Speaking of presses...

I'd like to add a second press to my bench. My Lee Challenger press is starting to feel a little sloppy. Due to budget constraints (that means broke) I'm thinking another Lee except the Classic version. It seems to be a bit heavier where it counts.
Input, comments, suggestions, theories, conjecture, innuendos, threats, anyone?... Anyone know of a brand / model that's cheap in price & rich in quality? Comments from personal experiences accepted.

I also looked at the RCBS. Seems like a good strong press, too although it's quite a bit more money.

Frank in Fla.

Are you loading any pistol ammunition? If so I recommend the Lee Classic Turret Press.
If not then the Breech Lock Classic is nice for the money...

Lee replacement parts are not all that expensive. I had a Lee "C" press (I guess it's called "the reloader" now), originally purchased for sizing, then went and installed an RCBS primer pocket swager. After a few thousand rounds swaged, I noticed I had cracked the main casting. A phone call to Lee and I think it was about $15 and I got a new one. (I don't use the new one for swaging, though).

Right now I have the Lee Reloader as well as a Lee Classic (edit: nope, it's an old "Challenger") and a couple of Dillons. I like them all for different reasons. Don't know anything about any other presses, so won't badmouth them either.

Thomae - I already broke the cast pot metal piece that connects the lever handle to the ram once. I was neck sizing and it cracked / snapped in half. A quick call to Lee & they sent me 2 new pieces at no cost.

I think the extra force used in neck sizing has caused things to loosen up a bit. It can still be used for small jobs like pistol bullet seating & brass sizing, etc. I figure before I wear it out beyond usefulness, I'll add a second press for heavier work.

I don't want to spend too much money with business being real slow right now. But, I can't do without my reloading press. I tried to get the wife to skip the mortgage payment this month so I could pick up another press. SHe wouldn't go for it. I wonder where that woman's priorities lie sometimes...

Frank in Fla

FGW, I've had my RCBS since the late seventies and I've had absolutely zero problems with it.For the past several years I have loaded anywhere from 50 to 150 rounds per week with it, and while I was laid up I loaded several thousand rounds for stock pile,same results no problems.
So I would recommend spending a few dollars more and load worry free with a life time warranty.

Mornin' Froggie.

You're one of many I spoke with in the past week that recommend RCBS. I looked at one in a supply store a few days ago & they do look & feel well built. I may end up going that way. Why buy something if it won't be here to put in the will to my grandkids, right?

Thanks for your input....

Frank in Very Wet Rainy Fla.
(Rats!... Can't shoot today)

Ill second cgeorgemo on the classic turret. Very well built. I do not use the turret mode when loading rifle ammo. I take the indexing rod out and just use it as a single stage loading in batches. But i just love leaving all the dies set up so there ready when i need them. And having the extra speed for pistol is nice.

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Originally Posted by fgw_in_fla

Thomae - I already broke the cast pot metal piece that connects the lever handle to the ram once. I was neck sizing and it cracked / snapped in half. A quick call to Lee & they sent me 2 new pieces at no cost.

The same thing happened to me with my Challenger press. It was well beyond the warrantee period and when I called them, they sent me the new design linkage that has replaced the pot metal one. The new one is made of steel.

I think the extra force used in neck sizing has caused things to loosen up a bit. Yup, could be that. Do you lube the ram? There are a lot of sideways forces on it when you press hard. Primer pocket swaging is hard on a press as well. It can still be used for small jobs like pistol bullet seating & brass sizing, etc. I figure before I wear it out beyond usefulness, I'll add a second press for heavier work.

I don't want to spend too much money with business being real slow right now. But, I can't do without my reloading press. I tried to get the wife to skip the mortgage payment this month so I could pick up another press. SHe wouldn't go for it. I wonder where that woman's priorities lie sometimes... Frankly (no pun intended, my friend), I think she is spot on and is looking out for you. She knows that if she skips the mortgage payment, the bank takes the house, and then you have no place to put your reloading press(es). (Plus, you will have to sell your hair to a wig shop to make ends meet. ::) )

Frank in Fla

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I can understand about money being tight.

Have you considered a used press? You can pick up a used RCBS rockchucker if you hunt around. Good value and built like a tank, will literally last several lifetimes. I'm still using mine, bought new in 75 or 76, and it still performs perfectly.

For these reasons I think even at a new press price, it would be an outstanding value.

Just be careful of the Lee Fan Club...

If you 'dis their Lee's, they'll question your manhood.

I have a Lee Classic Cast press that I bought because it will accept the 1 1/4 - 12 dies. This is a heavy piece of equipment. They are pretty reasonably priced if you shop them right. They are usually around $104- plus about $20- shipping. When I ordered mine I ordered the wrong one first. I got the one that has the quick change inserts. I still have that press new in the box. If you want it PM me.

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Originally Posted by Slowpoke Slim

I can understand about money being tight.

Have you considered a used press? You can pick up a used RCBS rockchucker if you hunt around. Good value and built like a tank, will literally last several lifetimes. I'm still using mine, bought new in 75 or 76, and it still performs perfectly.

For these reasons I think even at a new press price, it would be an outstanding value.

Just be careful of the Lee Fan Club...

If you 'dis their Lee's, they'll question your manhood.

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There are a few used RCBS presses on eBay right now that look to be good deals...

Over 40+ years of reloading I have gone through Lyman, Lee, RCBS, and now a Forster CO_AX press it is not cheap but is easy to work and builds accurate ammo. I still use my RCBS and Lyman turret press but not very much and only on smaller cases. I would get rid of all of them before the Forster would go.

just replaced my Lee Challenger with a Lee Classic Breech - world of difference in the two. The new Classic cast is a well made beast.

Frank,

I like turret and semi-progressive presses. But I have an older RCBS JR single stage press for large caliber work (.45-70, 7mm RUM, .50 Beowulf.)

I know many people who have reloaded many rounds on the LEE turret presses. As has been stated, the LEE products are made to a price point and typically aren't as strong as some of the other presses - they will wear out sooner. That is not to say you won't get your money's worth out of them. It also depends how much you will reload on it & what calibers.

The LEE Classic 4-station turret goes for about $100, the Lyman T-Mag 2 6-station turret is about $150, RCBS has a 6-station turret for about $200, & the Redding T-7 7-station turret is about $275. The higher prices, in this case, means you are getting a higher quality/stronger product.

Check some auction sites and see what you can come up with.

Seems like a lot of y'all like the Lee turret press. I have to say the one thing I really, really like about the Lee press is the breach - lock set up. Set it & forget it... except when you need to adjust a FS die to tighten up some brass. Otherwise I really like that feature. I just wish they'd (Lee) make their presses a little more meatier.
I guess I need to have a look at the turret press by Lee. Without the breach - lock set up, how do y'all set up your dies. Screw them in & out and use the lock ring to set depth? I may be just a little too lazy for that although, I guess I could get used to it if I had a press I could lean into without worrying about something breaking & me going on my A5s :o :o :o

Thanks for everyones input. It's most appreciated. Although I'd like to drop a few hundred on a new TIGHT press, I suppose I'll muddle along and look at the RCBS stuff and the Lee turret stuff.

Thanks again,

Frank in Fla.

I load for a lot of calibers and because of that I bought the Lee Classic Turret. It is strong and replacing turrets is a snap. I now have more money invested in extra turrets than I have in the press. I have five turrets set up for handgun ammo with one caliber per turret and six turrets set up with two sets of rifle dies per turret. Makes for a really quick change.

Hitch - That was going to be my next stoopid question.... Do you keep extra turrets - One for each operation / caliber. Beside the dies required, what can I expect to spend per turret? Do the turrets have the breach lock hole or are they threaded for standard dies?

In spite of everything, you gotta like the breach lock set up & from what y'all are telling me, the turret press can support my "boyish" figure of 210 lbs. leaning on it to neck size & such.

So far, its come down to RCBS or stay with Lee & look at the turret set up. I guess I need to do a little catalog shopping & go without lunch this week so I can pick up another press. I just finished neck sizing 40 pcs of 30.06 brass. If I don't anneal it first, it's too hard to push on the press handle & I'm concerned it's gonna break.....again. :o If my press breaks, then I have to watch TV with my 'ol lady & drive her crazy by making comments about the soap operas she watches.
Buying another press could save my relationship from going south!!! ;D Guess I'll get my wife's credit card & go shopping Monday!

Thanks, for everbody's input.
Going shooting before the rain comes back....
Frank in Fla

I use a lot of Lee dies and a lot of people do not like the rubber o-ring that locks the die. It can shift and cause problems. Once I removed my Lee .223 sizer from my old Rockchucker press and didn't get the Lee set just right. The cases did not want to cycle in my son's AR 15. The o-ring lockup was designed by Lee for their turrets, so all works well.

Since I load for 5 pistol calibers and at least 12 rifle calibers, I made the choice to buy the Lee Classic Turret press and extra 4 hole turrets. Now I have 2 sets of rifle dies adjusted correctly in each turret. It is simple to turn the turret about 1/16 of a turn and they pop right out. The convenience is a real time saver and there is no chance of getting the dies out of adjustment.

And the Lee Classic turret press is an absolute brute. It is at least as strong as the RCBS.

I spend about $9 for an extra turret base and I've got one for each of the callibers that I load in high quantity.
In the past I've used some locking rings from Hornady on my dies no matter what brand. On the turret press however I can't get the lock rings to work on all the dies because the rings are too large for the distance between dies so I stagger the types of lock ring I use. Hornady then Lee then Hornady and Lee again.

The newer locking rings from RCBS fit pretty well. Lee's were smaller from the beginning because they were selling turret presses. Over time I have bought ten extra turrets, so now I have 5 set up for handgun and 6 set up for rifle. That makes 17 calibers without unscrewing a die.

I'm not a big fan of Redding dies, but I bought a T7 turret press three years ago and I love it. I had a RCBS Jr for 30 odd years before that and it was flawless. I gave it to a buddy to get him started handloading. Never been around the Lee Turret but many like them.

Frank,
Redding T-7, Redding T-7, Redding T-7 Redding T-7. Best turret press I have ever had. Progressives, Dillon 550 I prefer it over my 650
best regards,
Grit

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Originally Posted by MikeCTX

just replaced my Lee Challenger with a Lee Classic Breech - world of difference in the two. The new Classic cast is a well made beast.

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+1... also had replaced my Classic Breech with the newer Classic Case with Breech lock feature. Great press.... (yes - it's a beast)

Just got through making a batch of bullets with my Lee classic cast turret and lee reloader for depriming, its a pleasure using these machines, I recommend the classic cast turret to anyone.

So.... ah, Grit.... Have you ever heard of a Redding T-7?
I hear there's folks out there that swear by it....

Gotta wait on the new press anyway. I have my reloading area / room under construction..... again.

It seems that bench top space just seems to vanish! I don't understand it. Hey... wait a minute. Who put all this stuff up here on the bench? :o :o ::) ::)
I should have it done by weeks end. I need more elbow room so I'm setting it up for brass cleaning on one end & powder / pressing on the other. And the addiction grows stronger....

Thanks for your input guys. Gotta go back to work.

Frank in Fla. ;)

Frank, Sorry I came late to this thread.

You have received many good recommendations and if you have not yet purchased a press, my comments might help provide some direction.
My current two presses are the Forster Co-Ax and a Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock Single Stage. Both are excellent presses and I can't honestly say I prefer one over the other except that the Co-Ax probably has the best spent primer retreival system in the entire industry. You mentioned in one of your posts that you "...wished Lee made their presses a little meatier..." I'll tell ya' my friend that the Lee Classic Cast press is a cast iron brute made right here in the good ole' USA. I can't imagine anybody breaking any part of this press during "normal" use in any of the regular reloading/sizing operations. Some users have reported breaking the hollow steel handle while doing full length sizing on large cartridges (those in the .338/50 BMG) range but even these cases are rare and the handle is easily and inexpensively replaced.

I currently use only the Co-Ax for seating bullets but am having some "issues" trying to achieve consistent Base to Ogive lengths on my reloads. I won't go into those details here. However, in my search for the "perfect" reloaded round I will soon (budget constraints) be ordering a Redding Big Boss II press and use it and the Lee to manufacture some rounds to determine if the PRESS really does make a difference in the consistency of the finished round.

I have a FEELING that if I were to place 60 identical rounds in three different boxes with each box containing only those rounds from one press, a "regular" reloader would have a difficult time determining which of those boxes came from which of those presses.
I have that much faith in the quality of my Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock Cast Iron Single Stage press.

I am unfamiliar with the various turret presses.

Frank,


The Lee Classic (cast) now sports the breech-lock system. (just FYI)

John & jhelmuth -
Thanks for the heads up on that. To be honest, I've had my good eye on a Lee Classic press that I saw at my local supply shop. It's brand new, in the box & he'll let it go for $110. I know the price is pretty good but, I've been a little sidetracked by a certain Edge 25-05.

Now that I have a new caliber / rifle that I'm growing to love more & more each day (Kinda reminds ya of being young & in love again, don't it?)..... I'm doing alot of neck sizing - again & I really do not want to break that connector part on my Lee Challenger. I broke the miserable thing TWICE already. I don't wanna go for 3 outta 3.


Thanks again for the info.

Frank in Fla.

Frank,

Save yourself a lot of stress and get the Classic, it is a much stronger design, no need to baby it.

'preciate the info.

Thanks ;)

I hope to be setting it up on the bench in the next few days. Just waiting on that next draw on the project.....

Frank in Fla

For the most part the press matters very very little in relation to the finished product. Some have some advantages that make them easier and more friendly to use but the ammo quality mostly comes down to dies and how you operate the press.

I've reloaded ammo on everything from lee single stages to dillon 1050's and everything in between. A basic single stage press are all pretty similiar.

FWIW my Dillon 550 loads more consistent rounds than my Forster CO-AX did.

rrflyer, I am not surprised that your Dillon 550 loads more consistent rounds than your Co-Ax.

FWIW, I use only Redding and Forster Competition Seating Dies for that phase of the process and attempt to make all my procedures as precise and consistent as humanly possible.

None of my efforts are geared toward making a more accurate hunting round. My interest is only to make the best rounds I am capable of producing with the equipment I use. Then being able to shoot five shot groups making only one hole in the target.

For me, most of the joy of handloading is in the process. One hole, five shot groups would be icing on the cake.

Not by much. I use Forster benchrest dies as well in both presses. I loaded 100 rounds of 260 on each and (without my notes) the coax averaged .0015 runout using a Sinclair concentricity guage while the dillon was in the .0012ish range. Identical for all practical purposes I guess.

Length measured with hornadys ogive tool was spot on for both as was how far I set the shoulders back.

I use a chargemaster to drop the powder charge for both.

I shoot my 260 to 1,000 on a regular basis and occasionally beyond.


I however hate reloading so anything I can do to speed it up I will.