Guys thanks so much for all your suggestions so far your generosity with responding is great. Im at a point where I have a couple of more questions to ask, any suggestions are appreciated.

First should I get Hornady LNL die bushings for the rockchucker single stage press? Why or why not?

Would it be wise to purchase extra case loading blocks,( caliber specific?) even though the kit Im getting comes with one, again why or why not? Thanks guys look forward to hearing from you.

Wait until you get your equipment and start using it. After working with it awhile, you'll have a better idea of your needs, although a second loading block may be useful depending on your loading volume. Really high-volume loaders use bins or buckets rather than loading blocks, just to lend a perspective. Using the kit-supplied block will give you an idea of the utility of caliber-specific pieces.

As far as the Hornady bushings, you'll be working with four dies. How much time will the bushings save? You'll know better after having done some loading.

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Originally posted by sydsdaddy:
...First should I get Hornady LNL die bushings for the rockchucker single stage press? Why or why not?

I've always thought of them as an answer to a non-existant problem. It takes about 2.7sec to screw a Die into the Press and maybe 1sec for the Lock-N-Load. So you will save 1.7sec x 2 = 3.4sec(in and out) per Die swap. Plus you would have the benefit of needing to buy them for EVERY Die you own, or... "locate" and replace the 7/8x14 Bushing each time you do not use them.

It also adds one additional(unnecessary) level of Variability to the Load Process. We have enough things to create Tolerance Stacking and slight CenterLine skewing as it is without adding additional levels.

Once they are on a Die, I have no idea if they will still allow a Die to go back into it's original Storage Box or cause the Die to become too bulky for it to fit properly. I'll "guess" NO. If that is Full-of-Beans, someone who knows better correct me.

On the other hand, buying Lock-N-Loads for all your Dies would help Stimulate the Economy and put additional money into Hornady's coffers.

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Would it be wise to purchase extra case loading blocks,( caliber specific?) even though the kit Im getting comes with one, again why or why not? ...

I've gotten by with " 1 Case Block " for a long time. It is a very old(somewhat dirty) originally bright Yellow Flambeau Twin - 60 Loading Block with Standard Case holes on one side, Belted size on the other. I don't need anymore in my way. If I used a Cartridge that would not fit in the Block, then that would be an excellent reason to buy a proper sized Second one.

If you "Prep" a lot of Cases before starting the actual Loading sequence, good old gallon Zip Lock Bags or various size plastic buckets(like Win69 mentioned), both of which you can drop Notes inside if needed, work well to Segregate what you are working with.

Loading Blocks have been known to become "unstable" and toss Cases stored in them onto the floor. Apparently a serious Design Flaw of some sort.

Best of luck to you.

I to have gotten by with one loading block for a long time. One nice thing about Redding die boxes are the holes on the top. There are 20 holes just the right size to hold cases with the head size of the 30/06.

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should I get Hornady LNL die bushings for the rockchucker single stage press? Why or why not?

Why does anyone pay for an extra part for each die that does little to help anything but presents a significant chance to mess up the die-to-press alignment?

My neighbor is a BR and silhouette shooter and he swears by the LNL bushings, he has probably 100 of them for all his dies. For me screwing in a die takes more than 3 seconds, as does unscrewing the die. I don't use the bushings, but if I loaded for many calibers they would be useful.

I don't use the bushing becuasue a $3.50 each I would have $400 to $500 bucks tied up in bushings and there are some tools I would not want a bushing on.

I have about a dozen of the good old yellow Flambeau loading blocks collected over nearly 40 years use. At $1 each or so I buy them even though I don't need them when I find them that cheap.
And no mine NO mine NEVER turn over especially when they are full.....sometimes I would like to shove one up a cat's butt...

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Originally posted by Jim C. <><:

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should I get Hornady LNL die bushings for the rockchucker single stage press? Why or why not?

Why does anyone pay for an extra part for each die that does little to help anything but presents a significant chance to mess up the die-to-press alignment?

Idont know thats why I asked, got my answer I guess

I have about 50 sets of dies. i wouldn't take the LNL bushings if you gave them to me. It takes so little time to screw a die in place that it is not worth the trouble. I have been loading for over 50 years and I guess I have become hard nosed or set in my ways.
Lyle

Maybe I'm missing something but I believe the LNL bushings are for use in the LNL press or the LNL AP press. They will not work in an RBCS press. I have the LNL-AP (auto-progressive) that I load pistol ammo with and the bushings are neccesary and nice.

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Originally posted by ireload2:
...And no mine NO mine NEVER turn over especially when they are full...

Maybe they got the Design Flaw fixed on the "newer" ones.

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Originally posted by Luckyducker:
Maybe I'm missing something but I believe the LNL bushings are for use in the LNL press or the LNL AP press. They will not work in an RBCS press.

Hornady has a conversion bushing that replaces the 7/8 x 14 to 1 1/4 x 12 bushing in the RockChucker, Big Boss, UltraMag, and any other press with that thread.

Hornady Part No: 044095 Conversion Kit: 044099 (contains die bushings)

I agree with the guy who said the LNL stuff is a brilliant solution to a non-existent problem-just like the double-action semiauto pistols.....

In addition to convenience, which is a matter of personal preference, LNL bushings can also add a little float to allow the die to seek its own alignment with the case. Lee claims a similar benefit to their o-ring lock rings, but the LNL bearing surface is horizontal instead of a helical/conical threaded bearing surface. Helical/conical bearing surfaces tend to couple angular and lateral float, meaning that if the die needs to shift laterally to self-align, it will also tend to tilt, which is not generally a good thing. However, it is important to mark the press bushing and each die bushing such that dies/bushings can be re-inserted with the same clocking every time.

Andy

The LNL bushins are a 'luxury' type item IMO, I have a Rockchucker set up with them, it works slick as a button. I load ammo with LESS runout consistently with them, it allows some float in the die, as Big Jake said, which I think contributes to that. It is very easy to pop the dies in and out, and is quicker for me, I am very anal about how I install a standard set up die into my press, and I use a wrench to do it, so the LNL's are very much quicker for me, and I sometimes reload several calibers in a sitting, and that is helpful IME. I often size with the LNL die in the Rockchucker, and seat in the Forster on the other end of the bench. It's also great to have your collet style bullet puller set up in an LNL and you can pop it right in, pull the bullet and be right back to loading in seconds....I'd suggest a collet style puller over an inertial (hammer style) any day as well.

On another point, I think (if I'm followiing the threads right) you are trying to economize to a degree, so I would probably wait on the LNL's for a while. I would spend any extra on a couple of these 'optional' items.

1. the Satern Powder Funnels--these things are great. They are caliber specific, and really work nicely compared to a universal plastic funnel.

2. The sinclair poly loading blocks. These are parent case specific, i.e. 30-06 family, fits all those diameter cases. These are very nice and stable, especially the heavy duty ones, and I have them for each caliber family I load for.

3. The digital calipers, which I think others have discussed previously.

4. A digital scale--does speed things up.

Good luck!

One other thought... You could flip the Lee lock rings upside down and use them to lock the die into the LNL bushing. That would save you the cost of the Hornady lock rings (which are very nice too, but maybe not needed with LNL bushings).

Andy

quote:

Originally posted by BigJakeJ1s:
One other thought... You could flip the Lee lock rings upside down and use them to lock the die into the LNL bushing. That would save you the cost of the Hornady lock rings (which are very nice too, but maybe not needed with LNL bushings).

Andy

Exactly correct!

Don't know about these lock things. Seeing as I don't smoke,drink, and not allowed to go out with wild wimmen, I just use a collection of reloading presses. Each single stage gets a FLS die and the 7 station gets seating and all the other dies we MUST try. Belling, crimping, collets, hell, whatever fits somewhere.

And just to boast abit, I don't have trouble depriming while sizing, or slippage with Hornady deprime rods, or Lee lock rings, and only a little bit of fiddling with crimping while seating.

if the time changing dies is a problem, just get a bonanza co-ax. i for 1 don't care for hornady dies

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Originally posted by butchloc:
i for 1 don't care for hornady dies

Me either.

quote:

Originally posted by sydsdaddy:
Guys thanks so much for all your suggestions so far your generosity with responding is great. Im at a point where I have a couple of more questions to ask, any suggestions are appreciated.

First should I get Hornady LNL die bushings for the rockchucker single stage press? Why or why not?

Would it be wise to purchase extra case loading blocks,( caliber specific?) even though the kit Im getting comes with one, again why or why not? Thanks guys look forward to hearing from you.

If experience has taught me anything, it's that in time you'll develop a preference for certain tools. Not intended to bash Lee or Hornady, but in 25+ years of hand loading, I haven't purchased much of their equipment.

That said, I wouldn't spend any money on the L&L bushings. I fail to see how they will save you time, especially since you don't have a Hornady press for the bushing to rotate into.

I like having calibre specific loading blocks handy, but I have room for them. They're handy because I experiment a lot and can use them for transporting ammunition to the range. For the casual reloader I think they waste room needed for other things.

Save your money for things such as:
Forster case trimmer (you can make your own HP bullets)
a good dial indicator, not a plastic one
hand tools such as a VLD reamer
the above mentioned powder funnel(s)

quote:

Originally posted by buckshot:
That said, I wouldn't spend any money on the L&L bushings. I fail to see how they will save you time, especially since you don't have a Hornady press for the bushing to rotate into.

Hornady LNL inserts can be used with their press adapter that fits any press that can accept 1-1/4" dies, which includes the RCBS RC/RCS, Redding BigBoss/BB2/UltraMag, Lee Classic Cast, and the Hornady LNL Classic and LNL AP. The Hornady presses come with the adapter(s), but you buy the adapter separately for the other presses.

Andy

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Originally posted by BigJakeJ1s:


Hornady LNL inserts can be used with their press adapter that fits any press that can accept 1-1/4" dies

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quote:

you buy the adapter separately for the other presses.

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Andy

You're right! It's just one more unnecessary thing to buy.