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

Lee, challenger and the lee 3306 dies. still have and use both of them!

Lee Loader first, then a Rock Chucker.

C&H 4 station press, powder measure, scale with 38/357, 44 and 45 dies all at the same time. Took almost a year of saving.
Still use the scale and dies today - wish I still had that little press!

1988, RCBS master reloading kit, that was a hell of a time, also a time i needed to stay in shape, a green canvas pack with heavy shoulder straps loaded with three 35lb plates and using a drop tube for every round even when not needed, trickle up charge, stand from bench with pack, pour powder, sit and repeat, to be that young and stout again with the constant high and amazement of shooting and building ones own loads, then filling freezers with those loads left a permanent mark, it's a damn great hobby we enjoy ladies and gentlemen!

Lee loader 6.5X55. Same in 303 Brit. Then a Rock Chucker and a multitude of die sets. First being a set of RCBS for the Swede. Been a good ride. The RC is used for sizing cast now. A Dillon 550b and a Redding T7 make the ammo.

The first press I loaded on was my Dad’s RCBS partner press. Bought in the early 70’s I believe. My first set of dies were RCBS. Then as a teenager I received the Lee Anniversary kit for Christmas. I used the press from it while I attended University. Now the powder cup that sits on my lab grade scale is worth more than that press (I still have it and those dies).

In 1977 I bought 3 Manuals (read them first) and a Balance Beam scale with the Lee Loader (.280). The Rock Chuker came about 6yrs later plus RCBS .257 Roberts then Redding 257 Roberts Ackley Improved dies. Still using the RC!

Inherited a Lyman Spartan and three sets of cardboard boxed RCBS dies 270, 30-06 & 243. Still have them but upgraded the press.

Better ,don't think I ever rested on mediocre results. A major factor is even if you had a lot of money you still can't buy a lot of loads you might use everyday. Honest to god mid range loads featuring lyman's 429421 swc for example who sells them or 357's loaded with lyman's 358156 hollow point mold? What of all the custom loads for my black powder rifle cartridges with paper patch bullets? For that matter #5 shot in my 20 and 16 gauges because some marketing turd doesn't think they are necessary? Sometimes I actually buy and use some factory ammo , it has gotten better over the years. I'll give it that but will count on my own made exactly how I want it....mb

Lyman 310 tong tool. Dies were for the .38 Spl., 30-30 and 30-06. The year was 1954.
Paul B.

Hornady 007 kit . Was my starting point, early 80's

My first press was a Pacific Tool and Die 12 gauge kit.I shot more shotgun sports including Trap,duck and goose hunting,pheasant hunting.When I had picked up a couple rifles and handguns I bought an RCBS RockChuker kit in the late 60s.308 Win was my first metallic cartridge.

Steve;
Good morning, I hope you're all keeping warm enough and all in your world are well.

Thanks for the interesting thread, it looks like a few here of my vintage started in a similar way.

The first reloads were done with a Lee Loader for the '06, then quickly after that a .308 and .357 Lee Loader followed.

Maybe a year into my reloading I picked up an RCBS Reloader Special press - the one with the over center knuckle and no compound linkage.

That was replaced by a Reloader Special with compound linkage and then I picked up an older Rock Chucker which I still use.

Thanks again for the thread and Happy New Year all.

Dwayne

Yeah, a low brass #5 would be dynamite rabbit load !

First reloading was with a 12 ga Lee Loader when I was still in college. Got away from it for a long time and then bought a Lee Anniversary kit to start on metallic cartridges. Still have it although the press is only used for depriming these days. First dies were an RCBS set for 30-06. Many other sets (mostly RCBS and Redding) have joined them on the shelf.

Jerry

Around 2007 my Uncle Johnny passed away and left us enough to pay off our mortgage and all our bills. My wife said I should buy something to remember him by so I bought an RCBS Rockchucker Supreme kit and a set of RCBS 30-06 dies. I still have/use them. I so glad I became a reloader before this latest shortage came along.
Start reloading they said, you'll save a lot of money they said. HAH!

RCBS Dies and RCBS Partner Press. Had if for over 30 years, still using it. Have loaded thousands of rounds with that rig.

Circa 1967 Lyman press, Lyman and RCBS dies, Lyman 55 powder measure, Lyman beam balance scale, Lee powder dippers, etc.

I've owned a few Ideal, Lyman, and Winchester "nut cracker" presses,

Right after I got home from SEA in 73 got a Pacific single stage press and dies to feed my 77V in .25-06 (best woodchuck cartridge ever…lol). Soon RCBS .222 dies followed for my 788. My sons are still using that press along with the Redding powder scale and measure and Forster case trimmer that soon followed. Today I do all my rifle/handgun loading with a Redding turret press, mostly Redding dies and support equipment.

I bought that Browning .348 and down the rabbit hole I went. Dies from Lee (only ones that were in stock) and a Rockchucker II.