Single stage vs Progressive

What do you guys recommend for making the most accurate rounds. Single stage, Redding T-7, or Progressive? For bullseye shooting do we need to clean the primer pockets? Any advise on reloading dies?

Thanks in advance.

Unlike bench rest or other rifle shooting, Bullseye is much more forgiving for reloading--especially .45ACP.  I do not worry about primer pockets, matching head stamps, or even same mfr brass, and our ammo can still clean 25 yard targets if the shooter will do his part.  There are a lot of BE shooters who shoot mixed brass who don't worry about primer pockets.

For the most accurate bullseye loads, you could go with single stage, with clean matching brass, with maximum consistency, but I see more progress in my scores by loading as many rounds as I can so I can get more practice and trigger time. My reloads always seem to group tightly.

I use a Dillon progressive press with Dillon dies and like that setup.  The lee pro 1000 has been used with success by another BE shooter on this forum, and that reloader is much more affordable.  With the case loader and primer system that the Lee has, you could really make a lot of rounds in a very short time.

My final point is I believe any reloader will make ammo accurate enough to make expert or even master classification.  Choose the reloader that you will like enough to shoot as much as you want.

I do not think it matters using a single stage or progressive press.  I use a Dillon 550 both ways.  I intend to begin using the Hornady lock-n-load single and progressive soon.  

I do clean the primer crud out when seen.  I have less first hit duds this way.  The 550 does not seat my primers faithfully if the pockets are built up with crud

Wet cleaning with SS media leaves the pockets as clean as new.  I uniform pockets on HP rifle brass but not on pistol brass.
/Bryan

Bryan Coyle wrote:Wet cleaning with SS media leaves the pockets as clean as new.  I uniform pockets on HP rifle brass but not on pistol brass.
/Bryan

Go with a good progressive and shoot more, you will gain more points by perfecting your technique and mental game than pursuing that perfect load that "might" get you and extra inch.  You can worry about that when you are a Master trying to make High Master.

+1 on SS media, I run a BigDawg tumbler and can do 1,500 rounds of brass at a time.  Using a 550 I load 300-500 rounds at a sitting.  I just upgraded to a 1050 and I am considering adding a bullet feeder so I spend less time reloading even though I enjoy it.
Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm shooting so I can reload or if I'm reloading so I can shoot more!   

They are expensive but there is a reason Dillon dominates the reloading market.

The Dillon550 gives me the ability to use it as a single stage when I'm setting up or testing, and can go for volume when ready.
The manual indexing also gives me the time to inspect the charged case before moving on to the next stage.
I loaded for abt 10 years on a Lee pro-1000 and had few problems.
Just like the shooting...it's more about the mechanic and less about the tool.

I've had my reloading equipment for 25 years and it has worked well, so I'm not inclined to make changes in it.  Rockchucker single-stage for rifle and a Lee Loadmaster 5-stage progressive, with case loader, for pistol.  Using a nice slow methodical rhythm, I can load 100 rounds in 15 minutes.  I've got to warn anyone thinking of a setup like this though, it is finicky and very mechanical.  Don't do it unless you can do the mechanical.

I have to echo the messages above, in that the 45 is just a good-shooting, accurate round.  Make lots of ammo and spend your time practicing.

IMHO, there is no difference in the quality of bullseye pistol ammo loaded on a single-stage press and a progressive. The accuracy comes with shooting quality bullets with the proper powder charge. I don't clean primer pockets and think it isn't worth the extra effort. I've loaded with Lyman, RCBS, Dillon and the occasional Lee die. I like the Dillon dies best, especially in their progressive machines. Hornady and Redding make very good dies, as well. There is nothing wrong with starting out with a single-stage or turret press and later if you feel you need more volume for the time and effort expended, upgrade to a progressive. The top seller in a progressive is Dillon and Hornady Lock and Load progressives are starting to make inroads. Although Lee progressives have their staunch supporters, there are far more people on the other side of the question.

You can load accurate ammo on either of the three, but its the speed and cost that is different, single is slowest and cheapest, you must do each step to a case then change dies to do the next, turret is next, you do each step then turn turret to next die, progressive is fastest and most expensive but once set up you just add a case set a bullet then it produces a round with each pull of the handle. Lee makes the cheapest loaders in all three, dillon is good and makes single and progressive, Cadillac of turrets is the t7 by redding. Hornaday Lock in Load is a great progressive and the one i use for my 50 yard loads, i load 25 yd stuff on a dillon 1050 but it loads accurate for 50 yds too, i also have a T7 i load 9mm on. So you need to decide what fits your needs best.


If you decide to go single you cant beat midways sale right now, everything you need except dies, and you can get a 50.00-300.00 rebate from rcbs.on top of the sale price, that drops it to a little over 200.00 even with just the 50.00 rebate!


  http://www.midwayusa.com/product/998666/product?cm_mmc=M_Spop-Email-_-Clearance-_-Clearance_20130730_1-_-Product2&cm_mmca1=hwy92gun@bellsouth.net&cm_mmca2=CustNum=100263653

Thank you everyone.