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The reason for feeling the primer bottom out is to be sure you haven't altered the primer ignition characteristics even slightly by compressing or cracking it. You'd probably never see it in anything but a bench rest gun, and I don't know if there is any real data to prove you see it even then? Some shooter's beliefs border on superstition. Just the same, the K&M tool is a nice one and you can't cock the primer or get one upside down with it, as I've occasionally seen happen in progressive primer fed ammo. So if you can do it more precisely and want to spend the time, why not?
Another reason some prefer a hand tool is they are loading on a single-stage press and want to be able to watch TV while priming rather than have to put a priming tool in the die and stand in front of the press for the priming operation alone.
Presses that prime on the downstroke, Dillon in particular, cut the leverage at the end of the stroke to avoid primer damage. About 25 years ago I saw heavily flattened primers seated using a conventional O-press on the up stroke. They had been loaded by a novice reloader who was shooting from the range bench next to mine. He was getting a dud every tenth round or so. I don't recall whose press or priming tool he was using?
Nick
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