The Best Rifle Reloading Press

Our Complete List of the Top 7 Best Rifle Reloading Presses

Reloading has always demanded the utmost care and attention, especially when you’re trying to create that perfect match grade ammunition. The special care and attention that goes into sizing, cleaning, priming, measuring gunpowder may seem like a dull and tedious task, but for people who are really dedicated to crafting the perfect and most accurate round, it will always be an art form. A good reloading press will help them immensely in creating that.

Is Reloading Worth It?

I still remember the stories my grandfather used to tell me how way back when he started shooting, he would only buy 5 or 6 bullets, because he couldn’t afford to buy ammo in boxes of 20, 50, or 100 rounds like we are used to now.

Back then, for him, it made sense to save up all the spent casings and occasionally salvage lead so he could use it to reload bullets over and over again. Sometimes years would pass by without him even thinking of going to the store to buy factory-made ammo. Reloading was cheap and practical with the added benefit that homemade ammo was usually of higher quality and better accuracy.

The situation has changed drastically with the amount of cheap, good quality, and readily available factory ammunition today (although, admittedly there are dry periods ). Does it really pay off to spend hours and hours bent over a press or sorting brass from a bucket?

From my experience, it still does. If you’re shooting a lot every weekend on the range, or are using an uncommon caliber, or an expensive caliber, reloading ammo will definitely pay off in the long run for you.

People who shoot AR-15s, or any other guns with high capacity magazines will find that making your own ammo means you will still be shooting the same amount, but at a lower cost.

The guys and gals who are into long-range or precision shooting will soon realize that they can make drastically more accurate bullets than commercially available ones. If you are shooting uncommon and expensive calibers, reloading can be a good solution to all those who want to avoid going by every hunting store, pawnshop, and gun store and asking if they are stocked up with your cartridge.

Whatever the reason, the cost, the improved quality of ammo, or the pleasure of having a satisfying and interesting hobby, I would say that reloading has more benefits and perks than disadvantages.

What to Consider When Buying a Reloading Press

Buying a press can be a major investment, and there are several things that need to be taken into consideration beforehand. You can go with a simple single-stage (one bullet per lever pull) press. Or you can choose a complicated progressive press, capable of loading 1000 bullets per hour. There are several types of presses to match users’ needs based on their experience in reloading. Differences in operation aside, let’s focus on the common points each product should excel at.

Construction quality

As with any product you expect a certain level of quality, especially when it comes to manually operated mechanical devices that you will be using fairly often. A solid reloading press is an important investment, so don’t rush into buying the cheapest option on the market. It needs to be stable and rigid because, remember, you’re most likely going to be making thousands and thousands of rounds of ammo with it, it needs to last. If possible, choose the ones made from solid steel or cast iron. Make sure the construction of the press is tight. You don’t want to end up with an expensive door stop.

Upgrade Options

If you are new to reloading, your first choice is probably going to be a single-stage press. They are excellent tools not just for beginners, but also for experienced reloaders. The main reason is that, unlike a progressive or turret, you are making one bullet at a time. That gives you a greater ability to focus on making that perfect round. The downside is, it is slow, and eventually, you will want to speed up your process and start making more. A wise choice would be to buy a press that offers you upgrade options.

Ease of Use

Always choose the one you feel the most comfortable working with. Granted, it isn’t easy always to test out a press before actually buying one, but get informed, either via the internet or if you have a buddy who already has the piece of reloading equipment. Find one that won’t take too much of your time on figuring out how to set it up and use it. It has to be intuitive and user friendly so you can focus on your work.

Accessories

Unlike in the old days when people had to buy parts separately, producers today have offered the market various kits in which you can find everything or most of the stuff a beginner reloader needs.

Long gone are the days when you needed to buy everything separately, starting from the press and shopping your way up. If you decide to take that approach, make sure to choose a kit that offers as many of the necessary accessories you will need as possible. I recommend the Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit

Die Changing System

Using a single-stage press can be time-consuming. If time is of the essence to you, there are models that allow you to change dies much faster. Instead of unscrewing and screwing in a new die and recalibrating it, for eac stage, use a quick-changing method so you can save a lot of time reloading your ammo.

Types of Reloading Presses: Single-Stage, Turret, Progressive

Single-Stage Reloading Press

A single-stage press is the most basic type of reloading press, excellent for beginners but also for experienced users who are reloading ammo for rifles. The downside of using a single-stage is the longer amount of time necessary to produce a bullet.

The RCBS Summit Single Stage Reloading Press is a great option. The press holds only one die, which means you have to change dies for each stage. Pressing the lever, the cartridge case is inserted into the die where it acts on the case. Some types of single-stage presses have a priming setup installed into the shell holder, but in most cases, you will have to insert the primer into the bullet separately using a specialized priming tool.

Turret Reloading Press

A turret press is fairly similar to a single-stage press, with one major difference. Instead of one die, it has a wheel that holds multiple ones, so you can easily manually index between them.

Try the Redding Reloading T-7 Turret Press Kit. Even though some modern turret presses even have the ability to automatically index between dies, they still require one lever pull per action on the bullet. Nevertheless, they are faster than single-stage presses.

The downside of this type of device it’s that it is slightly less stable and more flexible than a single-stage press, but if you buy a good brand-name turret press, you won’t experience any significant issues concerning that. For reloading rifle and handgun rounds, this will be a good choice for beginner reloaders.

Progressive Reloading Press

A progressive press produces a round with one pull of the lever. The device is designed in such a way that multiple processes are completed with each pull. It has both a wheel that contains several dies and/or accessories like a powder measure or a case feeder and a shell holder plate plate that can hold several cases. During one cycle, the shell plate either manually or automatically turns to prepare the bullet for the next step in the operation, while a completed bullet is deposited into a cartridge bin or a bucket.

If you need to make a lot of bullets for your semi-auto rifle, like an AR-15, this type of press is perfect for that job, because you can make large quantities in a relatively short amount of time. However, you will be sacrificing quality, due to less time spent focusing on the quality control of each round at every stage of the process.

What Is Auto-Indexing on A Reloading Press?

One of the main prerequisites of every turret or progressive reloading press should be ease of use. A reloading press should work for you, not against you, when reloading ammunition. Indexing is one such process that has a positive effect on the outcome if done automatically.

When you pull or push the lever on a turret press, the die holder has to be manually turned (indexed) afterward in order to prep the press for the next step in bullet making. Manual indexing means you line up the dies for the next stage yourself. To limit the margin of error, which is bound to happen if you become tired after spending too much time at the reloading bench, a press that has an automatic or auto-indexing option is a good choice.

How Automated Presses Work and Do You Need One

Competitive shooters often use progressive presses, because they usually use large quantities of ammo on a fairly regular basis. This type of press allows the user to make rounds faster, but also at a much-reduced cost. It has its disadvantages, being a fairly complex system, where one mistake can have potentially serious consequences.

An automated reloading press isn’t a new concept, producers like Dillon and Posness Warren do have presses that automate almost the entire process from start to finish, where a user has to only make sure that the supply of empty brass, gunpowder, and bullets to the operating press is uninterrupted. The major advantage of such setups is that they allow the user to focus on secondary tasks, thereby eliminating the routine and monotony that is associated with reloading huge batches of ammo. An important thing to add is that they do offer greater reliability and speed but very often for a hefty price.

How to Use A Reloading Press

Before you start using a reloading press you have to prepare all the necessary tools and accessories. Think of it sort of like cooking. Even though it would be amazing if you could cook all kinds of dishes using just one pan and one kitchen knife, more often you will be needing a whole array of utensils.

Here is a list of basic tools you will need in order to get started using a single stage press:

• Calipers and/or a micrometer
• A reloading press (this is a no brainer)
• A set of dies for the calibers you’re planning on reloading
• A shell holder or shell plate
• Smokeless powder, a powder dispenser and a precise scale
• Primers, bullets and clean brass

Make sure the reloading press is firmly attached to your reloading bench, and that all the components are within the reach. Most die sets now come with a caliber specific shell holder already in the package, place it in the ram of the press.

Now it’s time to place the resizing die in the press. Push the ram all the way until it touches the die, release the lever letting the ram fall down and twist the die in slightly. Press the ram with the shell holder back up again to push against the die, because you want to make sure there is no empty space when you size your shell. Twist the lock ring, manually as hard as you can, but you can also use a wrench, but then be careful not to use too much force.

Take an empty or spent case and place it in the shell holder. Lube the case, but don’t overdo it, a light coat is enough. With the case in the ram, pull the lever all the way down until the ram pushes the brass into the die above it. Sizing is done, but here is where the caliper comes into action, since each case has to be of a specific length in order to properly feed in a rifle, measure each case. If they are longer than necessary, they need to be trimmed to the proper size.

Several models reviewed here come with a priming arm and they work just fine, but you can also use a manual priming tool if you want to be absolutely sure the primer has been properly seated in the brass. Included in your die set package are usually small scoops used to properly measure and pour the powder into an empty brass case. It will work, but investing in a precise scale and a quality gunpowder dispenser is the way to go if you want to have a consistent charge.

Put a casing in the shell holder, and get ready to place a reseating die into the press. The procedure for placing the reseating die is similar to any other die, with a noticeable difference that this type of die has a seating stem at its top which you can twist on or off. When the die is properly fixed with a locking ring, lower the ram and the case down and insert the bullet inside the case. Then push the lever down and let the ram go into the reseating stem, locking the bullet into the case. There is a lot more to it, but that gives you an idea on how to reload your own rounds.

Final Verdict: What is the Best Reloading Press for Rifles?

A clear winner is always difficult to determine when all of the “participants” are good. A single-stage press is a good choice if you are a beginner or if your primary focus is on the quality and accuracy of your rounds. If you wish to eventually upgrade or have a wide variety of calibers you wish to load, a turret press is a handy solution.

Personally, the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme press offers the simplicity and precision that a good press should offer. From .22 Hornet to .338 Lapua, this press will load it all without any issues. Keep it properly lubed and it will size, prime, and seat anything you put in it. It is a slightly improved version of an older model the company produced, without messing with the qualities the older model became famous for.

However, if time is a concern for you, and so is your budget, check out Lee Precision 4-Hole Classic Turret Press. It’s rigid, durable, and big enough to accommodate even the largest of calibers, but with the added benefit of an easily replaceable turret head, all for a more than modest price. Therefore, this press deserves a place on your shopping list.