Rock chucker supreme kit

[Dazb1967]

Hi
I'm looking to start reloading for my 204 foxing rifle initially then prob move onto reloading my 30-06, I have been looking at the rock chucker supreme kit, from looking at various sites online there's a big difference in price from one site to the next, the reason I'm asking is are all the rock chucker kits the same or have some of the kits got different components hence the difference in price, the reason I'm going for a kit is there is that many options out there I thought it would be the easiest option to start and then possibly build on it if I get into it.

 

[enfieldspares]

There are some differences in fact in the presses. The major ones are these three:

1) Height of the opening or window. Later RCBS Rockchucker have a taller opening. The original ones not so tall. For .204 and anything up to .308 the original ones are OK. For .270 WCF or .30-06 I personally think they are not tall enough. Some manage but I found them "fiddly". If you never reload anything longer than .308 there's no benefit to this feature. If you reload .30-06 it is worth factoring in to your decision.

2) Left hand lever, right hand lever. Early ones only allow mounting of the lever on the right. Later ones allow the lever to be mounted left or right. If you are right handed there's no benefit of this feature.

3) Priming system. Earlier presses allow priming on the press using an arm that fits in a milled slot on the front top edge of the window. Spent primers also will fall down through a milled slot in the ram and collect either on the floor or, if you have one, on a half moon shaped primer catcher. On early presses it is cast aluminium. On later presses of the same type it is moulded plastic. Many, as with me, don't like the current way the press primes nor the way it deals with spent primers....we prefer the older system with the half moon catcher.

So that's the three main differences. These presses unless abused never really wear out. So if in that good condition secondhand is good. The test is check if the ram "wobbles" when at full raised height. It should have some little but only some little slack.

I used my Rockchucker from 1976 until about the mid 2000s. When I replaced it with an Australian Simplex when I went from predominately loading .303 to predominately loading .270 as the Simplex being a copy of the Lyman had a taller opening. If I hadn't I'd have still have it.

When I started I bought press, dies, scales. That's all. All the rest can come later. Which is most often a powder thrower. But get decent Ohaus style scales....so Lyman, RCBS, or similar. Look on eBay for RCBS 5-0-5 to see what they look like. Lee's Safety Scale I don't like at all.

 

[Dazb1967]

Thats great, some good advice there and thanks for taking the time.

 

[aris]

If you are buying new, the current rockchucker IV/Supreme presses are all the same. Check what additional kit you get with it to compare prices. If second hand, the older models vary somewhat. If you are travelling to the USA - they are much much cheaper there.

The only thing I would say if buying a new Rockchucker IV/Supreme is that the primer catcher isn’t great. You can buy an 3rd party updated one on eBay.