It's time to buy the equipment for loading my own ammo.

450/400 - 3&1/4" NE and 500 S&W revolver. I've been told

Dillon's stuff is the best. I rather not waste money buying

the simplest stuff and hating it because it's too slow. So

lay it on me. What's the RIGHT equipment to load hundreds

of rounds per month. I may ultimately wind up doing 475 #2

ammo too with it's 3.5 inch brass, AND OR, 470 NE brass

necked open to a thousandth or two under .500". [A wildcat

I am considering in a single shot, falling block rifle.]

What are the smallest dimensions for a room to set up in?

MUST I be able to stand up or can it be a sub five foot

ceiling area? Any thing that I MUST KNOW?

Jack:

For numerous reasons, I wouldn't use a progressive for your double rifle loading. You have a lot of inspection and prepping to do AFTER resizing. Also, I don't believe in thrown charges in a nitro express double, only weighed. There is no need for volume in double rifle loading, unless you're doing it commercially.

Good single stage presses with a large enough gape for the big flanged nitros are readily available at a very modest cost. Last I looked you could get one for about $90. Perfectly adequate beam scales are available for about $40. It isn't that big of a deal to set up a single stage in addition to a progressive.

I know they're expensive, but buy RCBS dies for your .400. Getting it right the first time is worth the money.

400 Nitro,

I have a set of Hornady .450 NE dies on order. Are the RCBS dies that much better? I've used RCBS for 35 years with a few Lyman and Lee sets too. I have never used Hornady dies before. Any thoughts?

TIA

I second 400 Nitro. I have a Dillon 550B for pistol cartridge reloading in bulk, an RCBS Rock Chucker for regular rifle cartridges and an RCBS Ammo Master for my doubles and big bore Weatherbys.

I have a couple of new Hornady loading die sets and they seem to work just fine. I have been using mostly RCBS dies for the last 40 years.

Thanks 400, B_D and Ed.

Ed,

Is the RCBS AMMO MASTER a progressive press?

Guys,

My 35 yr old RCBS Rockchucker has a bit of room with the 3 1/4" 450 Nitro case. Have you had any problems when bullet seating or crimping due to lack of sufficient vertical space?

I have a dillon 550 and a 650. I can't imagine ever useing them for one of my double rifles.

400 nitro said it best "there are numerous reasons" not to use a progressive for the double( or anything else you want precision ammo for.)

The main thing is case preperation. The progressive dosen't allow for trimming after sizeing unless you take the case out of the the loader and trim it. Then what would the point of the progressive be.

The 650 has a trimmer option but it's surely a pritty crude trim, since there is no champforing or deburring.

When I started loading for the really long cartridges I sold my rock chucker and purchased an RCBS Ammo Master II.
Am very happy with my choice and no more pinched fingers.

Jack,
The RCBS Ammo Master is a tall single stage press. It has plenty of room for the Nitro cartridges and other long cases like the 458 Lott, 378 and 460 Weatherbys. I used to load 50BMG rounds with it. I primarily use it for 470 and 500's now.

Thanks again guys, I'm checking this thread DAILY.

Should I contact this guy:
http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/for/1416244914.html

I emailed RCBS concerning the vertical capacity of my old Rockchucker press.

They said, "the operating window in the old RC is 3.312 the new RC Supreme has an operating window of 4.5."