Getting back into reloading. Need press advice.

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TRaGiK

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Got out of reloading 6 or 7 years ago. At the time, I had a Lee single stage press that served me well. Loaded thousands of rounds of 9mm and 10mm on it.

Getting back into it now, and looking at a couple RCBS kits. Mostly looking at the Rebel and Rock Chucker kits, but also looking at the Explorer kit.

Talk me into or out of these presses. I'll be loading 300blk, 556, 6.5cm, and pistol calibers.
 
Most folks love their rock chucker.
Kits are hit or miss, you need to decide if you want the stuff or if you’d rather be more selective.
 
I understand that kits come with things some don't need, and don't come with things most do need. I'm good with that.

Mostly want to hear about the presses themselves than the kits.
 
TRaGiK said:
I understand that kits come with things some don't need, and don't come with things most do need. I'm good with that.

Mostly want to hear about the presses themselves than the kits.
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Oh, then for sure the Rock Chucker press by itself is a G2G press that will last you a lifetime of reloading. It is the single-stage press I'd get if I were buying one myself. Great bang for the buck option that's sturdy and well made, while not being too expensive. Definite superior build quality over cheaper presses.
 
TRaGiK said:
Got out of reloading 6 or 7 years ago. At the time, I had a Lee single stage press that served me well. Loaded thousands of rounds of 9mm and 10mm on it.

Getting back into it now, and looking at a couple RCBS kits. Mostly looking at the Rebel and Rock Chucker kits, but also looking at the Explorer kit.

Talk me into or out of these presses. I'll be loading 300blk, 556, 6.5cm, and pistol calibers.
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Since you’re going to load 6.5CM, consider a Forster Co-Ax as well.
 
The Forster is a bit out of my price range.

The rock chucker and rebel both I can find for under $360, as a kit, that comes with enough useful stuff for me.

Doing further research, the rebel APPEARS to be a better rock chucker, missing only the on press priming. Anyone tried a Rebel?
 
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I started with the rock chucker and continue to use it. No issues and very easy to start using for a newbie or someone who has been loading for years.
 
I don't know about the rebel, but I like my RC press. It's really really tough to find someone who is dissappointed with their Rock Chucker. You might want a progressive if you're loading large volume for your pistols, but you'll still want the single stage alongside it.
 
Just placed an order for the Rebel. After researching this for hours, everyone claims the rebel is a stronger/heavier press with a larger opening than the Rock Chucker, and is essentially the successor to the RC.

Look forward to getting back into reloading again!
 
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I picked up one of these a few months back and so far I've enjoyed it. I may pick up another turret for it sometime. Right now I have 3 calibers loaded on it. Shop around and you can get it for a bit less.

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either or will do what you want. See you chose the Rebel, good choice, don't
really know much about them, some talk highly of it.
The Rock Chucker is also a good press, currently have 3, 2 from the 70's have
done all kinds of reloading, 22 Hornet out to 458 WM, swage bullets, form cases
(wildcats), etc never let me down.
Redding Big Boss II, Forester Co-Ax are great presses also. Redding Turret works

For volume your gonna need a progressive eventually..gets pretty tedious one at
a time on a single stage, but it's doable. In that you will get the Dillon / Hornady
debate, or get a Lee.

scales.... Beam / Digital, cheap to off the chart. Beams: my choice Older RCBS 10-10
Ohaus 10-10, Lyman M5.. there was 2 scales that just sold for less than $55 each, RCBS
10-10 and a Ohaus 10-10 both in great shape, just don't need any more scales.

Powder measures: Choices: Old Ohaus Du-O-measure, RCBS Uniflow, Redding (any)
Harrell ($$$)

If you can locate the old Lee Autoprimes (round trays) for your off press priming you
will be good to go. they do show up some cheap, some crazy priced (NIB)

Welcome back to reloading and the "high prices"

-Snoopz
 
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I'm a little late to this post. But the RCBS presses have a very good, long & solid reputation. And the kits are a good way to get stuff many will need to get started. When I started handloading in the 1970's,, single stage presses were the normal presses everybody had & used. Progressives weren't really in the market.

But,, A progressive can & will make handloading a lot quicker & easier if you need or want a larger volume of ammo, in a very reasonable timeframe. That said,,, Dillon is THE name to go with there. Many use others, but when I got into USPSA in the 1990's,, and they would survey the shooters at the Nationals,, by a large & solid margin, Dillon was the choice of all competitors,, and especially the world class shooters. In the last few years,, they started back doing survey's of the Nationals & competitors equipment again. And again, by a LARGE margin, Dillon is still THE machine to choose. The only changes I noticed,, was the choice of models. Many folks have stepped up to the bigger machines (750 & 1050, 1100) vs the earlier popular progressive chosen,, the 550.

My point in all this,, is you've already ordered a kit. Excellent. But if you decide you need to "kick it up a notch or two" then look hard at Dillon. I know folks who have a few RCBS single stage presses on their bench, AND a pair of Dillons. The common theme is; "It's easier to have one machine set for small primers & the other one for large primers" making caliber swaps very easy & quick.
 
Was unaware of the Rebel. Got my RC 8 or 9 years ago. THere is a reason it has been around forever. Bought 2 RCBS universal hand primer tools. One for small and one for large. They were $60 then and are $60 now. The Rebel comes with a grease fitting. Nice. I load pistol on Dillon 550 and 650. Loaded 10,000 rnds of 223/556 on my 650 before changing it over to 9mm. Load benchrest accurate rifle ammo on my RC. Some folks complain about the linkage and the wobbliness of it. Does not seem to translate to any issue with the ammo. I know 2 folks with Forster Coax presses and they are both for sale. Not sure why. They both have RockChuckers now. I like the idea of the spring loaded jaws on the Coax. Ive had issues with Forster dies especially their seater dies. Inconsistent seating depth. Ive also had issues with their resizing dies. I use Lee and RCBS on non benchrest calibers. I use Redding and Wilson for my benchrest rifles.
 
Just to throw a wrench in the works for pistols 45acp my Stars anyday, adjustable powder bushings
and custom bushing. Don't follow the normal here. Don't shoot 3 gun or any of that it's many bowling
pins, bullseye, and LR, 338 LM, 408 Cheytac..

-Snoopz
 
Triggernosis said:
I know you've already ordered a press, but what's wrong with another Lee press?
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I had the Lee Anniversary kit.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it for my uses at the time (which was pistol calibers only at the time). I just wanted something a little nicer this go round.
 
So I built a reloading bench (as seen in the what did you do in the reloading room thread), press kit came in, and supplies are showing up. The rest of my supplies should be here tomorrow to get me reloading 300blk.

When I first reloaded the first time (I started around the time Obama got in office), there was a primer "shortage" then as well. I remember people complaining of the prices of primers/powder then. I think the most I paid at that time was ~$40/1k. And maybe $30 for a pound of powder.

Ordered primers online, and ups lost them. Fortunately I found some at bass pro this evening for $100. Found powder online that was $50 a pound (granted, that was for vihtavuori) not including hazmat/shipping

I'd give an inch off my pecker for the old prices now. Bring back the Obama prices. 🤣
 
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I wonder how much it would cost to build a primer factory. Perhaps making primers would be a good retirement job for me. 🤔
 
TRaGiK said:
I had the Lee Anniversary kit.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it for my uses at the time (which was pistol calibers only at the time). I just wanted something a little nicer this go round.
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I bought the Lee Anniversary kit (based on the Challenger press) just to try out a single-stage press. (I already had a Dillon press). It was ok, but I did not like the way it handled spent primers. I gave that press to someone else. I ended up with the Lee Classic Turret press to replace it, and I use that press a lot these days.
 
I remember the O shortages. I bought when I could and bought when supply leveled out. You know what. I still have most of those that I bought. When primers hit $150 I was sitting on gold. My 401K is funded in CCI primers.
 
TRaGiK said:
I actually liked how it handled spent primers. Spitting them into a tube (or trash can)...I can't imagine it being much easier to deal with.
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The part I didn't like was that the primers exited the side of the ram above the base. This allows the primer residue and crud to get into the ram and base, which requires frequent cleaning/lubing. The Classic Cast press, and the Classic Turret press, let the primers drop down through the hollow ram and into a tube, which keeps the press cleaner and requires less maintenance.
 
Get the rockchucker not the rebel. Inline fab stand and case kicker work great and there is no case kicker available for the rebel.
 
TRaGiK said:
You're about 2 weeks late. Rebel has already been bought, setup, and loading ammo.

View attachment 545754
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looks good...
So...nice.....pretty....neat..... and straight.... for now.... take a pic and hang it
on the wall.

I vaguely remember those days, long, long, long ago... nice clean bench...
then reality set in months / years later this just ain't gonna work
shelf collapsed due to weight from lead bullets, shelves bending due to weight...
had to place braces to prop them up.
bench top eventually looked like termites had a field day (holes) for presses

once again looks good and enjoy reloading...

-Snoopz
 
Snoopz said:
looks good...
So...nice.....pretty....neat..... and straight.... for now.... take a pic and hang it
on the wall.

I vaguely remember those days, long, long, long ago... nice clean bench...
then reality set in months / years later this just ain't gonna work
shelf collapsed due to weight from lead bullets, shelves bending due to weight...
had to place braces to prop them up.
bench top eventually looked like termites had a field day (holes) for presses

once again looks good and enjoy reloading...

-Snoopz
Click to expand...


I cannot stand a mess in my work area. Absolutely hate it. Back when I was still wrenching, I could be in the middle of doing a engine and transmission (same vehicle, all at the same time) replacement with all my tools out on top of my box and in my cart...and I'd stop to put everything back away because it'd take too long to find a tool.

Now...everything around the work area...around the bench...might look look like a bomb went off. But the bench itself will be mostly clean and tidy. 🤣
 
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TRaGiK said:
I cannot stand a mess in my work area. Absolutely hate it. Back when I was still wrenching, I could be in the middle of doing a engine and transmission (same vehicle, all at the same time) replacement with all my tools out on top of my box and in my cart...and I'd stop to put everything back away because it'd take too long to find a tool.

Now...everything around the work area...around the bench...might look look like a bomb went off. But the bench itself will be mostly clean and tidy. 🤣
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I hear that. the first one i had slowly seemed to shrink as i got into more cartridges, but during that one powder, one primer type and one
type of bullet in the area of reloading, the beam scales always had room. might of been a 2' wide, 1' deep area, safety was always first.

-Snoopz
 
300tac said:
Get the rockchucker not the rebel. Inline fab stand and case kicker work great and there is no case kicker available for the rebel.
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What are the inline fab stands and case kickers? I do not think my old RC has either of these features.

I took the press mounter primer arm off my RC long ago and use a hand primer. The press mounted system worked fine, but I do not miss it at all.
 
Charlie said:
What are the inline fab stands and case kickers? I do not think my old RC has either of these features.

I took the press mounter primer arm off my RC long ago and use a hand primer. The press mounted system worked fine, but I do not miss it at all.
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Check out inline fabrications website. The press risers are available for many presses and different heights to put the press up closer to your eyes and at a more ergonomic height. The case kicker pushes the case out of the shell holder and down a ramp into a bin so you don’t have to remove the case before inserting the next. It takes some practice to get used to moving the ram a little differently but it speeds up the process a lot, especially if you are just depriming / resizing
 
Inline Fab has some great stuff. Sometimes they have sells..sign-up for notifications. Purchased the
"Quick-Change Base Plate" and "TOP Plate" no router required system. works great. swap out presses
and done.. It's heavy duty and "heavy" weight wise.. using ole Rock Chuckers 70's vintage. Case kickers
work great BTW. As far as priming off press ole round tray (ole yellow tray) Lee Autoprimes. Vintage
equipment for me. this system below works

-Snoopz

base plate.jpg
 
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Snoopz said:
Inline Fab has some great stuff. Sometimes they have sells..sign-up for notifications. Purchased the
"Quick-Change Base Plate" and "TOP Plate" no router required system. works great. swap out presses
and done.. It's heavy duty and "heavy" weight wise.. using ole Rock Chuckers 70's vintage. Case kickers
work great BTW. As far as priming off press ole round tray (ole yellow tray) Lee Autoprimes. Vintage
equipment for me. this system below works

-Snoopz

View attachment 561558
Click to expand...
I use this system to put away my Redding T7 since my loading bench is also my work from home desk. Keeps the house looking clean too without the press out all the time.
 
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