RCBS might have had these nice kits when I began reloading in the early 70s but I don't recall seeing them. Used that Rockchucker for decades until a neighbor kid I was teaching to reload really got the bug bad, so I gave him mine and ordered the RCIV. Watching you do the basic reload reminded me of how simple it all can be. I have over the years fallen down that rabbit hole and now have a mix of dies between RCBS, Lee (4 die pistol sets), Redding and Forster. I began loading for 308 Winchester, but added 270 Winchester, 270 Weatherby, 30-06 7.62x54R and 7.62x39. Pistols include 380, 38/357, 9MM, 40 S&W, 10MM, 44 Magnum, 45ACP and 45 Colt. I haven't fired a factory round out of my weapons in years and have no intention to. Some folks like cranking out hundreds of rounds per hour but I still prefer to make them one at a time. We have some pretty brisk winters here too in south central Wyoming. Just moved my coffee maker into my reloading room and spent the day making 45 Colt ammo.
Been using my Rock Chucker IV for two years and love it. I did purchase a kit because I started with only the essentials I need to prepare .308 Winchester rifle. Over the year, I added other tools that made it easier. I purchased this press because of the video: "Fourteen Reloading Presses Compared: Single-Stage Shootout". I now reload for every pistol and rifle caliber I own. This channel has been awesome for to quickly grow as a reloader and not spend a lot of money. Thank you. Guy you do a great job with the videos too.
I've been using an RCBS PRO 2000 AUTO INDEX PROGRESSIVE PRESS since the press first came out. Best progressive press ever, I love it. Since then I have a second RCBS PRO 2000 MANUAL INDEX PRESS. I also have the RCBS Rock chucker Supreme and for a single stage press It's awesome. I have a ton of reloading equipment and it is all RCBS. I learned how to reload from my Dad growing up who was a hunter, reloader and competition shooter and all his equipment was RCBS.
I'm thinking about getting into reloading but I think it's like going down the rabbit hole. I'd probably never stop spending money on better and newer equipment. Plus I worry about the learning process.
I just started reloading this year because I was having a hard time finding ammunition for my hunting rifle wife and kids bought me the same press I am loving it
I also grew up with a Rock Chucker on my Grandpa and Dad's reloading benches. I got the Rebel Master Kit this year. I love it. I modified the In-line fabrication extractor kit for the Rock Chucker Supreme to work on my Rebel. I got the RCBS bench mounted auto primer, and I love the set up. I really enjoy the way the primers eject out the bottom.
Started reloading in 1980 and bought the Rock Chucker Combo. I am still using it today. I reload anywhere from .223 to .338 Win Mag. Never had any problems with it. I've reloaded thousands of rounds.
I bought a rock chucker supreme 15 years ago and it works as good today as when it was new. It's loaded 10 of thousands of cartridges and imho is a great tool for reloaders, new and experienced.
Been using Rockchucker’s for over 50 years, I have 2 right now. I also have a Dillon 550C but I actually prefer loading on a single stage Rockchucker as I can monitor the process better.
I'm doing my due diligence, trying to decide where to start. The Rock Chucker Supreme Kit looks very attractive, but I am also looking at the Dillon 550c (which is currently my favorite) and the Forster Co-Ax...decisions, decisions.
I have that set up. I absolutely love it! I finished 500 rounds of 223 in a little over 7 hours HAHA. I am working on 6.5 Grendel and 300 blk now. Thanks for the video
I share the love of RCBS. Most of my loading has been done on an old school rock chucker and I still use it a lot. Going to be loading some 6.5mm Japanese and 6.5mm Norwegian on it soon.
Bought this kit 6 years when I started reloading and it's awesome. At first I didn't like the beam scale and bought a cheap digital scale but soon realized that the beam for way more accurate. I measure each powder charge on the beam and it hasn't let me down.
Basically share a similar story, I remember sitting on my Dad's lap helping him reload probably 1969-70 on his old rcbs press. Bought my rock chucker around 1994/95 and am still loading on that press. Between my Mec shotshell reloaders and my Rcbs press (all single stage) I've loaded tens of thousands of pistol and rifle for every caliber I own and at least 250k for my shotguns that I compete with in 4 different gauges. Just never made it to the progressive game. Still old school for me. I'm sure I need a new metallic press as the ram is starting to show play. Still get good accuracy but I've definitely got my money's worth from it. Rcbs makes a great product.
Purchased a used rock chucker kit back in 1983 and it's still going strong. The press has virtually no side play at all so I can't justify replacing it (even though the MEC marksman and the RCBS Rebel both look really nice). I upgraded to the Satern alum-brass funnel as the plastic funnel had annoying static cling. Like most folks I use a hand priming tool instead of the press mounted assembly. I too love Varget in my .308 win but it's once again become scarce along with my other 'go-to' stick powders like H4895 and IMR4064 so I decided I would try out a few ball powders and I'm getting excellent accuracy with Ramshot TAC on 168's and also AA2520 w/155 match pills, and the price of the ball powder is about 20% less than the sticks. I may never go back! Thanks Guy for another great vid...
I have never reloaded and just bought an RCBS REBEL kit from Scheels to start my new adventure. I have everything needed to reload except, powder, primers and bullets. I need to figure out what kind of powders I will need to get started. I will be reloading my Remington 308, Marlin 30-30 45acp, 38 special, 9mm and 380. I have the dies for each. Still trying to search out some information on what's the best for reloading all the different cartridges. Bullet weight, and powder. I have also bought the Hornady 50th edition, Ken Waters Pet loads, and the Speer manual that came with the Rebel kit. Just nervously baby stepping forward. Thanks for all the encouragement shown on Ultimate Reloader, You guys ROCK!(CHUCKER)
Very informative Guy! Been using a RCBS press and equipment since 1969. and have upgraded to the Rock chucker from a JR several years back. My go to dies these day are the Match masters dies very slick and precise.
I bought this kit a few years ago with the Rebel press after it came out. So far, I am mostly pleased with everything that it came with except for the digital scale. Glad to see they went back to supplying the beam scale. It is much better than the cheap digital scale that used to come with the kits. Wish they would include the universal hand priming tool instead of the standard hand primer. The universal primer doesn't need shell holders. My kit did come with a trickler. Can't believe that a trickler isn't included with this kit. To me that is a basic necessity. Unless, of course, you go out and buy a digital powder dispenser. All in all, I'd buy the kit again.
My first press was a Rock Chucker 45 years ago, I have gone thru 2 of them and have switched to the Summit press and Dillon 550 with Armanov set up for rifle.
@@guyminer3168 40 years of handloading for prairie dog shoots averaging 3000 rounds per shoot, barrels worn out amount to over 100, calibers include, 222, 22 Hornet, .223, 22-250, 6MM Remington, 25-06, 308, 6xc and a few others. Handguns I never kept count of but each year loaded 3, 5 gallon buckets of bullets for 45 acp, 2 38 specials, and untold 9mm and 38 super. I just switched to a Dillon 550C last year as i found out about Armanov tool heads and die rings. Now have that set up to load for P-dogs with 2 tool heads per cartridge, and a V-3 powder trickler for weighting out charges. What wore out was the frame to ram fit as primer material would get between the ram and frame causing it to wear allowing runout on the ram.
Started reloading in 1985. Bought my Rockchucker starter kit at the BX on Eielson AFB, AK. Load rifle and pistol on it to this day. Still adding dies and case holders to this day. Just ordered a SOLUS 6mm Creedmoor to the list. It’s a little tougher to find reloading data for this cartridge. For some odd reason it’s not listed in my Speer Reloading Manual that came with my original kit…
Like you Sir I started on the rock crusher just like you are demonstrating in this video. I love reloading it is so relaxing, and I know each round is as it should be. I can trust my ammo. Thank you for sharing God bless you and yours.
I purchased a RCBS kit a few years ago but have been hesitant to start reloading on my own. Found your channel this morning and it has given me the confidence to get started rolling my own ammo. Thanks!
Still using my junior kit since 1989 . Have loaded most cartridges on it ,but have found it to be too small for the magnums. Mainly shoot 308 and 22 250 and it fits them to a t . I also added a trickeler but other than that am still using the original kit . I don't know how many rounds have been reloaded by the kit but it has out lasted a lot of barrels . Between the range and hunting we are talking thousands of rounds a year .
Man does that ever bring back a lot of memories. With all of the progressive presses, auto powered dispensers, ect…. My how things have changed. Can’t imagine going back to that, but sure glad it’s still available to bring folks into the sport and enjoy the satisfaction of making your own ammunition.
You may have noticed but the handle on that RC isn't the only improvement, what's really nice is it no longer requires the benchtop overhang. I replaced my old RC with a supreme for just that reason. You all might want to mount old and new sidebyside so you can show users what I mean. The newer one really opens up places you can mount it. Otherwise i haven't noticed a lot of differences, old or new those RC are just wonderful presses. I prefer the RCBS Automatic Bench Priming Tool over either the hand unit or press, mostly because the feel while priming. It might not be as fast to use as the hand one but no hand cramping either ;-) oh yeah, I'd definitely recommend this kit to anyone starting out as you get all the basic items needed and kinda forces you to take your time and learn to do it right. I wish this kit was available when I started reloading (over 30yrs back).
A reloading kit is only the beginning of the journey. The RCBS RC IV is what I got back into reloading with, but you'll buy improved products as you go... except for that Rock Chucker press. After all these years, it's still my number one press. I don't care for progressives because for rifle, I tend to load very precisely. I don't care for most of the new gimmicky presses because there's built in probabilities for alignment problems not too far down the road. But there's always something new and better coming, so you'll buy lots of new gadgets to do things better and faster. Case prep is sooo important to accurate and reliable loading and as you learn the tricks of the trade, you'll buy certain tools to facilitate those improved ways of doing things. Reloading is a fascinating endeavor especially for those of us who are perfectionists and want to wring every last bit of accuracy out of their firearms and produce custom high quality loads for them.
Lee Loader! Loaded many with those individual loaders with very good results. RCBS is my press of choice and other than Redding dies, I like RCBS dies. Enjoyed!
I got this kit in late 90s. It came with way more stuff including a case trimmer and a better scale. It was $200. Reloading use to be a cheap hobby. $40 would get you a pound of powder box of bullets and 1000 primers. I cracked the press on both mounting holes. Forming brass and got a little too aggressive. Contacted RCBS and 2 weeks later had a brand new press at no cost not even shipping. RCBS is a top notch company
Having a press like this is the best, same with a Rebel. Can do everything on this. If you cast bullets you can size heads, flare cases and then reload them. Single stages are a necessity.
I've found 180 grain bullets to be the maximum sweet spot for my '06s. If I need heavier I go to my collection of .30 and .33 caliber chambered rifles. IMR-4350 and W760 powders fuel everything from 110-180 grain projectiles, accurately and without high pressurized wallops to the shoulder.
I have the same kit, my case lube had a different label. Why is the consistency like cold molasses? Is there a way to get it out of the bottle easier? Maybe cutting it with something... Notice all those spent primers all over the press? I had a friend 3d print a better catcher that connects to nylon tubing and into a bottle. I sold the universal tray and bought one that was a little less tall and busy looking. I only reload for 4 or 5 calibers, I like the MTM ones better. Get a good trickler for stuff like Varget (powder measure wont meter stick powder very well, and has some issues with flakes), and I suggest a motor driven trimmer. I have the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Case Prep and Trim Center, it's amazing. The RCBS universal powder measure only comes with one drum. If you want to reload pistol calibers accurately at
RCBS makes a good single stage reloading kit. I am not a fan of their progressive presses. Because I no longer use that press I salvaged the powder measure, and it is good enough for what I use it for. Dies are pretty good, and in the event of a stuck case there are plenty of case removers that work with their decapping rod threads. I will say that I am fairly anal about verifying my shoulder bump and cleaning my brass after it has been sized.
I have been looking hard at the either a rock chucker or the American 8 to replace the RCBS jr3 I have been using for a few years. That JR3 has been pretty handy but it’s got a small opening and has a little more play in the ram than I would like.
Great starting kits. I just wish they came with a case trimmer and digital calipers. Don't let that chamfer and deburring tool roll of the table and fit your bare foot.
I measure with a set of calipers. It's interesting to measure both the fired case and the resized case. Sometimes they'll stretch during the resizing process. A case-length gauge is also a handy thing to have.
I haven't started reloading yet but i am very interested in doing so. You mentioned this kit will not do some of the larger calibers, which ones are to large for it and will it do 45-70?
Oh, it will handle 45-70 easily! And my 375 H&H too. I was thinking of really huge things like the 50 BMG. Even that might be possible? But there are presses just for that sort of thing.
@@guyminer3168 Thank you! I'm trying to watch plenty of videos on reloading. I hope you don't mind but I have a few questions....what is the proper way to step up a load when trying to reach max for a rifle and also, how to tell when it has reached its max?
Would really like the recipe for you 30-06 reload you spoke of at the beginning. I would really like to shoot mine more with out so much wear and tear on me!
I have the Rcbs rebel. I noticed that you lubed the inside of the case but didn’t clean the lube out after sizing and before adding the powder. Doesn’t that lube affect the powder charge? You mentioned touching lubed cases then touching primers and that possibly having an effect. Curious about why the difference.
Not all that particular. You saw that group I shot with this load from Gavin's Savage rifle? Factory barrel. The group was in the .4's at 100 yards with a high velocity hunting load... I'm more particular about measuring the groups than the length of the rounds.
If too much case lube is used, it has nowhere to go once the case is shoved up into the die, and it doesn't compress. The shoulders end up with dents. I did that back in the 1970's, loading my 6mm Remington. Now and again I've messed up and done it again. They fire-form out, no need to discard the brass.
Thanks. That's a family rifle, a Springfield "sporterized" by my grandfather, for my father while he was still at sea in the post WWII years. First centerfire rifle I ever shot. Mom and I bought the Redfield scope for Dad in the 1970's when his eyes were having trouble with the iron sights. I've got it now, and treasure it. It shoots quite well.
@@H.R.6688 - Ha! Ya, thanks. I've lost a bit of weight and need to use the suspenders with my cargo pants to keep 'em from falling down, leaving me looking like a very old street thug. Thanks!
