Lots off benchrest shooters use pretty small aluminum presses just because they have to lug them around.
However, if hauling around a big hunk of cast iron made smaller one hole groups, they would do it, to win. Just food for thought...
Lots off benchrest shooters use pretty small aluminum presses just because they have to lug them around.
However, if hauling around a big hunk of cast iron made smaller one hole groups, they would do it, to win. Just food for thought...
I use an "O" ring under my dies to compensate for taper in threads. Also keep bottom of shell holder lubricated. I also remove the snap ring that holds the shell holder in place. Also agree with turning case while seating slowly in steps. All of this works good with my Rock Chucker press's.
Larry
Every once in a while some Lee fan tries to make his cheap purchases seem better than folks using good reloading equipment, don't buy into it, cheap is cheap.
I agree, quality always makes any job easier and better. Guy's spend thousands on guns , but go as cheap as
possible when it comes to making the shells for their guns.
It is always funny that the comparison go's back to the better equipment. That is my XXX tool loads shells better, faster than
any Dillon machine.
Yeah.
It does get a bit amusing when various people suggest their various favorite color of reloading tools is "the very best" AND/OR that the sure road to accuracy can be purchased in the most expensive boxes.
I have to wonder ... if there really is any such advantage or quality for any brand of tools why has it never been documented, certified and advertised?
I don't think that's quite fair. I started with a borrowed, Lee $22 mini single stage and Lee dies. Making ammunition to shoot Silhouettes in a Contender pistol in a couple of different chamberings, using both cast and jacketed, and was very competitive.
Where do you draw the line with what is "cheap", and what is not? If not for "cheap" reloading equipment, I would not have been able to enjoy the hobby in the beginning. To be honest, I have not been able to discern any appreciable difference in accuracy between ammunition loaded on a $100 Lee semi progressive, and an $350 RCBS single stage.
"have to wonder ... if there really is any such advantage or quality for any brand of tools why has it never been documented, certified and advertised? " -1hole
Darn good question!
More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"
Last of the original Group Buy Honcho's.
"Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar
I believe we need to discern here what is what. in my thinking there is cheap, inexpensive, standard rate, expensive and over priced.
1) Cheap not worth the material its made from do to poor design, flaws or workmanship.
2) inexpensive is a decent tool that's not as costly may not have some bells and whistles that others have (knurls polished outsides )
3) Standard rate is the going rate may have the bells and whistles and better finishes
4) expensive has all the bells and whistles or better finishes looks nicer but where it "may not Matter".
5) overpriced falls into the to much for what it is even with the bells and whistles
A lot of inexpensive equipment is very useable and a lower price than others, while cheap equipment has to be worked on tuned or rebuilt to be barely useable. The above gives a much better description to use.
I discovered that my SDB has run out. I've had the press for over 25 years and never had issues with J words or commercial cast sized to standard diameters, but with some of the cast designs I now use in oversized diameters, the run out causes the HiTek I apply to scrape off badly. I guess the "slop" in the shell plate allows for some compensation, but not enough in my case.
Fortunately I read here how to make a custom seating die by making an impression of a good, concentric round, using JB Weld in the end of a spare seating die, and now everything is good to go.
Just goes to show that even a quality product can be off enough in some cases to cause problems.
Not sure which press I should defend first, my CoAx, or my two Lee Classic Casts. I guess my RC II is acceptable to the critics.
I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
How to find and fix sizing die eccentricity problems.
Do you trust your casting thermometer?
A few musings.
Silent deadly but? Yoda thinks dyslexia in kicking is.
Some of the guys who shoot the smallest groups in our club use cheapo Lee presses and dies .the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Cheap is What you Pay for a Bargain.
I paid $20.00 for my 'well used' RCBS "RC" press then added a "Ammomaster II" handle to it to make my Case Swaging Easier.
It is now my Primary Case Swaging and Reloading Press.
I still Own Two RCBS "JR-3" presses that I started out with. One cost me about $70 and the Other Cost about $75 Thirty years later. The first one I actually Sheared The Pivot Pin between Ram and Toggle Link once, and RCBS sent me a Free Replacement Pin for it.
They are now secondary reloading presses for me, with their smaller diameter Rams, relegated to Bullet Sizing, case Decapping and case Priming process Stages.
I also own a Lee Aluminum Hand Reloading Tool/Press and two Lyman '310' hand Tool/Press, plus some '310' die sets that are now seldom used but still kept available.
Chev. William
Last edited by Chev. William; 02-19-2019 at 12:22 PM.
I like Country Gent's idea of turning a point on a 7/8 bar and making a pointed shell holder. But I'm not sure what I would do with any info that resulted from those test except that it would be interesting.
In reloading presses, I doubt there are very many really wrong answers. I like iron or steel "O" frame presses with compound linkage for what I do.
Dillon 550's. I load mostly pistol calibers on mine. The only rifle calibers I load on it are 223 and 308. Oh yeah, and 30 Carbine.
I am a Lee fan and I certainly don’t think Lee equipment is the best in precision for the pursuit of the perfectly loaded cartridge , or long term durability some of the Lee products in my experience work great some not.
For my use (range trips 2 times a week off hand shooting at 7 to 25 yards I don’t shoot any competition)
I get results = to factory ammo with a Lee turret , loadmaster now auto breechlock pro I only load hand gun ammo on these presses . I consider them high value and good enough.
The pursuit of perfection and pride in reloading equipment interesting great extensions of reloading but don’t fit in the “reloading so I can shoot more” that got me started reloading and keeps me reloading.
Lee serves my purpose to each his own.
Apparently I have loaded a lot more rifle calibers on a 550 than most. Here is what I can remember: 204 Ruger, 22 Hornet, .223, 22-250, .243, 25-06, 6.5x55, 7-30 Waters, 284 Win, 30 Carbine, 7.5x55, 30-30, 308, 30-06, 32 Spec, 35 Rem, 8mm Mauser, 45-70, 375 Win, 38-55. All of these are probably only 5 or 6 conversion kits and some additional powder funnels. The press is very versatile and produces great ammo. My dies are Lee, Hornady, RCBS, Pacific, Dillon, and others.
I load very few rifle or pistol rounds on a single stage press.
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 |