Reloading presses... I got questions.

[gdcpony]

I have tried several bench mounted presses and while they were all great, I couldn't stand being tied down to one place to load. Not to mention the kids would find them an endless toy for their own uses. I could put up the components, but not the press. Ever had clay stuck in the primer catch?

For mobility I have pretty much gone to a Handpress from Lee. They go where I go and I can prep brass with those kids while watching a tv show. Loading is done without distraction. 20+ years and the Lee is all that I still have.

 

[brody]

I started out with a used dillon 550 but I got a great deal on it used. Don't regret it at all. Tried to move up to a hornady lock and load ap and hate the darn thing. Nothing but trouble. Went back to the dillon.

If I was starting out again without a big budget I think I would look for a used lee classic turret with as many extras as possible. You may out grow it but it will always be useful.

 

[1SOW]

I haven't read all the posts, but you can gain an understanding about the different presses available by clicking on the brand and then the model video you are intersted in.
http://ultimatereloader.com/

 

[Doc Rizzi]

Get a quality press that will match your current and projected needs

I only know RCBS and Dillon. I used the RCBS single stage for years and it was fine until I got into competition shooting. I was spending so much time reloading with the single single stage that it was cutting into other things I needed to be doing. That is when I got the Dillon 550b. I can keep up with the quantity I use without the hours of labor at the single stage. That is the only difference. I get more satisfaction with the single stage because I feel I can more closely monitor each round...but that takes time. So, if you are only reloading for an occasional trip to the range, or as a fun hobby then the single stage is fine. If you need to crank them out because you need them in a hurry then get a progressive. Changing calibers on the progressive is time consuming unless you buy a complete change out kit with caliber conversion and powder measure for each caliber you are loading....that gets expensive. I think that a good reloading bench should have a good single stage available. If you load for several calibers, pistol and rifle, you will have a need for it.

 

[Clark]

mtrmn
I like two RCBS partner presses in my vehicle for reloading at the range.
Now THAT'S dedication.

It is almost that time of year to put the presses in the vehicle, drive 900 miles, practice long range and reload for a couple weeks, shoot a deer, and drive 900 miles home.

 

[crummyshooter]

I have a Herters cast iron 2 station single stage press my dad bought in the 50's. In use more or less continuously since new. It's still a good tool. Probably weights 30 pounds. You could crush a ball bearing with it.

 

[Potatohead]

It is almost that time of year to put the presses in the vehicle, drive 900 miles, practice long range and reload for a couple weeks, shoot a deer, and drive 900 miles home.

OMG that is nutz! I think I'm in the presence of some folks who really love to shoot and handload! I love it!
I like the custom carpentry work there.

 

[Reloadron]

OMG that is nutz! I think I'm in the presence of some folks who really love to shoot and handload! I love it!
I like the custom carpentry work there.

Clark's setup is very nice and not at all unusual. While I am not a bench rest shooter I do shoot at a bench rest range. The really serious shooters will shoot 3 to 5 rounds then load a different load. They will do this over and over again all day. The road to three bullets through a single hole can be long and tedious.

There was a thread not long ago where members showed their mobile reloading rigs, many really nice like Clark's setup.

Ron

 

[DeadFlies]

I use the cheapest press a guy can buy new, the Lee Reloader press. $35, cast aluminum. I do all of my reloading operations on it (even priming) and it works great for my limited needs.

I can't imagine spending 5x-10x that much money on a press but I'm not a high-volume reloader either.

 

[jr_roosa]

So my initial question is, press for press what makes an expensive brand worth buying over a less expensive brand?

The analogy to think of is automotive. The used Honda Civic and the new Cadillac will both get you to work. The Cadillac has some features that will either make the drive more pleasant, faster, or cooler, and the features on presses are similar. Not everybody should trade in their Civic for a Caddy, because everybody has different priorities in life.

I have a Forster Co-Ax, and I really like it. It's smooth, burly, it works well, and I like some of the feature it has. It was also a reward to myself for loading just as accurate ammunition for years on a hand-me-down Pacific press. Some of the Co-Ax features make it work faster for me, it's cleaner, and the ammunition is more consistent when I get out the calipers, but I never saw a difference on target.

Progressive presses are a different animal. Basically time=$$, so if you shoot a lot, and your time is limited, then the progressives begin to make financial sense. Otherwise there isn't really a need for anything other than a quality single stage press.

-J.

 

[cfullgraf]

Progressive presses are a different animal. Basically time=$$, so if you shoot a lot, and your time is limited, then the progressives begin to make financial sense. Otherwise there isn't really a need for anything other than a quality single stage press.

-J.

One school of thought for a progressive is from the time=money camp.

On the other hand, a progressive combines several tasks at one time eliminating some handling of the cases. As i could still satisfy my shooting needs with a single stage press, I am in this camp with my progressives. The mindless tasks of expanding the case mouth or taper crimping the bullet can be done at the same time as other more important tasks and i do not have to run the cases through the press in a separate operation.

In any case, a single stage press is always useful to have around in the reloading room, even if most reloading is done on a progressive.

Another note for the OP, with most of the main stream presses on the market today, dies and shell holders are interchangeable between the different brands. So, if you buy XYZ press, you are not necessarily bound to XYZ dies. I have Redding, RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, and Lee dies in my inventory and most have been shuffled around between my presses at one time or another. The sole exception is the Dillon SDBs which uses proprietary dies due to the small size of the press.

 

[jr_roosa]

On the other hand, a progressive combines several tasks at one time eliminating some handling of the cases. As i could still satisfy my shooting needs with a single stage press, I am in this camp with my progressives. The mindless tasks of expanding the case mouth or taper crimping the bullet can be done at the same time as other more important tasks and i do not have to run the cases through the press in a separate operation.

Yep, that's true too. A progressive is super convenient. It goes back to cars, I guess. I have an truck with a heavy duty 4WD system that I spend 98% of the time driving at 70 MPH on the highway, which my old Civic did just as well, and for less gas. Man, I love driving in that truck, though.

If money wasn't a big deal, I would have bought my Dillon years ago. If money was still really tight, I'd still be getting by with my single stage. Priorities.

-J.

 

[RainDodger]

Whatever you get, you'll probably use it in some capacity for ever - or at least as long as you load. I mentioned earlier that I have a 1969 RCBS Jr. that I still use today. It's where I do all my single stage bullet seating. Even if/when you "outgrow" whatever you get now, you'll be able to use it somehow later, so whatever you get, get what you really want.

I load all my rifle stuff on single stage presses because I enjoy the precision of chasing that really accurate load. When it comes to pistol, I use a Dillon Square Deal that I've had since the early 1980s. Dillon rebuilt it once for free and it still works like new. Dillon stands behind their products and I've never been disappointed with any of their stuff.

If I were to add anything, I think I'd add a nice turret press. It looks like the best of both worlds - the precision of a single stage and the ability to quickly change over to another function. Hm... maybe I'll go shopping too....

 

[Lost Sheep]

What any gear is worth depends on what its purposes will be. What are yours?

Single stage is very easy to afford and to load with, but I suspect higher-volume shooters will tire of loading at the pace single stage loading supports. Batch processing is just not capable of more than 50-75 rounds per hour for most folks

Progressive presses load in continuous mode. (Each case goes into the press empty and does not come out until it has been transformed into a finished cartridge, ready to shoot.) They require a LOT more concentration, as multiple operations are performed simultaneously, but can produce up to several hundred per hour (depending on the press and accessories). They are expensive, though, and complex in operation, design and maintenance. The complexity is manageable, so don't be put off. Just be prepared.

Turret presses split the speed, complexity and price difference between single stage and progressive. A turret press can operate equally handily in batch mode or continuous mode and can produce from 50 to 200 rounds per hour. Auto-indexing is a nice feature, but most turret presses do not have that capability. Only Lee offers that.

More advice after I know more about your needs.

We could target our advice better if you shared some information about yourself: (What I use has no relevance to you if our needs are not similar.)

What calibers will you be reloading?

What quantities will you be reloading for those calibers? (Per month)

How much time will you be willing to devote to those quantities?

How large of production runs before swapping calibers?

What is your budget for the initial purchase? (Not components, just the equipment)

Will you want to get your entire setup at once or, after an initial setup that does all you need, add accessories and conveniences as your experience suggests and finances permit?

Will you be putting your gear away after each session or leave it set up permanently?

How much space will you devote permanently to a loading area, if any?

Do you want it to be portable?

What are your shooting goals? Cheap ammo? Ultimate long-range accuracy? Casual plinking, Serious competition - what kind? Cowboy Action Shooting? Strictly hunting? Personal defense? Skills development?

Thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep

 

[GT1]

Saying anything negative about Lee stuff around here gets about the same kind of response as telling a guy his wife is ugly.

99% of the time those commenters never owned the brand or the particular piece they are talking down, and that definitely gets folks riled.
If you own a press, hate it and post why you hate it that's fine.

I own a lot of Lee equipment and three presses(LCT, hand press, and a Load All(gasp)), I own a Dillon 650. They all have their place. If I was forced to get rid of a press it would take me .05 seconds to decide the Dillon was gone. It is awesome, but not a fun process at all.


I haven't seen your wife so I can't comment on her appearance.

 

[ares338]

The only thing I would suggest is that you start with a single stage operation and load for about a year or so before switching to a turret or a progressive operation. I have the cheapest Lee press made, an RCBS RS2 which is super sturdy and I just bought a Hornady L&L AP and like someone said "they all work". Just be consistent and always watch your powder.

 

[oldpapps]

Press choice comes down to what are you going to load?
An aluminum press will pump out thousands upon thousands of .38s, 9MMs and .45s. But will die quickly if used to re-form brass or full length size .50 cal brass.

Not only is what you plan on loading a factor, how many.

No matter what you plan for, something will happen, expect it.

Then you have the decisions between single stage, turret or progressive, oh my!

My advise is a solid case single stage of a known brand. When your tastes change, sell it or add to it.

I have a C&H Offset 'O', cast iron, that I have had and used for over 51 years. Still going strong. I also have a progressive and it pumps out lots of .45s, and .40s. I have the stuff to set it up for .223 but I want more.

Read everything you can, study it and read it again. Don't jump into anything fast.

 

[GLOOB]

Unless you live somewhere off the grid, I don't think longevity of a press should factor in that much, personally. So what if you can only make half a million rounds with one model, whereas this more expensive model might make 5 million.

By the time you get to the point of breaking a "cheap" press, you will have probably reloaded over $10,000 worth of ammo. And many of the cheap presses have a lifetime warranty, anyway.

Now, what is more important to me is, whilst making that half a million rounds of ammo, the process was fast and efficient. The first and last thing I would look for on a press is priming, priming, priming.

How does the priming system work? How do you put the primers in? Where do the decapped primers go? Is the length of the lever adjustable? (Last is a trick question. Only some of the Lee presses have an adjustable lever, AFAIK. And I think it's very valuable on a SS press, because of the number of operations that you do on it which really don't require much leverage).

There's one good reason you might prefer to spend more money. More money generally gets you more press. Heavier, stronger, with less flex. If you are into partial resizing of rifle rounds without using shims or custom shell holders, then you want a more rigid press, all things equal. But spend all you want, you still won't get as good repeatability as someone with a $10.00 press that uses the shim/shellholders.

 

[Ex]

The eternal struggle between blue, red and green.

Imho, you must decide before purchasing... make 100 rounds in most of an afternoon, or make 1000 rds in same time. You want to make bullets, or you want to shoot?

I'd be looking for something like this
http://waco.craigslist.org/spo/4055670451.html

A little looking will find you much better prices.

It will of course depend on where you live. Saw a Dillon 550B with mount, two powder dispensers and complete toolheads for 30/30, .38 spl-.357 mag, and .270, with a tumbler and other accessories on Craigs list last week for $450!!! Doesn't matter if it's worn out. Dillon will happily give you all the new parts for free. If you ship it to them, the will rebuild it for you at no charge.

My spin is always to go for the best you can afford and it will be the longest time before you have to spend again. Obviously, I favor Dillon. Nothing wrong with the others... I just really value the customer service aspect, quality, longevity.

Just my 2 cents!

 

[NORA]

I have a RCBS Rockchucker that I bought when I was 21. I'm 69 now and that press has loaded thousands upon thousands of rounds. There is absolutely no wear on it and I'm sure it would last another hundred years plus. Once or twice a year I clean and then lube the ram and pivot points. I wont live long enough to see this press wear out and neither will my kids or grandkids. These are a one time investment that I can highly recommend. Nora

 

[david bachelder]

In my opinion ..... the cast iron "O" frame single stage presses are pretty much all created equal. Even the aluminum alloy "O" frame presses are good, very good.

Most manufacturers offer very good warranties, and customer service is normally great.

I have a RCBS RockChucker and everything I wrote above is true. I have never owned a LEE, Hornady, Redding or any other brand of single stage press. I'd guess they are all comparable.

I also own a Hornady LNL, and mine performs well, very well. I couldn't ask for it to perform better.

 

[marv]

I use a Lee 3 hole turret press. Don't recall when I got it but it's so old it doesn't have the automatic turret advance. Just as well cause I use it as a single stage. I keep spare turrets filled with adjusted dies. If I want to load a certain caliber I just drop in the proper turret and go to it.

 

[Bored1]

I suggest you pick up a cheap lee press used. Tons of them availible and it will do most of everything you need. I picked up a used lee awhile ago in a trade, unsure of how old it is but haven't had any problems with it yet. Just full length sized over 100 7mm rem mag cases earlier this evening without any issues at all. And my bench isn't anything special either, just some scrap 2x10s screwed together with 2x4s and some 1" L brackets to bolt it to another 2x4 thats lag bolted into the cement block wall.

I have done some reloading at a friends on everything from a old pacific c frame press to a lyman (i think) tmag turret. The finish on those is better, however the function is pretty much the same.

Get what you can now, and start!!!! Doesn't have to be pretty, shiny, new, or popular, just has to get you reloading!!!