Best single stage press?

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Hey guys, I'm trying to save up some money to get some reloading equipment. I already have $300 put back. I am getting a little confused on what type of press to get. After reading alot of opinions on different forums, seems half say this and the other half say that. I'm not gonna let price be a deciding factor. Everytime I have done that I have regreted it. I will only be reloading for my 270 WSM, and MAYBE every now and then, I might load some .40 & .38 pistol rounds. But since I dont shoot 100's of rounds through my pistols I can probably still use a SS press, I guess. I have read good reviews on the Rock chucker press and Forster Co-Ax. Any input, opinions, or advice you guys could give is greatly appreciated.

Questions on other equipment such as scales, dies, and powder measure will come later. Hope you guys don't mind sharing your expert knowledge.
 
I have been using the Rock Chucker for several years and really like it. I am going to get a Redding Turret press soon thouh. I like the idea of not having to change dies. I can set up a set of dies for a gun and leave it there forever if I wish :grin: The press will hold 7 dies and you can buy extra heads to hold as many as you wish later on.

My .02
 
Do you sacrifice precision and consistantcy when using a turret press. I want my rifle loads to be as accurate as possible.
 
I have a rock chucker and have no complaints.
If I was buying a new press right now I would give the Hornady get loaded package a hard look. I have Redding, RCBS and Hornady dies. I use them all alot. I do like the Hornady seating die more than the others.
I believe the Hornady get loaded kit comes with 500 bullets 8)
I don't honestly believe there is a bad press on the market right now.
Take a look at all of the features and your expected usage.
Don't forget that you will probably become addicted to reloading and you will end up expanding your gun collection to keep up with your new found reloading addiction wich will feed your gun addiction.
They don't tell you that on the side of the box.
 
270 WSM,

Both the Rock Chucker and the Forster Presses will enable you to make precision ammunition. I am currently using the Redding T7 Turret Press, and it works equally well. Frankly, you can't go wrong with either of the presses you mentioned, nor will you regret the Redding. I will probably add a Forster Co-Ax Press shortly to my reloading bench, but I'm uncertain that I will gain anything over what I already have.
 
I started out with an RCBS Partner press. I wouldn't even begin to count the number of rounds I have loaded on it. Always worked fine. The only problems I could see with it were sometimes, when swaging crimps out of military brass, you sometimes needed to put a little force into it; it spewed primers everywhere when decapping; and when you start loading full-length magnums (.300 Weatherby, in my case) it was a little small.

I was given a Rock Chucker by my parent's neighbor after her husband died. Haven't used it yet, but I've used other RCs before, it ought to do.

I will have a Redding turret at some point. Maybe two.
 
I started with the Lyman Crusher II kit, had everything except dies.
This is a good time of year to catch deals too.
JMHO I'd get a digital scale for accuracy. I have a balance beam scale and trickler but think I'd could load a little faster if I had the powder and dital scale together in one piece. Some other things to consider is tool to chamfer brass, primer pocket reamer, primer flash hole reamer and a good caliper for measurements of brass and OAL is a must for accurate loading.
Kenny
 
Like I said in my other post here this morning, you cannot go wrong with RCBS products. Get yourself a Rock Chucker and get started loading.

The Rock Chucker will load any kind of ammmo you might desire. I load several thousand rounds of ammo every year and have never really considered buying a progressive press.
 
I would stay with a single stage press myself. Turret presses will become loose over time and cause a lot of bullet run-out. The best deal going for quality stuff is the Lyman Crusher II "Expert" kits. Good press and good beam scale and case trimmer about everything you will need except the dies and a dial caliper. Midway has some good prices on them.
 
I have a Rockchucker and the Forster Co-Ax. The Co-Ax gets all the use. The Rock Chucker still performs certain tasks such as collet bullet pulling.Rick.
 
270wsm,

My primary press for the last few decades has been my RCBS A2. I did get an RCBS ROCK CHUCKER SUPREME to have a slightly longer ram but I still use the A2 the most.

I have found RCBS products and the company to be outstanding not that some other brand is not good also.

"I WILL PUT MY RCBS A2 PRESS UP AGAINST ANYTHING MADE TODAY.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These A2 presses were made from cast steel, not cast iron, or worse yet alumunum alloy like all other presses these days. The A series also introduced the compound leverage system now used by most all manufacturers with RCBS gleefully collecting the royalties.
Over the years I have used nearly all the presses on the market and there is nothing like the RCBS A2 loading/swaging press."
 
To get a great deal you will be buying a reloading KIT not each component sepratly.

Look at either the Hornady, RCBS Supreme, or the Lymen kits.
I have the RCBS but would not care if it was the hornady because I do have their trimer, dies, collet bullet puller, and they also make a hand primer.

One thing you might get in time is a hand held powder measure to charge a tray of pistol bullets to speed things up. where with your rifle you will weight each load for ultament accuracy.
 
My dad has reloaded on an RCBS press for over 30 years. Myself, I am about to buy a Redding Big Boss II simply because I like the angled opening.
 
I'm Not concerned with "the best deals" . I'm more concerned with "the best product" Smooth, bomb proof, and concistent accuracy.
 
+1 for Forster Co-Ax single stage press. I use a Hornady cam-lock bullet puller on my co-ax just fine.

Andy
 
I presently have a Orange Crusher (great press), RCBS JR, and a Co-Ax on my bench, had a Rock Chucker, but a friend wanted it more then I did. The Co-Ax is the #1 press of the four hands down. You will want something else though for pulling bullets. That is the only down side of the Co-Ax I have found.
 
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