Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Which type of press?

Can anyone recommend a press or type, progressive vs single st.age for loading 30.06 and 243 ammo, quantity is not my goal here and I'm just learning so any help would be appreciated. I've been looking at the rcbs rock chucker and Dillon 550.

Single stage pick would be a Redding T7


Dillon for the progressive. Depends what you want.

I have a RC and its a good press. I have read that the quality of the more recent ones is not what its used be.I can't comment on that, although others might.

If you are on a budget, the Lee Cast Classic seems very good value for money and will do anything you could reasonably want from a single stage..

Edited to add re single stage presses just stay away from the very cheap pot metal C presses of what ever brand and get a cast iron/steel O frame of some sort.

rock chucker is a good press

Ed

I have both and I think you'd also be happy with them. I only load load pistol on my Dillon 550 though. Customer service for both company's are outstanding.

Single stage RC or Redding flip a coin cant go wrong either way.
Turret goes to Redding.

I tend to agree with Steelhead on the Redding T7 as a single stage press. The turret head allows you to leave your dies set up for different cartridges without having to remove from the press. And, it is quality all the way. I started with a single stage RC but have ended up with the T7 with 3 heads.

Of the two you mentioned, the RockChucker. The Lee Classic is surprising robust, so keep it in mind.

Turret, I'd go T7

Progressive, Dillon. My tendency would be a 550B.

Rockchucker was the first and only press i have...so far.

looking at buying another one in the next few months.
They last a long time.

I'm pretty sure you can't use a Redding T7 as anything other than a single stage, hence the reason it is a single stage press.

I like my Lee Classic Cast a great deal.

I had a Rock Chucker but replaced it with a Lee Classic Cast. Great press.

Rock Chucker or T7 would be my choice.

Still using my RockChucker bought new in 1974.

I have a rockchucker and a lee cast classic. Both are well made. I would say the lee is a better value largely because of its lower cost.

One fundemental difference is that the RCBS "cams over" at the end of the stoke and the lee doesn't. Both work fine but if you are used to one type of action you might want to stick with it.

I once had a Rockchucker and a RCBS Jr mounted on my bench. Then I bought a Bonanza (Forster) Co-Ax. I gave the RC to my next-door neighbor.

So now, I have a Jr and a Co-Ax on my bench, and the latter gets 95% of the action. Nothing wrong with the RC, mind you, but the Co-Ax is the cat's meow for single stage work.

I had the RC for many years and then got the itch for the Co-Ax. RC gathered dust for 6 months and then I sold it so someone else could make use of it. Haven't regretted it even once.

Co-Ax all the way.
George

I use a Lyman Orange Crusher, but would be well served with a RC or Lee Cast or any similar quality press.

I have had a RCBS Junior, Rock Chucker and a Co-Ax, they are all good presses. I now have a two Ponsness Warren presses, the P-200 for handgun and the Metal-matic for rifle. I like the ability of leaving two sets of dies set-up, the press is always ready to go to work, no fiddling around changing dies and shell holders and tinkering with adjustmetst. I have built a power operated press that I use for sizing/decapping handgun cases, I plan to eventually add PW's power units to my presses.