This in itself has become my biggest problem. When I find a load I like, I generally load out a 1000 rounds of it at a time to lower the time investment of powder setups, toolhead changes, etc.

But storage has become something of a nuisance around here for 5,000 rounds packed in the Midway foam tray/carboard box combos.

And it will only get worse when I add new calibers.

Well, if it becomes too much of an issue, I could probably store some of that for you.

Come over and use mine - just sitting there collecting dust at the moment.

Cant wear out a Rock Chucker - about as bomb proof as it gets.

I usually bring 200-300 rounds to store at Burnsville pistol, but I usually just store the bullets and bring the empty cases home..

A person will never go wrong with buying the RCBS Rockchucker Kit. You will need all the stuff in the kit, and then some more anyways.

New Rock Chucker Supreme press
Ohaus 5-0-5 scale always need a scale especially a mechanical to back up an electronic one!
Hand Priming Tool for fast safe & convenient priming this is great way to feel the seating of primers especially in rifle cases, this uses the same shellholder as the press does.
Uniflow Powder Measure There are few better.
Speer #13 reloading manual Can always use hardback reloading manuals
Case loading block it is a start you will need more
Case Lube Kit this is for rifle cartridges, as straight walled pistol cartridges use carbide dies and for the most part do not require lube
Primer Tray
Powder Funnel might need one with a drop tube in the future
Deburring tool this is great start

What you do not get is dies and appropriate shellholder. and a case trimmer. Another thing that you do not get is a way to clean cases, ie a tumbler. But, there are many liquid ways to clean brass too! Just slows the process down. Clean brass is good, as you do not want to imbed crap into die walls and damage brass. Buy good dies, not that Lee are not serviceable, but there are better! Redding is about as good as it gets! Case trimmers are mainly for bottle neck cartridges. And, you can get cheap like Lee to the best of the powder trimmers like a Giraud!

A person needs to learn the reloading process step by step, getting a progressive of any flavor of Kool Aid is not a good choice for the noob reloader.

Make sure you get a log book ie three ring binder to record your efforts and make sure you do not cover the same ground twice.

I disagree, having learned on a Dillon SDB.

Part of the press setup is making sure that each station does what it's supposed to as you would on a single stage, and at least on a SDB or a 550 with Dillon's dies, each of these jobs is done on a seperate station (or priming, seperate stroke), independent of the other stations -- in other words, you can learn/adjust/fiddle with case seating or crimping or belling without having to worry about another station, and cases can go in/out of any station.

The only aspect that's more complicated, at least relative to the Dillon equipment, is the case belling/powder measure adjustment, since you need full extension of the powder bar and a reasonable amount of mouth bell, but even then it's really just a single die adjustment.

And most Dillon presses come factory-adjusted for a specific cartridge/bullet, anyway, further reducing the beginner's effort.

To borrow a phrase from Donald Rumsfeld, I guess I don't know what I don't know about loading because I started with a progressive press, but after 8-10k or so rounds in the past 18 months, I don't feel like I'm missing out on a whole lot.

As far as the rest of the stuff in the kit, need is a relative term. I have yet to need a powder measure, case loading block, powder funnel, deburring tool, or a hand priming tool with my Dillon presses. You would need it with a single stage, so as a kit it's probably a great deal with a single stage press.

I have to disagree with your statement, but I agree with the quote.

True, you don't know what you missed, that is exactly why a person should start out with a single stage press.

What did I miss, exactly?

Thusfar the several thousand rounds of pistol ammo I've loaded in 6 calibers has been more accurate than I can really take advantage of, extremely reliable and free from defects (squibs, double charges, etc). I've not loaded rifle ammo, but given the relatively more complicated nature of rifle reloading (necked cases, accuracy concerns, etc), single stage might expose some magic not apparent to me with pistol cases.

I suspect that the debate is probably similar to one that takes place relative to other activities (eg, woodworking) where a low(-er) tech way exists and a more automated way exists. Proponents of starting out with simpler tools extol some set of virtues/wisdom/skill obtained through the low(-er) tech method, while people who started out high tech and have had good results perhaps believe that they're not really "missing" anything but tedium.

For some of you that started on a progressive go right ahead and think that way, but I have been loading ammo for a long time. For 33 years last I counted. I started with a Lee Hand Loader and progressed since then. But, sure turning out straight walled pistol ammo is fairly easy, it is not easy to turn out a run of 223 that easy. There is more to the equation that the proponents of progresses let on to noob reloaders, and that is a FACT! Most relatively new experts forget that there is more to reloading then meets the eye. They just want to be "right"!

The case prep with say 223 is much more involved, not that it can not be done on a Dillon 550 is just not as easy.

Case prep like for 223 involves
Lubing the cases
Sizing
Trimming
Chamfering
Deburring
Dealing with a crimped primer pocket (only once of course)
Removing lube

Then some powders are not Dillon Powder Measure friendly ie case fulls of Varget require the use of drop tube. And, there are other nuances with reloading rifle cartridges.

So, proponents of progressives for noob's are basically looking at it from the wrong angle, maybe perhaps because they have not loaded rifles carttridges themselves!

No disrespect to some posters, but I have to advocate strongly that getting John Walton of the Gunstop to help you is the best source of reloading expertise in the area! There is no one better or pratical! GEt you stuff from him, he does not sell stuff that does not work. Ever wonder why he does not sell Lee progressive presses? Go ask him!

I'll grant you that rifle loading is much more complicated/nuanced (it looks that way from the reloading and press manuals), but it also wasn't what the original poster was interested in. So sure, rifle reloading is more complicated, but it doesn't invalidate advocating a progressive for new pistol loaders.

I also bought my first reloading press, a SDB, from John Walton, so apparently even the agreed-upon expert also thinks a progressive press for a new pistol reloader isn't unreasonable.

Hey you forgot a bunch of steps...... But you are RIGHT ON.

A Single Stage press is the way to go to learn the nuiances of reloading - one at a time.

I had a guy over to the shop ethe other day - he wanted to reload - fine - I set him up - I asked him his level of comfort with the big Dillon - he said - NO PROBLEMO -

Well GRANDE PROBLEMO - there is an awful amount of stuff going on with a progressive loader.

If you want to load only HANDGUN ammunition and have no ambition to reload bottlenecked calibers - go for a SDB - FINE

BUT Learn on a single stage press so you know what everything is supposed to look - sound and feel like.

A press sings a song - when it is out of tune - things go way wrong.

This will always be a ford vs chevy deal. The advice has been offered by few people that know nothing more then straight walled handgun ammo. A person will always have a need for a single stage press, never will convince me otherwise. You will need the tools of the trade, and so a kit is a great starter package. The best way to get good habits is to learn it step by step! John Walton is great resource, bar none! I have been a customer for long time!

That's what this thread was about, though, was straight walled pistol ammo. It wasn't about what was required to load rifle ammo, sub-MOA or otherwise.

As a beligerent, ignorant, pistol-only progressive loader I'm still of the opinion that a single-stage press is a waste of time for someone who wants to make just pistol ammo for anything but demanding long-range work. I think a lot of people who want to spend more time at the range than they do at the bench will either get frustrated with the tedious pace of a single stage and give up or make some mistake (double or zero charge) because they're trying to rush it.

Perhaps once they decide to load for a rifle, a single stage would be appropriate to re-learn what's admittedly a more complicated discipline. But until then, there's no point in turning pistol loading into rifle loading.

This was the thread starter............
To me this has become a pissing contest......my way or the hiway........can't we all just get along.......hugs all round.
For pistol guys, there's the pistol way, for the rifle guys there's the rifle way, so IMHO the person that does both, with whatever equipment, probably has the most knowlege!!

So now can we talk about reloading for shotguns!!!

I do it. Of course, I also load a bunch of not-so-perfect pistol ammo on my Dillon.

If you want to load for precision rifle, get the RockChucker master reloading kit. If you want a bunch of handgun ammo, get a Dillon. If it's your first press, get the Dillon 550B so you can manually index as you learn what the hell you're doing.

Just my 2 cents.

Oh, and find someone to show you how to reload, as those first mistakes can be quite....er...LOUD!!!!