what would be a decent press for reloading 5.56 ammo for a beginner? preferably something that works well and won’t break the bank.
it doesn’t have to have all kinds of fancy devices, just the basics so i can load my own ammo on rainy days.
if anyone can give me a list of basic equipment i would need that would be great too:)
Spend a few hundred dollars more now for a Dillon 650. Then you won’t have to sell the 550 after you see a 650 in action. I’ve had a 650 since 1995 and it has seen over 1 million rounds. Finally wore out a part and Dillon replaced it for free after 12 years. Their “No Bullshit” warranty is the best in the business.
being a control freak, I prefer the 550 over the 650. I like to index the rounds manually. Especially when the machine gets jammed up for whatever reason.
is a case trimmer and primer de-crimper necessary?
what kind of initial cost am i looking at for a basic setup for just reloading 5.56?
Dillon 650 for the win. Five Stations, and auto indexing, plus a casefeeder if you want it.
The Dillion is a great reloader, however you may want to look into a Rockchucker from RCBS. Places like midway will sell the press along with kits that have most of what you will need except dies. While its nowhere near as sexy as a 550 you can also put a piggyback system on it as well for progressive loading.
The case trimmer and de crimper will only be necessary if you’re using once-fired military brass that hasn’t been trimmed and crimped already. If you get new brass of once-fired from a place like scharch.com you can just load them as they come. A case trimmer will be needed after you fire a single case a few times.
I highly recommend the Dillon 550 too. If you really are only going to load 556 a 650 might be worth it to you depending on your expected volume. There’s a lot of info on brianenos.com regarding Dillon presses.
Why a Dillon? They really are the best, they have amazing customer service, and they hold their value like no other press. It’s like buying a gun; over the course of its use the initial cost is dwarfed by the amount of ammo you put through it.
I wouldn’t bother with a single stage.
If you aren’t looking to spend a lot of money and want a decent press, then I would go with a Lee. I have several and have had no problems. Lee also has GREAT customer support, had one problem with die once and they replaced it quick and free. Midway has the kits fairly cheap.
Don’t discount used equipment. You will save a bundle on a used press and dies. They don’t really break or wear out and any of the major brands cast iron presses will be working fine for your grandkids.
If you are going for large volume, I would recommend one of the Dillon offerings, or the Hornady AP (personal preference is Hornady) as far as progressives go.
If you are looking at more of a hobby and getting a good start for only a couple of hundred dollars or so, a used RCBS Rock chucker can be had usually for less than $100, check your local craigslist or even e-bay.
Good detailed write up on progressives comparing the Lee, Hornady and Dillon: http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf
Good luck.
How much you want to shoot? If it is -200-350 rounds a month then you can probably get by with a single stage set up. If you want to shoot more than that or spend less time reloading then get you a progressive reloader.
i shoot about 1000rds a month of the cheap 55gr stuff but i want to start shooting the heavier bullets so if i want to keep shooting the same amount reloading is the only way i can afford it.
i also just bought an aks-74u and an ak104 so eventually i will probably want to start loading rounds for them as well.
i’m up in the air between the rock chucker and the 550
Here are my suggestions. Case prep takes the longest amount of time. Charging and seating the least. Obviously.
Gracey trimmer
Dillion crimp swagger
Foster Co-ax press
Lyman universal decapper (I like to decap/swag/clean then size)
Set of Redding or RCBS dies
Carbide button for the sizer die
Vibrating case cleaner
Lee water soluble case lube (dip cases in it, size wet or dry)
Redding BR powder dispenser
( I use a used RCBS uniflow for some coarse powders YMMV (ie 800x in 10mm))
RCBS or Redding scale
RCBS or Redding powder trickler
With those items you will have no excuse for creating accurate hand loads. I think the Dillon swagger is not optional unless you are using all commercial brass. Also, for me the gracey trimmer is a must. Buy qaulity stuff and if this hobby is not for you then you will have no problem selling any of it. Good luck.
I am happy with my Hornady Lock n load AP. They have recently updated the design and fixed the few quirks mentioned in the article above. See footnote 21.
You essentially get the Dillon 650 functionality for the price of the 550.
OP. Do your home work on the Dillion and Hornady LN AP. Both have problems you should be aware of and are well documented. I would advise you to get a single stage system as you will need most of the other equipment anyway. If you do go progessive, then you can sell the single stage or you will probably find you need it for certain other operations or calibers.
I mean who works up loads on a progressive!!
anyone using the hornady?
Look at posts #10 and #14.
Hornady has fixed the problems with new version of the AP.
yeah, lol. those were posted while i was searching the net and i didn’t check the posts before i typed mine
This is really informative.
www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf
I learned on a Dillon 550. I do not subscribe to the thought that that it is better to learn on a single stage press.
There are lots of options - in general: less expensive, more time intensive, more expensive more time savings. Find some local people who reload, watch what they are doing, buy what they find useful. Modeling (looking over their shoulders) is the most efficient mode of learning.
Lee zip trim, cheap, efficient (use the twist lock shell holder); but limited to trimming only to one length per caliber.
Dillon Super Swage - gold standard in primer pocket swaging.
Make certain you purchase an inertial bulllet puller. Mistakes will happen ad the ability to disassemble the mistakes is IMPORTANT.
read lots, listen to all advice then pick and choose when you see a common denominator of opinion.
DOC
I’ve been a reloader for about four years and have done about 5,000 rounds a year in various calibers. I recommend reading a lot about reloading before you start investing in equipment but after a lot of research the following is what I came up with. My philosophy is that quality only hurts once but I also don’t want to pay for frills that I won’t use. A good press will pay for itself pretty quickly.
Some people claim that a new reloader should start out on a single stage press but I disagree. You have to learn and understand the same principals whether you’re using a single stage press or a progressive press. In my opinion a progessive press can be safer becuase it automates some steps, like powder measurement, that are more likely to be screwed up by human error than by a mechanical system. Finally, a pregressive press does eight or ten thing each time you pull the handle while a single stage only does one or two. I estimate a progressive press takes about a quarter of the amount of time as a single stage to produce an amount of ammo. I’d rather be using that time to go shooting. Before you buy any reloading equipment do yourself a favor and get a copy of “The ABC’s of Reloading” by Bill Chevalier to get an idea of what you’re getting yourself into. You’ll realize reloading is not hard or mysterious. If you want to shoot a lot, you can’t afford not to.
I highly recommend a Dillon RL 550B. It’s quality, durability, user-friendliness and customer service are legendary. It costs a little more than some others but Dillon will send you parts for free and talk you through any issues. The initial cost of the RL 550 will be forgotten after you’ve loaded a few thousand rounds and your grandkids will still be using it. If you really don’t like the Dillon for some reason the Hornady progressive is a decent second place. Finally, if you have a .45 ACP handgun I recommend starting with this caliber. It’s easy to load for, the cases last a long time, it’s lower pressure than, say 9mm or .40 S&W and thus a little more forgiving, and reloading it saves you a lot over buying factory ammo.
You can get lead, plated, or jacketed bullets. Lead is the cheapest but can scrape off in your barrel. Plated keeps that from happening but is a little more expensive. Jacketed is the most expensive and doesn’t really offer much advantage for target shooting. For powder and primers, just check a reloading manual and get something that gives you the velocity you want. Most manuals recommend one or two specific powders that work well for a given cartridge.