Disappointment in the new RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Reloading Kit

[CraigC]

The consumer has chosen. When everybody wants stuff for cheap, cheap stuff is what they get.

 

[JO JO]

The consumer has chosen. When everybody wants stuff for cheap, cheap stuff is what they get.

that is the truth , you get what you pay for no doubt ,

 

[Fire_Moose]

I just want to add that without the cheapo stuff in the kits, noobies wouldn't be able to figure out what they like and don't like.

 

[Ireload2]

Eventually I think all kits disappoint.
It is NOT POSSIBLE for any kit from one brand to have the best of everything.
I bought a kit once and 50 years later I don't have a single piece of it.
I have owned 2 to 4 different brands or models of every item in the process of determining what I like best.
In some cases I determined that I don't like any available brand enough to care which brand I own. In some cases the leading item is way more expensive than my give a d*mn. I have no interest in a $250 needle bearing powder measure.

For some items I have a very strong brand preference.
The only way these preferences develop is by using a variety of tools. If you are unable to get past spending money and horse trading equipment around you may never be pleased.
It is simply not possible to buy everything right on the first try unless you have a highly experienced person provide guidance.
I helped one guy get set up so he got very good stuff really cheap the first time around. It made little difference. He is lazy and unmotivated. He is happy to think he is saving money loading one box of ammo a year. Many people will not care enough to be concerned about the kit 2 weeks after it is purchased.
If you are disappointed consider it a learning experience that you will not repeat. Or you can let your disappointment get you down, you can feel like all that money was wasted and you can give up and quit. Sitting in front of the TV may seem less risky.

 

[buck460XVR]

I bought a Rockchuker kit a dozen years ago or so and was thoroughly impressed. Everything worked well, and came with good, easy to understand instructions. Without much trouble I was soon able to turn out good quality, safe ammo. The 505 scale that came with my kit worked so well than when I saw them on sale two years ago for half of what they usually go for, I jumped on one just for a backup. While the new scale looked the same, it certainly didn;t work the same. While just as accurate, it takes forever to settle down, unlike my older version. While this is not a big issue because I rarely weigh each charge after setting the Uni-Flo, it does show me that somewhere down the line they gave changed production methods/materials to become more price competitive, especially with their biggest contender, Lee. According to my records, I have loaded over 20,000 rounds on that single stage setup, without anything resembling a "hitch". I still use most of the components that came in the kit, including the Speer manual. I have upgraded tho to a bench priming system and a digital back-up scale to verify my charges determined by my old 505. I have also added tumblers and trimmers by other manufacturers to the bench.

I did notice that most online suppliers now have the version of the kit with the Nosler manual and the M500 scale. I did notice last time I was @ Mills Fleet Farm that they had the older version of the kit(with the Speer manual and the 505 scale on clearance for $300. I see they offer the same online........https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/rc...xoMBkQQRwMp2dSiI1pmUG8DVAQqPK2rMaAg_zEALw_wcB

 

[thomas15]

I took an instructor level class this past weekend and the instructor made the comment that on the whole firearms folks tend to think that the gun(s) they own are the only gun(s) worth owning. Thus gun owners tend to advise those asking for advice and opinions will look no further than their own gun safe.

I think this is true of handloaders, even more so. We are the NASCAR drivers of the firearms world. always mentioning our sponsors as many times as possible in any single sentence.

I have 3 good friends, members of my volunteer fire company, that handload. Both of their benches look sort of like mine. What's weird about it is none of us consulted the other when making buying decisions. I don't know what to make of that.

 

[Dale shaver]

It's really pretty simple.......but I wouldn't do it everyday.....might loosen things up or break it.

I believe mine is threaded and screws in and out. When did they change this?

 

[fotheringill]

I did NOT purchase a kit, but on recommendations X brand this and Y brand that. I have replaced just about everything during the last four years anyway. I am sorry I did not purchase the kit since I replaced most anyway and it wound up costing more.

I like my Rock Chucker but cannot, for the life of me, understand why RCBS never improved its primer catcher system. I bought the German's laser 3D attachment which works great. RCBS could have and should have improved it years ago. It is the little stuff that gives a lower all around impression of the company. Its lock rings are horrible, for example.

 

[Dale shaver]

I took an instructor level class this past weekend and the instructor made the comment that on the whole firearms folks tend to think that the gun(s) they own are the only gun(s) worth owning. Thus gun owners tend to advise those asking for advice and opinions will look no further than their own gun safe.

I think this is true of handloaders, even more so. We are the NASCAR drivers of the firearms world. always mentioning our sponsors as many times as possible in any single sentence.

I have 3 good friends, members of my volunteer fire company, that handload. Both of their benches look sort of like mine. What's weird about it is none of us consulted the other when making buying decisions. I don't know what to make of that.

I would probably say cost and advertisement. Which company presented their product better and providing an affordable choice. Does Dillon even offer a single stage press? Most new reloaders are not going to buy a 600 dollar progressive reloaders first of all because of the price and all you get is the press. RCBS and Lee and Hornady all off starter kits which includes all equipment to get started with. Most new reloaders don’t know what to get so someone tells them get the RCBS rock chucker starter kit and viola it is on their bench. Affordable, and everything you need to get started. 300 = all equipment to get started or 600= just a progressive press most would be very intimidated to use. Then you have to buy a scale and die holders, and dies, and everything else. So getting started with Dillon is about 800. Then you spend a full Saturday watching YouTube videos on how to use it and the next two weeks getting use to it. Does Dillon offer a tutorial dvd with the purchase of a press? Anyway, sorry so long

 

[GW Staar]

I believe mine is threaded and screws in and out. When did they change this?

I have 3 Uniflows. One is about 35 years old, another 10 years old and the third 2 years old with the new "one size fits all" cylinder........they all are press-fitted the same way. The older is more brittle plastic, maybe. I slightly cracked my oldest one using his method (1/4" long hairline).....but banged it back together as he demoed. Barely noticable......I'd expect the new ones to be less brittle. Now, the Redding ones do screw in....and they are also "green-colored".......? Maybe you have both?

What I'd like to do is buy the big hoppers for replacements in the parts dept and replace the little ones............when I get a round TOIT.

Now! Why the heck doesn't RCBS sell the big hoppers by themselves at Midway?
That's MY question!

Back to the RCBS kits......my first kit was back in the early '70s: RockChucker, Speer Manual, 505, Uniflow. Bought a Forster trimmer to finish it. All quality stuff for the day and still pretty darn good.

Today RCBS and Speer are sisters in the same conglomerate, Vista Outdoors, and now RCBS includes Nosler instead of Speer?......that IS interesting!

When asked these days, I usually suggest paying a little more and picking & choosing gear separately......for one thing you guys have the internet.....and lots of helpful people to ask! We only had Handloader Magazine and the Reloading Manuals. I mean, Hornady only sold bullets.....

 

[Reeferman]

The Rockchucker kit I have is 15 or so years old and all is good and still working.

 

[wrench459]

... Its lock rings are horrible, for example.

So true.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I agree with the OP. The Rockchucker press and the Uniflow measure are great, but the other stuff, not so much.
The scale is not up to par with the older 5-0-5 scale.
IIRC, they're still including the lube pad (which is a pain in the rear for me, but I guess some like it).

I would definitely piece my setup together myself. It would be a little more expensive, but really not that much more.

 

[CraigC]

Eventually I think all kits disappoint.

I bought a Rockchuker kit a dozen years ago or so and was thoroughly impressed.

I started out with an RCBS turret press kit and was also very impressed. Even though I've added two Dillon 650's to my bench, I still use at least 90% of what came in the RCBS kit. Plus I added another Uniflow.

 

[slowr1der]

Sorry it took me soo long to get back to this thread. I completely agree with most of you. No one kit from a single brand is going to have the best of everything. Over the years I've replaced and added several things to my kit, so I definitely knew what will was getting into buying this kit for my friend. Where my disappointment came into play was at how far downhill several of the components had gone, both in quality and in design, since I purchased my kit several years ago.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I just want to add that without the cheapo stuff in the kits, noobies wouldn't be able to figure out what they like and don't like.

I dunno. I did a lot of research before investing in any of my reloading equipment, I'm a newbie, and I made the decision to go with Dillon products for most stuff. I do have some RCBS and Lyman tools also though. So far, I haven't bought a single piece of loading equipment that I'm disappointed or unhappy with. Maybe it's from a lack of comparisons, or maybe I've just been lucky.

Research is easy with the internet. It just seems to me that

The consumer has chosen. When everybody wants stuff for cheap, cheap stuff is what they get.

^^^^^^ this is true.