Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Need some reloading ideas

When we knew for sure we were moving to South Carolina, I took a bunch of stuff out to my sons in Missouri. I knew I wouldn't have room for everything here. I only brought the bare necessities down here with me, 12 or 15 long guns and 25 or 30 handguns. Among the stuff I left with the boys was all my reloading gear (accumulated since I started loading in 73.) Now things are settled here and I'm thinking I need to set up again. When you feed stuff like .41 Mag, 10mm, 6.5X55, .500 S&W, you just don't have a choice. I've no interest in going progressive, I'll buy factory 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. I'm thinking single stage press, either a Co-Ax or Redding turret. I'm open to any and all suggestions and thoughts with regard to setting up a system that will occupy minimal space, or even be able to be quickly torn down and set back up. I used to be spoiled, enough room I never had to put anything away even. Thoughts???

The big turret presses are danged good and much nicer to crank out the pistol ammo you wanna make. I’ve got both the Forster and Redding turret and use them both but the turret is a bit more versatile if you want a little more volume.

I just moved into a smaller place. I went the easy route this time & got a Craftsman workbench with butcher block top with an added 3-drawer section at a Lowe's New Years sale. It was well under $300, lumber is maybe more expensive. My new bench, at 6' long x 42" high x 2' deep, is about 1/2 the size of the original bench. Inline Fabrication press mounting stuff & a little ingenuity took a lot of the clutter off the bench. I have an old Hornady 00-7, a Rockchucker, & a Co-ax, all of which have their uses that can be attached to my right as I sit on a stool. To the left is a mid sized vise which can hold, case trimmer, priming tool, & a 2nd powder measure bolted to holders made out of some scrap T-stock as well as regular vise duties. The bench is almost empty when all tools are put away, but the options are almost as good as with 12 linear feet of my old bench. The drawers that are filled with dies groan a bit, so a wall shelf or benchtop shelves are planned for when the whole thing gets to its final resting place on the other side of the room. I use a beam scale & it's nice to have it at eye level so there's a small cabinet that used to hold cassette tapes on the bench temporarily. A folding desk type lamp is attached to the wall for light. It all fits in 6' of wall space in a spare bedroom with maybe a small table alongside to hold books, etc. The component closet is a whole 'nuther thing... The range is 1/2 mile down the road, I'm shooting regularly (if the damned wind would stop), & life is good again.

cra1948
Welcome to SC! I have a Co-Ax and couldn’t be happier. Of course handgun ammo is via Dillon.
GreggH

Even with rifle ammo I have found a good turret press (the more holes the better) is better for my purposes than the Forster Co-Ax.

While handy for switching dies, the Co-Ax requires more time than having the dies for 2-3 cartridges set up in the same turret press, whether a Redding 7-hole or Lyman 8-hole.

Interesting comment.

I've been loading a few thousand rounds a year, handgun and rifle, and do everything on a single stage press. (I started loading my own about 1966).
Over the cold months, I tumble,size, trim, and prime, all of the brass I've emptied or recovered from the grass. Then, I load from 200-250 round bags so processed for AR's, .380, 9mm, .38/.357, .44M. My "hunting rifles", 7-08, .30-30, .35 Whelen, (a modest number and selection), get loaded as needed with whatever.

The slow part is resetting dies for each round. Would a turret type press be the way to go, installing the dies for sizing in the "prep months", and a die for seating bullets in the "shoot months". ??

Had never considered that, but yeah, it would work.

I like the turret presses. I did not want to go progressive. Dies are setup and remain in the die heads, which are switchable. Pop one caliber off and the next one on. (shell holder depending) I like it more than the old single press. The single stage did do the job however. The turret press makes things easier.

I’ve always had my Led turret. Cheap, but produces good ammo. I have a turret for every rifle/pistol I load for, and sometimes two rifle die sets on one 4 hole turret. I have no complaints about quality of the unit.

I also have a Lee Turret I have used for several years. I did away with the progressive feature. Using the pre-set turrets and a different case holder makes changing cartridges a breeze. I would think it wwould be very good for your needs.

I have 4 or 3 hole turrets set up for all the cartridges I load for. usually pistols in the 4 position rings and rifle in the 3 position. I also have a turret for decapping and another for neck expanding Lee and M dies.

I have loaded up through .300 Weatherby on this press.

Mine is the aluminum version. I don't care for how it handles expended primers so I bought a cast iron version and now need to set it up.

I do keep my RCBS Rock Chucker up and read to set on the press table. I have only used it a few times in the last several years, each time to form cases for either .35 Whelen, .250 Savage, 7x61 Sharp & Hart or .308 Norma Mag.
The other press handles it but it is probably something that would enhance wear.

If only one press then the turret. I don't like single loading pistol ammo, too slow for me. If I get another press it will be the Harrell, very compact and well made. The Redding is very good and parts are more readily available, with larger turrets also.