Looking at buying a new one , looking for opinions

I am very pleased with my Lee Classic Cast.

Hard to beat a Rockchucker.

You might want to look into a Redding T7 Though.

Assuming you do not load 50cal.

True. I've had one for 25yrs. It ain't no Dillon though. It is what most should start with though.

+1

That's what I have as well. Can't imagine anything better for a simple SS press.

I've still got the rockchucker I was given second hand in 1984.

Bought mine new in 1974 and see no reason to change.

Redding T7

Redding T7

I love RCBS, you can sell a second-hand RCBS and switch to a Classic Cast and come out ahead in money. Only RCBS press I miss is my Partner press, might buy another as I like small presses for small or lightweight jobs.
Cheers...
Con

+2. One replaced my RCBS.

I like my Classic Cast also. It's what I started with, has held up fine, makes concentric ammo. What else would a single stage press need?

A place to screw in six more dies.

That can't suck.

Forster/Bonanza Coax, by far.

+1.

I love my Lee Classic Turret. It has easily removable turrets which allow me to adjust my most regularly used dies, leave them in a turret, and just exchange turrets with dies already set. The four hole turrets will hold two sets of rifle dies or one set of pistol dies. Extra turrets cost about $10. Right now I have more money invested in extra turrets than I do in the press.

Two on my bench, Forster and an RC that is used primarily for black powder cartridges.

forster and RC on my bench also

Ed

Another vote for the T7. I can't believe I waited so long to buy one.

Buying a $300 T7 over a Dillon 550B strikes me as very short-sighted. For less than a C-note more you can get Dillon's stripped down 550:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=risKd6tknJo

Though, why anyone would not want to use Dillon's priming system baffles me.

Funny you can link youtube but can't post a picture of ANYTHING you've done.

Been running Forster Co-ax and RC but recently removed the RC as it was just taking up space. I prefer the co-ax.

What is funny to me is the fact that that really bothers your gay azz.

IIRC, the Lee Classic Cast has a hole thru the ram and primes drop into a plastic tube. The Redding Big Boss II does the same. I like the Rockchucker, but those presses with the primer catching tube are the cleanest. Primers are always jumping out of those RCBS primer trays.

IMHO,

DF

Rockcucker, I am only saying that because it's the only one that I have owned, had it since 1974.

For the dollar, a Rockchucker used on Ebay can be a bargain. If there's any problem, RCBS will fix it, even overhaul on older, even beat up press.

DF

All, I wore out my old Lyman Spartan about 25 years ago (kept breaking the handle off at the end of the threads and it got too short) and bought an RC. I do a fair amount of case forming and I know I can't bend that one, and if I do I'll call RCBS.-Muddy

The best quality single stage is probably the Forster Co-ax. It is expensive and has some limitations however. I have used most presses; Rock chucker, Boss, Big Boss, Ultra Mag, RCBS Jr, and a Pacific. A couple of years ago I switched to a T7 and never looked back. It is definitely the most useful of all the single stage presses.

Comparing it to a Dillon 550 is meaningless. I have used them and would never want to load my accurate rifle ammo on one. For long range work you need to weigh your powder charges for one thing.

I couldn't agree more, loading a lot of LR ammo on a Dillon 550 is stupid. You should use a Dillon 650, like John Whidden:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHpjkBLiJx0

Awesome pix, TAK!

Agree about the Dillon. I have a 550B set up for a dozen or so pistol rounds, each with its own tool head, dies and powder measure all set and ready to go. And for that use it's great.

I see no reason why someone would want a stripped down 550 to use as a single stage press for full size and magnum rifle rounds.

If I was looking for a single stage press, I'd check out the Lee Classic Cast and the Redding Big Boss II, for their spent primer handling feature. If I was strapped for cash, I'd get a used Rockchucker on Ebay. There are a lot of them out there, enough to be offered on the used market. The Lee and Redding are probably too new to have adequate numbers out there to be seen in the used market. One could occasionally show up on Ebay.

DF

Has anyone used a RCBS Summit yet?

Hows the Lee Classic Turret stack up against the Redding T7?

I'm still a newb when it comes to reloading, but the only things made by Lee that I found worth a chit were the Classic Cast and the Collett dies.

Notice the CoAx is second to none in handling spent primers.

Notice that here as most places capitalism works and more money is a better press but diminishing returns kick in pretty early - the Lee will do folks all their lives (I used a 310 exclusively when I started when that was all I had it was good enough and a Lee is better than that), a used Rockchucker will do people all their lives. My most used press in terms of time pulling the handle is a Harrel's turret because it's set up on my desk next to the computer screen and I can rather mindlessly decap and size especially the smaller cases including pistol I shoot the most - I like to decap early in the process before tumbling/vibrating - I even use a plier Pope style decapper but I'm nervous about lead styphenate.

For further processing a progressive or a CoAx (second series so I give up something in clearance under the handle for the longest cases with micrometer dies) and I have a T7 mostly so I can leave Redding Instant Indicators set up and a Hollywood Universal Turret for really big cases.

In terms of cases loaded of course a progressive and I don't use a turret as anything but a single stage batch processing with the dies already setup for whatever I'm doing right now. The CoAx solves a lot of problems most people will not have. I think it was Peg Bracken who wrote beware of spending money to solve problems you don't have. The Hollywood is for when nothing smaller will do which may not be this year. It's been a long long time since I needed a primer punch for domed primers

I've had a Rockchucker going since 1975. Still going strong. During the years when I was into high volume reloading for pistol bullets, I had added a Piggy Back unit on top. Worked well. Now it is mostly rifle ammo, and it still loads great ammo. Plus I have had good treatment from RCBS in the customer service department. If I was going high volume pistol again, Dillon would get the nod.

Uhh, how 'bout going from 45acp to 308 in under a minute. If you are loading for a bolt gun, you can use a Lee Collet sizer and you don't have to lube. Ball powders drop quite accurately from the Dillon measure. You can us one of those auto powder drops and a funnel at station two and that is no different than any other press then, except a LOT faster.

You can use a Lee Collet die only so much. At some point you need to size the case and bump the shoulder. What if you can't find a ball powder that works for your rifle. A Dillon is not the best press to use for general rifle loading, especially when accuracy is important.

You really need to get in touch with John Whidden and David Tubb and clue them in then, since they both load virtually all of their competition ammo on Dillon blue machines. Maybe they'll win a match one day with your help.

Need to bump the shoulder back? That is what they make body dies for. Having four or five stations on your press, all working simultaneously, opens lots of doors.

TAK, all you ever do is drop names. That's kinda wierd.

That coming from a man, who had to ask who Rob Leatham was, in the Handgun forum. Maybe you should start looking up some of these names I "drop". You might learn something.

I've never been big on hero worship.

Tell me about Leatham's exploits in the military or law enforcement.

Understanding what a single stage press is apparently also baffles the [bleep] out your Outdoor Life reading dumbass.

Not even Chesty?

You're really grasping at straws.

I don't worship anyone.

Another inane post as usual. Drunk already on Sunday evening? I figured you'd be at church.

Doubt that Rob Leatham has ever shot in a Bullseye match.

Denny.

Anybody mention a RCBS RS and JR2 ? They have served me well. Thanks Uncle Don.

Who cares? What is fun is watching a Bullseye shooter on a Rogers Range. Targets that don't stand still are a bit harder to hit.

Rob Leatham is the only man in history to win pistol shootings "triple crown", The Bianchi Cup, the Steel Challenge, and the USPSA Nationals, all in the same year. He was the first man to ever clean the Roger's Range Test with a perfect score, it has only been done four other times in 25years.

As for his "military" exploits, he shows up "behind the fence" at Tier One units to teach them quite often.

One thing is for sure. Leatham has really clean balls, the way you are licking them.

I need to start drinking if I'm going to continue to read your stupidity Lee24.


For an idiot that can work a Dillon but is baffled by a camera

On your way back to the safety of the spectator area pick me up a hot dog and an iced tea. Don't forget your pom poms.

Bam!

Can't say they are the best because it's the only brand I have used since 1979 but the two Lyman presses that I have are still going strong. One is a 'C' type (Spartan?) and the other is an 'O' (Crusher II?).

Dale

Redding used here.

Another vote for the Forster Co-Ax. I bought mine and the Rockchucker got buried in dust so I sold it. However, the diversity of high opinions on a wide variety of presses should be proof enough that any of the SS presses from Dillon, RCBS, Redding, Lyman, Lee Classic Cast, Hornady, Forster, etc. are all excellent products that will produce good ammunition.

Jgotro, a Rockchucker has been my SS press for many years however a recent and welcome addition mounted next to it is a RCBS Partner Press for seating bullets.

http://www.6mmbr.com/catalog/item/1433308/5707901.htm


It added a little more smoothness to my case flow when loading for extended periods. JMHO

They [Tubb and other HP shooters] don't have the accuracy requirements that I do. High power is not an accuracy driven sport like 1000 yd BR is. You can't get away with the amount of ES you will get from dropping charges at 1000 yds. I'll bet they aren't using collet dies as their main die either.

IF I were shooting 1000s of rounds of that stuff every year, I would have to get creative and come up with a better solution that what I have. I can't imagine how time consuming it would be to change calibers, change powder types, change seating depths for the various loading that I do on a 550.

I have shot with Robbie before, he is a machine [lives here in Mesa where I live, or at least he did]. That does not mean that he knows sh1t about reloading precision rifle ammo. You can't be good at everything.

Foster Coax.

Good luck, cheers, Chris

I had a Rock Chucker for thirty some years. Good single stage press, but I finally decided that something had to be better than changing out dies all the time. Got a Redding T7 about four years ago. I can't imagine ever needing anything different. I have three heads set up for every thing I load so I never change dies out. You can pay more, but as far as single stage presses go, the T7 is all I need or want. Just my opinion..........

I'm third owner of my rockchucker.

They sure do seem to last.

As an aside, I ran a little unscientific test when I got my T7. I installed a seating die in one hole of the turret head and seated a bullet for my 7mm-08. Then I unscrewed the die and placed it in the next hole and seated another bullet. I proceeded all the way around the head seating a bullet with the die in each of the seven holes. Variation in OAL was a mere .004. I can have that much variation with the die in one hole seating seven bullets due to bullet ogive variation. All this just to say that the precision of manufacture is very good.

As to the OP's original question, there are many good SS presses available. Every one has their favorite and usually what they own is the "best". For myself, I just can't imagine ever wanting or needing anything different than the T7.

RCs are great presses and can hardly be faulted, but I'm the first owner of my Co-Ax and will be the only owner until the day the day I can no longer pursue my passion.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/736031/redding-700-ultramag-single-stage-press

or Redding T7