I would love to find out more about what equipment people are using for metallic cartridge reloading. Please pick the press that you use most frequently.
Loading ...If your most used press is not listed here, please leave a comment!
Thanks,
Gavin
Tags: Metallic Cartridge Reloading, Polls, Progressive Reloading Press, Reloading Blog, Reloading Videos
You need allow multiple selections. I own three progressives.
I thought about that- sounds like I need to put up another poll at some point…
Wanted to capture what people are using most with this poll… (Example: If you have 3 progressives, and two are covered with dust, don’t want those biasing the results for this poll…)
Like Eddie said; but I own five—all blue.
I agree with John and Eddie… I have 3 Dillons and wasn’t sure what you were asking because my 650 and 450 are dedicated presses and my 550 is what I load 4 different calibers on. Was this question based on volume?
The question referred to a single press. One cannot use more than one “the most”.
Just give me one of everything and I’ll be happy…no…make that two!
I’ve got a Lock n Load and never been happy with it. I’m just too deep into it to switch.
Jason- what are your pain points with the Lock-N-Load?
I use an RCBS 4×4. Only press I’ve ever had. Completely manual, loads ~125-150 rounds/hour including lots of QC of the ammo (it’s unnecessary, I’m just paranoid about ammo quality). Never had anything break on it, but RCBS has sent me free of charge updated primer tubes, so I’m still sold on it.
I too would like to hear of Hornady pain points as I’m thinking of getting one cause the indexing on my loadmaster is drivng me nuts!
I use the only press I have, the 650.
I use the Hornady Pro Jector
I have a Dillon 650 and imho it just don’t get no better. It’s the only one I have had for about 3yrs now. I have run about 50,000rds thru it of all different calibers and I am well pleased with it. I sure don’t know what more the average fellow could ask for in a press.
I’m still stuck in the single stage with a RCBS rock chucker. Looking to step up to a Hornady LnL.
Hey guys just used my lock and load AP today for the first time with new bullet feeder, also have the case feeder. Once I got it set up worked great, just love Hornady products and they carry a great warrenty. Also have a RCBS 4×4 works good all except for the priming station it sucks. I see why they went to the strip priming.
I use a Hornady with over 100,00 rds loaded thru this one press. no sign of wear still loads true .My 22k hornet contender hangun off rest holds 3/4 in groups at 100yrds.
I have four Hornady Lock-N-Load AP’s and a Dillon RL 1000.
Lock-N-Load used by more people…that’s a shocker. Just goes to show you how much you can believe on the internet. When I was searching for my progressive it “appeared” the “blue” team was the clear majority. I ended up with the Hornady and never looked back…great product!
There are more 550B sold than every other press combined. This just isn’t a Dillon site. Ask the same question over at GTR or B.E.
Both companies make quality presses. One just makes a hobbyist press and the other makes both hobbyist and heavy duty production models. Pick a press that fits your needs and budget and go make some ammo.
FYI: This poll has been posted on GlockTalk and on TheHighRoad.org (reloading forums).
Blue is welcome here
Oh puhlease. Just because you want to feel good about spending twice as much money for 1/2 the functionality, have at it.
Star Universal, simple, compact, and sturdy. I load handgun and 223. It’s blue too btw!
Yay! A Star user- I was hoping at least one Star owner would chime in here.
I use an RCBS Turret. I just bought a 2 Lee Pro 1000 cheap in parts and rebuilt them… Just knocking the kinks out of them.
I have four of the presses that are listed and 12 total. It’s hard to say which one actually gets more use. As a shooter I go through cycles. I get on a kick and one month I’m shooting a revolver. The next perhaps a .308 or .223 and the next month maybe a .40 Glock. I have enough presses that I’ve kind of migrated to dedicated presses for specific functions or calibers so it kind of goes along with what mood I’ve been in recently and what I happen to be shooting this month. By the way this month has been an AR month in both .223 and .22 LR, I went yesterday and had a great time.
I’ve used virtually all of the popular presses on the market at one time or another. Dillon’s commercial presses are awesome products but perhaps out of reach for many people who are just getting into reloading. I don’t own one of these but have a friend that has two and have spent significant time cranking out rounds on them. That said, I’ll leave these presses out when making the following statement.
If you’re looking at cranking out a lot of rounds at a relative low cost Lee’s LoadMaster though finicky is tough to beat. User familiarity is the key issue when using this press in my opinion, it’s not a good choice if you don’t want to really pay attention to what you’re doing. Of all the presses I own, I will say it’s the one that you must be on your toes when using. Though it’s true you can get in to trouble with any press, you can do it in a hurry with a LoadMaster. I use mine primarily for 9 mm and .45 ACP. The Lock-n-Load is also a nice press but for what ever reason I’ve never fell in love with it. I use mine primarily for .40′s and .380′s though I have Hornady’s dies in .357 and 44 Magnum for it as well. I’m sure I would appreciate this press more if I had only one press and were changing calibers often. In my circumstance this isn’t such a big issue. More often than not I use an RCBS AmmoMaster for.38′s, .357′s & .44′s.
The press I trust the most and have dies for virtually any caliber sitting on die plates and ready to pop in is the Dillon 550 B. I use mine primarily for .223 but also use it for most other calibers as well. I also have a 650 but don’t like it as well as its little brother. I actually think I like the .550 simply because of the manual progression. It’s hard to get ahead of yourself with this Dillon yet you can still really crank ammo out. I use a LEE Classic .50 for .50 BMG and have a number of other single stage presses dedicated to sizing or decapping. I’ve said a lot here but really don’t know which I use the most. Guessing I would say it’s the 550.
If the question had been longest it would have been “other” My RCBS JR I got in ’76 as a swap for a bubba’d Carcano I’d only paid $7 for. Still run that little press regularly for ancillary operations alongside my LNL-AP.
I have only one progressive and it’s an RCBS 4×4. I have had it since they came out, and there is no telling how many rounds from .380 thru 454 it has cranked out. I have worn out several pieces and RCBS promptly sent me the replacements no charge. I use it mainly for handgun rounds but it is also nice when doing bulk resizing operations of 200 or more rifle cases.
I have looked into others, and really have had my eye on one of the Lee turrets, simply for the simplicity of them and the lack of room I have left to mount anything much bigger. I could go the Dillon route but really don’t have the extra cash for it. If I didn’t have the RCBS I would bet it would be Dillon in it’s place.
Very gratifying to see a ratio of 225 Dillon 650′s to 214 of their 550 !
All the local IPSC types tout the superiority of their 650′s over the 550 & so forth ! {most of them couldn’t tell you how a 550 operates in the 1st. place but they “Know” the 650 is Dillon’s best machine and the best one for “You” !}
Own & use two 550′s and see no reason to “upgrade” to the mighty 650 ! {with possible exception of the case feeder buts that’s the main reason to get the 650 in the 1st. place !}
on another note it’s nice that U.L. uses other makers dies in his videos, never could rationalize using Dillon’s dies unless its for lead ?
While am using Hornady’s “new” spray case lube and liked their “original” One-Shot better yet find the new stuff more than adequate, would like to hear from others their thoughts on the other more popular case lubes if they have used one brand against the other{s} Same would apply to brass cleaner/polisher but separate of the million or so home-brewed concoctions of auto waxes & mineral spirits, etc.
2 APs, 1 650, 5 Square Deal Bs
Also have a Rockchucker and a Hornady LNL Single Stages.
can I use cast lead bullets with the bullet feeder
gavin
can I use cast lead bullet’s with the hornady bullet feeder?
ken confer.
cosmoconfer@yahoo.com
The short answer is “no”.
The lube on lead bullets will gum up the parts. You can use plated bullets however…