Hi all,

I had a very amateur set-up before and have since sold it all with all the moving I do. My living locations prevent me from shooting EVER so I'm not reloading 1k rounds a month or anything crazy. What I would like to do is have something that allows me to keep busy during off days at night when I'm on nightshift, or during long stretches off work. Just something of a hobby more than anything.

So my question is. Is a hand press worth the cost savings and ease of transport/storage over say a Redding Single Stage?

Have you ever bought something then just though, "Man I should have spent a little more and got the better model"? That's what I'm asking.

The answer lies in what you are trying to achieve.

Plinking ammo with minimal consistency - go for a hand press. But, I'm guessing it would be significantly quick to get disenfranchised with the process and give up/in.

Getting a real press will give you better quality production, less frustration, and allow you to progress and grow would be a much better idea.

Mounting the press to a simple piece of wood then using C Clamps to mount to a table or a bench is done way more than you think. Everyone doesn't have a dedicated, climate controlled Reloading room with wide screen TV and espresso maker.

Hate to see you invest in limiting equipment only to dump it all later and give up.

Andrew

Thanks, that was what I was thinking as well. The single stage would serve as a much better foundation probably.

Appreciate the input.

I would suggest you pass over hand presses altogether. They are very hard to develop the torque needed, and are not very comfortable, unless you have very strong hands. You can get a good cheap press that will last forever that you will be able to do a lot more with.

I have a Lee hand press (started on it) and a Lee Challenger single stage. I load 223 and 308.

The single stage is vastly superior for resizing. That extra leverage makes the job so much easier. It's also going to be more consistent.

The hand press is way more portable, even when you account for the old "mount it to a piece of 2x4 and use clamps" trick.

The hand press is a doable route, and I definitely got usable ammo, but it's way more enjoyable with the single stage.

Quality small press. The Harrell brothers build good stuff!

http://harrellsprec.com/index....pact-reloading-press