RCBS Kit

prhunter

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Anyone have any experience with the RCBS Reloader Special-5 Kit? I considering purchasing one of those to get started in reloading. Thanks!
 
RCBS makes a solid press and kit. I'm not familiar with the specific kit but a quick google showed a kit with a digital scale, powder dropper, hand primer, bullet puller, and miscellaneous products. Looks like just about everything you'd need short of reloading dies and basic components. Not sure if the price is right but looks good.

buy yourself some good dies and a caliper so you can get going. Read a bunch of reloading books and ask a ton of questions.
 
Imperial sizing wax is really popular. I tried the Hornady version and didn't trust I was getting a case lubed, couldn't feel the stuff on my finger's. The lube pad and lube will work but has it's draw backs too. To much lube on the pad and you'll dent the case shoulders. Not enough and you'll stick a case! I use Hornady one shot, never a doubt in my mind it the case is properly lubed. I think the biggest trick to lubing is being well taught, even self taught, in applying the lube you use. Another thing you'll need is a case trimmer of some kind. And that means a deburr tool and a caliper. Caliper measure's the case for overall length, trimmer cut's to length and deburr tool take the burr off the mouth after trimming. I have no idea why those tools don't seem to be in any kit! Lee used to make, maybe still does, a trimmer that was cartridge specific. Still need the deburr tool I suspect and caliper is really nice to have. You then know for sure if a case need's trimming.
 
I personally prefer the Lee turret press kit.
Better deal for the money. But the scale it comes with can be troublesome for most. Digital scales can be bought pretty cheap.
The turret let's you set up the dies, then after you tweak the adjustment the way you want it, you lock em down good and leave them in thier removable turret.
Buy a turret for each die set or with the four whole turret, you can put two rifle die sets in each one.
Then just pop out the turret and replace with another to change cartridges.
Makes it easier and faster.
And no matter what anyone says, I can attest to the turret presses loading extremely accurate ammo.
Easy to keep consistent between die changes for sure. The turrets are only around $12 or so.
 
I bet that'll be a good kit for you if you decide to go with it. I personally went with the Lee Challenger kit and have really appreciated it. For the price I'm not sure it can be beat. Like Millsworks said above some find the scale to be a bit cheap, but I've found that it's quite accurate and can be used to back up my digital scale (It's a Lyman and tends to float a few grains sometimes). Here's my two cents on it:

People swear by the Rock Chucker as well. I have no experience with it but would trust advice on here.
 
I’ll second the Imperial sizing wax. If you use it properly (not hard to do) it is amazing stuff. All that I use
 
Sorry Ben. Just don't share your enthusiasm for Lee products. Or Lyman. In 30 plus years I've found what works, don't care what it costs. ntmuley
 
Sorry Ben. Just don't share your enthusiasm for Lee products. Or Lyman. In 30 plus years I've found what works, don't care what it costs. ntmuley

No apologies needed mtmuley. I'm just wondering. I have about 28 years less experience than you in reloading and like to learn.
 
No apologies needed mtmuley. I'm just wondering. I have about 28 years less experience than you in reloading and like to learn.
I shouldn't have used the word cheap. I've always been a get what you paid for type of guy. I have lots of different brands. I've picked and chosen what works best for me. I still have things I want to upgrade. Damn loading is an addiction for sure. mtmuley
 
One of the favorite games o firearms site's is bashing Lee. But for every Lee basher there's a Lee lover. I am neither a basher or a lover. I have a few set's of Lee dies and can find little wrong with them except the lock ring. Easy fix, simply replaced it with one I like. I find if that were true, how do they stay in business? difficult to believe that Lee is the junk so many like to claim. If that were true, how do they stay in business? I think the you get what you pay for phrase is really over worked. I'm not sure a lot of people that use it have ever even tried the product they are bashing but bashing seem's to be a popular thing to do. Much easier to bash something than to say what they found wrong especially if they never used the product in the first place. Are Lee kits any good to start wit? Well there's been thousand's upon thousands of people that have started with them and seem to be happy, shoot, Lee is still in business! Lee product I don't really care for is the beam scale, may have been upgraded by now. Was difficult for me to set! I've heard that their powder measure leaks powder. Haven't seen that myself with my son's old measure but slickest measure I ever saw for dumping left over powder back in the can. I don't care for any turret press but one of the Lee press's I think was made of steel and I can't imagine anything wrong with it. For myself I don't think I'd trust the aluminium one for no other reason than it's aluminum. If I was to buy a new kit today and Lee was what I could afford then Lee is what I'd get. I've been reloading for over 50 yrs now and I've seen a lot of stuff come and go. I've got a number of old Herter dies. They ain't pretty but they still work!
 
OP I would go with a RockChucker press if you are just doing small batches of rifle. I have not looked at the contents of the kit you refer to but I'm sure its a good starting point and would turn out acceptable ammo for you in the short term (and maybe long term too if you aren't picky about tooling). But you will find that the longer you are in to the reloading thing the more tools you will collect for the various tasks you come across when you are assembling your own.

Almost everything I have is either RCBS or Dillon. Both companies make great gear and stand behind their product without any hassle. You call them, tell them what's broken or worn, and they send it out to you that day without question.

I use Lee crimp dies on my pistol set-ups for the Dillon (550) and they work great. I use RCBS carbide dies for all my pistol cartridges and RCBS dies for all my rifle cartridges.

Do most of my rifle on an RCBS RockChucker circa 1983 and most of my pistol reloading on a Dillon 550 circa 2003. Sometimes I'll do small batches of pistol (<50) on the RockChucker. Sometimes I'll do large batches of .223 (>200) on the Dillon.

I have been using a Lee priming tool since about 1983. I have seen these fail...worked at a couple of gun stores throughout the years and seen them come back broken. But mine from 1983 keeps going and going.

And I started down the reloading path banging out .270 loads with a Lee Loader die set, the type where you take a mallet and beat the case into the die to resize it. It never failed either and I still have it.

I've used an RCBS case lube pad and the Case Lube 2 since 1983 as well and haven't felt the need to change my system. I did try Hornady one-shot but didn't like it due to overspray and inconsistent coverage on the cases. Went back to the RCBS system and am satisfied with it.

And a Giraud case trimmer for trimming 223 and 308 brass.........an RCBS case trimmer that's been adapted for drill motor use for everything else.
 
I like Redding’s press better than RCBS, but the RCBS is fine. The same goes for the scale and powder thrower. I use an RCBS hand primer. You can’t beat Imperial Sizing Die Wax. I put it on by hand when only reloading a few, I rub some on an RCBS pad and then use the pad when loading a lot. Throw the RCBS lube in the trash. RCBS, Redding, and Forster are the only big die brands I really trust.
 

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