Starting out, which one?

[Nevada Ed]

I have a old 1960 RCBS that is still ticking and has yet to break.

The company has a great return for free new parts, if needed and
their parts are usually in most sporting good stores.

The other companies might stand behind their units but I never needed to buy one.

 

[kenjen]

I have used Lee products since the 80's, the single stage and the 3 hole turret. 2 yrs. ago I got the Lyman American, it has an 8 hole head that I have 2 set of dies on one in 38 and 357 and another head with 9mm and 45acp.

 

[dave1918a2]

I got rid of My RCBS Summit, and got a rock chucker. I would recommend either the Redding, or the RCBS. I've been reloading since the late 60's and use RCBS, Redding, and Dillon. All are of exceptional quality. I just didn't like the Summit functionally. So used to the ram going up.

 

[reccpd101]

Watch ebay or another site for a used RCBS Rockchucker or a new Rockchucker kit

 

[smithra_66]

I have never reloaded and I am going to buy a press, all I have to go off of is reviews from online sites, what do you think of these?

Lee Deluxe Auto processing single stage $79.99 Four and one half stars

Redding Big Boss single stage $193.99 Five stars

Redding Big Boss II single stage $224.99 Five stars

RCBS Summit single stage $245.99 Four and one half stars

The less than stellar reviews on the Lee and RCBS presses seem to have the same issues reported by multiple customers.

RCBS Rebel single stage $231.99 Four stars

I would stay away from any presses that are marked with "Lee." I like their company and I use a few of their tools, but I've never liked their reloading presses. The Redding is going to be fantastic. I would get either one of those before the others you list.

 

[Univibe]

My BIG BOSS rocks.

And its Made in USA!

 

[Moe Mentum]

It doesn't matter what press you get, they all do the same thing. But you will find it's nearly impossible to find components , Good Luck.

 

[The Norseman]

Size does matter

Welcome to the S&W Forum, the Best their is.
Accept no Substitutes.

What is being Reloaded; Pistol, Rifle, or Both.

Partner size Press = Pistol/Revolver.
Rebel size Press = Pistol and Rifle.
Summit (Dies lever up/down) = space saving, Pistol/Rifle?

I suggest; if you do Rifle you will want something like the Rebel or a little bigger.

I reload a lot of Revolver cartridges (easy), so I was quite surprised
this week while cleaning up and sizing 270Win., wow, a lot of
leverage required.

I have two presses; a very small Lee (priming/seating bullets/crimping)
and a RCBS Jr. press (sizing).
Oh yea, forgot about the Hornady press, but don't have it up yet.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.

 

[Oracle]

What calibers will you load and how many rounds will you be shooting each week/month?

44 magnum around 300 monthly and 5.56 around 500 monthly.

 

[Oracle]

This...

Without knowing how the press will be used, it's hard to give helpful advice.

44 magnum 300 a month and 5.56 500 a month, I will be doing 357 magnum 300 a month once my 357 magnum ammo on hand goes down some.

 

[rwsmith]

Hint: If you haven't already.....

....get a reloading manual with a good 'how to' reload section. There are lot of reloading videos on the net now, but I use them for auxiliary info rather than a primary source. (Some people on the net give out not so proper advice). Videos are good for parts I don't understand. SAFETY is first in reloading and different types of cartridges have their own quirks.


Anyway, it's going to take a while to learn the details of reloading, so while you are collecting your gear and components, you can develop an understanding of what's involved.

 

[rwsmith]

Can I ask for some valuable information....

What do reviews say in general about Lee and RCBS presses?

 

[HorizontalMike]

Well I started with LEE Turret and Dies. IMO, Lee Dies are as good as any, their presses... OK. There are many better, but you can't go wrong starting out with a LEE turret press.

My upgrades have been adding Redding dies/parts, and some RCBS things like tricklers and such... The bottom line is..... KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, because most manufacturers are so close in quality to each other that they all work together. Sure someone/troll will disagree, but by and large dies/parts are interchangeable, the PRESSES not so much. Just my opinion...

 

[rwsmith]

True but,

Well I started with LEE Turret and Dies. IMO, Lee Dies are as good as any, their presses... OK. There are many better, but you can't go wrong starting out with a LEE turret press.

My upgrades have been adding Redding dies/parts, and some RCBS things like tricklers and such... The bottom line is..... KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, because most manufacturers are so close in quality to each other that they all work together. Sure someone/troll will disagree, but by and large dies/parts are interchangeable, the PRESSES not so much. Just my opinion...

LEE dies are set up different from other dies. I made the mistake of assuming they were like all the others and got really frustrated until I wised up and read the directions. Funny, I haven't had problems since.

 

[hyena]

I started reloading in college in the 1970's. 9mm only, with an RCBS Rock Chucker. Then boxed it up and put it in storage for 40 years. Decided 2 or 3 years ago to start reloading again, so I got it out and resumed, only not 9mm. 38 Special and .45 ACP. (9mm at the time was $10 per box, I don't shoot much 9mm, and it isn't worth reloading for me.) After a few months, I decided to buy a Lee Classic Turret. I like it. Same number of cranks on the handle, but much less handling of each case. No regrets at all. I don't rush. With the Rock Crusher, it took me about 1.25 hours to load 100 rounds. With the Lee, about 45 minutes.

So...I'd vote for getting the Lee Classic Turret. They're cheap. They work. You may not even like reloading, in which case you won't be out much money. Use it as a single stage to start if you want. Then use it as a turret. If you ever want to upgrade to a true progressive, you won't be out much money.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

Keep it simple

Hard to go wrong with a rock chucker. It's built like a tank and they last forever. It's all I've ever used and I've never regretting getting it. Strong enough to easily size rifle cases fairly effortlessly. No one has them now, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used one. Once you learn each step and become proficient at loading consistent quality rounds, hopefully by then, if you want a progressive press to load faster, some will be available at a good price. I have a feeling lots of people who decided to get into reloading but couldn't find components will soon be unloading their unused presses.

 

[reddog81]

44 magnum 300 a month and 5.56 500 a month, I will be doing 357 magnum 300 a month once my 357 magnum ammo on hand goes down some.

That's a pretty sizeable amount of ammo. It takes me about an hour to load 100 rounds on a single stage press. Do you have an extra 10-15 hours to load ammo every month? I'd either be planning to upgrade to a progressive press shortly after learning or just start on something like a Hornady Lock N Load or Dillion 650. I can operate my Hornady LNL just like a single stage press, turret, or progressive. I started on a RCBS rockchucker and upgraded after about one year. My only regret was not buying the LNL sooner. I still use the RCBS for sizing bullets and seating bullets with some rifle rounds.

 

[rwsmith]

Sure is.......

That's a pretty sizeable amount of ammo. It takes me about an hour to load 100 rounds on a single stage press. Do you have an extra 10-15 hours to load ammo every month? I'd either be planning to upgrade to a progressive press shortly after learning or just start on something like a Hornady Lock N Load or Dillion 650. I can operate my Hornady LNL just like a single stage press, turret, or progressive. I started on a RCBS rockchucker and upgraded after about one year. My only regret was not buying the LNL sooner. I still use the RCBS for sizing bullets and seating bullets with some rifle rounds.

Case prep and sorting count for some more time. You might think about starting with a basic press to learn on, then upgrade like reddog suggests. The single stage will always be useful for some jobs.

 

[Father Joe]

RCBS has great customer service! I have a very old Uniflow powder measure I picked up at a swap meet that needed some help. They sent me the parts, no charge! That's pretty impressive service. The Uniflow is an excellent measure BTW.
That said, I'm not all that impressed by the cheaper alloy model RCBS presses---however the steel Rock Chucker is a classic and I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed with one----well worth the few extra $$ if you go with RCBS in my opinion---it's the press that made RCBS famous!.
Lee does make some decent stuff. I like their hand priming tool and their higher end presses like classic cast and classic cast turret are pretty good choices. I also like their hand press and carbide die sets.

My reloading bench is an esoteric collection of RCBS, Redding, Lyman, Lee and Hornady gear---very little purchased new---but it all works well together.
My advice: Make sure you get carbide dies for your straight walled cases (.44 Mag/Spl. in your case)
Have fun!

 

[soonerbb]

Buy Redding and never look back....IMO