Hey fellas, I'm in need of some more knowledge. I want to buy a single stage press to load 308 for my ruger precision rifle. I currently have a Hornady lnl AP, but want something that can do a better job holding tighter tolerances for better accuracy. I've been looking at the RCBS Summit, but I'm not sure about it? I've also been thinking about the Hornady lock n load classic, but with the recent problems I've had with my AP I'm not sure if I wanna go down that road?! What do you guys think, of what have you had the best luck with?

I have loaded enough ammo on my Rockchucker to make a good showing in a medium sized war. I use my Rockchucker and Partner Presses.

quote:

I have loaded enough ammo on my Rockchucker to make a good showing in a medium sized war

mine is approaching 30yrs old at least. God knows how many loads. Never failed me.

Ruger precision rifle?????

If you feel something like the Rockchucker isn't good enough I would suggest you go the route of the BR shooters which I ASSUME the summit is designed for. Sorry never seen or used one. http://www.sinclairintl.com/re...components/index.htm has a number of options on arbor presses.

so, let me ask, what are you looking for? better OAL consistency? or what part? I've played a bit on the BR game, and OAL+case weight+bullet weight mean more than powder charge .. that is, the percent change is WAY more change in oal


my lnl ap holds close to the same as all of my single stage, if i do my part and be consistent.

if you hate your LnL, PM me, and we can discuss how to dispose of it

as for single stage press, the rcbs supreme is likely the best all around single

Dillon XL650 for production handgun reloads but a veteran RCBS Rockchucker for precision rifle loads.

The Rock Chucker is never wrong.

By no means do I hate my lnl AP. But that said I've noticed about of slop in it lately, in the lnl bushings, the RAM, and the toggle. I'm not doing BR shooting, but I am trying to hit steel at 1000+yards. While I'm able to hit targets now, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I've talked with Hornady about the issues I'm having with my AP, but the guy I talked with had no intention of listening to what I had to say...? Another reason I'm looking at the summit, is because I have a small reloading bench and it has a very small footprint.

I saw the perfect press at the gun show in Lima yesterday. It was a Herters. RCBS makes an adapter and you could use any shell holder then. Apic of mine.



Rad

+1 for Forster Co-Ax

In 59 years I've never found the Hollywood sr. lacking. When I'm gone I'm sure it'll lead another life. roger

Rockchucker is my original standby for a single station. And I have 6 presses. Maybe 7.

Well I may regret it but I ended up going worn the summit. I'm also planning on ordering some Redding match 308 dies.

I bought my RCBS Rockchucker used in 1975. It's still going strong after probably 100,000 plus reloads. I spray some dry graphite on the ram about every two or three years. Hard not to recommend a Rockchucker after my experience.

I just passed on my 80's vintage Rock Chucker to a friend when I bought a Redding T-7 here on AR. The Rock Chucker is solid and sound and smooth as silk, even after years of use. I trusted it to the max. I have no experience with the Summit press . . .

I suspect that if we added all our ammo-count on our old Rockchuckers that it would exceed the total armament or North Korea!
I bought mine in the mid 70's. I think, when I was selling sporting goods and it's been used liberally ever since.
Zeke

At the danger of sounding like a broken record, my mid 70s Rockchucker has provided untold thousands of rounds with nary a hiccup. I fully expect to leave it to my son where it will continue to serve faithfully for many more years, long after I'm gone. A solid piece of machinery.

I have the Rock Chucker and have had nothing but good experiences with it. Come to think of it, I have had good experiences with all RCBS products.

I bought my Rockchuker in 1977 when they came in crinkle green and the handle was just a green rubbery plastic sheath.

Later I added an RCBS Case Kicker and it loaded .32 S & W, .32 S & W Long, .380 ACP, .38 S & W, .38-44 Ira Paine Special, 9mm Parabelleum, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .455 Webley, .303 British and .270 Winchester.

It was that last, .270 Winchester, that was the downfall of it. I sold it in 2011 and got an Australian Simplex Master that is a Lyman Crusher clone.

But this Rockchucker served me well for thirty-four years. But that four inch opening as I found that .270 Winchester was just too "fiddly".

If it had the same height opening as the Simplex Master (aka Lyman Crusher) I'd never have parted with it. I've revisited the notion of getting another but don't want a Supreme and so it's the Simplex Master now.

A 1975 Rockchucker and a Redding T-7 Turret. Along with a few Dillon's and MEC's.

I think the newer rockchuckers are not quite up to the standard the older ones set. The ultramag is a beast, and will allow you to reload the longer cartridges we all love with a bit more ease. But you can't go wrong, I'm splitting hairs

Uh, in case it hasn't been mentioned: ROCKCHUCKER.
Have used for match loads.

I like my old Rockchucker. I also have an old CH that I like to seat bullets with.

I read a thread on the Benchrest Central about making bullets and the guy uses Lee cast Iron presses. They are cheaper than anyone else's and he claims they are bored straighter. I would trust the Redding Boss and a whole army of people use the Forester Coax.

Most any of the major press manufacturers are going to make a decent press.

I would recommend a press with compound linkage like the Rockchucker.

Joe

I have a Lee classic cast with close to 5k worth of cycles

But....the Lee progressive pictured has at least 2x that much

No complaints and made in the USA

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

I have loaded enough ammo on my Rockchucker to make a good showing in a medium sized war

mine is approaching 30yrs old at least. God knows how many loads. Never failed me.

Ruger precision rifle?????

If you feel something like the Rockchucker isn't good enough I would suggest you go the route of the BR shooters which I ASSUME the summit is designed for. Sorry never seen or used one. http://www.sinclairintl.com/re...components/index.htm has a number of options on arbor presses.

Been using a rockchucker since 1974 and loaded 10,000s with zero problems

The Rockchucker is great a good straight set of dies properly set up is a must for straight ammo. I always prefer Redding for precision stuff.

.

I have a Lee Classic Cast Press. I use Lee dies. Excellent quality at a reasonable price!

RCBS Rockchucker for the past 40 years

Rockchucker.

At least 25 years experience.

While I'm not the world's best marksman (shooter consistency is my personal hobgoblin), I have been able to come up with enough good groups to tell me that my press and dies don't limit my ammo's accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
I have a Lee Classic Cast Press. I use Lee dies. Excellent quality at a reasonable price!

^^^^^ This.
I got tired of listening to the folks that talk with their pocketbooks and bought a Lee press "just to see". Was the finish a slick as the presses costing several times more? No, but the proof of the pie is in the eating. Using precision dies, I built ammo good enough to consistantly place high in competition. I bought one of those "see if your ammo is straight" gizzies. It sits, dust covered, on the shelf.
I must admit that I bought a used RCBS Jr press back in the 60's and worked the hide off of it in reloading and case forming. It would have made a good boat anchor for the QE2. I passed it along to a beginning reloader @2000 and it was still churning out good, straight ammo.

Nothing wrong with green paint. Had an old RCBS press and the only thing I didn't like about it was it was a little short in the throat for H&H length cartridges. Along came the Lyman O mag and Orange chrusher presses with the longer throat that solved any problems with long cases. I picked up an O Mag in the early 1970's and liked it so much I bought a Chrusher as well. All my case forming and resizing is done on the Chrusher and all the bullet seating/ bullet pulling is done on the O Mag. With close to 40 years of service and not a single problem, I've learned to like Orange paint. Soon after Lyman brought these out RCBS lengthen their presses.

quote:

Originally posted by Turner421:
Hey fellas, I'm in need of some more knowledge. I want to buy a single stage press to load 308 for my ruger precision rifle. I currently have a Hornady lnl AP, but want something that can do a better job holding tighter tolerances for better accuracy. I've been looking at the RCBS Summit, but I'm not sure about it? I've also been thinking about the Hornady lock n load classic, but with the recent problems I've had with my AP I'm not sure if I wanna go down that road?! What do you guys think, of what have you had the best luck with?

Check out the Forster Co-Ax. It is unique among presses. The self-centering features and symmetrical linkage reportedly give superior alignment. Worth investigating.

Lost Sheep

Serious accuracy would suggest an Arbor Press, and hand dies.

You would only neck size, and a Wilson micrometer seating die would let you control seating depth to .0005". It is a straight line seater, so the bullet could not get cockeyed in the seating process.

It's what benchrest shooters use.

I have an old Hollywood from the 1940s that I found at the city dump in Marfa Texas, cleaned it up and been using it ever since, its massive and gave me two hernias mounting it!! LOVE IT, My latest is the RCBS A-2 and it comes with the extras to allow me to load for a 50 caliber Browning machine gun..but that one cost too much so the best Ive loaded is the 500 N.E. so far...I really like it also, but alas I will probably never own a 50 BMG, I hear the recoil is terrific.

I have no need for anything other than a single stage press...

quote:

Along came the Lyman O mag and Orange chrusher presses with the longer throat that solved any problems with long cases.

SNOWMAN...exactly what I did but in about 2010. An Australian Simplex Master press that is a clone of the Orange Crusher.

If RCBS had made that original Rockchucker with same height opening I'd never have changed it.

Simplex is long established in Australia and in the 1990s were imported into UK. Some folks, like Pacific, were blue before Dillon!

Had a Rockchucker since 1967, only complaint, the primer catcher system is a catch every now and then and lots of errors. I've not came up with a remedy. If anyone has one, like to hear it.

Regarding spent primers going astray, I cut the top couple of inches off of a plastic Solo 16 ounce cup, cut that in half, and turned it upside-down and stuck it on the Rockchucker primer catcher thingie. End of problem.

+3 for the Forster Co-Ax. Simple, powerful and accurate says it all. All my varmint loads get loaded on it using Forster benchrest die sets.

Check youtube for repairs, parts, etc. regarding your LNL. I usually find some neat new tricks and easy solutions when I have an annoying problem with gun / reloading issues.

Use a Lee and a Redding single stage presses. Loads everything from 222 Rem to 416 Rigby.

I started out with a Rockchucker for may years. Few years ago I switched to Forster Co-Ax.

Starting over I would start with a CO-Ax.

Good luck and good reloading.