From Gun Digest 2008 comes this handy guide to some shotshell reloading presses you should consider. Shotshell reloading is a great way to save money and shoot more.
DILLON SL 900
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour:700-900
Weight: 51 lbs.
Features:12-ga. only; factory adjusted to load AA hulls; extra large 25- pound capacity shot hopper; fully-adjustable case-activated shot system; hardened steel starter crimp die; dual-action final crimp and taper die; tilt-out wad guide; auto prime; auto index; strong mount machine stand. From Dillon Precision Products.
Price:$914.90
Hollywood Automatic Shotshell Press
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 1,800
Weight: 100 lbs.
Features: Ductile iron frame; fully automated press with shell pickup and ejector; comes completely set up for one gauge; one starter crimp; one finish crimp; wad guide for plastic wads; decap and powder dispenser unit; one wrench for inside die lock screw; one medium and one large spanner wrench for spanner nuts; one shellholder; powder and shot measures. Available for 10, 12, 20, 28 or 410. From Hollywood Engineering.
Price:$5,000.00
Hollywood Senior Turret Press
Press Type: Turret
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 200
Weight: 50 lbs.
Features: Multi-stage press constructed of ductile iron comes completely equipped to reload one gauge; one starter crimp; one finish crimp; wad guide for plastic wads; decap and powder dispenser unit; one wrench for inside die lock screw; one medium and one large spanner wrench for spanner nuts; one shellholder; powder and shot measures. Available for 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 or 410. From Hollywood Engineering.
Price: Press only $1,000.00
Price: Dies $200.00
Hornady 366 Auto
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: NA
Weight: 25 lbs.
Features: Heavy-duty die cast and machined steel body and components; auto primer feed system; large capacity shot and powder tubes; adjustable for right- or left-hand use; automatic charge bar with shutoff; swing-out wad guide; primer catcher at base of press; interchangeable shot and powder bushings; life-time warranty. Available for 12, 20, 28 2 3/4 and 410 2-1/2. From Hornady Mfg. Co.
Price:$575.05
Price: Die set, 12, 20, 28 $202.77
Price: Magnum conversion dies, 12, 20 $43.25
Lee Load-All
Press Type: Single stage
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 100
Weight: 3 lbs. 3 oz.
Features: Loads steel or lead shot; built-in primer catcher at base with door in front for emptying; recesses at each station for shell positioning; optional primer feed. Comes with safety charge bar with 24 shot and powder bushings. Available for 12-, 16-or 20-gauge. From Lee Precision, Inc.
Price:$52.98
MEC 600 Jr. Mark V
Press Type: Single stage
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 150
Weight: 16 lbs.
Features: Spindex crimp starter for shell alignment during crimping; a cam-action crimp die; Pro-Check to keep charge bar properly positioned; adjustable for three shells. Available in 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 gauges and 410 bore. Die set not included. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$120.32
Price: Die set $67.27
MEC 650
MEC 9000GN
MEC 8567N Grabber
MEC Steelmaster
MEC 650
MEC 650N
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 400
Weight: 19 lbs.
Features: Six-station press; does not resize except as separate operation; auto primer feed standard; three crimping stations for starting, closing and tapering crimp. Die sets not available. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28 and 410. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$240.00
MEC 8567N Grabber
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 400
Weight: 22 lbs.
Features: Six-station press; auto primer feed; auto-cycle charging; three-stage crimp; power ring resizer returns base to factory specs; resizes high and low base shells; optional kits to reload three shells and steel shot. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge and 410 bore. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$338.00
Price: 3 kit, 12-ga$79.32
Price: 3 kit, 20-ga$45.32
Price: Steel shot kit $39.65
MEC 9000GN
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 400
Weight: 27 lbs.
Features: All same features as the MEC Grabber but with auto-indexing and auto-eject. Finished shells automatically ejected from shell carrier to drop chute for boxing. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28 and 410. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$407.00
MEC 9000HN
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 400
Weight: 31 lbs.
Features:Same features as 9000GN with addition of foot pedal-operated hydraulic system for complete automation. Operates on standard 110V household current. Comes with bushing-type charge bar and three bushings. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge and 410 bore. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$958.00
MEC 8120 Sizemaster
Press Type: Single stage
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 150
Weight: 20 lbs.
Features: Power ring eight-fingered collet resizer returns base to factory specs; handles brass or steel, high or low base heads; auto primer feed; adjustable for three shells. Available in 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 gauges and 410 bore. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$182.18
Price: Die set, 12, 16, 20, 28, 410 $100.47
Price: Die set, 10-ga$117.92
MEC Steelmaster
Press Type: Single stage
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 150
Weight: 20 lbs.
Features: Same features as Sizemaster except can load steel shot. Press is available for 3-1/2 10-ga. and 12-ga. 2-3/4, 3 or 3-1/2. For loading lead shot, die sets available in 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 and 410. From Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.
Price:$196.79
Price: 12 ga. 3-1/2 $220.41
Ponsness/Warren Du-O-Matic 375C
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: NA
Weight: 31 lbs.
Features: Steel or lead shot reloader; large shot and powder reservoirs; bushing access plug for dropping in shot buffer or buckshot; positive lock charging ring to prevent accidental flow of powder; double-post construction for greater leverage; removable spent primer box; spring-loaded ball check for centering size die at each station; tip-out wad guide; two-gauge capacity tool head. Available in 10 (extra charge), 12, 16, 20, 28 and 410 with case lengths of 2-1/2, 2-3/4, 3 and 3-1/2. From Ponsness/ Warren.
Price: 12-, 20-, and 28-ga., 2-3/4 and 410, 2-1/2 $289.00
Price: 12-ga. 3-1/2; 3 12, 20, 410 $305.00
Price: 12, 20 2-3/4 $383.95
Price: 10-ga. press $315.00
PONSNESS/WARREN Hydro-Multispeed
Hydraulic system developed for Ponsness/Warren L/S-1000. Usable for the 950, 900 and 800 series presses. Three reloading speed settings operated with variable foot pedal control. Features stop/reverse at any station; automatic shutdown with pedal control release; fully adjustable hydraulic cylinder rod to prevent racking or bending of machine; quick disconnect hoses for ease of installation. Preassembled with step-by-step instructions. From Ponsness/Warren.
Price:$879.00
Price: Cylinder kit $399.95
PONSNESS/WARREN L/S-1000
Frame: Die cast aluminum
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: NA
Weight: 55 lbs.
Features: Fully progressive press to reload steel, bismuth or lead shot. Equipped with new Uni-Drop shot measuring and dispensing system which allows the use of all makes of shot in any size. Shells automatically resized and deprimed with new Auto-Size and De-Primer system. Loaded rounds drop out of shellholders when completed. Each shell pre-crimped and final crimped with Tru-Crimp system. Available in 10-gauge 3-1/2 or 12-gauge 2-3/4 and 3. 12-gauge 3-1/2 conversion kit also available. 20-gauge 2-3/4 and 3 special order only. From Ponsness/Warren.
Price: 12 ga$849.00
Price: 10 ga$895.00
Price: Conversion kit $199.00
Ponsness/Warren Size-O-Matic 900 Elite
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 500-800
Weight: 49 lbs.
Features: Progressive eight-station press; frame of die-cast aluminum; center post design index system ensures positive indexing; timing factory set, drilled and pinned. Automatic features include index, deprime, reprime, powder and shot drop, crimp start, tapered final crimp, finished shell ejection. Available in 12, 20, 28 and 410. 16-ga. special order. Kit includes new shellholders, seating port, resize/primer knockout assembly, new crimp assembly. From Ponsness/Warren.
Price:$749.00
Price: Conversion tooling, 12, 20, 28, 410 $189.00
PONSNESS/WARREN Platinum 2000
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 500-800
Weight: 52 lbs.
Features:Progressive eight-station press, similar to 900 and 950 except has die removal system that allows removal of any die component during reloading cycle. Comes standard with 25-lb. shot tube, 19? powder tube, brass adjustable priming feed allows adjustment of primer seating depth. From Ponsness/Warren.
Price:$889.00
RCBS The Grand
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: NA
Weight: NA
Features: Constructed from a high-grade aluminum casting, allows complete resizing of high and low base hulls. Available for 12 and 20 gauge.
Price:$812.95
RCBS Mini-Grand
Press Type: Progressive
Avg. Rounds Per Hour: 200
Weight: NA
Features: 7-station single-stage press, lead or steel reloading (with steel accessories). 12-gauge version loads 2-3/4 to 3-1/2 shells; 20-gauge product load 2-3/4 to 3 shotshells.
From the 2008 edition of Gun Digest.
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