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Advice for novice. (Getting started)

Get with someone to show you the ropes before you spend a single dime and run you through the gamut of what a single stage, turret or progressive press has to offer.

Have them explain what you have to look for when loading straight wall vice bottleneck cartridges and the prep time you have to do for each before you run a single case through a sizer die.

Loading shotgun shells is a whole other rabbit hole.

Best advice I can give right now, is that It's not the right time to get into reloading with consumables (primers, powder) drying up and prices going up. The folks on here giving you advice are very knowledgeable, so take advantage if they are willing to give you some one-on-one time.
 
I own a single stage, hardly ever used it. Never really reloaded anything till I got a Dillon 750.

If you want high volume, there's no reason to buy a single stage. There's a learning curve either way.

Now's not really the time to start. I was just looking at a bunch of online retailers and I couldn't find in stock primers at my usual places. Until your able to stock components, id wait.
 
If you have the money get a Dillon 750. If you cannot handle reloading on multiple stages, you can always reload one stage at a time on the 750 and do it a lot faster.
You can only set the sizing die and resize and deprime 300 or so cases per hour.
You can learn almost everything you need to know from YouTube.
Just load a few small batches st first so you do not end up with a large number you need to discard.
I have a 1050 andI still deprime/resize in on step so I can clean and inspect before priming,dropping powder and seating a bullet.

If you buy a single stage first and then get a Dillon you will probably find that you will be selling all of the single stage equipment.
650 conversions are not too expensive if you look for parts used.
If you buy a 750, you can get most of your money back when you decide to sell or more if you keep it a few years.
 
I WANT a dillon bad, have been using a rockchucker for 5-6 years. WHEN i quit buying **** i don't need ill go 750 big blue...BUT i would probably still resize/decap on the single stage. would still work up loads on the single stage, and still load precision rifle rounds on the single stage. I would look for a used single stage, learn to build ammo...then get a dillon. used single stage presses come up for sale pretty regularly on here. I am also OCD and have insomnia...so loading a cpl thou 9mm on a single stage press just helps pass the time. but i don't compete, so I don't do that too often.
 
I will echo what others have said about starting with a single stage press. Progressives are super sexy and fast, but there is nothing wrong with learning on a single stage. I first pulled the handle on a RockChucker in 1998 and after that I convinced myself I needed a Dillon 550. I couldn't get past the hurdle of price and set up so I shelved the idea of reloading until 2003 when I got the Supreme RockChucker kit from Cabelas. I went super slow and had no one to show me anything. SUPER SLOW. I swore I would never load rifle ammo because I was primarily a handgun shooter. That changed rather quickly. First rifle ammo I loaded was 30-30.

I have been casting bullets since about 06 and reloading everything and anything to include 12 and 20ga birdshot, buckshot and slugs. I load shotshells on an ancient MEC Sizemaster that was given to me with free hulls I scrounged at the skeet range at Robins. 20ga gets loaded on a Lee Load-All from Amazon.

I now use a Lee Classic Cast single stage for all my reloading that I bought used when I lived in Perry. I prefer it over the RockChucker TBH and it handles everything I can throw at it. I like used gear - It is a fraction of the price and still has decades of life left in it.
 
Let me tell you all these company’s have their good and their bad. I chose the Hornady lock and load and I’ve had 3 of them and I love em. I have had almost all of the big presses except the big blue. As far as I’m concerned your wasting a lot of money when you spend over 500$on one when a 400$ Hornady will get you the same quality Ammo. My Ammo that I make is great and I’ve had very minimal issues with the ammo that I’ve made. You kind of have to ask yourself if you’re going to buy $1000 price but you’re going to buy extremely cheap components then you’re not going to achieve what you want.
same goes for if you buy a very cheap price but you get the best components you’re still not going to reach that. I found a nice middle ground with my Hornaday press and some decent projectiles and some middle ground powder and primers. all I want is some decent planking rounds and I have achieved that with this press.
I think that’s the problem is that people don’t really ask themselves the question of what their reloading for.
 
IMHO don’t start with a single stage. The Lee turret press is an excellent choice to start with. You can take out the auto indexing rod and run it as a single stage. you can change calibers in less than a minute. You also feel every step in the process. It doesn’t make junk ammo and you can knock out about 250 an hour with pistol stuff.

I started with a Lee turret but jumped to a 650 as soon as I started USPSA. The Lee just couldn’t keep up.

you are more than welcome to come by and I can show you the ropes. I’m in Gainesville
 
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