When you start reloading it seems hard to believe that you would ever need anything more than the old standby single stage press, but that quickly changes, especially if you shoot in high volume. If you are a competitive shooter, I still recommend that you start small to learn the basics, but you will eventually want to upgrade to a progressive press to save time.
A progressive press moves the brass around to the different dies so that you every time you pull the handle you essentially have a completed round kicking out of the press ready to go. They all have accessories like shell feeders, bullet feeders etc to make the loading even faster.
Dillion Precision has long been the leader in progressive reloading. Their machines are high quality and used by some of the best shooters in the world. The 650 pictured below is one of the fastest machines available. It will set you back about $550 after everything is said and done.
Another good progressive loader is the Hornady Lock-n-Load Automatic Press. It retails a little less than the Dillon 650 at $490, but you can get your local dealer to order the Hornady for much less. One thing to note about the Hornady company is that their customer service is unbelievable. They will work with you on anything to make sure you are 100% satisfied.
One thing to note about using a progressive press; they require some maintenance. You will have to adjust them as you use them to make sure they continue to function properly. It is a machine, and that differentiates it from the single stage press.
There are some other companies that have progressive presses, but in our experience, the cheaper the machine, the more time you spend trying to get them to work right. So save your money and make sure you buy quality equipment. A good press should last a lifetime of reloading.
For the record, Dillon also has great customer service. They have sent me replacement parts for free whenever I’ve requested prices for the parts.
Dillon is pricey and if you get their Square Deal B press (handgun rounds only) you have to buy their dies. Hornady’s presses take standard dies (as do the Dillon 550 and 650).
Thanks Bubba. Do you have the square deal?
Yep, I’ve got a square deal. I’ve loaded tens of thousands of rounds over the years without any issues. It just works.
Looking back, I wish I had sprung for the 550 just because: 1) it takes standard dies and 2) it can load rifle ammo. I do my rifle reloading with a Lee single stage press. It works but you can’t do nearly the volume as with a progressive.