Whattya Think? Fair Deal?

[Steverino]

Good morning folks,

I believe that this may be my first post ever in the Reloading Forum here at HC (hopefully not the last):D

Years ago, a former co-worker of mine that shot and reloaded, introduced me to firearms and shooting. He graciously took me to his club where we shot practical pistol and IPSC style matches. Once a week, we would go down in his basement and load up the weeks practice and match cartridges on his Dillion progressive press. He ended up passing away and the shooting club closed due to increased insurance liability and anti -2nd Amendment poliicies in the local community. Other than the twice a year plinking forays mixed in with some trap & clays, my shooting has been non-existent the past several years. I am hoping at some point in the not too distant future, to get back into more routine shooting.

My wife's boss knows that I shoot and hunt and mentioned to her that his father was getting out of reloading himself and had some reloading supplies and would I be interested? I admittedly know just enough to be dangerous with respect to the reloading equipment but considering the rising cost of metals and the like, it looked like a very fair price to me. Please take a look and tell me what you think. He is asking $250 for the MEC Package and $300 for the RCBS package. This gentleman was apparently career Army and judging by his conversation and lists, rather meticulous. Please take a cursory look and let me know what you think. My opinion is that it appears to be a very fair price for both of the packages. Thanks in advance!


RCBS Rock Chucker Press, Dies, etc.

RCBS Rock Chucker Press
RCBS Primer Catcher
RCBS Universal Primer Arm
RCBS Shell holder #3
RCBS Shell holder #6
RCBS 300 H/H Die Set
RCBS 30/06 Die Set
LYMAN 38/357 Die Set
RCBS Powder Trickler
RCBS Case Lube Kit
RCBS Funnel
RCBS Plug & Sleeve
RCBS Burring Tool
RCBS Primer Pocket Cleaner
RCBS Case Neck Brush
RCBS Decapping Pin 5-pk Small
Inertia Bullet Puller
MTM Case Gard 150
Side 1 – All Rifle 38 - 357
Side 2 – Pistol 9mm – 45
Ohaus Du-O-Measure, Model 7200
Ohaus 10.10 Precision Reloading Scale

PRIMER
# 1 ½ Remington Small Pistol 850 ea

BRASS & SPECIAL CASES
Speer Empty Shot Capsule (to be filled with #9 shot) 100 ea
38 Special Brass – 441 ea
38 Special Match – 189 ea
38 Special Super Match – 150 ea
30-06 118 ea
223 – 130 ea
270 - 13 ea

BULLET
30 Cal Speer 165 gr Spitzer – 200 ea
38 Cal Speer 110 gr JHP – 100 ea
30/06 Match Bullets (46 + 46 = 92 ea)

BOOKS
LYMAN 45th Edition Reloading Handbook Copyright 1970
SPEER MANUAL For Reloading Ammunition Number 8, 1971
MODERN HANDLOADING, Copyright 1972





MEC 650 – 12 ga Progressive Shot Shell Reloader

MEC 650 12 ga
8 Pt Crimp Starter
Bar “0”
Primer Tube
3 – mounting bolts & Wing Nuts
3 – Powder/Shot bottle
1 – Funnel

EXTRA ACCESSORIESS
6 Pt Crimp Starter
302 Charge Bar 8G
302 PA Adj 1 Side 114
302 PA Adj 1 Side 118
Powder Bushing 11 ea Nos. 13,18, 20, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 38, & 39
Pacific Primer Tube & Filler
1 Shot Gun Shell Carrying Bag
MEC E-Z Pack

LACHMILLER “Shell Saver”
Complete for 12 ga
Complete for 20 ga - # 1 & # 2 Plug , Bolt , Spring,& Sizer
WADS
1 bag (500 ea) 12 ga Win Length Chevron Wads – For 1 1/8 oz shot cup
1 bag (250 ea) 12 ga Remington RXP Power Piston Wads – For 1 1/8 oz load
2 bag (250 ea) Winchester- Western Double A Wads (WAA12-12 ga)
Once Shot Hulls
75 ea Fed Champ 12
450 ea Rem All American 12
50 ea Remington RXP
Primer
# 410 Federal Shot Shell (35 ea)
# 209 Federal Shot Shell (300 ea)
Powder
Herco – 1 lb
Unique – 1 lb
Red Dot – 1 lb
Chill Lead Shots
¾ bag #9 Shot 20 lbs Winchester
1 bag #9 Shot 25 lbs Winchester
1 bag #9 Shot 25 lbs Lawrence
#1 Buck Shot 1 lb

[skeet]

Personally I feel the RCBS lot is a little high. This stuff seems to be a little older so primers etc are a little suspect. Only reason I feel that is because I don't know how they were stored. It's not overly high so if you want the metallic stuff I would buy it... as the 10-10 scale is a good one as is the powder measure. Check the bottom of the plastic on the powder measure..it is probably cracked..if not it will crack. sooner or later.

The Mec loader is old..a 650 of that vintage is worth no more than 50 bucks..not bad machines but they do not resize the shells and that type of primer feed isn't the most reliable. Fed 410 primers haven't been made in 20 yrs or more(I have some too) and the regular 209's about 12 yrs..the shot etc is a good thing though at 25 a bag for chilled..All American cases haven't been made since the 70's. The lachmiller shell saver is old stuff but they worked good. It does resize the brass on shells. I would offer 200 on the Mec stuff IF you really want it...otherwise if not shooting much buy it and sell the 650 on ebay and get a single stage mec

[Steverino]

I realize that I will never find as good a deal as the legendary "Skeet-Yard Sale Finds" :D

mainly cuz I don't know what I am looking for in this arena

I'm still mulling it over as wifey has already given me the green light (mainly because it's her boss's father, I think :rolleyes: ) I couldn't find my Natchez catalog so all I had to go by was a Cabelas shooting catalog to at least obtain some frame of reference for some of the equipment. I did notice that the MEC650 was still being offered as new equipment.

I did know that the RCBS Rock Chucker press had been replaced but I believe that this press is a workhorse, is it not?

Anyhow, my wife's boss is headin' down to see his ol' man (5 hours away drive by car) this weekend and has offered to pick it up and bring it with him on work on Tuesday. Looks like the wife might be taking my truck to work on Tuesday!

[Adam Helmer]

Steverino,

Welcome to the Forum.

I would take the whole package because you are getting lots of stuff that would take time to acquire. This looks like a way to get you set up reloading for an easily recoverable investment. The price is not bad and the value is great-I would take it. I hope you read those three reloading manuals and then go get one that is more current and read that too. Reloading is not too complex, but it does take your full attention when at the bench. After you do the assigned reading, you will know how to focus any questions you have about reloading by posting here.

AGAIN, welcome to this site.

Adam

[Steverino]

You can rest assured that I will be reading everything that I can get my hands on with respect to the reloading process-beginning with the reloading manuals themselves I have also perused some of the past messages in this particular forum and can see that the use of videos has been suggested on more than one occasion. Are there any videos that yourself (or anyone else knowledgeable in such areas) could suggest?

Thanks again!

S

[Adam Helmer]

Steverino,

I have not viewed any reloading videos, but I am sure knowledgeable folks here will have input. I "hit the books" to get my smarts.

Adam

[Rocky Raab]

I also think the prices are a bit high. Seems like somebody looked up current retail prices for the major hardware and is hoping to get that. The mish-mash of partial boxes of bullets, primers and powders and such is not enough to make up for time, wear and obsolescence.

If you want it all and don't want to insult the guy, offer from $450 to an absolute max of $500 for the entire lot. Oddly enough, those bags of shot are now the most valuable things in the whole list!

[Steverino]

It's funny that you say that Rocky and thank you for the feedback,

As I was going through the list with my calculator sitting at my kitchen table last night with my wife following supper, I put down my reading glasses and actually said, "Well hon, I'm not so sure about the price on alot of the components here but I think that the very last items being the shotgun shot sure seems cheap."

I appreciate the comments as I feel that I owe this gentleman a fair counter offer for the items since he took the time to list everything out for me but I obviously do not wish to overpay when I could more or less go out and replace many of the older items with more updated items. I suppose in some areas-as I have found with certain tools, I actually do prefer some of the older ones over the new befangled ones out on the market.

I suppose it not a far stretch to assume that technology probably has made some solid enhancements though in reloading over the past 20 years.

Thank you all for your thoughful comments!

[Catfish]

I just went through the list and added up gun show cost in my head as I went. Your looking at $ 350 to $400 if you look and pick up bargins. The thing is how much of the stuff will you not use? If you will use it all you won`t get hurt at the asking price, but not much of a bargin on a package deal. The old primers I figure are worth near nothing as there is a very high probiblity they will not be consistant. If your not going to reload alot the presses should last you a life time. Small lot of mixed bullets are only of value if to do alot of load testing in those cals. You can go eather way on this, just depends if the dies ect. are things you can use. Of course, if you don`t have a .300 mag. and you have .300 mag. dies, that would be a good reason to go gun shopping. :D

[Steverino]

I sent a proposal this morning offering this gentleman $400 for the kit and kaboodle. We'll see as to what he comes back with as a counter, if any.

"Of course, if you don`t have a .300 mag. and you have .300 mag. dies, that would be a good reason to go gun shopping. ":D

I believe if I am not mistaken Catfish, this is what we affectionately refer to as 'Firearm Economics.' Sage advice indeed! ;)

[PJgunner]

Take another look at those .300 Mag. dies. They're for the .300 H&H, not a common round anymore. You could put those out on the "net" and get a few bucks back on your investment. Finding a rifle in .300 H&H these days ain't gonna be easy, although every once in a while one will pot up. The H&H round ain't bad at all, just made obsolete by the .300 win. Mag and .300 WSM.
Paul B.

[Steverino]

You are correct PJ,

The die noted is for a .300 H& H cartridge and not a .300 magnum. The 300 H & H cartridge was considered a Big Game Safari round, was it not? I suppose that utiling the 'Firearm Economics' first brought to our attention from Catfish would dictate that after said acquisition of a .300 H&H rifle, I'd have to book a safari trip then, wouldn't I? :D

"But Honey, I already haver the reloading die!":p

I did offer this gentleman $400 for this collection pending inspection and condition of the noted items listed and he agreed. When I actually see the items listed in a couple of weeks, I will respond accordingly.

[skeet]

:eek: Now I just happen to have one of those said rifles. A really NICE M-70 Supergrade made in 1950 I think. I might be persuaded to part with it...for a small compensation of course...then next year..if ya save yer money...you can probably afford to go on Safari!!:D :D Actually not too hard to find a 300 H&H. Saw 4 at the last gun show. None sold. Fair prices too which was a change.. Everybody is going after the NEW 300 Short mags and getting a whole 100-150 ft a second faster velocities and much higher pressures:rolleyes: And all of the 300H&H's I've seen were made out of Steel and real wood.:D

[Steverino]

Not that I wouldn't someday thoroughly enjoy the experience of a safari hunt, there are many other things which would get in -line for my hard-earned dollars first!;)

(Custom built knife set, traditional recurve and long bow, upgraded bass boat with the 500 DFI outboard package, hunting property, small cabin on the lake, etc, etc, etc :p )

In all honesty and as nice a rifle as you are describing, I probably would not even enjoy shooting that cartridge Skeet. I shot a friend's 300 Winchester magnum along with his father's 416 Rigby, and after picking my fillings up off of the floor and handing back said rifles with shaky hands and bruised ego/shoulder, I immediately decided that my trusty 30.06 would just have to suffice in taking any North American game animal that I may wish to hunt during my lifetime (and probably the next!)

[skeet]

We have a weiner!!:D :D 30-06 is just fine for most everything. I really don't wanna sell the 300H&H anyway..whew!! I do have a 300 Win mag and it really isn't all that bad though. The 375H&H is a bit of a bruiser though..but if yer shooting a critter..you usually don't even feel the gun. Just sighting in is a pain ....literally..though:D

Oh BTW I can help with the custom knifeset..the bows hunting property No small cabin n the lake..but I can find ya one. Forget the bass boat...get an offshore sport fishing boat for Tuna and Billfish!! right after the Safari!!. Big 5 shouldn't cost more than 100 grand or so. The boat is the biggie though:D :D :D 1/4 mil easy. We wanna be comfortable you know..By we that means i am going to let you adopt me ....Dad!!:D :D Yeeehhhaaawww..I alus wanted to be the son of a rich father!

[Steverino]

I probably would try the .300 Winnie Mag again as the felt recoil probably isn't too much worse than a hot 30.06 cartridge. The 416 that I shot prior to the .300, had a miserable hard butt plate on the stock and the scope was set-up with poor eye relief, in all honesty, I am sure that my shooting form was quite poor back then (in my mid 20's :rolleyes: ) and I am lucky that I did not rip my eye out of it's socket. I would also not attempt a benchrest shooting with a larger caliber without the aid of a leadsled.

"Yeeehhhaaawww..I alus wanted to be the son of a rich father!" And here I was getting all excited Skeet, thinking that it was you that was going to be doing all the paying and adopting!:D :D

Gosh Darn! I was just thinking how much fun it would be on that offshore rig with some exotic beauties pulling trap for us boat-side when the fishing slowed down! Oh well, I guess I'll have to get back at work!:p

Wifey is supposed to begin bringing me home the mish-mash of the new reloading collection begiining later in the week.

[PJgunner]

Hmmm. A .16 with a hard butt plate. I'd almost venture a guess it was a Ruger. That piece of hard rubber they call a recoil pad is a joke. I shoot the Ruger #1's in .404 jeffery and .416 Rigby only rarely and I have to be feeling rather masochistic to do so. :rolleyes: Seriously though, I only shoot them from either off hand or from a rest that allows one to shoot standing up. Does a decent job of allowing one to roll with the punch.
You do realize that the .416 Rigby and the .460 Weatherby use the same case don't you? The only differnce is Weather put a belt on the case and uses his silly lookong rounded shoulder. To put it another way, I can load up my Rigby using data for the Weatherby without paying the high price of Weatherby ammo. However, I've never felt masochistic enough to do it. My right shoulder is in bad enough shape from arthritis as it is, so why aggravate it even more?
Anyway, there haven't been any T-rex's invading my back yard lately so my dogs are safe. :D I've always enjoyed the challenge of shooting the big bores but twixt arthritis and old age, the biggest thing I usually shoot anymore might be an 06 or .270. My .280 has very little kick, feeling more like a .243 due the fact that it weighs a bit over ten pounds ready to go out the door. Just too darn heavy to pack at high altitudes where I hunt.
Paul B.

[Steverino]

If memory serves correctly, it actually was a Ruger rifle in .416 that damn near dislocated my shoulder and eye socket. :D Not that I have a need for it at all today but I suppose that your style of shooting this caliber either offhand or from a standing position probably does do a much better job of absorbing recoil while mimicking an actual hunting situation. Unfortunately, the PR that I shoot at that is closest to me does not allow any off-hand rifle shooting. (Illinois-Chicago area-don't even get me started :rolleyes: ) so I have to grab my arsenal when I head down South to visit relatives.

"You do realize that the .416 Rigby and the .460 Weatherby use the same case don't you? "

Actually PJ, I did not know that but had pondered a few times myself as to why the Weatherby cartridges were so much more expensive. I had come across some fair deals (at least they seemed like fair deals to me at the time) on some beautiful Weatherby rifles in Weatherby calibers from time to time at various gun shows and always shyed away when faced with the prospect of ponying up for the Weatherby ammunition. The other reasons were typically that they were just too nice of a rifle to be taken afield and would be relegated to the safe. All of my rifles see duty. If I am ever fortunate enough to someday end up in much higher tax brackets with oodles of time on my hands, I'd certainly consider some different guns!

[PJgunner]

YUP! The .378 Wby, .416 Wby and 460 Wby are all based on the .416 Rigby case with Roy's addition of the belt and that silly rounded shoulder.
I learned that a long time ago reading jack O'Connor where he said he had to buy .460 WBY brass and turn the belts off in a lathe, the resize and fireform to make brass for his .416 Rigby that he planned to take to Africa.
Nowadays, Federal loads the .416 Rigby in their premium ammo. I haven't bought any in some time now, but the last time it was $125.00 a box of 20. That's about $6.25 every time you torch one off. :eek: Needless to say, that's one reason I don't shoot mine very often. :rolleyes: My bad shoulder is the other reason. :(
Paul B.

[Terry Blauwkamp]

I'd use 168 gr Barnes TSX. It will not blow a fist size hole thru your Deer.

[TKO]

I am always a sucker for a deals like this, but for me I have learned not to buy a bunch of someone elses stuff... I would suggest you take a look in cabelas for the rcbs combo kit, rcbs has a great warranty, and their press is built like a tank. A lot of the items listed you might not ever use, and would just clutter you bench... just my 2 cents