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Oscar, over at: http://www.24hourcampfire.com Go to the Forums, and under Free Classifieds there's an add for a new RCBS Master Reloading Kit for $200 William I believe lives in Greenville, Maine Copied and pasted add for you. Wish I had known about it 2 weeks ago. Save the link, and register, their good people over there, same as here. Phil BD
Phil [This message has been edited by Greyghost (edited 02-23-2002).] | |||
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I'm considering the Lee myself since the price over here is much  lower than the competition. Would be nice to be able to use my own stuff instead of relying on friends. Any tips to keep in mind bying the Lee kit? | |||
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I love my Redding 721 Boss press. Plenty of leverage on the handle, double link arm and just very sturdy. I think you can find them online for about $70. | |||
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I have a RCBS Partner press and am very happy with it. It is only a few dallars more than Lee and I think that it is a lot better. | |||
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I'll put another vote in for the RCBS Rock Chucker. I have been very pleased with mine. *Nut* ------------------ | |||
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Rock Chucker | |||
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The 'Cream de la Cream' Bonanza Co-Ax press. Jim | |||
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| <holtz> |
Rock Chucker! | ||
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| <sure-shot> |
Rockchucker! If your wallet can take it, make it Redding Ultramag! sureshot | ||
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| <Snake> |
Oscar, I have 2 - a Dillon RL550 that I have had for 15 years and with which I have loaded literally thousands of .45's and .44's and a Forster Co-Ax press which I have just started using. I can strongly recommend the Dillon and my early impressions of the Forster are well made and very precise. | ||
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I have a lee and a rcbs partner on my bench and can't really tell any difference. My best press is a rcbs jr press I bought used 40 years ago. Its still cranking out ammo.  | |||
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| <Martindog> |
What broke on your press? Was it the frame or some other part? If it's less than 2 years old, it's covered by warranty. After that, replacement parts are pretty reasonable. Not saying you shouldn't be deterred from looking to upgrade, but if your Lee has met your needs up to now, why not just fix it? After all, RCBS has one of the best warranties/customer service reputations in the industry, which has been very well documenetd by customer after customer who experience something that fails/breaks along the way. If someone is willing to fix a broken RCBS product, why not do the same for a Lee product? Martindog | ||
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| <Ben H> |
Forster/Bonanza Co-Ax. You will never regret it. Good Shooting, | ||
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| <Matt_G> |
What Sure-shot said. RockChucker or Redding Ultramag. ------------------ | ||
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| <atlasmlc> |
Oscar, Exactly what kind of reloading are you doing now and what type of loading do you plan to do? I think there are a variety of options that will be better than what you have been doing, but only if the equipment truly fits your needs. If you are loading small quantity, varmint rifle loads then you're needs will vary from those loading the hot magnums (and that's assuming that you are a low volume rifle only loader.... If you load high quantity pistol loads, then that opens up another bunch of options. Tell us more...I may be able to help you with your needs. thanks, ------------------ | ||
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| <Oscar> |
Thanks to everyone for your help. In answer to a couple of questions, the broken part on my Lee press is the lower part that the handle fits into. I don't know what kind of metal it is, but the handle broke right through the metal. Another question asked how much reloading I do. I guess I would be a light user. I probably burn about 5-6 lbs. of powder per year. I shoot mostly 25-06 and 22-250. One thing that puts stress on the press is that I often neck down 30-06 to shoot in my 25-06. They seem to be more accurate. I have always heard good things about Redding. Would the $70 one be stronger than what I have now? | ||
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Oscar, Many, many years ago I bought a Lee Challenger as a light press to take to the range with me. I too broke those pot metal parts. What happens is the bolt that holds them loosens up in use and when it's loose, one of those parts breaks. Lee replaced it. In order to prevent its recurrence I got a bolt the same size only a half inch longer. With a lock nut with the nylon insert I tightened it up good. Still have that press and it's never broken. The nylock nut has stayed tight and secure through many a load. I wrote Lee and told them my fix. That was maybe 35 years ago but I guess the "expense" of a longer bolt and a nylock nut was too much for them. | |||
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| <Matt_G> |
quote:
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| <Martindog> |
Bob338, I had exactly the same experience with mine. I think the part name is "Toggle Links" and I'm pretty sure they're made of zinc. If they loosen and the handle doesn't line up with the notch, they'll crack. Oscar, even if you have to buy a replacement set, they're cheap, under $10. I bought two sets just to have a spare, but since I replaced the broken ones, I just make sure everything is tightened and lined up properly and it's worked like a champ since -- still have the extra set sitting on the shelf but who knows if I'll ever need them. Oscar, by your own admission you stated that the Lee press has served you well and that you've been able to load accurate ammo with it. Why not spend $10 and fix it? Also, depending on the calibers you load for, you might want to consider buying an Arbor Press and hand dies from Wilson. If you are really trying to get to the next level in accuracy, I'm guessing you'd be much better served going that route than upgrading to a cast iron frame 7/8-14" press which may not offer an accuracy increase. Using a Redding Body Die in your Challenger (or your current FL sizer) to occasionally bump shoulders back, the precision offered by the hand dies in both neck sizing and seating is top notch. Again, you'd have to check Wilson's die chart to see if they carry what you load for, but you can get an Arbor press and a set of Wilson dies for a bit less than a Redding Ultramag or Forster Co Ax, and only a bit more than a Rockchucker. Just another option. Best of luck and as always, have fun loading and shooting. Martindog | ||
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| <ultramag> |
Rock Chucker ------------------ | ||
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| <Frank> |
Ultramag It is so good I bought another one | ||
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| <ChuckD> |
Fix your Lee, and watch for a used Rockchucker or similiar. Have seen 3 in the last year for $30 to $40. I did this a few years back and can do anything I need and have 2 presses, which can obviously be useful | ||
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| one of us |
RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady and C-H all make single stage presses you'll never wear out and doubtful you'll ever break. If you should, RCBS will replace or repair free-of-charge. Lee is the cheapest, but not necessarily the most inexpensive. Check ebay, Auction Arms and Gun Broker; lots of presses listed. Good luck, Eddie | |||
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I have had a number of presses. I don't know which is best for the money, but am using a Bonanza Co Ax now and would not go back to anything for the world. Is it the best for the money? Couldn't say, it is just the best. Chic Worthing | |||
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I have both the Lee and an RCBS Junior which are now "spares" among the eight presses I own. I too use the Coax for virtually everything except neck reaming and bullet pulling. I'll let either or both of the presses go for $15 and $20 respectively, plus shipping. terrazas@cal.net | |||
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| <Oscar> |
Thanks to everyone for your help. Those who suggest fixing my Lee press for $10 make a good point. It does a good job making accurate reloads. With the proper amount of experimentation I have been able to shoot in the .4's with both my 25-06 and 22-250. Not ready for the big league, but that's about the best I can shoot. Regarding the Bonanza Co-Ax Press. What do you like so much about it? I see that it costs $195 in the Feb. Midway catalog. The RCBS Rock Chucker goes for $99. I have a reloading shop near me that will probably match or beat those prices. I am kind of leaning toward either fixing my Lee or going with the Rock Chucker. What do you think??? | ||
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| <Oscar> |
I checked the reloading presses on ebay and thought they we way to expensive. Used RCBS, Lee & Redding presses were all going for about new prices and the buyer still had to pay $10-$20 shipping. I have always found ebay interesting to shop, but I never buy because of the prices. Oscar | ||
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You're correct about ebay. I've caught a couple of bargains, but I think most bidders never heard of mailorder catalogs. I've had good luck on Gun Broker and fair luck on Auction Arms. Eddie | |||
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| <HKgnnr> |
I went with the Lyman T-Mag II turret press kit. Primarily for the reason of avoiding swapping out the dies. Since it has 6 die stations, I currently have an 8mm set and a Lyman Ram Prime die. Have 3 stations left, so I can quickly set up with the 7.62x54R 3-Die Pacesetter set. Will get another turret for .308 and .223. Everything was included in the kit, and best price I found was at D&R Sports out of PA. www.dnrsports.net | ||
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What I like about the COAX: Universal shellholder that allows the case to "float" a little so it self centers in the die. Snap in snap out. Dies are always set once you do it once. Very quick, very accurate. Smooth, lots of leverage. If someone stole my four presses, I would only replace the CO-AX. Is there anyone out there that has a good reason NOT to get a COAX? Roger | |||
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Roger, i should add they are a very accurate reloading tool, for some of the reasons you mentioned. Preaching to the choir talking to you. chic | |||
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quote: If I didn't already have five presses, maybe.
quote: I had a Spar-T a couple of decades ago, but sold it when I accumulated three progressive presses. I regretted selling it and not long ago bought a Mag-T on Gun Broker. Like new in the box with auto prime for $70.50 shipped. Best deal I've ever made on the internet. Eddie | |||
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