The Perfect Progressive Reloader

[45_Colt]

For me, the RL550B is the perfect progressive reloader. It cranks out a reasonable amount of ammo in a reasonable amount of time. It suits my shooting needs. Doing .45 ACP, .380 ACP and .38spl/.357mag on it.

Low volume stuff such as .45 Colt, .223, and .308 get done on the RCBS.

45_Colt

[Wal']

I have had my Hornady progressive for forty-plus years now, and have had few minor problems whilst reloading mostly pistol rounds....32SWL.....38 Special.....357....9mm & 44 magnums.
Sheared the roll pins in the main shaft while trying to unstick a .243 case, which were easily replaced ........forgot the case lube didn't I....lol
Reloaded .243 & 44.40 on it as well, but found using a newer RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Press much better value & easier with rifle rounds.
Overall, a happy chappie with my old Hornady.

[wv109323]

Perfection is one thing, flexibility is another thing. Perfectly flexibie is not perfect.
While the PW800 is good for volume trap or skeet loads it is not the machine to load low volumes of 3 1/2" 12ga. buckshot.
An RCBS rockchucker may be ideal for low volume 45-70 but a high volume .45 acp shooter wants a progressive machine suited for his needs.

[Land Owner]

That is because “perfect” is a moving target. Perfect for what?

Maybe food for another thread, but I don't think I am hijacking this thread...

What is the REASON you use a Progressive Press? To what VOLUME? Principally for RIFLE or for HANDGUN? Are you a HUNTER or a COMPETITIVE SHOOTER? These, and other capabilities, tend to push reloaders in one direction or another.

Through "luck" and choice, I became a MEAT HUNTER. I found that the land I purchase was overrun with hogs. A few deer and a few turkey passed through. Controlling the hogs created a tremendous amount of trigger time. Anchoring the hogs, DRT, to preclude them running off into the thick palmetto and blackberry brambles on the adjacent State's NO HUNTING land is essential. Crawling on hands and knees into the thicket chasing the blood trail of someone's wounded 200+pound hog is a non-starter and recipe for disaster.

Accurate RIFLE rounds became essential to me. ONE AT A TIME crafted RIFLE ammunition became my RULE with one exception. Caliber 223 is the longest round that will fit in my progressive and for a pair of AR-15 rifles I do avail myself, mostly for blamo-ammo. Kids love it. New shooters love it. Shooters introduced to the semi-auto rifle platform appreciate it. Some get an itch and even scratch that itch.

I have no doubt some make accurate ammo on a Progressive. I make handgun (belly gun) ammo on my Progressive for killing 10-yard targets and advancing my confidence for self-defense. I never sought or had a mentor for competitive or long-range handgun shooting. My youngest son can ding an 18" hardened steel plow disc at distances over 100 yards with authority and consistency...so I gave him my Ruger 45 Colt Blackhawk to keep him happy. We have a deal. I make the ammo - on the Progressive. He shoots it with friends and gathers their spent cases in all calibers. I get those cases and another pair of hands, at times, to reload them.

[Messy bear]

I agree with the OP. It seems every machine has it’s problems. I don’t own more than 3 but I have loaded on all the popular ones.
I really wish someone could take all the machines in consideration and build one that covers our concerns. I like the way the 550 works except no auto advance and only 4 stations. Same with
RCBS 4x4. Very smooth but again only 4 stations. LNL pretty good but new ones a bit sloppy. 650 pretty good but has some problems. I know of one that’s almost worn out. Sloppy linkage but lots of use. 1050 great but expensive. Blah blah blah. But I degress

[GWS]

.................

The real "Progressive" time saver?

The LEE APP.

Decapping and primer pocket swaging were the bane of my existence. Now it's almost fun.

And if I cast some lead boolits, sizing is fast and simple now.

Have to agree with that.....and it's even faster with TylerR's free quickchange 3D printer files. Just drop in a case or bullet insert.

So intrigued with that machine! I got to thinking that maybe more single stage machines ought to have bullet and case feeders added. So I tried making another.......RCBS Summit press with an APP-like case feeder that can use Lee APP shuttle parts, and TylerR Quickchange feeder parts........it works and there's no lightweight press to wear out.





Now what would really be cool is a Forster with a feeder......quick change case/bullet feeder for a quickchange die press. Jmorris,


.

[salpal48]

Many Loading Companies have Tried to achieve Perfection. Yet Only one has achieved it "STAR "

[Kevin Rohrer]

I don't know anything about shot shell reloader, just those for metallic cartridges. Been a Dillon user for >30-years, first w/ a 550, now w/ a 750. Their presses are nice but have some known limitations and weaknesses. I thought about getting an Apex, but that one looks wayyyyy too fiddly for me to bother with. Have also thought about an 1100 and am still on the fence about getting one.

There is no "best" of anything, just as there is no perfect progressive. It is just a matter of what annoyances you want to tolerate. I tolerate my 750, even though the die plate is too small to easily get to the dies, and Dillon does not sell them w/ set-screw locking rings. Also don't care for for the plastic and low-quality metal parts and the poorly designed, spent primer chute.

I need to take another look at the 1100...

[jetinteriorguy]

Have to agree with that.....and it's even faster with TylerR's free quickchange 3D printer files. Just drop in a case or bullet insert.

So intrigued with that machine! I got to thinking that maybe more single stage machines ought to have bullet and case feeders added. So I tried making another.......RCBS Summit press with an APP-like case feeder that can use Lee APP shuttle parts, and TylerR Quickchange feeder parts........it works and there's no lightweight press to wear out.





Now what would really be cool is a Forster with a feeder......quick change case/bullet feeder for a quickchange die press. Jmorris,


.

That’s pretty impressive.

[AZ Pete]

Perfect depends on what you are looking for. I have hand loaded for well nearly 60 years. For me my SDB for pistol calibers, my CoAx for rifle and my PW375 for shotgun are about right. Though I do have a 550b for when I feel the need for speed with rifle calibers.

[dverna]

Nice to see so many using the Co-Ax...even if it is not a progressive. I have had mine for nearly 50 years and would never sell it...and there is no "upgrading" to a better single stage.

[Land Owner]

This is a little aside from the OP, but there is no doubt about it. The reloading "bug" is in us and RCBS estimates there are 2-million of "us". That, to me, is a lot of small ammunition manufacturers - whose capacity may exceed the significantly fewer commercial manufacturers (we can debate that - I have not run any numbers). Whether Lee Loader, single stage, or progressive, I do not see the hobby of reloading "drying up" any time soon though it is essential that we Mentor others to join us.

[M-Tecs]

A "perfect" anything doesn't exist. I do own items that are close to perfect for a specific application, however, when that application changes those items may become far less than "perfect". Reloading is similar to machining is the sense that the "best" methods are the most "preferred" method. Same for a perfect vehicle. When you need to get thru a city traffic jam a bicycle may be close to perfect yet when you need to move 20 tons of cargo a long distance a bicycle is about a far from "perfect" as you can get. I have a bunch of styles of presses.

Press choice usage is based on which is the preferred method for that application. My portable single station range press is my "preferred" press of low volume load development at the range yet it is sorely lacking for high volume runs. For that my Dillon 1050's are very good yet they are a poor choice for range use.

[dverna]

A "perfect" anything doesn't exist. I do own items that are close to perfect for a specific application, however, when that application changes those items may become far less than "perfect". Reloading is similar to machining is the sense that the "best" methods are the most "preferred" method. Same for a perfect vehicle. When you need to get thru a city traffic jam a bicycle may be close to perfect yet when you need to move 20 tons of cargo a long distance a bicycle is about a far from "perfect" as you can get. I have a bunch of styles of presses.

Press choice usage is based on which is the preferred method for that application. My portable single station range press is my "preferred" press of low volume load development at the range yet it is sorely lacking for high volume runs. For that my Dillon 1050's are very good yet they are a poor choice for range use.

Not a very good rationale for evaluating a progressive reloading press. Maybe I should have been more specific and not assumed anything. So let's try it again.

A perfect progressive press has the following attributes:
It will reliably prime on the press
It will automatically drop powder
It will not jam more than once in 500 cycles if it has a case feeder.
It will not need to be cleaned every 2000 rounds to work.
If it has a bullet feeder, it will not malfunction more than one in 500 cycles
It will be easy to change calibers
It will be easy to change primer size.

[megasupermagnum]

Not a very good rationale for evaluating a progressive reloading press. Maybe I should have been more specific and not assumed anything. So let's try it again.

A perfect progressive press has the following attributes:
It will reliably prime on the press
It will automatically drop powder
It will not jam more than once in 500 cycles if it has a case feeder.
It will not need to be cleaned every 2000 rounds to work.
If it has a bullet feeder, it will not malfunction more than one in 500 cycles
It will be easy to change calibers
It will be easy to change primer size.

You just described a turret press. Any press can drop powder. Any press can feed bullets. I have zero interest in anything that doesn't feed cases and auto index. I just don't understand your crazy fascination with reliable primer systems, especially when you are touting a system most of us reloaders dropped like a hot potato as soon as we could. You're even hand feeding cases no less while belittling anything non-Dillon.

Dillon should get off their *****, and upgrade their presses post 1960's tech.

[M-Tecs]

Not a very good rationale for evaluating a progressive reloading press. Maybe I should have been more specific and not assumed anything. So let's try it again.

A perfect progressive press has the following attributes:
It will reliably prime on the press
It will automatically drop powder
It will not jam more than once in 500 cycles if it has a case feeder.
It will not need to be cleaned every 2000 rounds to work.
If it has a bullet feeder, it will not malfunction more than one in 500 cycles
It will be easy to change calibers
It will be easy to change primer size.

Then my 1050's are "perfect". I have two. One for large primers and one for small so switching between large and small is a matter of using a different 1050.

I have a vacuum and compressed air at each machine. I do a quick clean before use. That would be a quick vacuum and blow off. Total time spent cleaning is less than a minute. On my 1050's I avarage one stoppage about every 9,000 rounds.