There is an all-new precision reloading press on the market. L.E. Wilson — a company famed for its dies, gauges, and case trimmers — has introduced an impressive new Wilson Single Stage Press for use with standard 7/8th threaded screw-in reloading dies. The action is very smooth with the press rod guided by a linear bearing. This press is available right now at Precision Reloading for $1134.00. And this new L.E. Wilson press will be available very soon at Creedmoor Sports for $1134.00, with back-orders permitted.
Wilson Single Stage Reloading Press Features
— Precision made in the USA
— Billet aluminum and stainless steel all made in house
— Three-rod design keeps press in complete alignment
— Four large mounting holes to attach firmly to bench
— Press rod is guided by LINEAR BEARING for smooth sizing/seating
— Positive stop machined into base of press to help square to benchtop
— Handle swaps easily from right to left hand just by unthreading handle
— Spent primer handling — primers collect in cavity in press rod
— Accepts most standard shell holders
— Works with most 7/8 die brands
— Hard anodized finish
Click Diagram Below to Load Full-Size Diagram
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Berry’s unique, all-metal Bench Topper lets you place a reloading press above your bench surface, clearing valuable space in your reloading area.
The Bench Topper, from Berry’s Manufacturing, is a sturdy platform that holds a loading press and storage bins in a raised position above your bench — effectively creating additional room for scales, trimmers, and component storage below. The $114.66 Bench Topper (Midsouth item 037-00191) can bolted to your bench, or it can be secured with C-Clamps (for easy removal). Do you load at the range? The Bench Topper can be easily transported in your vehicle, providing a handy platform for your press and powder measure.
Bench Topper Specs:
Top Plate:
6 x 20 x 1/4″
Bottom Plate:
10 x 20 x 1/4″
Height: 11.5 Inches
Weight: 12.5 Pounds
Berry’s Bench Topper is crafted from CNC-machined aluminum and powder-coated black for durability. It comes with two aluminum hangers for storage bins for bullets or brass. All fasteners are recessed for a clean work surface. NOTE: The Bench Topper must be assembled by the purchaser, and YOU MUST DRILL YOUR OWN HOLES for installation of your press or other hardware. This requires a few minutes of initial set-up time, but this allows a secure, custom installation for any brand of reloading press.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome user submissions.
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At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. MidwayUSA — Black Friday Sale Starts Monday, 11/21/2016
Black Friday starts today — at least at MidwayUSA. Starting Monday, November 21st, you’ll find super bargains at MidwayUSA all week. Prices have been slashed on dozens of popular products. Above are six Black Friday bargains that caught our eye — check out the major price cuts on Leupold VX-6 scopes, and save 15% on Sierra bullets. This is just the tip of the iceberg — dozens of other products are on sale. Loaded ammo is deeply discounted and you can even get an NRA Life Membership for just $600.00. You’ll find these and scores of other super-deals on MidwayUSA’s Black Friday Sale Page. These prices are good through 11/28/2016 at 11:59 pm.
2. Natchez — Hodgdon Varget 8-lb Jugs, $186.49
If you’ve been looking for Hodgdon Varget powder in the large eight-pound (8 lb.) jugs, Natchez has this in stock, as of Monday morning, November 21st. If you want this powder, you better jump on this. Supplies are limited. Sorry, no H4350 in the big jugs, but Natchez does have Varget in one-pound containers for $25.99 per pound.
3. Natchez — Special 5 Reloading Press Kit, $199.99
Looking for a great holiday gift for a family member getting started in metallic cartridge reloading? This RCBS Kit has everything a new reloader needs: single-stage press, powder measure, scale, powder trickler, priming tool, cartridge tray, “rocket” chamfer tool, case lube and more. This is an excellent entry-level reloading kit, on sale for just $199.99 at Natchez Shooters Supplies. We like the relatively compact Special 5 press for most reloading duties. Eventually you may want to add an additional, large heavy press, but this will get the job done. For the combined package, with all the tools one needs to hand-load quality ammo — this is a stunningly good deal at $199.99.
4. CDNN Sports — Ruger American .270 Win, $289.99
If you’re looking for a good deer-hunting rifle at a super-affordable price, check out this .270 Winchester Ruger American. It comes with a gray-blue digital camo finish that actually suits gray fall days pretty well. The long action sits in a integral bedding block, and features a three-lug bolt with 70° bolt lift. The 22″ hammer-forged barrel has a 1:10″-twist, so it’s capable of shooting the most popular .270-caliber hunting bullets. Ammo is held in a flush-fit rotary magazine. The Ruger American is a good, solid rifle — and this is a steal at $289.99. If you don’t like the finish, buy a $5.00 can of spray paint.
5. Brownells — GET $10 Off $75.00+ Orders plus Free Shipping
Brownells is the “go-to” source for firearms parts and accessories, and Brownells also offers a full range of reloading and gunsmithing tools. Now, with PROMO CODE L6G, you can save $10 off any order over $75.00, plus get FREE Shipping. That could easily save you twenty bucks or more on your next order. Note, this deal applies to online orders only, and you can only use one promo code per order. To qualify, insert CODE “L6G” during checkout.
6. J&G Sales — Eley Target .22 LR Ammo, $59.90 for 500 Rounds
Yellow Box Eley Target is excellent .22 LR ammunition that is plenty accurate for all but the most demanding rimfire disciplines. This is way more accurate than bulk ammo which might sell for $4.00-$5.00 per box at stores. With this special deal at J&G Sales you can get a 500-round brick (ten 50-rd boxes) for just $59.90. That’s a steal when you consider this ammo sells elsewhere (MidwayUSA) for $7.99 for a 50-rd box. So you can save two bucks a box with this deal. That’s a 25% savings.
7. Amazon — Frankford Quick-N-EZ Case Tumbler, $34.99
Look no further for a great deal on a reliable tumbler. We’ve used this very same machine to tumble both pistol brass and rifle cases. We like the see-through, transparent top and the large capacity — this will hold up to 350 .223 Rem cases. With 1000+ customer reviews on Amazon.com, this Frankford Quick-N-Easy Case Tumbler has earned a 4.5-star rating. If you need a tumbler, you might want to order soon — this is the best price we’ve seen in a while.
8. Midsouth — 17 HMR V-Max Ammo, $10.45 for 50 rounds
Need 17 HMR ammo for your varmint safaris? Then grab this Hornady V-Max ammo while you can at $10.45 for a 50-round box. This is a great price. Other vendors are selling the same Hornady ammo for as much as $15.00 per box. We’ve used this ammo and it was very accurate out of both semi-auto (Savage A17) and bolt-action (CZ 455) 17 HMR rifles.
9. Amazon — Leight MAX NRR33 Earplugs, $7.58 for 50 Pairs.
These Howard Leight NRR33 Max plugs are your Editor’s favorite foam earplugs. Between shooting, motorcycling and mowing lawns, I probably have Max plugs in my ears 2-3 days a week. This is a very good price for a bulk pack of 50 pairs. And if you act soon, you can get free shipping to boot.
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Lots of slots — that’s what you’ll find on the top of RCBS’s new Pro-Chucker 7 progressive reloading press. This thing has SEVEN (7) stations, which gives you great flexibility when reloading. You have plenty of extra slots for special dies such as crimp dies or powder-check dies. The 7-hole interchangeable die-plate (aka tool-head) is am impressive bit of engineering — it looks like the cylinder for a super-sized revolver.
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com got his hands on one of the first production models of the new Pro Chucker 7 progressive press. Gavin reports: “This 7-station auto-indexing progressive is the ‘big brother’ of the RCBS Pro Chucker 5, and is built on the same frame. While it shares most of the same internals, there are a few differences”. Key differences include a seven-station shellplate and seven-station die-plate (vs. five stations on the Pro Chucker 5). In addition the priming system is slightly different and the Pro Chucker 7 comes with a much larger powder hopper.
Watch Pro Chucker 7 Unboxing Video:
To demonstrate the new features of the Pro Chucker 7, Gavin has produced an unboxing video that shows the components of the system. This is a completely different design than the RCBS 2000 system progressive press (which this editor owns). The Pro Chucker series 5 and 7 presses have a more compact frame and a more conventional, vertical column priming system. They don’t take up much more space on your loading bench than a turret press, yet they offer full progressive capability, creating one loaded round with every pull of the handle.
If you are considering purchasing a progressive press (whether green, red, or blue), you should watch the video and see the press features. Gavin Gear will demonstrate how the Pro Chucker 7 works with another video to be released in the near future.
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At the request of our readers, we have launched a new “Deals of the Week” feature. If this proves popular, we’ll try to run this every Monday. Here are some of the best deals on hardware, reloading components, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
Match photo courtesy Varide Cicognati, Sightron dealer in Italy.
No this 10-50X Sightron isn’t as good as a Nightforce 15-55X Competition scope, but it is definitely good enough to win long-range benchrest and F-Class matches and it is nearly $1400 cheaper than the 15-55X Nightforce. It is even $450 cheaper than the old 12-42x56mm NF Benchrest scope. On a value-for-money basis, then, the Sightron 10-50x60mm makes sense for competitor on a budget. The money you save (compared to a 15-55X NF) will pay for a BAT or Kelbly action, with money left over.
2. McMillan Stocks — Rem-inletted Stocks on Sale
McMillan has a wide variety of inletted fiberglass stocks on sale. If you have a Remington or Rem-clone action you’re in luck. McMillan has dozens of Rem-inletted stocks on sale right now, with prices as low as $400. Above is just a small selection of Rem-Inletted Sale Stocks. McMillan also has bargain-priced stocks for many other kinds of actions.
3. Midsouth Shooter’s Supply — RCBS Rock Chucker Press
This week you can get an RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Press for just $149.99 at Midsouth Shooters Supply. The Rock Chucker Press is strong and versatile, a design that has stood the test of time. I’ve got a Rock Chucker on my reloading bench that was made in the 1970s and passed down from my brother. It’s still capable of loading 1/4-MOA ammo.
4. Weatherby — Vanguard S2 Typhoon .243 Win
A Weatherby for under $450.00? That’s right. Currently, Grabagun.com offers the Weatherby S2 Typhoon, chambered in .243 Winchester for just $448.22. This rifle features a 24″ barrel, 2-stage trigger (that adjusts down to 2.5 lbs), and a composite Monte Carlo-type stock in Kryptek camo pattern. Weight without optics is 7.25 pounds. NOTE: Limited inventory — check Slickguns.com for other vendors.
5. MidwayUSA — Deluxe Competition Shooting Mat $59.99
We have used MidwayUSA shooting mats, as have many Forum members. This Competition Mat is a good product. The 400 denier, PVC-coated material is durable, the overall size is good, and we like the front flap that can be staked down. MidwayUSA normally sells this mat for about $85.00. Currently, it is on sale for $59.99. It’s hard to find a better padded mat for anywhere near that price.
Unrolled Dimensions: 73-½” Long x 35-½” Wide (Does not include the front flap).
Rolled Dimensions: 8-½” Diameter x 35-½” Wide | Weight: 6.5 lbs.
6. CDNN — Walther PPX M1 9mm for $279.88
It may be ugly, but this Walther PPX M1 is a very good 9mm pistol. This Editor has shot the PPX and, IMHO, it has a better trigger than the Glock, better ergonomics, and better accuracy. Right now you can get this German-made Walther 9mm pistol for under $280.00 — less than half the price of a new Glock. Interested? Then read this Walther PPX Review. It confirms what we’ve said — this is a good pistol.
7. Wideners.com — IMI 9mm Luger, 1000 Rounds for $209.00
This is good ammo, though pretty “hot” (it runs 1102 fps from a 4″ barrel). This Editor has shot a lot of IMI 9x19mm ammunition through Glocks, HKs and Sigs. This ammo is very reliable and reasonably accurate. NOTE: This ammo features lead-core bullets, which may not be allowed in some indoor ranges. This ammo is Boxer-primed and the primer pockets are NOT crimped so you can reload the IMI 9mm brass with no problems. $209.00 for 1000 rounds is a pretty good deal these days.
This is a pretty darn good folding knife, and a killer deal at $15.60 from Amazon.com. Yes your Editor bought one. The semi-serrated stainless steel blade is sharp and holds its edge surprisingly well. The knife comes with a nylon sheath and a Bear Grylls survival guide. Despite its low cost, Gerber offers a lifetime warranty on this knife.
Here is a verified owner’s review: “Most retailers sell it for 30 bucks. This knife is…very sturdy with no blade play and has a good solid feel. The handle is very grippy… [and] fits VERY nicely in the hand. Love Gerber’s serrations… great for cutting rope, cordage and strapping.”
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The RCBS Rock Chucker is a rugged, classic design that can last a lifetime. If you are looking to get started with hand-loading, or just need another press for your reloading room, the Rock Chucker is a great choice. And now it’s easier than ever to purchase a Rock Chucker. Right now, Bullets.com has slashed the price on its RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme presses. As part of an inventory reduction sale, Bullets.com is now offering the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme (with full RCBS warranty) for just $99.95. Act soon — this offer is limited to supplies on hand.
More Savings — $10.00 Rebate from RCBS
Getting a great press for under one hundred bucks is hard to beat. But get this — RCBS is currently offering a $10.00 rebate with any qualifying RCBS product purchase of $50.00 or more made before December 31, 2014. So… if you buy this press before the end of 2014, you can get a $10.00 RCBS rebate. That lowers your effective cost to $89.95 for the Rock Chucker Supreme. That is one amazing deal. CLICK HERE for REBATE INFO.
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The Lee Classic Cast “O”-style press has always been an excellent value — it works as well as some other presses costing twice as much. And now Lee has improved on its Classic Cast Press design by adding a breech-lock fitting in the top. This allows you to swap dies in and out in seconds, once your dies are equipped with breech-lock quick-change bushings. The Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock press is available for under $120.00. That makes it a bargain compared to other heavy-duty single-stage presses. Midsouth Shooters Supply offers this press (item #006-90999) for $112.95, while Natchez Shooters Supplies sells the press (item #LEE90999) for $112.99.
Breech-Lock System Allows Fast Die Exchanges
With the Lee Breech-Lock Press system, the die drops straight in from the top. Then, with a quick 1/6th (60°) turn, the die locks firmly in place (like the breech on an artillery canon). The interrupted three-start thread assures dies return and lock into the exact same position each time. Bushings cost $7.43 each at Midsouth. If you prefer, you can leave a bushing in the press, and screw your dies in normally. But consider that it normally takes a dozen or more turns to screw in a normally threaded die. The Breech-lock system is way faster.
The Lee Classic Cast press features a strong, cast-iron frame and all-steel linkage. The large 1 1/8″-diameter ram is guided by over twelve square inches of ram bearing surface. We like the fact that you can mount the handle on either side, and adjust handle angle and length. As Lee explains: “The start and stop position is adjustable with a 48-tooth, ratchet-type handle clamp. In addition, the handle length is completely adjustable. Shorten [it] when you’re loading handgun and short rifle cases.”
Lock-Ring Eliminator Quick-Change Bushings
With Lee’s basic quick-lock bushings, you control vertical die position with the normal locking ring that seats against the top of the bushing. That works fine, but Lee also offers a handy Lock-Ring Eliminator Bushing (Lee SKU 90063). This clever design combines bushing and lock-ring into a single part. The Eliminator is turned from a solid piece of steel and the lock ring is integrated into the design of the part. With the Eliminator you’ll get the most repeatable and precise die positioning because lock ring and bushing are all one piece. Moreover, some guys say the Eliminator Bushings are easier to grab and remove than the standard Lee Breech-Lock Bushings.
Press owners have praised their Lee Classic Cast Breech-Lock units. Here are reports from two MidwayUSA customers:
Five Stars: Perfect single stage press. Loads accurately 6mm BR and 308 Win for competition. Large clearance is also great for my 460 Wby and 30-378 Wby. Pistol rounds in 44 mag and 45 ACP also load easy. The press has a lot of leverage for full-length rifle case sizing. Nice primer disposal system. Lowest price for its class. This unit beats my Lyman press by several miles…. ” — J. Davidson, California
Five Stars: I waited until Lee would bring out their breech-lock system in classic cast design. This thing is outstanding and better than my old RCBS partner press. Once you get the sweet setting of the die, lock it in place and next time you load, you need not fumble to find the best setting. Breech lock is the key. I choose this press over Hornady, due to all-steel construction. I load a lot of .308 Win and .223 Rem for my ARs and this requires full-length sizing. Lee meets the challenge with no flex and excellent ram/die fit and alignment. Another nice feature is that the breech-lock inserts have a lock preventing [them] from unlocking. [T]he spent primer disposal is perfect vs. RCBS where primers can miss the primer catcher. The handle can also be placed left or right as needed and shortened for small cases or pistol to reduce the handle travel. I don’t see how you can get a better press for the price.” — E. Stanley, Rockford, IL
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Most readers recognize Kelly Bachand from the popular Top Shot TV show on the History Channel. Kelly didn’t win the $100K grand prize, but he was a talented competitor who became an audience favorite with his accurate rifle shooting and “toughness under fire” (Kelly survived more one-on-one challenges than any other competitor). Last spring, with the cooperation of Forster Products, AccurateShooter.com supplied Kelly with a new Forster Co-Ax® Press. Kelly, a college student, had previously reloaded with a low-priced Lee Challenger Press — all that his “starving student” budget would allow. (In fairness to the Lee — it did produce some match-winning ammo for Kelly over the years.)
Kelly has been very impressed with the Co-Ax Press and he put together a video review for us. Kelly likes the ease with which dies can be swapped in and out of the press, and he also enjoys the added mechanical leverage provided by the coaxial design. Kelly favors the Forster’s straight-drop, spent primer-capture system. On other, conventional presses, spent primers and debris can collect around the base of the press, or end up on the floor, on your carpet, or on your bench-top.
Forster Co-Ax Press Design Features The Co-Ax’s spring-loaded shell holder jaws float with the die, allowing cases to correctly center in the die. Dies snap easily in and out of the jaws so you can change dies in a couple of seconds. Many folks believe this improves die alignment, producing loaded rounds with less runout.
We really like the primer recovery system on the Co-Ax. Spent primers pass straight down into a cup — no more primers and carbon on the carpet. Every other single-stage press we’ve tried will toss a spent primer now and then, and primer residue builds up around the ram shaft.
PROS: Floating jaw shell-holder design delivers low run-out ammo. Smooth stroke without wobble. Best spent-primer collection system.
CONS: Clearance can be an issue with some very tall dies (but you can mill the yoke to accommodate). Dies must be equipped with cross-bolt style lock rings. We recommend the Hornady lock-rings.
If you need power for case sizing, the Co-Ax delivers three times the mechanical advantage of some conventional presses. The Co-Ax’s dual parallel guide-rod design also ensures that the ram movement is straight and smooth throughout the power stroke. With a center-mounted handle, the Co-Ax works equally well for both right- and left-handed reloaders.
The Co-Ax press accepts any standard 7/8″x14 threaded reloading die. You will need to use cross-bolt-style lock-rings on your dies. We recommend the Hornady rings. These are steel and have a hex-head cross-bolt. The Co-Ax requires no expensive shell-holders. The standard “S” jaw set supplied with the press fits nearly all common calibers except except: 22 Hornet, 378 Wby., 45-70, 256 Win. Mag., 44 S&W, 416 Rigby, 416 Rem., 45-90 and 348 Win. These calibers can be used if you purchase the optional “LS” Jaws.
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Lee reloading products have always represented good “bang for the buck”. The Lee Classic Cast “O”-style press is no exception — it works as well as some other presses costing twice as much. One well-known “boutique” bullet maker has recently switched to Lee presses because the tolerances and lack of slop were actually superior to more expensive presses.
The Lee Classic Cast press is a well-designed unit with a strong, cast-iron frame and all-steel linkage. It has important (and very cool) features you won’t find on an RCBS RockChucker. First, the ram is drilled in the center and fitted with a plastic drop tube so spent primers drop right out the bottom (where you position your trash can). Second, the handle adjusts for length and “attack angle”. This allows you to change the leverage to suit your task. As Lee explains: “The start and stop position is adjustable with a 48-tooth, ratchet-type handle clamp. In addition, the handle length is completely adjustable. Shorten when you’re loading handgun and short rifle cases.” As you can see, you can also mount the handle on either side, left or right.
You can purchase the Lee Classic Cast Press for under $86.00 at major vendors. FactorySales.com offers the Lee Classic Cast for $73.40, item 90998. MidwayUSA sells the Lee Classic (item 317831) for $85.99. Natchez Shooters Supply also offers the Lee Classic for $80.99, item LEE90998.
Mark Trope of SurplusRifle.com has written a detailed Review of the Lee Classic Press. He notes that the press is “southpaw friendly” and he praises the priming system. Mark found that the spent primer drop tube worked very well and that the press “works perfect and has great sensitivity” when seating primers.
Not yet convinced? CLICK HERE to read comments from actual Lee Classic owners. Here are some highlights:
“It has a large, heavy-duty 1-1/8″ diameter ram that has been drilled out for spent primers … and a long clear plastic hose attached to it so you can route it to a trash can. [This is] a VERY well thought-out way to collect ALL primers to your trash can when you’re decapping.” –D. Oldham
“Fit and finish are impeccable. The spent primer disposal system is simple and neat. There is no spring or flexing of any kind. There is virtually no play in the ram, which is a good tight fit in the frame. Operation is totally smooth.” –R. Smith
“Totally outclasses any other press in its price range. Runs with presses in the $100-$120 range.”–W. Rose
“I like…the position of the ram at priming. The Lee seats the primer with the ram at the bottom of the stroke vs. the RC II, which seats in the middle of the stroke. Priming at the bottom of the stroke gives you a much better ‘feel’.” –M. Gallagher
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Breech-Lock System Allows Fast Die Exchanges
Most readers recognize Kelly Bachand from the popular Top Shot TV show on the History Channel. Kelly didn’t win the $100K grand prize, but he was a talented competitor who became an audience favorite with his accurate rifle shooting and “toughness under fire” (Kelly survived more one-on-one challenges than any other competitor). Last spring, with the cooperation of Forster Products, AccurateShooter.com supplied Kelly with a new 
The Co-Ax’s spring-loaded shell holder jaws float with the die, allowing cases to correctly center in the die. Dies snap easily in and out of the jaws so you can change dies in a couple of seconds. Many folks believe this improves die alignment, producing loaded rounds with less runout.
Mark Trope of 
