5 Best Reloading Presses [2021 Review]

Lee Precision Load Master 45 Reloading Pistol Kit
RCBS 9354 RC Supreme Master Kit
RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press
Lee Precision 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press Only (Red)
Lee Precision 90064: Classic Turret Press
Model
Lee Precision Load Master 45 Reloading Pistol Kit
RCBS 9354 RC Supreme Master Kit
RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press
LEE PRECISION 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press Only
LEE PRECISION Classic Turret Press
Our Score
9.0
9.2
8.8
8.5
8.3
MSRP
$443.18
$549.99
$251.29
$59.50
$189.28
Size
Mid-size powder measure
Mid-size powder measure
Medium sized clamp press
Small hand press
Small hand press
Material
Cast Aluminum
Steel, plastic
Steel
High grade aluminum
High grade aluminum
Press Type
Progressive
Progressive
Turret style
Single Stage
Hand press
Weighted
Yes
No
No
No
No
Moving Case
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Lee Precision Load Master 45 Reloading Pistol Kit
Model
Lee Precision Load Master 45 Reloading Pistol Kit
Our Score
9.0
MSRP
$443.18
Size
Mid-size powder measure
Material
Cast Aluminum
Press Type
Progressive
Weighted
Yes
Moving Case
Yes
More Information
RCBS 9354 RC Supreme Master Kit
Model
RCBS 9354 RC Supreme Master Kit
Our Score
9.2
MSRP
$549.99
Size
Mid-size powder measure
Material
Steel, plastic
Press Type
Progressive
Weighted
No
Moving Case
Yes
More Information
RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press
Model
RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press
Our Score
8.8
MSRP
$251.29
Size
Medium sized clamp press
Material
Steel
Press Type
Turret style
Weighted
No
Moving Case
No
More Information
Lee Precision 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press Only (Red)
Model
LEE PRECISION 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press Only
Our Score
8.5
MSRP
$59.50
Size
Small hand press
Material
High grade aluminum
Press Type
Single Stage
Weighted
No
Moving Case
No
More Information
Lee Precision 90064: Classic Turret Press
Model
LEE PRECISION Classic Turret Press
Our Score
8.3
MSRP
$189.28
Size
Small hand press
Material
High grade aluminum
Press Type
Hand press
Weighted
No
Moving Case
No
More Information

Gentlemen, bullets are expensive. They’re getting more pricey by the day as we utilize the natural resources required to produce them.

That’s going to leave us in an eventual ammunition shortage. If you don’t want to be caught on the bum side of that, you should consider an ammunition reloading press.

Save money, save time, and create your own ammunition in an SHTF scenario.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved. For your wallet, for your family, and to upkeep your favorite thing in the world: shooting.

If you’re looking to save money on rounds and be as self-sufficient as possible when it comes to ammunition, then the best reloading press is right here for you.

Comb through our top five picks on the market, determine what’s best for you, and start reloading by this weekend.

It’s time to save money on ammo, the right way.

Our Reviews Of The Best Reloading Press

#1 Lee Precision Load Master 45 Reloading Pistol Kit



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First on our list is the Lee Precision Load Master Reloading Kit.

This reloading press is efficient to use with an impressive amount of ammunition that you can create in a single hour.

Load shells into the 100% accurate shell plate, and use the primer to quickly size your casings.

With the Load Master, you’ll be able to carry out everything you need all in one place.

With a large capacity gunpowder hopper, refilling is a breeze, and barely needed throughout multiple reloads.

It’s one of the best progressive reloaders on the market, hands down. Take advantage of a high hourly output of reloaded rounds, and get back to the range.

Key Features

  • Size: Full-size powder measure
  • Material: Steel
  • Press Type: Progressive
  • Weighted: Yes
  • Moving Case: Yes

What Customers Say

“I did a ton of research before I finally took the jump. Thought about a Hornady and almost bought the Dillion. I’ve been very happy with this and enjoy tinkering with it to get it to run efficiently. There is a learning curve but if you put the time and use the online resources it’s a great press and is very productive.”

“For the money it’s a good press. I’ve had mine for 2 years now and after you get it dialed in it will crank out rounds. It does take some time to get it dialed in and watch the YouTube videos on how to make it run smooth and for the mods that make it function better. If you are expecting to make highly accurate sub-MOA ammo it’s the wrong press, in fact no progressive press is right for that job. The press is an inexpensive, high volume progressive press. It is what it is and it does it adequately.”

#2 RCBS 9354 RC Supreme Master Kit

RCBS 9354 RC Supreme Master Kit

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As one of the best progressive reloaders we’ve used to date, RCBS does something a bit unorthodox, but saves you a ton of money while doing it.

Instead of including everything as one unit, you actually get each piece separately in your package. This allows you to attach things as you see fit.

It’s actually a pretty good compromise. If you/re not a fan of the gunpowder loader (as some aren’t), you don’t have to include it.

This also means you can use other RCBS pieces to sort of Frankenstein your own reloading press.

Apart from that, you’ll get plenty of extras in your purchase, including a shell casing tray, multitool and lubricant.

The most impressive part of this entire system isn’t just that it’s wildly inexpensive, but that the construction is all steel, and built to last.

Use it time and time again, and it’s not going to fail you. Minimal maintenance, maximum ammunition output without forking over additional costs for repairs.

To put it plainly, it’s the last reloading press you’ll ever need.

Key Features

  • Size: Mid-size powder measure
  • Material: Steel, plastic
  • Press Type: Progressive
  • Weighted: No
  • Moving Case: Yes

What Customers Say

“Came with so much of what I needed to get started and made the start up so much easier with all the provided tools and parts in this kit. I just needed dies and some brass pocket cleaners and I was ready to get going. I bought it on sale for about $300.”

“Couldn’t be happier. Had this set up for about 6 months now and everything works great and is easy to read and understand (super important especially for a beginner like me). I would definitely recommend or suggest to someone just starting out.”

#3 RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press

RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press

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RCBS is known for having top-of-the-line reloading presses, among other products.

This single stage unit caught our eye because it comes with their legendary durability, but it also comes with a slew of upgradable features.

Let’s say you’re just getting into reloading. You want to start out with a single stage, but you don’t want to spend money on one in case you need a multi-stage later.

Bingo—problem solved. RCBS offers this wildly inexpensive model that comes with room for a gunpowder hopper, augments, and additional accessories.

You can use a single stage now, and a multi-stage later without having to buy an entirely new system.

So, what’s so good about the base model?

It’s built to withstand anything you throw at it.

With a specific design that was built for heavy duty rounds and use, the last thing you’ll ever associate an RCBS product with is the word “quit.”

Key Features

  • Size: Medium sized clamp press
  • Material: Steel
  • Press Type: Turret style
  • Weighted: No
  • Moving Case: No

What Customers Say

“I may have to come back and edit this later, but for now the RCBS supreme is awesome. I actually skipped owning a single stage for awhile and went straight to a Dillon 650 XL. I load many large calibers and this does the job easily. I really like it. Takes a little more time but for the heavy stuff it sure does an amazing job. The press is heavy duty and should last a very long time. For the price, you get a very quality machine that will tackle any task.”

“The price is great for this press. I thought they were more expensive than they are but I found this for quite a bit less than it was available for in stores. That and the fact there was a rebate available at the time made this the perfect choice for a companion press.”

#4 LEE PRECISION 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press

LEE PRECISION 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press

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We’ve seen the progressive reloading press reviews, but now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty.

Hand presses are perfect for many of us who want to keep this reloading habit low-budget and high efficiency.

Hand loading is terrible, but using a hand press simplifies the process, especially when you do a hundred bullets stage by stage.

The LEE PRECISION cast iron unit has a convenient handle located near the bottom center of the unit, allowing you to keep you to press down practically anywhere, and still have it line up properly.

When you come down from progressives, you’re coming down from steel as well. LEE uses a high grade aluminum for this handheld unit to keep it lightweight and easy on your hands.

As a little added bonus, you can use this press with standard dies—you don’t have to buy brand-specific ones.

This frees you up to test out anything you want, so you can know what works best for the various calibers of ammunition that you can make with the LEE PRECISION hand press.

Key Features

  • Size: Small hand press
  • Material: High grade aluminum
  • Press Type: Single Stage
  • Weighted: No
  • Moving Case: No

What Customers Say

“Love it! I thought I would have had a harder time operating the press with such large pieces of brass but it is actually very easy when using sizing wax properly. The only thing that I wish Lee would do is make a foam or rubber handle so when you are working with the press for a long time, your hand wouldn’t fatigue so easily. I can usually go for about an hour before I have to set it down for a little while. Other than that, It is perfect to me. ”

“I have loaded about 1000 rounds of 9mm and 20 or so 300 win mags with this press so far. It has been great. Gets a little hard with full length sizing the 300 win mags but everything else is as smooth as could be hoped for.”

#5 LEE PRECISION Classic Turret Press

LEE PRECISION Classic Turret Press

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LEE is a solid brand, and one that demands your attention. They stepped up with this Classic Turret Press, without increasing the cost too much.

Affordable and loaded for bear, this press is made of heavy-duty aluminum so you can rely on it for the decades to come.

There’s a little picadillo when it comes to the auto-disk plate. It requires an additional purchase depending on the caliber of bullet, otherwise there isn’t enough clearance.

It’s something to think about while venturing into this press for sure.

The linkage system is made out of solid steel, and the entire unit is adaptable to fit a gunpowder hopper in the future.

It was designed to be augmented. You can get this press for now, load over a hundred rounds per hour, and upgrade it in the future to amp it up.

Key Features

  • Size: Small hand press
  • Material: High grade aluminum
  • Press Type: Hand press
  • Weighted: No
  • Moving Case: No

What Customers Say

“I’ve had this press for about 3 years. It’s a great press. Still gives you control like a single stage press but you don’t have to waste time swapping out your dies. Tolerances are not as tight as more expensive presses. I load 9, 40, 45, 223, 300 and 308. It does have some what of a learning curve but reloading in general is that way. Great starting press or a good upgrade from a single stage. I would buy it again if I had to start over.”

“Great product, well made. Makes reloading an ease. You will need to tighten the nuts on the lower lever as they tend to come a little loose after resizing a few brass. I suggest lock tight, works well for mine.”

Reloading Press Buying Guide and FAQ

Precision Reloading Press

How To Use Reloading Press?

There are single and multi stage reloading press models, so we’re going to approach both of them.

How to Use: Single Stage Reloading Press

  • Step 1: Clean your bullet casings. They’re going to be warped from the previous explosions, but as long as they aren’t split, they’re usable. When you are done cleaning soot and debris from them (especially if you picked up empty casings at a local range), it’s time to prime them with lubricant.
  • Step 2: Now comes resizing. Place your resizing die on the top of your reloading press, and the shell in its proper place. You have to use the lever to resize the shells (and pop off the old primers) so that they can hold the appropriate amount of powder, as well as accept the new primer at a later stage. Once you’ve resized the casing, you’re going to re-lubricate them for the next step.
  • Step 3: Reseat your primers (your new ones). You’ll need to switch out to the primer die in order to pull this off properly.
  • Step 4: Measure and weigh your powder charges before dropping them into the casing. Once you’ve completed charged the casing, it’s time to load your bullet it. During this stage, keep clear of being directly over the reloader for safety precaution.
  • Step 5: The most important stage is crimping the bullet. If you don’t crimp it properly, it’s going to get jammed when you go to fire, fall apart, or leave gunpowder all in your gun barrel. You don’t want any of those things to happen. Switch out your die, crimp the bullet, and you’re good to go.

That’s all there is to it. It’s an egregious process just to pop out a single shot, but if done properly, you’ll be able to speed it up with a few hours of practice.

These presses have a steeper learning curve, but once you surpass it, you’ll build up your speed. It’s not as fast as a multi-stage reloading press, but it gets the job done.

How to Use: Multi Stage Reloading Press

  • Step 1: Load up your dies. A multi stage reloading press will have enough spots for all those that you need. This will allow you to size, prime, and fully load the bullets before crimping them. On some models, you might have a separate priming rod.
  • Step 2: Check and load your casing hopper. This allows you to automatically feed shells, hopefully in the right direction, down the hopper and appear on the casing spots. At this time, you should also check and load your powder measure, as well as your completion bin to ensure that there are no jams.
  • Step 3: Once everything is in place, load up your cases. The shell plate will rotate when you turn the lever to help with reloading. Once shells are in every spot on the line, it’s time to prime them. Using your separate priming rod or priming die, size the casings.
  • Step 4: Using a die, you will pop off the old primers (usually done during the case sizing phase) and seat them for new primers.
  • Step 5: Use the gunpowder measure to charge the case. This is done fairly simply by operating the simple lever or latch on the bottom of your measure.
  • Step 6: Seat the bullets properly, and then crimp them with the appropriate die. A multi stage or progressive reloading press will almost always make a perfect round. It’s still important to inspect them as they come down into the completion bin though. Better safe than sorry.

Multi-stage reloading presses are faster than single stage models.

They can generally produce safer rounds that are less likely to fall apart from inexperience, and it doesn’t take a long time to learn how to use them.

The downside is the bigger upfront cost, and that there are more components that could break.

How Many Times Can A Bullet Be Reloaded?

Bullet Catridge

Reloading your own ammunition is almost an exact science.

We know to use a specific number of gunpowder grains, but the quality, ignition temperature and smoke/smokeless powder design will also factor into that.

There are a lot of variables. That’s my point.

You can predict most of them and know how to reload your ammo accordingly, but some brass casings can’t withstand another firing.

If you fire a hundred rounds, there’s a very good chance that all that brass will be intact – no splits, perfect to reuse.

Brass comes in different grades, and it usually depends on the manufacturer when it really comes down to it.

Higher caliber bullets, although able to withstand larger explosions, will have thicker casings (by the millimeter), which could make all the difference.

If you browse some online gun forums, you can find tons of shooters are reusing the same casings that they first fired over three years ago.

Then, you’ll find some guys who shot a round twice and it cracked like an egg. There’s no way to perfectly predict how much use you’re going to get out of a single case.

You hope for the best, you keep cleaning them properly after every single use, and you should be good to go.

Bottom line: You could reload the same case for a long time, and save tons of money, or it might go sideways. Take it as it comes.

Is Reloading Ammo Dangerous?

Automated reloading isn’t dangerous. Shooting reloads comes with a very slight chance of something going wrong, but the act of reloading ammunition isn’t dangerous.

At least, when you have a press.

Hand loading bullets is not only more dangerous, but it’s going to run your thumbs ragged. Reloading by hand poses far more possibilities for injury, and improper reloading to boot.

Hand reloading is ultimately less expensive than using a press, we’ll give it that.

There’s no upfront machinery cost, but you will spend a lot of time, which is something you can’t get back. I’d front the cost of a reloading press over hand reloading any day.

Reloading ammunition with a press is less dangerous, but you’re still working with gunpowder.

Nobody ever worked closely with a known explosive and didn’t consider it dangerous to some extent.

Handling your materials for reloading is everything. Among them, gunpowder is the only one that you really need to worry about. It has an ignition temperature of around 801° F.

That is, for standard gunpowder. If you use smokeless gunpowder, for example, it can have a slightly lower ignition temperature.

It depends on the variant, but on average, it can alter it by about 120° F, making it ignite at 681° F.

If you’re reloading ammunition in the garage, then you have a good storage option available (so long as you keep it dehumidified per manufacturer recommendations).

Store your gunpowder away from anything flammable, and keep it out of direct sunlight.

Fire can start at around 500° F on wood, and if you have plenty of exposed wood in your garage (like most of us do), then you’re looking at an accelerated fire hazard.

If a house fire were to break out, the garage would be reduced to rubble rather quickly, if you’re actually storing enough gunpowder to load multiple bullets.

Are Reloads Safe To Shoot?

Man Shooting With Sniper

There’s a possibility that it won’t be safe, sure, but that’s up to you and how you reload ammo. Some reloads can be unsafe if they’re not created properly.

Reloads are safe when you make them right, and with a reloading press, it’s really hard to mess up the process.  And, don’t forget to store it properly so it lasts for years.

Get the best reloading press for the money, or the highest quality (and cost) one you can find, and you’re still going to be able to make quality, safe reloads.

This question comes from numerous people who see “No Reloaded Ammo” imprinted on guns, manufacturer catalogs, gun information, and even in gun safety classes from time to time (this varies by state education programs).

Because something could happen, manufacturers place that everywhere that they can so you don’t sue them for firing a reload, and for hurting yourself or someone else.

It’s the same thing as seeing “Caution: This beverage is hot” on a cup of hot coffee.

You already know that, but some people can be sue-happy, and manufacturers are trying to protect themselves legally.

The only way that a reload can be “unsafe” is if you load the gunpowder in incorrectly.

What Bullet Calibers Can I Reload?

Different Caliber Bullets

You can reload any caliber. If the case is intact, you can reload any bullet caliber up to the 458 Win Mag, so long as your press supports it.

Online reviews would have people believe that it’s unsafe to shoot reloaded bullets from a Glock or a simple 9mm, but that’s based on absolutely nothing.

Nobody has a good reason to not shoot a Glock with reloads.

That being said, the casings on 9mm bullets are more prone to splitting or complete expansion.

They’re still made out of brass, but they’re also a little bit thinner than the casing on a .45 caliber bullet, as you might have imagined.

That means reloading might be a pain in the ass, but it is doable.

To find out if your press supports the right caliber of bullet, you can visit the manufacturer website, even if you plan on purchasing it from a cheaper source like the ones we’ve provided. They usually have PDFs available for each individual reloading press.

Consider downloading and printing that PDF for later use. Print it out, put it by your press, and you’ll be good to go moving forward.

Reloading Your Arsenal, One Shot At A Time

Rebuilding your own ammunition cache isn’t exactly easy, but it’s worthwhile for cost efficiency and self-sufficiency.

We never know what’s around the corner, but we can be prepared for it with a proper stockade.

To reload your own ammunition, you need a press to make it as time efficient as possible.

The goal is to save money when you attribute costs of materials, like gunpowder and primers, versus the time that it costs you to actually reload everything.

Be smart about how you spend and rebuild your ammo, and you’ll never be left with a dry homestead barracks again.

If you haven’t bought a brass catcher yet, learn here why you need one.

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Last update on 2024-03-05 / Images from Amazon Product API