best reloading press

[DSMITH1651]

Just what the title says. I have ant to buy a really good one this summer.
Thanks
Duane

 

[gohring3006]

I have loaded very good ammo on a rcbs but when I switched to my coax my groups got tighter. I don't know if it was the press or if it just because I was "borrowing" my father in laws reloading room and I bought the forester and set up my own room and was able to have more patience. But I honestly believe it was the forester.

 

[B23]

I've got a couple different Redding presses, Boss and Ultramag. My dad has a Forester coax and an old Texan turret press that is built like a tank. All have been great but I think if I were to buy a new press today, I'd likely go with Redding's T-7 turret press. That T-7 looks like it would offer a lot of convenient features a single stage press can't

 

[Trickymissfit]

best press? Wow you just took the lid off the snake pit and we all jumped in!

I use a Forster and yet sitting beside it is a small RCBS Partner. Yet I've used everything from the old Pacific (pre Hornaday) to the high dollar Redding's in one form or another. By far the Forster is the straightest and most powerful (if you need that kind of power). Yet it still isn't the absolute straightest press out there. That would of course be an arbor press with Wilson inline dies.

If I were going to buy an O frame press (and I'm not), it would probably be the Lee cast iron press. They're cheap and they work well. I'm not a real fan of turret presses, as they have too many moving parts. I prefer to take my time and do it as perfect as I can. The advantage of the Co-Ax is that it's ready to go right out of the box. No tweaks needed. You just clamp it down to the bench (or bolt it down), and start the process. I like using a riser with mine, but it works just as well without one. Just easier to see what your doing.
gary

 

[LaHunter]

I use the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme and I am very pleased with it. I am able to make some very consistent brass and finished rounds in this press. I can't say it is best, because I have only used RCBS. I was back and forth between the RCBS and the Redding at the time I bought the RCBS. There are tons of reviews online for both the RCBS and Redding. Probably can't go wrong with either of these.

Good Luck

 

[Sargesniper]

Just what the title says. I have ant to buy a really good one this summer.
Thanks
Duane

Everyone has his or her opinion on what is best. The question you should ask yourself is which one would be the best for your application. Forester CO-AX is a very fine well made press. RCBS and REDDING are good also. You will have to figure out which is best for you. You can't go wrong with any of the three I mentioned. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Bill Johnson]

Forster Co-Ax for all around best press
Dillon 550 best all around progressive
RCBS RockChucker best all around O-press under $200

 

[918v]

I have used several Rock Chuckers, a CoAx, a Big Boss II, and a CH4d 4 station. The CH does not have enough leverage to size rifle brass like the others. The CoAx shell holder situation is a major pain in the rear if you are loading both big and small diameter cases. The new Rock Chuckers have the lever at an angle and this combined with the loosely goosey linkage just does not have the bank vault feel of the Redding presses. The Big Boss has an angled frame opening and is significantly more convenient in terms of case insertion/bullet seating/priming. The bank vault like feel, even after a decade of use, is unmatched. I think it's the best reloading press for the money.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I have used several Rock Chuckers, a CoAx, a Big Boss II, and a CH4d 4 station. The CH does not have enough leverage to size rifle brass like the others. The CoAx shell holder situation is a major pain in the rear if you are loading both big and small diameter cases. The new Rock Chuckers have the lever at an angle and this combined with the loosely goosey linkage just does not have the bank vault feel of the Redding presses. The Big Boss has an angled frame opening and is significantly more convenient in terms of case insertion/bullet seating/priming. The bank vault like feel, even after a decade of use, is unmatched. I think it's the best reloading press for the money.

are you sure you are using a Co-Ax? I rarely change the jaws around as I've learned to set them up the right way. They are not ever meant to hold the case, but just extract it from the die. Now I don't do 22 hornet family cases, and also have no use for the 45-70. I do size .450 Marlin cases all the way down to .222 Remington with out doing a jaw change out. I only change things when I go to a rimmed case (30-30 etc.). I run my jaws very loose, and have yet to see a case that isn't extracted.
gary

 

[Corey Schwanz]

It all depends on the application. For any precision work I load on an RCBS RockChucker Supreme. My high volume .223 and pistol ammo all get produced on a Dillon 550. If I were going to get another single stage press, I'd give a good look at the Redding Big Boss 2. Small things like the spent primer collection system on that press appeal to me, especially with the number of primers that have hit my bench/floor when they pop out of the RCBS and miss the little plastic bucket. Its not enough to bother changing presses just yet, but something Id' consider when buying a new one.

Corey Schwanz
Berger Bullet Technical Support

 

[Trickymissfit]

It all depends on the application. For any precision work I load on an RCBS RockChucker Supreme. My high volume .223 and pistol ammo all get produced on a Dillon 550. If I were going to get another single stage press, I'd give a good look at the Redding Big Boss 2. Small things like the spent primer collection system on that press appeal to me, especially with the number of primers that have hit my bench/floor when they pop out of the RCBS and miss the little plastic bucket. Its not enough to bother changing presses just yet, but something Id' consider when buying a new one.

Corey Schwanz
Berger Bullet Technical Support

About fifteen years ago I went thru the same con game with three other individuals and a fourth bystander. Two guys used Dillons and swore about their dead strait rounds. Another pair used RCBS presses. The bystander also used the RCBS and a Dillon as well. The man I worked for used one of the Rockchuckers. I made a fixture to check the loaded rounds and empty cases on a lab grade surface plate, and a Shadowgraph as well. Now matter what dies used the RCBS had about half the runout doing .223 cases. I later did the same test, and my cases and loaded ammo came in at roughly one third of the runout as the two RCBS presses. It was decided that my dies were better (off the shelf Forster), so I did two sets of cases with RCBS and Redding dies (not the fancy ones). Were not quite as good, but still plenty good enough. The RCBS presses did ammo roughly 50% better than the Dillon presses (all three). In other words shot gun ammo!

The Boss was extremely interested, and I later rebuilt his press. Made the standard press seem like a toy when we got done, but you could have bought four rockchuckers to get there. The bystander used the top of the line Redding and a Dillon (was a dealer for both). They were no better than the others tested. One guy sent his Dillon back for repair, and there was zero improvement. I made a couple mods to it, and took .0025" out of the runout (I may copyright these mods). Plenty good enough for machine guns and 100 yard stuff I guess. The rebuilt rockchucker did do ammo slightly under .0025" (checked in the Shadowgraph). I later did a Pacific Green something or another, and another RCBS. Results were similar.

Now back to machine guns (AR's). My main squeeze won an Olympic heavy barreled gun in a VFW raffle. The chamber was .223. I took it out and shot it with ammo I use in my 700 Remington VS. No tweaks or adjustments (rounds were designed for a 20" barrel N.M. chamber). First five shot group was about .65". By the end of the day I was shooting .60" groups effortlessly. The load was simply a 55grain Vmax over 27.5 grains of BLC2. The bullet was set up to be .002" off the lands in the Remington, and who knows what in the AR. It was a hard battle to get .40" groups in the Remington. The rounds were just thrown together in a Forster press with Forster dies. I use them to plug coyotes at 350 yards or less. I can tell you upfront the loaded rounds show about .0015" or less in the Shadowgraph. Plus the cases were well used and beat up Remingtons. Primers were Federal. Just nothing I'd call special. The chamber reamer was borrowed from Ferris Pindell.

there's little question in my mind that strait ammo makes life far easier down the road.
gary

 

[jweigel]

Why no mention of Hornady?? I am looking into getting started and appreciate the advice. Hornady and RCBS put some complete starter packages together.

This would be for reloading 25-06, 7mm, 7STW

Just asking.

jjw
ND

 

[DSMITH1651]

I don't think much ofy hornady, that's why I am wondering what is the best

 

[Sargesniper]

Why no mention of Hornady?? I am looking into getting started and appreciate the advice. Hornady and RCBS put some complete starter packages together.

This would be for reloading 25-06, 7mm, 7STW

Just asking.

jjw
ND

RCBS is a better deal in my opinion. I know the quality of RCBS and would buy it over the HDY. There are many to choose from. I started out many years ago with a small Redding and still have it today. The RCBS RC is an outstanding press for someone starting out. If you buy cheap, well, you know the rest of the story. Listen to people with years of experience and learn from them, then make your choice.