Ok, I have followed the thread on here about which press to buy with much interest. I am getting a new press and prefer the T-7. My question to the campfire members who want to respond is this; is the T-7 ridgid and precise enough for reloading accurate varmint and big game ammo or should I get the Big Boss II?

I know that every loader has their own favorite, but if you have reloaded on T-7, please give me your evaluation.

Yes.

Yes the T7 is more than adequate for reloading accurate varmint and big game ammo - but then most presses are.

Notice the user names which will pop up on this board and elsewhere as using a T7 - a couple associated with the Wolfe publications and then ask if those folks are knowingly using a T7 to produce inferior handloads?

One of many reasons I have a T7 is for the pleasure of keeping Redding Instant Indicators and such all setup while also having all the dies for a given cartridge in the tool head all simultaneously. In actual loading I batch process rather than spinning the turret but it's handier than an equal number of holes in a row of single stage presses.

I'd suggest the Forster/Bonanza CoAx as the preferred single stage alternative to a T7 but that's just because I made that choice - there is nothing wrong with the Big Boss. Then too I have another press with some big holes in the head for cases too big for the T7. In fact I think a progressive will do just fine to load for varmints and big game too but may be a little more sensitive to rigid mounting and a sturdy bench.

Clark,

I appreciate your response. I want the T-7 for the very same reasons you mentioned. The reason I wondered about the precision was that several guys on here have stated that they use a turret for handgun loads and a single hole press for rifles. Expensive to buy if it wouldn't do what I want. Thanks.

I have a T-7 and love it. It produces very accurate ammo.

That divide may be more between a progressive for handgun loads and a single stage for rifle.

You may be right, however I really consider a turret as a single stage and will use it as such by batch loading as Clark suggested in his post.

Love me some T7

That's how I'd treat it, as several single stage presses in the same spot.

Keep in mind that you will only have room for two rifle dies or one rifle and one pistol. I sold a T-mag and went to a single stage and a handful of lock-n-load bushings and never looked back.

Switching dies take seconds and this is very handy when loading for three cartridges for each trip to the range. I also have lock-n-load bushings on my bullet puller and Sinclair neck expander.

I now use a Big Boss II and after a small issue with shellholders I can say I love it, the primer catcher is sweet.

What?

I've been using a T7 for several years. I keep a Lee decapped in one hole, and there's still room for three sets of rifle dies, or two complete pistol dies.

i have a T7, but i have found i also need a stronger press for FL sizing magnum brass and case forming. i like the Redding primer feed that you can get for the T7 (except the primer feed tubes won't quite hold 100 primers), and the primer disposal system is nice.

Hmm. I've sized many, many rounds of .338 Lapua (very thick brass) and .416 Rigby repeatedly with great success on the T7. Have also used on for forming a variety of wildcats. I'll readily admit that a Redding Ultra-Mag has more leverage (and sometimes use one as well) but what kind of brass has your T7 failed to size correctly or easily?

Winchester 7mm WSM. i've set the die hard against the shell holder, then run lubed cases into it. then, when checking for gap betwixt the shell holder/die with a feeler gauge, get various readings between .001" to .004". this brass has proven very hard, but still...

so now i use an Ultra Mag for the heavy lifting.

The T7 rocks.

I keep my toolhead set up with 223, 308, and 30-06 dies. An extra hole for whatever you might need.

And it's very tight, built like a tank.

Thanks to all. It's going to be a Redding T-7.

toad,

Sounds like a die problem, not the press, perhaps related to the relative size of the chamber and die--and perhaps complicated by the hard brass.

I haven't had any problem sizing .338 Lapua brass in my T7, and it is VERY thick compared to any normal magnum brass--especially something as small as the 7mm WSM.

could be... using Redding body die in this case. the diameter may get sized more than necessary to get the shoulder set back or vice/versa. dunno, but as much as i like the T7 (and i do like it), i went back to a "O" frame (if the Ultramag can be called an "O" frame) for the heavy work.

maybe i'll set up a dial indicator on the T7 and measure flex throught the cycle one of these days.

that would be very interesting, especially compared to the ultramag

Big Boss II, IMHO, is the way to go. I load so many different calibers, that I'm going to be swapping out dies no matter what. Turret presses don't do much for me. The new Reddings, T7 and Big Boss, have the primer collecting system thru the ram and that's great. Beats the heck out of RCBS and others with those dumb trays with primers bouncing all over the place. I have two Rockchuckers and an RCBS Jr. that I do other things with. I size and decap everything on the Big Boss II.

DF

Redding body die, comp neck die, comp seater, plus a four die carbide set for me.

But yes, if two-dies rifle sets are used, six plus one.

My first press, in '65, was a very good Lyman turret; it just had to be 'faster', right? Wrong. I quickly got into batch processing so all I had was a funny looking single stage with die storage. And, after I got my third set of dies I had to screw them in and out anyway so I soon tightened down the retaining nut and took out the slack for single stage only work.

Swapping/adjusting dies tightly positioned together isn't very easy. There is no valid reason to tighen dies down with pliers or wrenches, finger tight is plenty tight, so normal screw out-screw in die swaps only take me 30-40 seconds. In a normal hour of or so of loading with three or four die work needs some 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Even if turrets or bushing were instanteanous - and they are not - the time saved wouldn't improve the quality of my life!

An auto-indexing turret such as Lee's Classic Turret actually loads very well, speeds the process and Lees heads are inexpensive to own and easy to exchange in a few seconds by hand, no tools. But, to obtain the speed advantage, it's necessasry to charge each case in the press and that makes it impossible to check the powder column as I do when charging cases in a loading block; I visually confirm each powder charge is there and is consistant between them before seating begins. In some 46 years of reloading I've never had a missed charge, light or over charge; I like that.

I'm not a high volume shooter so I finally added a sturdy single stage press to my bench. Others disagree with me but I would NOT replace it with any turret or progressive. I still use my old turret for special purpose tasks; bullet pulling, expanding, neck sizing, etc. but I rarely load anything on it.