If I were in the market, the Summit would be my pick, but then I'm an RCBS guy to the bone.
Possible press issue-need some help
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I've read some reviews of guys complaining about setting up their dies. I'm kind of leaning towards the Rock Chucker Supreme.
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Buck Fever
Well-Known Member
The Lee Classic Cast press with normal die bushing is inexpensive, nearly indestructible and just works. It might be better than a Rock Chucker.
The Summit press gets plenty of good reviews. When they first came out they were really cheap and a good value. Now I think you can get a Rock Chucker cheaper.
The MEC Sharpshooter looks very nice.
The Redding Ultramag looks good because the linkage bears all the stress, the press body just aligns the ram with the die.
I'm partial to "O" style presses. Ideally the die threads will be concentric with the ram and the ram will have minimal play.
I have heard that there are several newly released presses that come poorly machined brand new with sloppy rams so try before you buy.
Some people like the Forester Co-Ax, I don't get it.
Some people like arbor presses which make more sense but the dies are different so it's a step I'm reluctant to make.
The Summit press gets plenty of good reviews. When they first came out they were really cheap and a good value. Now I think you can get a Rock Chucker cheaper.
The MEC Sharpshooter looks very nice.
The Redding Ultramag looks good because the linkage bears all the stress, the press body just aligns the ram with the die.
I'm partial to "O" style presses. Ideally the die threads will be concentric with the ram and the ram will have minimal play.
I have heard that there are several newly released presses that come poorly machined brand new with sloppy rams so try before you buy.
Some people like the Forester Co-Ax, I don't get it.
Some people like arbor presses which make more sense but the dies are different so it's a step I'm reluctant to make.
Got the Rock Chucker Supreme. Found it on sale for $139. I also ordered some of the equipment from Inline Fabrication. Thanks for all the help everyone!
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J E Custom
Well-Known Member
I started with the Rock Chucker and still have it Later i bought the supreme to load the biggest cartridges. Having the desire to load near perfect Ammo i also bought a forester Co ax. What I have found using both is very little difference between the two.
At the moment I use the Co Ax for the 308 size cases and down, and the Rock Chucker for the larger cartridges.
Both are well made and I like the performance of both. So if I were in the market for a press and was just starting out I would probably pick the Rock Chucker for the price.
J E CUSTOM
At the moment I use the Co Ax for the 308 size cases and down, and the Rock Chucker for the larger cartridges.
Both are well made and I like the performance of both. So if I were in the market for a press and was just starting out I would probably pick the Rock Chucker for the price.
J E CUSTOM
25WSM
Well-Known Member
Good choice it will last you and whoever gets it after you die their lifetime too and more. Keep a small amount of lube on the ram. I like to use bolt lube. Oil tends to drip down onto your floor. There are some nice primer catchers made by 3d printing. Look on eBay.
Shep
Shep
Savage 12BVSS
Well-Known Member
I bought an rcbs summit and like it a lot, on sale for $199 at natchez, has a lot of shellholder movement to line up case to die. Its easier to set up dies in than my rockchucker used to be cause it cams over. Keeps primer crud away from the ram and will mount flush a little way back from bench edge if so desired. It produces straighter loaded ammo and brings the die to the case rather than the case to the die. It is very good for TIR in the press comparison posted in a couple posts. Best press I've yet had, got tired of waiting for the forster co ax to start shipping and now I'm glad I did.
This is a great review but if you read the data he posted on his site the Rock Chucker Supreme rated right there with the best. The summit did a tad better with "runout". I was really impressed with the Inline quick change stand also. So much that I bought one as I have space constraints in my shop.
tony d willIiams
Well-Known Member
I had some 'drifting' and repeatability problems at first. I built a reloading table for my height using some western red cedar left over from replacing my deck.
I anchored the table to the floor which reduced a tendency to not always perform the stroke exactly the same. With the larger rounds it takes a bit more force, i.e. 338 LM.
I lube with Vactra oil, and I ran the primer tube to a tube cookies came in. If I ever fill that cookie tube it will be after a dozen or so barrel replacements.
Now when I change dies I check and the only time I need to adjust is if I change bullets. The powder I always adjust and check each drop individually as I want no variance.
Yes, in case you were guessing, I am a nerd, my sweet wife let me know. I had always thought I was just a precise kind of guy.
I anchored the table to the floor which reduced a tendency to not always perform the stroke exactly the same. With the larger rounds it takes a bit more force, i.e. 338 LM.
I lube with Vactra oil, and I ran the primer tube to a tube cookies came in. If I ever fill that cookie tube it will be after a dozen or so barrel replacements.
Now when I change dies I check and the only time I need to adjust is if I change bullets. The powder I always adjust and check each drop individually as I want no variance.
Yes, in case you were guessing, I am a nerd, my sweet wife let me know. I had always thought I was just a precise kind of guy.
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Svashtar
Well-Known Member
I have a Lee Classic Cast, not the breechlock version, and love it. I did the rubber 0-ring trick on the ram that allows the inserted shellholder to "float", which helps alignment with the die.
The only other change I made to the Lee was to lose the hollow tube handle, which isn't up to the quality of the rest of the press (I put it away and it's already rusted badly). Originally I put my old RL550B handle on there, which is solid steel and could be used to club a rhino, and later went to the Inline Fab handle which is better ergonomically.
Later I bought a Co-ax, and additional inline fab mounts. I keep the Lee for decapping and heavy resizing tasks, and use the Co-ax for everything else rifle related. The Dillon handles most pistol reloading.
redneckdan
Well-Known Member
I like the rock chucker for bumping shoulders, especially when pushing shoulders like making 6creed from 243. I also have a lee classic cast non breech lock for neck sizing with lee collets. I modify my presses with a grease zerk on the body to grease the ram bore. I use a nlgi-O iso100 base oil with moly to lube the ram.
ntsqd
Well-Known Member
Traditionally reloading presses tried to absolutely co-axially align the ram with the threaded hole for the die. The better presses emphasized rigidity in the design and material selection along with tight tolerances to eliminate any slop or play is the system. It can only be so good and then the ram can't move and the dies won't thread into the press.
The Co-Ax takes all of that and tosses it on its head. Allow the die to float, allow the case holder to float. The case will align itself in the die if both can float enough to achieve alignment at all. Case alignment to the die is the most important thing. The rest of the mechanism is just how we get there & generate the forces needed to perform the desired operations. This exactly what an arbor press does, the case aligns itself with the die, in this situation it is independent of the press' own structure.
I'm heading toward the arbor press solution my self. I bought a combo press from Harrell's Precision that works with both die types in the expectation that I'll be taking it to the range.
Chuck32571
Well-Known Member
I've owned just about every press out there from Lee's to a Dillon RB550 and I keep going back to my Forester Co-Ax for high quality ammo with virtually zero runout. Now that they have come out with the one piece cartridge holders it's a piece of cake to go from 223's to 338 Lapua's.
