Progressively reloading 44 mag / spc

[Scrumbag]

Hi folks,

What are people using as a progressive press to reload 44 mag / special for gallery rifle?

Best wishes,

Scrummy

[MrD]

Hi Scrummy

I use a Lee Loadmaster (5 dies) for 357/38 and M1 Carbine. Can be a PITA to get set up properly, but once done churns them out at a fair rate of knots. I use the case feeder but have given up on the bullet feeder as I found it was just as quick to seat the projectiles manually. I have modified mine with an LED below the powder filling station to detect any cases with a missing primer and use an overhead light to check none have missed the powder dispensing before seating the projectile.
I also use a stripped out 357 seating die or my M1 quick trim die in the priming position to keep the cases in alignment

Donald

[dromia]

I have used an RCBS Ammomaster alongside a Rockchuker mounted Piggyback press for decades. The Piggyback is made for pistol or short rifle cartridges and is excellent at loading such rounds.

For batches of 500 rounds or less then I will go one of my Redding seven station turrets as it doesn't require the same prep time loading primer tubes and the like. Progressives really come into their own when you are after high volume.

Never ever try and go fast with a progressive, there is a lot going on with each throw of the handle so take your time, be alert and develop a steady cadence. If a throw doesn't feel or sound right then check it out immediately, never force it.

[Mattnall]

I use a Lee turret press, not really progressive but close.
Works well and is easy to turn into a single stage when required.

I usually prime off the press but for the pistol cartridges it doesn't matter to me as much.

[PeterN]

I have never used a progressive press. All my reloading has been done on an RCBS Rockchucker but I am a low volume reloader and rarely load more than 50 rounds at a time. Indeed, today I prepped fifty .308 cases, neck sized with the Lyman 310 tool and neck expanded with a Lyman M die on the Rockchucker and primed on the Lyman 310 tool. I could have done the neck expanding on the 310 tool but used the M die instead.
I am thinking of getting a Lee collet die for the .308 to make the process quicker. The collet die won't work for the Berdan primed cases though, unless I cut off the decapping pin which I am reluctant to do.
Regards
Peter.

[flamoudi]

I have and use 2 Lee pro 1000. Both set up with dies set for special and magnum cases, so 2 sets of dies etc. Not that I shoot that many rounds nowadays, but still have them set up and available.

But...I do the depriming, resizing and priming in a seperate operation. Still using the tubes. I never was happy with the lee priming set up on these presses. It might seem counterproductive to do it that way but I feel I'm safer and less likely to get hung up on any malfunctions.

[Chapuis]

If you are serious about getting a progressive press get a Dillon. I had a Dillon 550B and loaded tens of thousands of rounds on it over twenty or so years. My pal who was in our reloading syndicate bought himself a Lee 1000 and was bitterly disappointed with it, no comparison in quality whatsoever to the Dillon. In addition the customer service from Dillon was superb whenever I ordered additional parts/upgraded or managed to break something due to clumsiness on my part.
Two fellow club members also bought a Lee 1000 and after a few initial problems they got it working to a satisfactory standard but both said that they wished that they had paid out the extra for a Dillon.

P.S. On my Dillon I loaded-
.38spl/.357 mag
.44 Mag
.45acp
.308win
.270win
.223rem
.32 S&W long

[ukrifleman]

I have a Lee Classic turret press and can crank out 150+ rounds of 45 Colt an hour with the index rod and a Lee auto disk powder measure mounted onto the turret.
My biggest concern about progressive presses is, that there are several actions going on at once and in my opinion, this expands the margin of error more than I would like.
I can monitor every stage of the reloading process with the turret press including being able to see the powder charge as it goes into the case.
ukrifleman

[bradaz11]

i used to use a turret, then moved onto a lee 4000 - the modern version of the 1000, but one that actually works. I then moved onto a 6 pack.

the 4000 / lee auto breech lock pro (only difference is one is a kit, one is just the press) is well suited for this sort of caliber. it primes like the turret press, so solves half of the 1000's problems right there, and if you fit it with lee's new inline bullet feeder / mr minibulletfeeder, it's a great press to use. I've loaded 10's of thousands of 44spl on mine.