Reloading Presses

[Wahnie]

I have a small inexpensive Lee reloading press, which I am afraid will break when sizing long mags like my STW and Warbird. What is a good, inexpensive press more suited for large magnums.

I've heard lots of good about Rockchucker Presses. Any thoughts or reccomendations?

Thanks in advance.

[Dan Morris]

Wahnie, you CAN'T go wrong with any RCBS......just my
opinion......I've used them for years without a problem!
The lil extra expense will last a lifetime.There are several versions a lil less expensive than the Rockchucker.........any of them will work well for you, I personally believe in the RC
Dan

[Rab]

Wahnie>>

None of my business, of course, but since you've already
committed to the expenses of reloading for the STW and
the Warbird, what with extraordinary brass costs, powder
costs, and, I presume, "premium bullet" costs, why, then,
would you get stingy with your reloading press?

Go for quality! Nothing wrong with the Rock Chucker,
but if you can afford to shoot the Warbird, you can
afford a Co-ax Press!

[Catfish]

Wahnie,
RCBS Rock Chucker is a great press, so is the Lyman Ornage Crusher. You can tell by just lifting a press if it`s any good or not. I load all my rifle and pistol ammo on a 550 Dillon, but I do reload alot of ammo. For a few hundred rounds a year any good heavy press will do a good job. I do stress heavy, because as anyone knows that has formed brass for a wildcat, you need a good heavy press with alot of leverage. With the 550 Dillon I can form brass for my .411 Hawk with 1 stroke of the handle. I put my expander die in the first station and expand the necks and shoulders. I put my neck size die in the second station and size the neck. If your just getting started loading wildcats, as it sounds, I would recomand that you not start with a progersive press. If everything is not set right you will find that you can load alot of ammo that won`t chamber in the gun in a short time. Then you get to pull all the bullets and start over.

[doubleA]

Just about any "O" type press will work. The ones that are made of cast iron are best ie. RCBS,Redding,Lyman. I have been forming cases on myGREEN machines for a long time. Been loading the STW since 89',forming a 30-378 wildcat out of 378 WBY cases in the Rockchucker, not a big problem, so with the Warbird being slightly shorter it should'nt pose a problem.

One thing that is important though is that the press's have to be mounted securely on a solid bench.

Here is a pic of some of my Green Machines.


PS.......the Lee press will make a good trot line weight!:rolleyes:
AA

[Jack]

'I've heard lots of good about Rockchucker Presses. Any thoughts or reccomendations?'
Yes....buy one. Mine's been my main press since 1964 or '65 (can't remember), and it's in good enough shape to load ammo for another 35 years or so.

[Gil Martin]

I bought my first RockChucker in 1971 and bought a second one in 1991. Both are like new after loading thousands of rounds. I intend to will them to my nephew because I believe they will outlast me. All the best...
Gil

[buckhunter]

Did anyone say RCBS Rockchucker?

[Wahnie]

Originally posted by Rab
None of my business, of course, but since you've already
committed to the expenses of reloading for the STW and
the Warbird, what with extraordinary brass costs, powder
costs, and, I presume, "premium bullet" costs, why, then,
would you get stingy with your reloading press?


I shoot 140gr Barnes XBT's in my STW. I shoot 168gr Sierra MatchKing's in my Warbird. I do not need premiums in my Warbird because I only shoot paper and the occasional long range prairie dog.

I am not being stingy with my reloading press. That is the reason I posted this.

I do not want to spend a couple hundred dollars on a fancy press, when I can buy one for half that, which will work just fine for my needs.

[TKO]

I live a short drive from RCBS. Its one of the few companys out there that still knows a thing or two about customer service. I have never heard a complaint about there presses or the way they treat there customers.
When I was a kid our shop burned down, the only thing that survived? RCBS press! Still in use. They replaced the "melted parts" free of charge! I just picked up a second press at a local gun show for $35, a reloader special, and it works great. Thanks for the service RCBS.


Good luck

tko

[srab]

Wahnie>>

Look.... You bought the Lee press when you knew that
there were better presses out there. Now you feel it is
inadequate for loading your magnum cartridges, and maybe
you're right.

If you'd have bought the Rock Chucker in the first place,
we wouldn't be having this discussion. But, you "cut
corners" back then. Now, you are looking for an
"inexpensive" press to make amends, all the while
forking out, what $2 a pop?, for Warbird brass alone.
So, excuse me if I've missed your logic!

As doubleA stated earlier in this thread, any "o" type
press will work great. I've been told that the Redding
gives you a little more room to work those cartridges in-
and-out. The suggestion about the Co-ax was sincere,
though. It's a great press, albeit $80 more expensive
(Midway) than the Rock Chucker. It doesn't, however,
work with those special dies with the micrometer adjustment
on top, if you prefer those types. Is it worth that much
more than the Rock Chucker? I dunno. That'd be a
different topic altogether.

[Wahnie]

Originally posted by srab
Wahnie>>

Look.... You bought the Lee press when you knew that
there were better presses out there. Now you feel it is
inadequate for loading your magnum cartridges, and maybe
you're right.

The press was my fathers. He bought it way back in the day, and now its mine.

If you'd have bought the Rock Chucker in the first place,
we wouldn't be having this discussion. But, you "cut
corners" back then. Now, you are looking for an
"inexpensive" press to make amends, all the while
forking out, what $2 a pop?, for Warbird brass alone.
So, excuse me if I've missed your logic!

Whats with the attitude? You assume way too much.

Ok, I'm not made of money. I do not feel I need the best on the market, nor am I trying to go cheapy route. Something in the middle that will not break the bank.

FWIW, I am loading my Warbird for $0.88 a pop, with cost of brass, since I figure I can use it multiple times.

[Mil Dot]

I haven't used anything else since I started reloading 4 yrs ago so I really can't comment on other presses, although the
Dillon 550 has been loooking tempting. The Chucker is a strong durable press with good customer support for questions,parts and has a tremendous warranty backup for wayward reloaders who just screwup for lack of knowing better( I tried depriming after tumbling and bent my decapping/expander insert on cob media, they replaced it at no cost in 2 days on a phone call).

The press is strong enough to take 338 RUM and 8mm Mag and shape / resize but Double AA is correct in saying you need a good solid bench to operate on for those big cartridges. I had to take my press off and reinforce mine to be able to handle the pressures from sizing the magnums.

BTW, that looks like a pretty nice reloading setup Double AA.

I jumped over to a site called cheaperthandirt.com and they hand a Rocker Chucker for 127.00, if you have the other equipment adding a press is all that exspensive.

[Rocky Raab]

I'll just echo the other responses: Shop for the best price, but get an RCBS, Redding or Lyman.

(I don't think it was "attitude." The guys were just confused at how a Warbird shooter also has a Lee press. Just seems kinda oxymoronic!)

[Hornet Man]

Hi Wahnie
You cant go wrong with the RCBS Rock Chucker. I love mine.

Hornet Man

[Wahnie]

Originally posted by doubleA
One thing that is important though is that the press's have to be mounted securely on a solid bench.

Is this solid enough. Homemade bench with 1/4" aluminum top. :D

Its not pretty, but it works.

Please excuse the picture quality.

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/93c75134/bc/Second+Album/PIC0002---4.jpg?bcUydp9AnZ0.JOSe

[Wahnie]

DA, I notice that you've got a Redfield spotting scope under your bench. What model is it?

[Ken Howell]

The RCBS Rockchucker is hard to beat. I wouldn't give mine up without a fight.

But why limit your options to what's currently available new? I've bought several PRIME old "obsolete" presses on eBay and at gun shows for as little as $10 and no more than $50 -- usually no more than $35; the one $50 press is a huge Bair "Kodiak," a near-copy of the great RCBS "A" press.

The old Echo press and some models of the later Pacific presses are wonderful life-time investments.

In many older presses, the ram is the shell-holder -- changing shell-holders means changing rams. Replacement rams that accommodate interchangeable shell-holder heads are available on-line at http://www.ch4d.com.

In new presses, the Redding Ultramag is one of the best single-station presses out there -- and no other turret press puts the new Redding turret press in second place.

My collection of about two dozen usable, working presses includes all of the above -- none of which is for sale or trade.