Iron or aluminum press

I have loaded a couple years now with my buddies equipment and I'm finally starting to get my own, slowly. Next is a press but I don't know if I should buy an iron or aluminum press. My buddy has an old RCBS single stage but I don't know what model it is. I load 308 win, 260 rem, and 7mm rem mag. I'm not loading for speed I just want accurate consistent loads. Any advice helps, thanks.

Iron RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Single Stage Press Kit

My vote would be for a Forster Co-ax.... love mine!

Orch

I prefer iron, but honestly most of the aluminum presses are made with aluminum that has more tensil strength than iron.

One thing I can say, I wore out a Hornady lock n load classic press (aluminum) in just two years.
I have a Bonanza CO-AX that's 40 years old, my father in law has a old RCBS Partner press (both iron) that's just as old, maybe older, and they work as good as the day they were new.

I have a New RockChucker Supreme that's a year old, and that thing is a beast. I could probably crush my Hornady and Bonanza press with that thing.

It depends on what press you are talking about. Harrell's precision aluminum presses seem to get pretty good reviews. They're way to expensive for what they are though. Since you have been reloading and know that you're going to stick with it then I'd suggest an iron press.

I have had the RCBS Rock Chucker for over 50 years and it has never let me down and recently
bought a Rock Chucker Supreme for the largest cartridges and cant tell the difference in wear between the two.

I have heard that the aluminum presses will ware out after hard use sooner (I have no personal experience with them). I would worry about the coefficient of expansion of the aluminum being greater than the cast iron causing a difference in loaded length at different temperatures. I don't know if this is a problem or not but I would have to check it out if I bought one.

I also gave the first press to my son A RCBS Junior Because it was not a compound press and when loading magnum cases it took a lot of effort to full length size them but was great for 308 and down sized cases and especially pistol cartridges.

My preference would be the Rock Chucker Supreme if you want to buy a lifetime press that will do anything/everything except a 50 BMG because of its length.

Just My Opinion

J E CUSTOM

I don't have one, but my vote would be for the Co-Ax.
Dennis

I always prefer iron over aluminum, and the only alloy press out of seven on my bench is the Dillon.

Having written that, there is nothing wrong with a Rock Chucker or a Co-Ax. You can always buy an old, steel Rock Chucker off Ebay. But because you load 7RemMag, a larger one w/ compound linkage (like the Co-Ax) is a good idea.

Like others, my RCBS Rockchucker with many thousands of rounds from 380ACP to 500-450 Express have been loaded since 1972, and it is still perfect. While I have tried other presses, this has always been my go to press for my bench rest and LRH loads. A drop of oil every year on each bushing is the only attention I have ever given it. I expect my grandchildren to be using it after I'm long gone.

I started loading my own because I was into IDPA. I bought a Dillon 550 because of the quick change toolhead options that let me switch between 9mm and .45ACP in under 10 seconds without having to change anything on the dies.

Once I got into loading for rifle (.308, .300wm, and .270win), I simply use it as a single stage but still have quick change toolheads for each caliber. So, I deprime and size at one stage on the Dillon, then go to the other side of my bench to finish case prep. I use a hand prime tool, then load each case with a powder charge, and finally return to the Dillon to seat the bullet from a different station on the same press/toolhead than I used to deprime/size. It's fast for pistol when used as a progressive, and it's very convenient for rifle when used single stage. The Dillon isn't cheap by any means, but it is built like a tank and I broke even many years ago from the pistol rounds alone...loading for rifle is a bonus. gun)

wjarrell said:

I have loaded a couple years now with my buddies equipment and I'm finally starting to get my own, slowly. Next is a press but I don't know if I should buy an iron or aluminum press. My buddy has an old RCBS single stage but I don't know what model it is. I load 308 win, 260 rem, and 7mm rem mag. I'm not loading for speed I just want accurate consistent loads. Any advice helps, thanks.

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There are some decently made alloy presses out there but they'll never have the stiffness of Iron. Worse, when they crack (and sooner or later they will unless set up perfectly) they are done.

I got by with the plain ole Lee Challenger Breech Lock for over twenty years but after upgrading to the Redding T-7 there's no going back for me. The latter runs about 3x the price of the former though. The Redding is much faster but faster isn't always better or even necessary.

The LC BL, and RCBS Rock Crusher are good places to start particularly if you won't be trying to crank out a large volume of ammo.

I bought an RCBS RS2 in like 1981. Aluminum. All I could afford. I used it for years.

Bought a Forster Co-Ax a few years ago, when I realized that I could afford what I though was "better".

And there are some better parts about the Forster.

But after 6 months I unpacked the old aluminum RCBS RS2 and bolted it back on the bench too. There are some things that were better with that design. Now fairly stated, the cast versus Alu was not really the issue. The co-ax has some crazy neat features, but not all.

In the end, I too think cast is better FOR A FIXED BENCH. If you do move around and reload in the field or at a cabin etc etc, then I would get an Alu unit for sure.

I have a 40+ year old rockchucker that is still going strong

My main press these days is a co-ax

I also have the little partner press i use for decapping

I have a harrel combo press for.my portable kit.

Each has its place.

For most the rockchucker is hard to beat. For precision the co-ax is hard to beat. For reloading benchrest size cartridges at the range the harrell combo is hard to beat.

If i were a bulk reloader of pistol or rifle i would certainly have a dlllon.

That is why so many are made and are sucessful

Like other areas of reloading that are hotly debated. All can produce quality ammo when done correctly. Whatever works for you.

Iron for me. It's just the thought of all over toughness over aluminum. I've been running a redding big boss the last couple of years and love it. Plenty of room do to anything I would ever want to with it. I get as consistent ammo as I can ask for out of it. And have used it to reform several hundred 223 cases into 221 fireball and 22tcm. Though the pmp cases are still tought to shove back the shoulder with the walls being twice as thick as lake city brass. you can still shove it from 223 clear down to 22tcm in one shot without too much trouble. Though you destroy the cases doing it that quick.

Kyle