Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Do I Wanna Start?

I've thought about it a lot, reloading that is. I don't want to spend a big chunk of cash cause I don't know if I'll like it. Almost everyone says, it should be a progressive setup and Dillon at that. New is too much and Ebay is close to new prices. I did find an older RCBS Ammomaster progressive I could get for about $150 but no extras with it.
Set up will be primarily for rifle .223 now and maybe 30-06 later.
I guess what I'm asking is, is the RCBS Ammomaster a good machine?
I'm almost thinking to just hold out and do some "yard saleing" this spring and maybe find some real cheap stuff, even if it is single stage.


Thanks.

I would suggest starting out with a single stage press setup so that you can fully understand the loading process. This will help you in troubleshooting issues with a progressive setup if you choose to go that way.

YMMV
David

Agree with the above 100%.

If you're going to shoot match loads and start shooting in competitions then I would say yes. I don't know if it would be worth it to load plinking rounds as cheap as some of the stuff out there is. It can be a little expensive to get set up in the beginning but there are ways to help control cost. There is nothing wrong with finding a used press.

RCBS is good stuff. Also, if you're loading match you don't need a progressive because every round is done by hand. In other words, you'll weigh each and every powder charge, hand prime each case, and measure each bullet for correct depth. So, a single stage is the way to go. Find a used RCBS Rockchucker and you'll be all set for a press. You don't need the absolute top of the line stuff. You just need adequate gear to make good consistent loads. Make sure you don't skimp on the scale. Get a good quality RCBS beam scale to weigh powder.

I have an old RCBS 4X4 Auto. It's a four station progressive press. I use it because it was given to me. However, I use it like a single stage. Look around for deals. EE on arfcom will have guys selling good single stage presses and equip.

Let me know if I can help any more. Good luck.

as other's have mentioned, a single stage press is the way to start. I have seen too many disasters with newbs trying to learn proper technique on a progressive press. Walk before you run

DITTO......................

I’ll have to disagree with those who say you should start off with a single stage press. Absolutely laughable. If you want to save money buy buying a single stage that’s fine but just about everyone who gets into reloading moves on (albeit those who do move on often use their single stage for second opps).. Hilariously, it’s always cited that somehow a turret press or progressive is going to be like graduating from a tricycle to a space shuttle and unless you are a complete moron, that simply isn’t true. I might be speaking over others, maybe the jump is too much for them. You will learn all the basic principles on any of them.

I’ll go along with five of the six before me. Start with a single stage. It’s much easier to avoid problems and if there is a problem, it’s much easier to troubleshoot and solve the problem.

Single stage. Keep it simple. There's really no need to go with a progressive, unless you do a very high volume of shooting and reloading. Otherwise, see my first sentence.

My word! Starting with a single stage is like wiping your azz with pinecones.
The best bang for your $ is the Lee Classic Turret.

I actually started this year. I went with a single stage RCBS Rebel and love it. All I plan on loading is hunting and defense ammo. I’ve worked up loads for several rifles and pistols this year and have loaded over 700 rounds so far. It’s very rewarding and a labor of love. Wish I’d started reloading years ago.

The elephant in the room is the shortage of components to reload. Powder is starting to appear more frequently on the shelves, higher priced than before but at least available. Primers on the other hand are still very hard to come by and are extremely expensive if you do find them. I loaded for years on a single stage press when I was just loading hunting rounds. I got involved in Cowboy Action shooting last year and quickly realized that a single stage was going to be a full time job trying to keep up with the amount of shooting I was doing. I bought a used Dillon 650 because you couldn't find a new 750 available anywhere. After getting it dialed in and using it I really kicked myself for waiting so long to go to a progressive press. I would have done so much more shooting over the years, specifically handgun shooting, if I had been loading on a progressive. My brother in law loads on an RCBS 4x4 progressive and loves it. If you just read a loading manual and understand the processes of loading a cartridge there is no reason not to start with a progressive. There is some new Dillon stuff starting to become available, my go to is the Sheels website.

What an idjit. The op states one cartridge and maybe another later, and that being a 30-06. No one shoots a 30-06 that much to consider a progressive later under the circumstances mentioned in the OP.

Don’t pay any attention to the guy behind the “start with a progressive” post...

A “turret press” kit from either RCBC or Lyman! Very practical for most hand loading needs.... unless you get into shooting lots of rounds! If you start shooting a lot, apparently you can then justify getting a progressive press set-up! JMO. memtb

Yup total idiot. Yup single stage is the only answer. God forbid he gets a progressive or turret.

If I were feeding an AR or shooting competitively, I’d get a progressive. For most purposes, a single stage is fine, although a turret lets you set up several sets of dies and leave them in place. I break up my loading into steps so to keep it from getting too much like work. I usually prep 50 or 100 cases and then go back later and load them up.

Yard sales might get you in cheap, but it may be a long time before you find all you need. Buy a solid basic setup for the cartridge you shoot the most, and learn how to do the basic stuff before you start adding stuff. Consider a package deal that may get you all you need to begin.

I use a Dillon 550C to load for my Garand and 03A3. That Garand can eat a lot of ammo quick, especially if you have help. Youngsters with "Call of Duty" experience really want to try a live one.

It's not too much of a problem to go through 200 rounds in a good range session. Same with 5.56.

I've fired 700 rounds of 45 ACP in the last 3 weeks.

I load those 3 cartridges on a progressive, but the bolts actions I use for hunting, .44 Mag revolver, and the couple lever rifles I have get the single-stage treatment, which is what I'd recommend for someone to start out on.



The above statement is very good advice.

Unless you have a stash of powder, primers, and bullets, now isn't a great time to take up handloading. Of course, it's not a great time to be buying factory ammo either.

I too would recommend getting your feet wet with a single stage press. Save the progressive for later if you find your volume of shooting justifies it. A guy who shoots a box or two of ammo occasionally is better off using the money for a progressive to stock up on components, or take the old lady out for dinner.

In the last couple months I have loaded 2000 9mm, 600 38 Super, and 500 10mm cartridges. As well as turned 200 lbs of lead alloy into bullets for the above. But casting is out of this purview.

While I also have a Rockchucker, and an RCBS JR 3 bolted to the bench, most of the work mentioned above was done on a classic Lee C-Press.


For several years, a reloading room would have meant one of the children would have to give up their bedroom. When space was tight, the entire reloading kit was stored in a shoe box under the bed. I was shooting several hundred rounds per month, every month, in 30-06, 25-06, 303, 22-250. And experimenting a bit with an old Mauser in 7x57, and then a 308 barrel, and then rechambered to 30-06AI.

For about five years, every load was built on the coffee table in the living room with a Lee hand press. The Win 670 30-06, the Ruger tang safety 25-06, and the Savage 112 22-250 all shot inside MOA from the bench with loads built with this press.

I have been handloading EVERY round I have shot since 1978, with present count of die sets at 25 . I have no need for a progressive.

But then I would prefer to spend time at the loading bench vs sitting on the couch sucking on a beer.

Whatever you decide in the way of a press, ABSOLUTELY buy a high quality beam scale. The best ever on the market was the RCBS 10-10, but it has been discontinued. I highly recommend one find a 10-10 on the used market. E-bay, online classified, Craig's List, whatever.

A quality powder measure will go a long way toward time conservation at the loading bench. The Redding BR 3 is an excellent choice, as is the RCBS Uniflow.

When using a powder measure, powder choice makes a big difference in accuracy and ease of operation. Ball powders flow through the measure with ease and more accurately than do extruded stick powders.

That is a point to consider whether you are using the powder measure on the bench or on a progressive press.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.

Good points about a quality scale and measure speeding up bench time with a single stage press. I would go absolutely bonkers if I didn't have a couple good measures (Harrell's and Belding&Mull) and faced with loading a couple hundred rounds of pistol ammo.

I'll sit down and size, say, a thousand .38 or .45 brass and containerize them for later. With a carbide sizer that chore goes lickity split. Then when the mood strikes I'll process a couple hundred at a time into finished ammo. Of course, my protocols work for me because I'm just a casual handgun shooter, not a competitor who goes through five gallon buckets full of ammo every month.

You don't want to know how slow and laborious a lot of my centerfire rifle handloading is done. Hint: arbor press and LE Wilson hand dies.