Reloading for AR-10 308 Win. Which one is your choice: Single Stage or Progressive Press?

[ChuckSwagger]

Which one do you use often?

I have a single stage for precision shooting but I am going to buy an AR-10, but I don't know if it would be better do it on my Dillon 650.
Since I do not have the AR-10, I don't know how many shots I will expend per mont.

 

[GhostFace]

I started out on a Lee 4 hole turret and stayed with it for 10 years. I upgraded to a Dillion 550. I should have went with the Dillon to begin with like it was suggested to me. I load all rifle on the 550 (bolt guns too) and pistol on a SDB. I happy with what I have.

ETA I use mine somewhat like a turret press. I process all my brass first, hand prime (I like to feel the primer pockets) and then I load like a progressive. I use a Redding powder measure for my bolt gun loads because I still use extruded powders with them but that too will change once I run through what I have. I have already switched over to ball powder with my AR-10 loads.

 

[OREGUN]

My experience is that the AR10 is a different animal than a 223. A thirty round mag of 223 is easily to shoot through. Three 10 rounders of .308 much less so. Way less blasting and way more precisely aimed fire. More like a bolt gun. So I single stage for it, to the same care that goes into my precision bolt ammo.

 

[Dough300]

I have a Dillion 550 and I would put my loads up against anyone at anytime. I use my press as a single stage and trickle each charge. Personally I believe that buying a single stage is a waste because you'll always want to run faster once you get the hang of it.

 

[iktomi]

I load single stage, using a lot of stick powders. Mostly 168ish.

I have found 308 to be pretty forgiving in load development and would feel pretty comfortable loading on a progressive if the powder metered reasonably well.

I've definitely run a lot of very adequate ammo on progressives.

 

[Ape_Factory]

I've been single stage loading for my AR10 for some time but recently dove into a progressive (Dillon 750). I have a few single stage loads that are sub-moa with SD's in the single digits. I'm by no means a guru and have been hand loading for about 3 years now. I load for practical accuracy overall but I've gotten great results with .308 as it's a somewhat forgiving cartridge to load for.

When I moved to the progressive, I knew there'd be a learning curve. I started out with 9mm, then 300 blackout supers and subs. I'm now on 5.56 before moving on to .308, mostly because Dillon's carbide rifle die for .308 is taking a long, long time to get delivered. Like I'll get two suppressors delivered before I get my die. It's plain ridiculous. Yes, I can use another die but I'll be processing a lot of military brass and want the extra lubricity when processing a few thousand rounds.

Anyway....I've learned a lot along the way and you can very much load precision ammunition on the Dillon but there are definite gotchas and don't necessarily stick to Dillon parts (if you go Dillon) especially when it comes to powder delivery systems. There are certain powders that'll meter just fine with Dillon's powder dropper but I've moved on to the RCBS Uniflow III and case activated linkage kit. For extruded, like Varget, I'm going to use the Lee Auto drum which uses a wipe. I have the Lee Perfect Powder Measure and it throws big extruded powders and it's spot-on. Not so much with the train wreck of a Dillon powder dropper. It works fine with some powders though but I invested a lot of time/money trying to get it to work. Threw VV pistol powder just fine but wouldn't throw H110 worth a damn. I also have an RCBS Chargemaster to throw powder off the machine and drop it into the case using an Area 419 funnel.

Now that I have a system down and understand the needs, I really like the progressive press as it saves a lot of time. I do split the brass processing and brass reloading up. I process the brass and load the brass on separate tool heads. You don't necessarily have to do it this way but I'm aiming for practical precision. I anneal and trim off the Dillon. I also ream and unify off the Dillon for precision loads. Otherwise I just use a Dillon swage off press. I can swage a lot of brass in a short amount of time. Some of the more expensive machines allow you to swage with the progressive press itself.

Bottom line, find the machine you want and then triple your budget. Maybe you can come close if you're just loading for one one cartridge but don't let the entry price of the actual machine fool you. Welcome to the rabbit hole. Full thread here: https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/dillon-progressive-purchase-advice-needed.7109650/

 

[StaveyIL]

I definitely prefer having both . If the 650 is setup for another caliber or a part breaks and I need to do load development etc.. I can just use the single stage . Or often times the 650 may be setup to load for one of the the gas guns but I need some rounds for one of the bolt guns . Lots of scenarios where having both will be of benefit. There are no scenarios where having both would slow you down or hinder your operation.

 

[JimmyT]

I have both.

I do my build up for accuracy on the single stage press. After I have a verified load, I can make a bunch on the Dillion 550. Only time I vary from that is my hunting rounds. For them I want total control of the process for ethical hunting.

YMMV

 

[Quietguy88]

My experience is that the AR10 is a different animal than a 223. A thirty round mag of 223 is easily to shoot through. Three 10 rounders of .308 much less so. Way less blasting and way more precisely aimed fire. More like a bolt gun. So I single stage for it, to the same care that goes into my precision bolt ammo.

I must be doing something wrong because.. I shoot pretty dang fast with the 7.62nato.

When loading bipod, can slam the 12x18 silhouette ten times in five seconds.. 500m. Averaging 8" groups using m80.

 

[OREGUN]

I must be doing something wrong because.. I shoot pretty dang fast with the 7.62nato.

When loading bipod, can slam the 12x18 silhouette ten times in five seconds.. 500m. Averaging 8" groups using m80.

I’m not saying it can’t be done. I just shoot it differently, that’s all. And what does loading a bipod have to do with it? And what’s 500m?

 

[Quietguy88]

I’m not saying it can’t be done. I just shoot it differently, that’s all. And what does loading a bipod have to do with it? And what’s 500m?

No idea my man. No idea at all.

The commentary is simply stating that I do not milk out shots over a slower rate with 308 than I do 223. Automatics get ran just like they should be.

Bolt actions are slow.. but that has to due with the reset time between rounds.

Using well prepared brass off the dillon 650, most rounds shoot better than I do.

Best luck.

 

[mtrmn]

I size/deprime all my rifle brass on a rockchucker. Then measure/trim. I used to prime on my 550B, but that priming system has a hiccup every now and then and a primer may get destroyed. Since primers are so rare and high priced now I prime on the Rockchucker as well. Once all that's done, I either continue on the single stage for precision rounds and load development or I move over to the 550B for bulk loading

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I haven't worn out a sizing die yet.

I managed to kill a non carbide Dillon size die. Boy were those some baffling rifle malfunctions..

 

[FALex]

The answer is obvious: single stage!!

Kidding. I'm a cheap fuck, and that's all I got, so...

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Calipers? Lol

I spent a lot of time thinking it was a rifle/tight chamber issue. It didn't help that at the time I just loaded 2-4k rounds at a time and threw them in buckets with rounds loaded up to two years prior. It wasn't until the problem started showing up in other rifles that I realized the root cause.

 

[samnev]

I use my Dillon 550 like a semi progressive for both 556 and 308. Resize and prime. on 2nd stage remove brass and throw charges on ChargeMaster. Then seat bullet and crimp on Dillon. I use Dillon's 1200 case trimmer on my RockChucker. Check with Wilson case gauge and Dillon calipers. For my class III's (gone now) and pistol use Dillon 550.

 

[Ape_Factory]

I've found Dillons carbide dies require no less lube than any other die. I don't even bother buying them anymore. I haven't worn out a sizing die yet.

Are you resizing LC once fired military brass? You didn't find any difference in effort between using a carbide vs. normal die? I lube with lanolin/alcohol these days since I split case prep processing from actual reloading and the cases get washed in between. But I'd still lube the cases for use with the carbide die. Others have said it just takes less physical effort to size the case using carbide dies, especially with military brass. It wasn't so much about wear but effort.

I'm currently sitting here messing with PMC bronze brass vs. the brass used in their X-Tac line and the X-Tac brass is definitely thicker and harder to size on the press. I'd imagine it's mil-spec so to speak so very similar to Lake City once fired.

 

[diggler1833]

I load everything rifle-related on a single stage press. Not because it is so much "mo-betta" than a progressive, but because 1) I'm a cheap-ass when it comes to my reloading equipment, and 2) I just flat out enjoy the process of reloading.

On a side note since the topic is drifting a bit:

All of my .308 loads use LC brass. I bought somewhere between 1,500 and 2K of them a few years ago back when they were plentiful. They were already swaged (some a bit too generously) and cleaned. Most have the same couple years headstamp...but I've found that a little care in the reloading process produces pretty solid and repeatable results (.8 - 1.5 MOA with multiple hunting bullets and ball powders...Criterion and Wilson Combat barrels). I've never put a match bullet through either rifle as they are simply used for eradication...so my experiences my differ from many others.

 

[Ape_Factory]

There's also LC "LR" for long range brass although I've not found a good source for it. Supposed to be a bit better for the precision stuff. I use "regular" LC for the most part and have a few loads that are sub-MOA using it and PMC brass, all loaded single stage at this point. I do the swaging myself but actually ream and unify the primer pocket using an RCBS prep station and a Giraud trimmer. It's a major time suck but you only do it once. Otherwise everything going to the gas gun from here on forth is LC and I'll use PMC for the bolt rifle.

Others said it already but it's good to have both. Do load development on a single stage, find out what works and load them up on the progressive.

 

[david walter]

I have both, but load almost all of my ammo on the Dillon.