Does it matter?
- Thread starter FromTheNorth
- Start date
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
For value , versatility and longevity the Rockchucker seems to be the most popular.
Buy and build from there.
Buy and build from there.
ultimate_monkey
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- victoria BC
What do you want to do with it ? That will make a world of difference in what people will recommend
so does it matter on brand of dies i buy for it...or do i have to stick with the press brand? plan on reloading rifle ammo at the moment and maybe a little bit of turkey load as well...im just starting out so I'm not sure what I'm getting into
ultimate_monkey
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- victoria BC
single stage press is good for low volume or target rifle
pregressive / turret press is better for higher volume pistol or .223
shotgun is another press all together
for brand, im picky i stick to things like RCBS , forster, redding . lots of people seem to get by with "lee" but i wont touch it. i always recomend RCBS stuff to new guys, they are sort of the chevy 350 of the reloading world, there is better (At a price$) and much worse. and the customer service is second to none if you ever need or break something
these days 99% of things are interchangeable for brand, rcbs dies work in hornady presses, forester press works with redding dies etc etc
pregressive / turret press is better for higher volume pistol or .223
shotgun is another press all together
for brand, im picky i stick to things like RCBS , forster, redding . lots of people seem to get by with "lee" but i wont touch it. i always recomend RCBS stuff to new guys, they are sort of the chevy 350 of the reloading world, there is better (At a price$) and much worse. and the customer service is second to none if you ever need or break something
these days 99% of things are interchangeable for brand, rcbs dies work in hornady presses, forester press works with redding dies etc etc
I bought RCBS dies but didn't find them much better than Lee. Not in any way that really mattered anyways. The lock rings are better but I prefer Lee's expander design or more so the locking design as opposed to the long threads of the RCBS expander and the fact that Lee dies can extract a stuck case while the RCBS can't. As for internal finish and the end result, RCBS is a little smoother but loaded rounds come out the same. Lee dies include a shellholder while RCBS do not. For me the value of Lee dies outweighs the very minor improvements and increased cost of RCBS. Keep in mind that's my opinion and its based on keeping my reloading budget low with mechanical aptitude to deal with any shortcomings. Neither brand is the wrong choice or a bad idea. They all have the same thread except older stuff and big .50 BMG and similar sized rounds. For your typical stuff you can use RCBS dies in a Lee press for example. Its ok to mix brands to find tools that you like best. My junk is mostly Lee but some things Lee makes just don't cut it for me so I have RCBS and Forster products too.
Rory McCanuck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Middle of Manitoba
All of the brands make reall good stuff, it's the features that sets them apart.
No one brand makes all the best stuff, and no two reloaders will ever agree on what "the Best" is anyways
Let availability, features and price decide what you buy.
Reloading stuff doesn't really wear out, so don't discount getting used equipment.
No one brand makes all the best stuff, and no two reloaders will ever agree on what "the Best" is anyways
Let availability, features and price decide what you buy.
Reloading stuff doesn't really wear out, so don't discount getting used equipment.
Before you buy a press, get a manual (or two) and read them. Don't just look at the loads, but read the theory part and especially the safety part. The Lyman book is really good. It also includes a "run-down" of many of the common powders.
Keep in mind, that if you buy a kit, you will normally be getting relatively good, solid middle of the road gear. You won't be getting premium gear. Everything is a compromise. I started off with a Hornady LnL kit, and maybe I just got a bad one, but I could not get the precision with it that I had hoped for. (Now, 2 years later, I don't use any of the components from that kit on a regular basis anymore except the manual.)
If you are just starting out, my recommendation would be for you to get a good single stage press and learn on that. By "a good single stage press" I mean a Forster. It will be more money than many of the others, but it will do everything you need and your results will be very good. In the long run, it will cost you less to do that than to buy something that you will just want to sell and upgrade in a year or two anyhow. Speaking of "in the long run", a press will possibly last you a very long time. Many people are using the same press for upwards of 15 to 20 years. It makes sense to get a high quality one when you start.
If I were starting out today, and had the benefit of hindsight, here is what I would get (Keep in mind that this is nothing more than my personal opinion):
Before you start:
Lyman Reloading Manual (Current Edition)
Hornady or Nosler Reloading Manual (Current Edition)
Note:If you buy the Hornady LnL kit or the RCBS Kit it will come with a manual but having more than one gives you a more comprehensive reference.
Your basic equipment:
Forster Co-Ax Press
Dies (The better the dies, the better your results)
Calipers
Chamfer/De-burring tool
A good powder measure, trickler and funnel
A good scale (Beam scales are accurate and affordable)
Primer seater (to a degree, this can be optional when you start since the Forster press allows you to seat primers but you will want one eventually)
Brass tumbler/cleaner (I wet tumble with stainless steel, but there are other ways to do this.)
If I was to go with a kit, I would probably go with the RCBS Deluxe Turret Reloading Kit. (As you progress, you might find the versatility of the Turret Press an advantage.)
Expendables:
Case Lube
Primers
Powder
Cases
Bullets
I hope this helps.
Keep in mind, that if you buy a kit, you will normally be getting relatively good, solid middle of the road gear. You won't be getting premium gear. Everything is a compromise. I started off with a Hornady LnL kit, and maybe I just got a bad one, but I could not get the precision with it that I had hoped for. (Now, 2 years later, I don't use any of the components from that kit on a regular basis anymore except the manual.)
If you are just starting out, my recommendation would be for you to get a good single stage press and learn on that. By "a good single stage press" I mean a Forster. It will be more money than many of the others, but it will do everything you need and your results will be very good. In the long run, it will cost you less to do that than to buy something that you will just want to sell and upgrade in a year or two anyhow. Speaking of "in the long run", a press will possibly last you a very long time. Many people are using the same press for upwards of 15 to 20 years. It makes sense to get a high quality one when you start.
If I were starting out today, and had the benefit of hindsight, here is what I would get (Keep in mind that this is nothing more than my personal opinion):
Before you start:
Lyman Reloading Manual (Current Edition)
Hornady or Nosler Reloading Manual (Current Edition)
Note:If you buy the Hornady LnL kit or the RCBS Kit it will come with a manual but having more than one gives you a more comprehensive reference.
Your basic equipment:
Forster Co-Ax Press
Dies (The better the dies, the better your results)
Calipers
Chamfer/De-burring tool
A good powder measure, trickler and funnel
A good scale (Beam scales are accurate and affordable)
Primer seater (to a degree, this can be optional when you start since the Forster press allows you to seat primers but you will want one eventually)
Brass tumbler/cleaner (I wet tumble with stainless steel, but there are other ways to do this.)
If I was to go with a kit, I would probably go with the RCBS Deluxe Turret Reloading Kit. (As you progress, you might find the versatility of the Turret Press an advantage.)
Expendables:
Case Lube
Primers
Powder
Cases
Bullets
I hope this helps.
Last edited:
That's sort of like this: When I was 16, I bought my first car. $75. If I were buying my first car today, with a little hindsight, I'd buy a new Range Rover. Spend the extra the first time.
So, OP, does it matter? Only if you can afford to throw $500 on a press that no one has convinced me makes better ammo, or is so much easier to use, or is such an orgasmic pleasure to use over all the rest.
I drive a 1990 F-250, my buddies drive new trucks with every gadget known to man. Yep, I do like the fact that they don't need to get out and lock their hubs manually, but it's not like the truck drives itself or loads the groceries for you. It's a truck. Goes from A to B and I'm not willing to spend 20% of my pay for the next 5 years paying for that. Your level of comfort determines your purchase. Much the same with everything in life.
You have not told us your end goal with reloading. Is it plinking, hunting, precision shooting, or long range silhouette? Is your cartridge capable? Is it an old M94 in .30-30 or a .303Br M1, Mk3? Or is it a Barrett M82?
I started reloading with a Lee Loader and a hammer. Made .303Br rounds as good as any $5000 reloading set up. Eventually, I was using a buddy's press to FL resize. He sold me a Challenger for $10. It had a broken toggle link and still loaded .303Br ammo as good as the Lee Loader.
After 30+ years of doing this! I have a number of colours (and shades of colours) on my bench. If a budget is what you have, stay with that budget, be it tight or extravagant. I will say one thing. If Lee is your choice, (and I have nothing bad to say about the Challenger press) spend the extra on a Classic Cast Press. It costs $120 and it is hands down a better press than the much-vaunted RockChucker or the Hornady. I've never used a Co-Ax. None of my reloading mentors had them, so I cannot comment. But I have a RockChucker and have used a Crusher and a LnL. Nothing special about them.
My $.02
TargetAcquired
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Pick your favourite colour and go from there. They all make very useable equipment, and they all stand behind their products. I have accumulated many different brand names in my shop, I'm not a brand fanboi. I've had both Lee and RCBS equipment problems, and both organizations showed exemplary customer service. That said, the problems with both were gross anomalies, they both make excellent reloading equipment.
True, a Co-Ax will be a slightly more expensive purchase, but to use your analogy, it would not be the difference between a $75 first car and a Range Rover. It would be more like the difference between a $75 dollar first car that might need an alignment and a $100-$150 car that is totally reliable and that someday if you stop driving you will still be able to sell for $75 when you no longer need or want it. (Think long term, not short term.)
Here are a few sample prices (from the same place) for single stage presses (not kits):
Lee Classic Cast Press: $131.03
RCBS Rockchucker Supreme: $191.04
RCBS Summit: $241.49
Redding Big Boss II: $249.01
Forster Co-Ax: $330.74
Hornady Classic LnL Press: $169.99 (This price was from another distributor)
As far as why I recommend it, from my own experience, I was not getting what I considered to be acceptable results reloading on a Hornady LnL. Maybe I just got one that was slightly out of spec, I'll never know. I was getting variances for instance of ± 5 thou on my COAL on a finished bullet (6.8SPC and .308). I tried changing dies, and that did not significantly improve things. After I moved to the Forster, the variance from bullet to bullet is typically less than ±1 thou.
The spring loaded jaws that the Forster uses to retain the casing does two things. First, it eliminates the need for shell holders. Second, it allows for slight left / right movement of the case. This, combined with the way that the dies are held (which allows for a slight front / back movement of the die) means that the die and the case will always find each other's true center. When seating a bullet, the concentricity will be to extremely high tolerances and this will have a direct influence on your round's accuracy.
By your own admission, you have had
I am guessing that you have spent a fair bit of money switching through all of those colours (I'm guessing you have spent far more than the $330 that a Forster costs). Imagine how much you would have saved if you started with a press that you didn't feel that you had to keep changing.
True, a Forster Press in not the Holy Grail or Excalibur. It will, however, be a press that you will likely never have (or want) to replace for the foreseeable future, and based on my personal experience, will help you produce far superior reloads (when compared to its competition) for a modest investment.
I bought the Hornady Lock-N-Load Deluxe kit and added the Hornady case trimmer.
got it from henry at "Budget shooter supply"
Very happy with it. I am getting very consistent ammo with consistent results.
The quick change of the dies is great for multiple calibres
got it from henry at "Budget shooter supply"
Very happy with it. I am getting very consistent ammo with consistent results.
The quick change of the dies is great for multiple calibres
You should be careful how you put words into my mouth. I have my original second hand Challenger, with a new, steel toggle link. I have a second hand RockChucker that I got as a Christmas present because my wife thought the Challenger was broken and got her family to throw in on it. I use the RockChucker to pull bullets or resize .308 cases to .243 or 7mm-08. Have for nearly 30 years. My presses are all Lee, other than that one and my 2 MEC Juniors for .410.
The multi colours is a reference to the OTHER equipment on my bench. I don't like Lee's scale, I have a Lyman 1000 and an RCBS Rangemaster 750. I don't like Lee's powder measure, I have a Lyman and a Pacific. I couldn't get .303Imp dies from Lee, so I got them from Hornady. I have a Hornady case length trimmer. I have dies from Lee, Hornady, and RCBS. All based on availability at the time I needed them. My preference is Lee dies, but I have bought many of them second hand and they are still serviceable.
In 30+ years of reloading! the ONLY thing I have bought that I didn't NEED was the Lee Anniversary set. I didn't need a second Challenger. Turns out I didn't need that scale or the measure. But everything else still gets used. In that same amount of time, I am not sure that I would have spent $1000 on reloading gear since the majority of it was second hand except for custom dies.
I got a Classic Cast 2 Christmases ago from my wife. That's how I know it's better than the RockChucker or the LnL.
- Location
- The Orion Arm
All presses have their quirks. I've found all the dies I use from the various manufacturers (Dillon, Lee, RCBS) fit my press just fine.
My vote is for Dillon. More pricy than the others, but I've found it to be worth it. YMMV.
My vote is for Dillon. More pricy than the others, but I've found it to be worth it. YMMV.
Please accept my apologies, my intent was not to misquote you or to put words in your mouth.
The bottom line is, that the OP asked for advice and I gave him advice that I wish someone had given me when I was starting. That does not make my advice wrong. It makes it my opinion, and I stand by it.
so what i gather from all your input is not every press system is perfect but like always, the more money it is the better product it usually is, kind of like the analogy that was
said, instead of spending on the $75 on the ranger, and buying and selling over and over again to get the Range Rover, just buy it right off the start and not worry about it down the road...i do realize it takes time to get what i want, but what i like to say is "F@*$ with the #### you got" and that means i can spend that little extra to get better one. Thank you for the information, I'm new to the reloading world and i appreciate any help from any one who cares to give it. Happy Trigger Squeezing!
said, instead of spending on the $75 on the ranger, and buying and selling over and over again to get the Range Rover, just buy it right off the start and not worry about it down the road...i do realize it takes time to get what i want, but what i like to say is "F@*$ with the #### you got" and that means i can spend that little extra to get better one. Thank you for the information, I'm new to the reloading world and i appreciate any help from any one who cares to give it. Happy Trigger Squeezing!
