ok i am already thinking about the up coming season and i want to get all my gear together. I will be shooting a ppc this year for the first time and i want to get what i need to reload at the range. I figure i have most of what i need except a press for full length sizing. Harrells stuff looks very nice but it sure is pricey. I even have a harrells combo but i am thinking about selling it to finish a rifle build. I have an arbor press that i can take and a powder drop. I need a small light weight press. Would a lee hand press be considered junk for full length sizing at the range? I have never used anything lee except for some dies early on in my reloading career for factory rifles. I also have a light weight aluminum lee press o ring style. I just dont know whats good and what isnt as far as all this goes. My dies are top quality, so does the press make that much difference? Just looking for ideas. I think i would rather have the 200 bucks from the harrells combo i have since i already have a k&m arbor press. What would be a good reasonable press for the range? Thanks Lee
reloading at the range press?
- Thread starter skeetlee
- Start date
No reply to your question but email me at mountbkr@msn.com if you decide to sell the Harolds.
Shot in the Ontario Benchrest League in the 1980`s. Used a Sako HB .222. Match was run with 2 relays. In the off relay, I reloaded the brass with a Lee hand press, lo-tech but effective. Neck sized only, primed with the Lee top screw-in shell holder and ram primer punch. Never felt I was handicapped with the Lee setup.
But don`t try to full length size with the Lee hand press or you will develop a severe hernia.
Currently, I shoot F Class practise at my club`s 300 metre bench range. One of my fellow members is a Provincial police officer who reloads a 6BR on the range with a Lee hand press. Used so often that he had to have a crack TIG welded but it is churning out accurate rounds for him at sniper matches.
Realize the limitations of the Lee hand press and you will enjoy using it.
But don`t try to full length size with the Lee hand press or you will develop a severe hernia.
Currently, I shoot F Class practise at my club`s 300 metre bench range. One of my fellow members is a Provincial police officer who reloads a 6BR on the range with a Lee hand press. Used so often that he had to have a crack TIG welded but it is churning out accurate rounds for him at sniper matches.
Realize the limitations of the Lee hand press and you will enjoy using it.
alf
Silver $$ Contributor
RCBS Partner press will do what you need without breaking the bank.
I used one for several years for my Hunter gun, and alot of guys still do.
Typically, the accuracy will/can be at the upper pressures, which will demand full length sizing. Pick accordingly.
Sinclair's press is the cat's butt if you have the coin.
I used one for several years for my Hunter gun, and alot of guys still do.
Typically, the accuracy will/can be at the upper pressures, which will demand full length sizing. Pick accordingly.
Sinclair's press is the cat's butt if you have the coin.
ALf
I am glad you brought that press up. That may be the way to go for me. I see them on ebay all the time for a fair price. the harrels i have is nice but i would rather sell it for another barrel or stock, or something similar. Thanks Guys keep the suggestions coming. Lee
I am glad you brought that press up. That may be the way to go for me. I see them on ebay all the time for a fair price. the harrels i have is nice but i would rather sell it for another barrel or stock, or something similar. Thanks Guys keep the suggestions coming. Lee
between work, 2 kids, wife working weekends, and cold weather, its a bit hard to spend any time at the range right now. I bought all this stuff in a package deal along with a 6ppc that i am dieing to shoot but can not for the above reasons. Thanks for the tip though. Lee
i do the same you are wanting to do, i take my press off the bench at home, take a 2x6 x18" board, drill mounting holes in it, mount the press with counter sunk bolt heads underneath, and then take it an two huge C clamps to the range, one clamp on each side of the press at the range bench and hoooaaa! dies etc are set,
no need to buy a special press unless you have $ to toss for the fun of it
practical is workable
no need to buy a special press unless you have $ to toss for the fun of it
practical is workable
You should consider that with threaded dies and two presses, the die setups will be different. Typically, this requires a second die.
Skeet, I have a Lee and a Partner, both will work but I prefer the Partner. Since I carry all my gauges in my shooting box, it's easy to set the die up quickley so I'm only bumping the shoulder .001. Loading at the range is really helpful, when working up a load. Changes can be made right away and the results can be verified instantly.
riverwolf1
Silver $$ Contributor
Lee,
i know that your new to BR shooting, and what I am seeing in response to your question is some really poor advice! First If a reponder is not shooting Benchrest disipline ignore their advice! A simple moto in BR is buy it once cry once! This is an expensive sport get used to that. I would say get a subscription(membership) tro NBRSA and/or IBS ( presicion shooting) then look at what the top ten shooters are shooting and focus on obtaing the same equipment. The guys responding to your post for the most part are not BR shooter's that are winning except for one, and that is NVTHG he is a very active participant in BR and has been doing some winning in 2009!! When you used to shoot skeet were the winners shooting remington 870's or were they shooting Kreigoff K-80's with extra sub gauge tubes or full sets of subgauge barrels!!!
All I am saying here is anyone that is sitting on a harrell's or hood combo press and talking about selling it to buy a piece of crap lee has to be mentally deranged, does a lee or rcbs ever get used at a BR match(sometimes) but not by the people that are winning. I wish you all the best in the coming year and hope you enjoy the wonderful world of benchrest with a capital "B" .
i know that your new to BR shooting, and what I am seeing in response to your question is some really poor advice! First If a reponder is not shooting Benchrest disipline ignore their advice! A simple moto in BR is buy it once cry once! This is an expensive sport get used to that. I would say get a subscription(membership) tro NBRSA and/or IBS ( presicion shooting) then look at what the top ten shooters are shooting and focus on obtaing the same equipment. The guys responding to your post for the most part are not BR shooter's that are winning except for one, and that is NVTHG he is a very active participant in BR and has been doing some winning in 2009!! When you used to shoot skeet were the winners shooting remington 870's or were they shooting Kreigoff K-80's with extra sub gauge tubes or full sets of subgauge barrels!!!
All I am saying here is anyone that is sitting on a harrell's or hood combo press and talking about selling it to buy a piece of crap lee has to be mentally deranged, does a lee or rcbs ever get used at a BR match(sometimes) but not by the people that are winning. I wish you all the best in the coming year and hope you enjoy the wonderful world of benchrest with a capital "B" .
riverwolf1
Silver $$ Contributor
Maybe I am, but are you a score shooter or a group shooter?
Do you travel to a lot of big BR Shoot's or do you just shoot a regular club match? I do think there is a hughe difference. Have you ever been to the Cactus or other large BR shoots,Regionals or Supershoot, where you compete with the best the country has to offer? If you haven't then you would not know of what I am talking about. Have you ever won an aggregate with 3 gun's or 4 guns? If skeetlee is going to get into this areana and travel to large matches he will soon come to the conclusion that I stated earlier, If you are not doing all the things the winners are you are just going to be an also ran! I have been shooting group for 14 years and I intially went through what skeetlee is going through and if you just want to shoot your local club shoots that's fine, but I am talking about competing on a national level, does this describe you or alf?
Do you travel to a lot of big BR Shoot's or do you just shoot a regular club match? I do think there is a hughe difference. Have you ever been to the Cactus or other large BR shoots,Regionals or Supershoot, where you compete with the best the country has to offer? If you haven't then you would not know of what I am talking about. Have you ever won an aggregate with 3 gun's or 4 guns? If skeetlee is going to get into this areana and travel to large matches he will soon come to the conclusion that I stated earlier, If you are not doing all the things the winners are you are just going to be an also ran! I have been shooting group for 14 years and I intially went through what skeetlee is going through and if you just want to shoot your local club shoots that's fine, but I am talking about competing on a national level, does this describe you or alf?
riverwolf, you were in diapers when i began shootin NBRSA with mike walker, bob hart, clyde hart, homer culver-etc.
the advice is take the press you load with at home, all dies already setup for your ammo, to the range, secure it to a bench or portable one, and load just as you do at home, no adjustments need, no extra dies no extra presses,
think about it - i discribed how to do it a number of replys ago
bheadboy
the advice is take the press you load with at home, all dies already setup for your ammo, to the range, secure it to a bench or portable one, and load just as you do at home, no adjustments need, no extra dies no extra presses,
think about it - i discribed how to do it a number of replys ago
bheadboy
riverwolf1
Silver $$ Contributor
While you may have started shooting while I was in diapers,it appears that at your age you have not kept up with the dramatic changes that have occured in the BR areana with regards to equipment! Why don' you tell me how many matches you competed in last year or perhaps you could direct me to a major competition that you won last year! Do you compete against guys like Lester Bruno, Gary O'cock Tony Boyer Lowell Frei, I can honestly tell you that each time I attend the Cactus or the NBRSA nationals I have not seen one single competitor that showed up with the setup that you descrbe. If you arre winning group shoots with your setup I think that's great! I am just trying to get skeetlee to understand the value in the eqipment that he has without spending more money to go in all reality Backward's! He's a grown man and can do whatever he want's but if you tell him that selling a harrells combo press to buy a lee or rcbs is a good thing, then I feel sorry for him in not realizing the full potential of what he already owns!
MarkS
Silver $$ Contributor
Lee,
I use a Rcbs Partner F/L resizing and arbor press. I have shot 3 IBS 600yds records, one being LG small group 0.749". I got the Partner for the price and because a lot benchrest shooter use them. But if I had a Harrell, I would not sell it to get a Partner.
Mark Schronce
I use a Rcbs Partner F/L resizing and arbor press. I have shot 3 IBS 600yds records, one being LG small group 0.749". I got the Partner for the price and because a lot benchrest shooter use them. But if I had a Harrell, I would not sell it to get a Partner.
Mark Schronce
Fellas, I appreciate all your comments. I didnt want this to turn into a controversial issue though. I already have a k&m arbor press. If i didnt already own that piece of equipment i wouldnt even consider selling the harrells combo. To be real honest the harrells press has more play in it that my rcbs press does. Matter a fact a lot more!! I dont have any idea if that means anything as far as accuracy loss though. I like my k&m press more than this harrells press for sure!! I dont know how important the press itself is while FLS cases. If the harrells has play in it like it does i would think just about any old press would do?? Again I dont know!! In my mind the die is the important part of the equation. But there again I DONT KNOW!! I guess i figured i would sell this harrell for a couple hundred bucks and pick up an rcbs on e-bay for 30 bucks, and i did.. I would still be money ahead. I would put that money towards brass or a new barrel. Im just a poor city worker and i have to think this way sometimes to achieve things i need, or think i need! LOL!! Anyway if the harrells is the way to go, i wont sell it. I dont need to sell anything. I just wasnt all that impressed with the darn thing. I sure the heck wouldnt pay 250 bucks for one. It would really be convenient, thats for sure! But like i said above, im just not that impressed. The harrels press i have doesnt show one bit of wear and looks brand new. I cant beleive it has all this play in it. It was part of a package deal, so i dont have much invested in it if anything at all. You can look at that from a couple different ways. sell it and get some money back, or keep it because you can and its paid for. I dont know what to do. I have to change all my die settings to use it, or set it up and only use the harrells. I dont know if all rcbs presses have the same head space if you will, but if they do thats a huge plus. All i know is my rcbs sure feels like a better piece of equipment. No movement on the ram what so ever. the Harrells wiggles like a kid on koolaid! I think i will just hang tight, and get a feel of things this spring, and go from there.To be real honest, i think i may just preload for the first year anyway. I need to earn to read wind flags. I figured i might need to spend my free time watching wind flags and the shooter themselves. I am reading a very good book by Mike Ratigan. this is what he suggests for new shooter. It makes since to me. The only down side to pre loading to me is the volume of brass i will need. I kinda look at that from a buy it now or buy it later point of view. Ive got 100 new pieces coming and i will probably buy another hundred before spring. I dont know if that is enough or not? Or i can reload in the motel for the next days comps. Ill get it figured out!
I did just buy a rcbs junior press on ebay for 25 bucks the other day. I will evaluate it when it gets here. Thanks for all the opinions. thats what i asked for and i appreciate all of your fellas time! I always do!! Thanks again and merry x-mas. Lee
I did just buy a rcbs junior press on ebay for 25 bucks the other day. I will evaluate it when it gets here. Thanks for all the opinions. thats what i asked for and i appreciate all of your fellas time! I always do!! Thanks again and merry x-mas. Lee
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