Help choosing a press.

[LHSmith]

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

That is an option for the OP to consider.....but may be a bit overwhelming for a newby.

 

[redrockranger]

Another vote for the Lee Cast Classic. If they are good enough for BIB Bullets ,they are good enough for the home reloader.

 

[jlow]

If the Hornady LNL press is the one that uses those interrupted thread quick change inserts then I would not recommend it......it does not allow consistent shoulder bumping due to introduced slop in the system. (There are previous threads about this problem). I have several Rockchuckers and Redding Boss presses and much prefer Redding Boss presses. The Redding Boss presses allows you to mount the press to any 4-1/4" thick (3/4" plywood over 2x4 framing) benchtop without notching. The RC needs 3-1/2" max. top thickness for full handle throw. Also, I can remove the roll pin on the Boss so the ram returns downward after TDC eliminating press "cam over" which (IMHO is absolutely undesirable when attempting any consistency in sizing dimensions) causes undue wear on the press and produces non-repeatable results. The standard Boss works well for me because I use them to load at the range, however the Big Boss captures spent primers and a larger ram (adding more weight). I also would consider the Lee Classic Cast if money was an issue. The Coax is expensive, does not allow a means to tweak shoulder setback ( via die shims, or micro die -adjuster) which IMO is mandatory for accuracy work, and has small parts which tend to become lost when changing out the proprietary shell plates. The Coax's virtue is it allows the die to float allowing the case to center itself in the die.........which the same can be done on any single stage press by replacing the SH retaining clip with an o-ring.

I actually have a Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock Single stage Press. It in fact has one of these “interrupted quick change inserts” and I love it because of the convenience and consistency when changing dies. I have absolutely no problem bumping shoulders to the thousands accurately using it together with the Redding Competition shell holders. For what it’s worth, shoulder bumping is less about the press and more about annealing the shoulders consistently and not letting it work harder to different degrees. Using a strong press to try to brute fore the shoulders is not the proper approach.

 

[hoz53]

I have Two on my bench and 6 in the shead
On my bench both are red one is a coax the other is Lee classic cast . The cast gets used very seldom . All my dies are set to be snapped in . Don't load much down to a couple hundred a week . Larry

It's true as handy as the Coax is to change dies I use it over others just for that reason let alone the others. I wouldn't get the LNL. I think a person should start with a single stage threaded press. You can load about anything with that and when you're ready to move up do it then. The Lee cast would be fine. Otherwise a Rock Chucker would be hard to beat for the $ though I don't know if they are made in US now. RCBS customer service is excellent from what I understand.

 

[hoz53]

I have Two on my bench and 6 in the shead
On my bench both are red one is a coax the other is Lee classic cast . The cast gets used very seldom . All my dies are set to be snapped in . Don't load much down to a couple hundred a week . Larry

SavageLarry--what do you have in the Shed?

 

[jlow]

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.

The question about re-adjustment when you bump shoulder is a good one. The answer is NO if you sue the Redding Competition shell holder. Those works very well and allow you to chance bump by 2 thousands. Keep the die fixed and just change shell holders.

 

[LHSmith]

The question about re-adjustment when you bump shoulder is a good one. The answer is NO if you sue the Redding Competition shell holder. Those works very well and allow you to chance bump by 2 thousands. Keep the die fixed and just change shell holders.

Except in the case where your chamber has minimal headspace and/or your die is on the long end of the acceptable SAAMI tolerance or your std. S/H is taller than spec.....then the comp. S/H's are useless after spending $45 vs. $15 for a set of shims.

 

[Catfish]

If your going to load for a lot of different rounds Dillon is the only way to go. If your looking for a good press cheap something like the Yellow RCBS is a great choice. I have an old Pacific, the predecessor to that RCBS press that I`m going to sell for $ 50 with a set of dies through in on the deal. It`s a good heavy press with very little wear. He will have to get the correct shell holder, the 3 I have for it are not what he needs, but it uses the RCBS shell holder holders so no big deal. There are a lot of good use presses out there, and mostly cheap.

 

[hoz53]

I have Two on my bench and 6 in the shead
On my bench both are red one is a coax the other is Lee classic cast . The cast gets used very seldom . All my dies are set to be snapped in . Don't load much down to a couple hundred a week . Larry

Yep once I used a coax I dont wanna go back to screw in dies.-- better send me those presses in the shed for evaluation though just in case!

 

[dickn52]

Had a Coax, broke the shell 'holder'. Just nibbed it off on the edges. Sold it and went to a T7. I liked the theory behind the Forster machine, but the shell holder in mine was weak. I replaced them and all was fine, but I had lost confidence in it by then.

 

[JLT]

I have a Redding T7, a RockChucker, Hornady Classic, Hornady LNL, and a Forster Co-Ax. If I was just starting out and could only have one press right now, I'd go with the RockChucker with plans to pick up a Co-Ax later.

+1! Good advice.

 

[jlow]

Except in the case where your chamber has minimal headspace and/or your die is on the long end of the acceptable SAAMI tolerance or your std. S/H is taller than spec.....then the comp. S/H's are useless after spending $45 vs. $15 for a set of shims.

Basically no tool can work in every possible situation, especially the unusual one. Does not mean they are not an excellent tools for a general recommendation...

 

[dcali]

It's hard to go wrong with a press. They aren't terribly important as long as they're straight, and the mid market stuff I've used are all plenty straight. They do last forever and aren't throw away cheap, so be happy with your choice.

I would not opt for the Forster unless you know why you want it. They're different enough to be in the "love it or hate it" category. The cast lees get good reviews but Lee in general is spotty on quality. The rockchucker is as close to a standard press as exists (I use one), but the others make them just as good.

I would also skip the quick change stuff. It just isn't necessary. Better to spend the money on better dies (like "competition" seaters, which are really convenient.

One more thing to note- you will not be using the press's priming function for long. They all suck compared to a hand or bench tool. So you can ignore that feature when choosing.

In my view, spending a lot of money on a press is just buying nice things for the sake of it. You can buy $500 coffee makers too, but the coffee comes out the same as the Mr Coffee from Walmart. Better to spend the money on the beans.

 

[danny]

It's hard to go wrong with a press. They aren't terribly important as long as they're straight, and the mid market stuff I've used are all plenty straight. They do last forever and aren't throw away cheap, so be happy with your choice.

I would not opt for the Forster unless you know why you want it. They're different enough to be in the "love it or hate it" category. The cast lees get good reviews but Lee in general is spotty on quality. The rockchucker is as close to a standard press as exists (I use one), but the others make them just as good.

One thing to note- you will not be using the press's priming function for long. They all suck compared to a hand or bench tool. So you can ignore that feature when choosing.

In my view, spending a lot of money on a press is just buying nice things for the sake of it. You can buy $500 coffee makers too, but the coffee comes out the same as the Mr Coffee from Walmart. Better to spend the money on the beans.

As an owner of a Co-Ax that loves his, I can't across the board recommend it for everyone, and maybe not as a first/only press. I still have a Lee Classic Cast and their cheap little C Frame press for some operations. I invested in RCBS bullet pullers (which don't really work on the Co- Ax) long ago and have not wanted to change over to the Forster version. The reloading tool world is largely built upon the O/C Frame style presses, and this can cause issues when trying to do some things with a Co-Ax.

I would normally advise the standard Rockchucker, but the current ones are made in China, which some people have problems with, and I have heard of some quality issues with them. This could bump you into a used, made in USA Rockchucker. I wanted to try buying an older used Rockchucker, but they seem to command a premium. At this point, it might be wise to just buy a new Lee Classic cast, which is a beefier press, or bump up into one of the largest Redding single stage presses.

Danny

 

[clowdis]

I think Danny has some good points. I have a co-ax that is fine for resizing and seating bullets but does not form brass very well. The press seems to stretch. I could not form 6mmSLR brass on it, I had to go back to the rockchucker to form that brass. Ergonomics are another factor to be considered with the co-ax. Most of the companies that make presses make different levels of quality but you can find one that will suit your needs about perfectly. IF you are going to be in this for the long run I'd suggest a high quality single stage to begin with and later on down the line if you think you need a progressive then you could look at one of those. Has anyone tried the RCBS Summit? It looks like it might have the same issues as the co-ax.

 

[reubenski]

I use a Dillon 550B for 3 gun (.223, 9mm, etc) and a Lee Classic Turret for rifle. I have gotten 10 years of use from both without major issue. I have to say "major" b/c running a progressive press requires a fair amount of setup and "running" maintenance. The Lee turret has produced some very accurate loads and zero issues at a great economy. I lust after a Redding T7 but I have never made the jump b/c I don't think I will gain any real capability change for another $150.

Using a turret press is a no-brainer in my opinion. The Lee turrets are $12 a piece and I have seven setup with die combos ready to go. That reduces the time to swap to different cartridges immensely and helps maintain consistency as you don't have to worry about regaining die settings during removal and installation. There is toolhead movement with both the 550B and Lee Turret. I have seen/ heard a lot of people argue about seating depth consistency from the "slop". I have never had a problem and I have seen tests or reviews in which folks have tried to find a resulting consistency issues and haven't. Keep in mind that when the ram pushes the cartridge up into the die and the toolhead lifts slightly that it lifts to the same point every time. A couple of folks offer custom "floating toolheads" for the 550B to reload competition quality rifle ammo that operate in a very similar manner. I think they are just re-inventing the wheel, but then I haven't tried them either.

My consistency issues come from things like excessive case lube, allowing the bushing to float a bit in the FL bushing die, brass quality, BTO variations in bullets, inconsistent Meplats, etc.. I haven't found one yet attributed to the press. If I did, I would've bought a T7 as soon as I found it.

The press is the easy part; just wait until you start looking at case trimmers, scales, powder measures, priming tools, FL dies vs. neck/body dies combos, annealers, etc ha ha!

I believe there are a few tools that you need to pay for precision, accuracy, consistency and a few that just don't need a lot of money thrown at them. In some cases you face the choice of paying for automation vs. doing a particular step by hand (like chamfer/ debur). An accurate scale that weighs to within 1 kernel of powder has capability increase. A powder measure that you use to throw %90 of your charge before trickling it...doesn't need to be expensive. The difference between a high-priced rotary tubmbler and the Frankford arsenal...? NIL. The difference between a STM rotarty and a corn cob media vibratory tumbler....huge. I suppose this the maze all of us attempt to navigate as we spend our few, hard-earned dollars hoping that we are obtaining a value. Value = cost/ quality ratio.


Here is my equipment list; hope it paints the picture:

1. Lee Classic 4 hole turret press

2. Lee Perfect Powder measure

3. Wilson case trimmer with drill attachment on the cutter

4. A&D FX-120i scale with auto trickler http://www.autotrickler.com/

5. Lyman case prep center

6. Sinclair small rifle primer pocket uniformer with drill attachment

7. Annealeez annealer

8. Frankford Arsenal STM rotary tumbler

9. Redding bushing dies

10. Lyman digital caliper (should have bought a Mitutoyo long ago; reccomend you spend $100 on one of these, just make sure it ships from Japan and not China)

 

[dcali]

For what it's worth, my relatively new (a few years old) rock chucker is very well made. It's as straight as I can measure. No idea where it was made but it's certainly no downgrade from the one I once had that was made in the 70's.

 

[dcali]

I'm also interested in people's experiences with the summit. I've read some not so great things, but I've never even touched one.

 

[Jason_A]

Thanks for all the help!

I have a Lee Cast on the way. I found it on an after Christmas sale for $105 plus free shipping. There are just so many positive reviews for the Lee and it seems like everyone has more than one press anyways, so as my needs grow I will get something bigger and badder later on.

Here is a good article I found discussing some of the presses mentioned here: http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=1750

Jason.

 

[savagedasher]

The ram on mine is very true to the die holder no like my other presses were . my rock chucked was .012 off . The coaxial lets the case to adjust to center Larry