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Thread: You could only have one press?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master sawinredneck's Avatar
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    You could only have one press?

    Heaven forbid, perish the horrid thought, but say you could only have one? (Might also help some newbies in choosing)
    Now I've never used a hand or "benchrest" press, so I can't comment on that, hopefully someone else can. But these are the ones I'm familiar with and likes/dislikes of each, please list yours or feel free to disagree with me!
    Redding Boss single stage, if I had to, I could live with a single stage, cost effective, versatile, and very capable. But not my choice. It's just too slow!
    Dillon 550B, super fast, super easy to swap over (for a progressive), very accurate and you can crank out tons of ammo with a quickness! It also has the ability (if you do) to function as a single stage, albeit rather awkwardly. If I could go back 20-30yrs and do it over, this might have been my choice, but I didn't have all the calibers I do now and I'd probably have just bought guns in calibers I was set up for. But not my choice now. It's too clumsy to try to make batches of small ammo, load development. It's very expensive to own and get going for multiple calibers, I made the statement the other day, "It seems every time I turn around, I'm sending Dillon another $100 for this or that!" Trust me, it amounts to a lot of $100 bills depending on how many calibers you want to be setup with! Using as a single stage, I'm exaggerating a bit, but I'm thinking bamboo chutes under my fingernails might be downright pleasant compared to that! It's doable, but not fun!
    My choice, the Lee Classic Cast turret. It's cheap to buy, $14 for a "caliber conversion", you can use what you already own +\- a few items that are all around $30. It's not miserable to use as a single stage, it does small batches the same as large batches and while it's not ever going to hit 500rds per hr, it can crank out a decent amount of ammo a lot quicker and easier than a single stage!
    So what's your choice and why it over something else?

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    The LCT is about as versatile and simple of a press you can get and do production/accuracy loads, its a great compromise.

  3. #3
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    Lots of possibilities. The first one to come to mind is the Redding T7 but that will set you back $300+. The Redding Boss or an old RCBS would by on my list. I'm a long term Dillon user but if I was limited to 1 press I don't think I would pick a progressive press.

  4. #4
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    I could load every thing on my 550 if that is all I had.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master sawinredneck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ioon44 View Post
    I could load every thing on my 550 if that is all I had.
    As could I, but would you really want to? Would you want another option?

  6. #6
    Boolit Master sawinredneck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Petrol & Powder View Post
    Lots of possibilities. The first one to come to mind is the Redding T7 but that will set you back $300+. The Redding Boss or an old RCBS would by on my list. I'm a long term Dillon user but if I was limited to 1 press I don't think I would pick a progressive press.
    I knew the T-7 would be brought up, it's a fine press for sure, but as you mention, it's $300 and around $70-80 for extra turrets.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Lee hand press is what I do all the work with.
    I have 2 others, an older C type mounted upside down for sizing/gas check work. And a newer square type that mostly does not get used.

    The lee hand press with the quick change bushings meets my needs.
    I don't go through thousands of rounds a week, month or even year.

    I do use both a FA depriming tool and a RCBS Universal priming tool. So does not have to do either of those jobs.

    Even resizing the big 7.62x54r brass for the Mosin or .444marlin is no sweat with decent case lube.

    I do tend to do smaller batches of 10/20 rifle rounds or 50-100 pistol.

    I doubt I would ever buy a progressive press, I simply don't need that much production.

    I prefer to take my time, make sure each and every round is perfect.
    But that is just my way, YMMV.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master omgb's Avatar
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    RCBS Rockchucker. Slow, yes, but what can't it do and do very accurately? #2 vote goes to T7




    Quote Originally Posted by GhostHawk View Post
    Lee hand press is what I do all the work with.
    I have 2 others, an older C type mounted upside down for sizing/gas check work. And a newer square type that mostly does not get used.

    The lee hand press with the quick change bushings meets my needs.
    I don't go through thousands of rounds a week, month or even year.

    I do use both a FA depriming tool and a RCBS Universal priming tool. So does not have to do either of those jobs.

    Even resizing the big 7.62x54r brass for the Mosin or .444marlin is no sweat with decent case lube.

    I do tend to do smaller batches of 10/20 rifle rounds or 50-100 pistol.

    I doubt I would ever buy a progressive press, I simply don't need that much production.

    I prefer to take my time, make sure each and every round is perfect.
    But that is just my way, YMMV.
    R J Talley
    Teacher/James Madison Fellow

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    Dillon 550.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by sawinredneck View Post
    As could I, but would you really want to? Would you want another option?
    I would not want to. Specifically for large rifle cases. And as much as I like the LCT I don't like sizing large rifle cases on it either. Now either the LCT or 550 paired w/ a single stage like the Lee Classic Cast and I'm good to go. In fact I went for many years w/ the two Lee presses and was perfectly content.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragon813gt View Post
    I would not want to. Specifically for large rifle cases. And as much as I like the LCT I don't like sizing large rifle cases on it either. Now either the LCT or 550 paired w/ a single stage like the Lee Classic Cast and I'm good to go. In fact I went for many years w/ the two Lee presses and was perfectly content.
    Pretty much this^^^

  12. #12
    Boolit Master sawinredneck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragon813gt View Post
    I would not want to. Specifically for large rifle cases. And as much as I like the LCT I don't like sizing large rifle cases on it either. Now either the LCT or 550 paired w/ a single stage like the Lee Classic Cast and I'm good to go. In fact I went for many years w/ the two Lee presses and was perfectly content.
    Please define "large" a little better please. Like .308 and smaller, no bigger than .223? I've only done handgun ammo on mine, but I've read others were happy doing rifle cases on it is why I ask.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy tranders's Avatar
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    I would stick with my Rock Chucker. Slow,but accurate and stout. I'm not a high volume shooter and reloading is a hobby for me so extra time in the reloading room doesn't bother me. I do own a Lyman Tmag turret and a Lee Classic Cast turret. Both are good presses.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
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    I would have to rate the T7 as #1 choice followed by the 550 then the Bonanza Co-Ax.The T7 has the strength to form cases and is way faster than a single stage and could concievably be set up for one pistol and two rifle calibers on one turret though I use all 7 holes for BPCR loading of one caliber.

    I load a sack full of calibers on my 550, 9mm through .35 Whelan and find it most satisfactory though I probably would not try major case reforming on it nor would I care to load black powder cartridges due to the powder measure system.

    The 2 Co-Ax presses on my bench could do everything that I do and do it quite quickly thanks to the rapid die change capability and the universal shell holder plate. Not as quick as the progressive but quick. They have amazing leverage and the power for serious case forming but am not sure about the strength when one starts swaging case heads or revamping big belted magnums into different wildcats. I have done some pretty serious case squeezing with no ill effect on my Co-Ax presses but---.
    To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.

  15. #15
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    550b

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    A hard choice to make, But I would go with the Lee classic turret.
    There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism—by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide. Ayn Rand

  17. #17
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    Only one?
    RCBS 2A
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  18. #18
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    Rockchucker, hands down. I've owned two 550b's, and sold them both..... Not my cup of tea, but the Rockchucker is dependable and will do just about anything needed to load good ammunition.

    Fortunately, I'm not limited to one press.................

    Hope this helps.

    Fred
    After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. - William S. Burroughs.

  19. #19
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    If only one it'd be my 550B. I can use it as a single stage if need be, caliber conversion takes couple min. The only caliber I can't load on 550 is 25 ACP.

  20. #20
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    If only allowed one press I would go back to my Bonanza Co-Ax and load as I did before having the 2 Dillon 650s on the bench. I loaded high power rifle ammo on the co ax using 5 gallon buckets for loading blocks till it cam time to powder them then I would sit and drop / weight powder charges and seat bullets as I went along. Weigh charge set in ram, drop next charge to scales seat bullet and check new charge. Seemed slower than the dillons but in reality looking back I don't think it was really that much slower in the larger batches.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check