338-378

[Cold Trigger Finger]

I think you will be fine with a Lee Turret press.
All a press does is push the shell into and pull it out of a die.
I've been reloading for over 40 years and can't really get my head around how some reloaders are so ott about 1 press or the other.
The biggest thing you want with 378 based rounds is a deep enough area so you can set the bullet in the case mouth without unscrewing the die for every round.
And the Rock Chucker I reloaded with for several years ain't nearly tall enough.
What a pita.

 

[tvarden]

I think you will be fine with a Lee Turret press.
All a press does is push the shell into and pull it out of a die.
I've been reloading for over 40 years and can't really get my head around how some reloaders are so ott about 1 press or the other.
The biggest thing you want with 378 based rounds is a deep enough area so you can set the bullet in the case mouth without unscrewing the die for every round.
And the Rock Chucker I reloaded with for several years ain't nearly tall enough.
What a pita.

I have heard this before about setting the bullet in the case mouth and having to unscrew the die, I must be missing something because I do not unscrew my die to set the bullet in my RC IV, will the bullet go straight in? no, but can you tilt the bullet nose into the die and then set in on case mouth without unscrewing die? yes.. maybe its something with older Rock Chuckers?? Don't know!!

 

[tigerrose01]

The older Rock Chuckers were a lot smaller than the New 'Rock Chucker Supreme' ones that they sell these days. I'm not sure I could have used my original version for the .300 RUM but it's not a problem with the newer version. I know there are others available to but that's what I use.

 

[tvarden]

Ok makes sense.. I load Barnes 285 LRX in 338 LM with no problem on my Rock Chucker Supreme Kit (It says RC IV on the side of press). Only thing I can not do is Factory Crimp the 338 LM on it. They are large format dies and so I do that on my Lee Classic Cast I got in my 50 BMG kit.

 

[LoneTraveler]

The RCII has about 3 1/2 inches clearance from the shell holder to the top of the opening. If you find a used one for sale.
With the 30-06 and Magnum Cartridges you will be loading, Be sure to get a press that have the multi leverage system like the RCBS Rock Chucker. If the press does not make its power in its own leverage design, It takes a large heavy well built bench to hold the press so you can put great physical effort on the press, To do FL sizing.

When my job moved me around, I bought a RCBS Rock Chucker and mounted it to a 2"X6"X16" padded base and use 2 C clamps to mount it to the kitchen table and FL size, 270 Win. 300 WSM and 338 WM with no problem.
Good Luck.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

The thing about most reloading presses is , they don't wear out. Put a little lube on the pivot points and the ram and your good to go.
Lighter duty presses can be broken tho.

 

[Alibiiv]

I have heard this before about setting the bullet in the case mouth and having to unscrew the die, I must be missing something because I do not unscrew my die to set the bullet in my RC IV, will the bullet go straight in? no, but can you tilt the bullet nose into the die and then set in on case mouth without unscrewing die? yes.. maybe its something with older Rock Chuckers?? Don't know!!

I don't know what this guy is writing about, but as always someone has a opinions and strongly (sometimes abrasively) expresses them. Reloading for 40+ years and for me reloading for 57 years, that doesn't make me an expert, and there's always room for improvement and for learning. With that said I have one of those "ole Rockchucker" presses that I have had for at least thirty-years!!! And.....that "ole press" like the "ole owner" has never had a problem with "ANY" caliber that it has had reloaded on it. I have never reloaded the 338-378, however I did check the COAL of the cartridge; 3.763 inches; Nosler #8. I compared that cartridge with a 300 WinMag (this one I have loaded) and it has a COAL of 3.560, thus there is a .203 thousandths of an inch difference. I don't need to go to my basement to see if it will fit. This "ole" owner has loaded so many cartridges on this "ole" press, he knows that loading the 338-378 is not going to be impossible to reload due to a .203 thousandths of an inch difference. As for comparing a "C" press to an "O" press I will put the "O" press up against one ("C" press) anytime for strength, accuracy, repeatability, ease of use and durability!! Dracer you've had several other posts suggesting a different press. The press you have "ought" to work. I'm not sure, however my experience with a turret press is that it will get the job done, it just isn't as rugged, strong and as accurate as an "O" press; Rockchucker or similar "O" presses. The more that you turn the turret the more it will wear and after a while the die plate will get sloppy. When you full-length resize your cases the resistance of the outside of the casing inside of the resizing die will put a lot of pressure on the die plate and the die plate will bend/move back away from the ram on your press. This will in turn move the center of your die and the center of your shell holder/press-ram out of alignment. There's a lot of surface that has to be moved and reshaped with the 338-378, and as such it will put a lot of strain on the press due to the resistance of the casing on the inside of the die when you full-length resize your cases. In a previous response I wrote that your press ought to work just fine on your 32 Special and your 35 Remington cases, however you are asking a lot of your press when you step up to the 338-378, that's one of the granddaddies of cartridges!! You've got a lot of information to digest, good luck with any decision that you make.

 

[dracer173]

I don't know what this guy is writing about, but as always someone has a opinions and strongly (sometimes abrasively) expresses them. Reloading for 40+ years and for me reloading for 57 years, that doesn't make me an expert, and there's always room for improvement and for learning. With that said I have one of those "ole Rockchucker" presses that I have had for at least thirty-years!!! And.....that "ole press" like the "ole owner" has never had a problem with "ANY" caliber that it has had reloaded on it. I have never reloaded the 338-378, however I did check the COAL of the cartridge; 3.763 inches; Nosler #8. I compared that cartridge with a 300 WinMag (this one I have loaded) and it has a COAL of 3.560, thus there is a .203 thousandths of an inch difference. I don't need to go to my basement to see if it will fit. This "ole" owner has loaded so many cartridges on this "ole" press, he knows that loading the 338-378 is not going to be impossible to reload due to a .203 thousandths of an inch difference. As for comparing a "C" press to an "O" press I will put the "O" press up against one ("C" press) anytime for strength, accuracy, repeatability, ease of use and durability!! Dracer you've had several other posts suggesting a different press. The press you have "ought" to work. I'm not sure, however my experience with a turret press is that it will get the job done, it just isn't as rugged, strong and as accurate as an "O" press; Rockchucker or similar "O" presses. The more that you turn the turret the more it will wear and after a while the die plate will get sloppy. When you full-length resize your cases the resistance of the outside of the casing inside of the resizing die will put a lot of pressure on the die plate and the die plate will bend/move back away from the ram on your press. This will in turn move the center of your die and the center of your shell holder/press-ram out of alignment. There's a lot of surface that has to be moved and reshaped with the 338-378, and as such it will put a lot of strain on the press due to the resistance of the casing on the inside of the die when you full-length resize your cases. In a previous response I wrote that your press ought to work just fine on your 32 Special and your 35 Remington cases, however you are asking a lot of your press when you step up to the 338-378, that's one of the granddaddies of cartridges!! You've got a lot of information to digest, good luck with any decision that you make.

Thank all you guy for taking the time with your experience to help a new guy.

 

[N.Y.Arnie]

I agree on the rockchucker press , I own two and the one is from when I started loading back in the 70s and I use lee dies on cal. from 223 to 300 weatherby no problems.