Does this look like a good deal ?

Discuss all aspects of Ammunition and Reloading here.
Post Reply
Andries
New Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 8:37 pm
Favourite Cartridge: 22-250
Location: Mornington Peninsula VIC

Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by Andries »

Looking at some reloading stuff....

What do you think of this ?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RCBS-ROCKCHU ... 4ab708098d
User avatar
trevort
Spud Gun
Posts: 12710
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:21 pm
Favourite Cartridge: Tater
Location: Melbourne

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by trevort »

top choice. Bought mine years ago so cant comment on the price.

You can sell the scales and thrower down the track when your ready for a chargemaster
adamjp
.270 Winchester
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:01 pm
Favourite Cartridge: 30/06
Location: Sthn NSW

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by adamjp »

trevort wrote:top choice. Bought mine years ago so cant comment on the price.

You can sell the scales and thrower down the track when your ready for a chargemaster
I'm going to be contrary here and ask - Why go with a Chargemaster?

A good thrower, like the RCBS unit, can throw powder within .1gn every time I use it with BM1/BM2 powders and within .2gn with AR2209 (you spot .2gn difference in 60gn of AR2209!). Dialling it in is piss easy as I record the index mark as part of my reloading documentation. Once it is 'in' I can fill 50 cases quicker than a chargemaster can do it, in fact in my observation I've got this done before the Chargemaster has completed it's warm-up cycle. The overall time spent from filling the hopper to putting bullets on cases is pretty much identical, or favours the manual system.

If I'm working up loads, throw and trickle is still very quick. The beam scales are reliable and don't need to warm up before I use them and since I put them back in the same place everytime they are always level.

In short, why spend a shitload of $$$ on an electronic toy that is slower to use, less reliable and needs yet another power socket?

I've only been reloading since I was 12, so maybe I'm just not experienced enough yet?
User avatar
trevort
Spud Gun
Posts: 12710
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:21 pm
Favourite Cartridge: Tater
Location: Melbourne

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by trevort »

maybe you arent :shock:
User avatar
Ackley Improved
6mm Dasher
Posts: 1898
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 12:24 pm
Location: Albury

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by Ackley Improved »

adamj... I assume your saying 0.1/0.2 either side of the specific charge weight so total variation would be 0.4 grains between the lowest and highest?
adamjp
.270 Winchester
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:01 pm
Favourite Cartridge: 30/06
Location: Sthn NSW

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by adamjp »

Ackley Improved wrote:adamj... I assume your saying 0.1/0.2 either side of the specific charge weight so total variation would be 0.4 grains between the lowest and highest?
.1gn maximum with smaller powders like 2206H, 2208, etc. Usually charge weights of 35 to 45gn so this is almost imperceptible. 0.2gn is less than 0.5% of 35gn.

No noticeable variation with BM powders. Usually charge weights of 24 to 34gn.

.2gn with AR2209 or similar large grain powders. Usually charge weights of 45gn in a single throw, up to 80gn for the 375H&H. Even .5gn variation makes no difference in cartridges with charge weights of this size. 0.5gn is just over 1% variation on 45gn, it is SFA on the 58gn loads for the 7mm SAUM, 69gn on the 300H&H or 82gn on the 375H&H.

Example: Today I was at the range doing a load workup on the 338 Win Mag. The ladder test revealed a nice three shot cloverleaf with the last three loads - 69 - 69.5 - 70gn of AR2209 behind a 225gn Speer. 1.5gn differential, cloverleaf group and less than 20fps differential in velocity. I have settled on 69gn for that rifle. The attached photo is the group, ignore the shot by itself - trying to work out the elevation and still needed to come up an inch. Charges were thrown and then trickled up to the exact weight. BTW 1.5gn is 2% of 69gn. Two per cent is statistically insignificant, the velocity difference was 0.6% - more variation between today (8degC) and the opening of deer season (25degC).

I use a RCBS powder thrower with baffle and micrometer adjustment thingy.
Attachments
338 Win Mag<br />Ruger No.1S<br />Leupold 1.5-5<br />100m
338 Win Mag
Ruger No.1S
Leupold 1.5-5
100m
adamjp
.270 Winchester
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:01 pm
Favourite Cartridge: 30/06
Location: Sthn NSW

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by adamjp »

FWIW I do trickle each load in the K Hornet - with only 11.5gn of AR2205 to fiddle with I can't afford any variation.
User avatar
JasonF
7mm Rem Mag
Posts: 1108
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:36 pm
Favourite Cartridge: 7mm-08
Location: Canberra region, NSW

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by JasonF »

Lets not get carried away on the chargemaster discussion blokes. The OP wants advice on the RCBS kit.

When I got back into reloading a few years ago, I looked at the options and reached the point of realising green=good. The RCBS and Redding kits both offer a really solid starting point for a new reloader. I ended up with Redding which was considerably more expensive than the RCBS option you have found. I say go for it!

Cheers, Jason.
User avatar
Camel
Ultimate AusVarminter
Posts: 12084
Joined: Sat May 28, 2011 8:51 pm
Favourite Cartridge: 20-222 6x47 rem, 250
Location: Northern Riverina NSW

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by Camel »

To find out how good the deal is, try pricing the different components of the kit seperately. Should save you plenty, just like buying projectiles in bulk. Go for it most of my stuff was brought over a period of time when I was starting out reloading. They didnt make kits like that in the 70s
User avatar
trevort
Spud Gun
Posts: 12710
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:21 pm
Favourite Cartridge: Tater
Location: Melbourne

Re: Does this look like a good deal ?

Post by trevort »

Andries if you wanna inspect the green brands in action give me a hoy. I'm in Seaford
Post Reply