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Hood Press

Hood Press

By Rob Carnell

In the last few years, things have changed quite a bit as far as reloading is concerned. Nowadays, there will be a plethora of devices seen at a major match for full length or base resizing, or shoulder bumping. I guess we are shooting progressively hotter loads making this a pre-requisite for most shooters. I purchased a Harrel press from Don Powell at the WBC in Brisbane 1995 and have used it exclusively since then. I have found it a really worthwhile little product. However, I find is a little bulky because of the shape of the handle. Also, you will need an arbour press as well and the two of them take up quite a bit of space in my loading box. I am really trying to cut down on the gear needed. I believe I don’t get to the range as often as I should just because of the hassle of carting everything to the bench! Some time ago Barry Warwick and I designed a little gizmo to fit on the side of the Harrel press to do bullet seating. Just as I was about to convert mine, I saw an advertisement on benchrest.com for a new press called the Hood. This press handled both jobs and looked especially compact. After a bit of email with Charlie Hood the manufacturer in the USA, I received my little toy by UPS. Upon inspection, I found this to be a little gem! This is in effect a very compact 7/8x14 press with an additional ram on the left side which takes up almost no space. I particularly like the handle which sits parallel to the press adding very little to it’s size. Mounting was a snack as it comes with a bracket attaching with one knob. This really works well. This bracket can be clamped to a bench and is wide enough so the clamps don’t get in the way. I have already screwed another bracker to my loading bench at home. In use, the sizing part works just like any regular press and is simple and smooth to operate. It is a little different to the Harrel as the hole through the middle is not full depth. This means that the press does not need to be as deep. The seating stem looks quite small. I had made a seating die with a large base and I just reduced this a bit. A standard Wilson will fit easily. Getting the hang of the press didn’t take long, but felt a bit awkward at first. Now I find it just as fast as my Sinclair arbour press. I would recommend this press to all benchrest shooters looking for a way to trim down their truckload of equipment! But, beware, it will not handle cases longer then .308. A larger press is available. Another nice feature is a bracket underneath that holds an empty 35mm film container. This catches ejected primers. Loading shed cleaners will love this feature! Materials consist of 6061-T6 aluminium, stainless steel rams, alloy heat treated pivot pins, nickel plated steel straps. The stroke is 2 1/2", weight is 6 1/2 lbs., and the dimensions are 1 1/2" x 4" x 10 1/4" ( Fits in the drawer of your shooting box). To contact Charlie Hood, call 0011 1 706-335-8165 or Send E-mail to Hoodpress@benchrest.com