newbie buying press

[dlbrown75]

anyone care to give me their opinions on a lee 1000 pro progressive before I buy one. Thinking about the rock chucker also.

 

[turnerdye1]

are you a newbie to reloading in general? if so id suggest you getting a single stage so you can learn the basics. progressives are a little more complex then the single stage presses. plus ive heard the lee 1000 is a bit weird and takes alot of fine tuning

 

[03A3]

I know people who swear by the Lee 1000, and others who swear at it.
I have no opinion either way
There are a number of good single stage presses out there, including Lee, Lyman and Redding turrent presses.

 

[dlbrown75]

I am a first time reloader. After reading more, Im now looking hard at a single stage press. The Lee classic turret or still rockchucker.

 

[03A3]

DL both are good presses.
The quick-change Lee turrents can be handy to have.

 

[Steelworker]

I have both the rock chucker and the Lee Classic turret press. I use the rock chucker for more precision and hunting type ammo. The turret gets used to load 9mm and 357 for more volume.

 

[Classic]

Single station to start. Plenty to learn, get the basics right before you start having to adjust more complex set-ups and auto feeding mechs. You would be surprised at how much ammo you can create manually anyway, take your time to inspect each piece of brass and finished round. Quality time in the man-cave for me.

 

[DustyDawg48]

I am one that owned a Lee Pro-1000 for 3 days and finally gave up and sent it back to Midway because it was just too much trouble. I work with my hands and tinker for a living I don't want to have to do it as a part of my hobby. I didn't trust the powder measure to drop or the primer feed system to feed and seat the primers; I had several rounds come through with either no powder yet primed or primed and no powder. I gave up and washed my hands of it. Lee's single-stage press and their turret presses are much simpler and are probably the way to go if you wanted to stick with a Lee.

I opted for the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme and it is a freakin' tank of a press. Cast iron and as solid as they come. I've loaded probably 10,000 plus rounds on it and it's done nothing but get smoother with each pull of the handle. If you figure it takes roughly 3 to 4 pulls of the handle for each round, that's over 40,000 cycles and you'd never know it had that kind of mileage on it.

For what it is worth I did upgrade to a Hornady Lock-N-Load progressive press and it is simply incredible, well worth the investment.

Good luck on what you do decide to go with, I may get flamed for it but I'm just not a fan of Lee's Pro-1000 series of presses; Lee makes good stuff and I still use their carbide pistol and rifle dies and their powder measures but I just could never fully trust the Pro-1000.

 

[XtremeVel]

I am a first time reloader. After reading more, Im now looking hard at a single stage press. The Lee classic turret or still rockchucker.

Determining how much you think you will be loading and how fast you want to get it done in will be a good start in deciding which direction you want to go. Also, consider if loading will be something you enjoy or if it will be a PITA to find the time to do.

I have both a Rockchucker and the Lee Classic Turret. I don't expect ever getting rid of either. I am a moderate shooter and load for myself, wife, and son. I enjoy loading so the turret is plenty fast enough for our needs. This could very well be different for someone who either didn't enjoy loading or was more limited on time though...

pro's on the turret

- considerably faster

- can also be used as single stage

- VERY fast caliber changes if you are equipped with additional turrets...
additional powder measures even adds to quicker caliber changes

- Once dies properly set in turret, they will stay set... Can be both a
advantage and also a disadvantage to a newer loader. Advantage would be
once properly set, possibility of setting something wrong is reduced.
Disadvantage would be setting dies is a good learning experience and
probably should be done every so often as not to forget how to do it.


pro's on the Rock chucker

- Better quality press. Probably will never need to replace any part.

- maintain better resale value

- If you later decide to upgrade to a progressive, you probably could justify
the reason for keeping the single stage on your bench before you would the
turret.

Lastly, the Rockchucker will cost you more for the press, BUT your cost for the turret will close the gap real quick once you start adding extra turrets and exceed what the single stage would cost if you added a pro auto disk powder measure to each turret...

 

[kludge]

If you are new to reloading I would recommend a single stage press (The Rockchucker is a good one) or the Lee Classic Turret Press. Personally I would go for the Lee Classic Turret. You can use it single state to start and learn, and then you can go faster by installing the auto-index parts.

Now I have a Lee Loadmaster when I want to go faster, and I use the Lee Classic Turret only in single stage mode, that said, I would never go back to a single stage... I think the Classic Turret is my press for life.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I would also suggest a single stage press to start out on. I have a LEE breach lock and have been happy with it so far. Progressive presses are more complex and there is a greater chance of making a mistake. Learn the steps and take your time. The who process can be intimidating at first, no need to add more stress to the situation. Then you can upgrade if you choose to.

 

[NullSyndrome]

I would get the Lee Classic Turret. You can disable the auto-index feature of it and essentially use it as a single stage press if you want, but still be able to load relatively fast later once you have everything down.

Also, be aware that Lee makes two versions of the 4 hole turret press. The "Classic" model and the "Deluxe" model often included in a kit. The "Classic" is the better press. The "Classic" has a better linkage and is made of cast iron and steel. The "Deluxe" has a weaker linkage and is made of aluminum.

 

[msd]

If Dusty Dawg48 had given me a heads up in advance, I could of saved myself alot of headaches. (joking)
I bought the Lee Pro 1000, set it up and had all the same problems he did. After talking to him about it, and finding out everything he had go wrong I sent it back.

I've had a Lyman Orange Crusher from 23 yrs ago, that still gets lots of attention every week.
I've also got the lee Classic 4 hole. I use it for pistol rounds only.
I tried loading 223's on it, and found out my sizer does not cam over correctly and to where I set it at before placing a case in it.
Going to a single stage is a good option for someone new starting out. That way you learn the basics step by step.
Best thing if you got the time is to take a class that Aszerigan offers, or find a friend who reloads that can show you the ins and outs of reloading.

Good luck in your new venture. It can start out as a hobby that can branch off into other hobbies or you might find it relaxing the way many of us do.

 

[dlbrown75]

Thanks all. I appreciate all your thoughts.

 

[kludge]

I tried loading 223's on it, and found out my sizer does not cam over correctly and to where I set it at before placing a case in it.

The Lee Classic Turret and Classic Cast presses are designed in such a way that it CAN'T "cam over" as there are positive stops built into the linkage that prevent it. IOW, it's doing what it was designed to do.

But maybe I'm misreading what you wrote?

 

[Mephitical]

I started with a Lee classic turret press and I'm glad I did. I wanted to learn on what I planned on using, not a single stage press I would have to upgrade from later. The whole idea to most is to save money, why waste it on a press you plan to get rid of. Just like most have said, take your time and you'll be fine.

If you know someone that loads, have them help you out. There are also people on INGO that have classes you can attend. I posted for help starting out on here and met up with someone that was near me. He went through everything with me. He had all three types of presses, so I got to play with them before I bought anything. Was a big help. He'll be teaching me how to cast next week since I asked him for some bullets for my .357. I'm not planning on casting myself, but why not learn. Might change my mind later.

My

 

[msd]

The Lee Classic Turret and Classic Cast presses are designed in such a way that it CAN'T "cam over" as there are positive stops built into the linkage that prevent it. IOW, it's doing what it was designed to do.

But maybe I'm misreading what you wrote?

Thanks Kludge,
I see what I meant didn't come out as what I was trying to say.
I noticed when I set my FL sizer, I always screw it down to the shell holder, then I back off a hair.

I've always FL sized on my Lyman, thought I'd try it on my Turret.
I noticed where I set it empty and where it's at with a case in is two totally different settings.

I didn't feel like tinkering with the turret so I just went back to my Lyman. I'm doing lots of once fired brass anyways so I'm trimming after sizing, to get them all one length.

I've always loaded all my pistol calibers on my turret and have never had an ounce of problems.

Need to just break down and buy an LNL. Maybe when I get off medical leave next month.

 

[gunman41mag]

I have two Dillon 550 press, there is nothing better.