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I need advice. I'm going to get into reloading.
I've been trying to figure out what press to get. Manufacturer and model. Money is a factor, but I would like to
get a good quality press at the best price. I've read a lot on the forums and kind of got it down to a few.
I'll be reloading rifle and revolver ammo.
These are some I've looked at and have questions about:
The Lee presses are;
Lee Classic 4 hole turret press - Like the idea of setting up my dies and not having to reset them everytime I
want to use them again. And the way the primers are dispatched when depriming.
As Bart B said, dies that are set and locked when you first use them don't need to be re-set when simply screwing them back in a single stage press. Edit; you can do it repeatedly WITHOUT re-setting the dies.
That misconception,(having to re-set dies), (myth), gets repeated so much, it has become an accepted fact.
Also, it seems to be a little
faster than a single stage, by watching videos.
Does the aluminum turrets wear out or break very fast?
Does this turret press make as good quality of reloads as the single stages?
But, not sure of the quality, and it only has a 2 year warranty.The lee tools say a 2 year warranty, but in reality they will usually send you a part outside of the warranty, no cost. Even if you say "it was my fault"!
Lee Classic Breech Lock single stage. I like the way it is easy to change dies, and again not having to reset the
dies the next time used. Not sure how well the breech lock works, if it is sturdy or if the dies can work loose while
loading like I've heard that Hornady dies do on there press sometimes. And can dies from other manufacturers
be used in the breech lock system?
The breech lock and the Hornady LNL system of adapters to hold the dies, are an answer to a non-problem! It only means you don't have to screw dies into the top of the press or turret each time you use them. Again, the myth about "re-setting dies" rears it's ugly head! Hornady has had trouble with their system with the LNL bushings working loose. Quality control, bad machining.
I don't like the primer catch system as well as the one that goes down the middle of the shaft. Why did they
change that? Maybe the other one had problems I haven't heard about. 2 year warranty.
Lee Classic Cast single stage. Looks like about the same as RCBS Rockchucker, but don't know if it is as good. I
like the depriming catch system on it. But, You have to reset dies everytime.
The classic cast is built like a tank. It has an all steel leverage system, unlike the older aluminum casting of the challanger presses. In my mind, it is BETTER than the RCBS rockchucker.
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme. Ive heard it's a good press. Have to readjust dies every time used. More money
than Lee. Like the lifetime warranty.
RCBS Turret Press. Like the idea of not having to reset dies. But, more money.
As said, the RCBS turret is the old design of simply being able to turn a turret to line up another die. No auto indexing.
I'm not sure if resetting the dies is that much of a big deal but it seems like if you have your dies set to what you want why mess up the settings. And it would be more wear on the dies.
I really appreciate your help.
Thank you,
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A couple of other things; The lee classic turret can be upgraded with the lee safety prime, and the lee disc measure to handle the priming and powder handling in an automatic way. A die addition to raise the powder measure up to clear the primer feed to allow straight through shell processing. Of course this means more expense, but you can start out by taking the auto advance rod to do all your first loads in a batch mode. The disc measure simply screws into the top of the lee
powder through expander die. If you go with the lee disc measure, be sure to order the pro model.
One more thing; This is
NOT a good time to be starting loading. Presses, dies, primers, bullets, and powder are very hard to find right now. My best advice would be to find a local gunshop that sells the the press you decide on. Then ask if he has components and at least one set of dies reserved for the buyer of a new press. Some do that, hold back enough stuff to set-up one loader for a new customer.
What press do I use most? My lee classic turret, followed by my lee classic cast. I retired my co-ax, after 30 years it deserved a rest. I also have a Dillon XL-650 for when I want a mess of 9's, 40's, and 45's.