Do-It-All setup?

[gnochi]

Partially because California, partially because I like tinkering, I’m looking at starting to reload. I’ve found a bunch of setups that work great for individual cartridge classes, but I haven’t found much that’ll do a bit of everything without buying a press for each individual thing.

I’d much rather buy 1 Super Dillon than at least 3 Dillons (pistol, shotgun, Magnum+S/A rifle), for example, but haven’t found a Super Dillon yet.

At minimum I’d like to reload the following cartridges, for the lowest out-of-pocket that gives 0.05 grain powder precision with let’s say 100 cartridges per hour:

1. 12Ga - I need nontoxic (because California) low pressure rounds (because LC Smith) and haven’t had much luck finding that off the shelf
2. 44 Magnum - I have a T/C Contender so might as well load the fun pointy stuff, and I’ll likely start doing 7-30 Waters and the like
3. 223 - mostly for loading copper for California hunting
4. 6.5 Creedmoor - current longrange platform
5. 6 Something - one of my next barrels, probably; likely ??
6. 300 PRC / 30 Sherman Magnum - I have a barrel For Science that will spin the jackets off

Thank you for the pointers!

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

the willy wonka unicorn of presses.

Likely you will need one press for shotgun and one press foreeverything else.

A progressive will allow you to do the non precision loads faster. and you can still use it one station at a time for precision. Typically the more precision rounds are not able to be cranked out on a progressive in a 1 pull, 1 round manner and be very accurate. not to say it cant be done.

The weak link is usually the powder drop. most manual or mechanical powder drops are only good for 1-.5gr accuracy, then you have electronic like a chargemaster which does around .1gr accuracy, at the extreme you have the scientific setup abcd xfi120v3 or somethin that weighs down to the .001gr

I have a Hornady lock and load press that I bounce between 6.5cm, 5.56, and .45

I think most guys end up with multiple presses not because one of capability but because of convenience. they have a press dedicated to one caliber or task.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Yup, as stated above you're gonna need a separate press for your 12ga. For all the rest, I'd go with a Dillon 550.

 

[x_789]

Agree with the two above. You can find deals on used 550s if you look around. Lots of old used MECs for loading 12ga or if your not doing a bunch or in a hurry you can get an inexpensive Lee shotshell loader. You probably will still want a single stage also for de-priming, pulling bullets and other stuff. They come in handy. Either way you are going to spend coin to save time and make things easier on yourself. Also the farther you go down the rabbit hole for precision the more you spend for small returns.

 

[gnochi]

Thank you all! Glad to know it wasn’t me missing something obvious.

 

[Average guy]

I have a 550 for mainly handgun and 223 loading. I would personally go the route of a quality turret press and move from there. Single stage loading can’t be beat for precision.