PDA

View Full Version : Reloading presses



coyote hunter
01-26-2010, 08:37 AM
I am going to buy a press and Iam having trouble deciding between the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme and the Hornady Lock N Load any suggestions ? Also has anyone used any of the Ramshot powders ?

Rick
01-26-2010, 09:16 AM
Hey there. How about pressing your way over to our Introduction section and tell us something about yourself?

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7813

SARKY
01-26-2010, 11:53 AM
Of the 2 I like the RockChucker. However, if you are going to be doing a lot of reloading I would recommend the Dillon 550

Old GI
01-26-2010, 12:39 PM
You've got it, Sarky. So much depends on the purpose. Many years ago I used a Rock Chucker for my 30-30 Contenders loads for metallic silhouette shooting in Yuma. I weighed every charge and was very meticulous in bullets, primers, everything. I'm about to start again and will adjust my methodology accordingly. I'll mostly do 45 ACP and 380 ACP along with 410 shot loads.

hunter63
01-26-2010, 01:10 PM
I use Lee presses. Not as pricey as the others.
I started with this:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=423081

Have several now.
Serves my needs very well.

Old GI
02-03-2010, 01:29 PM
My MEC 600 JR just arrived for my .410!!!!!! Haven't got it out of the box yet. Work is so troublesome.:happybday: and it's not even my birthday. To my point: Does anyone have favorite loads for .410?

Ole WV Coot
02-03-2010, 11:10 PM
I used a Lee for a long, long time. Never had a problem but very slooooow. I used it mainly for 38 & 357 but got to agree the Dillon is by far the best for production grade reloads. The Lee is great fir fine tuning a round to a rifle, but not unless you are after a one hole group at 200yds.

hunter63
02-04-2010, 04:49 PM
So far most of my re-loading has been reloading what I shoot, mostly rifle, .357, .44 mag.
Slow and steady is the method I use, small batches at a time.
Case prep, check,..... priming, check,..... powder charging, check,..... bullet install, check,...... factory/secondary crimp, check.
Been casting my own for several calibers, bullets, round balls, Minnie's, 12 ga slugs, so add bullet check...lube, check,..... size/gas check.
The Dillons are excellent if your gonna load up a lot of one caliber, lends it self to mass production.
Change overs require a pricey re-fit for each cal.

Maybe a couple of progressive presses for the hand gun loads, in my future, but I can buy 3 set up Lee's for one Dillon.

If your gonna use it every day,for one cal. get a Dillon.

So for now I'll stick to my Lee's.

coyote hunter
02-05-2010, 11:41 PM
I ended up buying a Hornady kit new in the box on ebay for 295.00 With all of the snow we are getting it would be a good weekend to do some reloading ! If only I had some powder and primers !

hunter63
02-06-2010, 01:27 AM
Congrats on the press, good luck with primers.
Welcome to the ranks, most likely won't be your only press.

Powder not too much of a problem, primers stiil short, though I have scored some recently.
Still have a open order for some large rifle magnums since last may.

coyote hunter
02-07-2010, 11:19 AM
I found a good local source for powder and they are cheap too ! I tried to buy some at Gander Mountain the other night and they want 30.00 to 35.00 per pound and 50.00 for 1,000 Winchester large rifle primers ! I can buy the same powder for 17.50 per pound and the same primers for 25.00 per 1,000 at the other place !

crashdive123
02-07-2010, 01:00 PM
I found a good local source for powder and they are cheap too ! I tried to buy some at Gander Mountain the other night and they want 30.00 to 35.00 per pound and 50.00 for 1,000 Winchester large rifle primers ! I can buy the same powder for 17.50 per pound and the same primers for 25.00 per 1,000 at the other place !

Are you going to share, or keep it your secret?:innocent:

hunter63
02-07-2010, 01:20 PM
You have to shop, but if you can get them (primers and powder) for those prices, stock up!

I ordered a 1k each of SRP, LRP, SPP, LPP, some powder and such from Cabelas last May.
Have to pay the hazmat fee $20 bucks.
So far I received all but the last box of primers.
Pricing was last years price @ about $21+ per 1k.

I parts of the order I have received have all come in separate boxes, (they paid the fee), and I am still waiting for the last box.
Bet they wish they would have never taken the order.

coyote hunter
02-07-2010, 06:09 PM
The name of it is Indiana Gun Club. They are located on the Northeast side of Indianapolis

countrymech
02-08-2010, 12:39 AM
RCBS would be my choice, especially if coupled with their Piggyback II system. Personally I use a couple of Lee presses. One is the classic and the other is an auto indexing press with an interchangable turret for each caiber that I load. I want to buy a Dillion but the "Chief Financial Officer", aka better half, says I gotta wait. Until then, all my 5.56 is loaded on a coworker's Dillon. I just bought the dies and plate, I just save my brass and show up with everything and a 12 pack. As far as your question about Ramshot powders, I can only attest to one. I have loaded 5.56 and 7.62 with TAC rifle powder for years and found it to be very reliable in all weather conditions. Bought a bunch of it almost 10 years ago and I'm still burning it up. Hope this helps, Paul.

donny h
02-14-2010, 07:16 PM
I ended up buying a Hornady kit new in the box on ebay for 295.00

Ckeck on the Hornady website for the 'Get loaded again in 2010 promo', you may be eligible for some free bullets.

With the 2009 promo, I bought a Lock-n-Load AP and qualified for a rebate of 10 boxes of bullets (1000 bullets in .308, 150grain SP).

The bullets retail at $303, and I paid $400 for the press, so the rebate is a nice deal.

coyote hunter
02-19-2010, 08:08 PM
Ckeck on the Hornady website for the 'Get loaded again in 2010 promo', you may be eligible for some free bullets.

With the 2009 promo, I bought a Lock-n-Load AP and qualified for a rebate of 10 boxes of bullets (1000 bullets in .308, 150grain SP).

The bullets retail at $303, and I paid $400 for the press, so the rebate is a nice deal.

thanks for the info ! I will check that out:clap:

Old GI
03-01-2010, 03:10 PM
Yahoooo!!!!! Just got my RCBS Rock Chucker Master kit to go with the new MEC 600. Most of my old Rock Chucker stuff disappeared.

Hey! I needed one so I just bought it!
.
.
.
OK, OK, she's gone for a month.:blushing:

hunter63
03-01-2010, 05:08 PM
OGI, down the slipery slope we goooooooo.

Congrats, nice to see someone else get sucked in.
I gotta get shooting, nothing to reload right now.

Now fro her:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8595&highlight=reloading+cheaper

Old GI
03-02-2010, 10:53 AM
hey, I'll get my skidsteer when I'm ready ....... yeah, sure.:blushing:

Gunnerman
10-03-2010, 03:54 PM
I have the Hornady LnL AP love it. I also have the Dillon RL550B. I would recomend either.

kyratshooter
10-04-2010, 01:49 PM
I am going to buy a press and Iam having trouble deciding between the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme and the Hornady Lock N Load any suggestions ? Also has anyone used any of the Ramshot powders ?

Over the past 40 years I have owned gear from all the present makers and some that are gone. I started on a Herters press I paid $12.99 for. I have three set up on the bench right now, an RCBS and two Lee products, a hornady powder dump, a Lyman lube/sizer and Pacific scales.

I can honestly say that I have never bought a piece of bad gear from any maker I have ever delt with. You will find little glitches you do not like and other things you really appriciate in whatever you buy.

I have had gear I did not like, but it was not bad gear, just my own preferences.

Remember to not get stuck using only one color on the workbench. Some gear is better than others for specific applications and going with all one color will lock you out of some good gear. Besides, spray paint is cheap.

Alaskan Survivalist
10-04-2010, 01:57 PM
Over the past 40 years I have owned gear from all the present makers and some that are gone. I started on a Herters press I paid $12.99 for. I have three set up on the bench right now, an RCBS and two Lee products, a hornady powder dump, a Lyman lube/sizer and Pacific scales.

I can honestly say that I have never bought a piece of bad gear from any maker I have ever delt with. You will find little glitches you do not like and other things you really appriciate in whatever you buy.

I have had gear I did not like, but it was not bad gear, just my own preferences.

Remember to not get stuck using only one color on the workbench. Some gear is better than others for specific applications and going with all one color will lock you out of some good gear. Besides, spray paint is cheap.


I've had similar experience, It's to bad manufacturers of other products don't adhere to the same standards. Good comment!

kyratshooter
10-04-2010, 03:31 PM
I think it has something to do with the mind set of reloading mfgs. They usually have a heavy tool and die background where acceptability is measured in +-.002 tolerances and not "can we get away with it".

They present a well engineered product to people that generally know what they are buying. We are a picky bunch, and when a whole segment of an industry can impress us they are offering good stuff.

It used to be that the firearms mfgs were just as efficient. You bought a Winchester/Remington you had a world class gun. S&W or Colt was the same. Sending a new gun back to the factory was unheard of, unless it was for engraving. Even H&R and Iver Johnson made a less expensive product that you could still stake your life on.

Warrenty? You didn't need a stinking warrenty. It was going to work for the rest of your life! Probably for your grandkids lives too! (can you inagine the look on the armory sgts. face if I asked him if my Union switch and Signal 1911 he had just issued me had a life-time warrenty?)

Now we feel elated when a gun works right out of the box without being returned for tune up.