Ejcb Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 Hello All! Have acquired a RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Kit, although there are things I need to acquire and would like your opinion / advice. Would like to get started loading 6.5 Creedmore, .223, 303, 7.5X55 and possibly .38/.357, in small quantities but to a decent standard - even if it is at a slow rate. Trying to stick to a budget as far as possible. Dies: Redding Premium Deluxe Die Set Primer Pocket & Flash Hole Prep: Is a brush and cutter required? Case Cleaning: Is this required? Digital Scales: Pocket-Touch 1500 Trickler: RCBS Trickler Case Trimmer: Lee Deluxe Quick Trim Case Trimmer Calipers: RCBS Calipers Headspacing & OAL Gauge: Hornady? Cartridge Holders: RCBS Compatibility? Hornady Lock N Load: May speed changes up, are these compatible with various dies? Appreciate your thoughts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VarmLR Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 40 minutes ago, Ejcb said: Hello All! Have acquired a RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Kit, although there are things I need to acquire and would like your opinion / advice. Would like to get started loading 6.5 Creedmore, .223, 303, 7.5X55 and possibly .38/.357, in small quantities but to a decent standard - even if it is at a slow rate. Trying to stick to a budget as far as possible. Dies: Redding Premium Deluxe Die Set....Fine but even the standard A series are pretty decent. You don't need to stretch the extra for premium unless planning to shoot comp at a later date in which case you'll probably end up wanting to use bushing dies anyway. You'll need the appropriate VLD type insert for the seating die depending on which one is bought and I recommend the Redding micrometer top. Primer Pocket & Flash Hole Prep: Is a brush and cutter required? Use a Lyman flash hole uniformer which cleans crud and uniforms inside face where some brass from the factory has a burr left from manufacture Case Cleaning: Is this required? It's advisable for brass inspection and uniformity. A Lyman Turbo tumbler + corn cob media does fine. Aftermarket corn cob media is sold on Ebay for a third of the cost than from reloading suppliers. You can also use a cheap U/S cleaner and add a little Seaclean after brass prep (I tend to tumble, decap, prep and U/S clean before loading) Digital Scales: Pocket-Touch 1500: I'd advise you get something a little better. Even a basic beam scale. There are few really cheap electronic scales I've tried that I've found any good. One that is though is this one:https://www.countyscales.co.uk/on-balance-pellet-scale-reloading-kit.htm Trickler: RCBS Trickler....Fine Case Trimmer: Lee Deluxe Quick Trim Case Trimmer...Best avoided. They have a tendency to bind up as the bushings get very mucky very quickly. The Lee precision case trim plus matching case insert is better Calipers: RCBS Calipers....Any cheap digital calipers will do. You pay more for the brand name. Try these: https://digitalmicrometers.co.uk/collections/calipers/products/dc04100 Headspacing & OAL Gauge: Hornady? Yes. Hornady L-N-L are universally popular Cartridge Holders: RCBS Compatibility? If you mean shell holders, you'll need to check what you can use. I can use Hornady and Lee shell holders with my Lee press for example. Hornady Lock N Load: May speed changes up, are these compatible with various dies? Hornady L-N-L what? Do you mean the electronic load dispenser? I'd personally recommend the RCBS or lyman ones, particularly the RCBS Lite or Lyman Gen 5 or Gen 6. Appreciate your thoughts! See comments in red. Also consider: MTM or similar load block for holding your cases Miniature bottle brushes for applying lube to inside of case necks bronze brushes for a quick clean of inside of case necks Primer pocket cleaner...Lyman or Lee would do fine Chamfer/deburring tool. You may be better using a VLD type one for the 6.5 or anything else using shallow angle boat tail bullets Lube...Imperial Lanolin wax or Dax 100% Lanolin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Pimp Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 Well ejcb - I predict dozens of different opinions. Here's mine: Dies: Prefer Forster but nothing wrong with Redding Primer pocket: Get a carbide cutter(s) - can be used for uniforming and cleaning Case cleaning: Outside neck - Duraglit wadding, inside neck - old bronze bore brush Digital Scales: Cheap ones are cheap. Buy the best you can afford Trickler: Yep - RCBS Case trimmer: Lee are 'cartridge specific' so you'll need 4. Buy a Lyman Acculine trimmer - uses a shell-holder to hold the case - not the rubbish 'clutch' mechanism as found on most trimmers and it's not expensive. OK the best is the Wilson but you won't want to go there yet. Calipers: Either buy a proper set like Mitutoyo or get the cheapest off Ebay for a tenner - they're mostly Chinese. OAL gauge: The Hornady is OK but should ideally be used with a fired case from your rifle - not the one supplied but OK for a starting point. Cartridge holders: Do you mean shell-holders? Yes RCBS are fine. Hornady 'Lock n load'? No - it's only a gimmick. It'll save you about a minute every time you change dies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ejcb Posted March 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 Thanks so much for these replies already - much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catch-22 Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 On the point of the Hornady OAL gauge, I'd not bother. They're notoriously difficult in helping you find the precise distance to your rifled lands or in measuring headspace exactly. My last 6.5x47 was a no neck turn and even then I still couldn't fit the Hornady case into my chamber. take a leaf from this chaps book. Best way to find both the lands and measure your chamber I've come across...and it only costs you a piece of your own brass! Measuring the lands: Measuring your chamber: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VarmLR Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 Yes, that's fair comment. I do have the L-N-L COAL gauge but you have to be careful to be very consistent with using it and the plastic pushrod doesn't help as it's all too easy to over tighten and ruin any chance of precision next use. HPS-TR in Newent manufacture replacement steel pushrods for these and will tap your fire formed carts to fit. I just use the Hornady ones because the distance between boltface and bullet to lands measurement should in theory be little different if at all. Having recently checked my 6.5 both ways (ie Hornady case V's chercking oal with a split neck case) with the same bullet, I was within 2 thou of the same average between the two methods. The more repeatable method for Coal which I tend to use as a check is the fire formed cart with the split neck. Works a treat and is cheap as chips as you say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 4 hours ago, VarmLR said: Yes, that's fair comment. I do have the L-N-L COAL gauge but you have to be careful to be very consistent with using it and the plastic pushrod doesn't help as it's all too easy to over tighten and ruin any chance of precision next use. HPS-TR in Newent manufacture replacement steel pushrods for these and will tap your fire formed carts to fit. I just use the Hornady ones because the distance between boltface and bullet to lands measurement should in theory be little different if at all. Having recently checked my 6.5 both ways (ie Hornady case V's chercking oal with a split neck case) with the same bullet, I was within 2 thou of the same average between the two methods. The more repeatable method for Coal which I tend to use as a check is the fire formed cart with the split neck. Works a treat and is cheap as chips as you say. I never knew HPS replace the plastic length gauge. I really do need to take a trip down there.... Although metal if better, i usually repeat the process a number of times and take an average...Do you happen to know off-hand if they'll tap drill and tap a case if it's pre-arranged? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VarmLR Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 Hi Chaz Yes, I think Matt does offer to tap and thread fire formed cases, if you bring one to him or post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha1 Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 The shooting shed COAL gauge is far superior to the Hornady version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VarmLR Posted March 22, 2018 Report Share Posted March 22, 2018 Yes, and £70 a pop too! Dave makes really great kit, but it isn't cheap. The hornady is easily enough modified to include for a metal push rod the same as the Shooting Shed one and will probably work just as well. They use the exact same principle. It's a money-no-object check though when the split case method is free and probably gets you as accurate an outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richiew Posted March 23, 2018 Report Share Posted March 23, 2018 Hi Ejcb very happy with my rock chucker kit , tried redding dies but found forster to be better once I started to look for more exact and more accurate rounds , rcbs case timmer works well too , calipers digital from machine mart at £ 20 .lapua brass and you can use the box after to store 50 made up rounds ,cant see why a metal rod v plastic one for the COAL gauge is any better but it does help to chamfer the hornady case at the neck end and colour the neck with a sharpie and insert fully into chamber - give it a few twists then pull it out ,if it went fully in there will be a markto prove it fits fully into the chamber neck , cheers and enjoy the better accuracy of reloaded ammo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mole trapper Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 Not wanting to hijack or divert from the op,s thread, but just ball park what sort of money are we looking at to get started for the essentials? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ejcb Posted March 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 thanks for all the replies guys, apologies for my intermittent responses! at present there isnt a budget per se, but like anyone, want to be as economically minded as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted April 5, 2018 Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 On March 21, 2018 at 5:25 PM, VarmLR said: Hi Chaz Yes, I think Matt does offer to tap and thread fire formed cases, if you bring one to him or post it. Does anyone know what the thread size is for the hornady lnl modified cases? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted April 7, 2018 Report Share Posted April 7, 2018 On 3/20/2018 at 2:37 PM, Catch-22 said: On the point of the Hornady OAL gauge, I'd not bother. They're notoriously difficult in helping you find the precise distance to your rifled lands or in measuring headspace exactly. My last 6.5x47 was a no neck turn and even then I still couldn't fit the Hornady case into my chamber. take a leaf from this chaps book. Best way to find both the lands and measure your chamber I've come across...and it only costs you a piece of your own brass! Measuring the lands: Measuring your chamber: The video i was looking for. Nice one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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