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Looking to get into reloading. I need a press to do .357mag and .280 rifle. Is there one that shines above the rest? Not looking for fancy, I love tools and don't mind setting up. Also, will be doing small runs, mostly for the .280, since ammo is hard to find.
 
Rock chucker then find a PIGGYBACK 3, to go on it to have a 5 station progressive.

Piggyback 4 if you end up with a RC supreme. The PB 4 does 308, the PB will do 223 and your 280.

The supreme has a longer stroke is the reason.
 
Get the rockcrusher and learn doing your small batches. When you have learned the process then decide on your progressive set-up, piggyback or Dillionq, Hornaday. I vote for Rockcrusher and Dillion.
 
Any single stage press on the market will reload 357 or 280 i believe. Even the lee. If you ever decide to upgrade to a turret or progressive, it is always nice to have a single stage handy.

I would worry more about the scale and powder drop. Depending on how finicky you want to be, they matter more.

Also dont forget the trimmer for the rifle brass. Lee and lyman make some trimmers that arent too expensive.

Various ways to clean your brass also. Doesnt sound like you are doing mass quantities. Maybe lemishine and dish soap would work for that.

A good pair of digital calipers.

I went with Hornady presses and have no regrets. First a single stage until i got bored and decided I loved reloading. Then I upgraded to a progressive last year.
 
"Shines above the rest"... I've heard great things about the Forster Co-Ax, but never used one.
I have a Lee Classic Cast, RCBS RC I, RCBS RC2, and a Hornady LnL AP. Had a Lee Challenger and Lee Loader II in the past.

Either RCBS will work great for your 280. The Lee Classic Cast is good too.
Using a single stage, you can load ~200 +/- rounds per hour of the 280 or the 357. If you get a progressive, you can do 500-800/hr of the 357. I wouldn't try the 280, though some do.
In my rifle rounds, I like to take 3-4 strokes to fully seat the bullet. 1/4 way, rotate, repeat. I check run-out on a granite block, and have never had a discernable wobble.
 
Also dont forget the trimmer for the rifle brass. Lee and lyman make some trimmers that arent too expensive.

I went with Hornady presses and have no regrets. First a single stage until i got bored and decided I loved reloading. Then I upgraded to a progressive last year.

.357 needs to be trimmed all the same, within +/- .002 if you can. Makes crimping easier.
 
Get into a RockChucker Supreme or Summit Press for single-stage, especially if you're just starting out. The Piggybacks have all been discontinued for a number of years so don't count on that option. You could always go with an RCBS Turret Press, it's not a true progressive press but it's fast because you can buy multiple die plates and leave them each set up for each caliber you load.

If you want to do high-volume, get your hands on a ProChucker 5 or 7 station progressive press. They're awesome when they're set up right.
 
Get into a RockChucker Supreme or Summit Press for single-stage, especially if you're just starting out. The Piggybacks have all been discontinued for a number of years so don't count on that option. You could always go with an RCBS Turret Press, it's not a true progressive press but it's fast because you can buy multiple die plates and leave them each set up for each caliber you load.

If you want to do high-volume, get your hands on a ProChucker 5 or 7 station progressive press. They're awesome when they're set up right.

Just got my PB 3 in Jan 13 from midway and runs same as the Pro 2000.

Ya can still get plenty of parts for years to come for them. Ya can find the PB 3 and 4 (fits the RC supreme ) on Craigslist to gun broker.

Sportsman's has the Pro 2k on the shelf still also at brownells. I'll be picking up the auto indexing one..... the nice thing about the Auto is that you can disable the auto and run as a manual index try that with a dillon 650.

The new PRO chucker 5&7 are only auto index only. Also currently RCBS forces you to buy another uniflo when ordering a die plate ( on PC7 i belive).

I called and spoke with them on this and let them know that I was disgusted with the way they forced this on the consumer.

And they were still nice enough to send me 2 reduced power indexing springs to stop spilling powder when I load 8.1 of silouhette in a 9mm for making major. (Free)!

Guess it is smoother on indexing then all the other mfg's and also you can upgrade a PC5 to a 7 station later for 300 and change. Also it does use primer tubes instead of the strips.

The main reason I stayed away from the Pro chucker is .

(1) it only comes as a auto index.

(2) I REALLY like NOT using primer tubes and discovered that when I got the APS system. Been loading primer tubes from 1988 to 2013. (there's a reason for the BLAST SHEILD around the tube) and have never had a upside down or sideways primer with the APS. Also faster loading strips that tubes.

(3) lrg to sml primer change over time.... 90 seconds or less if ya boogie.

With all that said I may buy a PC 7 after 2 or 3 yrs when priming quirks are worked out (plastic transfer system is breaking in the field per owners ). And the street price settles down .

Also hoping by then they will change the way they BUNDLE the die plate and powder measure on the PC7.

Be safe
 
Last Edited:
you said:
"Not looking for fancy, I love tools and don't mind setting up. Also, will be doing small runs, mostly for the .280, since ammo is hard to find."

So I'm going to suggest a Lee Classic Turret, and expect to get razed for it :s0131:
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-classic-turret-press-90064.html
The index can be disconnected for single stage operation, while you are learning, and it's inexpensive.
Here's a vid
:s0108:
 
Last Edited:
I'd also suggest the auto-advancing Lee Classic Turret press.
One can remove the operating rod in one second to make it a single stage or manually advancing O turret press if you want.
Here's an old vid showing loading handgun with four dies.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KB6OS0LoRPE?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Nice, thanks for the replies. Looks like a RCBS or Lee will do. My biggest concern is quality of build. I hate breaking tools, especially when it isn't my fault. It seems RCBS might be the better choice there. Thanks for the advice guys. I think reloading might become my favorite new hobby!
 
Nice, thanks for the replies. Looks like a RCBS or Lee will do. My biggest concern is quality of build. I hate breaking tools, especially when it isn't my fault. It seems RCBS might be the better choice there. Thanks for the advice guys. I think reloading might become my favorite new hobby!

Only TRUE all cast iron presses put there are the Dillon and the RCBS.
 
Hmm, I'll have to check my Lee Classic Cast to see what's aluminum on it. As I understood, it's all cast iron and steel, and appears so to me. The Lee Challenger is a whole 'nuther story....

Also not all RCBS PRESSES are cast iron. Just Google the model when shopping.
 
Just an FYI there is no aluminum on the Lee Classic Turret Press except for the turrets. The turrets cost less than 10 bucks each. I have never worn one out and the ones I use for forming brass have been brutalized. I put magnets on there and they stick. It's plenty stout.

20160226_060352.jpg
 
If you want a press that'll blow the rcbs rockchucker away in every measurable way, get the Lee cast iron single stage O press.
They actually incurred the cost to drill the ram so that the primers will drop straight down, without fail, into whatever you want them caught into.
They cost like five bucks.

th?&id=OIP.Md010f5de216b68c244881877e69de43fo0&w=300&h=225&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0.jpg
 

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