Ram primer
- Thread starter ORjeff
- Start date
My Pop has the RCBS and I have the Lyman. I got my Pop the RCBS model because he has having rifle primer seating issues with a hand priming unit as he got older.
I have/use the LEE ram prime, works well, easy to set up/use, especially if a hand primer tool is too painful to use anymore. You do have to handle each/every primer and place in the cup, and seat the primer. I don't shoot CF competition, but eveything I've loaded has gone bang, good target results when I do my part, etc.
LEE also has the Auto Bench Prime tool which is not bad to use, but the folding plastic primer tray has a tendency to jam up, but a flick or tap of the tray will usually clear the jam. The plastic insert that actually holds the primer ram has a tendency to break or crack, etc. I only use it when I am loading 100 rds or more for a varmint shoot and want a bit more speed. The ram prime is all metal and chugs along at whatever speed you want to do once you get a rhythm figured out.
LEE also has the Auto Bench Prime tool which is not bad to use, but the folding plastic primer tray has a tendency to jam up, but a flick or tap of the tray will usually clear the jam. The plastic insert that actually holds the primer ram has a tendency to break or crack, etc. I only use it when I am loading 100 rds or more for a varmint shoot and want a bit more speed. The ram prime is all metal and chugs along at whatever speed you want to do once you get a rhythm figured out.
Get you a rcbs automatic bench primer tool ..
It won't break after 500 primers like the lee.
No hands hurting.
Still sensitive to feel slight crush.
If your determined to seat to a determined depth there's an add on Holland attachment for that but definitely not necessary and reason I don't use a ram prime
It won't break after 500 primers like the lee.
No hands hurting.
Still sensitive to feel slight crush.
If your determined to seat to a determined depth there's an add on Holland attachment for that but definitely not necessary and reason I don't use a ram prime
I have the Derraco PCPS now, best unit I've used, and I've used a few. Happened to look at a Lyman bench unit vid yesterday ( Ultimate Reloader?), it actually looks like a good unit too. Fairly easily adjustable, simple setup, interesting design, won't take a pile of room on the bench. Haven't looked at the price, but none of them are "cheap" anymore. Seems like it should be an improvement over the RCBS or Forster bench unit, expect it's comparable.
I have RCBS and the Lee and I much prefer the Lee. Now if precision is you game, then the Derraco precision ram prime sold by Ugly reloading is excellent and can use the Lee priming shell holders. Never any trouble with any of these units when seating the very tight barand of primers I use
PCPS Precision Case Priming System – Ugly Reloading USA
www.uglyreloadingusa.com
FDCaptain
Gold $$ Contributor
You must have gotten a lemon, I've put more that 1k primers thru mine still working, don't like the tray though but I have spares just in case.
BoydAllen
Gold $$ Contributor
I have had one of the RCBS ram primes for a very long time. It can be adjusted so that the user has excellent feel. It is all about the height of the "die" in the press. Here is another angle that I have not tried, because I seat by feel rather than to a particular depth. One could raise the die to the point where the stopping point of the presses linkage stop was reached, and make fine adjustment for a particular seating depth, aided by one of the Calibrated Forster lock rings. As I said, I have not done this, but it would seem to be possible.
I bought one of the RCBS just to have it for a spare primer in case the bench primer went down for some reason.
I shoot mostly (almost exclusively) rimfire these days and reload infrequently, now. I have used a Lee Auto Prime hand tool for a long time. This weekend, I wanted to load some 6.5X55 and, dang, I don't have the unique Lee Auto Prime shell holder for the Swede. I tried the old school "up stroke" primer arm on my Rockchucker and it was giving me fits seating the primers in the Lapua brass, even though I'd cleaned and leveled the primer pockets. I remembered that I had a Lee Ram Prime on the shelf which I had bought on the recommendation of a friend several years ago but never used. I pulled it out and, well, WOW! What a great tool! I don't mind feeding the primers one at a time. I'm really old and old school, so slow is o.k. (I use a Belding & Mull powder measure and weigh every charge). Long story short and FWIW, I'm sold on upstroke priming (much better feel of the primer seating) and I recommend the Lee Ram Prime.
I have the RCBS bench tool but it will frequently not seat small primers deep enough. RCBS sent me a new part but it didn't really help all that much. I am now using the Derraco PCPS press mounted tool. That thing is SWEET! It is machined like a Swiss watch. Adjustable. If your Dad is having issues with his hands as I am, I cannot recommend the PCPS enough.
Exactly why I had to change. The tight primers were giving me a fit in my hand tool. The PCPS is amazing
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