Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Considering a Redding Big Boss 2. Any thoughts?

Have a 40 year old Rock Chucker and feeling the itch to upgrade. Will the BB2 offer anything the Rock Chucker doesn’t? I like the idea of how the BB2’s spent primers are handled….the apparent greater leverage of the BB2 is a plus as well.

Opinions of the Campfire Illuminati are appreciated.

Not familiar with this Press, as my own RockChucker is about 45yrs old itself, and its been great! Do you load big magnums that the Press would seemingly be mage for? Reason I ask is IF NOT, it may be too big and bulky and take up alot of Bench...for same thing?

Good press, have been using one a number of years. I prefer my RCBS Big Max for case forming but for general loading the Redding is very nice.

Redding makes good stuff....but what's wrong with Forster Co-Ax?

How much leverage do you need? Are you sizing 458WM brass into 222 Rem cases? Are you swaging bullets?

If your RC is 40 years old you probably have a 1st Gen.

Are you finding a need for a larger opening to make it easier to insert your 338 Lapua rounds and seat bullets?

The current generation RC press has an opening that is 20-30% larger and has more leverage than your 1st gen RC, and is probably a few bucks less expensive than the BB.

The Redding press does have better primer handling though. Decapping brass is a dirty business no matter how the primers are handled by the press and that grit gets on the sides of the ram and into the linkage. I use an old RCBS Jr press that is a dedicated decapping press with a decapping die.

I have a Rockchucker and a Big Boss II. I use the Big Boss to size and decap, as spent primers fall thru the ram into a tube, no primer tray like the Rockchucker. I don't have as many primers jumping out onto the floor.

DF

I have a Redding Big Boss II and have been very happy with it. I use it for loading rifle cartridges from .223 to .375 H&H. It's worked well for everything I've used it for.

Agree with John 55 big max or the rcbs Ammomaster are the tits..mb

No reloader ever needed a valid reason to buy another press:)
Go for it.

Probably nothing, just never had one.

Have read good reports.

DF

My current metallic press is a Redding T7. I have a lot of Redding stuff and, IME, if one of their products is configured right for your particular needs and preferences, you won’t be disappointed with function or quality.

certainly not a CF Illuminati, but i have been using a Bonanza/Forster Co-ax since the mid 70's... from 38 spc to 375 H&H... never felt the need/want for an upgrade... that said, if you have a need for Big Boss size & leverage, Redding Quality is Excellent, and i think? Forster has introduced a larger Co-ax for the really heavy duty jobs... i like the co-ax's snap in/out die feature (quick) and the floating universal shell holder has apparently helped make it easy for this idiot (me) to make very accurate hunting ammo...

I have both The B.B 2and Co-Ax. I used a Dillon power case trimmer for bulk trimming and the Co-Ax is not
a option. The thing I don’t like about my B.B2 is the slight scratching noise as I raise and lower the ram. Probably just needs some polishing. I purchased the B.B to have a larger opening for some magnum cases. I still would prefer a little larger opening for my 3 1/4” sharps.

Lyman orange crusher or ammomaster or quit fugging around with greasers and paper patch those 3 1/4" hulls.mb

Nothing wrong with it if it truly suits your need like a lot of very large case sizing or forming.

But if you load a lot of pistol ammo or a lot of 223 - 308 class rounds in high volume, you'll get for more benefit from a turret press, especially if you crimp any of those.

The less time that you have to handle cases using a single stage press adds up.

YMMV

MM

Amen…. I use a Forster and Redding T7.. If you want a press and you’re not starving your kids, have at it.

I use my Co-Ax for most of my handgun reloading and rifle calibers up to 30-06. It does a fine job. But the one thing I don’t care about is it has poor “ergonomics”. The way it is built makes it a little more difficult to insert or remove a case. Same for placing a bullet in the case mouth.
On the plus side is the location of the handle. It is much easier to use than a rock chucker style press.

For most loading I prefer my old (50+yo) Co-Ax. Even better, the new standard models have a taller yoke opening.

For heavy duty case forming I believe the Redding UltraMag is the best plus it has a huge opening. If you need to go big it is great.

The T7 is a great press but I haven’t bought one because of the two I already have. Great piece of gear.

If you want it, you don't have to justify it. You'll probably not note a lot of change over the RCBS, except as you said, slightly more leverage and a better primer management system.

Grew up loading on a Rock Chucker. Sold it awhile back as I wanted a press with a taller window for loading 375 H&H, 458 Lott, and three different cartridges for my double rifles. Bought a RCBS ammomaster and it did a fine job. The doubles are all gone now so this thread put a bug in me to pick up a different press. After reading this thread decided to purchase my first Redding Big Boss II. It will mount on the bench next to the Co-Ax. The Big Boss should do a great job with my recently acquired 6.5-300, 300, and 340 Weatherbys.
I'll most likely sell the Ammomaster as my double rifle days are behind me.

And in that shootout the Rockchucker beat every other press in loading straight ammo except for the bazillion dollar German press, and even then the RC was close.

Holy crap! Just looked at the prices of single stage and turret presses on the websites. Prices have gone up 30% or more recently.

I see Midsouth has the Rebel press on sale for $200. That’s a heavy duty press with a large opening at a good price. Probably won’t see it that low again…

The Rebel has a better spent primer handling system than the RC.

I absolutely despise the RCBS Rock Chucker spent-primer collection. I tried an aftermarket job, and its slightly better, but working with small cartridges, it can be difficult.

Redding still offers the Big Boss press, it and the Big Boss 2 press are completely different. The Big Boss press doesn't have or the capability of using the 1-1/4" die bushing. With the Big Boss 2 its included. Maybe doesn't seem like much of a difference, but if you think you might be using your dies with quick-change die bushings such as Hornady makes, it's all the difference in the world. I have both and leave the Big Boss set up just for decapping. Both are real good presses.

Phil

I have both the RC and the BBII.

If buying just one, it would be the BBII. I already had the RC when I bought the BBII.

I use the BBII for decapping, sizing, the RC for seating and crimping.

They are set up side by side in my shop; I use them both. Don't ask me why, just that they're there and that's the way I use them.

All pistol and small case loading is done on a Dillon 550B. I have tool heads set up with a bunch of different die sets and powder measures. Makes swapping between rounds a lot easier. And the 550B is a lot faster than a single stage set up. I also have a bench mounted RCBS primer seating device that I use for all single stage loading.

DF

Snowwolfe, Check this out: Co-ax Press Increased Access Side Linkages . I use a fair amount of Inline Fabrication accessories and am very happy with all of it. Especially like their quick change press and equipment mounting system, and the wall mounts to store the presses and equipment not presently in use.

I'm still using my 58 y/o Rockchucker and it's still smooth and tight and produces excellent ammo, but don't like its primer handling at all. I use a Lee or the Co-ax for depriming with a universal depriming die, and for priming, a bench-mounted RCBS Automatic Priming tool. I like the Co-ax a lot, especially since upgrading it with the curved side linkages from Inline Fabrication (see link above).

I've got Dillon RL 550B and XL750 progressives for large volume stuff.

Got a friend with a Redding T7 and the original Big Boss and I've used both, and they're very nice presses as well.

Thanks for the tip! Never knew they existed. I found these on Ebay, made by Forester and ordered a set. I like they do not have that small "point" in the middle of the curve and they cost less to boot.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/155573181549

The curved linkage pieces are the cats meow! Thanks for the tip they even existed. Spent 5 minutes installing them and it totally changes the ergonomics of the press. I can now reach in from either side with nothing in the way.
If any of you have the old style straight linkage do yourself a favor and buy the curved pieces.