Single stage or progressive?

[Hawk]

so what...this? http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

then just add dies?

Thats the exact same press I use for .223. Index's accurately and consistently. The no-touch priming device works well, and the auto-disc powder measurer is pretty accurate. Get the double disk add on to fine tune your powder drops.

[Bama Man]

My 3 hole turret press will produce a cartridge that is everybit as accurate as
any single stage press will manufacture.
The turret press is , in reality, once you remove the auto index rod, a single stage press, that you can change the die with in less than 2 seconds, just by moving, or rotating the turret.
The "legs" that the turret recepticle mounts to are more than strong enough to prevent any flex, or fluctuation.
It's the best of both worlds, in my opinion, single stage accuracy with turret speed, though, not progressive speed.
But, farbmeister is very correct, there is much more to accuracy than the machine that makes the cartridge.

[Bama Man]

I believe that the word "accurate" would best be changed to "Consistant" to describe the main thing you look for in reloading.
You will be able to work up a load for "accuracy" to find that "sweet spot" your rifle likes.
A good reloading machine is only good if it makes all the cartridges consistant with one another, or the next one the same as the last one.
What machine give you the best "consistancy"?
I have yet to see a bad set of dies from any manufacturer, and THAT is where your consistancy comes from, that and your powder measure, which gives you the consistancy from load to load, whether it be by volume, or weight.
How consistant do you wish to get?
Weigh your brass for consistancy, weigh your bullets for consistancy, weigh your powder charges for consistancy.
Use callibers to verify you overall length of each cartridge.
You can, and I have, made just as good a load with my Lee hand held loader that I started with, as I can with my turret press, it's just a whole lot slower and inconvenient.
So, the single stage press is really, no more "accurate" than a progressive, or turret, just slower, because your more exact with a single stage, more "measured".
It's that slower pace, and determination to make each cartridge identical to the last that makes the single stage exceed the progressive in accuracy.
It's that desire to be consistant round to round that produces accuracy.

[cjtoo69]

I have always used Dillon presses with amazing results over the last 25 years. When shooting service rifle, I did all of my reloading on a progressive machines (550B), including the rounds for the 600 yard stage. These rounds are superior to commercialy loaded match ammo on a consistant basis. The Dillon presses have a lifetime no BS policy. Check them out on the web, you won't be sorry.

[reichebrown]

+1 for Dillon presses. I am currently using a friends square deal B. I cranked out 1000 rounds of 9mm this morning with absolutely no problems in just a few hours. Over the last two weeks i have made 2K of 9mm and weighed every 50 rounds. Not one single time i weighed the powder was it even off by a tenth of a grain. I am please with this being my first experience reloading and very pleased with Dillon. I am more than likely going to be getting a Dillon 650 in may so i can reload 9mm and 223 for my AR.

[Atomic Dog]

Questions for the crew:

The Lee Turret press appears to be in my future. I want to start with .223 and 38sp and add in other handgun loads as I get started.


1. Can I use the same bullets for 9mm, 38sp, and 380? I suppose I will have to find a light bullet to work for the 380.

2. Does anyone know where to get load data? I want to experiment with very light loads to help transition some novice shooters from the .22 to the 9mm or 38 (always a big jump)

3. Is there a good way to clean brass without a tumbler? I know it will be a while until I get to that stage but I have a few hundred .223 brass I can clean up until I get the press.


Thanks!

~B

[notenoughguns]

Questions for the crew:

The Lee Turret press appears to be in my future. I want to start with .223 and 38sp and add in other handgun loads as I get started.


1. Can I use the same bullets for 9mm, 38sp, and 380? I suppose I will have to find a light bullet to work for the 380.

2. Does anyone know where to get load data? I want to experiment with very light loads to help transition some novice shooters from the .22 to the 9mm or 38 (always a big jump)

3. Is there a good way to clean brass without a tumbler? I know it will be a while until I get to that stage but I have a few hundred .223 brass I can clean up until I get the press.


Thanks!

~B

380 and 9mm are the same dia .355 but 38 and 357 are .357 dia
yes you can clean brass without a tumbler but it won't be shiney , cleaning and polishing are two different processes . What did you have in mind ?

[Bama Man]

Notenough is correct on the bullet sizes. .38 is actually .357, however,,,,,
you can fire the .355 size bullets out of most .38 and .357 pistols, if bullseye shooting is not your objective.
I shoot .355 9mm bullets out of mine all the time, as I only shoot soda cans or, mostly, silhouette targets, center of mass.
I found this out after trying them when I ran out of .357 bullets, but still wanted to run to the range the next day.
They group fine in the targets while practicing for what I want, which is staying in tune with the recoil, and muscle memory.
I would even feel comfortable firing the .355s in my .38 snubby in a close-in defensive encounter, but, I only say that, as I have practiced many hours with my snubby at the range doing just that, center of mass at 7 yards (21 feet), and i have found that in MY .38 snubby, they group just great at that range, and actually, beyond that range, even with jacketed hollow points.
Your pistol may not like them as well as mine though.