Opinions on the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Kit?
- Thread starter stoop14
- Start date
Im no veteran reloader,, started in december.. Bought that exact kit.. I like it alot! Only thing I havent used is the uniflow powder measure,, I weigh every load individually.
I would say Ive shot more centrefire ammo in 4 months than I have in 25 years.. It gets addictive! And im amazed how much better the ammo I can make than I can buy!
1.5" moa soon becomes a need to become .5" moa.. then its what can I do at 2 and 300 yards.. I gaurantee im one heck of alot better shot than I was last fall!
My suggestions when you buy,,, is get 2 shell holders in the size you will be using and get 2 or 3 loading manuals,, not just the one that comes with it!
I would say Ive shot more centrefire ammo in 4 months than I have in 25 years.. It gets addictive! And im amazed how much better the ammo I can make than I can buy!
1.5" moa soon becomes a need to become .5" moa.. then its what can I do at 2 and 300 yards.. I gaurantee im one heck of alot better shot than I was last fall!
My suggestions when you buy,,, is get 2 shell holders in the size you will be using and get 2 or 3 loading manuals,, not just the one that comes with it!
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I'd upgrade to a digital scale but that's the only thing. I too throw the charge and trickle up...whether I'm feeding 120gr of powder into the 470NE or 25gr into the 223.
I like to get manuals for all the major bullet manufacturers. I use so many different company's bullets that it's worth it. Get at least 2 or 3...whatever bullets you plan on using. I would guess Nosler, Hornady and Barnes if I recall what the shelves at Hougen's looked like.
I like to get manuals for all the major bullet manufacturers. I use so many different company's bullets that it's worth it. Get at least 2 or 3...whatever bullets you plan on using. I would guess Nosler, Hornady and Barnes if I recall what the shelves at Hougen's looked like.
ultimate_monkey
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- victoria BC
its a good kit, but it deffintaly doesnt come with every thing you need...
case trimmer
tumbler
calipers
are all things wou will need to add, then of course dies and shell holders. but i started with with same kit as all and still used it, if your goin to do pistol or lots of semi auto rifle, be prepared to buy a progressive in the near future
also!!!!!!!!!!!
this little guy.........
will soon become your worste enemy, i would seriously considder some kind of powered case prep center.. unless you like severe hand cramps and hate what your doing
case trimmer
tumbler
calipers
are all things wou will need to add, then of course dies and shell holders. but i started with with same kit as all and still used it, if your goin to do pistol or lots of semi auto rifle, be prepared to buy a progressive in the near future
also!!!!!!!!!!!
this little guy.........
will soon become your worste enemy, i would seriously considder some kind of powered case prep center.. unless you like severe hand cramps and hate what your doing
Money well spent, for sure. I love mine, I even use it for pistol, takes longer than a progressive, but my I enjoy it. As Ultimate Monkey says you'll need a trimmer and calibers, a tumbler is very nice to have, but not crucial. Comes with the latest speer manual, which is very handy. Your great grandkids will be able to make quality ammunition on it, it's pretty sturdy.
I got mine c. 1977. Not to boast, but to agree with Scott_N that they make good stuff. Everything still works and works well.
Stuff to get on top of that?
Asides from powder, bullet and primers (assuming you have saved brass), you must get:
- a workbench of some sort. It can be custom built, a folding work-mate or even a way to use your kitchen counter, but you must have something reasonably solid.
- dies and a shell holder for the calibre(s) in question
- a legal way to store primers and powder. Lockable box with EXPLOSIVES written on the outside is the starting point.
- a book of some sort to record your efforts so you can tell what works and what doesn't. You can buy specially-printed ones but a school notebook works just as well
- good lighting. If your reloading place isn't bright, buy a gooseneck lamp. I got mine (a floor model) at Ikea - it's flex neck allows me to put the light where it is needed
- often overlooked - safety googles and a fire extinguisher. Chicken Little only has to be right once. Besides, they create an reassuring aura in the eyes of spouses and landlords.
- powder trickler (the 'throw low and trickle up' concept is useful)
- small flashlight
- accurate calipers and, if you've the inclination, a micrometer.
- a primer pocket resizing tool (different kinds) and primer crimp remover if you are trying to reload military ammo cases.
'Nice-to-have' stuff:
- primer pocket cleaner
- magnifying glass
- tumbler. Honest, you can reload without one, but asides from making things shiny, they also make it easier to examine your brass for cracks, etc
- I found the green lube pad messy and the provided lube a pain to clean off. I dropped $6 on a tiny tin of Imperial Sizing Die Wax. Tap one of your fingers lightly on the wax and roll the case between your fingers. Much less messy and it lasts almost forever.
- case trimmer. You'll need it eventually, especially if reloading hot ammo
- bullet puller. Everybody makes mistakes. Most people use a kinetic one, shaped like a hammer.
Some things you won't need until you really need them, and that will be on a Saturday night, 15 minutes before the store closes and in the middle of a blizzard:
- a couple of spare depriming pins for your dies
- a stuck case remover.
Good luck
That means the bullet is not touching the grooves in the barrel. The bullet has to travel that amount before it touches the rifling and starts to rotate. A lot has been written on the advantages and negatives of the bullet seating depth, every rifle has it`s likes as to seating depth and bullet style.
When you fire a round, and full length resize the case, the brass stretches. This results in the cases being too long in the neck, which beyond a certain length, stated in your manual, can result in excess pressures and chambering problems. So you trim to the length, also stated in your manual, with the trimmer. Afterwards, use the chamfer/deburr toll your kit comes with the clean up the case mouth.
Seating off the lands, would be a function of setting the seating stem on the seating die.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322015. (Thanks to Halger280HVMag)
A locked closet would be sufficient, IMHO, provided it had the word EXPLOSIVES on the outside (and the size and colour of that word do not seem to be specified).
As to the two together, it's apparently legal in the quantities we deal with, but I tend to be very conservative when it comes to such things and would suggest that you keep the primers and the propellant as far apart as possible, preferably with something solid between them.
Cameron SS
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Ground Zero
Great kit. Only one I have ever worked with, so can't compare, but for as long as I single stage load, it will be the only that I own.
+1 for upgrading to a digital scale. Still have my 505 as a back up though, just in case.
+1 for the uniflow powder measure. I find it very consistent depending on the powder, usually within .2 of a grain. I set it low and trickle up to weight.
I didn't find the Speer reloading manual as useful as my Lyman or Hodgdon, so plan on adding to your library.
+1 for upgrading to a digital scale. Still have my 505 as a back up though, just in case.
+1 for the uniflow powder measure. I find it very consistent depending on the powder, usually within .2 of a grain. I set it low and trickle up to weight.
I didn't find the Speer reloading manual as useful as my Lyman or Hodgdon, so plan on adding to your library.
