I'm obviously way late to the game, but I'd rather get started than never try. I've settled on these two presses, but I'm not sure if it makes more sense to start with a single stage or just jump the progressive. Any help you can provide either way would be greatly appreciated.

Based, on your input priority for me right now is loading 300 blackout as its the round I have the least amount of. It would also be nice to make subs for a reasonable price. What would be the best quality single stage press that will last? sigcrazy7 had great suggestions.

Caliber List:
300 blackout
30-06
5.56
.380
9mm
.45
30-30
30 carbine
7.5 swiss
303 british
6.5 carcano
7.7 japanese
7.62x54r

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SIG4EVA,

The kits provide you with everything you need and then some you don't. All easy, and going in you don't really know what stuff you won't use. But it'll sit there on the shelf. Its cheaper that way, too. Example, I have a couple of electronic digital scales, but use my fossilized balance because its just easier. Batteries don't die, either.

Many newcomers are a little hesitant to get started. But then soon enough they'll wonder why they didn't get started sooner. But there are fly's in the ointment. You need components. Unless you have them, good luck. But then you'll follow the same path as others. Where can you get primers? Powder? Bullets? Fired cases? But when/if this crap ever ends, you'll learn and also that it isn't cheaper to reload.

You can just shoot more for the same money. Keep an eye open at yard sales. Old coots like me die and our widows haven't a clue what to do with all the stuff. So they sell it for pennies on the dollar. I leave the powder alone, but will buy primers and bullets. If you go that route, check it all. Particularly bullets. Cast bullets sometimes are off size. Guess I need to do some resizing.

rburg, thanks for the heads up. I'm wondering if its better to just fork over the extra money for a progressive to start, vs. getting the single stage and then wanting to upgrade later. I have a ton of fired brass, as I police mine. I will need try to find primers, bullets, powder, etc.

Part of the progressive decision is how much you plan to switch around, and then $$ allotted to get started. It’s usually more of a to-do to switch a progressive from say 9mm to 223.

Another mid-point idea is a ‘turret press’, several die positions mounted & ready to go.

Even right now I can find most everything, powder, bullets, whatever, primers are the hard thing. One has to look around, have alternatives.

For starting out, I would encourage a single stage. Get use to the basics of reloading, see if you are going to like it and (it's not cost efficient if you only shoot 1000 rds a year) so don't think you are going to save a ton. IMO, a progressive for a first timer is a lot because you are doing multiple things at once. Get to know the basics and go from there.

I would recommend you start with the single-stage press. It will take longer to reload a box of ammo, but you will learn each individual step of the reloading process. After you have reloaded a few thousand rounds, and find that you need to load faster, then upgrade to the progressive press. If done properly, the dies and other items from the single-stage press will work on the progressive press. And you can keep the single-stage press for those times when you want to only load a few test rounds when the progressive is set up for a different caliber. I still use my 50+ year old RCBS Rock Chucker press for that purpose when the Dillon progressive isn’t conveniently available.

The other option is go straight to the progressive press, realizing that just because you have a progressive press doesn’t mean you have to use it(initially) as a progressive. Use it as a single-stage press until you feel comfortable and confident in using it as a progressive.

You will not save any money reloading(if and when you can find components!). I have been reloading since 1975, and I have not saved any money doing it- but I have shot 2-3 times the ammo I would have shot had I been forced to buy factory! I also can tailor my ammo to my guns, my recoil levels, and my accuracy and reliability standards. This is at least the third ammo/ primer shortage I have been through, and with a reasonable supply of components, I am good to maintain my current level of shooting for at least the next year or so. For me, reloading allows me to shoot more, tailor my ammo to my needs, allows me to retreat to my reloading room and relax, and makes me less dependent on the manufacturers.

Regardless of which route you take, you will get to shoot a lot more, and that is a win in my book!

To be frank with you, find an old coot that has been loading for fifty years and get some schooling if possible plus they might sell some supplies.
All the advice is good here BUT the big But is primers and powder.Presses is another problem unless you go to flea bay and such.
Most vendors are down Even Pac rats [need m-i firing pin]for back stock as I loaned my spare.
Most older reloaders have some supplies.
I have acquired 24 lbs of some powders over the last three months.
They may sell some at market price [not what they paid for them].
Casting is out due to w/w have gone to steel + lyman casting equipment has always been slow in good time for molds.Cost like hell to boot.
I started with Lee,learned real quick this was not the way to go.RCBS is the pot,called pro melt and expensive and WORKS
One of my doc's found two presses on flea bay and I set up those 550 for him.he was using mine in my garage.
Best advice is proceed slowly and not get crooked by scalpers.

I found the single stage semi locally and will go ahead and order it. Right now, my primary concern is 300 blackout as the prices are insane and I have the least ammo for it. I can grab the 300 blackout dies online. What else is needed to load these? I should have at least a few hundred brass laying around.

Get a reloading manual or two, newer ones will have the 300 blackout data. Sierra has a free manual download/app available, very informative.

I don’t load for the 300 BO but thought it calls for a faster rifle powder. Lookup common ones then look, I saw some H-322 in the shelf a week ago.

Cast a wide net looking for bullets, should be able to find them somewhere, Midway, Gafs, others.

Primers are the hard thing. You will need some of the little things, calipers, powder scale, champher/debur tools, case lube, priming tool & other things a manual will point towards.

I find things at times on busier forums classified. Just in the last 9 months, primers, powder & bulk 9mm cases.

If you're starting in this environment, I'm assuming that you're not overly cost sensitive. If I were starting from scratch, I'd say make your first single-state your last single-stage press. A Redding T-7 or a Forster Co-Ax. Then, down the road when you acquire a progressive, the quality single stage press will complement your setup.

Get a decent beam scale like an Ohaus 10-10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ohaus...d:g:a-EAAOSwKahf-0Jw like this on fleabay. Get some Hornady new-dimension dies and a manual, a few odds and ends like a funnel and hand primer, and you're ready to get started.

One of the things we've glossed over here is how many calibers are you going to load? If its just one caliber and you shoot a bunch, maybe the progressive makes good sense. If you shoot multiple calibers and want to load for them all, maybe not. You can go bankrupt buying all the dies and plates for a dozen calibers. Also the calibers you want to load for can make a big difference. If you're loading for 9mm, you'll save little per round. If you've got a .30-378, the first box of shells pays its way. (yeah, those are about $50 a box of 20). The OP here didn't share his caliber list with us, so most of us tried to give good, general answers.

It sure makes a difference in savings between handgun and rifle calibers. Deer hunters may not save anything if they only fire their .30-30 a couple of times a year. Handgun shooters who customarily burn up hundreds of rounds every weekend will fare differently, so the answer might be different. Also the amount of time to dedicate and workbench room will factor into it. You could say "how much is your time worth". Until you know if you'll enjoy it may be a drain on your time. We all went ahead and answered and there were a lot of good answers. Maybe its time to refine those answers based on the OPs plan.

I started out learning on a single stage and I think it made me a more disciplined reloader. The turret is not much different just a little more efficient. Now I have 2 single stage presses, 2 turrets and a progressive.......and a dwindling supply of primers. I have a mix of stuff such as Hornady, Lyman, Forster etc. it’s all been good. For single stage the Forster coax is great if you can find one. The progressive is great for blowing out lots of rounds but I actually prefer the slower pace and control of the single stage for most rifle rounds.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
One of the things we've glossed over here is how many calibers are you going to load? If its just one caliber and you shoot a bunch, maybe the progressive makes good sense. If you shoot multiple calibers and want to load for them all, maybe not. You can go bankrupt buying all the dies and plates for a dozen calibers. Also the calibers you want to load for can make a big difference. If you're loading for 9mm, you'll save little per round. If you've got a .30-378, the first box of shells pays its way. (yeah, those are about $50 a box of 20). The OP here didn't share his caliber list with us, so most of us tried to give good, general answers.

It sure makes a difference in savings between handgun and rifle calibers. Deer hunters may not save anything if they only fire their .30-30 a couple of times a year. Handgun shooters who customarily burn up hundreds of rounds every weekend will fare differently, so the answer might be different. Also the amount of time to dedicate and workbench room will factor into it. You could say "how much is your time worth". Until you know if you'll enjoy it may be a drain on your time. We all went ahead and answered and there were a lot of good answers. Maybe its time to refine those answers based on the OPs plan.

He has 13 different cartridges listed in his post. Get the single stage for all those rifle rounds. You asked about a press that will last, my advice is to spend a little more and get the Redding Ultra Mag. Its a beautiful, cast iron precision tool. You will feel the pride working on this press and, it will remain a fine tool long after you are gone. Redding Ultra Mag. Its a beautiful piece of equipment.

I have always said it's usually best to start out with a single stage and then move up to a progressive later after gaining some experience as why you need to do some things will be a little more clear then.
You can always find something to use the single stage after getting the LNL. I have 2 single stage presses and a Hornady LNL and absolutely love it. One of my single stage presses is an RCBS Rock Chucker that is about 45 years old and looks like it'll outlast me. Good luck and don't forget to ask questions.

Steve......

I usually recommend people start out with either a turret press or a progressive that can easily be made to function as a single stage.

I have been loading for 4o plus years on a Hornady single stage. I had bought a LNL AP 5 years ago to load 357 sig and had lost interest with the lock and load because I was loading PRC. started messing with the LNL again setting up to load 9mm and suddenly realized that the 700 plus 9mm brass i had resized on my O press could be done on the LNL effortlessly. I quickly moved my sizing die to it and sized 800 rds in about an hour it was very easy.

I'd start with something like a Rock Chucker Supreme (even a kit maybe) or a Rebel Press .... or a Redding T7 turret press.

The T7 can be had right now on Midway for something like $329.

That's roughly what a Rock Chucker Supreme kit or Rebel kit would cost you if I remember correctly.

Lots of good advice here. I actually started on a Dillon 550b, but I did LOTS of research prior- reading reloading manuals, tons of videos, etc.

OP you start making you own 300BO brass from 5.56 yet?

This thread got me again. I was reading it last week, thinking about all my presses. This is the current lineup in the stable:

Hornady L-n-L
Hornady Pro 7 (predecessor to the L-n-L)
Hornady Classic
Redding T-7
Hollywood Senior Turret

I got to thinking about how nice the Hollywood press is. Such a beast. So I mosey over to eBay and place a small bid on a Hollywood Senior single-stage, mostly so I could watch it easily. Bam! Now I'm the owner of a Hollywood Senior single-stage. It should be here Friday. Sure, I've already got the Senior Turret, but this new one will look so good beside it. I'll try to post some pics next week when it arrives.

Sorry Hornady Classic. Looks like you'll be heading out to pasture.