Hand Press

[wch]

Which is the best available hand press for loading 22 Hornet?

[smithnframe]

I've used a Lee hand held press to load 45/70. Worked fine and the price was right!

[Tatume]

+1 one on the Lee hand press. It has compound leverage, and works well. After many years of use mine broke, and I promptly bought another. Worth every penny.

[Shawlerbrook]

The Buchanan press sold here in the vendor section looks like a high quality tool. The Lee press also would get the job done, especially for the little Hornet. Or you could go old school with the old Lyman tool. Huntington also made a nice hand press, but they are pricey and hard to find.

[Wayne Smith]

Randy Buchannan's hand press is the best designed and made currently on the market - bar none. This is the specific answer to your question. The Lee is useable, much cheaper, but not nearly as easy to use.

[Tatume]

No doubt the Buchanan hand press is an outstanding machine, and surely worth the $245 purchase price. One day I'd like to have one.

https://buchananprecisionmachine.com/products/buchanan-precision-machine-lnl-hand-reloading-press-with-case

Nevertheless, I stand by my statement that the Lee is worth every penny of the $33 purchase price.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013017453?pid=665540

[Petrol & Powder]

While that Buchanan press looks to be top notch, I have to agree the Lee is where I would have to put my money.

Despite the quality, that price puts it in the territory of some of the best bench mounted presses.

With the rise in prices of the old Lyman/Ideal tools, the Lee is now the value in a hand press. While the Lee setup requires more bits and pieces (but it does use standard dies) it still comes out ahead in terms of total cost.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

For the 22 Hornet, the old Lyman 310 tong tool, if you can find one reasonably priced. The Lee hand press works well and is very low priced. The Lee 'whack 'em' Loader would work if available. I have a Lyman 310, the Lee hand press and an old RCBS/Huntington hand press. The Buchanan hand press is similar to the Huntington Compac press but of much higher quality. If you do not need complete portability, the Lee 'O' frame press works well, is light, inexpensive and could be bolted to a board that you clamp to a desk or table, truck tailgate, picnic table, whatever...The Lee Hand press, Huntingdon Compac press, Buchanan press, and the the Lee 'O' press ALL use standard 7/8-14 dies, should you decide to add other calibers. Enjoy - let your wallet be your guide.

[Themoose]

I have the Buchannon and think it is Rock solid and well crafted. Glad I made the decision to go with it

[LUBEDUDE]

The Buchanan is more versatile in that you can clamp it to a table. There is also the option of the Hornady Lock Out setup for easier die change out.

I have a Buchanan and a Lee. I don’t regret spending the cash for the Buchanan whatsoever.

[Shawlerbrook]

Forgot above the old Lee whack a mole. I made a lot of woodchuck killing 222 back when I was a teenager.

[gwpercle]

Which is the best available hand press for loading 22 Hornet?
" The Best " ? The best hand press is made by member / vendor Randy Buchanan .
It's a work of art and you can load anything with it .
Gary

[Elroy]

I have never used a hand press,but have seen the Lee ,and I don't think I could seat a bullet with one,especially with a case that is filled close to the top.How do you hold the hand press upright,and hold onto the bullet as it goes into the seating die,and work the press? It looks like it would take 3 hands..Lee used to mace a wee little inexpensive alluminum press that would be plenty for the Hornet.I assume they still do.

[Bazoo]

I use a lee hand press often. I would like one if Randy's presses for their strength and versatility. Seating bullets on the lee hand press is easy as long as the case mouth has been flaired. Most everything I load is cast, and everything cast gets the case flaired. When I load jacketed rifle bullets that is not boattailed I generally flair with an M die same as with cast regardless or which press I use (hand or bench).

Now, since I haven't use one of Randy's presses this is just speculation. I can't imagine it would be any easier in the needing three hands department though as it takes two hands to work the action. So the answer there would be boattailed bullets or flaired cases also.

[Tatume]

Neither flared case mouths nor boat tailed bullets are needed to seat bullets with a hand press. It's easy. Try it sometime.

[BeeMan]

I own and use both the Lee and the Buchanan hand presses. I had the Lee for a good 15 years before the Buchanan and used it to batch process both straight wall pistol and small bottleneck rifle brass. Since getting the Buchanan it gets picked over the Lee except when depriming. I'd rather keep the primer grit off the precision Buchanan press. Both will work but the Buchanan feels and handles like a finely crafted tool. The Lee is a good value but is a bit worn now. The wear might matter in precision sizing and seating of a small cartridge like the Hornet, but I load the Hornet on a bench mounted press due to handling the small case and bullets.

[Bazoo]

Neither flared case mouths nor boat tailed bullets are needed to seat bullets with a hand press. It's easy. Try it sometime.

I have a batch of 30-30 coming up and some will be jacketed. I will leave off the M die and try it. I flair them normally as a batch because I load mostly cast, but occasionally do load jacketed. It's been so long now I can't remember if I've tried none flaired cases on the hand press.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have to agree with those above touting the BPM Hand Press, but some would say "I am Biased."

And Thanks for the kind words from supporters who actually bought one, and use it.

It was not designed to be cheap, It was designed to be the best there is, and I would say that it in fact fills that niche.

Not for everyone because it is 5X cost of the Lee Tool.($55 msrp) But when you consider that just the 5 machined aluminum parts alone are 2X the cost of a Lee Press and that's before assembly and all the other stuff required to complete one. There is 37+ parts in total in one of these.

You asked,,, "What is The Best Hand Press available for Loading .22 Hornet?" Well here it is.

254018 254021254024


here's a couple of videos showing it in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEpYQMdnxHY&t=6s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEpYQMdnxHY&t=6s

Available on my Website below.

Randy

[Elroy]

That BPM press looks nice,and is obviously a quality piece.In my opinion the fact that it has a base to stand it upright is very important .

[1hole]

The major advantage to Lee's HandPress is that it uses standard dies and therefore can full length resize while the old 310 Lyman dies and Lee's original hand dies are neck size only. However, Lee's excellent little "Reloader" C press is the same price and working principle as the Handloader and it can be used without all the fumbly hassels of the hand press.

With a deeply respectful tip of the hat to Mr. Buchann and his beautifully made BHP press, I doubt there's any better press for portable work for most of us than Lee's inexpensive little "Reloader". Mount it to a short (2"x4") hardwood board then firmly "C" clamp the board to the edge of a sturdy shooting bench or work table and you're set to work as normal.

[georgerkahn]

wch, yours is indeed a subjective question...like who makes the ;) best pizza? However, I have had/used the Lee, and a couple/three years back purchased the Buchanan. The Buchanan is (imho), to the Lee, comparing a Rolls Royce with a low-end import. Both vehicles will get you there, but...
Shortly after I bought the Buchanan, I machined three caliber-specific "followers" for the Lee, using the tool now to exclusively load nothing other than wax bullets in .357, .44, and .45 cases.
Unfortunately, I do not load for nor shoot the Hornet (wish I did!) -- but the Buchanan works great for .22-250, as well as other calibers. Imho, again, it's a tad on the pricey side when I first looked at it -- but the more one uses it, the less costly per load it becomes. Annnd, it is such a pleasure to use! Bench-rest loading in a hand tool? Yup!
Either of these will do the job for you, and I'm sure there are others on the market you might wish to look into.
BEST!
geo

[Alferd Packer]

I use a lee hand press often. I would like one if Randy's presses for their strength and versatility. Seating bullets on the lee hand press is easy as long as the case mouth has been flaired. Most everything I load is cast, and everything cast gets the case flaired. When I load jacketed rifle bullets that is not boattailed I generally flair with an M die same as with cast regardless or which press I use (hand or bench).

Now, since I haven't use one of Randy's presses this is just speculation. I can't imagine it would be any easier in the needing three hands department though as it takes two hands to work the action. So the answer there would be boattailed bullets or flaired cases also.
In 1995 the LEE hand press sold for 15 bucks from the retail store and half that from the heavy discount volume dealers that could supply you with dies, etc.
The LEE Classic Whack with a plastic mallet were 9.95 all day long in every caliber.
I only bring this up now because the ones available Now at any price, you better grab it Now while it is still available at any price!
I'm too old and have seen things come and go, and so have many other reloading shooters.
So, if you can afford it.Don't waste time.Good investment if it deals with the shooting sports.
Randy's press may look pricey now, but good luck trying to find one later at any price.
Good advice- Good investment.
Really!

[Alferd Packer]

As far as needing three hands, all I do is use a loading block made for ten or twenty shells.
You size and decap

Prime and flare the shell.
Put shells in loading block and powder them and start a bullet in each flared case.
Seating die in press, you just pluck a shell with the bullet standing in case and seat the bullet.
Crimping the case is best done in a separate step.
Where is the third hand needed?
Just my take on the thing.
You can even improve on this.

[Alferd Packer]

One other thing.
Richard Lee was a machinist, engineer, shooter, reloader and a humanitarian who grew up during hard times.
He wanted to make reloading, rolling your own cheap and available to the common man.
Sure, he could have made fancy, heavy duty presses for sale, but they would not have been affordable for the farmer, factory worker, store clerk, etc.
When I see those of you who are able to live comfortably with a quantity of disposable income comparing the quality of LEE reloading tools to more expensive tools, I want to tell you that LEE tools weren't made to be anything but the bare bones needed to reload and keep the price low.
You may be surprised to know that he possessed RCBS rock chucker as well as other make reloading tools for his own use.
Not because he thought the LEE tools were inferior, but because he was constantly comparing his designs to the more expensive in efforts to make them accomplish the same thing using cheaper, but not inferior materials to keep the price low and more affordable.

He loved the shooting sports and shot all the time himself.
He marketed his products and if a better idea popped up, he was quick to incorporate it, as long as it stayed within the guidelines of affordability for the person who only is able to work for low wages, and yet wants to be able to shoot.
It was ok
Way back when he started, but climbing prices of material and people working for him, wanted to raise prices and put out a product that competed with the higher priced reloading gear.
He was in a constant battle to keep things low key and was largely successful all his life.
When I hear anyone knocking LEE reloading tools, I just shake my head and am glad there were people like him who cared.
He is not alone.
But, he is gone, and his family try to keep it going in the same vein.
Anyway, if you are able to afford the higher priced spread, more power to you, but when you compare LEE to the much higher priced tools, remember who it was designed and made for.
The everyday man.
I am proud to say I have a lot of LEE stuff.
Also RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, Redding, MEC, and more names than I can remember , but I started with a LEE 30-06 Classic Hammer the shell when I was Eleven in the Boy Scouts.
Loading lead bullets over a pinch of Bullseye in a 1903 Springfield bolt action rifle.
The scoutmaster was a Farmboy, served in the Korean War. My Dad was a WW2 combat Vet.
All were scraping to get by, but we could still afford to shoot and hunt. Just a LEE loader.
The rest came much later.
LEE is special to a lot of people.
We knew about the other higher priced reloading names, but they were geared for people who were more successful in life.
In my 70's now and still appreciate LEE stuff as well as all the other reloading toolmakers.
Just my point of view.
That's what this thread is all about. Point of view and opinion.

[Alferd Packer]

Oh, and by the way, anything I said on here was not aimed at anyone in particular. These were just general statements about a lot that i have seen, so i hope no one takes any of this personal, cause its not.
I guess that's my disclaimer.staement so i don't expect an answer or comeback.

[Bazoo]

Alferd, thats an important point and I appreciate you sharing.