OK, I just bought a .470NE and quickly recognize that I need to start reloading... These $210/box Federals add up fast! I've been advised that I should order the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit. Per the RCBS site, The Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit includes: Rock Chucker Supreme Press, 5-0-5 Reloading Scale, Uniflow Powder Measure, Speer Reloading Manual #13, Hand Priming tool, Hex Key Set, Case Loading Block, Case Lube Kit, Powder Funnel and Deburring Tool. They say all I need are the dyes and a shell holder. Does this sound a good way to start?
Now I need to have an idea of what loads I should get for my .470. Right now I'm shooting the Federal Premium TBBC's. If I wanted to load bullets that were essesntially the same as that, what "recipe" would you recommend?

Congratulations.

The Rock Chucker will work, however you will find it to be a pain because it is too short and you now know how long your 470 cases are. A Redding Ultramag press has plenty of room and is a fine press. I also doubt the case reloading block will handle the 470 brass. The hand priming tool is also too small, but their bench mounted primer tools works very well. Welcome to the big guns!

As far as loads, every double is different in its regulation. I like IMR 4831 for my 470 with 500g Woodleighs. My loads are 105g if using Bell brass and about
108g if using Norma brass. This is something you will have to find out for yourself. A chrono may be of help as the rifle "probably" regulates somewhere around 2150 fps - but this is no guarantee.

Good Luck.

RC,
So you think I should skip over the Rock Chucker and go with the Redding? Do you know if they have a package kit like RCBS offers or will I need to accumulate the various components individualy? Since I'm starting from scratch, I might as well try to avoid things that are marginal and only get what is truly the best way to go....I like things are easy and highly efficient.
Thanks for your advice!

RC,

I just spoke with a guy at Midway and he, too, recommended Redding. He actually thought that RCBS has recently adjusted their Supreme press for the longer calibers, yet he was unsure and still leaned toward Redding. He brought up their turret press and the ultramag and seemd to really prefer the turret. But in the conversation I could tell he wasn't completely confident that the turret would handle a .470, so I called Redding in NY. Their guy overwhelmingly thought the turret was not the way to go, saying the ultramag was the press made for this caliber. Sounds like the ultramag may be the way to go.....

Yes, the Supreme is much taller than the regular Rock Chucker. I just bought one and am loading 505 Gibbs no problem.

I would advise against the use of the Rock Chucker for loading 470's. I have done it but it is a pain. I now use a Redding with a larger opening (cannot recall the name).

As for loads, one standard regulating load for the 470 is 108.0 grains IMR4831, F215 primer, and 500 grain Woodleigh solid.

I have read (here) that the Federal super secret load is 89.0 grains Reloader 15, F215 primer, 500 grain trophy bonded sledgehammer solid.

Somebody correct me if you have better intelligence on the Federal load please.

I use Fed 215 primers and RL-15 with 5 gns of dacron over the powder. I also got a 500gn bullet mold from www.mountainmolds.com they shoot to the same place as Barnes 500 XLC's loaded to 2150 and will save you $2-3 per round for practice loads.

I don't know much about the RC Supreme, but having a Rock Chucker for 20 years, it really became a pain when loading the longer rounds. I gave it to a friend when I puchased my Redding Ultramag. The stuff in the kit will be helpful if you load smaller cartridges, but the loading block and primer tool will not work with the 470. If you don't want to prime one at a time with the press (I wouldn't) you'll need a bigger priming tool like the RCBS bench mounted one. It works great. As far as a kit from Redding, I don't know if they offer one. If they do, I'm sure Midway would know. You will need a scale and a powder measure. If you continue reloading, you'll have everyones loading manuals and to my knowledge 470NE isn't in the Speer manual.



If you have any more questions, let me know.

The press you need is the RCBS A-2 single station press, it will load anything up to 50 cal BMG and you have room to work in it...The Rockchuker is too short for the big double rifle cases....

You also need a powder measure with at least 100 gr. capacity so you can double drop a 100 grs plus powder charge by dividing it in half, example a 108 grs of IMR-4831 for your .470 would be two drops of 54 grs.

I would also recommend using file trim dies with double rifle cases as FTDs are much more accurate than the rotary cutter type and you need consistency in length on any case that you may want to use a crimp on in order to hit the cannalure..plus it takes a different cutter and piolet for .470 and up and in many cases a different case trimmer altogether...

Just order reloading dies and file trim dies and case holder at the same time.

Thats my advise on reloading doubles for what its worth.

Just so there's no confusion, the Rocker Chucker and the Rock Chucker Supreme are two different presses. The Supreme was brought out recently to answer the shortcoming of loading the longer rounds. The opening on mine measures 4.5 inches from the bottom of the shell holder to the inside top of the frame. I never owned a Rock Chucker but I believe the frame and ram are a little heavier too. The top of the frame is thicker and little if any of the die projects into the opening. It comes with a bushing for 7/8 dies and will take dies to 1-1/4 inch. Ray is right though about the 50 BMG. It won't fit and neither will dies for it. If you think you'll ever get a Big 50, buy the AmmoMaster. Otherwise the Supreme will work and it's only $99.

Well Spring, I see you have discovered one of life's realities:If you shoot a double you are by definition a reloader. To set the record straight, the current Rockchucker, the new so called "Supreme" has plenty of clearance to load the .470 NE. I have one and it easily handles the .470NE, the.500NE, and the .416 Rigby that I load for. I spoke to several people at the SCI convention in Vegas two years ago and both Craig Boddington and the rep in the Federal booth confirmed that the load Federal uses is 87grs. RL15. However they use a special 216M primer which they have not(and apparently won't)released to the public. Undaunted I hiked over to the Kynoch booth where,lo and behold and salvation come, there's a guy in the booth with this silly grin on his face holding this ziplock bag full of little gray foam wads and a copy of SHOOTING THE ENGLISH DOUBLE RIFLE by Graeme Wright. Well I already had the book and the wads were the missing link.BTW by the second day of the convention there was a line 15 deep to this booth. the book contains everything anyone needs to know about reloading for double rifles. I have been able to exactly duplicate the Federal load with 89grs. RL15 with the Kynock foam wads, Federal 215M primers and Woodleigh 500 gr. softs. The book explains how to work up regulating loads etc. As always, start a few grains less and work up. Your gun may shoot best at 86grs. or 90grs. Two things I have found to hold true:1) the RL 15 loads have noticeably less perceived recoil than the slower powder loads (expected) 2)Most of the people I've talked to say their guns regulate at about 89-90grs RL15. I sure hope this helps, 'cause it took me a long time and a lot of research to get this point.
Geronimo

Gee Whiz, didn't we say something like that sometime ago when Spring first posted about owning and shooting a 470 NE? Man those Federals are expensive, ain't they?

Gents
he has the supreme RC.. it'll handle 4.5" rounds.

I got the same press, for the reasons that MY paws had trouble with an RC3 and 416 rems

jeffe

No doubt, 475, you forewarned me! I've ordered bullets twice from Cabela's. Doesn't take long to figure there has to be a better way!

Did you just open an account and let them just deduct as necessary? I know that Norma seems to make brass more to specs than any other make and you can usually get them from Huntingtons. Don't forget to lay into some good cast bullets to save a bit more money for that range time. When it comes to cast bullets, it takes a lot of tweaking but I seem to remember 500grains' posting about a good cast load in Nitro's forum. Good luck getting everything going so that you can shoot more.

What Geronomo said The only difference is I use 88.5 grains of Rel 15. When I load Woodleigh Solids, I use 88 Grains of Rel 15.