14 Reloading Presses Compared: the BIG Single-Stage Shootout

Full Story: (read before asking questions) bit.ly/2WS9jE0
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UR on Patreon: / ultimatereloader
This is it! The BIG FAT 14 press comparison video I've been working on for months! If you are in the market for a single-stage reloading press, this should answer most all of your questions!
Corrections:
*The Turban CNC Präzipress has a steel frame, not aluminum as mentioned in the video.
*Press threading (large, for bushings or 50 BMG dies) is 1-1/4" -12, not 1-1/2" -12 as I stated in the video
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:38 Overview and Test Methodology
6:35 Forster Co-Ax
9:48 Frankford Arsenal M-Press
12:30 Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic
13:40 Hornady Lock-N-Load Iron
15:52 LEE Challenger Breech Lock
18:49 LEE Classic Cast 50 BMG and Standard
23:10 Lyman Brass Smith Ideal
25:18 Lyman Brass Smith Victory
27:14 MEC Marksman
29:02 RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme
32:11 RCBS Summit
34:21 Redding Big Boss II
36:34 Turban CNC Präzipress
39:44 Conclusion
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Ultimate Reloader LLC / gavintoobe Disclaimer:
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Do not attempt any of the processes or procedures shown or described in this video or on this KZbin channel (gavintoobe).
Any reloading data supplied on this KZbin channel (gavintoobe) or in this video, including any comments from viewers and readers must be assumed to be in error.
Always consult at least three sources of manufacturer's ammunition reloading data before reloading your own ammunition.
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By watching this video in whole or in part, you agree that you alone are solely responsible for your own safety and property as it pertains to activities, procedures, techniques, or practices described in whole or part on this KZbin channel (gavintoobe) or in this video.
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Ultimate Reloader LLC / gavintoobe Material Connection Notice:
The following Ultimate Reloader partners are featured in this video:
- LEE Precision
- MEC
- RCBS
- Lyman
- Hornady
- Turban CNC
- Forster
- Redding Reloading
- Frankford Arsenal
Ultimate Reloader partnerships involve one or more of the following:
Product supplied for evaluation + testing + features in videos/articles, paid advertising and promotions, engineering and product development services, scientific testing and evaluation, external media production and related marketing services.
Ultimate Reloader LLC is committed to publishing subjective and data-driven information+insights related to products whether it be favorable or unfavorable or both.
For more information about Ultimate Reloader partnerships, please visit: ultimatereloader.com/about

[@WestDesertShooter]

Wow! I hope people can appreciate just how much work, time and thought was put into this video! The custom tools to measure and compare, the ways you decided to have direct comparisons and tests is a true testament to how dedicated Gavin is. Great video brother this was awesome, now comes the difficult part of choosing one....

[@chris3383]

I bought my Lee 50 cal press 2 weeks to early dang it!!! The only reason I got it was for the bigger thread pattern for the neck only 338 die now I know many others have that pattern too if you remove the bushing....

[@MrFedericoFellini]

Chris

[@danielsalach1234]

@@chris3383 Iv got a old Hurder its in good shape its very heavy.

[@frankserra6709]

Tonight...I bought the Redding Big Boss 2 Pro Reloading Kit for < $400. I thought, at these turbulent Times... Why not, get into reloading. NOW, if I can only find bullets,primers,& POWDER...Really appreciated the MOST through evaluation of the majority if not all single stage presses for at least this novice to hand loading. THANK YOU..

[@Da0utcastDragon]

it's his job. it's just a show and he probably has a crew helping him.

[@barrychouinard4019]

You deserve some type of award for putting the most preparation time into a single video. Appreciate all the detail you've gathered and put out there for us. For 40 years I've had just one single stage press on my bench that has never left me wanting more. Your research suggests there is good reason for my being content! Thanks Gavin.

[@brucemcmillan8750]

bought my Rockchucker in 1975 has been on many benches since the 1st day, it loads 55 different calibers and has never once let me think about any other press, i think I still have the bill of sale

[@hardball107]

All I have to say is I've owned a Rock Chucker since the early very 80's. It has supplied ammo thru 30 years of National Match shooting, IPSC & PPS, hunting & plinking loads and is now turning out rounds for my PRS endeavor's including suppling all my friends and relatives with ammo in our current shortage. I can't come close to estimating how many rounds have passed thru that press but let's average it at 2000 rounds a year and subtract 10,000 in case anyone thinks I'm full of it. When I started shooting PRS I considered replacing it so being an engineer I broke out my measuring tools. I primarily concentrated on bore alignment, squareness and ram runout because there is plenty of float in the shell holder. Long story short at full ram extension there was only .0006 (6 ten thousandth's) runout in the ram. Squareness and alignment was spot on, less than .001" which was easily compensated for by the shell holder and I pulled out some loaded ammo and checked the runout in the ogive of the bullet. Most fell within .002" which I found to be variations in neck thickness of the brass and at least half of that was just over .001". I keep her clean and well lubed and needless to say I believe she will continue to crank out ammo for me for the rest of my years. Quality and performance like that speaks for itself.

[@lagoonrd4173]

I found one owned by old war vet that was sitting on the ground rusted solid… the old lady said 10$ ??? I took the offer and it’s my primary reloading press , after cleaning and reassembly …. Redding loader is sitting idle …. Might be in my mind but the Rcbs old dog has mojo and I don’t want to mess with that….. found was a yard sale and saw it laying on the ground of garage

[@HockeyDad6631]

After I ditched my Rockchucker for a Forster Co-ax about 20 years ago, reloading went from something I had to do, to something I wanted to do. Nothing wrong with the Rockchucker, but it's a basic tool that isn't particularly user friendly. Don't get me wrong, I loaded a ton of ammo on that old green machine, but I sure was much happier once I upgraded. I passed the old press onto a newbie that was just getting started who has put it to good use, and you couldn't pay me to go back.

[@johnnyhuego8392]

What primers do u prefer to use for .308 win? Any specifics. With the primeaggedon going on I'm trying to be sure I get the right s$%#

[@johnnyhuego8392]

​@HockeyDad6631 I'm tempted to get one. I got it rounded down to either the rockchucker or the co ax

[@Alen725]

​@@lagoonrd4173You ditched better press for some broken (rusting on something as precise as press basically means its broken) randomly found junk? You are crazy.

[@rudolphferdinand3634]

It is three years later. After watching your review of 14 reloading presses, I purchased the RCBS Summit reloading press. I went one step further by buying Hornady's Lock-N-Load Die Bushing 3-pack kit making die change over KISS! The RCBS Summit press is GREAT!

[@mattchilders3123]

The absolute best video I've ever viewed on reloading engineering specs.

[@Bacnow]

Wow! Gavin has been creating great reloading KZbin videos for a decade! Yet, his presentation and content always seems fresh and informative! No One! And I mean No One, is working this hard to keep us up to date like this guy! Thanks for all your effort, bud! This beer 🍺 is for you!

[@Ultimatereloader]

Bacnow Thanks!!!!!

[@BP_Aviation]

A lot of hard work put into this one, thanks for all the great information!

[@laatjie]

Very well done covering a wide range of presses. Can’t wait to dig into the report. Thanks for doing this Gavin

[@knutpohl339]

That's an insane and insanely helpful amount of work, awesome. Thank you for it.

[@SouthernOutfitter]

I'm just getting into reloading and wow so much to take in I really appreciate what you do brother!!!

[@PRACERZ]

BLOODY FANTASTIC EFFORT on your part, greatly appreciated !!

[@charredskeleton]

I respect how much work and resorces that you've put into this. This video is truly a service. Thank you and your group!

[@mattr3438]

Thank you for all the hard work you put into this. I am brand new to reloading and this has helped me narrow it down.

[@tomjackson5049]

Your finest work to date. Thank you for all your time and effort.

[@joemarquez5513]

Excellent video and comparison, exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you!

[@strangerdanger187]

Definitely the best video I've found over single stage presses, really appreciate the time you put into this!

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks Kenneth!

[@conservativesniperhunter7439]

Excellent review, a lot of thought and hard work went into this video, I’m sure every reloader that rolls their own ammo greatly appreciates your effort in bringing us this review. Hopefully one day you might look at reviewing Turret presses . Cheers 🥂 🍻

[@CaptnBB]

Thank You! I picked up an RCBS Summit because of the information you gave in the video and the Full Story. Works perfect and is much better then my other press.

[@treadmarsh1094]

Thank you for taking the time to put together a very understandable shootout. You saved me a lot of time and effort on which press I might purchase. I was able to narrow my choice down to two or three and can focus on those as to which I would purchase. Great info

[@mmelgoza1983]

Awesome! Your attention to detail is fantastic! Thank you for your work here!

[@PhalanxArms]

Man, one hell of a video. I can only imagine how much work it took to put this together. Well done!

[@Rocksinhed]

Thank you for the AMAZINGLY detailed video. I was taught Benchrest shooting/reloading by a gentleman with knowledge like yourself. We try to reload to the level of psychosis. This video is so detailed that anyone can understand the tolerances of these presses ... The time you took for this video is greatly appreciated.

[@May0r0fp0undtwn]

Just watched this video an ordered my first press. Thank you for the work you put in!

[@seanwhite6159]

Great episode, Gavin! Well done! Thanks your craftsmanship in putting this together.

[@BrianClarkpharmd]

You’re doing awesome work sir. Keep it coming!

[@MrHuntermikey]

Wow the work that went into this test is incredible. The best reload channel on the web easily. Thanks Gavin

[@adeniranm7647]

Thanks for all your hard work on this Gavin!

[@toddc1786]

Incredible amount of time and effort! Thank you for all you do!

[@tomharrell1954]

What an absolutely insane amount of work, expense and time. Great job! I am a competitive bench rest shooter and plinking shooter and anything that goes bang shooter. Hell I shoot rubber bands too. I love reloading. I have made ammo since 15 years old and I am 65. The plethora of tools is a blessing for us, but it is confusing even for me! I have several of the old Star reloaders as my primary tools. This needed to be done so badly. Thanks for a great job! Great analysis! So many people don’t understand reloading at all. They surly are mesmerized by all the equipment. Your recommendations tell people that good ammo can be made with all the presses. And match grade can be made with most of them. I think this will be the definitive reloading tooling video!

[@hardybirch3630]

Extraordinary, preparation was well beyond expectations and extremely well thought out......spell binding and suspenseful waiting to see the data results. This is a new standard of excellence in making comparisons between reloading presses. Thank you very much.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Wow, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!

[@Friedbrain11]

You are an excellent tester and I appreciate what you have accomplished here. It will be a huge help in my choosing a reloading press.

[@stephenhair5501]

You put a massive amount of effort in producing this video!! What a wealth of information you shared. Thank you!! This helped me make my decision on my next press. Stay well.

[@brucer81]

Incredible! Your attention to detail is amazing. You engineering background is very evident. If ever there was a case of too many choices this is it. It’s almost as bad as choosing a rifle scope. You obviously enjoy what you do. I’m happy to be the recipient of your extremely comprehensive effort and hard work. Thank you.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks so much Bruce!!!

[@blongfel]

So much you do for us re-loaders! Thanks so much!

[@Ultimatereloader]

You are welcome, glad you are finding these resources useful :)

[@stevekrilich3040]

Great job Gavin. Thanks for all your hard, intense work.

[@adeniranm7647]

Oh my gosh, it's finally here! I'm so excited. 😁

[@Jeff_Seely]

There needs to be another Academy Award category for Best Reloading Product Showcase/Shootout (wouldn't the libs go nuts for that one?!). Gavin, thank you for all of the money spent and incredible effort and thought that went into this masterpiece! I watched it twice 😁. I am favoring the RCBS Supreme, but it is clear through this video that there are a few machines that are extremely good alternatives; each for their own reasons. I know that I weigh in pretty late, but I just wanted to say 'good job'!

[@lancevaughn5337]

Good things come to us that wait! So worth it! Fantastic job! Thank you for all your hard work.

[@MultiTbone25]

Thank you for all your hard work! And! Thank you for simple explanations. You’re doing great things for the reloading community!

[@larrybassett5559]

Nice test, thanks for taking the time to do this.

[@RyanMcIntyre]

Gavin thank you for this video!!! You really outdid yourself. This is great information and it's current and relevant. I like that you explained features in addition to performance. Thank you

[@Ultimatereloader]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulwatterson5992]

Agree ... This is a monumental contribution to the reloading community. Many thank you's to all your hard work, and analytical approach to your analysis.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks Paul- it was SOOOOO much work, I'm so happy that people are getting a lot out of it :)

[@paulwatterson5992]

@@Ultimatereloader Take a rest you deserve it :-)

[@darrenlafreniere5034]

Fantastic video! Thank you for the hard work and honest comparison. Well done, sir! VERY helpful!

[@G56AG]

Impressive, lots of time and effort to put this together. Well done!

[@ryanthurman3839]

Best video, answered all my question about single stage press. Ever thought about doing a video turret press

[@donaldpowers8331]

Great job and a lot of work putting this together. I have had my old Bonanza since 1972, it has been consistent for near 50 years. Probably reloaded 9-10,000 rounds. Still right on the money. RCBS dies, bench rest and hunting calibres, it does them all. Again, great video.

[@dewayneswilley703]

18:22 18:23 18:24

[@randyidaho]

Thanks for all the effort to accumulate all the data in this review. Excellent work.

[@jasonbeary5771]

Dude you ARE the Ultimate, insane reloader! Just mind-boggling, all that stuff you have.

[@iiparachuteregiment8800]

147k subscribers only, with all the hard work you do, you should be over a million long time ago.

[@cs_yt]

Impressive, and no doubt when someone ask me again "which press should I buy for precision reloading?" I'll send them right here. Thanks for the massive work involved.

[@Ultimatereloader]

THANKS!

[@PJ-si2po]

Like always you go extremely deeply in your reviews and again precisely mesure and analyse, I did not know witch press I was going to get, I will get the RCBS Summit Thanks for the good video and all the work put into it as a professional

[@JohnSmith-kg5dv]

One premier presentation. Really appreciate the work you put in this presentation.

[@MyBacktrail]

Wow, totally nerded out but that's not a bad thing. Lots of comprehensive work went into this, and it will be very valuable for new reloaders or people choosing their first new press. Very imPRESSive ;)

[@mr.william1913]

Outstanding thanks for the great review. I have been waiting for this since you first mentioned it months ago. I think I now have a better idea what I will start with. Now how about those turret presses LOL.

[@GBCR]

Well, Gavin, with this one you really blew it the **** outta the water! Kudos for all the insane work you put into this. I was looking & salivation the whole time at the black press on top-left; I never knew Mec made metallic presses! Looks very impressive! Thanks!

[@brucethecurmudgeon8538]

Well Done! My old Herters C press is still running alongside my much upgraded Dillon 650. The massive Herters press has served me well for 30 plus years but that last press you showed has me thinking of buying it.

[@ryanbowers7510]

I made popcorn for this!

[@Ultimatereloader]

Awesome

[@Boon202]

Great job Brother!

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks!

[@scottjagodzinski9593]

Very well organized and thought thru presentation. Thank you for your outstanding work in doing this.

[@daleswanson1784]

Been waiting something similar this for years. Thank you. Objective repeatable data that's meaningful thanks to strict testing criteria.

[@RoloTomase]

The content was fantastic + the overall audio/video quality, lighting, and the lens camera combo you used was amazing. The overall time it took you to produce the final cut must have been considerable. Whoever did your editing gets a thumbs up also. Learned a lot to look for in single stage press reloading.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks Rolo- I think I have about 100 hours into it, and I did all of the editing myself, I need to learn how to delegate more... :)

[@rbcooke3010]

I am just beginning to acquire reloading equipment. This video was perfectly timed for me, Thank you for the taking the time to put in the effort to produce this labour intensive production. I found all of the information useful although I may not grasp everything in the report.

[@penfold357007]

Excellent video Gavin. Wow! So much effort.

[@wassman27]

I always wondered about the RCBS Summit, looked like a great concept and the results show it is a strong contender. Thanks Gavin for this video and your comprehensive report will stand the test of time. But it didnt help my wallet so thanks!?!?!

[@danielselby8001]

Got the rcbs rock chucker supreme after watching this vid thanks good job 👍

[@Ultimatereloader]

Good deal, great press!

[@mikebaldwin2928]

Impressive video production. You’ve definitely earned my subscription, thank you!

[@_JimS]

That sure was a lot of work. Thanks for your time to bring this to us.

[@TwoFeatherChannel]

Impressive research as always. I did not expect Rock Chucker to be ranked #2.

[@joed2392]

Me too ! But I guess that German engineered $900.00 dollar press had better do something !!!

[@breakintips9896]

Joe D right?!

[@Master...deBater]

@@joed2392: Yeah...I watched this whole thing just to see where the RC Supreme came in. I figured it would place in the top three. I've had mine for about ten years and couldn't be happier!

[@JimHarmer]

Excellent detail which I really appreciate. Would love to see your top 3 favorites from this. Great data, but it’s hard as a newbie to know from all this info which way to go.

[@noxspector]

Excellent work and an acknowledgement of the effort it took to do all of the testing.

[@skylershupe6226]

Incredible with the amount of detail!

[@ewathoughts8476]

I like the Tip TIR tables especially. They show that the best TIRs are not turned in by the highest price presses. The RCBS ones turn in the most consistent TIRs. Careful comparison of all 14 tables will indicate that TIR is controlled by the uniformity of the brass cases more than any of the presses or dies.

[@klintonodonnell3318]

This makes me feel even better about my rock chucker. I believe my next press will be another one...

[@edwardpetty5401]

Very informative video. What work you put into this one. Thank you!

[@arturocaballero7208]

Excellent video. Very well filmed. Very well explained. Very well presented. Using only facts instead of opinions. All test very well performed. Great summary of results. Obviously a lot of work put in.

[@luisrocha8132]

From Portugal. Thank you for your videos. They are all amazing and we can learn a lot. However, I would like to see a specific video charging the caliber 6 mm Norma BR and .308 WIN, from the beginning to the end, made with the best Dies for BR.

[@pauls6526]

Thank you! I am new to reloading. I am still looking for my 1st machine to buy. This helped a lot!

[@gotjuice7160]

Great methodology in testing, phenomenal review. Keep up the great work

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks!

[@YarickZan]

This video has amazing timing for me. My friend and I are finally getting off our asses and getting our reloading room setup. One of things I want to do is replace my Lee press since I don't really have much confidence in it when it comes to loading for PRS. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of this video!

[@jameskavney3892]

so happy with my RCBS Summit!!!!

[@beemerbill1572]

Wow, incredibly thorough review of single-stage presses. Also, per your testing, I now know that I do not need to consider replacing my beloved RCBS Rock Chucker press that I have been using for a long time. The RCBS Summit reminds me of the Star Machine Works Reloaders that a couple of my VERY OLD reloader buddies used.

[@alaskanohio]

Gavin, I have been waiting for this video since you first mentioned it. Let me say this, You did not disappoint. Wonderful job on this video.

[@Ultimatereloader]

THANKS!!!

[@sandriszegedi1]

One of the most awesome videos in gun stuff topics! Great job!

[@samdelaet3587]

Gavin I love this. I would love to see next a Scale VS Electric Scale powder/load comparison. Like something that puts the charges thrown and weighed against one another compares Muzzle velocity, SD, & ES. I say this b/c I have went from using the RCBS Charge master back to throwing and my old RCBS 5-10 scale with the roller wheel for the tenths. With the Charge Master my 6.5 Creedmoor loads running Berger bullets and H4350 I was getting SD of 2.5-5.0 which is really good for what I do. Now having not ran the loads weighed out by my scale over my Magneto Speed V3 and loading the very same specs I'm wondering if I'll get the same results. Would be cool to watch. Thanks

[@fcrum]

It has been almost 2 years since this was posted and I still can't believe 173 people "disliked" it! This was an extreme amount of work! I find that I refer back to this (and other people to it) a lot! Thanks for all you do for the reloading community.

[@TheSuburban15]

I think maybe because it's an overview without a real conclusion.

[@gusloader123]

@@TheSuburban15 His tests were fair and well done. He gave a well-balanced report / review. He posted the written results in a link. It is up to the viewers to pick and buy, not the Y.T. tester / video maker. This was not some 3 am Info-mercial with a paid audience clapping for the newest make-up or frying pan. IF he had made a "real conclusion" as you said, then there would be at least 10 people whining and complaining and crying because he did not tell everyone to buy a Dillon machine.

[@PreparingForSHTF]

Thanks for such an exhaustively researched video. You do the work so we don't have to and we get to benefit and grow from it.

[@russdennis7026]

Wow just WOW! You sir are a beast! Thank you for all you do. That was a lot of work and it shows you're a true professional.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks Russ!!!!!!!

[@johnwatson1651]

Hi Gavin...fantastic analysis! I can see where you are questioning the value of "float" based upon your analysis, I am looking forward to what you will come up with here. But an even bigger question I now have based upon your data is the accuracy hit with the LnL system. The data you have shows the Hornady presses at the bottom of the list. Do you think this is due to the LnL system or to the flex in the Hornady presses or something else? I would be very interested in your viewpoint here! Thanks again!

[@dahut3614]

I can't even imagine how awkward this would be if they were all mounted on a low bench!

[@olsparkywisenheimer8239]

Great video. I've been loading for almost 30 years and i still watched the whole video! 😁

[@denismguitar1552]

Thanks for your passion. You sir are quite the mechanical geek! Great job!!

[@36736fps]

Thank you. Very informative and useful, unlike most KZbin stuff. I think non-floating is better than floating because floating parts can misalign if the parts are not machined extremely precisely. The Forster co-ax depends on the die locking ring being machined so the ring flats are exactly 90 degrees to the center-line. I don't like to de-prime in the press due to all the junk that come out. I use a small arbor press with a dedicated de-priming pin.. And I use a hand primer tool because it gives much better feel than in-press priming. Do you have any data or experience that would indicate the lock-n-load bushing produces precision equal to 7/8 x 14 bushings?

[@raptorshootingsystems3379]

After 25 plus years of loading for competition and cartridge design, I have to say I like the RCBS Summit. I have 2 of them, one with long handle and the other with the short handle option. In total, I have 7 presses including Redding, Dillion, RCBS and Harrells.

[@OrionCorsari]

Well done and we’ll thought out presentation. Gave me much needed insight for a second press decision. Thank you!

[@randalljeffs7272]

Fantastic video. The amount of work and precision involved is so impressive. Thank you.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks Randall!

[@cfreezy45]

This study will be a benchmark in reloading data for years to come.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks! That's a huge compliment :)

[@kurtthomsen2414]

Gavin - You did a great job on what was surely a monumental task. I'm curious if you think that the presses that had floating dies or shellholders would have a problem with breaking decapping pins?

[@TheSuburban15]

With a sizing die, no, because the shell will self-center in the die, or vise versa. With a universal decapping die, yeah, maybe.

[@Countryboy81]

Nice video! Thanks for your time! I like my RCBS Summit even more now

[@michaspi]

I purchased a Lyman Ideal this past weekend thanks to your videos. Glad I didn’t make a poor choice! Thanks, Gavin!