450Bushmaster.net

I'm looking to get started reloading very soon. The Rock Chucker Supreme kit is one of two that I am looking at. The other is the Hornady Lock n Load Classic kit, which is currently on sale at Cabelas for $269.99

Can you recommend one over the other? If I get the Hornady kit before the end of the year, I can get 500 Hornady bullets for free. Unfortunately, the only bullets on the list that I would have use for are either the 9mm 115gr. HP/XTP or the .45 ACP 185gr. HP/XTP

I think the last time I took advantage of that Hornady offer, I got the 185 gr 45 bullets to load for my Colt Commander and Glock G21.
But like I've told so many people before, my original RockChucker has been in service with zero issues since 1984 and I bought it used in 1984. It's still in service today and is just as solid as my new RockChucker that I bought about two years ago. The older RockChucker is now my decapping press and my LeGendre side crimp press. The new press does all the other work. I can't speak for Hornady presses other than when I played with one at Cabelas, it just didn't feel right for me. Rockchuckers are SOLID. I guess I'm spoiled.

Thank you for the reply. I'm completely new to the game. But i would like to get setup to handload 44 mag, 45 ACP, 9mm and 450BM. Who knows, maybe even 5.56. I figure with my son and me shooting together, it wouldn't be bad to start rolling our own.

It appears Palmetto State Armory has the Rock Chucker Supreme kit at a pretty good price ($269.99) http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/6620/category/122/

Yep. That's a good deal. And you'll get all the goodies to help your startup too. I do not own any progressive presses. All I have ever used is my Rockchuckers. I reload for 38/357mag, 32-20 Win, 9mm, 45ACP, 5.56NATO, 6.5 Grendel, 7.62X39mm, 30-30 Win, 30-06, and 450 Bushmaster. I used to load for 7mm Rem Mag too but sold the rifle and dies about 8 months ago. I've been loading since 1984 and cut my teeth on the .357Mag and 30-30Win. Dang it.... I feel like I'm leaving one out, I swear. Anyway, when I got my 450 Bushmaster, that's when I really started to learn about tricks and tips. Every session at the bench is a learning experience for me. It's tons of fun.
30 years packed on a bench.

I use the Hornady reloading equipment. I bought the kit, which included the press, scale, trickler, manual, and several other components. I added a Franklin armory caliper, case cleaning rig, and inertial bullet puller and a couple of other "enhancements" like a primer hole cleaner and better chamfer/beveling tool - oh, and the Hornady dies and shell holders.

I can load about 200 rounds of BM450 in an afternoon using the manual press. If I were going to multiple calibers, especially high volume ones like the .223/5.56, I think I would go with either a progressive or an automatic - funds permitting. But if you are new to reloading, a manual press and one caliber is a good place to start, and the straight wall 450 is pretty straightforward.

Thanks, jim. My plan is to get set up specifically to load for 450 at the start. After I figure out what I'm doing, I'll add the other calibers. But mainly, I'm interested in loading for my Thumper. I mean, I think the factory Hornady rounds are great. Luckily, they are fairly easy to buy off the shelf for now, but I don't want to run into a situation like I did last deer season when I couldn't find a single box of the Hornady LeveRevolution .44 mag ammo for my son's rifle. I have about 150 rounds of .450 ammo now and about 300 once-fired brass. I'm also highly interested in the 200 gr. XPB loads I read about on the forum here: http://450bushmaster.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14404

STOP! Don't do it. Once You get started it is worse than being a junkie. But You might enjoy it tremendously. Oh go ahead. LIL GUN LOVER.

I love my Rock Chucker, but the one drawback IMHO is the depriming catcher. As many primers pop out the front onto the floor as are caught in the side compartments. an easy fix is to put a piece of tape over the front slot, but it limits the downward stroke range if you don't want to knock the tape off. My first press I got, the Lee Classic Cast is almost identical in strength and integrity as the Rock Chucker, but it has a much better depriming catch system. I use one of each, side by side. I deprime with the Lee before wet tumbling the cases. Afterward, I resize with the RC, then do a second dry vibtatory clean to remove the Imperial wax. Lastly I reconfigure to seat with the Rock Chucker while I taper or stab crimp with the Lee as a one-two process. The seating and crimping process takes about as long as my DPS1200-3 takes to dispense the next charge, so the entire effort times out perfectly. To each his own though.

Hoot

Here is the list of my reloading equipment. I only reload for the BM450.

Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic Kit

• Classic press (includes spent primer catcher and new primer installation attachment)
• Powder measure
• Powder trickler
• Funnel
• Digital Scale
• Die bushings for press
• Handheld priming tool
• Reloading block to hold cases and loaded rounds
• Chamfering and deburring tool
• One Shot case lube
• Hornady Handbook Cartridge Reloading (8th edition)

I added the following:

• Franklin Arsenal Quick-N-EZ case cleaning kit (vibratory cleaner, cleaning media, polishing liquid, strainer for recovering the media, and bucket)
• Franklin Arsenal Quick-N-EZ impact bullet puller
• 3 additional reloading blocks
• Dies (I only reload 450 Bushmaster for the time being)
• A couple of brushes for cleaning the powder measure
• Additional die bushings
• Franklin Arsenal digital caliper
• Plastic boxes to store reloaded rounds (if I run out of the OEM boxes and trays)

I do not use any case prep tools, other than the chamfering and deburring tool. For the .45 cal BM cases, I purchased a .50 cal chamfering and deburring tool, which is easier to use on the .45 cal cases.

I set all this up on a Sears Craftsman portable workbench with a 2 'x 4' piece of 3/4" plywood on top and store everything except the consumables (powder, primers, bullets, and cases) in the box that the Hornady kit came in between reloading sessions.