MyHuntingForum.com
Hunting Equipment => Firearms, Rifle Pistol Muzzleloader Shotgun Ammo => Topic started by: stka on Jun 26, 2014, 01:42:51 PM
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I know there's a couple guys with a lot of reloading experience. Does anyone have a notable preference for any specific brand/style of press. Even though I've been reloading for a long time I really only stop by my uncles and load a batch every few years. Now I'm ready to set up my own press from scratch. I'll be starting out with 30-06 and 223's but will probably end up doing some handgun and other rifle calibers eventually. I'd like to hear some input from anyone with a fair amount of experience before making the investment.
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I have a Dillon Square Deal 'B' for my .40 S&W, love it! Progressive reloader is the way to go with for handgun ammunition.
Rifle, I have had a RCBS Rock Chucker. I bought it used in the 80's, no problems.
Shotgun, Mec 600. I have had this loader since the 70's, no problems.
RCBS, Dillon, and Mec all are manufacturers of quality products IMHO.
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I go with Monk on the RCBS Rock Cracker had mine for 30 + years now and still working fine and all the goodies
did replace the scale about 5 years ago , Shot gun have an old Lyman still ticking bought the stuff right out of
high school in 1980
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I like the rcbs press the best. The lee case trimmer is the finest I've used. IDE geta tumbler used some where's, till then just clean with oooo steel lol. I really like the rcbs case prep center. This is a HUGE time saver. IDE grab a five dollar tricker and a rcbs or cabelas digital scale. A decent digital caliper is handy but the cheaper dial style work okay. My rifle loads are to the tenth of a grain. It's tough to get that accuracy with a triple beam scale. And it DOES make a difference.
Bench set it is essential too! Have fun and be careful
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Are you talking about the RCBS Rock Chucker? I was also trying to figure out if it was worth getting a turret or just sicking with the single stage. The progressive presses don't look like they'd give the precision I want for rifle rounds. It's been a few years since I loaded any of my 30-06 rounds, but I was using a trickler and I think I was getting tenth grain accuracy. I will get a good digital scale though, and I have good digital calipers already. It was essentially within 1-2 granules of powder. If I go single stage it would make it a bit cheaper to get everything I need.
Have you used a manual tumbler, is it even worth considering one? Or am I better off just using steel wool for the effort.
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For rifle I like the single stage press and trickle powder loads for each round. It slow things down, more deliberate and more accurate.
With handgun ammunition, things are more forgiving. But I like the Dillon Square Deal 'B', it slows things down a little. It makes you pay attention and helps you not get sloppy. That's why I like the Mec 600 and 700 too.
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For cleaning brass IDE either get a elec tumbler, turn it on and forget it or just clean with steel wool. I do both. I tumble to clean for reloading the polish each round by hand once I'm finished.
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For cleaning brass IDE either get a elec tumbler, turn it on and forget it or just clean with steel wool. I do both. I tumble to clean for reloading the polish each round by hand once I'm finished.
X2
Electric tumbler is especially nice with handgun brass. ;)
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Midway has a great sale going on now on reloading supplies.
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for my pistols i use a cheapie lee turret... they are clunky and will give ya some problems but they do work simple works best, adding on all the doo-dads just makes me growl......rcbs rock chucker for me too for my rifles....dillion rocks but not on my budget.
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So I finally got the majority of my supplies. Ended up with an RCBS rock chucker, RCBS charge master auto scale, Hornady case prep center, RCBS hand primer, Frankfort tumbler/seperator kit, also got a Lee quick lock set for the dies and split collar thread locks.
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I'll keep my eyes out for a quality triple beam, but for now the charge master will work for me with 0.1 grain accuracy.
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Unless you are shooting bench rest at 1000 yes the scale you have is just fine.
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You got a very nice set up Steve ....
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Post some pics of your work space! Show off the new toys lol
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I will, maybe later today. I've been so busy I haven't even had time to set the space up properly. I've been traveling all over for work lately. And working on the boat or fishing one day a weekend. Today is the last youth shoot for the summer so that will lighten my schedule a little.
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Sat down and started resizing some 30-06's and about 20 in I got one stuck, tore the rim off the bottom of the brass. They didn't feel like there was any lube issue on the previous ones. It's a brand new Lee sizing die, anyone have any tricks to get it out? I'll do some research but I'm thinking about heating up the die and trying to push it down with the primer extractor pin. I tried a little but didn't put to much force on it yet.
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Lol yea. I have a trick. I use a case extractor. Too much lube can stick them too. It creates a hydro lock. That's why I use horn addy one shot. It's a dry base lube that basically evaporates.
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I actually have one shot on order, should be here tomorrow ;D.
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Good.
Btw, how was your sizing die set? In other words, How far out was the de-priming pin? Can you get the spindle out of the top of the die? Your de primer could have been a little loose I suppose and tour expander ball went beyond the case neck...just a thought...
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Deprimer was probably 1/8 - 3/16. Case is all the way up, spindle won't come out easily. It didn't slip, it was set flush to the top of the retaining nut from the factory. The case had come out 1/8" or so, but like a fool I pushed it back up trying to get the case holder to grab it again, right before pulling the rim completely off.
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Sounds like a stuck spindle. If you can pull the spindle out you can probably get the case out.
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I didn't explain that well. The spindle will move around easily in the die, but it won't fit out pat the case neck. I'm thinking about cutting the bottom off another case and running a machine screw through it into the primer pocket of the stuck case. Assuming I can find a tap size that'll work in the large primer pocket, looks like a #8 might be about right.
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I would contact Lee Precision, Inc. (262) 673-3075, they probably have been down this road many times... ;)
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Thats all a case puller is. A bit, a tap and a collet.
If you cant get your spindle out thats prob the reason for the stuck case. It wouldnt pyll back through the neck easily and you pulled the rim off. You were lubing inside the necks i hope...
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I was lubing inside the necks. I did call Lee to see if they had any ideas. He was not happy that I used RCBS case lube, but did manage to finally help me. He suggested using the decapper, with the nut in place to hold it straight using a 3/8" flat punch rap it with a 2lb hammer :o. I started to ask him about tapping the primer pocket and he cut me of with "no, no, no, wait the base is still on there?" ::).
He also said they will extract it for something like $12. Add shipping and I can just buy a new die cheaper.
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He is right. If you can get the spindle out, you can use. Punch. Prob 1/4 flat and strike it with a heavy hammet but do not leave it in the press. Put it in a vise.
Fwiw, rcbs case lube is my first choice after oneshot...
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I actually got two rock chuckers, I was going to thread it into the old used one I got very cheap. I don't want to mess up the die in a vice, even if I leave a quick change collar on it, just doesn't feel right.
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Pall the bench vise does is create two shoulders for the retaining nut to sit on. Couple wraps with a rag then just snug won't hurt your die one bit. I've done it probably a dozen times for myself and other folks. But, do as you please and good luck.
Brandon
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Got it out, thanks Brandon. Biggest issue I had was getting the nut back on the spindle. Finally got it threaded on with a clamp on it while turning. Oneshot showed up today ;D.
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It won't be the last one you deal with I promise lol.
One thing I do is after several firings....4 or 5 I inspect the inside of the case near the rim. I took a big paper clip and bent a 90 degree angle on one end about a 1/8 to 3/16" long. I stick it down in each case and feel for cracks or thin spots in the brass. If I feel any I crush the case with pillars and throw it away. Glad you got it out!
Brandon
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Good idea with the feeler.
I still haven't set the bench up, but I sized the last few 30-06's and 92 223's I had tumbled. I was planning to slowly work the primer punch down to set it on the first 223. So I lift the ram, bottom the die, lower the ram and add a 1/3 turn and tighten it. I set the punch about 1/8" eyeballed, load a shell and press it. Lower it and it won't come out of the holder. I slide the holder out and the extractor is still in the primer pocket. Now I'm thinking WTF!. I pulled the spindle and it's just a pin vice type compression that holds the extractor in place. My buddy must have left it loose when he gave it to me. So that was just a quick scare, but the timing was pretty good.
Steve
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My friend picked this up off the ground at the range Sunday.
(http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p265/skabrehl/Misc/IMAG0949_zpsqoop7f3j.jpg) (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/skabrehl/media/Misc/IMAG0949_zpsqoop7f3j.jpg.html)
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Pretty common with rim fire ammo.
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Ammo is rimfire, the firing pin wasn't :o.
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Ammo is rimfire, the firing pin wasn't :o.
Lol I'll clearafy, pretty common for folk to attempt this. I don't think they fully comprehend the term 'RIM fire' lol.
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:o That is a first for me ; Must have tryed it in a .17 hehehe Hit dead center to me
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So I've moved forward slightly. I have a bunch of mixed once fired HXP brass I'm going to use for my preliminary 30-06 loads. Looks like a garande beat the bases pretty hard but hopefully they will work okay in my bolt. I'm using 155gr Hornady A-Max bullets with Either H380 or IMR4350, I have both on hand.
For my coyote gun I'm going out to look for powder during lunch. I was hoping to use the H380 or IMR4350 since I have it on hand, but they sound like they are to slow burning from the reading I've done. It's not easy to even find load data for them with a 223. Hoping to find H335, CFE223, Varget, or BL-C(2). Gun is a SS bushmaster upper 24" barrel with 1:9 twist, using 52gr A-Max and some spent green tip brass (not even sure what the head stamp is).
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TAC is pretty tough to beat for 223. It's double based and meters perfectly plus it isn't temp sensitive.
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They had nothing on hand, ended up getting a pound of H322. Almost bought a lever action 35, but refrained.
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I've had a hell of a time finding powder other then midway but a 24 dollar hazmat charge on top of the 24dollar price plus shipping is ridiculous for 1 lb. glad I stocked up couple years ago on about everything.
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Gun smoke in rotterdam ny has quite a few can of powdering stock, no hazmat fee!
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No hazmat fee to send through the mail?
I wsd in cabelas tonight and lucked into a pound of r15 and a piund ofTac
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For the 30-06 I have either the once fired HXP with the head scars, or the 2+ time R-P I used for the last batch of hand loads. you can feel the difference in weight just handling the two. Do you think I'm better of with the HXP or R-P?
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I have little experience with cmp hxp brass. The little I did had sticky extraction which is common I guess for it.
I like rem brass because it's so available to me and different brass does work different on rifles. The remington peters is just more predictable to me. ID say take you pick. Both are fire formed to your chamber so ID just neck size and head space off the shoulder until the bolt just barley closes easy. If I was bench rest shooting I wouldn't head space as far back. IDE go for a light crush fit when you cam the bolt over.
Btw, I re read your post and saw its a bushmaster 223. Now I'm certain you need to try TAC! Also, BL-C2 is very nasty powder in comparison to most if that helps.
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I'll find some TAC to try out. The R-P was fired in my M77 already, so it was formed before it hit my sizing die. I was planning to set the head right at the lands, just touching.
Yeah, the 24" bushmaster upper over a timney drop in trigger makes a nice rifle, and sharp with the boyds laminate furniture. I have to fit a different scope for bench shooting, but I have one or two kicking around. Not something I want to carry around all day, but for setting up to snipe 'yotes I think it'll work just fine if I can dial in a 300yd round.
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I am not sure what your budget is or how strong your interest is but I'd suggest looking at Lee Precision. I have mostly lee reloading equipment to include 2 single stage presses. I didn't break the bank either. They are quality presses and supported by very good tech support and warranty. The other reloading presses mentioned on this thread are all very good ones as well. I boughtmy Lee equipment over the last couple years as it was affordable for me. I have no gripes against Lee Precision.
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I wound up with an RCBS rock chucker. I have some Lee gear including the case prep center.
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Figurered I'd revive this thread instead of making a new one. So I bought myself a big bore for my birthday a few weeks ago. Now I finally have the dies and two bullets for it. But load data is scarce. The rifle, you ask? Its a ruger m77 hawkeye alaskan in 416 ruger. The standard load is easy to get data for. Unfortunately it uses a 400 grain copper jacketed steal cased lead core. I am trying to find data for a 350 grain barnes TTSX. The best info i got was a link to a guns and ammo article as a response to an inquirey to Barnes. Unfortunately he didnt use varget or imr4064 as I'd like to. So, does anyone here happen to have the "QuickLOAD" software that can run two quick loads for me? Or any idea where else I can look for info? I bought the latest Hornady load manual since they developed the load with ruger, but they only have data for the 400's. I'm going to pick up some of the powders the one guy used, but I'd like to try the varget eventually.
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Don't know anything about what your talking bout but welcome back to the site Steve.......... ;D
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Thanks Raquette.
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Try opticstalk.com there are lots of reloaders there. Great bunch of real shooters.
Just went back to 2009 and couldn't find any posts on the .416 Ruger on opticstalk.com.
Try Rokslide.com there are lots of shooters on that forum that hunt the western states and Alaska and use lots of big bore rifles in bear country. Maybe a better choice.
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Thanks Peddler. I have a few loads I can try, but I'll give Rokslide a look.