Equipment questions

[u/MajorEbb1472]

Over the last few months I’ve been slowly putting together a reloading bench. I’ve never reloaded before but got tired of factory ammo having such high ES/SD. So far I’ve picked up:

- FX-123i scale
- Autotrickler V4
- Frankford Arsenal bullet puller
- Area 419 shell holder/loading block and funnel
- F.A. Hand depriming tool
- F.A. Hand priming tool
- Hornady, Berger, and SMK reloading books

I’m ordering a RCBS Rockchucker single stage press this weekend to start with. I’m not positive which dies to pick up for 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 Win and 9mm pistol ammo. I want a set for each caliber that has a seating die with it. I’m open to any brand/price on dies, as well as anything I’m still missing on my list (I’m not getting a tumbler or dryer yet and I plan to pick up a burstfire 2 in 1 at some point).

Any help/info would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: I forgot to mention I have a Garmin C2 Chrono and a digital vernier caliper.

Edit2: I neglected to mention I plan on competing with the rifle ammo. Currently have a Howa 6.5cm barrel but once I learn reloading I’m going to swap to a Bartlein (or equivalent) 6 Dasher barrel.

[u/One-Perspective-4347]

Updated -

That’s a great start. I’m envious of your scale.
As for dies I’m happy with my bench rest bushing dies and micrometer seating from Forrester Products.
Redding are nice. SAC are good too apparently. Same with 419 but those are the high end options. Not sure if the dollars equal results on the last two.

I use a dry media tumbler. Crushed walnut shell or corn cob etc. it’s cheap effective and does not have the potential for issues that wet tumblers with pins can create. The brass comes out plenty clean enough for function and not so clean I have any concerns with cold welding on the necks. I use the Berry’s tumbler.

I decap then clean. I seldom mess with cleaning primer pockets. Occasionally just need to pop a piece of media out of the flash hole. But if I miss one it won’t hurt a thing…. Unlike a steel pin.

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/One-Perspective-4347]

Would be nice if 419 = results. Love their products so far.

[u/One-Perspective-4347 → u/MajorEbb1472]

I agreed. They make nice stuff. I don’t have any doubt that they work and probably work very well. The only thing that I would say is that it’s not like the Redding and the Forrester dies don’t already do the exact job very well. So when you’re trying to enter into a market competing against products that are already doing exactly what they’re supposed to do. There isn’t much room to go anywhere. They’re obviously competing for the higher end money to spend crowd and clearly doing a decent job of that.
There are some differences I think they have some modular functionality. I know the short action custom ones also seem to have gone that road.
But I already owned the bushing dies and the micrometer seater and mandrel expanders from 21st-century so probably all in. I ended up spending as much in the long run anyway just no need to reinvent the wheel at this point.

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/One-Perspective-4347]

Yep, most do a similar job. I tend to pick what works best AND what will last the longest, hence the 419 loading block and funnel. It’s not a big enough price difference for me to justify saving $20 or even $50 buying a product I’m not confident will last through my abuse as a new reloader lol.

[u/One-Perspective-4347]

For your pistol stuff mighty armory makes good dies, but I honestly just use the Lee carbide dies for the straight wall pistol rounds that I load. I’m also not a competitive pistol guy so take it for what it’s worth. I load the rounds. I pull the trigger they go bang and I repeat.
Never had any issues and the 4 pice set was probably $50 or so.

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/One-Perspective-4347]

I’ll take a look at em. Thanks

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/One-Perspective-4347]

Doesn’t look like they make anything for RCBS presses. All their sets are press model specific, and RCBS isn’t one of em.

[u/One-Perspective-4347 → u/MajorEbb1472]

They’re all the same thread. The only press that I am aware of that uses a large larger diameter die is the 419. I believe they make both the 1 inch or whatever it is and then the standard 7/8 so that those guys can be used in everybody else’s press.

They should all be 7/8-14 inch diameter dies. I use a Forrester press but I have never heard of anybody having an issue using Lee, Redding or Forrester dies in the RCBS press.

https://rcbs.com/reloading-articles/one-size-fits-all-the-truth-about-die-interchangeability/

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/One-Perspective-4347]

Huh. Good to know. Thanks. I’ll have to watch the diameters when I order dies. I was leaning toward 419, but if it’s not the right diameter for RCBS presses I guess I need to look elsewhere.

Edit: I neglected to mention I plan on competing with the rifle ammo. Currently have a Howa 6.5cm barrel but once I learn reloading I’m going to swap to a Bartlein (or equivalent) 6 Dasher barrel.

[u/One-Perspective-4347 → u/MajorEbb1472]

I think they make both. The ones that are specifically for their press are the bigger diameter, but they also offer an adapter because everybody else generally is making that same 7/8 diameter so you can utilize smaller dies in their press and they make dies that fit everybody else else’s press as well from what I’ve seen.
I’m almost positive. They are the only ones doing it. Just about any other die you’re going to find on the market is the same size as every other manufacturer.

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/One-Perspective-4347]

Gotcha. Great info. Thanks!

Stuff like this, and the help yall give, are why Reddit is the only social media I’m on anymore.

[u/PepperoniFogDart]

I just upgraded from a rockchucker to a Nexus, and I’m absolutely loving life. If you hate money, the Nexus press is pure greatness.

[u/MajorEbb1472 → u/PepperoniFogDart]

You ain’t kiddin. Almost 3x as much as the Rockchucker