I think most of John's advice is spot-on. The only exception I would make would be with the press. While the Lee LoadAll is ok (I use one for 16 gauge specialty loads) the Mec 600 Jr. is way better, and the woods are full of used 12 gauge Mecs for not a heckuva lot more than a new Lee LoadAll.
I too am a big believer in 7/8oz 12 gauge loads for trap, skeet, clays, and live birds. Since discovering the efficiency of those loads 15 years ago, it's all I load in 12 gauge anymore, except for slightly heavier waterfowl loads. My recipe is: AA hull, W-209 primer, 16.7 grains Clays, Claybuster or AA grey wad, 7/8oz shot (sized for the game du jour, but never bigger than 6's).
I too have an old Ithaca pump 12 gauge, that my dad gave me for graduating high school back in 1970. It is a nasty kicking SOB with heavy hunting loads and would have been swapped away long ago for that reason, but for the extreme sentimentality of owning it. With the above load however, it is as tame as a pussy cat and I actually take it out now and then to shoot it.
Spot on. I'd also tell the OP to buy a couple shotshell reloading manuals. Some of my favorite 7/8 OZ loads consisted of AA hulls, 209 primer, WAA12SL wads (pink wads), and clays powder. Green dot is great for 1 OZ loads. When you want to make some money shooting on the line or further than 27 yds, I run longshot powder and 1 1/8, 1 1/4, and 1 3/8oz loads with copper plated sixes. Yeah, those aren't ATA legal loads, but when shooting long bombs and "run what you brung" events, a 1,500 fps load of copper sixes never hurts
. Good loaders that are reasonably priced: Mec 600 JR (as you mentioned), Mec grabber and my favorite, the Ponsness Warren...
