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Reloading

MEC Gets Into Metallic Reloading: The Marksman Press

MEC Shooting Sports, better known in the shooting community as just MEC, announced it was moving into metallic reloading starting with its first single stage press: the MEC Marksman.

MEC is well known for its high quality shot shell reloading equipment, but has not really attacked the metallic reloading market. That seems to have changed.

MEC Marksman reloading press

The MEC Marksman appears to be a sturdy press. It is made of ductile cast iron and has a seriously beefy appearance. According to MEC, the press is suitable for loading everything from .22 Hornet to .416 Rigby.

Standard 7/8-14 threaded dies are used in this press, and it should be compatible with any of the dies currently being made by Lee, Hornady and others.

mec marksman shell holder

The press uses a floating shell holder that helps to properly align the case with the die. It seems this self-centering shell holder is unique as the company has obtained a patent for it. I have to admit ignorance here and say that I’ve never loaded shotshells. So, I do not know if this floating shell holder uses any similar technologies that MEC might use on its shot shell machines. Can anyone help me out?

MEC does not list a suggested retail price for this press. However, a quick check at Midway USA shows the press listed at $179.99 and an expected arrival date of 11/20/2016.

In addition to the press, the company has plans on introducing a complete range of reloading gear to include:

  • a powder measure
  • a powder trickler
  • calipers
  • powder scale
  • case prep tools
  • components

I expect we will see a range of products at the SHOT Show in 2017. I’ve already seen a number of reloading products from other companies announced, such as the CFE BLK powder from Hodgdon.

Right now the pistol and rifle loading market is represented by several quality manufacturers including Hornady, RCBS, Lyman, Dillon and Lee. (Note: You should definitely read the book Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.) MEC is already established in the shotshell market, so it will be interesting to see if the company can gain a foothold with metallic loaders. Competition is good for us consumers, so I hope MEC does well.

Last Update: June 19, 2022

Categories
Reloading

New Subsonic .308 Bullet from Lehigh Defense

If you are looking for a .308 caliber rifle bullet for subsonic use, you might be interested in the new projectile from Lehigh Defense. The new bullet is a 176-grain projectile that is specifically designed for subsonic use when loaded in a .308 Win and 300 BLK cartridges.

Categories
Reloading

New 300 BLK Powder from Hodgdon

Hodgdon announced a new product that might be the best new powder for loading the 300 BLK cartridge. Called the CFE BLK, the new spherical powder was formulated to provide reliable functioning of an AR-style rifle regardless of the bullet weight used. Both super- and subsonic loads are said to work very well with the CFE BLK.

Categories
Reloading

How To Reload Steel Case Ammo

reloading steel cases

So…is reloading steel cases possible?  Conventional wisdom says you can’t reload steel case ammo, but reality says you can.

Sure, reloading brass cases are much easier, but you can reload steel cases.  That cheap Wolf 7.62×39 and the surplus 7.62x54r can both be reloaded if you take your time and add a few extra steps to the normal loading process.  Since I believe there is a bit of a tinkerer in every shooter that reloads, this would prove to be an interesting exercise for all of us to work on to improve the existing processes.

Ok, here we go…

Categories
Reloading

New Hornady Reloading Manual

A new Hornady reloading manual was just announced and will be available on December 1. I’m expecting that the 11th Edition Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading will be an worthy successor in a line of excellent handloading books from the company.

I bought my first manual (actually, it was a two volume set) back in the mid- to late-90’s and I used it to both develop loads and just learn about cartridges. When I purchased the set, I was only loading for the .38 Special. Since then, I’ve added a few more calibers, but the Hornady manuals are still a staple on my bookshelf.