best reloading press

[g0rd0]

the hornady lock n load is a good press for sure. But, it is an alloy meaning aluminum. For that kind of $ I would go with the lee breech lock classic cast.
If I was to buy another progressive today I would go with hornady in a heart beat!


If your money is tight lee lee breech lock classic cast if money is not an issue forster coax

 

[Trickymissfit]

I've been saying this for many moons now. Don't buy a kit! Within a year you'll start to out grow half the pieces that come in the kit. Start out with a decent press, and buy a good powder measure & trickler. I started out with a Lyman #55, and still use it to this very day. The Redding BR30 and 3BR are also pretty good. I opted for the Sinclair bottle kit and several of their drop tubes. Buddies of mine used the Reddings, and they are alright, but no better than the Lyman. Priming devices are a joke on most all presses. The Forster is by far the best of them, and it too leaves something to be desired. By a K&M, and be done with it (Sinclair is also very good but more money). Case trimmers are an often spoke about issue. Why not simply get a good one from the start. I use a Wilson, but there are some other good ones. The ones in the kits are junk. You need at least a 4" pair of dial calipers, but most folks use a 6" pair. I use both digital and analog. A good 1" micrometer is another nice item to add into the mix.

Assuming you have not bought anything yet, or have it still in the box. You will probably buy a O Frame press for cost alone. No big deal, but you gotta mount it to a bench of some sort. I recommend a visit to the local Menards store to buy a laminated bench top made of hard maple or oak. Get the thick one (about 1.5"). These are pretty rigid from the start, but can be made even better easily. Next thing to get are two pieces of either 1/4" CRS or 10 gauge steel plates that are about two inches bigger than the press mount. I use two 6"x8" 10 gauge plates on my Forster when I mount it directly to the bench top. For mounting bolts (O frame), buy some good grade eight bolts with cad washers. A drop of Loctite in the threads, and your thru with that problem before it happens. You spend a lot of money on a good press and then mount it as cheap as you can, and then fight it forever. I've seen more than one O frame press ripped off the bench it was mounted on! A Co-Ax thrusts in the opposite direction, and can be mounted with quarter inch bolts without an issue.

gary

 

[Sargesniper]

I've been saying this for many moons now. Don't buy a kit! Within a year you'll start to out grow half the pieces that come in the kit. Start out with a decent press, and buy a good powder measure & trickler. I started out with a Lyman #55, and still use it to this very day. The Redding BR30 and 3BR are also pretty good. I opted for the Sinclair bottle kit and several of their drop tubes. Buddies of mine used the Reddings, and they are alright, but no better than the Lyman. Priming devices are a joke on most all presses. The Forster is by far the best of them, and it too leaves something to be desired. By a K&M, and be done with it (Sinclair is also very good but more money). Case trimmers are an often spoke about issue. Why not simply get a good one from the start. I use a Wilson, but there are some other good ones. The ones in the kits are junk. You need at least a 4" pair of dial calipers, but most folks use a 6" pair. I use both digital and analog. A good 1" micrometer is another nice item to add into the mix.

Assuming you have not bought anything yet, or have it still in the box. You will probably buy a O Frame press for cost alone. No big deal, but you gotta mount it to a bench of some sort. I recommend a visit to the local Menards store to buy a laminated bench top made of hard maple or oak. Get the thick one (about 1.5"). These are pretty rigid from the start, but can be made even better easily. Next thing to get are two pieces of either 1/4" CRS or 10 gauge steel plates that are about two inches bigger than the press mount. I use two 6"x8" 10 gauge plates on my Forster when I mount it directly to the bench top. For mounting bolts (O frame), buy some good grade eight bolts with cad washers. A drop of Loctite in the threads, and your thru with that problem before it happens. You spend a lot of money on a good press and then mount it as cheap as you can, and then fight it forever. I've seen more than one O frame press ripped off the bench it was mounted on! A Co-Ax thrusts in the opposite direction, and can be mounted with quarter inch bolts without an issue.

gary

+1 Gary. I did not mention that in my post.
True, it will cost more to buy individual pieces than a kit will come with but you can buy what you need rather than get some of the things that you don't need. I guess you will spend more after the kit in buying what you really need in the long run. So in a kit you get bare essentials. I agree with you, but for a guy or girl on a budget, the RC kit is not a bad way to go. When I started there was no such thing as a kit.

 

[918v]

are you sure you are using a Co-Ax? I rarely change the jaws around as I've learned to set them up the right way. They are not ever meant to hold the case, but just extract it from the die. Now I don't do 22 hornet family cases, and also have no use for the 45-70. I do size .450 Marlin cases all the way down to .222 Remington with out doing a jaw change out. I only change things when I go to a rimmed case (30-30 etc.). I run my jaws very loose, and have yet to see a case that isn't extracted.
gary

Yeah, what other press do you think I confused it with?

 

[Daveinjax]

I have a Forster Co-Ax and I can't see ever getting rid of it. I had a RCBS Rockchucker Supreme and I've used the Lee Classic Cast and the little aluminum Lee. If I wasn't buying a Forster Co-Ax I'd buy a Lee Claasic Cast. Bottom line for me is a Forster Co-Ax press.

 

[flashhole]

I didn't like the ergonomics of the Forster Co-Ax. Nice press but I got tired of pinching my fingers seating long bullets in large cartridges. I switched to a Redding Ultramag and it continues to impress me.

I added a second Ultramag a Lee Classic Cast and two Lee Classic Turret presses to the bench. I like all of the ones I have because they fit my handloading style. Someone else commented you should get what you think will work best for you. I second that opinion.

 

[DSMITH1651]

Thanks for the replys guys, the whole reason for the thread isI am new to reloading and I own a hornady lock and load and not impressed. And am looking for a press to buy that will impress me LOL
Thanks this is giving me lots of info and opinions to take into account
Duane

 

[el matador]

Yeah, what other press do you think I confused it with?

LMAO

I've been using a T-7 for a while now and I'm very happy with it. I love being able to leave the dies set up and just rotate another one into position.

 

[Rymart]

Ditto... And when you run out of positions in your turret, just buy another head. Once my dies are set up for proper headspace, they're never moved again and I use the micrometer seating dies for seating.

LMAO

I've been using a T-7 for a while now and I'm very happy with it. I love being able to leave the dies set up and just rotate another one into position.

 

[Tortoise]

LMAO

I've been using a T-7 for a while now and I'm very happy with it. I love being able to leave the dies set up and just rotate another one into position.

Ditto.. I've got a Rockchucker, Lee Classic, Dillon 550, and the Redding T7. I use the T7 the most. I even keep an RCBS powder measure mounted in it to keep everything at the same height and location on the bench... works great. Don't get me wrong here because if it's a heap of 223, 45's, 38's, or any other cartridge, out comes the Dillon. But with the above press's its the T7 that gets used the most.. Hope you find one you like... cheers, Tortoise

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Wow... this really is going to be a tough one to really come out with any kind of useful information for making a decision, because there's no one press that is the best at everything... It's all a matter of preference and/or convenience. The t7 for example allows you to have a number of dies already setup and ready to go, the progressive presses from Dillon and Hornady allow you to crank out ammo at a high rate. There are presses that accommodate the large magnum cases and bigger bullets.

I guess the question that should be asked specifically, is what are you looking for in a press? Accuracy, speed, caliber specific? Etc

For me... I don't mind the extra time a single stage press takes... I sort of enjoy going step by step. I have a lock n load progressive and don't even use it. I prefer my redding big boss II. I also like the Hornady bushing system... As I don't like having to screw each die in and out... I just think it's a smart design so it appeals to me. I changed out the redding adapter bushing and changed it out with a Hornady lock n load conversion kit. For me... Accuracy matters, and I've been extremely pleased with the Redding big boss II, however, I've heard good things about the forster coax and the Wilson arbor presses.

The last thing to consider is that it really doesn't matter how good your press is if you aren't extremely consistent about how you go about loading and prepping your brass, as well as if you have dies that aren't well built or are in poor condition. Me personally... I like redding FL dies, lee collet neck dies, and forster ultra seating dies... Which I now have for every caliber that I reload (except one custom cartridge... Which came with its own dies when I bought the gun ). I've found for me, this combination to be extremely effective, but others here will have found they get good results using other choices. For me... .5" or less at 100 yards is what I'm looking for and happy with. Some here absolutely have to be able to shoot bug holes.. Or they aren't pleased.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that most of the presses mentioned are good to excellent choices, capable of producing quality ammo, much better than the boxed ammo you buy off the shelf, but like choosing a rifle, it's a matter of what is important to you... And how much money you want to throw down. I'm very happy with my setup... Though I probably will get rid of the hornady lock n load progressive. Not because its a bad press, but because I really have not ever used it. My preference is towards single stage.... I just didn't know it when I started reloading! Figure out what matters to you and you'll be more than half way to knowing what to get.

Good luck man!

-James

 

[Trickymissfit]

Wow... this really is going to be a tough one to really come out with any kind of useful information for making a decision, because there's no one press that is the best at everything... It's all a matter of preference and/or convenience. The t7 for example allows you to have a number of dies already setup and ready to go, the progressive presses from Dillon and Hornady allow you to crank out ammo at a high rate. There are presses that accommodate the large magnum cases and bigger bullets.

I guess the question that should be asked specifically, is what are you looking for in a press? Accuracy, speed, caliber specific? Etc

For me... I don't mind the extra time a single stage press takes... I sort of enjoy going step by step. I have a lock n load progressive and don't even use it. I prefer my redding big boss II. I also like the Hornady bushing system... As I don't like having to screw each die in and out... I just think it's a smart design so it appeals to me. I changed out the redding adapter bushing and changed it out with a Hornady lock n load conversion kit. For me... Accuracy matters, and I've been extremely pleased with the Redding big boss II, however, I've heard good things about the forster coax and the Wilson arbor presses.

The last thing to consider is that it really doesn't matter how good your press is if you aren't extremely consistent about how you go about loading and prepping your brass, as well as if you have dies that aren't well built or are in poor condition. Me personally... I like redding FL dies, lee collet neck dies, and forster ultra seating dies... Which I now have for every caliber that I reload (except one custom cartridge... Which came with its own dies when I bought the gun ). I've found for me, this combination to be extremely effective, but others here will have found they get good results using other choices. For me... .5" or less at 100 yards is what I'm looking for and happy with. Some here absolutely have to be able to shoot bug holes.. Or they aren't pleased.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that most of the presses mentioned are good to excellent choices, capable of producing quality ammo, much better than the boxed ammo you buy off the shelf, but like choosing a rifle, it's a matter of what is important to you... And how much money you want to throw down. I'm very happy with my setup... Though I probably will get rid of the hornady lock n load progressive. Not because its a bad press, but because I really have not ever used it. My preference is towards single stage.... I just didn't know it when I started reloading! Figure out what matters to you and you'll be more than half way to knowing what to get.

Good luck man!

-James

** just to add a little to your comments (I could care less about what you buy). The Co-Ax press allows you to set the die up once and never touch it again. Yet if your like me and shoot several rifles in the same caliber; it becomes another problem! I shoot four or five rifles in 30-06 alone. Does this mean I need four or five die sets? Luckily the chambers are very close on three of them, so the seaters are fine. The issue is in the sizing dies. My 22-250's are all within .0025" on the headspace, so I'm OK there. The .223's are all over the place! I've found my Lo-Wall to be on the opposite end of the chamber length from my N.M. Remington. Even the seater involved a turn and a half on the micrometer dial. (I keep log books for each chamber I shoot). In theory a fellow could use an arbor shim under the die when using an O frame press. Then the AR chamber is a monster! I guess each system has it's own pluses and minuses.

** I shoot several long strait walled cases. These really tax an O frame press. In the Forster they are easy. I've fooled around with different lubes and even a few home brewed ones. You start doing a hundred rounds of 45-90 in an O frame, and you get tired of doing them in a hurry. I never .knew about this till my brother showed me what it was like. We took the rest of the case lot up to my place, and it was like sizing 30-06 brass. Plus the cases were straighter. Cases like these will wear a press out! Even the .444 is hard on a press.

** now the nice thing (as some folks have pointed out) about the Redding turret press is the plate system. But when you buy six or eight of them, you've spent some serious money again. But I can see using a Lee turret press for hand gun cases like the .357 or 44mag. I've been thinking about getting one for a couple years, just for the ease of operation.
gary

 

[g0rd0]

the same as keeping brass from 1 rifle to another separate I also keep my dies set up for only 1 rifle per set. Fortunately for me I only have 1 7rm, 1 3030, & 1 3006 so keeping my brass and dies sorted for a particular rifle is not an issue.
But, yes you should keep your dies and brass for each rifle

 

[drwindmill]

I load on a dillon 1050, 650, 550, Lee Classic Turret, and a Redding T-7. Honestly I love them all. All my bolt action is done on the Lee and Redding. I do all my 300 WSM on the Lee and can't see myself shooting much better groups. If on a budget, I would spend more on dies than the press. IMHO