RCBS Rebel vs a Redding Boss II.

[nitro-express]

I've owned a few presses, and at this time I have a LEE Classic Cast as my main press. The LEE is decent, I had my issues, and I've worked around most of those. For the last couple of years I've had my eye on a Redding Boss II. It meets most, if not all of my criteria.

Important to me:

- spent primers out the bottom
- solid press with good mechanical advantage
- good ergonomics
- cam over linkage

I don't prime on the press, so I don't care about that at all.

The new Rebel from RCBS may be a contender as well, but according to the review I watched, it is a positive stop press, not cam over, and from the video it also looks like the it takes excessive force at the end of the stroke. I converted my LEE Classic Cast to cam over but that was a project. I've owned a Rock Chucker and I was never happy with the alignment. I'd like to hear from anyone that has a Rebel, and if they found any alignment issues.

I bought an alignment tool for my Dillon and lately I've used it to check the alignment on my non-Dillon presses. I was a bit surprised to find that the alignment on my LEE Classic Cast was very poor. I watched another reloading demo, and that user was using a LEE Classic cast as well, and the alignment was trash on that one as well.

Fortunately, the LEE Classic Cast has a two piece ram, and with some judicious work with hand tools, I managed to tilt the top piece enough to get decent alignment. I then filed down the interference spots and polished the ram, and it's good now.

So I'm not in a panic to buy, but I'd like to see my LEE gone, eventually.

BTW, when I checked the alignment on my Redding Ultra-Mag and my old Lyman T-Mag Turret, alignment was good on both.

The Dillon alignment tool is really meant for a Dillon shell plate, I had to find a shell holder that had the correct hole.

So, basically two questions:

> Rebel or Boss II? Mainly like to hear from Rebel users.
> Any alignment issues on your present press?

Nitro

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl-550-series-xl-650-platform-alignment-tool_8_6_26408.html

 

[kawicrash]

You want cam over???
That's why I got rid of my Hornady 007, I hated the cam over.
I have the Lee Classic Cast now too, and while I like it, when I upgrade I'll go with the RCBS.

 

[nitro-express]

You want cam over???
That's why I got rid of my Hornady 007, I hated the cam over.
I have the Lee Classic Cast now too, and while I like it, when I upgrade I'll go with the RCBS.

Cam over: I suppose because most of the presses I've owned, were of the cam over linkage type, I'm used to the feel. But probably more important I do buy into the concept. A die has two parts, and only becomes a precision die when the two parts are held together under force. With stop linkage there can be a tendency to stop applying force before the two parts of the die are together. Dies are meant to be adjusted to zero clearance, and then screwed down 1/4 or so of a turn. This ensures that the dies is set and that small variations in the force applied do not translate into a differences in die setting.

On the down side, because at cam over the mechanical advantage is at it's greatest, and if you screw down the die too much, you will be able to exert enough force to break the press, or at least spring it.

From what I can see with fooling around with the LEE Classic Cast, when allowed to cam over, the force available is impressive, and adjusting the die needs to be done properly.

On 7/8-14 thread every turn of the die is 0.072 of an inch. IOW, for every 1/8 turn past contact you are moving the die 0.008".

When I set up a FL sizing die I'll turn it down 1/4 of a turn and check when I size. There should be no gap between the shell holder and the die. If there is, I'll turn the die down a bit. I use a Hornady L-N-L gauge to check shoulder setback and change shell holders (Redding bench rest set) to control that. But my dies will always be tight to my shell holder. Of course there are exception, like 303 Br and 44-40 where other criteria come into play.

Personally and IMHO, I don't see any advantage to a non cam over linkage in a reloading press. And interestingly, LEE no longer mentions or touts the positive stop linkage.

On the LEE Classic Cast, as soon as the cam over point is reached, (I shortened the stops to allow for cam over, the linkage still has a positive stop, but that is after cam over now), the primer drop tube no longer works. I just put a short tube on end, and I have to empty the tube more often. A proper design to accommodate cam over would require a major rework.

So, that is why I like cam over linkage, just my personal preference. Then again, I never have owned a 007, don't know what that linkage feels like. I may have hated it as well. A quick look at the linkage did reveal that the top of the links are attached past the ram centerline, and for that reason, I'd never buy one. Again, IMHO, the attachment points should be inline with the ram. It makes it a bit harder to have a smooth cam over if they are not inline. The zero movement occurs with the linkages at a angle and not inline. My Lyman T-Mag II has that type of linkage, and Lyman made the links fairly long to mitigate that effect. That press is a bit old now, and has a fair amount of wear in the casting because of that. Fortunately every thing else with that press is fairly proper, I like how it works.

The recently discontinued LEE Classic Cast Breech lock press had the upper pivots before the ram, which did allow the linkage to get very close to cam over. I never operated one, but that's what the linkage looks like what it does.

It does get annoying, buy a new press, mount it, use it and don't like it. I replaced my miss aligned RC with a Redding Ultra Mag, that I replaced with a RCBS Summit, and later replaced that with my LEE Classic Cast. So far the quest to find that one perfect press hasn't been successful.

In all likelihood my next press will be a Redding Boss II, and for now the Rebel is running a close second.

Nitro.

 

[nitro-express]

You want cam over???
That's why I got rid of my Hornady 007, I hated the cam over.
I have the Lee Classic Cast now too, and while I like it, when I upgrade I'll go with the RCBS.

I'd like to add that having the press linkage stop at top dead center is a bit tricky, it's easier to have a bit of cam over. Stopping at TDC or a bit of cam over is what I prefer. What I don't like is a linkage that stops well before TDC.

 

[kawicrash]

Wow, you make a lot of very good interesting points.
The Hornady felt sloppy and imprecise to me, that's why I didn't like it. I like the solid, rigid feel of the Lee. I find the positive stop works better for me when using Lee collet dies.
I agree about not being able to really try a unit before purchasing one or another.
I'll be interested to see which direction you go and how you rate your new press.

 

[chrismc]

I use a redding boss II with collets, and set it up precise so rhat i get the same squeeze every time (yes cam over) with it - takes practise, but followed someones suggestion from here of maybe SH
I also did the same with Lee CC before i relegated it to the seater press
If i change stems in the collet ( for more/less neck tension) i turn the die in or out 1/8 so i get the same squueze.

BbII is a darn good press. So is the forster press imho

 

[SRN250]

You want cam over???
That's why I got rid of my Hornady 007, I hated the cam over.
I have the Lee Classic Cast now too, and while I like it, when I upgrade I'll go with the RCBS.

This is old I know…thinking about a new press and leaning toward the Rebel. Wondering if you moved forward with the RCBS, which one you selected and thoughts. Thanks.