What's the best set up to get? New or used?

[Allen]

Agree with Phillip on the Dillon if you have the money. Probably the best but most won't go for the extra cost.

Something else to consider when starting out is having a designated "wife free" climate controlled space to set up your bench. This isn't something you pack up or fold up every time you're finished. The bench probably needs to be at least 4' (bigger is better) because you'll need elbow room and space to set your loading tray, powder measure, scales and loose items. Presses are made sturdy for a reason, it takes stress to resize cases and bullets so your bench will need to be secure as well. It is best to attach the bench to the wall but this may not be doable if placed in your bedroom or such. At the least the bench should be heavy to counteract the pulling on the press. Some people set their benches up in their garage but care will be needed to oil and cover the press when not in use and keep your primers and powder inside and dry when finished.

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I bought a used Dillon 550 about 20 years ago. As Phillip said for warranty, they don't care who is the original owner. Dillon has replaced many parts on mine as they wore out, including a complete, new powder measure. What really made it a good deal were all the extra tool heads, powder dies, 8 caliber conversions, and other pieces included in the deal. All those extras made it seem like I got the press for free. You don't get all that with a new press.

[psteinmayer]

I use an old Lee Challenger (without even the locking collars) and I can do 50 rounds of .45 ACP in less than an hour. I'm not swimming in wealth, and I have no use for spending needlessly (such as an overpriced Dillon press). The ole Challenger has never failed me in 30+ years now...

Incidentally, why use a funnel in the loading block? Don't you use the powder-through expander? Flares the mouth and allows for the charge in one motion. Also, I threw my Lee dippers in the garbage. Charges can vary by as much as 1.5 grains with the dippers... and with a powder charge as small as you would use in a .45 ACP load, that can spell disaster! I ALWAYS weight my charges!

[Former Cav]

I loaded from 1979 to 1997 with a single stage Pacific/Hornady 007 press.

50 rounds of 45 in one hour vs 300 to 400 in one hour on the dillon!!!

I bought a dillon 550 back about 1997 and loaded about 100K rounds through it.
I brought it to dillon to have them rebuild it back around 2010 or so.
(I NOW live about 3 miles from them)
they called me 10 days later and said my press was in.
they GAVE me a NEW press with THREE of my old parts on it!!!! NO CHARGE.
Like Philip above said...
I've loaded rounds for NRA highpower for 200, 300, and 600 yards, and 800, 900, and 1000 yards for PALMA on my Dillon. They GO INTO the X ring for even this "crippled old phart"
I KNOW of some guys who go to Camp Perry annually and they use either the Dillon 550 or the 650. One of these guys shot 772 out of 800 and took FOURTH place!
If you buy one USED, they still give you the NO BS warranty.
I've spent the money as I shoot a lot for Caliber changes.
I can go from .308 to .45 ACP in about 2 minutes. Pull 2 pins, remove a rod clip, slide out the .308 tool head and slide in the 45 tool head, replace 2 pins and clip. DONE!!
If you mess around changing from one caliber to the next, you are wasting your time. It is just like changed calibers over on a single stage press, a pain in the very lower extremities.
the longest tool change for me is where I have to change the shell holder and primer tube, like if I went from .308 to .223 or .308 to .357, etc.
but this is doable in 5 minutes. Pull 2 pins, remove rod clip. unscrew one screw to loosen and replace shell holder, put different diameter pins in shell holder, (drop 3 of them in the hole), tighten one screw. unscrew two 10-24 SOC HD CAp Screws and remove and replace primer tube from large to small or visa versa.
tighten two cap screws, slide in tool head, put 2 pins back in and rod clip. DONE.!
I load 38, 357, 41 mag, 44 spc & 44 mag, 45 acp. 223, 243, 308, 6.5 x .284. It is WORTH the dough!!

[psteinmayer]

I guess I'd understand the need for loading 300 to 400 rounds in an hour if I actually shot that much... but I just don't. To me, that's just too much money to throw down range (and money is extremely tight for me). My single stage is plenty for the 200 rounds of various pistol I shoot every couple months, and 200 rounds of various rifle I shoot in competitions every month.

[Former Cav]

it's worth it to me as I don't have to pull the lever 4 times as much. the arthritis is catching up to me and is kicking my butt. I even am starting to worry about the ability to jack the slide on my 1911. I might have to change to a wheel gun.

[RED]

If you are wealthy and shoot 10,000 rounds a month of pistol ammo and another 5,000 rounds of rifle ammo, why would you want to reload and when would you have time to do it?

If you are as rich as Jed Clampet, you can buy gold plated Cadillacs and Dillon reloading gear.

I shoot 10,000 rounds of pistol ammo every 20 years. I shoot 5,000 rounds of rifle ammo every 25 years or so. So why do I reload? I do it because I have rifles that have issues with factory ammo. I do it so that if the SHTF happens, I will have a source for resupply.

Truly crafted reloads are a thing of love and patience. I use a 25 year old RCBS Rock Chukkar press, a vintage 10-10 scale, A set of Lee dippers, and a RCBS trickler. I inspect at ever stage, weigh everything, every time. I measure OAL, runout, and use a cartridge head space gauge.

The most dangerous pieces of reloading equipment I have ever owned was the Dillon Rapid Trimmer and a RL 550. The former almost cost me a very valuable rifle, and the latter caused me great embarrasment.... upside down primers, split case mouths and other problems not found because the operator does not feel and look at the case after each stage.

Owning Dillon equipment is kind of like owning a Mercedes, or a Ranger bass boat... look at me... I am better than you!

Rant off...

[joem]

Red, I must disagree with your statement about the Dillon trimmer and 550 press. While I now have a 650 and 2 trimmers along with RCBS and a drill press trimmer and other presses, I have never had any problems with either. the 550's I found were used at a good price and sold them to friends wanting to get into reloading. As a aside, I told them to always hand prime all of their cases and not bother with that feature on the press. I did not buy Dillon to show off to anyone. I make good rounds that function in all my rifles.

[Former Cav]

I know many match shooters who use Dillon equipment.
has nothing to do with being snooty or having a mercedes.
BTW... you couldn't give me a mercedes or beemer. eurotrash stuff.!

[psteinmayer]

You could give ME a Beemer or Mercedes. I would happily accept... and drive it straight to a used car lot, sell it, and go buy a couple Garands, a few 1903s and a 1911 or two. I'd keep driving my Charger R/T!

[John L. Lucci]

What is the best set up to get? Better to buy new or used?

I'm currently only 30-06, but will probably reload other rifle and pistol rounds in the future.

I'm just looking to avoid pit falls of getting the wrong set up. Please advise. TIA.

FWIW I'm a little ahead of you. I used to reload 30-06 on a old Lee Challenger back 20 years ago as I'm getting back into it I'm replacing the lost and worn out items in a process of slow accumulation For starters, I gave up on the single station press working a single stage drove me nuts.. In it's place I picked up a used lyman T-mag II and I got a proper reloading table to go with it http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 along with an inline Fabrication riserhttp://inlinefabrication.com/collections/ultramounts. I went with the T-mag II because I want more control over the process than what a Progressive allows.. On rifle calibers where it's a two die setup I can keep three calibers on the Turret without changing anything. I can also get additional turrets for different calibers.. If there is a problem it's I'm on a tight budget so it's alot one month then nothing the next. Still need powder handling tools before buying consumables and getting started.. If starting from ZERO a kit is not a bad way to go.. It gets you started and then you can decide what you like and what you don't and start accumulating different tools.

[13Echo]

What to buy? Good question. The answer depends a l ot on what you have to spend and just how much you will be loading and for how many cartridges.

You will not go wrong with the higher end single stage presses from Hornady, RCBS, Lyman, or Redding. New or used if not mistreated. However, the least expensive, heavy duty , high quality single stage press available is the Lee Classic Cast. If on a real budget the Lee Challenger is completely satisfactory for a starter and will last if not abused.

For turrets Redding, Lyman, and RCBS make some really nice, heavy duty, but expensive presses. I have a T7 and use it for my black powder rifle loading. A beautiful but expensive press. For versatility, though, I use a Lee turret Much less expensive, easily changed turrets, and the turrets are inexpensive (It's now almost $70 for a second turret for the T7). The Lee works just fine for pistol and is much faster than the T7. Still I really like the T7 for the big BP rifle cartridges and I'm glad I have it.

A progressive is not something I would recommend for a beginner reloader no matter who makes it. Get some experience with equipment that makes you pay close attention to each individual process involved. Then, if you do shoot a lot you can add a progressive and you will still find plenty of use for the single stage or turret.

Used dies can be satisfactory but get them at a gunshow where you can inspect them. New dies from any of the major brands, including Lee are satisfactory. Used powder measures can also be fully satisfactory but also inspect. Used scales can be another matter. It is all too easy to bugger up a balance type scale - inspect and use a check weight before buying used. My opinion is you will always need a balance type scale so get a decent one. Electronic scales tend to drift and can cause you to over or under weigh a powder charge if you aren't very careful. You will still one day want one but get the balance first.

My $0.02 but it's from over 50 years of experience.

Jerry Liles

[Former Cav]

You could give ME a Beemer or Mercedes. I would happily accept... and drive it straight to a used car lot, sell it, and go buy a couple Garands, a few 1903s and a 1911 or two. I'd keep driving my Charger R/T!

My kind of guy. I'd sell the mercedes or bmw and get a jap ride only because the ford dealers in PHX want LIST price. I wanted either a new edge or expedition and they would not give me a dime off! So I have my first foreign vehicle, a 4 runner and I am starting to like it.

I have a 69 Charger S/E that I've upgraded. IT is basically an R/T now, The suspension has been brought up to R/T bars plus .020 over size on the torsion bars, RT springs in back, 440 motor that is stroked to 492 cubes.

[psteinmayer]

Awesome!

[PhillipM]

A progressive is not something I would recommend for a beginner reloader no matter who makes it. Get some experience with equipment that makes you pay close attention to each individual process involved.
Jerry Liles

I can screw one die in my Dillon 550 and have the single stage experience.