rifle press

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uf-engineer

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Im looking for a press to reload 223 & 308, 30-06. I have a hornady lnl that i use for my pistols. im considering either single stage (forster) or a turrer press (redding). which do u recommend and why?
 
"which (single stage press) do u recommend and why? "

Lee's Classic Cast. It's not what I have but it's what I would have if it had been available when I bought my green press.

Actually, no single stage press is consistantely 'better' than others for precision. Loading technique is far more important than the brand/model of press. The CC is steel and iron, massively strong; very well engineered; made in the USA; machined on CNC tooling; has through the ram spent primer handling that works; fully adjustable lever system; large diameter ram resists wear very well; price is rational.

I also have an iron turret, that was another mistake. A spinning head adds nothing to my reloading but does have some disadvantages, especially for precision rifle reloading. That head requires some degree of slop or it couldn't turn. It's not easy or fast to index precisely unless it's moderately loose and if it's 'loose' it has even more spring than usual.
 
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The CH/4D '444', 4-station, H-press. It's all steel, sets on top of the bench rather than hanging down and getting in the way, and can be used as a 'semi-progressive' by hanging a powder measure and auto primer off it. The press is strong, quiet, and compact.

www.CH4d.com

IMG_0192.jpg
 
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.
 
in addition to what paperpuncher said,

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
 
The Lee single stage presses work fine for all but the most finicky reloaders. I size my cases in a single stage, clean them, and then do the rest of the work on a progressive press. This will make you a bunch of plinking ammo real quick. For match ammo I use a single stage for everything. I have never seen the need for a turret press.
 
"What advantage/disadvantage does the forster co-ax have over the lee? "

Coax -

Pros: Snap in-out die system can save you maybe 1 or 2 minutes per session while changing dies. Universal shell holder system can save you a minute or so for finding and swapping a conventional shell holder. Tremendous leverage is useful if you plan to reform cases from one type to another. Some feel the "floading die" holder/slot is helpful (some don't).

Cons: Many of us find the ergonomics less than good; both the lever and the shell opening are straight in-out from the center and some find that awkward (that's obviously a personal taste thing). The lever throw is quite long, but they do make a short lever if you want to reduce the throw length. The die holder slot requires fairly thick die lock rings that make using some dies more costly than it might be. Cost is quite high.

Lee Classic Cast -

First, a lot of what you hear about "Lee's presses" refer to their older, less expensive cast aluminum alloy bodied presses, NOT the all iron/steel Classic Cast. So, if the writer doesn't specify what press he's speaking of, ignore it as probably irrelivant.

Pros: The CC is in the same class as any of those it resembles but it has a unique list of user features. It is large enough and strong enough and has sufficent leverage to reload any sporting cartridge made (Lee says it will load .50 BMG but I haven't seen that done). It's lever is fullly adjustable for side, angle and throw length. It's spent primer catcher is virtually identical in effect to the CoAx - fired caps and their grit drop through a hollow ram into a pill bottle, etc., instead of on the floor and ram like most others. Lee's ram is larger than any other in its class so it resists wear very well. MUCH less expensive and the money saved can be better spent on high grade rifle dies such as the very excellant Forster BR sets!

Cons: Lee stuff has absolutely no elitest/status value no matter how well it works. And it does work well.

What's the value of a specific press? Well, skill counts. I think it can be demonstrated that a skilled loader using the same dies and components can produce the same high quality of ammo on any press made.
 
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respectfully, i disagree. the snap-in/out system saves me way more time and all the lock rings that come with the dies I buy (hornady, redding, and obviously forster) have all worked. Are you aware of some lock rings that dont? in any event, my press shipped with extra lock rings, so i dispute your claim that there is any increased cost for dies.

also, the point of the extra leverage with the co-ax isn't that the lee press isn't strong enough to resize cases, or even that you'll work up more of a sweat with the lee press (though you will). the point is that the work is mostly contained in the press and not putting as much stess on your bench. I actually have my press "mounted" to a floppy 3/4" pasteboard steel shelf that i bought from lowes for $20 or so. the 'wood' 'shelf' is resting on top of the steel frame. It's not even screwed together. And I don't even have the co-ax screwed tight to the bench. And it still produces 1000 yrd match-winning ammo for me. My other presses (not counting the dillon 1050) had to be mounted to very sturdy benches.

as the article below mentions, you can actually take the co-ax to the range and use a couple of c-clamps. trying that with a rcbs or lee would probably rip the top of the bench off most ranges


this site http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/Issues/issues html/September/index.html
has an online copy of their excellent print magazine. if you flip to page 61, you will see a great set of up close pics and details.
 
I have never, that's never, seen a co-ax up for sale as a used item.

Not knocking Lee or anybody, just stating an observation.
 
out of curiosity, i just checked ebay. 19 hits for "lee classic press". zero for "forster co-ax", "forster coax", etc. I even tried the old bonanza name. though there are 63 of their dies and trimmers for sale.

12 hits on gunbroker for lee, and zero again for forster

i have no idea why. surely there is a used market for them
 
Forster Co-Ax. I've tried several other presses/brands, but the Forster was my idea of The Perfect Press.

I put Forster lock rings on my RCBS dies and my Lee dies, and everything was ready to go.

But after buying two sets of Forster dies (222. neck sizer/seater, .223 full length/seater) I will probably never buy another brand of rifle dies.
 
Doubt the lack of seeing a CoAX selling on ebay, etc, actually means a whole lot.
What it probably means is the others outsell them by hundreds to one.
 
Sure like Kia outsells Porsche. But it is curious because you can still find Porsche on eBay.
 
The ebay comparison is actually unfair.
It's a pretty safe bet that Lee sells a lot more than Forster, so their should be a lot more of them available used.
Also, most beginners start off with Lee because of cost...then they decide reloading isn't for them, so we see them on ebay.
Few people start off with a Forster..I realize some of you may have, but very few do.
By the time one works up to the Forster, it's a keeper.

OK...back to the discussion...
 
Kevin Rohrer said:
The CH/4D '444', 4-station, H-press. It's all steel, sets on top of the bench rather than hanging down and getting in the way, and can be used as a 'semi-progressive' by hanging a powder measure and auto primer off it. The press is strong, quiet, and compact.

www.CH4d.com

IMG_0192.jpg
Click to expand...

A lee 4 hole turret will make perfectly nice rifle ammo.

However, I'd have to say if I was tempter to pay redding or forster cash, that press is kind of cool.
 
If you are serious about making super accurate ammo the Co-Ax is your choice. That said I have no doubt the Lee is able to produce ammo that is equal or better than factory ammo. I don't own a Lee because I researched other loaders to get a feel for what would best suit my long term needs. Cost is not a factor to stop me from buying any item. That said I do use Lee Crimp Dies and consider them a great buy. I did research first however and concluded they were the best for what they do.

I have never ever seen a used co-ax for sale still stands. I look about every 2-3 months because the gent who talked me into buying one bet me $50.00 that I will not ever see one for sale as used. That was about 10yrs ago and he's getting old, so I'm thinking about selling mine so I can collect to shut him up.
 
I have never ever seen a used co-ax for sale still stands. I look about every 2-3 months
Click to expand...

I've seen them before, but I'm too cheap to follow through on the deal.
There is an old Forster Bonanza on ebay right now.
Not exactly the same, I know, but.....
 
The "co-ax" press is a great press and I would never knock it. However one of the best basic single station press's on the market today is either the Redding Boss or their newer Big Boss press. Work one of thier presses and you will see what quality and precision is all about.
 
I am surprised no one asked the OP how much he plans to reload. I know that while I do not reload a lot of my .308, I can go through just as much .223 as I do any pistol round. So having said that if you will be shooting a AR style rifle in .223 then for my mind your only choice should be a turret of some sort. I have reloaded .223 on a single stage and I do not want to ever do it again.

I am not very familiar with the Redding turret, although I know the make a good product. I just felt that on a turret supporting the load on the outside made a lot more sense when it came to load distribution and limiting flex than supporting it in the center so I bought the Lee, plus I like the ability to use it as a single stage which is how I load my .308.

The Co-Ax is a fabulous press, but I tend to think of it as diminishing marginal return. If you are competing in 1000 yard competitions and you have a rifle that is capable of being competitive, then it may be worth the money. If you do not have those things, then the press is not going to make up for the gaps.
 
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