Reloading Equipment

Discussions of powders, bullets and loading information.

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GSmith
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Reloading Equipment

Post by GSmith »

Just getting into BP shooting and am looking for information about reloading equipment. Will be getting a 45-70 and was wondering what press and other reloading equipment will be best suited. Reviewing the web there are many to chose from - Redding, RCBS, Dillon, Lee, etc

Any advise will be appreciated.

Thanks

Glenn
Nuclearcricket
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Nuclearcricket »

Probably a large number would agree that the RCBS Rockchucker is probably the most popular go to press out there. Its good. solid and reliable, will last you a life time. I had one and let it go like an idiot and have regretted it ever since. I now have a Lyman and I am just not happy with it at all. Maybe I just got a lemon but it is what it is, pretty much it just takes up space on the bench. I also have a Bonanza Co-Ax press. I do like that a lot and use it for much of my loading. It does have one draw back and that is the primer system on it. You have to place a primer in the punch by hand for each round. Kind of a pain in the behind, but other than that its an excellent press. To finish filling up the bench I also have an old Dillon 450. I just don't see that as a go to press for loading BP in anything. Not taking anything away from the Dillon, its an excellent press, just not probably the best for BP.
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Don McDowell
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Don McDowell »

I'm a big fan of the Redding t7 press. Dies, I like Lyman, RCBS, and Redding. Hornady dies are good to but their expander die can't double up duty like the expander in the other's do for a compression die.
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Glen Ring
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Glen Ring »

I have had the same Rock chucker since 1978...my grandson will be loading on it when he's my age. i have an assortment of dies but mainly use lee and Lyman.
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bruce m
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by bruce m »

people who are new to black powder cartridge often base reloading decisions on smokeless experience.
as such, a lot of money can be wasted.
speaking for target shooting rather than hunting, you barely need a press, and you should never need dies.
when you buy brass, the necks need expanding to seat bullets.
the best thing for this is a dual diameter expander as sold by baco.
using this requires a press.
if you buy the correct sized expander, the bullet will be seated by fingers only with a little friction.
now come the rub.
what you really need to do is get the right sized bullet mould.
it should cast bullets that will just slide into fireformed cases.
then you deprime, reprime, charge the case and seat the bullet all without dies or a press.
better buy the minimum press required, and spend saved money on a droptube and powder compression plugs.
compression does require a press too, but again nothing fancy.
if you also full length size smokeless bottleneck cases then the strong o frame press will never be wasted.
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Woody
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Woody »

I don't agree with the lack of a need for a press. Just my opinion. It will come in handy for each and every caliber that you choose to load. I have owned a RCBS Rockchucker since I first started reloading in 1976. It will stand up to any abuse you can put it through. I have also owned a Lee, (junk). The only Lee product I can recommend is their 20 pound lead pot. Inexpensive and easily rebuilt. My other press is a Dillon 650. I use it for almost all of my reloading except my Black powder cartridge rifles.

So I recommend the RCBS Rockchucker.

Woody
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Glen Ring
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Glen Ring »

A rockchucker and a Glock are almost idiot proof..and that's why I own both !!!

I have several presses from Lyman, pacific ( i think) , lee...and I JUST left the loading bench and was using the old rockchucker.
I found an RCBS Junior at a garage sale. It had been in a barn and was rusted badly . The owner wanted to give it to me, but I made him take money...but he'd only take 50 cents. I took it home, oiled and sanded and now we use it often also.
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Don McDowell
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Don McDowell »

My old Rockchucker that I bought new in 74 has loaded untold thousands of rounds, but it was getting worn to the point the ram was getting just a touch sloppy. Then I had a chance to pick up the Redding t7, the thing that makes that really nice is the ability to put the full assortment of dies needed to load a blackpowder cartridge in at once, takes a bunch less time to load 100 rounds.
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TAA
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by TAA »

Presses...I have four. Two RCBS Rockchuckers. I won one as a door prize at a handgun silhouette match in Ft. Stockton, TX in 1990. Since then and up to today, all of my reloading happens with it, smokeless and BP. The other was acquired from the fellow who made me a bump die (for smokeless cast bullets) and the die assembly was installed on the Rock Chucker. The third is a RCBS Junior, a gift from my dad as my first press in 1977. The fourth a Lee. Have hardly ever used that one. Used a few times in the hotel room after the first day of a 2-day match, to just deprime and neck size, c-clamped to a table, not much force needed.

There is some overlap in dies, accessories, etc. that both smokeless and BP require. But BP requires a few specialty items that are not seen in smokeless hand loading.

Tom
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by cat1870 »

I'm quite fond off the Redding T-7 press.
Most of my loading is done on my T-7. I've used the RCBS Rockchucker also and can find no fault in that or their JR.
Advantage with the T-7 is that it's a turret press so you can have more than one die in the turret at the same time. Saves a lot of time.
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cat1870
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by cat1870 »

I'm quite fond off the Redding T-7 press.
Most of my loading is done on my T-7. I've used the RCBS Rockchucker also and can find no fault in that or their JR.
Advantage with the T-7 is that it's a turret press so you can have more than one die in the turret at the same time. Saves a lot of time.
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LazyM
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by LazyM »

It has been many years, but I bought my RCBS Rockchucker in Alaska in 1985. I've used nothing since. Not into the turret presses as I enjoy my time reloading slowly...it is my therapy. I truly enjoy reloading slowly and the time doing such. I also believe in the KISS principle. Has held me in good stead over the years. Start slowly, you'll be sucked in soon enough.

Can't disagree with the Glock comment, but that goes to familiarity more than anything.
LazyM
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by LazyM »

It has been many years, but I bought my RCBS Rockchucker in Alaska in 1985. I've used nothing since. Not into the turret presses as I enjoy my time reloading slowly...it is my therapy. I truly enjoy reloading slowly and the time doing such. I also believe in the KISS principle. Has held me in good stead over the years. Start slowly, you'll be sucked in soon enough.

Can't disagree with the Glock comment, but that goes to familiarity more than anything.
MSalyards
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by MSalyards »

Ok for the presses, now for the rest. A good set of beam scales. I also use a electronic powder drop/scale. Mine is made by Pact but there are others. A good drop tube helps, can be made or purchased. I use a hand decapper and a Lee hand primer. Some use powder droppers, I have a nice Lyman made for Black powder. It sits on my bench and collects dust because all my charges are weighed. A powder compression die is necessary, at least for me. I also use a taper crimp die for all my hunting loads.
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Re: Reloading Equipment

Post by Distant Thunder »

I bought my Rockchucker in 1977 and have loaded untold thousands of rounds of all sorts of cartridges with it. I also have my dad's Rockchucker that he bought in 1981 as a backup. For the past several years I have been using a Redding T-7 that I bought and it is my go to press just because it is so nice to be ale to set up multiple dies and reload whatever.

When I'm loading BP cartridges I usually have my compression die and my neck sizing die set up in the Redding T-7. Those are the only dies I use for loading my paper patch bullets. My bullet sizing die is then set up in my Rockchucker and I patch and size my bullets just before seating each one in the charged and compressed cases. Then I run each case with the bullet in place up into my neck sizer and then into the ammo box it goes.

I enjoy loading each cartridge and speed has no place in it for me, it's a labor of love. Each cartridge is the most accurate I can assemble. If it takes me an evening to load 50 cartridges it was time well spent. I plan around the time needed and enjoy the process.

Either of those two presses will serve you well for a lifetime and then someone else will get another lifetime out of it.
Jim Kluskens
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