Wednesday, May 11, 2011

RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit Review


RCBS makes some good reloading gear, and the "Rockchucker" press is universally known - it's been a favorite for many decades. This isn't so much a review of the press, as it is of the entire Master Reloading Kit which is assembled around it.

On the charging side, the press includes the well-loved Uniflow powder measure, with a large powder metering rotor. It also includes a powder funnel, and two sizes of powder drop tubes. Despite having the larger-sized rotor and powder meter, this will still throw 5.1-grain charges of W231 or HP38 for me exceptionally reliably, only occasionally throwing as much as 0.1 over or under. Reliably throwing significantly smaller charges may necessitate the small rotor and meter. Ball powders for rifles, such as TAC, meter just as well. Stick (extruded) powders such as Varget meter as well or better than with any other volumetric measure, but unless you're actually weighing each charge, you simply can't get the repeatability with stick powders as you can with ball powder. It's just the nature of the beast, sticks don't pack themselves as uniformly as balls do. Having the Uniflow is a huge advantage in this kit, as it is a solid, highly regarded powder measure.

Now, if you are aware of just how tiny of a volume is represented by 1/10th of a grain, you appreciate how precisely these measures have to operate to achieve that. To get your Uniflow started on the right foot, follow the instructions and take it apart, and clean off all of the oil that it is packed with - inside and out. Then assemble it, and wipe down everything on the inside with a dryer sheet to alleviate static electricity, then run a few pounds of powder through it (again, as per the instructions), then it will be ready to roll.

For priming, it comes with the RCBS hand priming tool. Hand priming tools have upsides and down sides. On the up side, they let you "feel" the seating of the primer much more sensitively than any press-mounted solution. They also let you do your priming away from the press. I have been known to prime cases while I watch a movie, but I am always sure to pay attention to my work! I've also worked in conjunction with a friend, one of us priming brass on the Hand Primer while the other preforms other work on the press. The down-side is that since it's not on the press, it is one extra step beyond press-mounted solutions.

The hand priming tool is fairly straightforward: You put your primers in the tray, put the cover on it, and insert it into the hand tool. Place a case in it (it takes the same shell holders as your press), and squeeze the lever. It's straightforward and easy. Changing from small primers to large isn't covered terribly well in the instructions, but it's easy to figure out.

The tray, being round, is not quite large enough to get all of the primers from Winchester's large, square packing trays - it can only catch 98 of the 100. You catch the other two in your hand. Smaller packaging, such as available from CCI, works terrifically. The tray has spiral grooves to assist in flipping primers should your vendor not do a good job of it.

For weighing charges, it has the 5-0-5 mechanical scale, manufactured by Ohaus. It's a time-proven mechanism, and does a fabulous job. Keep it dust-free, level it before use, don't abuse it, and keep ferrous objects away from it while you're weighing. In return, it will give you a lifetime of reliable service.

The RCBS universal loading block is decent and usable. Not terribly remarkable, it's similar to other universal loading blocks. Caliber-specific loading blocks are not expensive, should you not like the included option.

It also includes a lube pad and a bottle of lube. While usable, that's a bit time-consuming for me, I prefer quick spray-lubes. Hornady's One-Shot is acceptable, or you can make your own from alcohol and lanolin.

The press itself is a Rockchucker - strong, solid, precise, and sturdy. There's not much to say that hasn't been said over the decades.

Finally, no kit would be complete without a reloading manual, so the Speer manual is included.

Overall, the kit has nearly everything you need to start loading - all you have to add is a set of dies. You get a solid press that will last a lifetime - or two - and good quality components to accompany it. There's simply no way that you can go wrong.

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