Reloading Presses

So........I'm thinking of buying a press. Which is the best press to buy. I'll used it for 9mm and 45acp.

phillyr121

that is a question that will have as many answers as there are forum members. Just 9mm and 45? nothing else? ok I would buy if my budget was tight two lee pro 1000 because they are progressive.
If my budget was not really tight the Dillon SDB

Not enough money for that then maybe one of the Lee lower end presses.

Ok if rifle is going to be in the future and while your not on a penny budget and you want to be able to do anything.
1) Redding boss
2) RCBS Rockchucker
3) Lyman Orange Crusher
4) Hornady LNL single stage
The above are all single stage presses that I think is the best on the market in order of my preference

Large end Progressives? again the list is huge but my choice would be the Dillon xl 650
then The Hornady LNL Progressive.

I really like the hornady lnl

If you are totally new to reloading I would recommend a single stage press. Progressive presses are great but its a lot to keep track of for a beginner.

There are a lot of good presses on the market. I myself have several, I have RCBS, Reeding, Lee, Hornady.

If I were to recommend a press for a beginner I would say look for a RCBS (either a rock chucker or a Jr2) either should be able to be found on Craigslist or eBay rather cheap. The next thing I would recommend is a press that has a cast linkage. If you are looking for a progressive I would recommend the hornady LNL, I recently purchased one and am impressed with it.

The one press that I would stay away from is the Lee 1000. I have one and hate it. Every time I use it I end up spending more time taking it apart and fixing it than I do loading. The powder measure is crap, the primer feed is junk. The only thing it has going for it is the price. But this press is how the saying "you get what you pay for" came about.

Also just to make sure you are aware, you will need more than just a press to get started. You are going to need some form of scale, and a caliper.

Tripples

Whatever you end up with take your time and make sure everything is right and you will be fine.

For reloading pistol ammo only...I'd highly recommend a single stage turret press. Find a used Lyman or RCBS for a decent price and you'll be set for life. Even a good ol' Lee Classic Turret would be a fine choice.

Keep in the back of your mind that anything is better than nothing....so if $$ is tight at the moment, get what you can afford, and as you mature in your reloading skills you will know what you actually need in a press.

Do you have Lee dies? I hear there is some kind of thing about Lee dies not working well in a Hornady LNL press.

Google for:
hornady press lee dies
and you get hits like:
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-368997.html

and

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=423993

If you have never reloaded before ,you might want to cut your teeth on a single stage press like the Redding T-7 turret press ,or the Lee hand press ...
Something to learn the basics and build confidence ...