buying a reloader? help.

B

bigeddie

Guest
first thanks for great info in other posts
now for the serious business, ive never owned a reloader, but i intend to very soon, any recommendations or dont recommend? i intend to reload mostly magnums, 338 lapua 300 win 264 win and maybe a few smaller such as 250 and 22-250, i was thinking of using redding, and then single stage or turret? not sure yet if ill ever shoot competition, but would like to shoot 1000m with the big guns just for practice. and at that rate cant seem to justify not reloading if not just for cost of ammo, but id really like to see how hand made ammo shoots. thanks
 
Presses and such

Stick with a single stage for certain until you learn the basics. Any of the packaged setups will work fine for the basic reloader. RCBS Rockchuker, Redding Boss, Hornady L-N-L, Lyman will all do what you need. Get a good manual, Sierra is good, and read it a couple of times before you even unbox the press. Then when you open the box...read it again. If you have anybody in your area that reloads, call them and ask if you could come over and learn a thing or two. Most guys that reload love to help others get started.

Any questions just give a shout.

Rob
 
I'd recomend the redding big boss 2 press.It has more room for the big magnums than the rock chucker,but thats just my 2 cents worth
 
find a mentor, read all the manuls you can find and NEVER go over printed charge weights
 
Like everyone said read a lot. A lot of used single stage presses (cheap) can usely be found by posting a message at your local club. I have a bonaza co-ax that I bought new over 25 years ago that still serves me very well.
 
Mark IV

The Co-Axle is really great for the large cases like the .338 L.:)
 
From the chamberings you have mentioned I'd guess you are not loading match ammunition.

If you can afford the cost, get the Redding turret press. Get a couple of extra interchangable heads so that once you get your dies set up you never have to mess which them again. Set up properly it will load perfectly good hunting and varminting ammunition and to be perfectly honest it will even produce very good match level ammunition. Just keep in mind I said set up properly.

Not as good as in-line dies like the Wilsons but then not much else is exactly that good. Single stages are next best but if you are shooting lots of chamberings constantly changing out dies begins to suck, even with the Lock-n-Load. Easier to change out a head for a turret press and you could keep two cartridges worth of dies on one head.
 
I agree with Rust

I have 2 Redding T-7 turret presses with a number of heads. I reload for a number of different rifle cases - justs makes it easier. Midway sells them.

Runs about $250
 
well i'll piss off the troops. dont buy a single stage press!
most of the people on this and most other sites learned on single stage press BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THE AVERAGE SHOOTER.
times have changed.
( yes you can learn on a single stage)
ever wonder why there are so many single stage presses on the used market ?......."cause people move up( or out).

i owned three progessives and a turret years before i bought my first single stage press.....for benchrest shooting...lol.

as others have said, read first, , talk to a local, buy last.

since you have a couple of long rounds, make sure any press you buy will handle the length.
my suggestion is a dillon 550b. it has the ability to be used as a single operation till you learn the process. then can be used to produce one loaded round on every cycle of the handle......efficiency...and accuracy in one package.
ohh and retains more value than any other product on the market.

mike in co
 
Mike in Co

Mike
How much slop in those turret presses you mentioned and is it consistant?
Lynn
 
Lynn said:
Mike
How much slop in those turret presses you mentioned and is it consistant?
Lynn
Click to expand...

all
first the gentleman said NOT benchrest....so production tools should be fine.

do this one at a time.

first press is a lee three hole turret top. very flexible, never checked consistancy or lack there of. no issues with typical handgun ammo, but too flexible for benchrest.

second press is a lyman american, 6 hole top turret. older model again great though not as accurate as the ones with improved turret support. should be fine for all....neck sizing his mag cases....full length sizing..i do not know.

the third and fourth are dillon 550's. rotating shell plate. while i currently use wilson inline seaters for both my 308win br and my 6ppc, i started with redding and bonnaza br dies and these presses. i still do my 223 br ammo on these presses(0.19x ). they produce very consistant ammo PERIOD. checked on a neco case gage. i use a single postion on the shell plate( i numbered them). there is play in the die holder, but by camming over just a little, consistancy is easy. the only issue with the dillon's was portability. i still preload, but started buying equiptment to load at the range.( i use it as a big single stage, four position press for br, but they crank out when used as designed).

mike in co

mike in co
 
The amount of "slop" doesn't matter as long as the result is repeatable.

There are a few things I've quite doing over the last few years, and more than a few gadgets gathering dust on the bench as a result. First and foremost is I've quit neck turning. It sure hasn't hurt since I've actually done better but that may be due to getting a little practice as much as anything. Bottom line is no fall of in results.

No more powder throwers. Since figuring out how to set up a Chargemaster to be repeatable I haven't thrown a charge in two years.

No more bushing dies. A reamer that is dimensioned to work with the sizing die (or vice versa) and some judicious annealing work just fine.

As long as the loaded rounds are the same, the rifle doesn't care what you loaded them on.
 
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