I am interested in getting started in Reloading, and was looking for a good kit that won't break the bank. I am looking at the RCBS Rock Chucker Master Reloading Kit. Would this be a good start? I plan on Reloading .22-250, .308, 30-06, and .300 RUM Improved. Any help, and where the best prices on the web would be are greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Frank D

The first thing(s) to get when considering reloading are manuals, from both the bullet and powder manufactures. Read them, study them, and compare them. They will tell you what all the tools are used for.
The 'chucker kit is a great place to start, on the equipment side. Just add in a 6" dial caliper and your good to go.
Welcome to reloading, *Warning* it can be addicting.

RCBS Rock Chucker Master Reloading Kit and the RCBS Accessory Kit. That will give you everything you "need".

As for prices, you just gotta go shopping. They change almost daily.

Frank D, I began loading about 5 years ago, mainly due to a round called the Savage Hi Power .22. Five years later, I finally got around to loading it with the help of many of these fine gents. In other words, it was so much fun, I completely handloading all my factory purchased cartridges (often a few times) before I got into the specialized Savage round. Hunting season is on us now around here, and it�s just so much fun to handload all your own rounds.

I too began with the Rock Chucker kit, but through trial and error purchased a few items, and "circle filed" a few that came with the kit. One, and the only suggestion I would give due to the high knowledge level of posters in this group, is invest 20 or 30 bucks into two Lee Handprimers. Not, one but two. One for large primers, the other for small. These simple little gadgets do a great job of priming, and give you the peace of mind of seating properly by giving you simple finger checking each round as you go. I sometimes will leave primers in the devices, which I mark with a sticky note on which type they are. Gun shows are an excellent place to find shell holders for as little as a buck @.

The advice on loading manuals is an excellent one. I began with the Speer given with the RCBS kit, more were purchased more as time went on. The Speer gives excellent loading advice, the little brochures that came with the RCBS dies are extremely helpful too. Tailgunner hit the primer right on the head regarding bullets/powders, which can be a headache. I�m lucky, for my shooting bench is 10 steps from my loading bench, which has shown me how much loads can mean a difference by almost instant experimentation. Steve�s pages are the finest shooting/reloading site on the web, which has recently added to my loading knowledge immensely.

Have fun, Scott

I sometimes get yelled at for suggesting this, but will anyway--

To start out, it is hard to beat the value of the Lee Anniversary kit. For $75 or so, it will load just as much ammo, that is just as accurate, as anything you can buy, as long as you make one simple modification. The Rock Chucker is strong, no doubt. But I have found no practical use for most of the extra strength. Very few people swage their own bullets, and that is the only case I know of where the extra strength is useful.

First thing you do when you get the kit is go to the Lee web site and buy a pair of toggle links (TP2128, 2x $3) for their Progressive press. Also buy a new handle, TP2105, for $5, and a new wooden knob, TR2447, for $5. The toggle links on the Anniversary kit press are notoriously weak. The replacements are quite strong. I don't know why they don't make these parts standard, since there is obviously little cost difference.

By now you're into this about $100, and you have a setup that will last for decades.

I like the Lee case trimmer system... dirt cheap, and uses your electric drill for power.

I use a $6 41.5 degree countersink, from the local industrial supply store, for deburring brass that has been trimmed. I suggest something about 1/2". It also works great for removing the crimp in mil brass.

For reloading, I like the little $15 dial calipers from Harbor Freight... cheap, and handy for reloading.

Get a little remnant of carpet to put directly under your press. You will drop brass, and this will prevent deformation of the mouth of the case when it lands.

I like the Lyman reloading book, I like the inexpensive paperback Hornady book, and I like Loadbooks, which give you most of the available data for a single caliber. Spend a lot of time reading, especially at first.

Buy quality the first time and don`t look back.

I would look at the RCBS Reloader Spcl kit if you want to go a bit cheaper then the RockChucker.
The only drawback on the Reloader Spcl is you may have to wiggle the 300 Umag bullet under the die as the opening is a bit short for easy seating with the larger cases.

RCBS stands behind all their products. I bought a RockChucker at a garage sale with a set of 9mm and 357 mag dies for $35 a few years ago. The press was missing the primer catch tray and a call to RCBS asking for a replacement had a new one in my hands within a week at NO CHARGE. This was after I told them how I aquired the press and offered to pay for the part. With this kind of customer service and product it`s awful hard to recommend anything else to a new reloader.

In any case welcome to a great hobby...

Frank.....trust me, Don't beleave the hype.....I was right where you are two years ago and I have one word of advice for you......LEE.

i totally agree with anvil LEE makes the stuff that i like to use. you just can beat their products for simplicty.

a .357 can be your best friend....

35 years reloading, probably 40,000 rounds, still using the same Rockchucker.

That said, I still prefer Redding's dies.

What's that old saying that the poor taste of low quality remains long after the money saved is gone, or something?

The RCBS kit is usually on sale at Mid-South or Natchez for around $230.00.

R-WEST

I bought a RCBS Master kit a couple of years ago and it is still doing everything I need to do, loads from my .22 hornet through to my .585 Nyati. Just grab the RCBS kit and you will have a great start in reloading with quality stuff.

The other kit to look into would be Reddings kit, I am not sure how it stacks up price wise to the RCBS however.

Lee presses are good for one thing,if you do a lot of reloading,and that is building a collection of broken press parts,and unlike other companies,they don`t fix them at "no charge".I have had great luck with their dies,and would not be without a couple of auto-primes,and once you get a mould that will cast the right size bullet (they will rebore them so the bullet is large enough usually at NO charge,so these are a very good deal)they are excellent values.I also am one of the few that has had good luck with the Load-all 2 shotshell presses,I`ve worn out 3 in 12 ga. and 2 in 20 but after many thousands of rounds,and I have NEVER spilled shot or powder while using them,wish I could have said that about my 3 mec`s i ended up selling.go with the RCBS press and you can`t go wrong.Lee also has a system of tooling charges for uncommon calibers,as many people that have posted about getting 9.3x62 dies made up,it seems that they should be past the "tooling"charge for at least this caliber.good luck,you`re on your way to a great "addiction",can`t say hobby as it usually goes well beyond that.

I second everthing Denton said.If you use Lee dies, buy extra Lee lock rings,and double them up.The o-ring works for self-aliagning the die but not for locking the setting very well.Good luck,it's great fun.

Hi,

I started handloading over 35 years ago ... with a simple Lee loader. Then bought a Rock Chucker as they had just stopped producing the A-10.

Even though I now have a C&H progressive, Dillon 550 and 1050 progressive presses and an RDP progressive ... the heavy rifle and all of the hunting ammo still gets built on the Rock Chucker the old fashioned way (one at a time).

Buying good stuff means you'll never feel you wasted your money! The good stuff is much more pleasant to use and lasts SOOOO much better than junk!

Be careful to understand what you're doing, pay attention, don't push max loads and have a great time!

I have (and have used) Lee, RCBS, Dillon, Lyman, and Forster presses. The "best" depends on what I'm loading. I tend to agree that starting with Lee, and seeing if reloading is something you like to do, is a good idea. One of my Lee presses has been in steady use for twenty years, and I long ago lost count of the rounds through it, and there have been no problems. Do they wear out? Yes, all machinery wears out. (It's like the minute you're born, you're dieing.) I just can't see pouring a whole bunch of money into something you may decide you don't really want to do. Try it, if you like it, expand. A good Lee press will always be useful, no matter what you lean to later on, and having only one press is counter productive. FWIW - Dan