hand presses any good

[c_brutsche]

Hey guys really been burning through 9mm and 30.06 ammo. Thinking it is about time to start reloading. Ok, and I wanted an excuse because I really want to get into the hobby. Anyways I really have no access to any benches for some heavy reloading press so I stumbled upon the Lee hand press. Are hand presses any good for reloading? I know it would be slow but I wouldn't mind that. Just want to know if a hand press is doable for mainly the 30.06. Any input?

[rkrcpa]

If you have a horizontal surface available to you I believe you would be better served by a "regular" press. You don't need a dedicated bench, a dining room table will suffice, just bolt your press to a piece of wood and clamp the wood to the table.

[batalha_com.308]

I, along with the OP have the same question. However, at home i have i RCBS turret and a Dillon. i was thinking more along the lines of loading at the range. Maybe bring some primed and sized cases,some heads, powder and a chrono and try to work out some new loads. Any body use this lee hand press for full time or tertiary reloading? i have always pictured that as a great way to spend off time.

[Lycanthrope]

Get a $40 countertop from Lowes and some wood.....and build a reloading bench. Lots of plans on the web.

Otherwise.....

Lycanyou'llbesorrythrope

[batalha_com.308]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...equestid=96699

this mess is a link to the device in question.

[Xringshooter]

I have a hand press, I use it if I'm going to the range and want to test some handloads. I can take what I need and load a few rounds, shoot them and note the results. I can then and there load some more with a different combination and see what those do. Many benchrest shooters load each and every round just before shooting them. I also use it at times just to deprime and resize my brass while watching TV.

[Lycanthrope]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...equestid=96699

this mess is a link to the device in question.

You can do it....but it will SUCK for any sort of volume.

Lycancryoncebuyoncethrope

[Pete D.]

The Lee hand press will work for the cartridges in question. A Lee hand press (i have a couple that I still use) was my second stop on my way into presses for reloading (the first was a Lee Loader).
I used the hand press for a couple of years to load .45ACP and .30-06.
I'd sit on the beach in the summer with a few hundred .45 cases on one hand, the press in the other. I'd deprime and size them all.
Then i'd bell the case mouth on all of them - if I was at the beach that long.
The rest happened at home.
After the hand press, I moved to a progressive, mounted on a piece of Plywood and clamped to a table.
Pete

[Noah_Zark]

I have both the Lee and HDS Compac hand presses and I bought them specifically to use for adjusting loads while at the range, or reloading at the hunting camp. My preference is for the HDS tool because the handles are more ergonomic and I pinched my fingers less than with the Lee hand press. I still use them from time to time, and they are convenient for assembling a full reloading kit in a tackle box, including a powder scale. I use the Ohaus 10-10 because it has the plastic slip-on cover that contains everything and nothing gets lost or damaged. In fact, I did an article on the subject back in the early 80s on "Practical Portable Handloading" that's in Handloader 114.

Hand presses are slow, very slow, but they are faster than a Lee Loader and use conventional 7/8" die sets. And they will get you started in reloading, so that when you have the facilities to get a bench set up you'll be experienced and have many of the accessories already.

Noah

[Mootness]

I have my press mounted on a craftsman tool stand. I used 3/4" ply left over from a floor I built. I cut a piece that fits inside of the tool stand, and a top piece with a slight lip so the press does not interfere with the legs as they stick out to balance the stand. I bolted everything together, and it can be taken apart easily with the wing-nuts I used. It is nice and solid, and the wood stain and polyurethane turned out gorgeous.

Obviously this wouldn't work at the beach, or carried to the range. But it takes up relatively little space if that's the issue.

It's a Lee Turret.