Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What was the first die set/press you owned?

The first die set would be a Lee Loader in 12 ga. Dad was the actual owner, he upgraded to a MEC, showed me how to use the LL, and I helped make up trap loads. This would have been in the mid-70's. It still lives with me and even has the crimp starter. I thought I'd lost it until my cat at the time found it in the basement. Apparently they make good cat toys.

The first press was a LEE Challenger 2000. That was a Christmas present in 1988. The last time I used it was to swage the crimp out of some LC brass. It was a relaxing thing to do after shoveling out the driveway this morning.

My first die set was 300wby RCBS fl 2 die set. I still have that die set. Bought my press in the mid 90's. Still have and use that Rockchucker press. Still works great after 100,000+ rounds I've loaded on it. I don't have the same 300wby from back in the 90's that started my handloading career, but I still have a good one. Pre 64 model 70. That rifle is old, but I wanted to see how new bullets would work in it. That old die set still works pretty good:

First press 600 Jr Mec 20 ga in 68. A RCBS JR and rcbs 7x57 dies in 69 followed by 7 mm mag dies in 70. 75 sets of dies since then and mostly using a Ammomaster press now but have 10 others to use and 2 dillons. Cast bullets since 1975. 3 presses in the pole barn, 1 press in my dog kennel bldg, 1 in the kitchen , 2 in the reloading room a 1 on my big desk. Yeah I like to load ammo no I am not married anymore. Guy that don't load his own ammo doesn't have jackshit...mb

My first press was an RCBS Partner that I got back when I was in high school... I've had a few others come and go since, but it is still my main press that I do 99% of my loading on now. It stays bolted to my kitchen table most of the time for concenience.

First set of dies was a Lee 3 die set in 44 Magnum. I haven't had a 44 in years, but till use them occasionally to punch out some ammo for my hunting partner for his Ruger.

Well scratching around in my RUSTED memory it was either 1972 or 1974 ??

I had 'just' started to seriously deer hunt and didn't know much about other brands of dies/presses. I had seen them in
mag ads but that was it.

I bought a new RCBS Jr press, RCBS 243 dies and # 2 shell holder. I used that press until @ 1990 -- and I still have it,
my son uses it.

I acquired a Rem 700 BDL in 8 mm RM so I got the RCBS Rockchucker press for the larger inside dimensions.

Looking back over 49-50 yrs of service I have no regrets.


Jerry

Lee Anniversary set with .223, .243, and .38/.357 dies. Would be WAY ahead if I had just stuck with that combination...

Lee Loader for a .44 mag in about 1977, I think. And you haven't lived until you've had a primer pop and scorch the side of your hand from one too many whacks with a mallet.

IIRC, it was a RCBS Rockchucker and the dies were RCBS .270 Win.

Around 1955 traded a 16ga pump and a heavy barrel 22 rimfire and a few dollars I had to a gun shop in Michigan for a C&H C press 2 sets of dies 30/30 for me 348 for my dad 100 primers, 1 lb of 3031.

Herters no.3
Its was my brothers, I started watching and helping a bit in the 60's. It became mine in the 70's and the only press I've ever used. Not sure how many rounds it has done but a bunch.

A RCBS Jr kit. Received it for my birthday in 1973. Still use the 505 scale often, and use the press for seating ( even though the Jr has a pretty short opening I became used to holding the bullet and case between my thumb and finger and sliding the bullet first into die and then the case into the shellholder).

And I can’t believe the prices Jr presses are selling for on eBay…….

The one I still use, RCBS Rockchucker, I’ve loaded thousands with it in the 47 years I’ve owned it.

It looks like hell, but works like it did when I bought it.

First set of dies was 7 mag, still use them too.

Lyman 310 tong tool with a set of .338 Win Mag dies. A Redding powder scale, a pound of 4320 and a box of 200 gr Speer. Guns powder funnel and 100 primers. This was the fall of 1961. I still have and use the dies and the scale and funnel.

Some neat stories. Do you think the ammunition you made from that old equipment was worth it? Was it better, worse or the same as the store bought stuff?

It must have been fun to start assembling your own cartridges and using them to take game or shoot at matches.

Most importantly perhaps, there are the good memories made with family members or friends. A wonderful sense of pride and accomplishment too.

This was the most important and lasting thing - especially if you did it with someone who is no longer here.

The ammo I loaded was much more accurate than the factory .22-250 ammo available during the early 1970s. Maybe not so much more accurate than current factory ammo. I don't know how I remember it, but my first batch of components were CCI large rifle primers were $.99/100, Hornady 55 grain SX bullets $3.12/100, and a can of Dupont IMR 4064/$5.86. And yes, I shot a lot more than I would have if shooting factory loads. Still to this day I have not killed a deer with factory loads.

The same one I still use............

Lyman single stage C-press bought from the Herter's showroom in Mitchell, SD in the summer of 1976. 2 sets of Lyman dies at the same time............ 308 Win and 30/40 Krag

The ammo I created with those old Herter's dies was none too straight, a condition I discovered later when I got my first concentricity gauge. It shot ok but nothing to write home about. Those first couple years I persisted in using only factory ammo for hunting. Subsequent equipment purchases opened my eyes to the possibilities of making truly first class ammo. The important thing was that early gear taught me the basics, for which I'll always thank old Mr. George L. Herter.

As for memories, I can't smell cherry blend pipe smoke without flashing on my Dad sitting in the shop/reloading bastion cranking out (half crooked) .30-30's. "Fire hazard? Not unless you're an idiot and get ashes in the powder." He could be a hard head when he wanted to.

1979, RCBS Rockchucker. Only single stage press I own still today. Bought on Katy Fwy Carters Country, Houston TX

The ammo is definitely worth it for me, given I've shot an assortment of oddball and obsolete cartridges over the years, and still now. Botique ammo for old/obsolescent cartridges is ludicrously expensive. I also like fiddling with bullet/cartridge combos you're unlikely to find commercially.