Was wondering what everyones favorite press is. I Use an old Lyman All American turret that I bought 30 odd years ago new for $35. That was a lot of money back then, but I never regreted it. I was useing a CH c press at the time. When it broke in half sizeing military brass I decided to move up to something stronger. The only proublem now is finding J shell holders. There is a guy that has a table at the local gun show that always has a used All American or two for sale, sometimes never used. He also has shell holders and other parts. I think the next show I'm going to get extra priming punches for mine. He is the just about the only guy that has something I can use for a fair price. I have gotten quite a few moulds off of him. LBT's and Nei's for $40, Ly RCBS, Saeco from $20 to $35. Anyhow back to presses. For pistol ammo I use a Lee loadmaster. Somedays I love it other days I feel like taking a sleadge hammer to it. One thing about Lee is their customer service and guarantee its one of the best. Someday I hope to find a Dillon 550 I can afford. At present I have 2 star lubesizers with .429, .357, .308 dies. I could use .310 and .323 or .325,maybe Oggie will have some at the next show. I use either Ly 45 or 450 for rifle bullets now but like the idea of nose first sizeing. Would like to hear other views.

Pb head

no such thing as favorite. depends on what i'm doing. 44 rem mag is loaded on a dillon 550 as i go thru it fairly quickly. 357 and 38 spec is also loaded on the dillong but not shot or loaded often. almost all other cast loading is done by hand with lee handloaders. i have them in almost every caliber i shoot. no shaved lead or lube build up clogging dies and changing your oal length. work great with cast boolits. only one that is a problem is 7.62x54r. lee made it for 308 dia bullets and does not worth with chit with 313plus dia boolits. i use redding and rcbs dies in the lee turret for that one. i prime all cases with lee hand priming tools. i use a lyman turret, a lee turret, two dillon 550s and a mec jr. three small midway and one large midway vibrator case cleaners.
for the record i have never used a single stage press. in cast boolits i think just use the tool that does the job. most my cast loads are only 20 to 50 at a time, so the hand loaders work fine

For what it's worth...Lee "Ram-Prime" single loaded is what I prime cases with. Got a Forster case trimmer hooked up to my electric drill for that stuff. Use an old Lyman Turret press to load. Use the press mounted Lee sizers to seat gas checks & size. Have a Mec 600 Jr. to load shotgun shells. Melt my lead on a Coleman stove. All seems a little makeshift at times but works well. When I win that lottery & the kids are thru college, maybe time to upgrade!

Pb Head....my favorite's a Rockchucker...got two. Ohaus beam scales. RCBS Pro Melt and a Lyman #450 sizer.

I used an old Lymna Comet until about 10 years ago and then switched to the RCBS because the Lyman was getting pretty long in the tooth. Still reloaded good though./beagle

The All-American is also my favorite machine. My first one was bought new around 1967-8, and still serves me daily. I bought another A-A (used) some months ago which is mounted on the bench in Der Schuetzenwagen for "portable handloading".

Lyman has an adaptor for using RCBS/Pacific style shellholders in the All-American, and the only extra needed is new "Special-T" priming posts, also available from Lyman. These are different due to the additional length needed to get through the adaptor and the new shellholder. The whole conversion only costs about $20, I think.

My Rockchucker and Dillon 550b get lots of use too, but the main effort seems to get done on the A-A.

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

Favorite, but no longer most used alot is an RCBS Jr I bought eons ago at a garage sale for twenty bucks. And a Lyman 450 at a sale for same. Load mostly now on a Rockchucker, Lee Turret for pissola, and a MEC VersaMec (Jr or 700 or sumthin), the one that was made only one year that had serial number on foil label. My bench is nondiscriminatory by color, but not by function! Also have another RC, a Ly Orange Crusher, a second Lee Turret, another 450, 2 RCBS Lubriszers, a Swage-O-Matic, uh, uh,.... Scales are Dillon dTerminator and balance beams by Redding, RCBS, Lyman. Powder dumps by Lee, Lyman, RCBS, and one more I don't premember. Everthang with a purpose or out the door (unless saving to put a bench together for one of the young'uns). sundog

Dillon 550

Dillon 550B for the 45acp only. Rockchucker for everything else. RCBS 4 station dies for all pistol cases, except for the 4 station 45acp Dillon dies. All priming is done with the Lee updated old style, one primer at a time, with no tray attatchment. Custom Bonanza dies on the shelf for each rifle having a scope. Handheld knockout dies for the BR gun. If I were doing it over again, I'd get Dillon 4 station dies for all pistol calibers. Else, modify existing dies by putting a very strong chamfer on the bottom of each die. That would take a diamond studded cloth. ... felix

Pb Head, I use a Dillon 550B for pistol and rifle using large primers. My Dillon 650XL is for pistol and rifle with small primers. (I hate changing the primer assembly).

For the occasional reloading of small quantities of oddball calibers (ie a few 30-40 Krag for a friend) I use an old Herters C style press. My powder scale is an old Herters that only goes to about 300 grains.

My hope is to have a total of 4 Dillon presses, one each for small rifle, small pistol, large rifle, large pistol. Two more Star Lubers besides the two I already have would be nice also.

BTW, on my 550B, I load 45 ACP, 30-06, 35 Whelen, and 8 x 57, all with the same shell plate. Turbo

Favorite? Prob'ly Lyman 310 tool, it's what I started with. Most used? Hard to tell, I've got a Lyman SparT 6 hole turret press set up all the time. Just replaced the older SparT with a newer (used) one. The old one is going to one of the kids. Have 2 Tru-line juniors set up all the time, one in 30-30, the other in 38-357. RCBS Jr. press set up all the time does the Lee push thru duty and some rifle loading. I broke my Rockchucker. It's sitting under the workbench 'til I get around to seeing if RCBS'll fix it. I throw powder with RCBS or Lyman 55's or home made scoops. Powder scale is my first, an old Redding standard. Shotgun? Lee Loaders in 410 and 20 ga. Lee Loadall 20 ga. and Mec 600 Jr. 12 ga. I melt lead for casting on an old barbecue side burner in a heavy duty cooking pot with a working capacity of over 20#. Boolit sizing with Lee and old Lyman push thru's. Just recently got a Lyman 450 and am rounding up size dies I need. Regards, Woody

things i missed.....rcbs 10-10 scale(just a backup), dillon d-terminator for scaling brass, bullets and boolits, lyman/ohaus m5 for wieghed powder, ohaus 2610 triple beam for really big jobs.
three dillon powder measures, two rcbs one large/one small chamber both with micro adjusters.

two 10 lb lee pots, an rcbs pro melt and just got a turkey propane burner for lead recycling.

dies from everyone...bonanza, lyman, pacific, rcbs,dillon, redding,lee, hornady, and eagle.....
( i started with a block of wood, a small hammer , lee load book first edition, and a lee handloader in 222 rem...........)
.....

After wearing out a C-H super C (aluminum, $12 new in 1960)I used an RCBS Jr. for many years. The Jr. got a little wobbly, so I wrote RCBS and asked if it needed replacement, as I was thinking about moving up to a Rockchucker. They sent me a Reloader Special FREE and had only my word to show that I even had one of their presses. The Reloader Special does all my rifle loading and the few .38 Specials I need. Guess I may never buy that Rockchucker. The old Jr. is still being used by a friend of mine who gave me a leaking Lyman 450 in exchange. I sent the 450 to Lyman for repair and they sent me a FREE new 450. Sometimes I wonder how the reloading manufacturers stay in business! The only high volume loading I do is .45 ACP, which my Dillon Square Deal handles. If I come up with a .44 Magnum pistol to go with my Marlin 1894 I'll have to think about another Dillon, or at least a .44 conversion for the Square Deal. I am still a proud member of the ladle casting mossback brotherhood, and use the same Coleman stove that has turned out a lot of camp meals. I am not entirely resistant to new things, I am looking forward to Friday, when my new RCBS lead thermometer should arrive from Midway. Judging alloy temperature by what shade of red the Coleman grill bars turn has become a PITA! Regards, curmudgeon

my favorite reloading press is my old heavy built cast BAIR PRESS from neb. it was a gift from my brother in law and it's built like a tank.

Dillon 550b is my favorite.
My first reloading experience was .45ACP with 550b, it was the best progressive I could afford, but the Redding Ultramag, single stage, called my attention because of its strength, it looked very robust in the brochure and ram excerts the load on the head of the press, beside the die hole.

Afterwards ,I commenced reloading .40 S&W, which requires to full size cases frecuently, so, I built a press which excerts the load in the head, like the Ultramag, by welding steel sheet pieces. Ram and die holes were drilled in a lathe by a machinist. I added it a device for working in three load-displacement relationships.

I full size 9 mm cases and also lend it to a friend of mine for swagging lead bullets.

Dillon 550b is my favorite in terms of reloading capability, but the single stage has all my fondness.

BA Shooter

On my bench is a Redding turrent and an RCBS Rockchucker. Waiting to be added is a Herters super U3. I have an old Hollywood powder measure and a newer Redding. The scale is an RCBS beam. I have three Lymans 450 sizers plus an old Lyman 45.

Watch for a heavy-duty Lee press. Solid cast, and able to take that mil-surp resizing. I dunno any specifics, but given Lee's track record, it will be at least a match for a Rock Chucker, and a whole lot less expensive.

I'm a Dillon/Lee guy, my own self. I've got the RCBS single-stage sitting there, but the multi-stages get used the most.

Favorite? RCBS Partner.

Its mounted on a portable stand- real convienent. You shouldn't use it to swage bullets though... both the handle and the rear bolt boss will break. I didn't try to order parts; I was afraid RCBS would send me a new one. Now I swage with the Rockchucker

Most used? The cheap Lee turret with the auto rotate feature disconnected. Mainly pistol and .223/ 7.62x39mm "shoot 'em up" rounds.

BH

Two Lyman Spart "T" turrets with Redding powder measures, a CH Auto Champ with .38 and .45 dies and 3 shotshell presses 2 Mecs in 12 & 20 and an old Redding single stage 12,20,.410. Nick

Hollywood sr. press. Redding beam balance and rotary powder measure. All were made some time before 1956 and have been in use since by me. They are in better shape than I am and totally functional.

Two RCBS rockchuckers, one with the piggyback set up on it for handgun and .223 ammo and .30 carbine. Also have a little Lee hand press for odd jobs and mount it in a woodworkers vice to make it bench mounted. Works good for light duty stuff like the Lee Ram Prime. Two RCBS powder measures, RCS scales (2), one RCBS and one Lyman Lube sizer. Have a 20 and 10 lbs. bottom pour pots and a little bitty Lyman, can't figure what its good for. MEC650 12 ga and 600 Jr's in 20, 28 and 410 ga's. Bought a Lee aniversery kit from Midway when they were on sale. Mounted it to one of their reloaders stands. I leave it at our lake house to put in the Explorer to take to the range there for load development. Worked out to be rather handy. Got some other junk that is not used often or at all. Got it in trades swaps ect over the last 35 years.

woods

Favorite press is the Lyman Tru-line Junior, but the most used (larger die selection) is a Rock Chucker given me by a now deceased friend. Also on or under the benches: Redding Model 1 and Model 3 (I think) scales; Lyman Accumeasure and Lyman 55 and Redding rotary type measures; Lyman 45 (two) and RCBS lubrisizers; some Lee push through sizers; WTA push through sizer with interchangable bushings. Did I stray too far from the intent of this thread? Love those garage sales!

Ernie

Reading this thread, I noticed that quite a few knowlegable and experienced reloaders are using Lee presses for specialized applications. I do so myself.

Confirms my opinion that the Lee bashers just don't know what they are talking about. I have a Rockchucker for the heavy work, but loading with just one press is doing things the hard way. Even the cheapest Lee works fine for stuff like priming, seating, and bullet sizing. I use mine a lot because it can come with me and get C clamped to any handy table. Try toting a Rockchucker around.

My most used is a RCBS Rockchucker press but my favorite was a Hornady progressive that was the before the lock and load but my exwife got it in a divorce. Also had a Dillon 1000 that was good and a 1050 that was good but some sob just stole it in July. Had a Green Machine at one time and exwife got it too but I don't miss it. I haven't had a Dillon 550 or 650 so can't comment on these. For bullet casting I really like my old 8 and 10 cavity H & G moulds and RCBS Pro-melt pots. I used Saeco pots for a long time but they were old and didn't compare to the RCBS. Bullet sizer-lubers the Star or now Magma is the only way to go I think. I have used Saeco's and at one time I had 4 of them and they are great for seating g/c's and lubing but the star is faster and more accurate. Did not have a good experince with Lee pots burned one up the first day I used it trying to feed a 4 cavity 38 swc Saeco mould. So went back to the Saeco pots and then the RCBS.For big smelting chores I use a 1000 lb gas furnace from an old hot type print shop but it is to big for most uses.I hope this makes sense, I have been awake for about 26 hours so it may not. Well this is getting long and thats just my 2cw. Wes

[ 11-01-2003, 19:26: Message edited by: hammerhead ]

I couldn't agree more, DJ. Since they cost less, people sometimes make the mistake of assuming that Lee stuff isn't any good. Just ain't true.

If I were reloading 50 BMG, I don't think I'd use a Lee hand press or their small "C" press. OTOH, for straight wall pistol cartridges, they're as good as any other press, and in some cases (like the turret press) better than most. I use my Dillon 550b for large volume loading, but for load development, I'm more likely to use my Rock Chucker or Lee turret. To get my kids started in reloading, I bought them Lee stuff -- if they didn't enjoy the hobby, they could sell it easily and cheaply, and if they did enjoy the hobby, they'd have the essentials to do most reloading and an understanding of features they'd like to have on a more expensive rig.

Lee dies are second to none. Flat statement, no qualifications.

Other Lee reloading stuff does what it promises, and is less than half the cost of competing stuff. Most of the criticism I read about Lee products is about things that take seconds to fix, and much of it, IMO, is untrue.

You can spend a lot more, but for most reloading tasks, you won't get any more than from Lee.

Rock Chucker single stage press for every thing which gets weighed charges. Old Hornady Pro-Jector progressive permanently set up for .45 acp. As long as I clean and lube it once a year it just keeps on crankin' them out. The Star sizer is so far ahead of the Lyman/RCBS or Saeco that I've sold the others.

I love Lee FCD dies and six banger molds. The Lee stuff is the best bang for the buck, but you occasionally might need to "finish" some of it before you can use it.

After just a short experience with the Magma Master Caster I'm really getting attached to it as well. You just turn it on, go eat supper while it warms up, and then go at it; making 230 grain .45s I get 100 bullets every five minutes, and you can keep it up for a couple of hours at a time. The 40 lb pot lets you add ingots continually without affecting the melt temp much. Real heavy bullets would probably slow ya down as mold cooling time goes up, but lighter bullets can probably be made as fast as you can pull the handle. Now I have to mount it over a "spillway" of some sort so the warm bullets don't dent each other as they pile up. Maybe a chute into a pail of water under the bench?
BD

Grumble, Couldn't agree more on the quality of Lee reloading tools. Only had one problem with Lee tools. Got my start in reloading with a little Lee kit in 12ga and one in .270. Both about drove my folks nuts banging on those things on a board with a wooden mallet on the kitchen table, made great ammo though. Load a box, go out and shoot em up. Back in the house, tap tap tap. I stopped to think the other day about what a Lyman/RCBS mould, sizer and top punch cost. Pretty sizeable investment. Good stuff yes but I can get the same thing done with a Lee mould and push through sizer. Just food for thought.

woods

BD, dropping bullets straight out of the mould into a bucket of water works fine. As long as you keep the water well below the level of the lead pot it's a safe practice. The mould in operation runs far above the boiling point of water, so you certainly don't have to worry about picking up a drop of splashed water in it as I've heard some suggest. I have often had a splashed drop hit the mould as I hold it low over the water to open it, minimizing the drop distance for the bullet. It vanishes with a sharp hiss.

Quite a response I got with this topic. I have to agree on the Lee Equipment even if that Loadmaster gives me a hard time once in a while. To tell the truth the biggest thing it does is decide to seat primers either sideways or upside down. When it starts that I threaten it with a ball peen hammer and come back an hour later and it seems to take the hint and fly right. I like the disk powder measure on it, very accurate with all the pistol powders I use. Lee dies, love them, their collet dies are great as are the pistol factory crimp dies. Auto prime, great tool. Have 2 20# bottom pour Lee pots, one for WW alloy and one for Lino, dont have much of a drip problem if I use clean alloy and flux good when I refill. As soon as I get A few more sizer dies for my 2 stars I'll retire the Ly 45 & 450. When it comes to moulds I rate Saeco, RCBS, Ly, Lee in that order. I'm not counting LBT, Eagen, or Mt. mould because everyone knows there in a class by themseleves. I guess I'll shut up now, I'm getting a little longwinded. Supper's ready anyhow

George D Pb head

Guys by my comment about the Lee pot I was just relating what happened to me and I am sure that Lee would have replaced the pot or the heating element had I requested it. I just didn't have the time to mess with it. I won't use Lee pots but I do use their dies and a disk powder measure that I need to replace because I have worn it out. I think Lee makes good things and use several of them. Wes

[ 11-02-2003, 08:09: Message edited by: hammerhead ]

I've got a couple RCBS presses I use. A Redding trimmer, Lyman lubrisizer, Lee bottom pour. Lots of useless knick knacks. I'm still kind of grumbling to myself, however. I was all ready to order one of Gussy's hardness testers, and then some unexpected bills showed up. I guess I should go ahead and sell the Saeco on Ebay for more than it's worth, and then upgrade.

My favorites are Dillon 650 so far set up on 44mag/spl,45 colt, 475 Linebaugh with other conversions to follow. The 475 conv nearly took a loan!! Rcbs 505 scales, Star sizer, Magma 40lb bottom pour with dual pour orifice and molds in LBT,Applegate,Lyman,RCBS,Saeco and the usual amount of Lee blocks. As mentioned though next to my dillon on the bench sets two Lee challengers and Lee scale along with powder measure. I have no complaints about the Lee stuff and if it was not for them I might not have got into the lovely sport of handloading,casting and such. There prices help you get started to work up to more durable built equipment later. I have always liked casting with there mold blocks. Some have had bad luck but the ones I have drop great bullets everytime the handles open. This is not only my Favorite press as the topic started but all my favorite equipment to feed everything to it. its interesting seeing the usage of some older equipment along with some of the new stuff. Great topic PB Head.
Jim