I'm new to this board and about to buy my first press. I need help!

I will be loading .38 specials only for bulls eye target shooting. I burn up between 500 and 1,000 rounds a month.

I figure I would start with a turret press, probably a Lee, then if I get bitten by the reloading bug, up grade in the future.

What do I need to get started? Tumbler, scale, press, dies, ???????

I'm new to this board and about to buy my first press. I need help!

I will be loading .38 specials only for bulls eye target shooting. I burn up between 500 and 1,000 rounds a month.

I figure I would start with a turret press, probably a Lee, then if I get bitten by the reloading bug, up grade in the future.

What do I need to get started? Tumbler, scale, press, dies, ???????

Rob
I'm dumber then a sack of rocks. I never had good results with Lee products, great designs, badly made.
I would suggest the Dillon Square Deal and a powder scale.
The Dillon arrives set up ready to start loading.
Jim

Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will like it here.

As far as reloading, alot depends on your budget. I got in after watching and learning from my father in law. I use an old Herters press that suffices. I also have a small Lee press that is portable. Lee is the low grade, however, I have never had any problems with the dies, press etc. RCBS makes a very good press but the cost is high. For the numbers of shells you are looking at, the turrent makes sense, however, again, price is a factor.

Lastly, if for some reason, say time or interest are in short supply, you decide to quit reloading, off loading the equipment may be an issue if you do not have a ready market available. Shipping, going to gun shows, bickering on price all take time and energy.

Absolute requirements are the dies, shell holders, press, scale, powder measure, priming tool, caliper, lube, raloading manuals (Lyman is the best I found). Others on the forum can shore up what I missed.

Reloading is a great deal of fun. Here are some of the down falls :D Shooting more, buying more guns to test new loads on, spending more time at the sporting goods store than at home, increasing your vocabulary tin include fps, cannalure, flyers, misfires, MOA etc. It also leads to increased purchases of say a Chrony, another press, a bigger bench etc. Have fun. :cool:

Brad S
Hebrews 10:39

I figure I would start with a turret press, probably a Lee, then if I get bitten by the reloading bug, up grade in the future.

You might take another look at the many starter kits that come with a single stage press. A starter kit contains many of the reloading accessories that you will immediately need to start producing good ammunition and they are offered at very attractive prices. A single stage press is capable of producing both handgun and rifle cartridges with great uniformity. If you are new to reloading, it is a great tool to learn on as everything is done in single steps. If you are shooting handgun now, no telling when the rifle "bug" will get you. You can always add to your starter kit by purchasing a turret press later.

I started with a single stage tool over 45 years ago and my loading bench still has a single stage bolted to it in addition to my two progressive reloaders. Sometimes I want to make a limited amount of very precise ammunition and my single stage fills the bill nicely. Because of that, my single stage still gets used a lot. Turrets and progressives are great for turning out large quantities of ammunition quickly but they are more than what you need for small jobs.

You will undoubtedly receive a lot of advice on what brand of press to buy from the other members. My only advice is that you purchase a quality tool that best fits your budget. Shop around and do your homework. Best wishes and reload safely!

I'm with Marshall on learning on a single-stage press. The Square Deal is what I own just for .45 ACP, and I love the speed. I got it when I was shooting in a bullseye league, which may be what you are doing, given the volume you mentioned? I always seemed to have trouble planning ahead and found myself loading the night before a match, when time was short. However, you will learn more about reloading in principle from the single-stage process and do it for less money. In particular, you need to learn to look at powder levels in the charged cases because you will be loading a target powder in small quantities (a double charge easily fits in the case) and the Square Deal doesn't have a station for powder level checking. You have to go to the 650 to get that feature. It also forces you to handle every case enough times to learn to spot cracks and other flaws.

I've never had any problems with Lee products except their progressive presses (which work but need constant alertness and fiddling that reduces their time saving value). They are, as Arkypete says, the most economical execution of the most innovative designs. Their stuff is rough around the edges, but if you buy their Anniversary kit plus their carbide pistol .357/.38 Special dies, you will be able to make good first reloads for the least money. Once you decide your time is worth more than the money in your wallet and you have learned what to watch for, get the Dillon Square Deal. You will find you still can use the Anniversary kit for other calibers or for additional operations, like running loaded rounds through a Lee Factory Crimp die to improve feeding reliability. You may also find that occassionally you want to try some different bullets or powder or do other load experimentation. At that point you don't really want to go through changing your Dillon setup until the new load is fully developed and you are certain you want to use it. The single stage is more flexible for that kind of short run activity.

I would also start with a single stage press. Doesn't take long to load a couple hundred rounds of pistol ammo on one. I almost always work with batches of 200. I typically size, expand and prime one night and then charge and seat bullets the next.

I love my Lee classic cast press.

Just my 2 cents that you can t go wrong with a single stage press

What ever you buy, buy quality in a press it will last you a life time. Buy the better carbide dies, as again quality will not give you the problems of the cheap stuff. I've heard nothing but good about dillon stuff. If you can go to gun shows or local suppliers and compare the different models features and prices. You spent a lot of money on your guns, don't cheapen out now. Most of my stuff is green color and one red press (Texan Turret). TF

Some real good advice in the above posts.

Welcome to the board, SRB - glad to have you here. Hope you will join us in the many varied forums.


Personally, I've loaded handgun cartridges in the Lee Classic loader to turret to single stage presses. Even with the volume you quote, a good, sturdy single stage will work fine if you have the time. Actually, a turret press doesn't save all that much if you use a single stage such as the Hornady Lock-N-Load press. I agree you need to learn to crawl before walking.

If I did get a progressive (turret) press, I'd tend to get one that accepted standard dies and not be limited to just one brand.

By the way; what kind of pistol do you have?

I've got my dad's old .38 Special Gold Cup. I haven't shot it since he passed away. He could dang sure knock a hole in the X ring with it.

Take a good look at the RCBS rock chucker "master" kit, if you think your interests in handloading will remain constant or certainly if they will grow. Very solid press and can be fitted with a turret head later if you decide to do so. Comes with everything you need to start loading (and a few things you dont for pistols, such as a case trimmer) but it DOES come with a powder measure, scale, loading block, all that fiddly stuff you forget about till you are home. 2 things i highly recommend in addition, are a good hand priming tool (i have one from lee and one from RCBS, and the lee is just as good here) and a good set of carbide dies-they cost a bit more but a good set will last a lifetime, here once again i will reccomend lee, their die sets are just as good as RCBS's imo, and you get the shellholder, load data, and even a cute little dipper and chart that shows the volumes of various powders it will dispense. As far as single stage presses go, i dont know anyone that has ever broken a rockchucker.
If you simply want to try reloading to see if it suits you, you can actually get by with the mentioned set of Lee dies and a small single stage press made by Lyman, RCBS, or Hornady-I dont recommend Lee presses, just from personal experience with them, but once again i gotta say i do like their dies. As the lee dies include a small dipper and shellholder, you could hypothetically get by with just these 2 items, though i emphatically urge that a decent powder measure (once again Lee is fine here imo) and a good scale, i have several scales from 3 different manufacturers, and they are all quite good. The powder measure is not a necessity, but for volume loading of pistol ammo (to me 1000 rounds a month is enough volume to justify that) it will speed things up tremendously.
For volume reloading the hand priming tool is a great addition, i also just prefer seating primers with it as i can feel them seat.
Once again the most important purchase is a good loading manual, i like the Lyman manual a lot, not just for load data but for the wealth of information and instruction on loading in general they contain.
Over time, you will develop favorite pet tools for various functions (and i will almost guarantee they will not all be from one manufacturer) as well as assemble quite a library of load manuals and books on the subject. Then you get into bullet casting...loading BP cartridges.......what day is it?
My (long winded) 2 cents

Thanks for the replies!!!
If I got this right the suggestions are:
single stage for starters, RCBS rock chucker most likely
A kit so I get all the little things I need to get started
and a reloading manual. Seems too simple.

What about a brass cleaner??

To answer a few of the questions asked:I will be loading 148 grain wadcutters.
Yes I shoot in a bullseye league at the club,plus one of my daughters and one grandson use me as their source for ammo. I also introduce at least one newbie a month, or so it seems, to shooting. Being a resident of the Peolpes Republic of Massachusetts, one must have a permit to buy ammo ( the FID costs $100.00 and takes at least 3 months to obtain), so I end up suppling a lot of ammo.

I shoot a S&W 686, 6" barrel, ported, for the league.
I also shoot 9mm, .44 mag, and .223 in my bushmaster.

What about a brass cleaner??

In your case, a vibratory tumbler would be a good investment. Use walnut media to begin with. It is a good scrubber and will clean up those dirty cases quickly. Adding a little brass polish will bring back the shine if that is a requirement although not really necessary. Avoid any brass polish that contains ammonia as it will eventually weaken brass. I've had good results using Flitz and Dillon's Rapid Polish 290 among the many other good products on the market. If you are looking for a mirror shine, use corn media in place walnut. I've been using my tumbler for over 15 years and wish I had begun earlier. Wiping cases by hand is tedious and tends to grow callouses. My tumbler gets a lot of use.

Here's how my bench is set up. I like the powder scale set up at eye level so it's hung on a metal plate on the shelf of the bench. I have a four foot shop light over the bench to give really good light.

This bench was bought at Lowes for about 60 bucks and is five feet long. the top shelf works well for book storage. It's got two Lee shotgun loaders on a swivel plate, two Lee presses, a single stage and a turret and room to set up a melt pot and cast bullets along with any reloading chores. Only extra thing I did was add a second layer of 3/4 inch plywood to the top.

I've got a vibratory brass cleaner from Midway and it and an extra bag of media go in a five gallon plastic bucket on the shelf below the presses. The media seperator pan goes on top of the bucket.

When your done cleaning brass just pour the media from the case cleaner thru the seperator pan into the five gallon bucket. Sort out your cases and pour the media back into the case cleaner. Put the extra bag of media back into the bucket, set the case cleaner in, put the top on, put the media seperator pan on top and slide under the bench. No muss, no fuss.

I can cast and shoot 38 wadcutters for about the same cost as shooting 22 long rifles.

. . . Yes I shoot in a bullseye league at the club,plus one of my daughters and one grandson use me as their source for ammo. . .

Ahh! Since you know a number of other shooters at your range, someone there must be reloading! You would do well to approach such a person and ask to be allowed to observe a loading session. He may even allow you to roll a few of your own on his equipment. That would be great experience. Having a teacher who knows what they’re doing beats reading about it, and having them look over your shoulder and correct your errors will get you up to speed fast. If you learn that way, you can then spend $6 to buy Dillon’s instructional video (at the bottom of this page (http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=12&dyn=1&cookieClean=1)) for the 550B press to see how it’s operated and used? The 550B press is manually indexed, so you could actually use it as a single stage press, if you choose to. It is 20% more expensive than the Square Deal, but uses standard dies, has quick change die holders, and is beefier for rifle rounds. You would still need to buy a scale and a loading manual, but standard loads for wadcutters are everywhere. 2.7 grains of Bullseye powder is an old standby load for 148 grain WC’s in the .38 Special. You could run that and never look back. 3 grains of Winchester 231 is another, and will meter a bit better in the powder measure. 3 grains of Hodgdon Universal Clays is inbetween on metering, but will burn a lot cleaner than either of the other two.

I think the Lee Anniversary kit ($77.55 at Midsouth) for learning single-stage loading by yourself in advance of going to a progressive makes great sense, but a new Rock Chucker kit ($219.99 at Midsouth), is a lot more to spend if you are likely to end up buying and mostly relying on a progressive later?

On tumblers, I would add that you need to watch out for lead dust not only from decapped primers, but even more so from the vibratory tumbler when you separate the media. That puts up primer residue dust that contains lead. That is, unless you use lead-free primers, which I would not, for reasons outlined in this article (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_5_51/ai_n13469620), except if your range rules require it. It’s not something to get overly excited about, but when you separate brass from tumbling media you want to at least wear a disposable dust mask. Wash hands afterward. Shower and wash hair before climbing into bed and getting the dust on your pillow and bedclothes. If you have children, don’t allow them into the area where you do the separating or allow them to handle reloading equipment, as they will inevitably put their hands in their mouths after touching things and before washing them. Wash your reloading and shooting clothes separately from theirs. Owning an overall or jumpsuit for these purposes isn’t a bad precaution for parents. Kids are believed to be 4 to 10 times more sensitive to lead exposure than adults because their brains are still developing. That applies to teens, by the way, so sanitation is important to impress on them if they are shooting and reloading?

I'm going to swim upstream on this one. For hand gun loading I would recommend the new LEE Classic Turret. You can use it strictly as a single stage press if you want but sooner or later a turret will be real handy for the volume you are talking about.

FWIW - I only use single stage presses but I only load for rifles.

I'm going to swim upstream on this one. For hand gun loading I would recommend the new LEE Classic Turret. You can use it strictly as a single stage press if you want but sooner or later a turret will be real handy for the volume you are talking about.

FWIW - I only use single stage presses but I only load for rifles.

Im going to second flashhole on this one.
I just got a Lee Classic Turret Press last fall and Lee got it Dead On. Good tool at a great price. Is it a full on progressive? No, but it is close enough that I can crank out good, consistant, revolver ammo as fast as I can pull the lever and insert cases and bullets.

The Rockchucker is all you would ever need for any rifle reloading, even serious case forming. It's a cast iron press. Lyman makes a very good one in their Orange Crusher II. Lee does as well in their Classic Cast Press and the Lee is about half the price. How do they produce a press that works as good for so much less?
Don't answer that, it was rhetorical.

I'd look over someone else'e shoulder while they reload and then go and check out the presses at www.MidwayUSA.com . Be prepared to spend some time looking and deciding just what fits YOU best. Don't get hung up on what someone else says is best. This is your press.

Also, look at the bottom of the page and there have been a lot of discussions about what it takes and what you need to get into reloading. Just follow the links. If that doesnt work, try the search at the top right.

Good luck.

I think the Lee Anniversary kit ($77.55 at Midsouth) for learning single-stage loading by yourself in advance of going to a progressive makes great sense, but a new Rock Chucker kit ($219.99 at Midsouth), is a lot more to spend if you are likely to end up buying and mostly relying on a progressive later?

This IS something to consider as the RCBS Rock Chucker IS one of the "ultimate" single stage tools. This is a heavy-duty, do-it-all, keep-it-for-life and pass it down to the grandchildren type tool. Equipped with the optional Piggyback II attachment, it will convert to a 5 station, auto-indexing progressive reloader that will outproduce any turret press and be assured that all RCBS tools carry a lifetime warranty. Their Customer Service is among the best in the business. This may or may not be what you're looking for.

Drop on over to your local gunshop and look at the reloaders they have on display. Talk to the people there who reload and have them point out the features of each tool and demonstrate how they're used. Put your hands on the tool and see for yourself how it feels. Does it operate smoothly with a minimum amount of play or is it rough with a lot of play? Try to keep an open mind and determine what is right for YOU before putting up your money. Once you find the tool that you like, then shop for the best price. You don't want any "surprises" when you bolt your new tool onto your reloading bench. That's doing your homework and you should end up feeling very satisfied with your choice regardless of brand name or price.

There are only two single stage presses I am personally familiar with; the RCBS Rockchucker and the Lee Classic Cast. I've loaded thousands of rounds on both and both are good presses.

The Lee is $65 and the RCBS is $108. If they were the same price I would pick the Lee. If the Lee was $108 and the RCBS was $65 I would still pick the Lee.

Just my .02. Like somebody said upthread, pick the one that trips your trigger.

There are only two single stage presses I am personally familiar with; the RCBS Rockchucker and the Lee Classic Cast. I've loaded thousands of rounds on both and both are good presses.

The Lee is $65 and the RCBS is $108. If they were the same price I would pick the Lee. If the Lee was $108 and the RCBS was $65 I would still pick the Lee.

Just my .02. Like somebody said upthread, pick the one that trips your trigger.

I need to ask 'why" here? I understand the money part. Why is the Lee better?

Cheezywan
Edit: A bad experiance with RCBS is a foreign concept to me? Lee makes OK stuff too. What was your experiance with RCBS?
Cheezywan

I have nothing bad to say about the RCBS. I just think the Lee is better. It's sturdier and smoother and the spent primer catcher is better.

If I'm not mistaken, the Lee throat is big enough for the .50 BMG and all the panetella size black powder and NE cartridges (like the Rockchucker Supreme), and the handle can be adjusted for those not requiring that much ram stroke. The adjustment actually makes it the shortest stroke of any single stage press made. The casting is made from salvaged railway rails. Tough stuff.

I think we are making all this more complicated than it needs to be for a guy only interested in starting with .38 Special wadcutters. Let me suggest an even simpler and less expensive approach that will work just fine for .38 Specials. From Midway, you can get the Lee Hand Tool Kit (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=624416) for $28. This includes a priming adapter and powder funnel and case lube. For $15, get the Lee .38 Special Speed Die (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=120485) from Midway. It serves all die functions by screwing parts in and out. A little slow, but just fine for learning and compact for kitting out to the range to work up loads. It sizes with a carbide ring, so the case lube won’t be needed with it. In the beginning, instead of a scale and powder measure, get a set of Lee Dippers for $6.50 (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=943305), also from Midway. In .38 Special you are not going to benefit from weighing to the nearest 0.1 grains. The smallest dipper in the sey. 0.3 cc’s, throws 2.8 grains of Bullseye or 3.2 grains of W231 or HP38 (same powder with different labels). These are perfect target loads for .38 Special 148 grain wadcutters. By buying all the above items from one company, you combine your shipping and get it all in one package on the same day. If you’ve already bought your primers and powder and bullets and have cases on hand, you are ready to rock and roll.

The reason I thought of this economy approach is that my copy of the Lee Hand Tool lives in my range box for load work-ups. It is less trouble than lugging a bench mounted press on a clamping block to the range. I use it regularly, and with a Redding Competition Seating Die it seats rifle bullets precisely enough to shoot the occasional 1’s and 2’s. You’ll always find use for this tool at the range, so no money is wasted at all. And you’ll learn all you need to about single-stage loading by using it with the .38 Special. Then you can worry about whether you want a higher end single-stage or a progressive later?

You can buy a case tumbler from Midway, too, if you like. I prefer the Lyman Turbo 1200 with Auto Flow, but they all work if you give them enough time.

if you are going to be loading 500 to 1000 a month i would go with the squar deal.
a single stage is good to learn on but loading that many rounds,you will need a lot of free time.

Nick makes a good point about the hand press. I've loaded a pile of 32-20s and 44 magnums on mine. Last summer when we took our weeks vacation at the beach I took it and my hand primer along. I got 1,000 cases sized and primed in the mornings waiting on my wife to get out of bed. :D

If you are like a lot of us and spend an hour or two each evening in front of the TV, you have your time right there, sit on the couch and size away.

I would advise getting away from any distractions when charging cases.

I saw where you were loading for a daughter and grandson. Get them involved! Reloading lends itself to team effort.

I started with a Lee single stage and moved on to a Lee turret press. I like most off the Lee products especially there dies. ONe thing I didn't really like of there products is the priming toll. AFTer loading a few hundred rounds your hand won't like it either.

. . . ONe thing I didn't really like of there products is the priming toll. AFTer loading a few hundred rounds your hand won't like it either.

I assume you are referring to the Ram Prime that comes with the press kits and is used in the press? I agree that slows you down, though it gets you a way to start. The Auto Prime tool is much quicker and easier. Another tool you can buy and will always us. I've never tried the Auto Prime II which mounts on the press like the Ram Prime, but feeds primers from a tray, like the Auto Prime. My guess is the hand version is still the best to have, both for couch potato priiming and for the range kit.

I'm new to this board and about to buy my first press. I need help!. . .

I've been going on and off the Lee web site looking up part numbers for a long time. For some reason I never noticed the video section. (http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1166373623.3555=/html/HelpVideos/video.html) They have a separate Windows Media Player video file for every item they make, plus some general ones at the top. Check it out, all you beginners and all you persons having a problem with a Lee tool. Basic reloading. Press setup. Die setup. It's all in here. Even if you buy someone else's products, this will show you the range from single stage presses to turret press to progressives (one round with each handle cycle). It is an incredibly useful resource.

Nick, I looked at the videos a while back and hoped that I could load for my revolvers as quickly as that video showed it being done on the Classic Turret Press. Well, I can and do and it didn't take more than a couple hours to figure it all out and do it.
I am a happy camper.
It's fast, effecient, easy to set up and easy to run, You save money on your press to spend on components :D BONUS! The Lee Auto Disk when used with the micrometer powder charge bar is slick as snot and gives accurate charges as fast as you can swap brass and insert bullets and pull the lever.

I too started with the Hand Press. That thing works. You can sit in front of the TV and decap and resize all night if you want. It just works.


All this being said, I also really like the Lyman Orange Crusher, but for a lot less you can have Lee's Classic Cast Press and it does the same job for less $ just as well as the Lyman or the Rockchucker.

No I meant the hand tool. Plus you have to buy special case holders for it.

No I meant the hand tool . . .

I'm surprised. Most people like the hand version of the Auto Prime. Another convenient television operation. My only objection is I get some indentations on primers. I've also heard one lot came out with the primer tray lids loose. but you can use a soldering iron to dog-ear the tabs on the black plastic to add friction. The special tool holders are indeed required. I just bought the whole boxed set for $13. Later, when I switched to the K&M priming tool, I discovered it uses them, too. So do several others. Seems like some days there is just no escape!

I'm surprised. Most people like the hand version of the Auto Prime. Another convenient television operation. My only objection is I get some indentations on primers. I've also heard one lot came out with the primer tray lids loose. but you can use a soldering iron to dog-ear the tabs on the black plastic to add friction. The special tool holders are indeed required. I just bought the whole boxed set for $13. Later, when I switched to the K&M priming tool, I discovered it uses them, too. So do several others. Seems like some days there is just no escape!

Why do you need to fix a product before even using it???
Should work first time out of the box! Having to do repairs to a product means poor engineering and poor materials!!
TF

Why do you need to fix a product before even using it???

Just one lot. A problem with a replacement mold, I expect.