Best Press For Reloading 308 - Thinking of a single stage setup. Where to start?

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Graveman

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Hi,

I have a Remington 700 (.308). With the high cost of ammunition / low availability I am thinking about reloading my own. I have other guns........in .233 / 9mm but I really want to focus a setup that will give me precision over volume. I have heard that the single stage setup is best for this.

I`ve never reloaded before. I have absolutely no equipment. So here are my questions:

1) What would be the ideal setup to start reloading.
2) Are there kits that get you going with everything. Is it best to buy piecemeal?
3) How much should I expect to invest to have a decent setup?

Thank-you in advance for taking the time to answer....

Graveman
 
I bought a Redding T7 Turret press for doing my .308's. I have both a semi and a bolt gun, so have a FL and NS Die setup ready to go and just turn to the correct one for what I'm doing.
 
I'm using a rock chucker and it's starting to stiffen up half way through the stroke. (Yes I grease it)

Don't try using a progressive lol. Didn't work for me. Made ammo but boy was my charge and seating depths way out. That's with a hornady lock-n-load. I hear dillons work good tho. Gunwerks makes their ammo off of one.
 
As a beginner, you would be doing yourself a favor by starting with a rockchucker supreme press kit. Not the cheapest starter kit out there, but the equipment you get with it is some of the best our there considering the $500ish tag. The Rockchucker press is excessively solid and precise.
 
I have been loading and swagging since 1968. I started with a RCBS junior and in 1991 fell into a good deal of a Rock Chucker RCBS. The Rock Chucker was like ;the strokes were on hydraulics WOW!!! no effort at all. I'm sure there a fine presses out there but I will stick with RCBS. Never missed a lick or had any problem with linkage loosing up. This was in the days when things were made in America and made with pride and longevity in mind. Now days you never know where material is made. Most things you can link back to "China-Mart". To bad for the younger generation as they will never know quality or the freedoms we had at one time.
 
Rock chucker is the way to go for a first press.

Its a good solid press with good accessories and doesn't "bang out" (get loose) on the ram like a lot of the cheaper ones do... cough lee cough.
Its good enough (in spades) to keep forever but still cheap enough to replace with a cadillac like a redding if you want to down the road.

The rock chucker kit is an awesome deal, especially the one with the electric powder dispenser available at Cabelas. nothing in those kits you will need to replace its all good gear. All you "need' after buying one of those kits is calipers and dies.
 
glockgrouptherapy said:
I'm using a rock chucker and it's starting to stiffen up half way through the stroke. (Yes I grease it)

Don't try using a progressive lol. Didn't work for me. Made ammo but boy was my charge and seating depths way out. That's with a hornady lock-n-load. I hear dillons work good tho. Gunwerks makes their ammo off of one.
Click to expand...

Take it apart completely - the entire charging handle system - and use automotive grease on the pins and the ram. If it's that stiff, you're going to mess up the ram. If you find worn out parts, call RCBS and they replace them free.
 
Which press you buy doesn't make any difference. It's the techniques you use that matter. Especially with a single stage press. The beginner's kits are absolutely the way to go though. Gives you everything you need less dies and shell holder. They come with a manual, but buy a Lyman manual too. Only because the Lyman book is more versatile.
 
MetalMike said:
As a beginner, you would be doing yourself a favor by starting with a rockchucker supreme press kit. Not the cheapest starter kit out there, but the equipment you get with it is some of the best our there considering the $500ish tag. The Rockchucker press is excessively solid and precise.
Click to expand...

+1 for this. My first and best press
 
I lucked out and received a brand new Bonanza Co-Ax press (sat in the box for some 27 years). I ended up purchasing Forster dies for all the calibres I reload for .308 included. I am a new reloader as well and only reload hunting ammo but didn't buy a kit but instead bought everything separate. You will save money buying a kit but figured I would buy the best I could afford and hopefully buy only once. Best of luck! :)
 
Send me your email and I will send you my list of gear I presently use. It covers most brands of gear. some stuff is great for less$. some is the best and you spend $.

The Lee breech lock anniversary kit is likely the best entry point. Some stuff will serve for years. Others parts you will replace with better in a year or so

the best investment you can make is in good reloading manuals. The intro sections cover what happens in reloading. once you have the basics and understand what each step is trying to achieve, you can will understand the compromises in parts make.

Then just start.. making ammo is the best teacher and allows you to put opinion to practise.

How much do you need to spend? I think a good start is $300. Then the sky is the limit

there are definitely items worth your investment. Unfortunately, more that just works on good marketing.

Jerry
 
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