Best Single Stage Press for Rifle?

[Olympus]

Cartridges loaded will be mostly short action rounds. Probably loading 200 rounds a year. Nothing high volume, but looking for good quality reloads. All will be hunting loads.

 

[Bat Rastard]

I have a RC, a MEC, LYMAN, and a T7. I have no hands on with a Co-ax, but have not heard anything I do not like.

For the usage you have described, I would go with a MEC. Less cost than some. Tighter than most things.

 

[Big Wes]

When I first started reloading in the early 90's It was on a Dillon 550B, not until late last year did I purchase my first single stage press, which ended up being a Mec Marksman. Love the press. Well built, unbelievably smooth operation. Reasonably priced. No regrets!

 

[Legionnaire]

Cartridges loaded will be mostly short action rounds. Probably loading 200 rounds a year. Nothing high volume, but looking for good quality reloads. All will be hunting loads.

For 200 rounds a year, any of the cast "O" presses. I'd look for a Rock Chucker or Lee Classic Cast.

 

[Archie]

Once upon a long ago, I had an RCBS Jr. Then I found or was given (think I got it in a pawn shop) a Lyman Spar T turret press. Not progressive, just held all the dies at once. Both of those worked well but I lost them in a theft.
Since then I have owned several presses. The only one I really remember was a first generation Lee turret press; one could get additional turret 'heads' and keep dies in the head, not having to readjust all the time. I work it out The screw holes in the aluminum 'body' finally wore out.
Skipping over the middle, I now have a Dillon "AT500" (now the 550 basic, I think). It (in my simple mind) is the Lee initial turret press, with ferrous metal frame and more solid feeling. That is the one I see as the most versatile machine for regular realoading.
If one needs to do heavy duty reforming of cases to convert something easily available (at least in normal times) to work in an obsolete rifle, one needs a likely heavier strength press.

So, if the initial question is restricted to single stage presses, I advocate the basic "O" type press. Preferably with ferrous frame. Not sure I have a particular brand, but favor the established manufacturers.

 

[Varminterror]

Forster Co-Ax über alles.

 

[someguy2800]

Its kind of an auto indexing single stage, but 1000% my pick would be a Lee turret press. It is an incredible time saver. Has the best primer handling system in the business for both priming cases and handling spent primers, and the ability to load all your dies in interchangeable turrets and to be able to complete a loaded round without taking it out of the shell holder is simply awesome.

 

[Olympus]

Its kind of an auto indexing single stage, but 1000% my pick would be a Lee turret press. It is an incredible time saver. Has the best primer handling system in the business for both priming cases and handling spent primers, and the ability to load all your dies in interchangeable turrets and to be able to complete a loaded round without taking it out of the shell holder is simply awesome.

I started out pistol reloading about 15 years with a Classic Turret and I’ll agree that the spent primer disposal system is flawless. However, the actual priming system on the new presses is complete garbage. The plastic Safety Prime system is cheap, flimsy junk now. And the amount of play in the turret head doesn’t inspire great confidence in consistency round to round for small batch rifle reloads. I’m not really interested in the Classic Turret for those reasons.

 

[Varminterror]

Its kind of an auto indexing single stage, but 1000% my pick would be a Lee turret press. It is an incredible time saver. Has the best primer handling system in the business for both priming cases and handling spent primers, and the ability to load all your dies in interchangeable turrets and to be able to complete a loaded round without taking it out of the shell holder is simply awesome.

This also. If you’re not going true single stage with a Forster Co-ax, the LCT is the more sensible option.

 

[thorswhisper]

Check out the reviews done by Ultimate Reloader. He does a pretty good job on what available currently.

 

[someguy2800]

I started out pistol reloading about 15 years with a Classic Turret and I’ll agree that the spent primer disposal system is flawless. However, the actual priming system on the new presses is complete garbage. The plastic Safety Prime system is cheap, flimsy junk now. And the amount of play in the turret head doesn’t inspire great confidence in consistency round to round for small batch rifle reloads. I’m not really interested in the Classic Turret for those reasons.

I had the same concern about the floating turret. When I bought mine I only intended to use it for loading smaller batches of pistol cartridges but after checking the concentricity of rounds loaded on the turret vs loaded on my rock chucker and lyman crusher, well let’s just say I sold the rock chucker and the lyman has been sitting on the floor for 10 years. It’s a pretty easy thing to dispel with a $25 dial indicator

 

[webrx]

I have a little RCBS partner press I picked up 5 years or so ago for under $100, have loaded everything from .380 to 45/70 on it (6.5, 30-30, .270. .243, etc)

Never given me a lick of trouble loading not great at depriming only because I have to put a trash bin under it to catch the primers that don't fall in that little primer catch cup.

If I were going to buy another single stage it would be an RCBS most likely.

Though I do like the Forster also.

 

[Olympus]

Check out the reviews done by Ultimate Reloader. He does a pretty good job on what available currently.

Yeah, I've seen that. I like that he puts out a lot of videos, but he doesn't really have anything negative to say about any of the stuff he reviews. He didn't spend any time talking about the spent primer disposal system on any of the presses either. But I did watch the video to get a better idea of how all the presses operated. That's kind of how I narrowed down to the models listed here.

 

[HowieG]

I have broken a couple of lesser presses so I bought a lee classic cast press. I figured that since it could handle the 50 BMG, it would handle whatever piddling stuff I threw at it. I was right. Strong like bull, baby.

 

[Saluki91]

If you had to pick one current production single stage press for rifle reloading, which would it be and why?

Just in case you haven't seen this... seems to be data driven and pretty objective.

 

[.308 Norma]

If you had to pick one current production single stage press for rifle reloading, which would it be and why?

I bought a Rock Chucker Supreme and sold my 30 year-old Rockchucker when I got my 45-110 (2 7/8" case) Sharps. The "Supreme" is taller, which allows more room for those tall cases, and for my big, clumsy fingers and hands.

 

[Theinkman]

MEC Marksman. Have used a Rockchucker, RCBS turret, Lee press and the marksman is the most rock solid press I have used.

 

[GaryL]

A couple of years ago I picked up a Lee Classic Cast from Midway for $117(with my birthday discount). That'll Do !
Kinda slow for handgun loads, but fine for rifle.

I picked up one on sale for under $100, but that was a few years ago. It's a good SS press.

Getting back to the OP's question, I wouldn't say it was the best overall, but it might be the best value. They are solid, but I bent the handle on mine on a stuck case (no cheater required either, that was just me, and I'm not a big guy). Fortunately, it bent back almost straight (I think I used the same case to do it). It's also not as smooth as a 550b, but the Dillon's ram is larger and longer, so that is a factor.

Anyway, if budget is a factor, the Lee CC is hard to beat.

 

[troy fairweather]

MEC Marksman. Have used a Rockchucker, RCBS turret, Lee press and the marksman is the most rock solid press I have used.

have you tried forming any brass with your mec, some reason in my head the floating shellholder may not be as good as fixed.

 

[ericuda]

These polls wear me out. All it shows is who has what press as that is the way the vote goes. Heck all work and to be honest I size, deprime, etc with a Lee challenger mounted to a portable 3 legged stand i picked up free from a family member who passed and it works just fine.

 

[AJC1]

Cartridges loaded will be mostly short action rounds. Probably loading 200 rounds a year. Nothing high volume, but looking for good quality reloads. All will be hunting loads.

In that case I would get the rcbs press that you get the better deal on. The rebel is supposed to be more heavy duty but you dont need that. If you find it cheaper than the rock chucker then grab it. The regular boss might be a better choice than the big boss which if you were loading magnums would have been first choice.

 

[GaryL]

All it shows is who has what press as that is the way the vote goes.

I didn't vote. Just provided what little information I could. I only have experience with 1 of the presses on the list.

 

[Olympus]

have you tried forming any brass with your mec, some reason in my head the floating shellholder may not be as good as fixed.

Nevermind

 

[troy fairweather]

I thought the MEC Marksman had a fixed shellholder in a ram like all the others?

No the shellholder can float round some, there a little spring to keep it centered. This does seem to help keeping everything straight for the few videos and Wright ups I've read.

 

[nettlle]

Redding makes nice presses along with everything else that Redding makes. I have a T7 and it's a brute of a press. If I were to buy a single stage it would be the Redding Boss 2. Simply because I like the rigidity for precision rifle reloading. But I have slso reloaded some pretty impressive rifle bench rest rounds on a RCBS Jr.