hey guys looking to get my first reload press. I am looking at a lee 1000 or loadmaster. I cant find any in stock for a 223, so my question is if I purchased on for say a 38sp or something like that what all would I have to change. I know the dies, but what else.
buying my first reload press help
- Thread starter Porter24
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I say pass on those 2, they have a reputation for being finiky and constantly needing tuning to keep em running right. Id definately recommend the Lee (Classic) turret press or the Challenger Classic. They are both amazing and hella durable presses. The speed on the turret is great, you can still pop out a couple hundred rounds/hour. [side note: dont bother looking at speed numbers, I personally liked loading more as I slowed down] I lost a lot of the Joy after I got a LNL AP progressive. The speed comes at the cost of relaxation.
That seems priced high. I would look for a regular anniversary or challenge kit for 120ish. I have one and they work great. Not top of the line but will suffice for sure. If you want to save money reloading or you're just starting out that's what you want.
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Breech Lock Classic Cast - Lee Precision
This is the one I was thinking of. They have a great distributor who sells is below that cost., Ill see if I can find the link...
Ah yes, Here we go!!
Lee Reloading Supplies | Reloading Equipment Lee Precision | Discount Reloading Supplies by Lee | Titan Reloading
This is the one I was thinking of. They have a great distributor who sells is below that cost., Ill see if I can find the link...
Ah yes, Here we go!!
Lee Reloading Supplies | Reloading Equipment Lee Precision | Discount Reloading Supplies by Lee | Titan Reloading
I would say there are several questions you need to answer first before you go shopping for a press. How much shooting do you do or predict you will do? This should dictate you price range IMO. Example when I was burning 1500-3000 rounds of handgun ammo a month I was able to justify the expense of a Dillion 1050, when I was only averaging 50 rounds a month not so much. Next, what guns and calibers do you want to reload for and what will be the highest volume? Do you want to reload plinking fodder or precision stuff?
Most importantly when you start to narrow down your search find some friends who have those presses go check out there gear and set up. Also see if they will let you work with it for a bit so you can get a feel for the machine.
I personally will outright advise a newbie to look at the old stand by RCBS Rock Chucker, set up to use the Lock-N-Load collars. It is affordable and you can build some good ammo on it. The out put is a bit low but such is the case with single a stage. Going up the price scale and quality there is also the Redding T-7. I could go on and on. Again take a look and figure out what you current needs are and where you think you may want to go with this; it will help in over all selection.
Good luck and have fun being that proverbial kid in a candy store!
Most importantly when you start to narrow down your search find some friends who have those presses go check out there gear and set up. Also see if they will let you work with it for a bit so you can get a feel for the machine.
I personally will outright advise a newbie to look at the old stand by RCBS Rock Chucker, set up to use the Lock-N-Load collars. It is affordable and you can build some good ammo on it. The out put is a bit low but such is the case with single a stage. Going up the price scale and quality there is also the Redding T-7. I could go on and on. Again take a look and figure out what you current needs are and where you think you may want to go with this; it will help in over all selection.
Good luck and have fun being that proverbial kid in a candy store!
In my limited expereince, I started on a Lee Challenger. I wish I would have just bought the press and powder dispenser instead of the kit. I don't use anything else in the kit. I really like the challenger bushings. It saves time when switching calibers. I still have the press and still use it quite often (I just decapped 1700 45acp cases last weekend). You could always spend more on a press, but chances are it will be your "gateway" press. You will upgrade as I did and the Lee will do you fine. Buy the lee with confidence.
Be careful with Lee - while they make some good stuff here and there, it is definitely the low cost bargain brand, and some of their stuff shows it. That's fine if you're on a budget - it will get the job done. But if you're just being cheap, step up up to one of the other brands - the RCBS Rockchucker is sort of a standard and my choice, but Redding, Hornady and others make decent stuff too. Generally, I would not recommend a progressive as a first press, but it's been done.
But to answer your question more directly, you need a shell holder and dies to match the caliber you're loading. Everything else is caliber independent (except components, obviously).
But to answer your question more directly, you need a shell holder and dies to match the caliber you're loading. Everything else is caliber independent (except components, obviously).
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