Progressive press not quite meeting my needs any longer.

It's interesting reading about these different methods.

I find myself loading almost everything on my Lee LCT. Over the years I've considered a progressive, but not only can I not justify the cost, I really don't have the space.

I typically shoot under 1000 rifle rounds per year, and something like 3000 or 4000 various handgun rounds.

With rifle rounds, I neck size and prime on a single stage.
Then I'll put primed cases in the LCT. I charge, expand (I'm shooting home cast lead), seat, and crimp in the 4 stations.
It works very well for me.

For the last 30 years I had a Rock chucker and a jr, this worked fine for hipower rifle competition and prarie dogs. Lately I have been shooting a lot of pistol shooting, wasnt long before the constant die changing drove me batty. I picked up a t-7 and a couple extra turrets what a difference that has made. I'm approaching 60 now I dont think I will be needing to go to a progressive but you never know.

I use single stage for rifle and some revolver rounds. I couldn't justify the cost of a progressive either but i picked one up in bulk purchase from an estate. I sold everything I didn't need and got the Dillon 550 for basically free. Now I load 45 auto, .38 special, and .40 s&w on the Dillon.

Hooda Thunkit said:

Over the years I've considered a progressive, but not only can I not justify the cost, I really don't have the space.

I typically shoot under 1000 rifle rounds per year, and something like 3000 or 4000 various handgun rounds..

Click to expand...

As it appears that you are already reloading some thing I would suggest looking into the New Lee Breech Lock Pro progressive press. The press can be bought brand new for just over $100.00 and the shell plates are only another $15.00/18.00.. Everything from your Classic Cast Turret can be migrated over to this press other than the Breech lock bushings which the press does come with a set.

Loaded on a Dillon XL 650 since 1995 or so. But my experience mirrors the OP as well. All I load on the progressive presses are .45 ACP hardball and .38 Special (dis)Service rounds for practice and bi-weekly, 'just us guys', shoots. I shortly turn seventy and my eyes just won't serve for 2700 shooting anymore.

Developing loads for rifle is really a pain on a progressive. But I found a very serviceable three hole 'CH' brand press at a gun show and I am in hog heaven.
I still load handgun for .44 Special and Magnum, a .38 Special defense load, and .45 Auto Rim, as those rounds cannot be bought in the configuration I want.

Not sure this old dog wants to learn new tricks. I have been thinking really hard about progressive presses. My need is not to speed up the process but, to reduce the cranks on the lever. Once you reach 70 some parts seem to wear out. My shoulder (bone spurs) and tennis elbow are making reloading tough. Only regret is not feeling like I will have the control I do with a single stage.

I don't really enjoy reloading that much. It's a means to an end for me. I could load everything I need on a single stage I imagine but I'd rather spend the hours I save with a progressive doing something else. I especially don't like the repetitive single tasks of a single stage. I get bored quickly. With a progressive there's a whole lot more going on and I find it holds my attention better and is more interesting. I almost like it.

But as far as I know I'm the only guy in the world that thinks that way.

The Ops reasoning is exactly why I have the setups I do. A progressive for mass production, Lee Classic Turret for niche rounds (10MM, 45 Colt, 45 Super) Niche rounds for me is I fire them just not enough for changing the progressive, and last but not least I still enjoy rifle loading on a 30 year old Rock Chucker. I am keeping all no doubts about it because my need for production can change very quickly depending on what is going on.

I have a RockChucker and a RCBS turret press presently. I reload in batches of 200 to 500 at a time mostly. I spend the winter months prepping my brass and storing it away to reload later. When I got the turret my thinking was to speed things up but that was not how it has turned out. Over time I have put the things like my ram prime, Cam Loc bullet puller, C4HD primer pocket swager, universal deprimer, and the limited number of Lee FCD that I use in the turret permanently. It is no big deal to change out dies on the single stage to me as I make small changes to them when installing anyway. For different shoulder bump on sizing ordifferent bullet weights/profiles. I almost think using a progressive would slow me down. My big issue now is being recently retired is of spending more on reloading and shooting than I really should.. I seem to be ramping it up not slowing it down like I planned on doing.

My progressive is set up for 9mm but I typically just buy it.
I have a Rock Chucker set up with the quick change adaptors for various rounds and a small cheap Lee press for miscellaneous stuff.