http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon.html#which

A progressive, like the Dillon Square Deal B, has all the dies set in a head, and you run the case through each step with each pull of the lever. First station resizes and deprimes, second primes, bells the case mouth and drops powder, third seats bullet, fourth crimps. Once you’re started, you kick out a finished cartridge with each stroke. BIG time saver for cartridges you shoot a lot of.

One thing to watch for: the SDB uses proprietary dies, whereas their other presses use any standard die, same as the Hornady progressive(for instance). If only loading one or two handgun cartridges, no big deal; if wanting to do rifle or a bunch of different cartridges and already have dies, a press that uses them would be better.

I lucked onto a SDB a year or so ago used with dies for 9mm and .45acp for a very good price, and the thing is wonderful. Does take some getting used to, but what doesn’t?

If you’re shooting a lot of anything, it’s worth it once you get a chance to save up the money. (Of course, if you buy the hornady one before the end of the year, you get 1000 bullets for free…)

I’ve got a progressive that I use for my “short-line” .223 ammo (200 and 300 yards, and for reduced course matches) but I load my “long-line” (600 yard) stuff on a single-stage press.

Welcome to a whole ‘nother level of gun nuttery. :)

You’re in good shape to start. Probably a lot better shape than the random crap I accumulated to start. One thing that is worth buying when the budget allows is an electronic scale of some sort… makes checking the thrown weights a lot easier. Speaking of which, that el-cheapo Lee powder measure you got works a heck of a lot better for me than the RCBS one I thought I was upgrading to.

I can’t give you any advice on 6.8SPC reloading, or, for that matter, light bullet loads for .223. But if you get around to loading up some 69gr or heavier .223 loads, there are a few starting points that work well for lots of ARs. (Specifically the “service rifle” class competition guns)

Oh, as to primers… the general advice is to avoid Win small rifle primers for higher end loads (Though I’ve never had a problem with them in about 6k loads), as they have a reputation with the high power shooters for piercing more easily.

Enjoy!

I’m going to try to make the same 6.8 SPC rounds that Silver City does using their spent brass that I brought back from the GBR. 115 grain Sierra OTM bullet. I think H322 powder and CCI bench rest LR primers.

What are you planning on feeding the 6.8?

9mm would be handy to reload if I didn’t have a Glock. I might get a barrel with a supported chamber, though,. But Glock will invalidate your warranty if you non-factory ammo, and the factory Glock barrel with an unsupported chamber tends to cause case failures.

Aren’t you worried about getting powder in the carpet?