Harrels compact reloading press
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Stiffy
Well-Known Member
I looked at the Compact, but decided to go with Harrell's Combo, as I needed an arbor option.
A Harrell's press is without doubt one of the best, and I would say go for it if you think you would regret buying anything less than the best.
Give Mark a call at Spud Reloading, he is very helpful, especially as you need to check if the 6.5x55 will fit the 308 size? It's only a little bit longer, but best to check.
The other option is the RCBS Partner press. It's good value, and will easily take a 6.5x55.
A Harrell's press is without doubt one of the best, and I would say go for it if you think you would regret buying anything less than the best.
Give Mark a call at Spud Reloading, he is very helpful, especially as you need to check if the 6.5x55 will fit the 308 size? It's only a little bit longer, but best to check.
The other option is the RCBS Partner press. It's good value, and will easily take a 6.5x55.
They come in two sizes. The smaller is designed for the PPC and BR; the larger just suits short-action cartridges such as 260, 308, Creedmoors and suchlike. 6.5X55 would be too long for the press-body 'gape' IMO.
They are very effective and really well made C-presses as attested by PPC shooting benchresters using them on the range between details. They're not really meant for heavy-duty sizing as they're designed to be clamped onto a shelf or bench edge with a single screw-clamp mounting. When you get up to 6.5X55 and 7X57 size numbers where full pressure loads in a sporting chamber can see mucho expansion, I think that FL sizing will be too hard work for this fixing arrangement. Their primary purpose is as compact portables for smaller cartridges.
They are very effective and really well made C-presses as attested by PPC shooting benchresters using them on the range between details. They're not really meant for heavy-duty sizing as they're designed to be clamped onto a shelf or bench edge with a single screw-clamp mounting. When you get up to 6.5X55 and 7X57 size numbers where full pressure loads in a sporting chamber can see mucho expansion, I think that FL sizing will be too hard work for this fixing arrangement. Their primary purpose is as compact portables for smaller cartridges.
The Harrels come in three sizes. The longest being the Magnum size, good for fitting in cases up to 2.9" in length. Which should be enough for 6.5 SE, however seating the bullet out to 80mm COAL (3.15") might need a little wiggling about to get it all into the seater.
They look like a nice bit of design. Virtually identical to the Hood presses, some of which have an intriguing feature, micrometer adjustment of any screw in FL size die for precise shoulder bump. Or take two screw in dies. or 2+ 1 arbor type die. I don't know which design came first.
Other such things also exist, I suppose the extreme prices are justified by the tiny production volumes and use of costly machining techniques, materials, and laborious assembly by reasonably paid workers.
Evo Enginering (AKA Tier One) do/did make a nice looking compact press in the UK, read a review comparing it favourably with the Harrel here:
Maybe also look at the Buchanan hand press, Buchanan Precision Machine L-N-L Hand Reloading Press with Case
This is supposed to good for FL sizing of even magnum cartridges, in both force and gape.
TBH I started off with a Lee hand press which was/is quite capable of all duties for my .223, 30-30, 308 and 303, so I imagine it would cope with 6.5SE just as well. Once you have got the hang of the proper technique.
Oh, and the Lee Breechlock Challenger is a smallish lightweight (aluminium alloy) but strong thing that can be be bolted to a piece of wood then clamped down wherever you want it. I've only seen the RCBS partner (also aluminium alloy) in a shop. It looked OK but I didn't think it was anything like as good, sophisticated, or feature rich as the Lee Challenger. Not dissimilar price nowadays, but when I bought my Challenger some years ago as a second press to complement my big cast iron one,they were quite different prices, and I liked the features of the Challenger much better c.f. the Partner.
ISTM that the Lee price has gone up a little, whilst the RCBS has come down a lot. It used to cost as much, or more, than a Lee cast iron press, which made no sense. The Partner was only ever intended as a "partner" to a big press, for light duties such as decapping, neck flaring, seating etc. Hence the name. I think the Lee Challenger is capable of much more, every task, for less money.
Better surely to have just one, that can do everything, which I think is your intention.
The Lee breechlock system works well enough for me. For certain dies, not all of them. De cap, neck flare, powder etc. I tend to just have a few extra bushings, into which I screw the dies for a particular session, set them up the usual way, then use. They are taken off again afterwards if swapped for something else. Then the dies used on my bigger press which only takes the standard screw thread.
They look like a nice bit of design. Virtually identical to the Hood presses, some of which have an intriguing feature, micrometer adjustment of any screw in FL size die for precise shoulder bump. Or take two screw in dies. or 2+ 1 arbor type die. I don't know which design came first.
Other such things also exist, I suppose the extreme prices are justified by the tiny production volumes and use of costly machining techniques, materials, and laborious assembly by reasonably paid workers.
Evo Enginering (AKA Tier One) do/did make a nice looking compact press in the UK, read a review comparing it favourably with the Harrel here:
Vince Bottomley takes a look at a new portable press from EVO engineering
A few years ago, small portable presses like this one were strictly the preserve of short-range benchrest shooters who have – for reasons I won’t go into here – always reloaded on the firing-point between matches. But, this is the way benchrest shooters extract the maximum possible accuracy from...
www.targetshooter.co.uk
Maybe also look at the Buchanan hand press, Buchanan Precision Machine L-N-L Hand Reloading Press with Case
This is supposed to good for FL sizing of even magnum cartridges, in both force and gape.
TBH I started off with a Lee hand press which was/is quite capable of all duties for my .223, 30-30, 308 and 303, so I imagine it would cope with 6.5SE just as well. Once you have got the hang of the proper technique.
Oh, and the Lee Breechlock Challenger is a smallish lightweight (aluminium alloy) but strong thing that can be be bolted to a piece of wood then clamped down wherever you want it. I've only seen the RCBS partner (also aluminium alloy) in a shop. It looked OK but I didn't think it was anything like as good, sophisticated, or feature rich as the Lee Challenger. Not dissimilar price nowadays, but when I bought my Challenger some years ago as a second press to complement my big cast iron one,they were quite different prices, and I liked the features of the Challenger much better c.f. the Partner.
ISTM that the Lee price has gone up a little, whilst the RCBS has come down a lot. It used to cost as much, or more, than a Lee cast iron press, which made no sense. The Partner was only ever intended as a "partner" to a big press, for light duties such as decapping, neck flaring, seating etc. Hence the name. I think the Lee Challenger is capable of much more, every task, for less money.
Better surely to have just one, that can do everything, which I think is your intention.
The Lee breechlock system works well enough for me. For certain dies, not all of them. De cap, neck flare, powder etc. I tend to just have a few extra bushings, into which I screw the dies for a particular session, set them up the usual way, then use. They are taken off again afterwards if swapped for something else. Then the dies used on my bigger press which only takes the standard screw thread.
I have a lee challenger press , but I was looking for something that was very easy to use left handed as I find my self swapping hands regularly to get past the front bar, and thought something I can take to the range occasionally would be a bonus, but it seems the jack of all trades doesn't do all well enough
The Challenger, at least the modern ones, can have the handle mounted on either side
I'm not familiar with the arrangements of pre-2006 versions. If that is what you have, maybe the linkage is set up for right hand use only ? If so it can be converted to the current ambidextrous steel linkage style, as described at Lee Precision, Inc. - Update Challenger Press to New Linkage including an intructional .pdf
I'm a lefty also so have fitted the handle on the left, using the right hand to do all the manipulations of the case and adding the bullet, reaching in from the RHS with the right hand. Left hand never needs to leave the handle, no swapping around of hands. Turn the shellholder so the opening is to the right.
Actually I think the press is better suited to LH use than RH, as the primer arm is also on the RHS, so most easily filled this way, using the RH, if you prime on-press.
The Harrels come in three sizes. The longest being the Magnum size, good for fitting in cases up to 2.9" in length. Which should be enough for 6.5 SE, however seating the bullet out to 80mm COAL (3.15") might need a little wiggling about to get it all into the seater.
They look like a nice bit of design. Virtually identical to the Hood presses, some of which have an intriguing feature, micrometer adjustment of any screw in FL size die for precise shoulder bump. Or take two screw in dies. or 2+ 1 arbor type die. I don't know which design came first.
Other such things also exist, I suppose the extreme prices are justified by the tiny production volumes and use of costly machining techniques, materials, and laborious assembly by reasonably paid workers.
Evo Enginering (AKA Tier One) do/did make a nice looking compact press in the UK, read a review comparing it favourably with the Harrel here:
Vince Bottomley takes a look at a new portable press from EVO engineering
A few years ago, small portable presses like this one were strictly the preserve of short-range benchrest shooters who have – for reasons I won’t go into here – always reloaded on the firing-point between matches. But, this is the way benchrest shooters extract the maximum possible accuracy from...www.targetshooter.co.uk
Maybe also look at the Buchanan hand press, Buchanan Precision Machine L-N-L Hand Reloading Press with Case
This is supposed to good for FL sizing of even magnum cartridges, in both force and gape.
TBH I started off with a Lee hand press which was/is quite capable of all duties for my .223, 30-30, 308 and 303, so I imagine it would cope with 6.5SE just as well. Once you have got the hang of the proper technique.
Oh, and the Lee Breechlock Challenger is a smallish lightweight (aluminium alloy) but strong thing that can be be bolted to a piece of wood then clamped down wherever you want it. I've only seen the RCBS partner (also aluminium alloy) in a shop. It looked OK but I didn't think it was anything like as good, sophisticated, or feature rich as the Lee Challenger. Not dissimilar price nowadays, but when I bought my Challenger some years ago as a second press to complement my big cast iron one,they were quite different prices, and I liked the features of the Challenger much better c.f. the Partner.
ISTM that the Lee price has gone up a little, whilst the RCBS has come down a lot. It used to cost as much, or more, than a Lee cast iron press, which made no sense. The Partner was only ever intended as a "partner" to a big press, for light duties such as decapping, neck flaring, seating etc. Hence the name. I think the Lee Challenger is capable of much more, every task, for less money.
Better surely to have just one, that can do everything, which I think is your intention.
The Lee breechlock system works well enough for me. For certain dies, not all of them. De cap, neck flare, powder etc. I tend to just have a few extra bushings, into which I screw the dies for a particular session, set them up the usual way, then use. They are taken off again afterwards if swapped for something else. Then the dies used on my bigger press which only takes the standard screw thread.
I have a Buchanan and have to admit I prefer the look of the Evo you have reviewed.
Best bit about the Buchanan is I don’t need to clamp it down. I have loaded a lot of ammunition on it now having moved house and my co-ax. It being set up.
thread resurrection - anyone got a compact press they want to shift?
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