Noob looking to start reloading

[Hammer99...]

Can anyone recommend this press the price seems right.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit

It's $270 for the kit. With the dies and shell holder you would be just over $325. That qualifies for a $50 mail in rebate (must purchase by 12/31) plus the $20 off Cabelas is offering. Looks like everything you need minus components for a total about $255 plus tax. Seems like a good deal... Yes?

[yuppiejr]

I don't understand why folks believe a turret/progressive "requies" one to do everything "quickly", "all at once", or "with little to no thought"?

You still pull the lever ... how fast or slow is entirely up to you. The dies work the same, and in fact, are identical. And in any such press, ya can easily remove all but one die ... making it a "single-stage" press.

IOW, it wasn't the press that kept ya from learning, or doing a good job.

I don't think anyone made that point, and I never blamed the equipment for my poor choices in learning - but you are correct, it was not the press's fault. I simply made the point that an O-frame single stage press is inexpensive, a great learning tool, has tremendous long term utility. I skipped buying one early on and regretted it, thus I shared my perspective and admitted the mistakes I made in mindset and equipment as a "cautionary tale" for other new reloaders. A lot of smart people suggested a single-stage, and there's probably a reason why it's the platform on which all of the reloading manuals assume a new reloader is working. That doesn't mean it's the only approach, however for tinkerers like me using nothing but reloading books and an internet forum for advice to learn reloading there's something to be said for keeping it simple AND cheap out of the gate.

You can certainly dumb down a progressive and make it act like a single stage.. the quetion is, why? You can save a few bucks by skipping the single stage press, but how many reloaders do you know who don't keep an extra press around for decap/sizing or small batch jobs? Why not start with the less expensive, less complex platform with a tool you're likely going to own long term anyway and can be used to load pretty much any caliber cartridge from day 1. For low volume shooters it's also a lot faster to hit the break even point and end up next zero vs buying commercial ammo and reloading their first case or two. Not everyone is going to stick with it and having to unload a lightly used single stage press in the Accessories forum hurts the wallet a lot less than a Dillon 550b that's been worked over by a reloading newb like me.

[DeanC]

Can anyone recommend this press the price seems right.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit

It's $270 for the kit. With the dies and shell holder you would be just over $325. That qualifies for a $50 mail in rebate (must purchase by 12/31) plus the $20 off Cabelas is offering. Looks like everything you need minus components for a total about $255 plus tax. Seems like a good deal... Yes?

Not bad - but contrary to the description, if you are doing rifle, you will also need a case trimmer.

[yuppiejr]

Can anyone recommend this press the price seems right.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit

It's $270 for the kit. With the dies and shell holder you would be just over $325. That qualifies for a $50 mail in rebate (must purchase by 12/31) plus the $20 off Cabelas is offering. Looks like everything you need minus components for a total about $255 plus tax. Seems like a good deal... Yes?

Looks like a nice set to me.

You can also assemble a nice kit a-la-carte for a similar price without the rebate:

Lee Classic Cast Press with Breech Lock die quick change system - $100
Dillon Eliminator 3-poise Scale - $55
Lee Perfect Powder Measure - $25
Lyman Reloading Handbook - 49th Edition - $20
Lee Auto Prime Kit with Shellholder kit - $30
Lyman Case Prep Multi Tool - $20
RCBS Loading Block - $10
Lyman Powder Funnel - $6
RCBS Case Lube - $4

.. $270 at "every day" prices, minus the $20 coupon above you're at $250 if you went with lowest prices online you'd be in striking distance of the kit above after the rebate. I'd argue the scale, quick change die system, brass prep tool are upgrades.

It might also be worth looking at the Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic kit at Cabellas for $300 (minus the $20 coupon) - while I'm not sure about the scale, the 500 free bullets will offset another significant cost or fetch some cash if you sell them later and the Lock-N-Load bushings work with their AP progressive press if you upgrade long term. With the $20 coupon and $100 from selling 5 boxes of 100, 150 grain SP .308 bullets you get free you're only looking at $180 for that setup... possibly adding the price of a proper beam scale (the Dillon Eliminator at Gunstop for $55).

[yuppiejr]

Can anyone recommend this press the price seems right.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit

It's $270 for the kit. With the dies and shell holder you would be just over $325. That qualifies for a $50 mail in rebate (must purchase by 12/31) plus the $20 off Cabelas is offering. Looks like everything you need minus components for a total about $255 plus tax. Seems like a good deal... Yes?

Not bad - but contrary to the description, if you are doing rifle, you will also need a case trimmer.

I've been getting good results with the Lee Case Trimmer & Lock Stud kits in my cordless drill on low speed, something like $6 for the caliber specific shell holder and cutting guide plus $7 for the cutter and lock stud.

[shooter115]

If you're going to be trimming a lot of rifle brass in the same caliber (like I do for .223), it's tough to beat the "Worlds Finest Trimmer" from Little Crow Gunworks. Dale the owner and inventer donated a couple for prizes at the Mid-America AR Challenge this year. I was lucky enough to win one. Absolutly love it. Trust me it's worth a look.
http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html

[Hammer99...]

Can anyone recommend this press the price seems right.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit

It's $270 for the kit. With the dies and shell holder you would be just over $325. That qualifies for a $50 mail in rebate (must purchase by 12/31) plus the $20 off Cabelas is offering. Looks like everything you need minus components for a total about $255 plus tax. Seems like a good deal... Yes?

Not bad - but contrary to the description, if you are doing rifle, you will also need a case trimmer.

Thanks, I wanted to start out with 9mm but after reading this thread I might start out with 308.

[Hammer99...]

If I went the a-la-carte route I think I would still need about $50 worth of dies bringing me in at about $300? However I do like the Idea of picking and choosing plus I don't have to buy it before the new year.

Midway sells the Hornady kit for $259 and I can get $25 off with a coupon. I would still need the dies and shell holders but that seems to be the best deal going. Unfortunately they say its on back order until June and the free bullets expire 12/31. If I get the Hornaday kit from Cabelas I'd be at $280 with the coupon plus dies and shell holder plus the $15 shipping for the "free" bullets. That's pretty close in price to the RCBS kit when you take into consideration the value of the free bullets.

Looks like pretty good options all running about the same price.

[farmerj]

If you are looking to get into pistol, you'd be sinking a lot of funds into something you'd be better off putting into at least a starter progressive like the 550.

Those funds are also a lot of money towards a case tumbler, trimmer, media and other case prep material that you will need either with rifle or pistol. I have worked closely with two guys to get into reloading and both their suggestions were the same. Start with the case prep and get used to making a routine in your process. You can use our presses whenever you want.

It just made sense when I started doing it what they were talking about. You'll have a lot more money is other things long before the presses/dies come into play. Even get a chrony and start to log your factory loads for speed/spread

[rugersol]

You can certainly dumb down a progressive and make it act like a single stage.. the quetion is, why?

To answer yer question, it seems apparent to me, by comments made by plenty of folks on this very forum, that there's a very strong desire fer folks to START with a single-stage. Obviously, if one never intends to load thousands of pistol cartridges per year, there'd be very little reason to spend $350+ fer a progressive. However, where that type of production is otherwise a short-term goal, there would be nearly no reason to purchase a single-stage press ... with one die mounted at once, all else, fer all intents and purposes, is identical ... albeit, still slightly more efficient.

... including decapping.

That said, I do reload a lotta different calibers ... and, in choosing between a $30 shellplate vs. a $5 shellholder, I sometimes turn to my T7. Fer a lot less money, I'd recommend a Lyman T-Mag ... to save on the cost of shellplates, ONLY.

If someone really wanted to save money, I'd recommend the $30 Lee ... 'less yer reforming yer own cases 'er jest missed the world record last year by 0.001in.

If I was reforming cases, I'd probly get the Big Boss ... but only 'cause it's a real badass press ... and can be set up to take the Hornady bushings. But, if there was a shellplate fer it, I'd probly jest use my LNL-AP.

[Hammer99...]

The RCBS kit can be upgraded to a progressive for about $350.

[rugersol]

The RCBS kit can be upgraded to a progressive for about $350.

Considering ya could otherwise spend that, plus at most $50 more, on a new LNL-AP, and then have two presses, it hardly seems worth it.