rifle press

[ReloaderEd]

I agree with the forester coax press. the primer seater is fantastic, you virtually cant deform a primer when seating it. I use a hand tool to seat primers and have an old hollywood sr press. But if I wanted a new press it would be the coax. What ever floats your boat.

 

[rbernie]

I use the Lee Classic Cast Turret. It's solid, reliable, relatively fast to use even without the auto-index feature, and super-fast to switch chamberings.

 

[Bad Hammer]

I use the Lee Classic Cast Turret. It's solid, reliable, relatively fast to use even without the auto-index feature, and super-fast to switch chamberings.

I'm saving up for that press right now.
I don't reload nearly as much as most of the members here, so my old Challenger is all I'd ever really need, but that Classic Cast Turret sure looks good.

 

[FROGO207]

My single stage press is a GREEN one as that was the one I got from an old reloader for $20 and he threw in 2 sets of dies also. IMHO a press is a press is a press. Lube (the press) and use common sense and most presses will be a lifetime purchase. I did buy a cheapie Lee to use as my universal deprimer/bullet puller setup

 

[Clark]

I like Forster co-ax the best, but I reload 60 different cartridges, and not many of each kind.

Someone has given me a Dillon 550B, that I never use.

Someone who does high quantities of 9mm and 223 might use it all the time.

It depends on what you want to do.

 

[uf-engineer]

Thanks for all the replies. Started looking at the lee classic cast. looks like a nice press especially for the money.

 

[JimKirk]

What advantage/disadvantage does the forster co-ax have over the lee?

Dies snap in to a slot rather than thread into tapped holes. They actually float freely making the die/brass case alignment precise. It also uses a "universal" shellholder. The Lee is a "conventional" press into which dies are threaded, and it uses shellholders specific to each caliber.

Treading lightly not to enrage the rather defensive Lee crowd who seem to be paranoid whenever someone "disses" Lee products, I would suggest you look at both and decide if the features of Forster Co-Ax justify its higher cost in comparison to the Lee. Some Lee products are inexpensive; others are cheap. The CC is inexpensive, not cheap. Both presses will load ammunition to your satisfaction. Personally, I chose the Co-Ax many years ago, have used a friend's CC, and it is a good press, but if I had to replace my press, I would opt for another Co-Ax rather than a CC. He bought the CC because it was what he could afford. But I probably won't have to buy another press as I have had my Co-Ax for well over 30 years and it is still as good today as the day I brought it home.

co-ax has a great primer seater built in.
it has more mechanical leverage than the lee for sizing. the seater is designed at the place in the throw with the least leverage.
it captures the spent primers in a handy little jar.

the snap in dies are just really, really convenient. very easy to use when working up loads in small batches

I'll add that most people who don't care for the Forster, have never benefited from the precise ammo that can be made on it! The best Primer on any press made. If you want prcession ammo, buy the Forster, if not buy the cheaper stuff.

I've owned Lee, Lyman, Pacific, RCBS, CH and Forster. I sold/traded off everything but the Forster(mine is a Bonanza, 1969-70 Model). Yes... the others make good ammo, but nothing out does a Forster except the hand dies the bench shooters use.

I use all brands of die rings in mine, mostlty older RCBS and Lyman, the round type not the hex type, they all work good for me!

Jimmy K