Redding T-7 stations Press # 67000 thoughts?

[SmokingSam]

I have many calibers, especially C&R ones and I find my self changing dies too many times. I have been thinking about the Redding 7 stations press. It is about $280 shipped. My friend will buy my LNL if I decide to get the Redding...

My thinking is I can have two calibers set on one head, for example Nato 5.56 and Nato 7.62. Of course one will have to be extra careful with this set up.

Any constructive opinions will be appreciated!

[phish]

I run those calibers in my turret press. I just double check which die it's on before I start a batch. A .308 case wouldn't get very far in a 5.56 die though.

[SmokingSam]

which press do you have, the Redding?

[Don Edmondson]

I have the t7,I load 223 243 30 carbine 308 270 3006 7mm 300 win 350 rem mag 9mm 9mm Makarov 44 mag 45 auto, 460 Rowland and 10 or 12 others no problems. Don

[SmokingSam]

Cool Don...Does the turret have a lot of play in it as I read in some of the reviews and it may effect accuracy?

[Don Edmondson]

I have had no problems when Iwas in Idaho I would shoot 500 to 600 223 ever week plus 4to500 45 miss my back yard range. there is no play if you set the dies up Don

[Wrangler John]

I have the Redding T-7 press. Bought it last year to ease the chore of setting up dies, bought a second turret also. It's true that the turret has a bit of flex, approximately .009" on my example. So I loaded various cartridges, .204 Ruger, .223 Remington, .257 Roberts A.I., 6.5-284 Norma, etc. and measured them for concentricity. All loaded cartridges were consistently between .001" to .002" run out. A few cases would run to .003" which was due to the case not the press. That's about as good as you will obtain with any press using standard F.L. and neck dies, including bushing type dies. Variations in neck thickness will account for most of it. I doubt that any difference in accuracy would be noticed for the average rifle, even heavy barreled varmint rigs with .000"-.003" runout.

All the progressives have greater slop than that, including the major brands.

An old trick for single stage presses when loading competition ammo was to leave the sizing die a little off the lock ring, so the die could float allowing the case to self-align. Same principle is behind the use of Wilson hand dies and an arbor press. Locking things down solid can actually add errors.

[Fjold]

I run my T7 with three different rifle die sets. I just put the extra shell holder in the spent primer catch tray.

[SmokingSam]

Do you guys use the auto primer feature ?( an option I guess, does not come with press). Also, what do you recommend for powder drop, manual or auto and which auto?

[Wrangler John]

Do you guys use the auto primer feature ?( an option I guess, does not come with press). Also, what do you recommend for powder drop, manual or auto and which auto?

All my brass is primed using an RCBS APS Hand Priming Tool as a separate step. With a few exceptions I do not prime on the press, preferring the feel of a hand tool. The APS Primer Strips are the most accurate and trouble free method of automatic priming I have found. I also use the RCBS APS Strip Loader for loading the strips with any brand of primers.

I do use the RCBS Pro2000 Auto Indexing Progressive press to prime and load large batches of cartridges. This press also uses the APS Primer Strips and has eliminated all the problems and hazards associated with priming.

I size and deprime brass then clean primer pockets and tumble before priming and loading.

For powder charging I use an RCBS 1010 balance beam scale and Redding powder measure. The Redding, RCBS and Hornady powder measures are about the same, but I have been using the same Redding measure for 30 years. Balance beam scales do not wear out, I have one that is 40 years old and still going.

Electronic scales are too temperamental, prone to problems for my use. The digital laboratory scales are good, but cost is prohibitive. The automatic electronic powder dispensers are too slow and prone to the same problems.

Just set the measure using the balance beam scale, and throw charges from the measure. Fine grained powders will dispense with near zero variance and the large kernel powders can be thrown light and trickled to weight. These tools are always ready to go, trouble free and accurate.

[SmokingSam]

Cool, Thx. I have been reading another thread about primers exploding in the Dillon tube and I wanted to be as safe as possible when I prime. The last batch of 300WM I primed each shell manually but on the press. I guess I will find my own way as I reload more...

I am leaning towards the T7 for now, will see.

[5.56Geo]

I have one and they are great. I reload .223, .308Win, .270Win, 30-06, .270Wby, 300Wby and 9mm on my T7. I like it because it is very sturdy and well made. I dont use the auto primer feature but my buy it later.

Here is a picture of my simple garage/man cave setup.

[SmokingSam]

Nice set up. Like the metal box for ammo and powder!

I am thinking I can actually have three calibers preset on the turret. Of course I would size and prime on a single stage or even another turret first, what do you think?

[5.56Geo]

I use 2 die sets for my rifle ammo and a 3 die set for the 9mm on the M7. At this time I have .223, .270 and 9mm on the press, what I reload the most. Once you start reloading with the M7 turret press you will get into a nice rhythm. I bell the mouth on the 9mm on the up stroke and set primer on the down stroke. I think the M7 is possibly the best turret press made.

[SmokingSam]

Well, I broke down and I mail ordered it, $279 shipped to my house. I will set it up and check it out asap. I may have 308, 30-06 and 300 WM on one head. Then may be 5.56, 6.5 Swede and 7.5 Swiss on another head...seems logical to me at this point..

BTW, does it accept any shell holders, or only Redding's?