The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Which Press to get and where to buy components?

Art Eatman · June 14, 2000, 11:39 PM

I'm partial to the RCBS "O" press. Good used is as good as brand new. Absent a bunch of rust or abuse, they just don't wear out.

As for brand of loading dies, I've gotten to where I judge on little stuff like how the locking-rings lock. Running a screw into the threads of the die is stupid; a clamping-type deal is vastly more intelligent. And in a set of Lee dies, there's no provision at all to lock the ring to the die! Stoopid! From what I'm seeing on new rifle dies, my "advice" is to look for some around 20 or 30 years old. A wider range of adjustments. But buy one of the new clamp-type locking rings; you'll have the best of both worlds.

See, if you can lock the adjustment ring "just so", you can take the die out of the press and return later, to just exactly where you were before. Load some .308, load some .44, later go load some more .308--you get the picture.

I've had new and used powder scales of various brands. Ain't a nickel's worth of difference. Get a powder measure for the pistol loads; it's a lot quicker. If you're not loading to the max on the .308, you can use the powder measure there, too. (I have a personal "thing" against using a powder measure for max loads in rifles. Some folks don't. Opinions and unmentionables and all that.

)

There's a ton of good info in current threads, here.

A good plinker load in the .44 Maggie involves around six grains of 231 and the bullet of your choice. I've seen many posts, here, speaking of 4895 in the .308...

Browse this forum, okay?

Nuff fer now, Art

June 14, 2000, 11:39 PM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I'm partial to the RCBS "O" press. Good used is as good as brand new. Absent a bunch of rust or abuse, they just don't wear out. As for brand of loading dies, I've gotten to where I judge on little stuff like how the locking-rings lock. Running a screw into the threads of the die is stupid; a clamping-type deal is vastly more intelligent. And in a set of Lee dies, there's no provision at all to lock the ring to the die! Stoopid! From what I'm seeing on new rifle dies, my "advice" is to look for some around 20 or 30 years old. A wider range of adjustments. But buy one of the new clamp-type locking rings; you'll have the best of both worlds. See, if you can lock the adjustment ring "just so", you can take the die out of the press and return later, to just exactly where you were before. Load some .308, load some .44, later go load some more .308--you get the picture. I've had new and used powder scales of various brands. Ain't a nickel's worth of difference. Get a powder measure for the pistol loads; it's a lot quicker. If you're not loading to the max on the .308, you can use the powder measure there, too. (I have a personal "thing" against using a powder measure for max loads in rifles. Some folks don't. Opinions and unmentionables and all that. ) There's a ton of good info in current threads, here. A good plinker load in the .44 Maggie involves around six grains of 231 and the bullet of your choice. I've seen many posts, here, speaking of 4895 in the .308... Browse this forum, okay? Nuff fer now, Art