BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[bitmasher]

What is your preferred reloading equipment manufacturer and why?

I tend to use a variety of stuff: rcbs, hornady, lee, lyman, frankford arsenal, etc...

Another question would be what components do you prefer?

I tend to use whatever brass is available, but stick mostly with hornady/nosler bullets, hodgdon/imr powders, and cci primers.

[fuzzybear]

I don't shoot competition and very little target. With the exception of staying familiar with the weapon(s).
I tend to stick with RCBS and Lee in the equipment and dies.
For powder I prefer Hodgedon and Alliant Reloder.
For cases and primers I stick with Winchester. Although, I have been chopping away at a brick of CCI primers in standard and magnum.
For bullets I buy soft points by the bag for plinking and Nosler and Hornady for the meat. For the big, heavy bones and tough hides. I keep a box of 30 cal 180 gr. Speer TBBC's handy.

[WesternHunter]

RCBS and Lyman get my vote for tools and equipment

CCI/Speer for primers and bullets

Winchester for brass

IMR powders

[Frontiersman]

I just started using a Lyman T-mag 2 press. I like the extra turret option to save die settings. I moved the case holder in a 180 direction and the case lined up much better. I put the case in from the left not the right. I do like the fact RCBS is so available online and in stores and may want to switch in the future.
Frontiersman

[WesternHunter]

I don't think that you can go wrong with anything from RCBS. I've found it to be very well built and extreamly high quality equipment. Their tools also make the job much easier to do. They just seem more comfortable and user friendly to my hands. To me that's what a good tool should do and be. It's very obvious that a whole lot of thought goes into the design and manufacture of their tools and equipment

I hate to rip any manufacture, but from experience I just don't like much of the Lee equipment. I started out using Lee because back then that's all I could afford. Well you do get what you pay for. Don't get me wrong though, Lee will get you started and my reloads from that equipment were pretty accutate, but most of the Lee tools just made the job of reloading more difficult than it needed to be, more time consuming than it needed to be, and not much fun to do.

Yes, the Lee dies are fairly good. Their challenger press may not offer the leverage or weight assistance that others do, and may not be as well built, but it's good enough for the job. Their powder scale doesn't offer near the higher capacity that others do, but it is as accurate as my RCBS 5-0-2 Ohaus scale. Other than that, all the rest of their tools to me are a big joke. Within a year after buying my first Lee Kit I slowly replaced my Lee stuff with mostly RCBS, some Lyman, and some Redding. Have never regretted it either. If I could do it all over again I'd have just paid more and bought an RCBS kit. I would have spent less money in the end anyway. The only piece of Lee equipment that I still have and use is the Lee challenger press. I figure it still works and does a good job. If it ever brakes or stops performing I'll surely be replacing it with an RCBS press, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[bitmasher]

I don't have much experience with Lee, but I think their dies are good. A little on the basic side, but then your not paying a lot either....

I have one acquaintance who is a big SASS shooter and swears by lee pro 1000's for high volume pistol reloading.

[winknjack]

I've been told CCI primer are softer than Winchester primers, and that I would like them better. I use both and can't tell the differance. Anyone care to ellborate?

[GooseHunter Jr]

I use all RCBS. Used it for years with no problems so night as well stick with it!

[bowhunter 616]

RCBS,it's the only ones i have ever used :) :)

[Morax]

i have just started into reloading myself here, got a real good deal on third hand reload equip. from my brother in law, all rcbs. well i had all i needed, but then i found i was missing the measure screw for the small cylinder for the powder drop. I called rcbs and asked if they sold it seperatly and how much and if i could get it directly or... i was cut off by the customer service with "will you shut up a second and give me your address, we will send you one for FREE" from now on it is nothing but RCBS!!!

[Hammer1]

Some times it just pays to keep you mouth shut :D A quality I find hard to master :)

[Ripstop]

I use a Rock Chucker I bought 20+ years ago. Can't go wrong there. Plenty sturdy enough. For high volume I use a Dillon 550.

I reload .38/.357, 9mm, 10mm, .45 and .223 on the Dillion. I have got to say that Dillion has the best customer service I have ever had in this sport.

.223 (for varmits), .22-250, .243 and 30.06 on the Rock Chucker.

Dies are RCBS and DIllion.

Lyman 1200 Powder measure (well worth the expense if you reload alot)

Hope this helps.

[Ripstop]

I use a Rock Chucker I bought 20+ years ago. Can't go wrong there. Plenty sturdy enough. For high volume I use a Dillon 550.

I reload .38/.357, 9mm, 10mm, .45 and .223 on the Dillion. I have got to say that Dillion has the best customer service I have ever had in this sport.

.223 (for varmits), .22-250, .243 and 30.06 on the Rock Chucker.

Dies are RCBS and DIllion.

Lyman 1200 Powder measure (well worth the expense if you reload alot)

Hope this helps.

[Fisher King]

winknjack wrote: I've been told CCI primer are softer than Winchester primers, and that I would like them better. I use both and can't tell the differance. Anyone care to ellborate?
I used cci for reloading for my sks and would get double taps switched to winchester the problem went away.
F.K.

[JCalhoun]

I use a Lee press, many of their dies, and priming tool. I also have several Forster, RCBS and Redding dies. I use the Forster case trimmer and chamfer tool and the Redding BR3 powder dispenser, scale and trickler.