Need some help picking a press

[mzvarner]

First, I have searched through this forum and others and the following are my concerns that have yet to be answered. Some of them stem from the fact that I have not handled the Lee classic turret but have messed with the Rock chucker some...

I am stuck between the RCBS Rock Chucker and the 4-hole Lee Classic turret. I have narrowed it down to one of the two because of reputation and they are with in my price range. (Please don't point me towards a dillion or something else.) I plan on loading 9mm, 223, and 308. My primary goal is as accurate a load as I can develop for the 308 the other two are plinking rounds. I I have about 3000 rnds to load in 9mm (brass, not components) and about 1500-2000 223 (again based on brass I have) but only about 2-300 308. So obviously the single stage press is going to suck until I get everything loaded up. I am not able to shoot often, maybe 3-4 times a month but, so massive loads of brass after my initial reloading spree is not an issue. I think reloading sounds like a great hobby to get into. I plan on hand priming so I can do this stage away from the press and it allows me more feel and control in the process. I guess my main concern is the "slop" I read about in the Lee Classic Turret. Is this enough to have an impact in the 308 loads?

I will need to swage 223 brass. A universal de-capping die seems necessary as well because I use stainless steel tumbling and I want to clean the primer pockets. However I guess I could tumble, re-size/ de-prime, tumble to remove wax/ clean primer pockets, but that seems to be in efficient.

To me I don't think there is a lot of a difference in time between the two. For the Lee it takes 4 pulls to make a round (from what I have read this is perfect case scenario if the auto charge is working properly, but I do not think I will use this feature anyways). I think that the 4 strokes plus fiddle time with the auto charge thing is equivalent to the time it takes to change dies.

Another question I have is on the Rock Chucker can I use two lock rings to lock the die in place so once I have it set where I want all I have to do it screw it in? I feel this would be fairly comparable to having multiple turret heads (assuming my idea works).

Hope that is enough info to help you guys educate (correct if needed) me on my proposed system and help guide my future purchase.

 

[Muskyjerk]

I run a rcbs.

you use the lock ring to change out between sizing and seating and calibers. once the rings are locked you don't touch them unless its a bullet change or chasing the lead on a round.

buy the press based on your rifle needs, you could always get a progressive lee for your 9mm. also check for used equipment, lot of people jump in to the hobby and a few bail out. read everything and pay attention to what you are doing, no tv or yelling kids

 

[Twoboxer]

I started with a Lee Turret, and quickly moved to a Hornady Classic for rifle (30-06 and 223), and a Hornady LnL AP for pistol and 223 plinking ammo.

Lots of folks make great ammo on a Lee turret. If I were only doing pistol, there'd be no question given your choices I'd choose the turret over a single stage. OTOH, if I were only going down the road to accurate rifle ammo, I'd choose a single stage press. If I were doing both, and if I saw little time to be saved using the turret, there's no doubt I'd go single stage.

Later on, if I were "wrong" and pistol loading became a long drawn out affair, I might add the turret . . . though a batch of 300 pistol rounds takes at least 1200 strokes of that lever . . . or I might decide volume dictated a progressive was really needed . . . depending on budget. IOW, given your choices, the single stage has the best chance of meeting both objectives.

The Hornady single stage uses bushings (an added expense and current availability issue per die) that facillitate quick change. And the Hornady presses have a reputation for a high degree of concentricity in ammo produced.

The Lee Turret has its removable tool heads, and they are cheap and hold 4 dies lol.

The Rockchucker has a great rep. Once you have your dies set use a magic marker to put a witness line on the ring and the die. When you re-install the die, make sure the marks line up. Or you could decide to convert it to use Hornady bushings if experience tells you that's a good solution for you. Or your dies may have enough thread-room left over for your 2-ring approach. Depending on which dies you use, you may also find some lock rings/set screws are better than others . . . but that's for another time lol.

There's nothing wrong with your planned sequence and use of wet tumbling. Each method has its strong and weak points, pros and cons. Only your own personal experience will school you on what changes, if any, you should consider.

Hope that helps some.

 

[oldfatguy]

RCBS Rock Chucker with Hornady L-N-L bushings. Once set, takes only seconds to change dies.

OFG

 

[427Cobra]

Co-Ax is the s$&t, it's simply the best press, easiest to use, spent primer retention(something your Wife will not bitch about), most mechanical advantage of any other press out there, BUT truth be told I load all my pistol rounds, and load at the range with a RCBS Partner Press, the Co-Ax stays at home, all I do is adjust my technique with the PP, the difference in ammo is Nil, so if your one of those people that needs the best, have shoulder problems, like never have to screw dies in/out get a Co-Ax, it's really is the best, but a RCBS Partner Press is no slutch and is all you need for short action or shorter cartridges.

 

[JByrd]

foster co ax for precision and I know you don't wanna hear this but dillion 550 for plinking. ive seen em floating around setup for 9/223 for around $450-500. if you can scratch up enough to buy a good bolt rifle,optics,pistols, components etc. keep scratchin till you get $500 for the 550press you will be glad you did. just in the time savings alone on loading all that ammo you could hit an overtime day or a 7eleven

 

[r2shooter]

Redding makes a nice turret press, the T-7.
Built to last, I like mine.

 

[Clark]

I am stuck between the RCBS Rock Chucker and the 4-hole Lee Classic turret.

Those may be the best choices for you, but I would not use them if someone gave them to me.

It depends on the type of reloading you do, your budget, and your space.

I use two co-ax presses in the reloading room, two RCBS partner presses in the vehicle, and in the office, a Lee reloader press clamped in front of my keyboard, where I watch TV.

I have lots of other presses that do not get used.

 

[damoncali]

I wrote up a review of the rock chucker here: RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme | Bison Ballistics

My only gripe is the primer catching thing doesn't work so well. Otherwise, it's square and gets the job done.

You don't need two lock rings. The dies come with their own locking mechanism - either a clamping screw or a set screw. It's good enough to get you very close, but if you're trying to hit a shoulder bump of exactly .002" (for example), you might have to fiddle a little to make ti perfect.

 

[nuclear_shooter]

If your just getting into reloading, its hard to do better than the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit (or whatever they're calling it). They carry them in many gun stores and Walmarts for around 400 (some places cheaper), plus you can get a $50 rebate. If you want to easily switch dies, just grab the Lock-n-Load conversion kit (I personally don't bother).

 

[flashhole]

Having owned and used both of the two you mention the Lee is the better choice.

 

[mzvarner]

Having owned and used both of the two you mention the Lee is the better choice.

Can you explain this some more? I have done a lot of reading and it sounds like its great for small rifle and pistol loads but suffers from the higher forces needed to load large rifle. I also read on a couple other sites that it can not be used to swags military brass.

 

[CthulhuAwakens]

Not to hijack but can you use the co-ax for .338 Lapua and .375 CheyTac? Looking at getting a single stage press for precision loads and I want to be able to load for both someday.

 

[mike.h.]

FWIW, I started out reloading .45acp, then 9mm and then .223 on the LCT. When I started reloading .308, I purchased a Lee challenger with the quick change die system. Works fine for me. When it comes time to resize your brass, you are going to want a stout single stage press.

Dies; I started out with the Lee dies for the pistols and for the 223. However I now use Redding type S dies for both the .223 and .308.

Good Luck and have fun.

 

[mzvarner]

Sounds like the general opinion is for a single stage whether it be a Coax or Rock Chucker. I think that's the way I was initially leaning and now even more so. I think my biggest deterent is the large quantity of brass I have available to reload. One day I would like to have it all loaded but considering the scarsity of components right now I dont think that's something I need to think about right now. Maybe by the time things are more readily available I will have learned enough on the single stage and be ready for a progressive so I can really knock out bulk rounds.

 

[flashhole]

Can you explain this some more? I have done a lot of reading and it sounds like its great for small rifle and pistol loads but suffers from the higher forces needed to load large rifle. I also read on a couple other sites that it can not be used to swags military brass.

I load 7mm Rem Mag, 25-06, 45-70, 223 Rem, 221 Fireball and 40 S&W on mine. More than enough umph to size large cases. There is some truth to the swageing comment if you are using the RCBS swage kit. The plastic doohickey used to guide the auto index rod will prevent use of the tool. I also have the Lee Classic Cast singe stage and RCBS sent me the larger release cup to use on the fat ram.

 

[Clark]

I feel bad I wasted 10 years with a rockchucker before I got a co-ax.

 

[shulette]

This, if you can make it work.

foster co ax for precision and I know you don't wanna hear this but dillion 550 for plinking. ive seen em floating around setup for 9/223 for around $450-500. if you can scratch up enough to buy a good bolt rifle,optics,pistols, components etc. keep scratchin till you get $500 for the 550press you will be glad you did. just in the time savings alone on loading all that ammo you could hit an overtime day or a 7eleven

 

[280nosler]

I have a Redding t7 turret, a RCBS RC (3), a Hornady LNL, a 550 and a 650. My father still uses his Redding ultramag, but if I had to have 1, my pick would be the T7 turret.

 

[rdinak]

I run with a Forster Coax as my primary and a Redding T-7 to hold all the specialized dies. Dillon 550 and square deal for pistol.

 

[Monmouth]

To the OP, that's easy loading. I use LCT to load some 9mm and all my .223 (soon to use it for .308). I have the cheapy Lee single press with a universal decapping die to knock out spent primers and handle dirty brass. Then off to the big rolling tub for a wet bath...... You can also use the Turret to just universally deprime, just remove the pivot rod in the middle and put a bucket under the primer eject hole

As far as swaging the primer pockets, I use the Dillon 600.

The Lee Classic Turret kit is a great kit to get started. The scale works well (check every 50 charges or so) to make sure your powder measures are good and the dies will do their job. It's cheap to load multiple calibers off the Turret and it's just a nice press to load good quality ammo. Is it the fastest, nope, but you will develop good reloading fundamentals off the Turret. Once you get a groove and understand reloading, you can get 200 rounds an hour. I know plenty of progressive guys laugh at that rate and they should, but only you can decide on your time value.

So guys at my local range laugh and snicker when I talk about the LCT because they are all Dillon guys, I just ignore it. Here's my home rolled 100 yard four shot group fired out of my AR:

I'm happy

 

[Monmouth]

Sounds like the general opinion is for a single stage whether it be a Coax or Rock Chucker. I think that's the way I was initially leaning and now even more so. I think my biggest deterent is the large quantity of brass I have available to reload. One day I would like to have it all loaded but considering the scarsity of components right now I dont think that's something I need to think about right now. Maybe by the time things are more readily available I will have learned enough on the single stage and be ready for a progressive so I can really knock out bulk rounds.

I mean this in the friendliest light hearted way, but you do not have a large quantity of brass based on the numbers in your original post. Add another zero to those numbers and if you shoot that much, ok, you're in progressive territory. If that's the amount of brass you will be working with now, get a press (single stage or LCT) that gets you in the game now and quickly start throwing money at components (primers and powder).

Here's more to consider. It's easy to read the web and think you need all these great tools and such, but you don't. I've loaded (some of you guys can laugh, lol) thousands of rounds with my LCT, zip trim system, and damp towel to wipe lube. It works and will have it forever with or without power so don't be ashamed to save money and go with this system. Today, is my equipment upgraded? You bet. Why? I learned what I really need, understand the fundamentals, and consistent with safety and technique.

It's not a sprint, but a marathon.

 

[PBRACEGUNS]

Forster CO/AX is the best thing out there. I use it for all rifle stuff. Still have my Lyman crusher press as a backup. Dillon SDB for handgun ammo. I hand prime all rifle ammo so the priming system on the CO/AX isn't used. The ease of changing out dies is great. Set them and no worries about adjustments getting off.

 

[PBRACEGUNS]

Not to hijack but can you use the co-ax for .338 Lapua and .375 CheyTac? Looking at getting a single stage press for precision loads and I want to be able to load for both someday.

A bud of mine loads .338 Lapua on his. I don't know of any reason it wouldn't work with the CheyTac.