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rock chucker or lyman classic turret press? |
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cowski
Optics Journeyman Joined: November/19/2009 Location: alabama Status: Offline Points: 342 |
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Posted: July/11/2016 at 21:39 |
i am going to get back into reloading . i used to have a rcbs rc press . so i was just going to get another one. but i saw the Lyman classic turret press.it looks like it could speed reloading up. if anyone could recommend a press i would appreciate it. thanks
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never corner something meaner than you are jbc
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14962 |
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I have had the rock chucker since 1977. I think Redding makes one that allows several dies to be placed in a head that turns and if a guy only loaded one caliber that would be nice or a Dillon 650 is a really nice set up. I still use the rock chucker all the time but there is an advantage to a press that one can adjust the dies one time and leave them set. The Horniday has a quick detach system that may also allow that so also worth a look. The Redding products I have had have been very well built.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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James, the Rock Chucker is always good, but slow. I keep threatening myself with starting to reload again... after many years of NOT... but just have not made the transition. I've done lots of research, though. Since you have some experience, I would suggest a turret press... something like the Redding T-7 or a Lee Classic Turret Press(which I used quite a bit when I DID reload and I loved it). Reloading, like guns, is a personal thing. Just depends on how accurate and/or fast you want to be. For accuracy and speed, the turret presses have always seemed best to me for the dollar investment. Since I got into reloading to SAVE money (when I did it), it did not seem productive to me to invest large sums of money on the reloading equipment. ROI and all that. If you are going to load and shoot 5000+ rounds per year, by all means, break out your old rock chucker, get the "feel" again and then purchase a Dillon "super progressive" press with all the bells and whistles... you will be glad you did. If you are going to load a few hundred here and there, keep the rock chucker. If up to about 5000/year, a nice turret press will do the job very well... the Redding T-7 is exceptional, I think. Those are the things I keep telling myself... then I back out and decide to purchase more ammo... |
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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For a single stage the Hornady is a good one to consider. They have the quick change die setup which I like a lot. They have a new one out now the "Iron Press" which looks really nice. But it is way expensive.
A turret press would be cool too, but if you load many calibers you will be changing dies all the time anyway so the benefit goes down a little. With the hornady you can change dies so quick, the appeal of a turret press is diminished somewhat. I have a hornady progressive I bought in 2002ish and a single stage I bought in 06ish. I really like both of them. If you plan on loading any kind of volume a progressive is super nice. You can put out some serious ammo in a hurry with one of those. |
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Edsel
Optics GrassHopper Joined: October/21/2012 Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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I'm partial to the Forster Co - Ax, but I invest a lot of work in each and every round I make...
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SVT_Tactical
MODERATOR Chief Sackscratch Joined: December/17/2009 Location: NorthCackalacky Status: Offline Points: 31233 |
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Me too for my precision work however for quantity the Dillon works much better! |
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"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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Marine24
Optics Journeyman Joined: June/07/2010 Location: Monument, CO Status: Offline Points: 687 |
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I have the Redding T3 turret press. Precision of a single stage but speed closer to a progressive. I reload in batches, doing 100 cases in each stage, rotating the turret and moving on the to the next one similar to a single stage but not having to swap out and set the dies. I have two calibers per turret, which makes it easy to change calibers.
Others like to rotate the turret for each case, producing a loaded round before moving on to the next case similar to a progressive that doesn't have auto indexing. Works for some but I prefer my version even though it isn't as fast. I'll keep the Redding but see a Dillon 650 in my future for reloads that don't require the level of accuracy I put in my precision loads.
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Progressives will make more accurate ammo than most think. I can easily make .223 and .308 ammo that will shoot 1/2" or less groups.
For the most part I just use a single stage to work up loads. Then once figured out I load my stuff on the progressive. |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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I fully agree that progressive loaders, especially the ones available now, can produce very accurate ammunition. With attention to detail, so near to single stage loading that only the most elite level shooters/reloaders will be able to measure a difference. There are just more "variables" that can be introduced that must be mitigated. Physically controlling each step requires more attention by its very nature... that does not negate or diminish the value of a good progressive loader. However, I am of the "school of thought" that says "baby steps"... start with a single stage, move to a turret press, then to a progressive loader. Loading ammo demands safety consciousness, demands full attention (or risk the potential consequences), is a "perishable" skill... part of my reticence to begin loading again is that I know the time investment I have to/will make to get back to where I feel comfortable doing it. Plus, once learned, it is addictive... Currently, I both miss loading my own ammo and loathe the concept of it. "Factory ammo" has improved significantly and there are custom loaders "out there" who make their living on excellence of product. All that said, I fully believe that everyone who shoots more than "occasionally" needs to be able to load their own ammo. It lends an understanding and respect of firearms that is not easily, and perhaps never, gained by the occasional shooter. Almost a religious experience. And THAT is worth the effort. So, for now... I need to go load some ammo... (I hope I get over it before the end of the day) |
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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cowski
Optics Journeyman Joined: November/19/2009 Location: alabama Status: Offline Points: 342 |
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kickboxer maybe we could get a volume discount
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never corner something meaner than you are jbc
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Alan Robertson
Optics Master Joined: October/31/2009 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 1763 |
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Regarding the Lyman turret- a friend has one and another friend used to
sell them. His shop was getting too many complaints about wear of the
ball- detent system used to keep the turret stops aligned, which caused
some imprecision and a lot of aggravation. My friend that loads with his
Lyman has never complained, so it may not be much of an issue.
I bought my Rockchucker in the 70's. It could use new paint in places, but has always worked perfectly. There are some reloading tasks that just work best on the RC, like decapping a batch of milspec brass, or swaging bullets. I use it to load more precise hunting loads than might be achieved with a faster turret, but volume loading, like .223, .45acp, etc, gets done on a little Lee Classic turret press and the Lee will really do anything the Rockchucker will do... For most reloading purposes, the Lee Classic turret is hard to beat. Die changes can be made in seconds and the little press is much faster in use than a single stage press, without breaking the bank. 200 rds/hr of .45 acp is not that difficult... never happen on a 'chucker. The progressive press guys would sneer at that rate, but I don't need to crank out 1000's at a time and the initial price sure was right. If I ever find my round tuit, I'll check accuracy of loads built with my different style presses. So far, there's always been more wood to chop and water to carry and the "test" never got performed. Ps Any press is completely capable of center punching a thumb nail with a decapping pin, or demonstrating how case neck mouths can be used to cut perfect circles in slow fingers. |
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