looking at the differences between 2 kits
I've primed many a cartridge with a Lee hand primer. Not only can you do it way from the press, but lets you have yet another look over the cartridges for any problems. With a Progressive your stuck priming on the press if you want to get the speed advantage of a progressive press.
This is a GOOD press and you won't be dissatisfied with it in any way. Personally, I prefer to prime my brass using an RCBS hand primer. It just gives me a better feel for seating the primer properly. After tumbling, cleaning, resizing and de-priming my brass, I just put it into a small plastic bucket. Then while I am watching TV, I sit there and prime my brass and drop it into another bucket. When I am ready to reload, my brass is primed and ready to go. Some folks like to prime on the press as they are relolading but it just adds one more thing that you have to do when reloading. Since the hand primer is not cheap (about $40 to $50) you ought to see if one of your buddies has one that they will let you try out before you buy.
I use a 60 year old Lyman loading press and it works just fine. It primes the cases on the press. But, I do like what another poster says about being able to watch some TV and casually prime hundred of cartridges at a time. Just be sure to pay attention when you are setting-up and have the correct primers for the loads you will be doing. (In other words, don't be too distracted.)
I prefer using a RCBS hand primer. Just seems very simple and gives a better feel for seating the primer properly. I cant comment on Lee presses, haven't used one; but many reloaders like them.
Hello! Whether you re-prime your cartridge cases on, or off, the press, really depends on you. When I reload handgun ammunition on my Dillon, I let the press reprime the ammo for me, because handgun ammo, whether for plinking, target, or hunting, does not need to be seated by nad for the precision I would be looking for with a rifle. Now, reloading rifle ammo for competition is a completely different story! Because I am looking for group consistency at distance with a warming barrel, and seeking groups as close to sub-minute of angle, I need precision and set my benchrest primers by hand ... I can feel how the primer is seated and whether it is getting crushed. By doing it this way, I have been able to produce really accurate ammuniton. When you are loading hunting ammunition, you do not really need the precision consistency (yes, you do need precision ... but you are shooting maybe a single shot from a cold barrel ... in competition you may be shooting 10 to 30 back-to-back shots with a barrel that is either warming up or hot, which WILL affect bullet placement). I never reload watching the TV ... too many BAD things can happen, and a bad cartidge (one with a bad primer or a squib load [no powder or insufficient powder]) can damage a very expensive target barrel! It is better to concentrate on what you are doing, when you are doing it! Hence, priming on or off the press is totally dependent upon you and what upi seek to do with your ammo, and what you expect your ammo to do under specific conditions! Good luck and good shooting!
