Thoughts on compact reloading setup

[Ex-MA Hole]

I load 30-30 on my rockchucker, soon to be adding .223...

[charby]

Iirc they sell the Lee press as a kit with everything but the dies, right?

95% of the kits are sold that way regardless of the manufacturer.

[Balog]

95% of the kits are sold that way regardless of the manufacturer.

Ah, I see. Are the other things that accompany the press in the kit (powder measure etc) good quality, or is one better off getting them piecemeal?

[mtnbkr]

Iirc they sell the Lee press as a kit with everything but the dies, right?

They offer their single stage presses and the older turret press as kits, but not the newer cast turret press. 

Chris

[charby]

Ah, I see. Are the other things that accompany the press in the kit (powder measure etc) good quality, or is one better off getting them piecemeal?

I'm only familar with RCBS kits. The kits contain the same stuff, i.e. powder measure, as you would get it you bought then piecemeal. This is the kit that I started with and have added some more stuff. The scale it comes with is awesome!

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=646599

Here is a review of the kit

http://www.centerfirecentral.com/productreviews/rockchucker.htm

I'm not saying you need to by RCBS equipment but it is what I am familar with.

[Ex-MA Hole]

My kit is the Rockchucker kit that Charby is referring too....My buddy has about 7 or 8 presses, one of which was his grandfathers Rockchucker...it's the one he told me to get...for a basic kit, this is perfect....I've upgraded nothing.

[Gewehr98]

They all make good presses. To a tee, they also offer some darned good customer service.

However, they all can make real dawgs at times, so be careful.

Think "solid".  Lee and Lyman cast iron turret presses are solid.

Lee light alloy turret presses and hand presses?  Not so impressive.

The RCBS Rockchucker series has been a stalwart for many years.  I owned an RCBS Jr2 cast iron O-frame for several years, until I "fell into" my C-H Model 6 Super Slide press.  The RCBS was stout, but not as versatile as the O-frame Super Slide.

Note how it sits on my Midway portable stand, opposite my Dillon SDB and Lyman powder measure:



 

[Balog]

Interesting comment from the Rockchucker reviews on Midway.

These are good presses, but thankfully, I have a mint condition old RCBS A2 in the family. So I will not be buying a new press anytime in my life. I wanted to post a tip for everyone my old man discovered in over 40 years of reloading. Ditch the RCBS case lube and pick yourselves up a small tub of lanolin(sheep grease). Works much better for case lubing, is dirt cheap, no hydraulic denting, much less messy, and will last you the rest of your lives. You only need enough that you can feel it on your fingers, and you're good to go. Haven't ruined a case since.

Seems a bit shady to me, but who knows?

[Gewehr98]

For my progressives, I use Dillon spray case lube.  I've also tried PAM, which seems to do ok, too.

However, for single stage? 

Nothing beats Imperial Sizing Die Wax.

I repeat - NOTHING!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.larrywillis.com/imperial.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.larrywillis.com/Imperial.html&usg=__3oUeF-eguDiyOJ6T7QtOM9DoFsU=&h=187&w=250&sz=10&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=MHbdPSW4ijJDwM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimperial%2Bsizing%2Bdie%2Bwax%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

[Balog]

For my progressives, I use Dillon spray case lube.  I've also tried PAM, which seems to do ok, too.

However, for single stage? 

Nothing beats Imperial Sizing Die wax.

I repeat - NOTHING!

Good to know. I'll have to get some.

Also, is there supposed to be a pic attached to the post up there? 

[Gewehr98]

Yeah, I was trying to insert it when you replied, dagnabbit! 

[charby]

I've had no problems with RCBS case lube but I think I'm going to a spray lube when I get my Dillon.

[mtnbkr]

Imperial FTW.

Chris

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

FWIW, I use Lee's Cast Turret Press and love it.  It is much sturdier than their previous version and still much less expensive than the other options.  You could probably get set up for a single caliber for under $200, maybe as little as $150 (haven't checked prices) for the press, dies, turret, scale, and other misc tools.  Mike has one as well and I think he likes his too.

I use mine for 38/357, 44mag, 32S&W Long, 6.5x55.  I've used it in the past for 32ACP and 7mmTCU (including forming cases from 223).  I sold my older version to a friend and he uses it for 38/357, 30-06, and a couple other calibers.  It's certainly capable, though not as prestigious as the others.

Chris

I have the older "non-cast" Lee turret press and I like it.  The only warts with it seem to have been addressed in the design of new cast version, so I'd imagine the new cast turret press is even better. 

If I had to buy a new reloading press today, that Lee cast turret press would definitely be my choice.

[Balog]

Yeah, I was trying to insert it when you replied, dagnabbit! 

For this post? http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=20175.msg380416#msg380416 It's the "Note how it sits on my Midway portable stand, opposite my Dillon SDB and Lyman powder measure:" part that makes me feel there should be something to look at... :D

[Balog]

Ok, so if I were to get these dies and this kit would that be all I needed? Plus components, obviously?

Or alternatively this press.

[charby]

Ok, so if I were to get these dies and this kit would that be all I needed? Plus components, obviously?

Or alternatively this press.

Since you are going to reload rifle, a case trimmer.

Also think about a tumbler for cleaning/polishing the brass.

[mtnbkr]

Yes on all accounts.

That said, I would prefer to get the cast Lee classic turret, the RCBS beam scale (or digital, but I have the beam), the Lee powder measure, and Lee dies.

Chris

[AZRedhawk44]

I started reloading back when I lived in a 1BR apartment, just for 45acp.  My setup was:

RCBS Partner press
RCBS carbide dies
RCBS Uniflow measure (briefly used a Lee PPM but it malfed and left me not trusting it)
Lee balance scale
Lee Autoprime priming tool
2 x RCBS 50rd loading blocks

... and I think that's it.

I put the reloaded rounds into the retail ammo boxes so I didn't have to buy the MTM ammo boxes.  I didn't clean the brass, ever.  The stuff started turning green/brown in color, but still worked fine.

I mounted the press and powder dispenser on a 2x8 board, and c-clamped the board to my dining table when I wanted to reload.

I used this setup for quite awhile, and added .38/357, .44 and .30-30 to it while still in the 1BR environment.

By the time I graduated to .308 for my M1A, I had a garage at my disposal for my load bench.  That partner press finally snapped in half one day from loading big cartridges like .308.  The partner press is made from aluminum rather than iron or steel, so it doesn't take the same degree of stress that a Lee Classic Cast or RCBS Rockchucker can take.

RCBS replaced it for free, but I still went out and got a RockChucker since I had outgrown the equipment.

I also added a case tumbler once I had a garage.

The old apartment setup stowed neatly in the top shelf of my closet with no fuss.  Setup took less than 5 minutes if I wanted to reload.

[mtnbkr]

Case trimmer, yes, case tumbler, not so much. 

The tumbler is useful, and I have one, but it isn't a requirement.  I use mine more for my handgun brass than my rifle stuff.  Put that money towards components.

Chris

[charby]

When you get all the stuff together you need to reload, add of the total costs for everything. Take this number and compare it to cost of ammo you currently shoot to figure out how many rounds you need to reload before you are money ahead on reloading.

[mtnbkr]

Yes.  If you're a box/year shooter, reloading won't save you any money.  If you shoot multiple boxes per month or you shoot something horribly expensive or hard to find, it'll potentially save money.

Of course, you can reload for the fun or to enhance accuracy, but if you're reloading to save money, do the math first.

Chris

[Balog]

Yes on all accounts.

That said, I would prefer to get the cast Lee classic turret, the RCBS beam scale (or digital, but I have the beam), the Lee powder measure, and Lee dies.

Chris

So this press, this scale (or this one since it's in stock), either this or this powder measure, and these dies? And a case trimmer, although searching Midway for that leads to a ton of accessories for case trimmers, but not the actual trimmers themselves....

I'm currently pretty low volume, but I want to change that. :)

There it is. Holy crap, the case trimmer is more than the press!

[mtnbkr]

Sure, though I'm not sure how well the Lee Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure will work with rifle cartridges because of charge capacity (I use it for handgun and the other powder measure you list for rifle).  As for trimmers, I had this one: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=795961 but later converted it to the powered version.

Chris

[Jim147]

If it hasn't been listed yet I would recommend a good dial caliper.
If you not going to be doing hundreds at a time the little Lee trimmer works and is very cheap.
If you are just doing rifle right now I would skip the autodisc and get the perfect powder measure or a set of dippers or you can do what I did when I started. A small coffee cup to pour the powder in and some spoons to dip and dribble into the scale pan.

Though I used to be able to load .45 Colt for under $2.00 a box before component prices started going up, I guess I'm just not good enough at accounting to see any savings.
I shoot more and keep buying other things to load for.

jim