Help with RCBS Rock Chucker

[Mykal]

Hi, Folks. I got a new Rock Chucker press for Christmas, and I think I may have a problem. When the handle on the press is all the way down, and the press is all the way up into the die, the handle/unit has a wobble that seems to be getting worse. This makes applying a a consistant roll crimp difficult. I carefully set the roll crimp for a 30-30 case, and it seems fine. As a work along, it begins to overcrimp or change slighlty. I have set all the locking rings for both the seater die and the seater plug. I thought maybe this handle and unit wobble was normal, but it seems to be getting worse slightly. I have only reloading a total of perhaps 60 or 70 cartridges, and an having a rough time. For those of you with single stage presses, does yours wobble when the handle is down? Thanks for any help or advice. --Mykal

[Guest Dick W Holliday]

i doubt the wobble is your problem since when you push the shell into the seater/scrimper it wwould tend to center inself in the die......is suspect that if you're getting incomsistent crimps that your problem may be a case length issue....if your cases are a bunch of different lengths (and they probably will be if you're not trimming them) your crimps will be different......more on some and less than others......i tried to crimp a bunch of 223's years ago  (i don't crimp them anymore)  and these were a bunch that were not trimmed so i got some crimps that were OK and some that were so heavy that they would actually push the neck down into the shoulder.......are you loading lead bullets????? i do and when i crimp them it is just to get the bell out  of the case mouth but if i were loading jacketed bullets i would not crimp them at all....most people do not crimp rifle bullets regardless of whether the bullet has a cannelure or not....if you don't jave a case trimmer you may want to get one of the Lee hand or drill jobs....they work fine and you're probably not loading hundreds at a time (like me) so the Lee is not all that much work......good shooot'n......Dick

[TBF]

If you use these 3030 rounds in a tubular mag. you will definately need a crimp to avoid bullet setback, max load and a bullet being shoved into the case too far under recoil and you will be far above any safe pressure. If you crimp you must trim, any inconsistancy in length will result in inconcistancy in crimp. As for the press, from your post it sounds like your handle may be loose?? If so loosen large nut on far end of handle, seat handle firmly, retighten nut.

Hope this helps.             Travis F.

[Mykal]

Thanks, Dick. I just spoke with RCBS, and a nice lady told me that the wobble I was experiencing was completely normal and did not effect the function of the press. The problem, as some of you probably new, was user error. She suggested that each case be trimmed, even though they were new cases and nev er before fired. I assumed, wrongly, that new cases didn't need to be trimmed.  I'll go with that and try her suggestion. --Mykal

[George]

My Rockchucker has a small amount of play in the cam, but nothing that makes me worry. I have been using it for over 15 years without any change in it's "looseness". The only thing I have to do, other than cleaning, and lubrication, is to re-tighten the handle, and nut once in a great while, as TBF suggested.

If you crimp rifle rounds, you must trim them. Taper crimping without trimming will usually only degrade accuracy. Roll crimping without trimming will either give you damaged cases, or not enough crimp.

Regards,

(Edited by George at 11:19 am on Jan. 22, 2003)

[texasag93]

Just checked mine, yes it does wobble at the bottom of the stroke. Never had any problems with mine. Love my Rockchucker.