Handloading the 308

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Hi everyone I have reloading for awhile now but I am getting a 700 for Xmas so I want to make make up some good rounds my question is the lee turent press good enough for hand loads. The plate moves up and down so I was thinking of going with the lee or Hornady single stage with the quick change dies or is this just a waste
 
There is not a press made that can not make a good rounds. Some are built more robust than other but all can produce good ammo in the right hands. I would recommend that you get a cast steel press if you go Lee, there Al frames seam to fail over time. The Hornady press is a good one. I look at it this way if the mfg does not put a Lifetime warranty on the press it's weak and will fail. I have always liked the RCBS Rock Chucker SS Press, built like a tank and will last several lifetimes.
 
I have an RCBS rock chucker and I like it just fine, I don't have any thing to complain about.

I helped a friend set up his Hornady single stage press and I liked it just fine. It seemed like a quality product. The only thing I do not like that came in the kit is the scale. It is a cheap electronic scale, I think Hornady's balance beam scale is much better. I bought mine about five years ago so I am not sure if it has changed or not but the one I have is really nice.

I agree with the Iron over the aluminum. I wish I had bought a turret press but my brother in law sold me the RCBS and a few other things for less than a hundred dollars so it is hard to pass up.
 
I haven't used Lee's turrent press. The only concern I have using a progressive press to load rifle calibers is the amount of force it takes to work rifle cases. Especially when you've got to full length size. I can't comment on howdy sturdy that Lee press is, and if it's up to the task.


You could certainly get acceptable rounds off a sturdy progressive. They might not be up to shooting competitively in a long-range match, but they'll still shoot just fine.

I'd recommend getting a single stage anyway. It's nice to have one around. Anyone who reloads long enough will have a rifle caliber he wants to load for, and not want to spend the expense to get a shell plate for his progressive because he shoots too few to warrant it.
 
I have a Rock Chucker and a Reloader Special 2, and can't wear either one out. The RS2 is an aluminum full O-frame design, and despite the fact that it is aluminum, it has held tight for more than 30 yrs. At one point, maybe a year or so ago, I thought it had reached it's end, but after close inspection I found a primer fragment wedged between the ram and frame which was causing it to drag. And so far as the RC, I don't think it's possible to wear one of those out.
 
The plate(turret) moving up and down, is a non issue. I do use my Lee SS press for sizing, but bullet seating is done on my turret, with the auto index rod pulled.:)
 
I have the Lee Cast steel press, the RCBS Rock Chucker and a Dillon 550. For 308 I like the Lee and the RCBS.

I like the way the Lee Collects the spent primers when resizing best. With the RCBS the little tray catches most but not all of the primers. If you prime on the Press I like the RCBS a little better for that but the Lee works OK too.

I don't like the Dillon for Rifle calibers. A fine press but part of reloading rifle calibers is precision powder charges for accuracy and I weigh each charge. I also shoot a lot of reduced and subsonic loads in my 308 so I want an extra layer of safety (addition visual inspection) though the lockout die works well on the Dillon.
 
Again I have two sets of RCBS dies and I would really like to try their Xdie for the 308 but I have been getting straight wall caliber lately so I had the need for the Xdie. So I have been buying the Hornady die and I have been extremely happy with them. I like them better than I like the RCBS dies I have.
 
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