Lyman kit?

or..

RCBS kit?

I'll be reloading 30-06 (soon to be 6.5-06), 300 win mag and .444 Marlin for hunting.

Any thoughts or opinions?

Cheers.

I started with Lyman and now use RCBS.

RCBS

Rick

I prefer RCBS for most of my equipment but prefer Redding or Forster for dies. Guess I'm too anal about it but I use bench rest seating dies & don't care for the RCBS seaters. If you're NOT like me, then RCBS dies would be my choice as well.
Bear in FAirbanks

RCBS Rockchucker press, Redding Dies, Dillon Electronic Powder Scale, Star bullet Sizer, and Lyman Bullet Mold. As you can see I use several manufacture reloading items it may not be necessary but it is what works for me. Since Star is out of business I would probably go with a RCBS bullet sizer. I hope this helps, but it probably is more confusing

Use the RCBS kit.... forget the other....

The RCBS kit will take you way on down the reloading road and do it with above average quality tools.

The RCBS Rock Chucker kit and the RCBS Accessory kit.

I just replaced my RCBS press with a Redding Turret rig. FWIW - this press is really stout, can be used for batch work using a single die ... or if you ever reload for hand gun - put all the dies in and relish in loading 1k rounds a bit quicker. The primer catcher tube really rocks.

Of the two kits you asked about: RCBS (I personally don't care too much for Lyman's stuff, just too many bad experiences). A kit is a nice way to go for a new reloader, it takes away the worry about what gizmos to choose. When you grow more experienced, you'll likely find, that you'll replace this bit and that with items from different manufacturers. A lot of reloaders end up using very few parts of their original kits. So, you can either ask around a lot, and worry about different choices, or get the kit and maybe in 5-10 years have changed much of it. I guess those are your options. For now, the RCBS or equivalent Redding kits are probably safe ways to go.
- mike

I started with the rcbs and it does everything I want.

Another vote for RCBS, get the master kit. then buy a powder trickler and calipers, besides powder, primers,bullets, dies, and brass your ready to go.

I wonder what the answer would be say, 40 or 50 years ago?

Too bad Lyman is just an "also run" here - they are perhaps the oldest name in reloading gear.
They DO publish a reloading manual while RCBS does not (unless you count Speer).

Lyman kit DOES include a case trimmer while Ricbus does not PLUS Lyman kit is much cheaper. Kind of a bad decision IMO when Ricbus dropped the trimmer from their kit.

Guess we all should be thankful for the wonderful variety of equipment available to us for next to nothing...imagine if you had to improvise/make all these tools yourself how much time and $$$ you'd spend! And even if you owned a million dollar machine shop!

First choice, I'd say neither Lyman or RCBS.

If you have the $$$, take a look at the Redding Boss or Big-Boss Pro-Pak: http://www.redding-reloading.com/pages/bosspropak.html

Whatever you do, stick with RCBS or Redding. Remember, if you decide to get out of the racket, it's much easier to sell good equipment than crappy.

RSY

I started out with RCBS 27 years ago.The only change was when I bought a Pact scale and measurer two years ago.As recent as three years ago RCBS has sent at no charge various plastic parts.They sent a hopper for the old measurer all it took was a phone call.I have often thought about buying a new press,but that old Rockchucker keeps cranking them out just fine.

Interesting just had a talk with a Lyman rep - was very interested in hearin 'bout how some here prefer going "Green" rather then "Orange" and wanted to know why? Said something about how they back their products as well as anybody. Admitted reloading cos are very competitive so whatever one does, any others SHOULD follow.

I have mostly RCBS dies...Rock Chucker press...case trimmer...I do, however, own a lyman #55 powder measure, lyman 1200 digital scale, and some of their case prep items...and I feel that the mix is a good one...I trust the lyman powder measure alot more than the RCBS or any other brand...And I check the digital scale once before starting and once when I am finished. It hasn't varied more than .1 grain on start to finish once. Of course, I also have a <gasp> Lee hand press, but I use that for decapping stuff while watching TV.

Rockchucker press with Hornady Lock-N-Load bushings. Those bushings save you lots of time re-adjusting dies each time you swith operations.

RCBS case trimmer (Forster collet system absolutely sucks).

RCBS hand primer (easy to believe there's better out there though).

Lee powder measure (don't like RCBS).

Lee Safety Powder Scale (That's a recommendation. I use a laboratory analytical balance. I used PACT's digital powder scale and don't like it now that I have used the Lee. My Mettler AE160 is very especially nice and worth thousands, but it took 9 years of watching equipment auctions to finally get my hands on it.)

Lots of different dies, and I can't complain about any brand very much. Dillon dies for any lead pistol bullet (easy maintainance).

RCBS X-dies get a big A minus. They let you avoid case trimming. That's wonderful if you're lazy like me. RCBS does not sell carbide expander balls, however. Carbide balls are nice, because you then don't have to lubricate the inside of case necks or clean the lubricant off either. If they make a line of dies for lazy people, RCBS should make them for the truly lazy.

Lyman M dies for lead rifle bullets.

Brown & Sharpe dial caliper.

H. C.

Its really simple:

RCBS press
LYman shell holders
Redding resize dies (backed off 1 - 13/27 turns from Lyman die settings) & use Forster Lock rings
Lee Expanders
Hornady seat
Forster scale (but use with a modified lyman scale pan...except on tuesdays)
Aunt Mollies magical mystery case lube (on a Lyman lube pad with RCBS pad inside)

For a powder measure use the lee dippers to round up charges thrown with a RCBS Uniflow (modified with a Redding attachment) into an Ohaus scale checked by a Dillon electro-scale (no longer made).

See how simple it is?

I'm still using the same RCBS rock-chucker I got when I was 15... It's been nearly 30 years now and I still swear by it. I load from .357 Mag thru .458 Win Mag...

RCBS rules for an all-purpose loading set IMHO...

For the money and the long road go with the Redding kit and T-7 press. You can leave your dies in the toolhead and just change the toolhead when you want to reload something different. Instead of changing dies all the time I just change the tool head. I once had all RCBS stuff but found the quality was not there for me. Most of all what ever you do, try and buy a Sinclair case trimmer and a Dillon Electronic Powder Scale, for these are two things you will never go wrong on buying.

And uh, Mr. Rancho Lobo - after all us posters have gone to all this trouble to give you some advice...

PLEASE!!!!!

...tell us what you buy and how it works out for you...OK?

Please?

Oh I sure will...And I'm betting I'll have a question or two when I get rolling.

Cheers..