that purpose (my three progressives will only do pistol). I also have two small single stage presses that I use as priming stations - one for small, one for large primers.

 

[Plenty_Pack_556]

I was told to buy books on Calguns. What I did instead was download the free load data for certain calibers from powder manufacturers.

If you shoot factory ammo, remember, you can save .02-.03 cents per round if you pick up your brass and sell it to reloaders.

 

[wtf_calguns_migration]

I inherited single stage and turret presses.
I learned to reload using them as free labor.

What they are is memories of my great grandfather taking me down to Mission St to BS about tuning pistol loads for bullseye at San Leandro or Richmond.

Tune up a variety of whatever to go get a pig bothering a grandfather's friends farm somewhere off 116. Those bbqs were fun, hauling meat getting but by horse flies was not.

There was various uncles chasing loads for pin shooting.
My dad would take us to SF Gun Exchange or the other store a sheriff that worked with an uncle owned.

Tuning up deer and elk loads for Silver Lake and Valley of the Moon.

I was cycling the cheapo cases of milsurp thru whatever rifle i was shooting at the time doing run ups at any of the usual 100yd ranges. Then Id go to Sac Valley, Angeles, or the range near Pendleton.

It aint the gear, but the memories of wins or mishaps you pick up over a lifetime.