I have my new RCBS dies now, but the thread won't fit my now little looking "rockchucker" press? So, which press should I get now? I need something that will be able to handle all of my future projects as well, from 416 Rigby to 600 OK.

[ 06-30-2003, 13:16: Message edited by: dcm ]

DCM,

Does your Rockchucker have the removable bushing?

If not the RCBS Ammomaster 50BMG press ($149.00) plus the top plate ($75.00) was recommended to me.

Check out www.benchrest.com/sst and look in the "reloading supplies" section for Midway.

i got the rcbs supreme for my big stuff. 99 bucks on midway, and uses the same bushing as the rockchuckers

jeffe

If you plan to do much loading of any of the larger casings, or associated case forming operations, I'd spring for the extra hand room, visibility, stroke length and power of the "Ammo-Master". If your only planning to load for one or two chamberings of this size, most any of the better presses will suffice. The only negative common to the "Ammo-Master" is a rather quirky twist in the linkage at the very bottom of the upstroke. Takes some getting used to.

ummm the best press ever made IMO is/was the "hollywood senior". Good luck ever finding one, and I wont part with mine.

My big bore press is the Ammo Master single stage press..It will load 50 BMG ammo...I love it and it has room to spare on the big bores...

On my smaller calibers I still use my old Hollywood Senior press, it is a dandy but mine won't handle the 505 and up...or the larger thread dies...just the std. 7/8x14

Call up RCBS and get the replacement bushing that will take the oversize .505 Gibbs dies you have now. Not much money, and they deliver quick. Make sure you know your thread pitch and diameter before you call. Please note, you need a BIG wrench to change those bushings because the hex size is so big.

I'd try the Rockchucker the way it is before I sprang for a new press. I think it will work with most hunting bullets loaded to normal OALs. If it doesn't, I have heard the new Rockchucker is longer than the old one, and then there is the Ammomaster.

At around 3.125" for the case, the Gibbs is a very long case for normal rifles, but COAL in the A-Square manual is only .1' longer than the big Weatherby rounds, and the large-cased .338s, at 3.850" v. 3.750". The problem you could run into is that while you can stuff a bullet chased by a case into the bullet seat die, on the downstroke you will find that the bullet won't clear the side of the die when you try to remove the loaded round. Most likely your bullets will be too short for that to be a problem.

I load 700 gr. .50 BMG bullets in my .510-.505 using a Rockchucker. It's been a while since I did that, but it seems to me that I didn't have much trouble doing it.

Buy the corbin press inthe large size and if you want to load 20mm ammo you can or go over the deep end and buy a set of dies and make your own bullets

Smallfry,
I have an old Hollywood Turret Tool press that I inherited. I called Hollywod Engineering and they have the senior for $700. Phone is 318-842-8376.
I'm still figuring out all the intricacies of this monster. It has four shell holder positions and four primer holder positions under that. It loads on the upstroke.
The biggest thing I load is 416 taylor but there's plenty of room left.
By the way, anybody know much about the press I mentioned? There is 6" of clearance from shell holder to turret.
Anyway, didn't mean to go off topic but this thing should load anything you're going to shoot from your shoulder.
Jeff