I’m curious to know what reloading presses and dies are people using around the world. In North America we are blessed with a variety of reloading options from Dillon to Lee, LEE and Possness &W arner. However, part of me suspects there must be other reloading presses and die makers around the world being used by ISSF Centre fire shooters and other forms of shooting around the world.
I’m asking for a couple of reasons, 1 - I’m simply curious and wonder what innovative reloading options are out there that we may not be aware. Furthermore, part of me doubts shooters in Asia, Europe, Australia are all using North American reloading dies and presses. The cost to ship presses around the world would be prohibitive, so what are you using?
IPSC is popular in Europe, so what are they using to reload – as I doubt many are buying factory ammo.
Thank you in advance for any information you can offer up,
Brian
International Reloaders
Moderators: pilkguns, m1963, David Levene, Spencer, Richard H
-
Brian James
- Posts: 357
- Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:59 pm
- Location: Ottawa, Canada
-
Guest
I am in Finland and have not seen or heard of a non-American reloading press available for sale. There have been hand tool sets for shotshells and brass cartridges but those don't utilize a press. I've heard of custom-made presses from 50's and later, usually meant for .32 and .38 revo shooters, but those were one-off things made by gunsmiths or machinists. It was worthwhile then as there simply weren't any commercial options.
-
Anders Turebrand
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2004 6:27 pm
- Location: Stockholm Sweden
Hi Brian,
I'm in Sweden and just like Guest from Finland I haven't seen any non-American reloading press being used here.
My rifle reloading is done on an RCBS cast iron Partner press and my pistol reloading is done on a Dillon RL550B.
Reloading dies are from RCBS, Forster, Hornady, Dillon, Lee, Lyman and Redding with some home-made bullet seaters and crimp dies.
Casting equipment is from Lyman and RCBS, moulds from RCBS and Lee (Ranch Dog).
The calibers I load are 9mm Para, .38spec/.357mag, .32S&W Long, .45ACP, .44mag, .45-70, .308win and 6,5x55.
My RL550B was bought directly from Dillon in Arizona as I got the best price from them and the quickest delivery, 6 days TNT, and that was through customs, however this was in 1995, now it may be a lot more difficult.
Among people I know the brands are:
Dillon: three 650's , a lot of 550's, one 1050, a couple of SDB's
Lee: one loadmaster 1000
Forster: one Co-Ax
Hornady: ...
RCBS: ... (my own of course)
http://www.triebel-guntools.de/kontakt_englisch.asp
equipment made in Germany but their prices are, in my opinion, a little high
/Anders
I'm in Sweden and just like Guest from Finland I haven't seen any non-American reloading press being used here.
My rifle reloading is done on an RCBS cast iron Partner press and my pistol reloading is done on a Dillon RL550B.
Reloading dies are from RCBS, Forster, Hornady, Dillon, Lee, Lyman and Redding with some home-made bullet seaters and crimp dies.
Casting equipment is from Lyman and RCBS, moulds from RCBS and Lee (Ranch Dog).
The calibers I load are 9mm Para, .38spec/.357mag, .32S&W Long, .45ACP, .44mag, .45-70, .308win and 6,5x55.
My RL550B was bought directly from Dillon in Arizona as I got the best price from them and the quickest delivery, 6 days TNT, and that was through customs, however this was in 1995, now it may be a lot more difficult.
Among people I know the brands are:
Dillon: three 650's , a lot of 550's, one 1050, a couple of SDB's
Lee: one loadmaster 1000
Forster: one Co-Ax
Hornady: ...
RCBS: ... (my own of course)
http://www.triebel-guntools.de/kontakt_englisch.asp
equipment made in Germany but their prices are, in my opinion, a little high
/Anders
-
Shooting Bloke
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:54 am
- Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
-
David Levene
- Posts: 5617
- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:49 pm
- Location: Ruislip, UK
There used to be a press available in the UK (I believe UK made) called the Wamadat Porta Press. This was in the 1980s, I'm not sure if/when it was discontinued.
It was mounted on a piece of wood, from memory about 18" long. It also had enough pressure, and accessories, to allow bullets to be swaged from soft lead wire.
I cannot remember any top competitive shooters using one.
It was mounted on a piece of wood, from memory about 18" long. It also had enough pressure, and accessories, to allow bullets to be swaged from soft lead wire.
I cannot remember any top competitive shooters using one.
-
ausdiver99
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 1:39 am
- Location: Singapore
Used to see a lot of simplex presses around in Aus. They are Aus made. Their turrent press was popular available with a 3 or 6 station turrent. Took different dies 5/8 tread I think. They are still in business plenty of business listings if you do a search but no website.
US gear is now about all you see.
A few simplex presses for sale on ebay Aus if you want a look at them.
US gear is now about all you see.
A few simplex presses for sale on ebay Aus if you want a look at them.
-
Guest
In Europe, all american press brands are available and used: Dillon, Hornady, RCBS, Lee... prices are not so different than in the US. As for other shooting supply, Germany is one of the cheapest countries for buying reloading equipment.
What I see is that less people are reloading than in the past, more people just shoot factory amunitions. That's a good evolution for people who are reloading: it is now possible to easily find brass for free what wasn't the case let say 10 to 15 years ago.
What I see is that less people are reloading than in the past, more people just shoot factory amunitions. That's a good evolution for people who are reloading: it is now possible to easily find brass for free what wasn't the case let say 10 to 15 years ago.
Given the availability of high quality ammunition from Lapua, Norma and others -- and I'm thinking about 300 m here -- is there any competitive advantage to be gained from working up your own loads?
I realize there's a personal satisfaction in doing everything yourself and eliminating variables whenever possible, but for the average shooter does it make a quantifiable difference?
How much would it cost to buy 1000 rounds of 6 mm BR, versus reloading it yourself? Is the expense to set up everything worth it in the long run?
Jason
I realize there's a personal satisfaction in doing everything yourself and eliminating variables whenever possible, but for the average shooter does it make a quantifiable difference?
How much would it cost to buy 1000 rounds of 6 mm BR, versus reloading it yourself? Is the expense to set up everything worth it in the long run?
Jason
Not being a rifle shooter, I don't really know the cost of the ammo, but from a pistol standpoint .32 factory loads are very expensive, when I bought my whole reloading set-up Dillion 550, tumbler and all the accessories, the pay back was in the order of 1000 rnds of .32. I'm sure there is savings to be had in .308 or 6.5mm BR too. Plus you can taylor the loads to work best for you and your firearm. Lower cost ammo for some might mean they train a little more too.
-
Eric U
Jason,
I shoot 300m. I reload. I'm also one of very few high level 300m shooters in the world who does. The factory ammo by Lapua and Norma is fantastic, but it isn't tuned to any particular rifle. They really aren't that fast either. Factory Norma says 2789 FPS right on the box, and that is with Berger's BT bullet, not VLD. The load I shot at the World Championships in 2002 had Berger VLD's flying at 2925 and would group around an inch at 300m. I KNOW I had the best rifle/ammo combo on the range when I was there. I didn't necessarily shoot the best, but my rifle and ammo made up for some of that. If the wind isn't blowing, then it won't matter much if you reload.
For the average shooter, it wouldn't make much of a difference if they reloaded or not as far as accuracy and wind bucking goes. Most benefit is for high level shooters. As far as cost of reloading vs. factory ammo...have you priced Norma or Lapua lately? The last contract the Army got for our Norma was somewhere around $1.25 a round...and we ordered 30,000 rounds. I can reload for a lot less than that...
Eric U
I shoot 300m. I reload. I'm also one of very few high level 300m shooters in the world who does. The factory ammo by Lapua and Norma is fantastic, but it isn't tuned to any particular rifle. They really aren't that fast either. Factory Norma says 2789 FPS right on the box, and that is with Berger's BT bullet, not VLD. The load I shot at the World Championships in 2002 had Berger VLD's flying at 2925 and would group around an inch at 300m. I KNOW I had the best rifle/ammo combo on the range when I was there. I didn't necessarily shoot the best, but my rifle and ammo made up for some of that. If the wind isn't blowing, then it won't matter much if you reload.
For the average shooter, it wouldn't make much of a difference if they reloaded or not as far as accuracy and wind bucking goes. Most benefit is for high level shooters. As far as cost of reloading vs. factory ammo...have you priced Norma or Lapua lately? The last contract the Army got for our Norma was somewhere around $1.25 a round...and we ordered 30,000 rounds. I can reload for a lot less than that...
Eric U
When the Aus $ was worth arond .90 US$ you could buy most US manufactured loading equipment for about 50% more than the US price in Aus. Prices have risen dramaticaly in the past few months with the Aus $ falling to around .60 US$ prices are now more than double US prices. I guess local manufacturers price their products to compete with the imports so there is no great saving in buying local.
There are plenty of local manufacturers of cast and swaged lead projectiles and jacketed projectiles. Localy made ADI powders are readly available to suit everthing from SWL target loads to 50BMG.
Premium hunting projectiles are available from Woodliegh and all of this is at a far cheaper price than imported stuff.
Localy made brass isn't readly available although there is a manufacturer who specialises in more obscure calibres and local military brass is available in 9mm, 223, 308 etc
Primers are the only localy produced component I have not found available.
As I mentioned in an earlier post Simplex presses, dies, and scales are made in Aus but not widely promoted or even stocked by a lot of dealers.
As for how widespread reloading is I would say more than 95% of CF pistol shooters reload or have someone reload for them.
The few target rifle shooter I know are shooting fullbore F Class and silhoutte. They all reload and a couple of them have represented Aus at international competition.
There are plenty of local manufacturers of cast and swaged lead projectiles and jacketed projectiles. Localy made ADI powders are readly available to suit everthing from SWL target loads to 50BMG.
Premium hunting projectiles are available from Woodliegh and all of this is at a far cheaper price than imported stuff.
Localy made brass isn't readly available although there is a manufacturer who specialises in more obscure calibres and local military brass is available in 9mm, 223, 308 etc
Primers are the only localy produced component I have not found available.
As I mentioned in an earlier post Simplex presses, dies, and scales are made in Aus but not widely promoted or even stocked by a lot of dealers.
As for how widespread reloading is I would say more than 95% of CF pistol shooters reload or have someone reload for them.
The few target rifle shooter I know are shooting fullbore F Class and silhoutte. They all reload and a couple of them have represented Aus at international competition.
-
Guest
Location: Europe.
Most of the hardware be it guns, accessories, ammunition, components, etc has increasingly become more dependent on the US. As the parity EUR=USD is becoming less favorable, the new fenomenon called 'economic crisis', and more stringent laws, the shooting hobby became too expensive overnight. Lots of shooters have dramatically reduced their amount of shooting and more guns than ever are for sale due expiring licenses (no real ownership). No better perspectives foreseen as yet.
Most of the hardware be it guns, accessories, ammunition, components, etc has increasingly become more dependent on the US. As the parity EUR=USD is becoming less favorable, the new fenomenon called 'economic crisis', and more stringent laws, the shooting hobby became too expensive overnight. Lots of shooters have dramatically reduced their amount of shooting and more guns than ever are for sale due expiring licenses (no real ownership). No better perspectives foreseen as yet.