New to reloading, trying to decide on a press

[Flash]

I've never used a power checker and never will. I look inside each and every case to see the level of powder and after a few thousand you can tell if it's off by even a very small amount.

Some presses make it easier to do that than others and mine makes it very easy fortunately.

[Flash]

You look down the necked case. You don't have to look directly down unless you're using small amounts of powder as if you're using a powder that nearly fills the case, it'll be up to almost where the case neck ends and the shoulder starts. You can see that very well from an angle up to around 45 degrees or so.

And that's in a Lee Loadmaster. The 4th station is where the bullet is placed in the case and the case is sitting at 7 o'clock, directly under LED lights I have on the press and almost directly in front of the operator.

[knockonit]

well now, i stand and reload, and i do gander at the filled case, and i do have a bar stool, that i may occassionaly set on, but don't reload while setting, just me, works for me, and well fella that showed me how did the same, so not sure if i just learned that or like it that way, but it works.
everyone has their style, injury or health issue aside, back in the day, i had lee hand loaders when working up loads out in the big wild, and when i went to africa, many decades ago, we hand loaded, didn't have much choice, and frankly wasn't fun. But now i enjoy it, some rock and roll and the one armed bandit and i go to town.
hehe, to each their own
Rj

oh yeah forgot last year i reloaded over 30k of misc. and well this year, probably do almost double since i plan on shooting just about once or more a week, each outing is usually around 1k min.
just a hoot to shoot.

[Boriqua]

You stay doing you, and we'll again, continue to do us

Who is "us?" Flash has been a knowledgable, respectful and has been generously giving of his experience on this board for somewhere around 15 years. If flash is anything ... He is "us!"

[knockonit]

uh the thread is basically about deciding on a press if you read the lead title, not about anyone specified other than thru discussion.

sheeesh

[knockonit]

says you, but others have different opinions and ideas, the singular thinking is not working for me, and others. many options and scenarios are available, and others are only sharing their experience,
shame on you to decide who what, where and when, is the liberal coming out..............hehehe

sheesh back at ya

Rj

[Boriqua]

this tiny almost not heard of local board.

Yet ... Here you are !

[delta6]

says you, but others have different opinions and ideas, the singular thinking is not working for me, and others. many options and scenarios are available, and others are only sharing their experience,
shame on you to decide who what, where and when, is the liberal coming out..............hehehe

sheesh back at ya

Rj

You're purposely derailing with very weak arguments and extremely petulant flippant redirection of my remark of a benign "yeesh" that you made it your repertoire. Seriously, how old are you??

Yep, another millennial with 50 years of experience. Yeah, I'll listen to his advice...geesch..

[Boriqua]

..The Pot Calling the Kettle Black applies here!

I been here a long time. I take breaks but I like the local flavor. I have probably met 30 or more people from these boards. I have good friends I met 15 or so years ago due to these boards. They have been to my home, I've attended group shoots with the denizens of AZS and hosted and attended bbq's with them. I have been with some through divorces, problems with kids and some raucous "choir practices"

Lots of guns and ammo and info have been exchanged over the years. Most of the guns I grew bored of belong to someone here.

Lots of whiskey and beer has been shared with some and a few guys carry in or own something I have made for them.

I didn't try to make the board seem inconsequential... you did.

While I am sure everyone appreciates you lowering yourself to participate on this unheard of forum and bestowing upon us unworthy your overwhelming breadth of knowledge perhaps it's to small a pond for you.

Me I like it just fine.

[Boriqua]

Still hoping to hear about that Hornady. Got to admit it's peaked my interest. Hope the op comes back with input.

[delta6]

I been here a long time. I take breaks but I like the local flavor. I have probably met 30 or more people from these boards. I have good friends I met 15 or so years ago due to these boards. They have been to my home, I've attended group shots and bbq's.

Lots of guns and ammo and info have been exchanged over the years.

I didn't try to make the board seem inconsequential... you did.

While I am sure everyone appreciates you lowering yourself to participate on this unheard of forum and bestowing upon us unworthy your overwhelming breadth of knowledge perhaps it's to small a pond for you.

Me I like it just fine.

So you made it an umbrage all on your own over nothing.

And no, I did nothing of the sort to make it "inconsequential" because that was entirely on your own. I said you do you and we will do us. It doesn't take an English major to understand what I had said meaning hey, you stay doing it your way and stop worrying about us doing it in a way that you don't like. Just how on earth you made it to something else that is not what I I said, is beyond any explicable approach to reason.

Like this place all you want, it has entirely nothing to do with someone's umbrage over my suggestion to use a powder checker for safety's sake that also pulls double duty as a QA/QC insurance on the powder drops, to which I took to task over it. Bad information on any board big or small, that disregards safety and falsely claims he can see any changes in powder levels, should always be discouraged. Or should we go on and pretend that everything is okay because someone you've known for umpteen years has been okay with you. Right, that's expertise right there, because you've known him. hah!

Try talking about the subject of this thread instead of taking an imaginary offense that never occurred.

God I hate to repeat myself...
Yep, another millennial with 50 years of experience. Know everything. Yeah, I'll listen to his advice...geesch..

[YNOTAZ]

AZ1182, some friendly advice, you have not been around long enough to know the people you are arguing with or what their knowledge level is.

You will be much better served expressing your opinion, right or wrong, and remembering that this is the Internet, not everyone is going to agree with you, right or wrong. If your skin is too thin or you have to be right, I suggest you learn some tongue biting techniques.

[dread_scott]

Ok guys, I think we got a little off topic and maybe a little heated. let's breathe a little and calm down, we have too many enemies right now to be fighting each other.

So I was able to head over to AZ1182's house yesterday (thanks again!) to try out the Hornady LNL AP press and to get out of the stifling heat of the valley!

The press felt solid and smooth. There was a slight quick movement of the shell plate at the last couple millimeters, but not bad and didn't spill any powder, everything else was smooth as glass. The spring on the shellplate that holds the cases is AWESOME! AZ1182 is very adamant (a good thing) about checking powder throw and weight. Before we loaded anything we checked the throw quite a few times and that spring made it a simple thing to do, I think the Dillon would have been a real pain to do without the DIY method a lot of people do, but this is just the way the Hornady comes.

I personally do like the powder checker. Looking at dies though, I did find an RCBS lock out die that takes it one step further and it won't let you proceed if there is a low or overcharged case, I think I might go that way as it will physically stop you from making a round with a bad charge.

I loaded 300 9mm and had no issues that weren't user error (and thankfully only a couple of those). I think between no hiccups on the press, the litany of accessories for the press (they have a swager plate to knock swaging cases out quickly) and the cost savings, I will go with the Hornady press.

Fear not though Dillon fans, I might have a hookup on a used 550 and might scoop that up too to be totally covered and fully in debt!

I also learned that when it works, a Lee handloader isn't too bad, it's just that it doesn't work that often! haha I'm not exactly sure how I will do the priming yet, but I know I won't be using a Lee handloader at all!

Thanks again to AZ1182 for allowing me to come over and try the press out and also for providing the 300 brass for the cartridges that I made, plus a GOOD amount of cleaned brass to help me get started as a new reloader, it is greatly appreciated!

[knockonit]

lol, it matters now what reloading equipment you end up with, as each will serve the purpose, each have nuances to learn and know which will in the long run allow safe practices. they all serve a purpose as do all actions of each person doing the reloading. some get it, some dont
old journey man carpenter told me decades ago, he will teach me one way, another journey man will teach me another way, and in the end when i become them, i will have yet another way, as long as the same result is achieved, well then there you have it. success


and nothing got heated here, just fellas passion coming to the top on something they believe in, only in America can you have this.
Rj

[Boriqua]

When I looked at the Hornady kit and some videos I saw it came with a quite ingenious primer pickup tube for use as part of the process. Does it not work as well as it seems to?

Also ... can someone tell me more about the powder checker ... how does it work?