Thread: Reloading press

Wanting to get into the idea of reloading. Any Hornady presses or similar out there for sale? Or better still a complete setup?

PM me

Thanks

Bump....so no one upgrading their press?

I have a hornady press - and really like it. Could consider the Hornady locknload set? Well worth it for the value imo. More $$ then secondhand but gets you started. Workshop innovations has a good selection. Hope that helps!

Gidday Pook

I just borrowed a press from a mate because my old one (a RCBS Rock-Chucker supreme) wasn't producing good loads - neaps of run-out. I could sell it without saying anything and some poor bugger who didn't know better would get a piece of crap, and probably wonder why their rifle wasn't shooting as well.

Just like buying a rifle with a well cleaned but worn out barrel.

I'd buy new if you can, you can get a good press for $400 or just a bit less and you'll know its good. Personally I don't think the kits are very good value

Cheers

Thanks for the sound advice @Tentman. I guess after time and excessive use everything gets slogged out huh

Thanks @JoelA will look on their site. Do you know if Lee brand is any good? I'm sure this subject has been exhausted many a time.

There is nothing wrong with the cast iron Lee, the alloy ones I'd be a bit leery of (make that any alloy press)

Awesome.....cast iron it is. Thanks @Tentman.

Had the alloy lee press - definitely recommend cast iron! I brought mine in bits and it is a budget conscious way to starting! Buy good quality parts with good brands - heaps of threads that are available on here under reloading that discuss this to great lengths! Cheers

Sorry for the thread diversion but it seems odd that your press is causing runout tentman? Is there slop in the ram? Is it causing this issue with several dies/calibers? I read somewhere that shell holders were designed to float to a degree so cases could self center so there is a built in degree of slop in the system? have you tried different shell holders? Just interested to know what the problem is

I've got a hornady press and most the gear you need... thinking of selling as I shoot about 4 rounds a year now... How much you looking at investing I'm in oamaru but my sister is in chch travels down here every month or so.

Originally Posted by yerimaginaryM8

Sorry for the thread diversion but it seems odd that your press is causing runout tentman? Is there slop in the ram? Is it causing this issue with several dies/calibers? I read somewhere that shell holders were designed to float to a degree so cases could self center so there is a built in degree of slop in the system? have you tried different shell holders? Just interested to know what the problem is

Yup. Over the last 6 months I've been to hell and back with handloads. Today I shot some reloads done in a press @nor-west kindly lent me and the rifle was shooting on the 0.3-0.5 MOA range. I think its safe to say the old press was the issue. Some old reloads I measured (with a Concentricity gauge kindly lent by Greg at Custom Guns) the average at the case neck was on the 9 thou range, nothing more than 4 thou with the new press, and most rounds with a smidge over 1 thou at the bullet. Its surprising how quick it went bad too, ammo I loaded in October 2019 shot very well.

Cheers

O well Tentman, I will see what I can do with it and hope to find a solution (engineering) to remedy this issue.