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Which Press is right for me? The Answer.

54K views 102 replies 40 participants last post by  Dallas53 
#1 ·
Which Reloading Press is Right for Me?

This is one of the most asked questions out there. Just like which pistol or rifle is right for me. There are many factors to take into account and we are going to examine them in this thread. I would like this to be a learning experience for all. This is not for the “My press is better than your press because mine cost X dollars”.

I have been loading for about 22 years now. I have loaded on single stage and progressive I have loaded Rifle, pistol, revolver and black powder. I have loaded from 22 hornet all the way up to 45-70 both smokeless and black powder loads.

Let’s look at some of the factors we need to determine your press.
1. How much do you shoot?
2. How much do you have to spend?
3. What are you loading for?
4. How long have you been shooting?
5. Are you just testing the waters or you know you’re going to reload?
6. What is your mechanical ability?

How much and what calibers you shoot determine a lot about your press. If you shoot nothing but pistol ammo and you shoot a lot of one load then maybe a small progressive is for you to start out with. I prefer to have people start on single stage presses. Let’s face it though loading pistol ammo on a single stage is boring and SUCKS. You have to resize and deprime. Then you flare the case mouth then you seat and many people prefer to crimp in an extra step. That’s a lot of die changing and stop and starting for a beginner. A guy that just goes to the range and is looking for the best accuracy is going to be more suited by using a single stage where you go slow take your time trickling your powder till it is perfect every time.

Money let’s face it this is the single biggest factor in the equipment you buy. If you have little disposable income do not feel bad for buying a cheaper Lee classic cast press. Once you get going you can pop it on ebay or here and someone will buy it at or near the price you paid for it. A reloading press is like money in a savings account. If you have the wealth to plop down the green for a full on Dillon XL650 set up with case feeder and all the goodies then by all means get that. The nice thing about many of the progressives you can use them as a single stage as well.
What are you loading for? If you are loading small batches of precision rifle ammo then a high quality single stage like the Forester Co-Ax press may be for you. Someone shooting IPSC on the weekends is not going to want to waste time changing dies and what not with the amount of ammo they burn up. So they are going to look at a Dillon, Hornady , RCBS or Lee progressive loader for speed. Bottle neck cartridges do not require as many steps in the press to load them as pistol ammo does.

How long have you been shooting? This goes to part of the equation for me in that the longer you have been shooting the more you know your firearms and what goes into making them go bang and not BOOM. Plus a person that picked up a Springer XD last week may not need the reloading set up that a guy with a dozen different rifles and 2 dozen pistols is going to need. This is a smaller part of the equation but is still a part of it in my eyes.

Are you sure that no matter what you are going to keep reloading? Or do you just want to test the waters and see what it offers you in terms of performance fun? Reloading ammo can be as simple or complex as you want it. If you are not sure and want a set up that is low cost and can maybe grow with you then that is what you should look for. Don’t feel bad if you are a testing the water loader. Many people just don’t like it or just don’t have the time and money to commit to reloading. Please just remember one thing you’re NOT going to save a single dime. The money you save will go right back into buying more supplies or equipment. If you are reloading to see a savings then you’re loading for the wrong reasons.

Mechanical ability unfortunately not everyone can tear down a firearm or small block chevy and know how to put them back together. Loading is the same way it takes some kind of mechanical ability to produce quality accurate safe ammunition. At least I think it does. Progressive presses take more than single stage presses as well. You have every operation going on at one time on a progressive vs 1 operation at a time on the single stage.
 
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#81 ·
Greg, my JR2 is a 1969 version, an the RS is a 1977 version. both have the ram linkage like that pictured in your first picture, the JR. they have cast on one side "RCBS" and "JR2" and "RS" on the other. if they didn't have the model number cast into them, they would be almost identical. the opening size is the same as well. the only real difference is the handle grip. the JR2 has simple plain black one and the RS has ribbed and fingered green one like a bicycle grip. the 1969 JR2 was given to me by my father many years ago. he bought it brand new. the 1977 RS i bought at a garage sale in the late 1980's best i remember with a bunch of other stuff.

so going by your pictures and descriptions, then neither of mine have the compound linkage.

thank you for providing the link. i'll save it to my favorites.
 
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#82 ·
Greg, my JR2 is a 1969 version, an the RS is a 1977 version. both have the ram linkage like that pictured in your first picture, the JR. they have cast on one side "RCBS" and "JR2" and "RS" on the other. if they didn't have the model number cast into them, they would be almost identical. the opening size is the same as well. the only real difference is the handle grip. the JR2 has simple plain black one and the RS has ribbed and fingered green one like a bicycle grip. the 1969 JR2 was given to me by my father many years ago. he bought it brand new. the 1977 RS i bought at a garage sale in the late 1980's best i remember with a bunch of other stuff.

so going by your pictures and descriptions, then neither of mine have the compound linkage.

thank you for providing the link. i'll save it to my favorites.
Interesting. I learned something. Did a quick search after reading your post. Seems the JR3 and the RS are the same press, just renamed. Downloaded the operator manual and RCBS titled it the JR 3 or R.S.

From what I read, it seems the RS2 added the compound linkage, and the RS3 was when they changed to aluminum.

Thanks!
 
#85 · (Edited)
Not really true.
Like most high quality tools I own I bought it used and cheap off of Craigs List. For the most part I pay less for that equipment than the cheap guys pay for their new Lee stuff.
Few people really use their equipment hard. They use it a little for a year two and eventually get rid of it. So I get stuff that is like new for half price to 25% of new. That is how I wound up with so many tools. Many of the tools are just extras when some guy sold me everything when all I really wanted was his brass. Some of this was inherited from a friend when he died.

To sum it up
Reloading is supposed to be a more economical way to ammo for me. I buy most brass once fired. All my equipment is bought for less than what you pay new. I never over pay so I can make a profit on any thing I sell. I buy bullets from guys that sell out of reloading. About all I buy new is powder and primers.

But if you want to over pay for cheap stuff it is ok with me.


There are far cheaper presses than harrell that will do the same thing.
But hey, its your money, overspend all you wish..!
 
#86 ·
Not really true.
Like most high quality tools I own I bought it used and cheap off of Craigs List. For the most part I pay less for that equipment than the cheap guys pay for their new Lee stuff.
Few people really use their equipment hard. They use it a little for a year two and eventually get rid of it. So I get stuff that is like new for half price to 25% of new. That is how I wound up with so many tools. Many of the tools are just extras when some guy sold me everything when all I really wanted was his brass. Some of this was inherited from a friend when he died.

To sum it up
Reloading is supposed to be a more economical way to ammo for me. I buy most brass once fired. All my equipment is bought for less than what you pay new. I never over pay so I can make a profit on any thing I sell. I buy bullets from guys that sell out of reloading. About all I buy new is powder and primers.

But if you want to over pay for cheap stuff it is ok with me.
and just what is wrong with Lee Equipment?

you really come off as brand snob to me. i have several sets of Lee dies and they turn out just as accurate ammo as my more expensive RCBS dies.

and i wholeheartedly recommend people searching Ebay and Craigslist looking for deals on used reloading equipment, but i use to scour our local Craigslist listings and very, very seldom would see any reloading equipment for sale. so if i had to rely upon Craigslist to outfit myself for reloading, i wouldn't be reloading right now!

and i'm kind of curious as to your intents and motivations of joining this forum. is it to share information and learn, or to criticize and toot your own horn as to how great you are? because much of what comes across in your posts is arrogance and a condescending attitude of a person with poor people skills. just an observation personally!

but i'm human and i have been wrong before and i sometimes make mistakes. after all i don't consider myself perfect like some people!
 
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#87 ·
I scour Craigslist and find gems like this:
https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/spo/d/lee-precision-shotshell/6386029343.html

$55 for a press that can be bought new and shipped to your doorstep for $60 (or less), with a possibility of return.

I don't believe a complete collection of quality reloading equipment and gear is being bought at 25%-50% off new prices via Craigslist - at least not in a few month period, and not without racking up some mileage in that "not free to drive" car.
 
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#89 ·
I scour Craigslist and find gems like this:
https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/spo/d/lee-precision-shotshell/6386029343.html

$55 for a press that can be bought new and shipped to your doorstep for $60 (or less), with a possibility of return.

I don't believe a complete collection of quality reloading equipment and gear is being bought at 25%-50% off new prices via Craigslist - at least not in a few month period, and not without racking up some mileage in that "not free to drive" car.
i suggest searching Craigslist, but my "local" Craigslist area covers a few hundred square miles! so if i have to drive 150 miles one way to buy something, by the time i factor in the cost of fuel, just how much did i save? maybe not that much! and used reloading equipment very seldom shows up on our local listings.

now i have gotten some really decent deals on used stuff on Ebay though. i factor in their shipping costs to see if it beats what i can buy it for new. then if it does and the seller has a good rating, then i'll buy it.

but i buy a lot of reloading equipment and components from MidwayUSA and Midsouth. they have some decent pricing on their stuff.
 
#88 ·
Fast, cheap, accurate (quality). Pick any 2. If the tools are really bargain priced and good quality, that means they weren't acquired fast - in reality "deals" are rare, and if a "deal" is found, I doubt time and vehicle expenses are factored in - at least not when bragging.

I made a firearm trade that required about 2 hours of driving (each way, so 4 hours total). It would be easy for me to brag about how astute of a trader I am, and neglect to mention I spent $120 in gas and depreciation to pull it off. Plus, if I put $10 an hour on my time, there's another $40 chip-in.

Same logic applies to reloading gear. Aquiring it used is not free.
 
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#93 · (Edited)
So your bragging is superior to everyone else's bragging? Who says time has to be factored in? If you buy something new you also spend time shopping for it. If purchased from a store you have time and mileage too. So what is your beef?
Where did you get the idea I acquired my loading equipment fast and why would fast be a criteria. It is not a race. I have been acquiring loading tools for almost 50 years.
 
#90 ·
"I never over pay so I can make a profit on any thing I sell."
This is a gem. My hobby is buying, fixing, and reselling things. I fund my gun money almost exclusively by doing this. Over the past 4-5 weeks, I've made enough to buy a new AR-15 with a Vortex Strike Eagle. In short, I buy and sell a lot.

I don't screw up often, and research before I buy - and I can honestly say, "I have overpayed" on occassion.

The crew on this site are seasoned and not easily impressed with delusions of grandeur and BS.
 
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#94 · (Edited)
Does that mean that you think you are the only diligent shopper in the country?
I can say that I do not over pay. The Harrells press was picked up while running an errand and the seller met me on the frontage road of the interstate.
So don't kid yourself. You are not the only one who tracks prices on the internet.
I have been buying stuff at gun shows for about 40 years and off of ebay more than 15 years. I have also bought a lot of stuff from forum classified ads and gun broker too. So go ahead and brag if you enjoy wasting your time.



"I never over pay so I can make a profit on any thing I sell."
This is a gem. My hobby is buying, fixing, and reselling things. I fund my gun money almost exclusively by doing this. Over the past 4-5 weeks, I've made enough to buy a new AR-15 with a Vortex Strike Eagle. In short, I buy and sell a lot.

I don't screw up often, and research before I buy - and I can honestly say, "I have overpayed" on occassion.

The crew on this site are seasoned and not easily impressed with delusions of grandeur and BS.
 
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