Gets rounds loaded.... - Hornady Lock-N-Load .50 BMG Single Stage Press Kit

Out of the box this press came with almost everything needed to load rounds. I added the Lyman BMG case trimmer and BMG case prep tool as well as a BMG powder funnel. Setup was a breeze, as is with a single stage press. I bolted a 12x12x1/2" steel plate to the press, then bolted the plate to the bench. This served 2 purposes- it reinforced the base of the press and gave me a larger surface area on the bench to distribute the stress. I have seen several pictures of these press bases (red and green) broken off at the edge of the bench. The ram handle is long enough to create a lot of fatigue on these castings. So with the overkill mounting in place I have reloaded 500 rounds through it. After messing up my first dozen primers (frustrating) I ordered the BMG priming/swaging set from CH4D ($75) and have had excellent results. Not saying the Hornady priming parts were junk, just unsatisfactory results. The CH4D pieces are of the same design, just of better material and hardened. I now trim AND swage the primer pockets out of the military cases. Well worth the extra time. And the CH4D set includes a standard shellholder adapter so you can load other calibers on the machine ($25 value if ordered separately). While you are at it- order their paste case lube. It's the best stuff out there and designed for heavy bullet swaging and case necking operations. I have other lubes and I tried them on these cases, don't waste your time. Used a piece of 2x6 untreated lumber and punched 7/8 holes in it to a depth of 1.5", serves as a fantastic loading block. I do recommend this press kit, it is an economical way to get loading VS the cost of dies alone!