Single Stage Rifle Press

[budman46]

gloob,
you either have phenomenal luck with lee presses or you're an experienced handloader who knows to investigate unusual resistance instead of bulling through an operation.

i prefer lee's classic cast presses because i do some case forming and swaging, but all their stuff works. gee, i guess i'm lee scum, too.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

As much as I like the rockchucker and I use mine often, I would go one step up to the Redding and get a bit more space and polish.

I have been thinking about a Redding myself lately. I just have not pulled the trigger.

 

[david bachelder]

I voted for the RCBS, the Hornady will do as well. Both are fine well built presses.

 

[M1ke10191]

I bought the Hornady classic press and it's a good press, although I feel you can save some money by buying the Lee press. Obviously the Hornady has better metal work but I feel that doesn't matter much when reloading. I could be wrong, though.

If you're just buying the press by itself, I would say spend the extra $20 or $30 and get the Hornady.

If you're buying the whole kit from scratch, I would recommend the Lee.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

I'm thinking of scraping all my other presses and getting a Co-Axe.

 

[Scimmia]

My opinion: The Big Boss II is probably the best of the group, but also the most expensive. If money isn't an issue, go that way. Next down, I would put the lee. It is as well built as the RCBS but with a better setup for catching spent primers.

but then I read another report in the same thread that the CC press they bought was, shall we say, the usual Lee quality control and pot metal press quality.

Anyone who calls a Lee Classic Cast "pot metal" isn't someone who's opinion means anything at all.

 

[DM~]

I'm thinking of scraping all my other presses and getting a Co-Axe.

I do love my C0-AX, It has loaded over 80,000 rounds for me,



BUT, i wouldn't want it for my "only" press, and that's why you see a Rockchucker on my main loading bench too.

DM

 

[J_McLeod]

I started with a Lee singe stage and really like my LNL AP. Since it's not much more than the Lee, I'd splurge and get the Hornady.

 

[Legion489]

Have to agree with Budman46's view of himself. I try never to disagree with people though.

 

[Certaindeaf]

.the usual Lee quality control and pot metal press quality. One site, if you mention Lee in anything but fawning praise, will throw you off for telling the truth.

Since when is very high quality cast iron and steel "pot metal"?

Lee does make some presses etc with aluminum alloy, (same as many other companies) though.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Have to agree with Budman46's view of himself. I try never to disagree with people though.

So you just called him a scum and expect to have your opinions/views respected? uh no

 

[4v50 Gary]

Rock Chucker. It's what I learned reloading with.

 

[ranger335v]

They all work fine but if Lee had made their Classic Cast when I got my 30 year old Rock Chucker II my main press would be red; price aside, a friend's CC is the better press in every respect.

 

[Legion489]

Well I see the peanut gallery is out in full force and once again slandering me. Boy, you disagree with someone, no matter how slightly, and the losers and nut cases turn out to attack you and you agree with someone and the losers and nut cases turn out to attack you. Some days you just can't win.

Just to throw some gas on the fire, I also agree with 4v50 Gary as to the first real press I learned on too. Still have it, still works fine after 40+ years.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well I see the peanut gallery is out in full force and once again slandering me. Boy, you disagree with someone, no matter how slightly, and the losers and nut cases turn out to attack you and you agree with someone and the losers and nut cases turn out to attack you. Some days you just can't win.

Just to throw some gas on the fire, I also agree with 4v50 Gary as to the first real press I learned on too. Still have it, still works fine after 40+ years.

That's great. You still didn't answer my question in post #60.

 

[Rory McCanuck]

Its amazing how much significance people put into the magical properties of their press.
Just about every discussion about them turns ugly, "You're stupid and ugly because you like a different press than I do".
All it does is push a casing into a die, then pull it out. A hammer can do that, as Mr. Lee demonstrated.
The only differences in presses are features and price. Some features you pay a LOT of money for, such as lifetime warranties. This is important, though, as some people are quite capable of breaking an anvil with a glass hammer.
Truly bad presses have become extinct, or have morphed into something useable.
The Lee Challenger had a cast linkage system, and I'm sure that is the basis of most of the Lee bashing. Probably with some merit.
The Challenger no longer has a cast linkage, and hasn't for some time. It is now actually a pretty nice little press.

Perhaps I am "Lee Scum" too, but it was inexpensive enough to get me into reloading.
I also have a Co-Ax. It's pretty nice, but I sure am not about to throw away the Lee.
Or my old worn out Pacific.

Reloading is certainly an area where it is the craftsman, not the tools.

 

[jolly roger]

LOVE my Redding Big Boss II. After I bought that I found myself playing with that more than my Dillon 550 even for pistol stuff. Pretty relaxing really...I find reloading nearly as enjoyable as shooting.

 

[Scimmia]

Well I see the peanut gallery is out in full force and once again slandering me. Boy, you disagree with someone, no matter how slightly, and the losers and nut cases turn out to attack you and you agree with someone and the losers and nut cases turn out to attack you. Some days you just can't win.

It's not slander to point out a fact. You made an assertion that the Lee was made of zinc (pot metal). If you don't know the difference between iron and zinc, that's not our fault.

 

[Barr]

2 nights ago I ordered the Redding Big Boss due to only being $10 more than the RCBS Rock Chucker and no one had anything bad to say about the Big Boss other than the cost. The lifetime warranty certainly helped as well. I have never had to make good on any of my reloading equipment warranty's, but it is still nice to have.

I called the store and they did not have the Big Boss in stock. I went to the store the other day and actually found one on the shelves. My only regret is it is a original Big Boss and does not have the priming dispenser to the floor like the 2. Should still be a major step up from the Lee Hand Press I currently use.

As for Lee equipment, I have a hodgepodge of everything brand wise. I started with all Lee equipment and have slowly migrated from it. There are some outstanding items they make that work very well and some that do not. Their progressive presses, hand primer, powder dispenser, scale, and case trimming I have not cared to use. I do think they make great presses and dies though.

Thank you all for your help and inputs, it was very insightful.