Reloading Presses

Little_Weaz

Little_Weaz

New member
Okay Guys,

I have been using a Ponsness/Warren Metal-Matic P-200. It is a good press for pistol cases, but not for rifle. I was wondering what you guys use and why. I am mostly interested in turret type presses. I have been looking at the redding T-7.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=588482&t=11082005

Is this the press I want or should I save some money? Maybe I should spend more? What do you guys think? I am mostly only loading 223 right now, but will be loading 45 ACP, 44 Mag, 243, 338 Win Mag, and who knows what the future holds. The straight wall cartridges will probably be done on the P-200.

Any Info/personal experience would be appreciated. I tried to search for presses, T-7, Redding, and a few others with no luck.

Thanks,

Weaz
 
You bet! Great press! I would buy one in a heartbeat!

This or a RCBS Rockchucker and you set for life. And your son's life and his son's life.

Idahobob will try and talk you into buying a bargain brand like a Lee, but not me! Get the good stuff to start off with you will never need to upgrade to it later. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
If you want a turret the T7 is the top of the line with the RCBS right behind it and the Lyman running third any of them will do what you want for as long as you need to. Personally I would go with the RCBS though because of the quality I have seen from them and the warranty. I know it is great. I have been useing RCBS stuff for over forty years and have had three issues all my fault and all taken care of by RCBS at no cost to me. Thats a warranty!!! The T7 Is built heavier than the RCBS but not by much and the heads are harder to change when you switch calibers. I think that there is about a forty or fifty buck differance in price
 
Redding makes quality products.
I like the Hornady LNL AP progressive press. I have the older version without the LNL feature.
 
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Hey Guys,

Thanks for your replies. I would like to hear from IDBob and anyone else that uses any other press and why they like/dislike them. At this point I am still open to any and all input. I am leaning toward the redding or rcbs.

Weaz
 
Im still using the RCBS Rockchucker that my Father gave me on my 16th birthday. Im now almost 34. I cant tell you how many thousands of rounds it has loaded.
 
Quote:
You bet! Great press! I would buy one in a heartbeat!

This or a RCBS Rockchucker and you set for life. And your son's life and his son's life.

Idahobob will try and talk you into buying a bargain brand like a Lee, but not me! Get the good stuff to start off with you will never need to upgrade to it later. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif



+1 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Suck it up and buy the good stuff one time. If you have to save for a little longer, then save for a little longer and watch for sales.

I used to use RCBS and had great results with it, but over the last ten years or so I've gravitated to Forster and Redding.
I have no experience with progressive presses. I use a Co-Ax press by Forster and IMO it's the best made. Unfortunatly they only make a single stage so that's not much help to you.
I'm sure that any thing Redding or RCBS makes will be first rate, and once again you generally get what you pay for.
 
Weaz,

I've been loading since I was around 11, and I'm 50+ now. I started loading on some old Lyman Spar-T of my uncle's when I first started, and I still like Lyman stuff to date, but there are some better offerings available.

Right now I have the Lyman T-Mag (turret), and the Lyman Orange Crusher (single stage), as well as 2 Dillon 550B's, and one Dillon Square Deal B.
Although the Lyman's have been great presses since I replaced my old one's with them back in the early 80's, ever since I started swaging bullets and brass, it's put much more "wear & tear" on them by far.

Most of my swaging is done on the Orange Crusher, as well as my rifle loads. So, it get's the brunt of the work load & wear. I use the turret press more for certain handgun or rifle loads, and it's ability to leave the dies set up and easily indexed is a big plus for speed & ease.

Whatever press you choose (and they are all pretty good across the board) you'll undoubtedly have it for a very long time. RCBS's warranty is very good, as is their quality. I consider both Lyman & RCBS to be of equal quality and durability, but I think that RCBS's warranty, as well as their customer service is better.

I've never owned a Ponsness/Warren, although I've known of them for years. Redding on the other hand, are top notch, and considered the "cadillac" of turret or single stage presses. Due to the linkage design of the "UltraMag" single stage press they offer, it's a major consideration for me if I replace the Orange Crusher.

I guess the biggest question, or consideration, in making a choice would be "what you plan on doing with the press ?". If the answer is standard loading with a other possibilities of case or bullet swaging in the future, then I'd go with the best, or heaviest design you can afford, like the UltraMag.
Regarding the turret's, they are very similar in design and durability, but the consideration of the ease of turret removal is a good one. Although the Redding turret is a little harder to remove, I think I'd opt for that one never the less. The easiest turret to remove, as far as speed is concerned, I believe, is the Lyman. Pull the lock ring off, and the turret just pulls up. All the ring does is hold to half moon clips in a recess on the main shaft, locking the turret from coming off. A pretty simple design.

Hope this helps....Good luck......

Bob
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. Would like to hear from some more people on this one. So far what I am hearing is that spending the money is the way to go.

Originally I was going to get a Lee 4 hole turret press. This was primarily a compromise with the wife, but she loosened her grip.

Too bad it won't last /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Weaz
 
I have had an RCBS Rock Chucker on my bench for 15 years...I also use a PW for shot shell, and a dillon for pistol...go with the best...you will always want it anyway, so save the cost of cheaper equipment and buy the proven lines that have the followup service...RCBS DILLON REDDING FORESTER...you won't regret it
 
If you like the P-200 have you considered PW's metallic II?

Have you tried loading 223's in the P-200? Not many folks know PW even makes metallic presses, how did you decide on the P-200?
 
Lee makes a turret press called the "Classic" that is all cast iron and steel including the toggle linkage. It has interchangeable heads and can be set up to be progressive. If it is as well built as their cast iron O-press it should be quite the nice rig.

I'm running Lyman turret presses, True-Line Jr. set up for the bugs (22H-218Bee), All-American set up for .473 bases cartridges, and a T-Mag II set up for .378's. I'm very happy with the Lymans, The All-American has been on my bench nearly 30yrs.

For single stages I run a C&H Magnum (H-press), Lyman Crusher II and a little Lee C-press.

AWS
 
I really like lee products, they are usually a great bargain. But Im am not a fan of their reloading presses. I have a pro 1000 that I have HEAVILY modified for use with pistol and other high volume reloading applications, It is Not progressive anymore because I was tired of replacing plastic pieces that were integral to the whole "progressive" thing.

A good friend was given a "starter kit" for christmas years back and I heleped him get it set up. I was not real impressed with that one either. Now their dies, I like, you can make very good ammunition with them.

My first press that I bought when I was 13 was a used Lyman Orange Crush and after lord knows how many shells, It got worn out. I recently purchased a Forster Coax, and Honestly Reloading shells with it is on a whole nother level. I got mine for right at 200 dollars. Now mind you its a single stage, and is slower, but for me its not about how many I can make, Its about repeatable production.
Check the Coax out, its a great press.
 
I have both a RCBS Rock Chucker and a Redding T-7 .I don't like the Lee press your looking at because it is aluminum and not cast iron . I just think an iron press will never ware out and will always be trouble free .Besides that they are not that much more . This is not to say Lee products are no good, because they are .Your press is the center piece of your reloading equipment and I think you shouldn't compromise on this one item.My Rock Chucker is 17 years old and looks as good as it did the day it arrived .My redding is 1 year old and it's a piece of meat .
 
The redding T-7 is a very nice press, especially if you don't already have a press, but from your post I gather you already have a press for handgun rounds. Are you going to keep it? If so I would get a nice heavy single stage for the rifles and keep the cash.. If you are getting rid of your old one and looking to upgrade I would go for the T-7. I am not a big fan of Turret or progressive preses for rifle rounds.. I am old school when it comes to loading rifles, to me I handload for accuracy, and that to me means one at a time inspecting and checking every round. I have a both a single and a turret, I leave my turret set up for handgun rounds mostly. I load all rifle except for the .223 on a single stage... There is no real reason for this, execpt that I feel the turret takes a beating when FL sizing larger cases. In short the T-7 will do everything you want it to do... but if you are going to keep your old press, I don't see $220 worth of gain to use on 2 or 3 rifle cartridges

Dave
 
Thanks for the replies!!

Beaver1: The P-200 was my fathers. He quit using it when he started shooting cowboy. He was using a Dillon that was set up at his friends house. After Mom passed he pretty much gave it all up and I commandeered what I could. I have tried loading the 223 on the p-200. It started out good, and then I loaded some up for a morning hunt. After our first stand, I could not extract a round from my AR. This continued and I could see nothing wrong. I went home, cleaned the rifle, oiled it, and the problem appeared to go away. I put the round in and out several times with no problem. The next weekend I had the same problem. I was starting to think it was related to the cold air, or maybe I needed to use more or less oil. I burned off all of those rounds with no problems. I went to load more, and I noticed that the press would "cam over" before the bullet was in the die all the way. My die was still tight in the turret. I screwed the die down farther, tested another casing. This time it didn't want to go, but I had a "talk" with it and the casing went in all the way. It came out dented from built up lube in the shoulder area of the die. This had been going on for some time apparently. Inspecting the brass I had sized before moving the die, I could feel, but not see, a small raised ring at the base of the neck just in front of the shoulder. The Press has developed some play in it, and when I attempt to size the 223 cases it flexes instead of sizing properly. A Rookie mistake I am sure.

My Father has loaded on this press since I was 3 or 4. I would bet he loaded 20,000 223 rounds on it, as well as thousands of 45 acp. He helped me set it up with the same dies he was using the last time he used it.

I haven't inspected it yet, and I may be able to continue to use it, but my wife said that I should get a new one. I swear I argued with her about it, but she wins again.

The other problem I have is that the table I am reloading on is not really stable. It shakes and wobbles as if it has a coyote in the scope. I want to build a new one, but living in a 2 bedroom duplex leaves little room for construction. Maybe when the snow melts. Living in the duplex also means that only one press will be active at a time, and the p-200 will probably find the rafters in the shed.

When I asked our local retailer about parts for the p-200 he was not interested. Told me the good news was that they were still in business and I could phone them up and order whatever I wanted. I hate that store!! Anyways the rcbs and redding are readily available.

Sorry for the length...... from what I hear, I have a tendency to ramble.

I appreciate everyones post, and look forward to more.

Weaz
 


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