Lyman T-Mag II/Expert kit vs RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master

[canoetrpr]

I am trying to compare these two kits to decide if one is better than the other for rifle reloading.

I plan on reloading .308 and 30-06 in the future.

The Lyman T-Mag is a Turret press and they seem to suggest that it works fine for rifle calibers as well as pistol. The RCBS is a single stage.

Lyman


RCBS

I'm expecting that a Turret press will save a bit of time since I don't have to swap dies in an out and I won't have to move the cartridges back and forth. Is this correct?

Any suggestions on one vs. the other?

 

['Boo]

I own both presses, the T-Mag II and the Rock Chucker Supreme.

Both are good solid units but the Supreme is better if you are planning on loading strictly rifle cartridges. Once your dies are set up it is quick and easy to swap them out.

The T-Mag while usable for rifle is better suited for pistol and straight wall rifle cartridges like the 45-70 where you will be using 3 or 4 dies rather than the typical 2 for bottleneck cases.

 

[KDX]

I had a Breech Lock Challenger press and it was good. I bought the T-Mag II and I really like it. The extra turrets aren't cheap though. When I get another one I'll see if I can source it out of the States for a better deal. I load 9mm, 17FB, .223, .257 Roberts AI and 6mmbr on mine.

 

[canoetrpr]

I own both presses, the T-Mag II and the Rock Chucker Supreme.

Both are good solid units but the Supreme is better if you are planning on loading strictly rifle cartridges. Once your dies are set up it is quick and easy to swap them out.

The T-Mag while usable for rifle is better suited for pistol and straight wall rifle cartridges like the 45-70 where you will be using 3 or 4 dies rather than the typical 2 for bottleneck cases.

Boo - I'm completely noob at this. Help me understand why the Supreme is better. I expect I can use the T-Mag as a single stage and have the advantage of being able to quickly move from one die to the next - or changing calibers quickly.

Additionally, can a Turret press not be used in 'Turret mode' at all for rifle cartridges? Is this because you need to have the cartridges lubed for part of the process and then cleaned after that part? What part of the process do you need to lube the cartridges for and then when do you clean them?

 

[X-man]

The RCBC RC is a stronger "O" design that has virtually no flex. If you're only loading one or two rifle cals than the single stage is great. The Lyman T-Mag, by its design is not as strong and does have a certain amount of flex to it. This is most apparent when resizing larger rifle cases. That said, it is still a decent press and I have one on my bench, along with the RC and a couple of Dillons.

If I were going to stick with the turret design only, I'd buy a Redding T-7. As far as I'm concerned, its the best turret press on the market. The turret press will allow you to set up two sets of rifle dies in the one turret head (2-die sets)and leave them. So no further adjustment necessary as long as those two cals are all you're going to load for. With the single stage you will have to swap out and adjust each die individually, so it is a little more hassle. You'll have to judge for yourself on that score.

In terms of warranty and backing up their product, RCBS wins hands down. Their reloading gear, except electronics, is guaranteed for life, no questions. Redding's is quite good. Lyman's not nearly at the same level. RCBS will send you replacement parts at no cost, Lyman will charge you for the part and to ship it to you. Dillon also offers a superior warranty that is darn near at par with RCBS. The last couple of guys I introduced to reloading first bought Rock Chucker master reloading kits and later one added a Redding T-7, while the other two opted for Dillon 550Bs. If you load for pistol, the turret or progressive is really the only way to go. However, all of them continue to use their RC regularly and are glad that they had the opportunity to learn on a quality single-stage first, before moving on to more complicated machines. Good luck!

 

['Boo]

I agree 100% with X-man!

 

[canoetrpr]

Was looking for who carried the Redding press. Found a few ones online. Unfortunately it is almost 2x the cost of the Lyman.

X-Man and others: How do you think the Lyman would do with .308 and 30-06?

I do find the idea of the Turret appealing. I'm not reloading vast quantities - probably 50 per week at most.

 

['Boo]

The Lyman will be just fine for your uses.

The T-Mag II has an adjustment stem at the rear turret support which takes most of the play out of the press. The all-steel linkage is "looser" than the RSBC and Redding presses but is miles ahead of LEE with their "white-metal" connectors.

BTW, When I bought my T-Mag I ordered it from the USA Bass Pro website. Their price at the time was two-thirds of lowest price I could find in Canada. (Make sure you select USPS not UPS as the shipping option.)

 

[canoetrpr]

Good tip Boo. I didn't think you could buy reloading equipment from the USA given export restrictions for firearms and scopes. RCBS has a Turret kit as well. Is this any better than the Lyman?

Also - with the T-Mag and RCBS Turret, do they have automatic primer feeders or do I have to purchase a hand primer tool?

 

['Boo]

I haven't had a chance to use the RCBS turret press but it looks to be built similar to the Lyman.

As mentioned the Redding is the heavy-duty favorite but it does come with a substantial sticker shock. The T-Mag 2 is a good press for the money and unless you plan on major case reforming for wildcat cartridges it will serve you well.


As for case priming I really recommend a separate hand-primer. The RCBS one will use the same case holders as your press. The LEE is a good unit but requires a different type of case-holder but they are cheap to buy.

I personally use both the RCBS bench-mounted primer tool and the RCBS hand-primer. Both give good feel when seating primers as does the LEE. The only complaint I have with the LEE hand-primer is that the linkage is built with more LEE mystery-metal and it will wear out or break eventually but they are cheap enough to be considered similar to BIC lighters in that it doesn't cost an arm and a a leg to replace them.

 

[X-man]

Try mid-south shooter's supply. They're an American mailorder house that also ships to Canada. Great to deal with and good prices. And yes, the T-Mag will easily handle. 308 &.30-06 - the Redding will just do it better.