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I am in the process of purchasing reloading equipment. The following are some items that I have been looking at:
RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Kit
Lyman 1200 Tumbler Kit
Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner
Lyman Powder Dribbler
RCBS Power Bullet Puller
I have questions most about the case trimmers Hornady, RCBS, Lyman or Redding?
Can anyone give guidance in which one was better and why.
i have and like the lyman case trimmer, all you need are the case pilots for it the case lock fits nearly everything is fast and easy, and you don't have to buy a new size for everything.
i notice you don't list a case chamfering tool or a loading manual.
and the two most important tools of all. a scale and a set of calipers.
all are good tools. The RCBS rockchucker is one of the best preeses ou there.
The lee primer pocket cleaners work well.
We have the RCBS powder dribler, and it is a must.
We have two of the RCBS boolit/bullet pullers, but rairly need them.
BIC/Daniel/BS Jr.
Thank you for your advice. I have several friends that tell me to purchase Lee instead of RCBS.
If you are going to stick with it, RCBS or Redding is the way to go.
At least that's what I've found....
Lee makes good dies, especially their collet neck sizers and factory crimpers. I am also very happy with one of their AutoPrime2 units that has seen almost twenty years of hard use (over 35,000 primers seated with it). Lee is famous for the worst customer service in the known universe, though they will replace defective products.
However, I use mostly RCBS tools, including a thirty five year old Rock Chucker, Uniflow powder measure and scale. Lately I have added one of their turret presses.
I prefer the Lyman case trimmer, but would advise ordering it with the attachment to power it with a drill, or with the attached motor unit - that little crank raises blisters when you have a few hundred cases to trim.
Starter kits are the best values out there. I would go with the RCBS RC Supreme kit. Best single stage press made IMHO, and RCBS has one of the best CS departments in the industry. If you have a problem with one of their products, a replacement is on its way to you yesterday, usually free of charge, with an apology for your inconvenience.
Thank you for the help. I have ordered the RCBS kit and accessories and are waiting for them to arrive. I have a friend that reloads to help me get started. I have had good success with his help reloading my hunting rifle. I look forward to being able to load my own and work up new loads for several rifles. He has help to cut my cost greatly when shooting and this has help me to be a better shot.
I noticed you didn't mention for what caliber you're loading. I have the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit and it's a blast. I use RCBS and Lee dies, the Lee Universal Expander Die, RCBS bullet puller, scale, Uniflow powder dispenser, Frankford Arsenal calipers and tumbler, Speer 13 manual, and that's all I need! What I will be getting shortly is the Piggyback IV Progressive Conversion kit. As I've gotten the hang of it, I'm "needing" more bullets to shoot.
well I have lee dies ans most there sizers along with lymon mold blocks cast most cal. learning over 50 yrs still have my first set of herter;s dies
Don
[smilie=s:Hi -I am new to this forum and have reloaded for sometime
but still learning!
Randy
shooter39629, I have mostly used RCBS gear.......good gear, at a resonable price.
If you get into serious accuracy loading later on, you'll probably end up buying Redding reloading tools.
Get Redding's turret press; that way, you can keep your dies mounted and adjusted, and save a lot of time NOT messing around, adjusting your dies. If you load for a lot of different calibers, you can get another turret (tool head), and keep more dies mounted, ready to go.
For example, I have used a RCBS powder dribbler for years; it works fine, but is pretty light weight, and easily bumped out of position. I got a Redding dribbler.........weighs a pound..........doesn't get bumped around, and under $20.
My old RCBS case trimmer............decent price, works OK, but you spend time remounting, cutting, measuring, remounting, cutting more, measure again. I got Reddings case trimmer with micrometer measuring adjustment........a much faster and easier to use case trimming lathe.
RCBS is a solid Chevrolet class of tools; Redding is more like BMW. I am slowly converting over to all Redding tools. The good folks at Sinclair International used to publish a book on RELOADING for ACCURACY. In it, they mention that the Redding turret press is the ONLY turret press to consider getting, if reloading for accurate rifle rounds.
Since you are just starting out, I would say this: get a reload manual from most of the manufacturers, since loads will vary so much between manuals. Each one explains some part of reloading, or ballistics, better than all of the others. Taken as a whole, you will become a more knowledable reloader. Speer, Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, Accurate Powders, and Vihta Vuori powders........all sit on my reload bench.
Another superb book every reloader should get a copy of is titled POWDER PROFILES, from the pages of HANDLOADER MAGAZINE, and published by Wolf Publishing. This book gives a good description of most individual powders, their good points, their bad points, and any idiosyncracies they might have. Also has "quiet loads" for rifles, using cast lead bullets, for shooting pests in built up areas, where loud reports are not wanted.
Last, even with all of the reload manuals, get a Sierra ballistics program for your computer. You will learn a lot fast, if you play with this a while. Print off ballistic drop charts for YOUR particular load, at the altitude you shoot at, and the weather conditions you shoot at.
For example, we shoot out to 1000 yards at a farm, on a measured range. I set up our 8' X 8' target board, covered in white paper, and shot some groups at 800 yards, until it got too dark to see. Three days later, I came back, shot the same rifle, same ammunition, at the same 800 yards..................groups were 16 inches lower than three days before. Went home, looked up the temperature and barometric pressure for both days, on the National Weather Service website (one of their stations is only a few miles from where I shoot), plugged in the numbers on the Sierra ballistics program................it predicted a 16 inch drop between those two days of barometric pressure/temperature.
One last plug for a good outfit...............Sierra Bullets. My wife dropped one of my manuals, which bent the ring binders holding the pages of reload information........it would catch (and tear) each page, as you flipped through the manual. She wrote Sierra an E-mail, explaining what happened, and asking how much does a new ring binder cost? They E-mailed back, saying one was being sent, at no charge. When we got it, the postal shipping charge was $6 and change. Not many folks that do business like that. A tip of the hat to the kind and generous folks working at Sierra!