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

[Skeet 028]

Wells made some good presses.

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.

Wells made many of the old Herters presses all those years ago. Does yours have the screw on type shellholders? If so I have a few of them if you might need one or two.

 

[ggibson511960]

Quality Costs

Forster Co-Ax presses are currently almost double the cost of a Rockchucker or comparable compound linkage single stage presse. Glad I bought mine years ago. Diminishing returns sets in pretty quickly once you get above the price point of the Lee presses (Ugh, sorry Lee users) to RCBS, Lyman, Redding, etc. Co-Ax presses would dominate the market with their obvious advantages if sold at comparable prices. At their current price point they remain the darling of the precision seekers willing to spend more.

 

[Skeet 028]

Forster

I have had a couple or three of them over the years. Good press..yep...Better than all the rest..actually no. At least for my reloading. Also overpriced but so are many such as the Redding T7...which I do use. For most of our reloading a good single stage press is all we need esp for rifle ammo. When it comes to handgun ammo for blow away ammo the Dillon's and Hornady LnL is almost a necessity. I had a SDB one time and can say for the money they are a good deal. No I don't have one..but then again I don't have a Rockchucker. I do use a Herters dual ram M-81 press set up with 2 universal decappers for prepping 308 cases for my AR-10. Ugly but it works

 

[Nemo288]

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.

Thank you for the kind words.
Lotta oldies and some goodies there.
I have read 295 was withdrawn because it was so touchy.
Way moreso than its replacement 296.

My loading "bench" is in the corner of the family room which also doubles as the living room for our guest suite.
Keeping it neat helps keep the peace around here.
Besides I like it that way.
My electronics benches at work sometimes looked like that between projects.
The desk itself was a total wreck, falling apart until I ran a couple of dozen long sheetrock screws into it
and installed diagonal bracing straps on the back of the bookshelf area.
The chair may be older than I am.
It was my father's and is more comfortable than it looks.
He was born in 1912 and has been gone awhile.
I also use his duffel bag from Korea when motorcycle tent camping.

I will think about getting a progressive press if I ever acquire one of these:

===
Nemo

 

[Skeet 028]

nice clean area

The chair looks to be from the mid to late 30's...and looks to be in exc condition. 1/4 sawn oak?

295 was a bit touchy. Has the appearance of the WC-820..which was 30 carbine powder. We bought much of that surplus powder back in the 80's from Jeff Bartlett for use in the 410. Cost was really low and it worked well in the 410. Burned the cases up pretty badly. Last year I got 8 pounds of 295 for 5 bucks and 10 pounds of 230 for a buck a pound. Most of the 230 has been shot up in the 45 auto. The MS 540 is the predecessor to HS-6 and Win 540. Heck I even have DuPont bulk smokeless and P-5066