RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

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RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby Stealthshooter » Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:25 pm

I have been looking at Rock Chuckers and I've noticed there are a few dif versions of this press. I was wondering if there is one that's better than the others? More leverage? Better built?
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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby Texas Sheepdawg » Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:27 pm

The older Rock Chuckers were right hand only. The new ones can be set up for lefties or righties. The design is basically the same and the pivot points all seem to be almost identical. I've had mine since 1984. You can't go wrong with a Rock Chucker. It's the only press that I have ever owned.
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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby Hoot » Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:07 pm

During that flurry of interest last year, swaging pistol brass full of lead down to bullets, I over-stressed my Lee Classic Cast press to the point where I felt compelled to replace it. I did so with a Rock Chucker I caught on sale for $119.00 after a coupon I had and free shipping. The design seems to be quite sturdy, but then so was the Lee Classic Cast press. I have not tried swaging bullets in it, but I did work it hard trying to resize 300 WSM brass down to 300 WSSM and it seems to have held up. The experiment was a bust through no fault of the press. Based upon how well it handled the stress of those 300 WSM, I'd bet it would do fine swaging bullets, though there might be a better choice for that pursuit if you plan n doing it a lot. That coaxial press sure looks tough.

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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby Stealthshooter » Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:45 pm

Hoot wrote:During that flurry of interest last year, swaging pistol brass full of lead down to bullets, I over-stressed my Lee Classic Cast press to the point where I felt compelled to replace it. I did so with a Rock Chucker I caught on sale for $119.00 after a coupon I had and free shipping. The design seems to be quite sturdy, but then so was the Lee Classic Cast press. I have not tried swaging bullets in it, but I did work it hard trying to resize 300 WSM brass down to 300 WSSM and it seems to have held up. The experiment was a bust through no fault of the press. Based upon how well it handled the stress of those 300 WSM, I'd bet it would do fine swaging bullets, though there might be a better choice for that pursuit if you plan n doing it a lot. That coaxial press sure looks tough.

Hoot


What made you think you had stressed the press? Also what did you do with the press?
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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby TacoTaco » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:15 pm

I've been swaging .458 bullets down to .451 using a new Rockchucker for a while now. Doesn't seem to phase the press in the slightest. The chucker is good to go.
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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby Texas Sheepdawg » Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:00 pm

I just installed a brand new Rock Chucker on my bench and moved the old press over to the other side of the bench as another station. A family that reloads together, stays together...LOL.
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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby wildcatter » Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:33 pm

Try this, $25 bucks to $400 bucks.

With some elbow grease, you could make some of these really great machines..

..t

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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby TacoTaco » Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:22 am

I use my Chucker to swage down Hornady 350gr Interlock FPs from .458 to .452. Performs flawlessly.

The thing is built like a tank. Can't go wrong.
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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby wildcatter » Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:04 pm

Funny this should come up again. The Gunny and I had this conversation last night.

I have older RockChucker's and it requires a cheater bar (a piece of pipe placed over the existing handle), no undo stress what so ever on the press, doing 350gr H-Interlocks. Whereas, the Gunny's RockChucker is the newer Series-4 and only required a two handed hold on the press handle.

I'd say either will work just fine, but the edge goes to the Series-4, that is for swagging down .458's to .451 or .452's. I and Gunny use the Lee .451 Bullet Sizing Tool (http://leeprecision.com/bullet-sizer-.451.html).

I use this size (.451") and get bullet spring-back to .4515", which is exactly the Barrel/Bullet Standard for our chosen poison.

For the record and for some of our newer guys the standard of .4515" IS the standard of the 45 ACP and is our standard too. Bullets ranging in sizes of .451" to .452" are normal for us and all run well, and are not normally of any concern. I even have shot and enjoyed .450" and .453" bullets, but that statement is a canard, all of our bullets normally range from .451" to .452" anything over that wont chamber into the weapon well and may need to be sized down, in order to pass the Thunk-Test. Hence .458" sized to .4515"+-.0005".

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Re: RCBS Rock Chucker for swaging?

Postby Bluehawk » Sun Oct 27, 2013 1:14 pm

Has anyone tried using the Lee bullet sizers (the ones that get the bullet shoved through from the base, up into the die)? If so...how did they perform on .458 bullets?
I have two great .458 molds from RCBS (300 grain, flat point) and Lyman (Lyman/Gould Express hollow point) I use in my .45-70 and .458 Win Mag and would love to have them shoot through my new Bushmaster!
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