AusVarmint

Hi,

I'm think about getting into reloading for a 223. What would be the better kit to purchase (both have been reduced in price and are with $20 of each other)?

What else would I need apart from consumables?

Cheers

both quality companies. They are unlikely to include dies.

sorry, hit 'submit' too quick.

I dont know the Lyman press 'crusher' tends to indicate its a bigger unit but I dont know. The partner press is on the small side and will be perfect for 223 but some may argue it will be stressed fls or brass forming if you got into some really big calibres later. Not an issue for your standard 223, 243, 308 etc

Pretty sure there was a set of quality 223 dies in the for sale section

there was they have been sold

I have the Lyman and it is adequate for hunting reloads and is reasonably robust.I have loaded magnums with it and have no real complaints.
I would suggest you also buy a hand held priming tool as they are much more sensitive then the ones on the presses.You will quickly develope a feel for seating your primers.I also find them a lot quicker when you are loading high numbers of rounds.
Be warned reloading is adictive once you find your handloads running rings around most factory loads.
Have a good one,
Macca

I am going throught the same decisions at the moment and i have decided to get the RCBS rockchucker kit. Buy once cry once i guess. At the moment i will only be loading for .223. my stevens 200 shoots really well with winchester supreme and when buying them by the 100 they are about $1.50 a round so the gear will pay for its self after a few hundred rounds.

I am looking at getting it in from the US at the moment and it will be about $450 i think

Mate I have a partner press and have had no worries at all in full length sizing .303, 25-06, .308 and even the 7.62x54r. I would go with the lyman press as it is a little bigger, but unless your loading big belted magnum cases the RCBS partner will be fine.

Have both the Lyman Crusher II and the Partner presses. The Lyman is quite a big larger and has more leverage. Saying that does not mean the Partner is no good, it is a ripper little press, was my first and loaded heaps of ammo on it. Got the Lyman as I started doing a bit of case forming and also loading things like the .45/120 and .458 Lott, the .45/120 case is 3.25" long, then need to seat a long 500gr bullet. The Crusher just manages to do it if you slip the projectile up into the die with your fingers before putting the base on the top of the case. Partner won't even look at that brass.

Either would be a great starting point mate. Pick the press that suits your needs - I think the other items in the kits would be the thing that my my decision for me - most useful kit would win out.

bimbo wrote:I am going throught the same decisions at the moment and i have decided to get the RCBS rockchucker kit. Buy once cry once i guess. At the moment i will only be loading for .223. my stevens 200 shoots really well with winchester supreme and when buying them by the 100 they are about $1.50 a round so the gear will pay for its self after a few hundred rounds.

I am looking at getting it in from the US at the moment and it will be about $450 i think

I started with the cheapest Lee kit i could get and upgraded to the rockchucker kit when i got serious about it. I'll never need to upgrade it

i have the lyman press and cant fault it, when it comes to the kit's its the scales that lets them down.
i think the lyman ones are plastic shit.

Got my Partner press kit 11 years ago, no worries about FLS .308 or 220 Swift. The press doesn't feel like it is springing hardly at all. The RCBS 5-0-5 scales are still going strong too, easy to adjust small increments like .1 of a grain (handy for small cases like .22 Hornet). Dies weren't included, I also added Lee hand priming tool, Lee case trimmer, Lee primer pocket cleaner, Hornady powder trickler, and later a Redding powder thrower.
If I ever end up with a dedicated reloading room I'd get a bigger press and use the Partner for light duties like bullet seating
It probably comes down to which kit has the best "extra" bits + pieces, when you are initially getting set up. If they still come with a manual, it'll be something written for the US market, and not showing ADI powders
happy shopping !
Sam

I have the Lyman kit. I have had no problems with it at all. The extras I bought was the powder thrower. I also bought some jewelers scales off ebay for 30 bucks. The balance scales are too slow when using a thrower.

Dave