RCBS Rock Chucker is 'NOT' the best single stage press

[sw282]

Their new SUMMIT press is. l started out on a RCBS Junior press over 40 yrs ago.. lt was fine for pistol cases, but l needed a bit more leverage for rifle cases.. That's when l bought my Rock Chucker.. Things were fine from about 1980 to last year. That's when l hit '#68'.. Twas my birthday and l figured it was time to treat myself to a REAL loading bench.. No more C clamps and that round pedestal MidWayUSA sells...lt was off to Harbor Freight where l found a nice oak bench. Drawers and wooden vise were a plus too. After assembling and securing my new treasure it was then time to mount my press.. Then my joy turned to PAIN..Bolting my Rock Chucker immediately blocked half my new felt lined drawers. Plus the long arc of the handle put sacred body parts in danger.. There just HAD to be a better way!!! l needed a TOP mounted press.. l remembered Lyman and Ponsess-Warren used to make top mounted models...Unable to locate one l started looking elsewhere...Cruising the net l happened upon the new RCBS SUMMIT.lts a beautiful TOP mounted single stage press. l shot my order off to MidWayUSA and a few days it arrived along with an RCBS mounting plate.. l just LOVE this new Summit. l can stand or sit to operate it..The handle is located so no body parts are in range and l got my drawers back.. Since last year about 3000 rds have been loaded on my new Summit...Not a single issue.. lts faster and more precise than the Rock Chucker..Which just sits idle. Unused.

Nope. The Rock Chucker is NOT the best single stage press.
The Summit 'IS'...

 

[novalty]

Hope the Forster Coax owners aren't reading this

Glad you like your RCBS Summit press, I had considering changing from my RC2 over one--as I like the open front design. Just haven't as I couldnt justify spending extra money to do what I am already doing on my Rockchucker.

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

I have been reloading on a Bonanza Co-Ax press for 40+ years and never had a yearning for the Rock Chucker. That being said, I figure if I had started with the RCBS unit, I wouldn't have had the need for the CoAx. Chevy/Ford vs Dodge. The summit looks like a cool concept. I would gladly use one, if it was given to me, but at this point in my life, I'm definitely NOT dropping any more money on another press. Hope the op enjoys the new Summit press, but I'm not running out to get one.

 

[garbler]

Isn't it great how reliable and yet old fashioned these Forster Co-Ax presses work. The average guy just doesn't get it with this design and the funny wiggling shell holders but for those that do there is non better. I traded mine off thirty-five years ago for a beautiful Hollywood Senior and love that press but I should have paid the man and kept both. I'm glad they are still being made but you have to wade through all the Lee and other wanna-be's to find them and of course be willing to pony up some real cash for a press that always pumps out concentric ammo. I use O -rings and go thru all the little tricks to seat bullets true in my single presses but the Co-Ax does it routinely even with short necked hot cases like the 243 Ackley. They really are special tools

 

[MJFlores]

Poppy-cock says I! Everyone knows that the Rock Chucker is a gift from heaven, and bestowed by angles as a reward to man kind for being frugal with both brass and bullet!

 

[824tsv]

I have the same Harbour Freight bench and a Rock Chucker mounted to a Inline Fabrication Ultra Mount. I've never used a Co-aX, but my beloved RC works fine. I can still open the drawers with the handle all the way down. Just saying......I wish you well with your new press and happy belated birthday.

 

[shil]

My 39-year-old cast-iron Rockchucker still works great. I use it for rifle ammunition and small batches of handgun ammo. The handgun volume loading runs go to my Hornady progressive. 824tsv, I do like your mount!

 

[Rocket3]

Sounds like having a set of tires in your garage and going out and buying a car to fit them.

Rock Chucker Rocks!

Also like your mount 824.

 

[Mad_Charlie]

My Forster works fantastic, so does my 40 yr old Rock Chucker, so does my 22 yr old 550b.

I dunno how to spell lee...

 

[Magload]

I bet I could buy a adapter plate for my inline and switch my 550 off for a Summit. Don

 

[k22fan]

I'm glad you pointed the Summit out to me. It sure reminds me of the old Hollywood presses that also were based around a central round pillar. If I had unlimited bench space and money I'd try one.

For lack of those two things in 1980 I sold the Rock Chucker that I started with in 1973. The only progressives around were Starrs that were way to expensive for ordinary folks. I replaced the Rock Chucker with a Redding turret press for pistols and a Co-Ax for rifles. I still use both along with my progressives.

The Co-Ax may be the least know of all the presses that have been on the market for a long time. I picked up a spare Co-Ax just because it was $20 or $30 dollars. I found it in a LGS that has been owned and managed by the same man for 30 years and there have not been any new faces on his staff for at least 5 years. Despite selling a good selection of both used and new reloading tools none of them knew it was a reloading press! It just sits in storage. It does have the newer, mid to late 1980s, universal shell holder jaws on its top priming station station so a new owner would not have to buy Bonanza's shell holders which had a larger hole through the center than RCBS's.

The Co-Ax has more leverage than any other press I'm aware of but that comes at the price of a 180 degree handle movement. That long swing makes it slower than other single stage presses so I don't use it even for small batches of straight sided pistol cases. I'll continue to use my Co-Ax for the foreseeable future but if I only had space for one press I wouldn't choose a Co-Ax unless I only reloaded for rifles.

 

[Doubless]

FWIW, I have been trying to wear out my Rockchucker since 1980 and haven't succeeded yet. Currently it wears a Piggyback II as I load fire forming loads for my K-Hornet.

I sincerely believe my kids will sell the RC when I expire, and it will still perform then as it does now...

 

[nipperdog]

I quit using my Rock Chucker long ago. I know that it's not a single station press, but my favorite Press is the Redding T-7. I load everything from .22 Hornet, to .375H&H Mag with never a problem.

 

[Nevada Ed]

nipperdog;

I see that old classic powder dumper hiding against the wall.......

Nice work on the shell collet holder, you have there............interesting.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Nipperdog, I also use the T-7 all the time, and I like your shell plate holder. I took paper clips and made hooks from them to hold the shell plate from the die or set that used it. My mounting bolts run down through the bench, but I may run one up just for that purpose. Great Idea. My Rock Chucker is plate mounted with a bullet sizer and resided on a shelf under the bench 99% of the time now. I looked at the new RCBS "Summit" press about 2 years ago (They were red, white & blue that year) and thought they were 60% of a Forster Co-AX for 80% of the price. I have 6 friends that load on Forsters, some of them I beat some I loose to. To make real good ammo you absolutely need good dies and a good press, but I have seen idiots with Forsters and T-7's and Rock Chuckers, make some pretty bad ammo! Ivan

 

[Skeet 028]

Rockchucker?? heck my newest single station press is a 1968 RCBS A2...oldest is a Rock Chuck Bullet Swage press from 1947.. But as Nipperdog I have 2 Redding T7 presses on Dillon Strongmounts.. They work great. The others are 2 Dillon 650s and 2 Dillon Super 1050s and worth every penny I paid. I love the savings from reloading but hate the job of reloading. By the time I turned 24 I had reloaded more than a million shotshells and hated looking at a Ponsness Warren 800 machine LOL. It also got old shooting 'em up.

 

[Nemo288]

Another candidate for never wearing out is the Redding Ultramag.
I got this press about 30 years ago and I know I will not be the one to wear it out.
At the time there was a hardware store going out of business and I got the press and powder measure (also a Redding) for half price.
Both are working as well or better than ever.
As you can see I am not a mass reloader usually doing a box of 50 at a time.
(And yeah that's a can of W-680).

===
Nemo

 

[rwsmith]

Man! You got.....

Another candidate for never wearing out is the Redding Ultramag.
I got this press about 30 years ago and I know I will not be the one to wear it out.
At the time there was a hardware store going out of business and I got the press and powder measure (also a Redding) for half price.
Both are working as well or better than ever.
As you can see I am not a mass reloader usually doing a box of 50 at a time.
(And yeah that's a can of W-680).



===
Nemo

Man! You got one of them there com-puters right on your loading bench. Zowie!

Oh, just to avoid the dreaded 'thread drift' the QUALITY manufacturers all make a good premium single stage press. I like the RC, but I do have a few complaints. All minor. I do like the zerk fitting on the Summit though. Good idea.

 

[Bat Guano]

My Rockchucker is the "new" press on my bench, bought around 1978. "Old Reliable" is a massive R.F. Wells C press; $12.65 in 1962. Funky shell holders made of unobtanium, but otherwise good to go for at least another century.

Which is probably more than can be said for me.

 

[Skeet 028]

A nice loading area

Another candidate for never wearing out is the Redding Ultramag.
I got this press about 30 years ago and I know I will not be the one to wear it out.
At the time there was a hardware store going out of business and I got the press and powder measure (also a Redding) for half price.
Both are working as well or better than ever.
As you can see I am not a mass reloader usually doing a box of 50 at a time.
(And yeah that's a can of W-680). Nemo

Wow..yer bench is wwwwaaaayyyy too clean to show pitchers like that. That press is tremendous. I happen to have one of them I got at an auction many years ago..in as new condition. It was on a Dillon Strongmount. Where I got the idea to put the T-7s on the mounts. Never have used it. That looks like a nice loading area. I wish mine looked that clean and well organized. As far as 680..got it 630 MS 540 230 WAA12S 295 540 and 571. They are still good and used even today. I really am impressed with your loading area.