Hornady press deal

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  • kiloechoxray
    Bloodstained
    • Jan 2017
    • 29

    Hornady press deal

    Can someone advise me as to whether or not this is a good 1st press to get?



    I'm a reloading noob but I'm looking to reload 6.5 Grendel, .3300AAC to start and then add .45 ACP and maybe some others like 7x57 and .303

    This seems like a good deal to me but I'm not really sure what I'd be getting myself into.

    Any help is appreciated

    thanks.
  • Sticks
    Chieftain
    • Dec 2016
    • 1922

    #2
    I'm partial to a Lee Loadmaster (all I have ever used - makes me uneducated and bias). Bigger frame and beefier action/handle. Top of the line is Dillon, but you will pay for that rating.

    For production ammo (plinking, trigger time, stockpile...) where 100% consistency is not a concern, then any progressive press will do as long as you follow all the proper steps. You can actually get really good results if you have everything dialed in.

    You have to be very much alert, distraction free, and constantly checking to make sure nothing has come loose. That bit me in the arse 1 time and resulted in around 100 rounds that were sized and trimmed out of spec...in a loading session of 1500 rounds over 2 days for a training class. This caused a lot of FTExtract (had to mortar most of them out) I had to go back after TD1 and check every single remaining round (all on stripper clips) and cull all the out of spec for recycling.

    My Loadmaster is set up with a Dillion case trimmer, so all my cases get FL sized and trimmed to +/- .001 on the first pass (yes, first) through the press - case prep. Second pass for loading, the powder charge with AA2230 is consistent to +/-.1gr of target, and a ten charge drop average is +/-.2gr of target. Bullet seating and COAL is also extremely consistent.

    The powder I am using, the 55gr pill, case etc, in my 16" ML 5.56 I am getting sub MOA 10 round groups. The same ammo fired through a buddies Spikes (was shooting factory ammo - Winchester and LC surplus was getting 2"-3" groups) got just over 1".

    When I start loading 6.5 - I am going for accuracy so a Single stage press is in my future. Instead of cranking out 800 to 1k rounds a day, it will be closer to 200. I may still use the Loadmaster for case prep, but the actual loading will be on a singe stage.
    Sticks

    Catchy sig line here.

    Comment

    • Drillboss
      Warrior
      • Jan 2015
      • 894

      #3
      I think most would agree that you don't want to start out reloading with a progressive press. Like Sticks said, there is a lot going on at the same with one of those. It's easier to learn the basics running a single stage. Hornady makes a good system, but I've only used mine for handgun rounds.

      Comment

      • Clarence
        Bloodstained
        • Dec 2015
        • 53

        #4
        I share Drillboss' opinion. Find a good single-stage press (mine is RCBS, but Hornady is also a good option), get good dies (a micrometer seating die is good if you plan to experiment with lots of different bullets), and a good trimmer. I also like a powder measure with micrometer to get me very close when changing powder weights. Either mechanical or electronic scale, and chamfering tool largely completes what you'll need. I've recently purchased a WFT and really like it. With a single=stage press, you'll produce 50-100 rounds per hour, and that should be more than adequate for your Grendel shooting.
        Last edited by Clarence; 01-21-2017, 01:52 PM.

        Comment

        • howl
          Warrior
          • Nov 2015
          • 236

          #5
          Progressives need more maintenance and tweaking. If you factor in that extra work, going to a progressive over a turret is only worth it if you need to crank out lots of rounds on a regular basis.

          You'll want single stage or quality turret for making your most accurate handloads, either way. If you know you're going to want to turn out small volumes of rounds, you'll want a turret over a single stage.

          Comment

          • kiloechoxray
            Bloodstained
            • Jan 2017
            • 29

            #6
            Thanks for the input.

            As far as rifle stuff is concerned I'm not looking to make mass quantities of ammo, but I thought maybe for handgun when I get to that, the progressive would be very useful.

            I'll see what deals they have on single stage presses and compare.

            I do have a few buddies who reload and I'll get their input on this as well.

            Thanks everyone for your advise

            Comment

            • JuanC
              Bloodstained
              • Jan 2017
              • 84

              #7
              Thanks for this post. I too am looking to get into reloading and wasn't sure what to get to start up.

              Comment

              • PKT1106
                Unwashed
                • Jan 2017
                • 3

                #8
                I have a Dillon 550 that I use for high volume loading. Mostly 40S&W, but occasionally .223 when I need to crank some out. I use a Redding Big Boss II for most rifle rounds as I want more precise control of the process. You need to decide how you are going to use it first. High Volume or High Quality?

                Comment

                • 454bore
                  Warrior
                  • Dec 2014
                  • 111

                  #9
                  The redding turret press can load faster than a single stage with the same quality.
                  I started on a rock chucker and use the T-7 the most now.

                  Comment

                  • Retro
                    Warrior
                    • Jul 2016
                    • 150

                    #10
                    The least expensive single stage out there is the Lee Classic. I just picked one up from Midway for $104. Everything that I've read says it is built like a tank. They make them out of recycled railroad rails. I started with a Lee turret and have found that I want to start using a single stage for the Grendel. I'm sure that the Dillon's and RCBS's are thought of more highly and probably for good reason but I don't have a budget for the name stuff and reloading supplies too.
                    Originally posted by kiloechoxray View Post
                    Thanks for the input.

                    As far as rifle stuff is concerned I'm not looking to make mass quantities of ammo, but I thought maybe for handgun when I get to that, the progressive would be very useful.

                    I'll see what deals they have on single stage presses and compare.

                    I do have a few buddies who reload and I'll get their input on this as well.

                    Thanks everyone for your advise

                    Comment

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