Best Press

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Minuteman
Nov 25, 2011
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#1
I am going to start reloading and I am looking to get a press. Not a progressive, but a single stage. So Lee, Hornady, RCBS??? Suggestions and reasons why are appreciated.
I will be loading for long range shooting for 308, and 223.
 
#3
Re: Best Press

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Big Dog Steel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Forster Coax. Simple to use, accurate, and no need for shell plates or shell holder. </div></div>

^^^ this

Buy one of these and a bunch of lock rings for all your dies - set them and forget them (unless, I suppose, you have multiple guns in the same caliber - in which case maybe you'll end up wanting multiple resizing dies just to avoid having to adjust them every time). Once you have the lock rings in the right position, changing dies on the press is a matter of seconds with no adjustments needed - ever.

The Co-Ax has a great spent primer catching system when you decap.

The one weakness of the universal shellholder jaws is that they aren't really universal in the sense that you never need to adjust anything. There is a "large" side and a "small" side with the default jaws that you will need to switch between when going from 223 to 308, and flipping the jaws around is an operation that risks losing a pair of tiny springs (though I have not lost them yet myself). Somebody posted a nice mod once - I don't remember which site or blog - that showed how to permanently affix the jaws to the various hardware that surrounds them when screwed in to the mount so that one could "quick swap" between several such sets (you'd need to buy a spare set of parts to make another after fixing your originals either into large or small mode). This is worth doing conceptually as it would make that one aspect of reconfiguring the press just as fast as the rest of the press - that is to say, dead-simple, riskless and brainless. As it is, swapping jaws requires attention.

I'm sure there are presses that are the equal in some way of the Co-Ax, but the Co-Ax is really, really nice and you can't go wrong with it.
 
#7
Re: Best Press

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Big Dog Steel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Forster Coax. Simple to use, accurate, and no need for shell plates or shell holder. </div></div>

The Forster Co-Ax is all you need in a single stage press. It was my first press and I've been extremely happy with it. Very straightforward, and makes very consistent ammunition.
 
#10
Re: Best Press

I don't know if the Co-Ax is the best, but would hate to have to use anything else full time, I have a RCBS Partner Press that I use at the Range c-clamped to the bench, the ammo I make is just as good with either press, but the Co-Ax does it much easier with no littles tricks needed.
 
#11
Re: Best Press

I will put a vote in for a redding T-7, I just got mine today. But I've used a few singles out there, with the redding, you can have 7 dies in with out switching heads, or dies! Its VERY solid like a single. I love mine!
 
#12
Re: Best Press

All I can say is if you're going to shell out the coin for a co-ax or T-7, you better make sure you want it.
I have both, and a RC, the co-ass being the most user unfreindly.
 
#16
Re: Best Press

I have the short arm also, plus mine is mounted at about a 60 deg angle towards me, it's like I'm arm wrestling, I can get the case in with my left hand that way.
 
#17
Re: Best Press

I started with a Lee Classic Turret press, works great for making plinkers for 223 and pistol rounds. Ok for other rifles, they have to be loaded as a single stage and the opening is kinda small. Moved up last year to a RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme. Much more consistent, easier to use and has huge opening, the primer catch isn't the greatest but I just set a trash can under my press and it works great. Plenty of leverage. For half the price of the coax you can buy a lot of shell holders. You'll probably need them anyhow if your gonna hand prime.
 
#20
Re: Best Press

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: milo-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You pretty much have to be directly in front of it, or you're working around the left ram, it's not a "O" press. </div></div>

I stand in front of the press. It isn't that bad at all. I have the Hornady auto powder measure. I can load pretty quickly with that set up. Stopping every ten rounds to verify charge accuracy and re calibrating every 50. I set the auto measure on an ESD mat grounded to copper pipe and have a ground wire to the COAX this seems reduce static electricity and really has made the auto measure hum along. Still I will probably eventually pick up the RCBS auto measure.
 
#21
Re: Best Press

I have a great Rockchucker single stage. The only ones I know of that are just as good is Lyman, Redding, Hornady and Lee's Classic Cast (which really I think is a slightly better press). The Forster Coax is a good press too IF you like the ergnomics -- I and a lot of others don't. IF I was looking for the ultimate in strength and leverage I'd get Redding's Ultra Mag.

Lee's Classic Cast and Classic Turret are both large (and strong) enough to reload .50 BMG so I can't imagine what sporting cartridge they would be too small for!
 
#22
Re: Best Press

FWIW, I've used a Co-Ax to resize 300WinMag and 375H&H, resize the base of 300WinMag with one of Larry Willis' collet dies, and loaded both calibers with 220SMK and 260 Nosler Accubond, respectively. No problems.
 
#27
Re: Best Press

You can make quality ammo on either type. It is just easier on a single stage. To get the same quality from a progressive you generally have to modify it. Depending on how badly you get bitten about obsessing about the steps you do, the advantages of a progressive may disappear since you end up doing many steps by hand such as throwing powder charges and brass prep to name two. You end up running brass through the progressive using 2 or 3 toolheads set up for different steps in the process. There are various tricks to improving the performance of a progressive. Almost all slow down the production cycle. To be fair, many people will not shoot well enough to benefit from all of the incremental improvements that single stage loading can offer. There are a few world class shooters that use progressives but they have been modified and have had money thrown at them. David Tubb is one of them. His system is based on a Dillon 550 as has been documented.
 
#29
Re: Best Press

By all means you can reload the same quality ammo on a progressive, not as easily and not with throwing powder, each charge needs to be measured to ensure/reduce/maintain single digit ES/SD, which is critical for long range consistency. I have spent a ton of money to speed up my reloading, BIG dollar scale, Giraud Trimmer, but I still use a Co-Ax to load all my ammo, as do most of the people I shoot with(single stage press of some sort), some are hardcore F-Class, others Precision Rifle Competitors, only one person I shoot with uses a Dillon 550 to load with, but his Gen2 Prometheus is on top of it, and the Dillon is far from stock, but next to the progressive is a single stage. Like I said going single stage lets you diagnose any problem at each stage of the reloading process. The best advice I can give is find somebody who is reloading long range precision ammo and make a new friend.
 
#30
Re: Best Press

My Rock Chucker has served me well for the last 20 yrs. or so. The CoAx sounds like a great press as well.
smile.gif


Regards, Paul
 
#31
Re: Best Press

I see no need for any single stage beyond my Co Ax. Changing the jaws with the little springs in not hard, you simply need to pay attention.

Someday I will go progressive for pistol and plinking 5.56 but until then the Forster will do.
 
#32
Re: Best Press

Start with something under $100, shop around for something used or buy a little guy new. Either way, get one you don't mind learning on. Then, the more you research and read, the more rounds you reload, the more the differences between the best ones will make sense. Then you will be armed enough to make a decision for yourself which one is the best.

Case in point, the Co-Ax is a mighty press, but for every person that loves it, there is one that hates it. I am one of those - I think the ergonomics suck because pulling a handle straight down to the front is uncomfortable when sitting, I don't like putting a case in the front, I don't like the jaws, I think the jar for primers is hinkey, and I don't like the slide-in/out die holders. I only know this from using one and spending many years using other presses before I determined what I do and don't like. Even with all the positive comments on the co-ax in this thread, you couldn't give ME one.

You should know what makes these tools tick before deciding you need it, and to do that, you need to have some experience first.
 
#37
Re: Best Press

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Burleyboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do you have to buy the forster lock rings to use your dies in the co-ax or can you use other brands?</div></div>

Hornady, Sinclair and Redding all work.
 
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