Single Stage Rifle Press

The time has come to finally replace my well-used Lee Hand Press for loading rifle cartridges. I have a budget of $150-200 to replace my press and am weighing the different brands.

I have had very good success with RCBS and Hornady equipment. The primary cartridges I load are .308, .270, .30-06, and .303 British. I do a fair amount of full length sizing. I have a Hornady LNL AP for handgun loading in quantity.

If anyone has experience with the models listed in the poll or others please share your knowledge. Thank you.

 

This will do anything you need to do, longer then you will need to do it.

I got mine in 1970 and unlike me, it is still going strong.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/513567/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-single-stage-press

rc

 

Agree on the RCBS. I've got an old RCBS 2A that I love. A lot of folks seem to like the Lee Classic Cast as well. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/317831/lee-classic-cast-single-stage-press

 

I have the lee classic cast.
Thing is indestructible.

Sits next to my Lee Pro1000.

 

RCBS Rock Chucker and Reloader Special 1. Both will out live me.
GS

 

Rockchucker JMHO

 

Another vote for the Rockchucker Supreme.

 

Rock Chucker, although truthfully, I have no long term experience with any of the others. It's possible that some of the others could be as good, it would be very difficult for a SS press to be any better.

 

What are the biggest differences between the Redding Big Boss and RCBS Rock Crusher?

 

^^^My thought would be price and the RCBS's great guarantee. I have Lee, RCBS, Lyman, and Pacific presses All are built like tank and all will undoubtedly last several lifetimes with a little care. All those listed above will work well for you IMHO. What is your favorite color then ??

 

I like my Redding Boss but the spent primer system is worse than the RCBS system. As a result, I do most of my depriming on an old RCBS Reloader Special, my first press.

In my opinion, get the one whose color will best match the decor in your reloading room and it will serve you well for a long time.

 

The reloading colors are Red and Green, seasonably appropriate even!

Some Lee dies
Lee Hand Press
Hornady LNL AP
Various RCBS equipment
Lyman casting equipment
3 Mec 600 shotgun loaders

 

I like the Hornady. Quick change dies using the LNL system is a plus for me, and it actually catches 95% of the spent primers without a weekend's worth of modification.

But any of them will outlive you.

 

My old Rock Chucker is so well built that I think you could use it for pressing in u-joints with minimal effort.

However I use the Lee more because of the primer catch tube which I really like.

Honestly they are all just fine but each has it's own little perks and quirks.

T

 

I own 2 Rock Chuckers but if the Redding Boss II had been available twenty years ago I would have gone with that...better primer disposal and higher tolerances.

 

And blue if you include the basic Dillon 550 which I know is a stretch for this thread.

 

Add a few $$ and get a Forster Co-Ax.... you won't be disappointed!

 

The Rockchucker gives you good leverage and RCBS customer service is great.

 

I have both on my bench, a Rockchucker and a Co-AX... For general loading i really like my Co-aX, i've loaded over 80,000 rounds on it so far.

BUT, if you are into case forming (like i am) or want to use any kind of trim die, you won't like the Co-aX so much, and that's why my vote is for the Rockchucker. It will do it all and last you the rest of your life...

DM

 

If you have the money buy the Rockchucker. If price is a factor buy the Lee Classic single stage. In reality I would buy any of the presses you listed except for the RCBS Partner or the Lyman Crusher 2.

 

My first press was a Rockchucker and I broke it.
I sent the broken parts to RCBS and they sent me a whole new press.

I don't use it much now that I have two co-ax presses and two Partner presses.
But I do use it to seat a bullet with an upside down press after the rockchucker ram has been raised thus pushing the case into a fully supported chamber with a throat. This forms the bullet into a throat size for a wildcat that needs to throat seal and compress the 1 gr of powder.

The rockchucker does have nice big heavy handle that I can hold down while the other hand seats the bullet with the other press handle.

 

My next press will be a Redding turret t-7. to take the place of my two lee's , just to make some bench space , I've given up on wearing out my lee's I don't think It can be done , I've see broken dillons, and RCBS's but never seen a broken Redding , so I voted for the Redding,

 

Clark, is there anything shooting related you haven't broken yet??

rc

 

My Sinlgle Stage is a Hollywood made over 50 years ago.
It is of course a heavy duty piece capable of even swaging bullets.

 

Thanks for noticing me.
When I was in grade school, I started doing experiments.
Twenty some years I started trying to blow up my own designs. Based on what I learned, I could crank out the reliable designs quickly on fixed price contracts.

So when I interact with my gun collection, sometimes I experiment on them.
I am not making any money on guns, so that part has changed.
But I still have curiosity.