Being new to reloading I am buying up equipment. At this point I'm looking for trimmer recommendations. Reloading...

* 223 Rem (semi)
* 308 Win (lever)
* 300 WM (bolt)

With each I do some target shooting but they are primarily for hunting. With the 300 I hope to soon start shooting some "long" range.

Though trim dies aren't appealing, nor is anything handheld or motorized (whether it's a "brass prep station" or chucked in a drill motor) I am willing to consider all options. I have my eye on a Sinclair-L.E. Wilson Stainless Ultimate.

It would be great if you would also convey experiences with tools that you have used but *don't* prefer so I can have basis of comparison among opinions.

Many thanks,
Mickey

I think trimming is high on the list of most hated chores. The right equipment can take a lot of the pain out of it.

A few things to consider before selecting something: how much are you willing to spend, how much you shoot and reload, how you feel about spending time trimming, maybe a few other considerations too.

For me, the motorized RCBS system is the ticket, and that's because I gather a lot of fired brass before I prep it, so many times I'll be faced with processing 500 cases at a time...sometimes more. If you're going to load twenty rounds, shoot, and then reload the same twenty cases the next week or several weeks down the road then using a hand-cranked trimmer isn't so bad.

Some guys like the other systems that are really, really fast but they're often for one caliber only and pretty expensive. Unless your bank accounts overflowing you might not want to buy one for every cartridge you're loading.

There is a new product on the market from Frankford Arsenal and it's really reasonably priced. Not many here have tried them that I know of, but the few I know who have bought it do love it. Check it out here.

Since I've used a friend's Giraud Trimmer, nothing else will be satisfactory. 500 pieces of .22-250 trimmed, chambered, deburred in 1 hour.

The price tag is steep, but I hate trimming that badly.

Trim it 2

Buy once, cry once.

I have a Hornady and I hate it but the Giraud is on my list. I just need to suck up and do it but I keep thinking I'll find a used one. There is a reason I rarely see them though

Maybe the generosity of FiremanJG's friend will be extended you and me, Judd. I'd throw in a few dollars here and there.

Seriously though, the cost is not a factor but I'm not spending Giraud money - overkill/excessive for my use, ability, desire.

I use the non-powered version of the RCBS Trim Pro. I added the upgraded head that trims, deburrs, and chamfers and I'm quite happy. It'd be nice to have the power head, but so far I've beaten down the impulse to buy.

For sure, trimming cases is the worst part of reloading, but a necessity. A Giraurd case trimmer is one of the most awesome tools I have for reloading. It is well worth the cost to me. Before that, I used to a simple lathe trimmer, and had an attachment hooked up to my cordless drill. The drill made it less painful, but was still a chore. If you do not do many cases, the lathe style trimmers will work fine.

I don't shoot a whole lot. Pulling numbers out of the ether, maybe 1000 223, 100 308, and (currently) maybe 100 300... each of those are per year. I expect some some increase in 223 and 300 (due to wanting to do some long range) but not 308. Maybe those numbers are way off and I should simply say my volume is low. Being very forthright, buying reloading is probably a complete loss for me even with low end equipment (which I haven't necessarily bought).

I use a battery powered drill as a holder.

For decades,I trimmed all of my cases with the Lee style case trimmers and a hand drill. For some calibers,I still use them. Then I stepped up to the Little Crow Gun Works WFT trimmers,and they work great.
If the Giraurd and Trim It II had been on the market back then,I'd own one of them. I just can't see investing anymore money in tools that I already own just to save a little time now. If you trim a lot of cases,these are the way to go!

I use a Lyman power trimmer and it works pretty good. I may upgrade to the Giraud one day but haven't because of price. Trimming is without a doubt the worst part of reloading for me. For some reason I just don't look forward to the trimming, never have liked it.

I am a huge fan of the "worlds finest trimmers". They're caliber specific, but incredibly hard to beat (esp at their price).

https://littlecrowgunworks.com/product/worlds-finest-trimmer-wft/

^. +1

I have the WFT as well. The only problem with the latest version with the interchangeable bushing is that the shank is large enough that it will not fit on a regular power drill.

Seems there were several people who were doing custom trimming, might try googling them. Work a barter deal or buy some old equipment they no longer use. Put it on the weekend chore list for one of your kids or find a kid that wants to make a few bucks or go shooting, win win for both...

I have used the Forster trimmers for 50 years and with the new battery screwdriver attachments and the 3 in 1 cutting heads, they are better than ever. Midway carries most of the Forster line and they are fairly inexpensive. It does take a bit of patience to initially adjust the cutting heads to trim, deburr, and chamfer but once done it's a real improvement over 3 separate operations. They say the heads are "factory adjusted", but I haven't found one even close yet.

Caliche Kid, the Forster with the 3-in-1 is on my short list so it's nice to hear a good opinion.

Thanks.

Once you use a Giraud, youll never go back to anything else.

Another vote for the WFT. They are case specific, not caliber specific (i.e you buy one trimmer to do the entire family of 30-06 based cases, etc..) They are fairly inexpensive and easy to use. Trim and deburr in about 1-2 seconds

I use the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Case Trimmer and Prep Center. Its not the nicest thing out there but it does the well enough for me. It does take a few min to dial in the trim length but after that ive never had a issue with it.

So how does it work if you neck size only, instead of full length resizing of the case?

Absolutely. Worth it even if it really stretches the budget. Single best expenditure I ever made on reloading.

Trims and chamfers almost instantly with uniform results. Makes quick work of an important but tedious step when facing a big batch.

I'm excited...mine should be here in the next couple weeks. I also added the metplat trimmer. We'll see if I can tell a difference in the bullet performance.

Giraud is the way to go if you load a lot and can afford it.