Help choosing a press.

[dickn52]

RCBS Rock Chucker and a Redding T7 turret. Like them both, but like the T7 more since I only have to set up the dies once.

 

[slurpin dog]

I have an old Rock Chucker I bought new in !977. Still using it today. I learned to load on it. No doubt it will last my lifetime and then some. I was very fortunate when I began to have a local gentleman as a mentor to get me started in the right direction. Good luck and happy loading.

 

[MrBottleneck]

I would go with a Rock Chucker to start off.
Cannot go wrong there.

 

[savagedasher]

Just rember you about $100.00 away from a press that dead seat your primers perfect every time . Never have a problem with spent primers no more shell holders to buy and can set up your dies and never have to do anything but snap them in and out .
Larry

 

[R.Morehouse]

Don't know what your needs are so far as caliber ect. But i have the Harrells combo press that is able to easily travel for your away from home needs should they arise. There are a few others out there like the J.Loh press and i think PMA has one coming out soon. I also have a Rockchucker & Classic Cast that work well. For the PPC it is the Harrells with the Wilson type seater made from my reamer by Goodling.

 

[Barlow]

I use a T7. Barlow

 

[JRS]

Thanks for all the advice.

The reason I am considering the Hornady LNL is for the quick change bushing system on it, but it sounds like it has the exact issue I was worried about with introducing slop, which would likely equal inconstant results.

At this point I am leaning back towards the Lee Cast because it is the cheapest of the commonly recommended options. And later on down the road getting something more as needed. I will also check Ebay, etc., for used options.

Good choice with the Classic Cast It might be the least expensive, but far from the cheapest. It is the most dimensionally consistent production made reloading style press made. Well made properly fitted dies produce the straightest ammo.

 

[Mulligan]

Buy the Forester CoAx and don't look back. Have 22 years of reloading and hundred of thousands of loaded rounds. Never a hiccup. Have a buddy who is 85 this year. actually wore his first one out.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup!
No shell holders to buy, quick change dies, ammo is straight.
I still have the first two press's I bought......just don't use them anymore.
CW

 

[jdh47]

I have never owned or used a lock and load press. The bushing theory is seductive but it would cost a lot to provide bushings for all the dies I have. I was hoping that someone would chime in as to the merits of using one but no one has.

In the single stage version it is an aluminum press which is fine. RCBS Partner is an aluminum press that by all accounts everyone is pleased with.

The Forster is expensive and while the shell holder setup is seductive in practice it is cumbersome at best to change around for holding .223 cases and if you forget you are richly punished. They do sell an adapter to use regular shell holders for the press. It's main draw is the floating die holder which is nice but it's not really made for everyone's lock rings so cost again there is a factor.

About any of the O type compound leverage press like the Rock Chucker are good and very strong. While not quite as quick for die changes they work well and will last a lifetime if taken care of.

I have most of them and have come to the conclusion that accurate loads can be had with about any press if care is taken in setting up the die but it must be fed good cases without run out in them to start with. Bullet run out is something that can be added on at every step of the reloading process.

Joe

 

[RonAKA]

I have the Lee Classic Cast, and feel no need for anything else. It does a good job of catching spent primers, and I use the Lee hand priming tool.

 

[savagedasher]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup!
No shell holders to buy, quick change dies, ammo is straight.
I still have the first two press's I bought......just don't use them anymore.
CW

Why keep them put them up for sale . You can make someone day . Larry

 

[jds holler]

I guess I just "don't get" the quick change die thing. The thirty seconds or whatever it takes for me to screw a die in or out of the press just doesn't seem like a big thing. I also guess that my philosophical belief is that when I'm making changes and set-up in my reloading process, is not the time to hurry. jd

 

[CJ6]

RCBS Rock Chucker and a Redding T7 turret. Like them both, but like the T7 more since I only have to set up the dies once.

This.....If I was starting over or recommending a new press it would be the Redding T-7 or similar.....as mentioned set your dies up once.

 

[Jason_A]

I guess I just "don't get" the quick change die thing. The thirty seconds or whatever it takes for me to screw a die in or out of the press just doesn't seem like a big thing. I also guess that my philosophical belief is that when I'm making changes and set-up in my reloading process, is not the time to hurry. jd

As I mentioned I am just getting into reloading so I have a question.

As you change die's is there any readjustment of the lock ring needed? For instance when you are bumping shoulders do you have to readjust the lock ring every time, or once it is set are you good to go for the most part?

The T7, Coax, and even the Dillon 550 all sound like great options. But with all of the positive comments about the Lee Cast it is hard for me to justify three times the cost for one of the others. But then again maybe I should just cough up the coin and buy once.

 

[savagedasher]

As I mentioned I am just getting into reloading so I have a question.

As you change die's is there any readjustment of the lock ring needed? For instance when you are bumping shoulders do you have to readjust the lock ring every time, or once it is set are you good to go for the most part?

The T7, Coax, and even the Dillon 550 all sound like great options. But with all of the positive comments about the Lee Cast it is hard for me to justify three times the cost for one of the others. But then again maybe I should just cough up the coin and buy once.

Only if you change guns with a different head space . My guns have the same head space so I can just pop them in and stat sizeing . My bushing die is the same I just change the bushing . Bullet seating that die is adjustable . When I got my press I got 24 extra rings . 3 rings is need for each set of dies . My cast I used for big guns . And ever caliber takes a different setting .
Lee cast I can load big calbers . A few I have to work at when seating the bullets because it isn't large enough opeaning . With my other presses I could seat bullets .
Good luck and a Happy new year Larry

 

[Jason_A]

Only if you change guns with a different head space . My guns have the same head space so I can just pop them in and stat sizeing . My bushing die is the same I just change the bushing . Bullet seating that die is adjustable . When I got my press I got 24 extra rings . 3 rings is need for each set of dies . My cast I used for big guns . And ever caliber takes a different setting .
Lee cast I can load big calbers . A few I have to work at when seating the bullets because it isn't large enough opeaning . With my other presses I could seat bullets .
Good luck and a Happy new year Larry

Good to know, thank you. This really does make the Hornady system not really any easier than just screwing the dies in.

 

[LHSmith]

As you change die's is there any readjustment of the lock ring needed? For instance when you are bumping shoulders do you have to readjust the lock ring every time, or once it is set are you good to go for the most part?

The real story: Brass cases harden at different rates....even if the cases were from the same lot, fired the same number of times with the same loads in the same chamber. Sooner or later, some pieces of brass will become hard to chamber because they have sprungback close to "as fired" dimensions after a trip through the sizer. You will need to set the die a tad lower in the press to bump the shoulder to the same dimension as the other cases which accepted the bump on the first pass thru the sizer.. A simple, least expensive way which allows for repeatable results is to use a series of die shims when originally setting up the die such as these:http://www.brownells.com/reloading/...es/skip-s-die-shim-kit-7-8-14--prod33197.aspx. Simply unthread the die and replace one of the shims with one a 0.001" thinner.

 

[savagedasher]

The real story: Brass cases harden at different rates....even if the cases were from the same lot, fired the same number of times with the same loads in the same chamber. Sooner or later, some pieces of brass will become hard to chamber because they have sprungback close to "as fired" dimensions after a trip through the sizer. You will need to set the die a tad lower in the press to bump the shoulder to the same dimension as the other cases which accepted the bump on the first pass thru the sizer.. A simple, least expensive way which allows for repeatable results is to use a series of die shims when originally setting up the die such as these:http://www.brownells.com/reloading/...es/skip-s-die-shim-kit-7-8-14--prod33197.aspx. Simply unthread the die and replace one of the shims with one a 0.001" thinner.

My brass has 25 fireing on it and never have had a problem i anneal every 3 fireings Larry

 

[JRS]

Stick with your choice for the Lee Classic Cast press. It's possible, you might want to splurge for the WTC sizing die, at some point in time. You simply remove the insert on the top of the press and screw in the WTC die. You can then change the inserts in the die and move from one caliber to another. The WTC die sizes the neck, body, and bumps the shoulder in one shot

 

[RonAKA]

I would get the Lee Classic Cast, and then use the money you save over the Forster Co-Ax, to get good Forster dies instead -- like the Forster Bushing Bump Neck sizing die, and the UltraMicrometer seating die. If you want to go quick change with the dies, then Lee offers the Breech Lock Class Cast too.