Good single stage reloading press recommendations

What would you choose?

  • Total voters
    57
ironworkerwill

ironworkerwill

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I need a new reloading press. The old aluminum frame Lee is used up after 20 years. Maybe it would still be good but I worked on the road for a solid year and come home to find small birds made it into my reloading room and excreted on everything on my reloading bench. The resulting corrosive droppings basically locked up the ram and after getting it freed up it is now terribly loose. I USUALLY drape a small tarp over the wole setup when I go on the road but I forgot. After much looking and and hand wringing, I think I need a Redding Big Boss II. Any suggestions?
 
Good choice. If you load a lot of magnum stuff I would go to the Ultramag. I currently run a Rockchucker and an Ultramag for single stage. The leverage on the Ultramag is awesome, it sizes everything easily.
 
If I was to replace my Rock Chucker, I would probably get the Redding unit. However, after 35 years and counting, the RC is showing no signs of quitting.
I like Redding's stuff and have several of their die sets and some of their tools. Excellent quality and, IMHO, well worth the money spent. Buy once, cry once. Or so it is often said.
 
Poper said:
If I was to replace my Rock Chucker, I would probably get the Redding unit. However, after 35 years and counting, the RC is showing no signs of quitting.
I like Redding's stuff and have several of their die sets and some of their tools. Excellent quality and, IMHO, well worth the money spent. Buy once, cry once. Or so it is often said.
Click to expand...
I wish I'd got the RC to begin with. The current RCBS stuff has gotten some bad reviews for the last couple of years. Maybe Hodgdon will bring RCBS back up to standard.
Poper said:
If I was to replace my Rock Chucker, I would probably get the Redding unit. However, after 35 years and counting, the RC is showing no signs of quitting.
I like Redding's stuff and have several of their die sets and some of their tools. Excellent quality and, IMHO, well worth the money spent. Buy once, cry once. Or so it is often said.
Click to expand...
 
When I was looking for a Single Stage (SS) press to complement my progressive, I look at the RCBS Rockchucker because everyone loves then...but I hated the way it discharged spent primers. I really wanted a Co-Ax but couldn't convince myself to part with that much money at the time. Compromising with the best of both worlds, I went with a Lee Classic Cast SS and added the Hornady LNL bushings...no regrets and The Lee SS will do anything the Rockchucker will.

Since I made my choice, there is a newer press on the market which had very good reviews, the MEC Marksman. I really like this because the open architecture makes access easier. You can also add the Hornady LNL bushings to speed up die changes
 
Poper said:
If I was to replace my Rock Chucker, I would probably get the Redding unit. However, after 35 years and counting, the RC is showing no signs of quitting.
I like Redding's stuff and have several of their die sets and some of their tools. Excellent quality and, IMHO, well worth the money spent. Buy once, cry once. Or so it is often said.
Click to expand...
^^^ This !^^^ Nothing wrong with my WELL used '78 Rock Chucker, buuut, if I did, it would the Redding Big Boss also.
 
9mmepiphany said:
When I was looking for a Single Stage (SS) press to complement my progressive, I look at the RCBS Rockchucker because everyone loves then...but I hated the way it discharged spent primers. I really wanted a Co-Ax but couldn't convince myself to part with that much money at the time. Compromising with the best of both worlds, I went with a Lee Classic Cast SS and added the Hornady LNL bushings...no regrets and The Lee SS will do anything the Rockchucker will.

Since I made my choice, there is a newer press on the market which had very good reviews, the MEC Marksman. I really like this because the open architecture makes access easier. You can also add the Hornady LNL bushings to speed up die changes
Click to expand...
The MEC is pretty high on my list. I'd read several reviews about them having chipped paint and while that has no bearing on performance, it knocked it out of first place. I would like to hear some first hand info on the MEC tho.
 
ironworkerwill said:
I need a new reloading press. The old aluminum frame Lee is used up after 20 years. Maybe it would still be good but I worked on the road for a solid year and come home to find small birds made it into my reloading room and excreted on everything on my reloading bench. The resulting corrosive droppings basically locked up the ram and after getting it freed up it is now terribly loose. I USUALLY drape a small tarp over the wole setup when I go on the road but I forgot. After much looking and and hand wringing, I think I need a Redding Big Boss II. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

That is what I went with when I upgraded the SS press on my bench. Like the way it handles spent primers. Plenty of leverage for the big stuff if needed. The on press primer seating works really good on this press. Just make sure you set the anvil height correct and it run like a finely tuned sewing machine.
 
StrawHat said:
Don’t Lee products have a pretty good warranty? See if they can fix it.
Click to expand...

Lee, MEC and Hornady all have outstanding customer service. I don't remember ever being charged for a replacement part from any of them.
Recently called Lee to get some parts a 10# lead pot that was my dads. All they wanted was my shipping address.

Not trying to dissuade the OP from getting a new press. It is very convenient to have multiple presses on the bench.

I have been very happy with my Forster Co-Ax press.
 
MEC Marksman for me. Now the I’ve added an Inline Fabrication handle I can’t think of anything I would change. Second place goes to the CH “H” press. I have 2 and they have been working for decades. I dedicate them for priming brass. I doubt the MEC produces better ammo, but I wanted something different.
 
Blue68f100 said:
the way it handles spent primers.
Click to expand...
That's something that can really help keep things a bit tidier. (Slobberin' spent-primer scud all over your ram/base doesn't help it last any longer either,,,,)

I currently decap on my LNL-AP, but spent primer handling is definitely a feature I'd look for should my RockChucker IV ever need a companion,,,,
 
Last edited:
ironworkerwill said:
I need a new reloading press. The old aluminum frame Lee is used up after 20 years. Maybe it would still be good but I worked on the road for a solid year and come home to find small birds made it into my reloading room and excreted on everything on my reloading bench. The resulting corrosive droppings basically locked up the ram and after getting it freed up it is now terribly loose. I USUALLY drape a small tarp over the wole setup when I go on the road but I forgot. After much looking and and hand wringing, I think I need a Redding Big Boss II. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
RCBS Rockchucker!
 
I would definitely go with another Forster CoAx if anything ever happened to my old B2 press. I have loaded hundreds of thousands rounds on mine. After loading for years on a Lyman Spartan and a Spar-T my wife bought me the Bonanza B2 CoAx press for Christmas. I have 3 other presses on my bench but the CoAx is the one that is used the most.
Watched a video of the Marines Sniper School loading ammo and, you guessed it, they were using CoAx presses.

Remember; If you are happy with what you buy, it doesn't matter what you paid. If you are not happy with what you buy, it doesn't matter how much you saved.
 
I have a half dozen single stage presses, most from RCBS. The one with the most history is a JR I paid $25 for at a gun show years ago. My Rockchucker gets little use unless I'm forming cases. There are tons of used but fine RCBS single stage presses sitting in shops and pawn centers just looking for homes.
All said, I do most of my metallic loading on our 60s Lyman All American Turret.
 
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shoebox1.1 said:
I saw an almost new older rock chucker at the local gun shop six months ago for 90 bucks. It lasted probably a couple hours on the shelf. I already had two presses in action or I would’ve bought it on the spot.
Click to expand...
Not many of the old ones left to be had. Everyone knows they're awesome so they evaporate quickly.
 
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