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Old 05-28-2016, 08:25 AM
Dead Mule Dead Mule is offline
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 288
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I would avoid any of the aluminum single-stage presses if you plan on loading magnum rifle cartridges.

They just won't last.

While the Rock-Chucker is very good, when I upgraded from my old RCBS Junior "O" press, I bought the Redding Boss.

It's basically an upgraded version of a Rock-Chucker, and I never regretted choosing it. The swing arms are heavy steel bars rather than cast iron.

I think that Redding makes the best powder measures as well. All cast iron and steel and very precise. I bought one of these as well, and am very pleased. It will outlive me.

I think that buying cheap is a mistake. You will just end up upgrading, so buy something that you can bolt to your bench for twenty years, and not replace.

On the other hand, I use Lee products a lot as well. The hand priming tool is fast and reliable and durable. Press-priming is incredibly slow and a waste of time.

The Lee hand case trimmers work well too, and can be chucked in a drill for faster operation.

The Lee primer pocket cleaner, likewise.

I use an old-school Lyman beam balance scale. Very accurate, but a bit slow.

But then, I just use it to set up the powder measure.

If you opt for one of these, I recommend keeping it stored in it's styrofoam box, to protect it from damage. They are delicate, and the agate bearings could get chipped from vibration and pounding on the bench if the beam is not lifted.

Set-up takes only a couple of minutes though, and you only need it at the beginning of case charging, unless you are weighing every charge for precision.

Loading manuals are indeed essential, as well.
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