Sorry, Double Post...

Dave

I am new to reloading and currently looking to purchase a press but, not at all sure what my best options are... nor even the right questions to ask.

The cartridges I would be reloading are the .270 win, .30/06, 7 Rem Mag, .300 win mag, .300 H&H, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby, & .470mbogo. I will be reloading the bigger H&H and Rigby sized cartridges first and subsequently have been considering many of the 50 BMG sized presses for ease of use. Many on this site have mentioned that the .50cal presses are great for Nitro Express length cases.

Basically, I'm way out of the loop with regard to the quality, durability, ease of use, best features, replacement parts, warranty etc. of the various model presses on the market. I am leaning tword single stage press as I believe they are a better choice for what I want to do but, I guess could be talked out of it...


Currently, I am looking at the following models....


ch4d Champion(Heavy Duty) & No. 444 - 4 station H press

Forster Forster Exclusive Co-Ax press

Hornady Lock & Load Classic & 50 cal BMG

rcbs Rock Chucker Supreme & AmmoMaster

Redding Big Boss & Ultra Mag


What am I missing from this list that I should be taking into consideration? Any I should avoid?

Also looking into one of the "kits" offered by RCBS, Redding and others.... I'm not sure of the wisdom in that but they
seem like a fair deal...(?)

I have alot to learn in this area and I'd appreciate any help you can provide guys.

Regards,
Dave

I have a RCBS Rockchucker for 25 years excellent press for the money!

My RCBS Rockchucker is still truckin' after 31 years. Nuff said?
Paul B.

I got a junior that I bought used that I use with a universal decapping die and two used 'chuckers for sizing and seating all work great.
Not to say that others won't work, just what I got and do like.

Smedley

I like the Rock Chucker Supreme myself but then RCBS got me into this whole reloading thing so I am loyal to them. The RCS is a big press and is capable of handling any loading project you throw at it.

quote:

Originally posted by DavidC:
The cartridges I would be reloading are the .270 win, .30/06, 7 Rem Mag, .300 win mag, .300 H&H, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby, & .470mbogo.
Dave

I use the Forster CoAx as my primary press, and I'm very happy with it. IMHO, it is the "Mercedes" of reloading presses.

However, I would not recommend a CoAx for the bigger cases you are looking to load. Even with a .300 H&H length case, bullet seating gets to be a bit of a juggle on a CoAx. I have not tried loading it on a CoAx, but I can imagine seating bullets in the .416 Rigby would be a bit of a struggle...

Sadly, there are trade-offs between having a big and a small press. A smaller press will be more nimble and faster to use on smaller cases. But the bigger cases need a press with a larger shellholder-to-die opening. Leverage is less of a problem with many of todays presses.
- mike

As Mho notes the Co-Ax has a smaller window then you`ll need for the larger cartridges, but is the "primo" press. The RCBS RockChucker or Lyman Orange Crusher II will work better for your needs with the larger cartridges. I have had both and the quality is very similar. I don`t realy have a preferance but still have the Lyman. The Reddings would also be a good choice but I haven`t any experiance with the rest so they may have some thing on the ones mentioned I don`t know about.

I've never tried the C-H but I have a Co-AX, two Rockchukers, an Ammomaster and others. I've used the Redding Ultramag. For the larger cases your loading I would buy the Redding Ultramag were I you. It's best to buy a different press for the 50 BMG and use it just for 50 BMG so you don't have to keep converting it to the larger diameter dies.
The Rockchuckers are good but not quite as nice as the Ultramag and also not quite as long. The Co-Ax is a great press but not long enough to be convenient on the longer cases. The Ammomasters have too long a stroke to be convenient on shorter rounds and flex a little more than I like. For what you say that your loading I think you need the Redding Ultramag 1st, it's the next press I'm buying so I don't have to keep using my buddies.................DJ

I've been using the RCBS but I'd try the Co-AX press if I bought one again.

Nothing wrong with the RCBS at all.....

I use the Co-Ax Press & its the best I've ever used, unsure about how it will take the big ctgs.
though...
Best Regards, Tom

I have an RCBS Ammomaster & it's hell for stout. Got it to reload my .45-120 (3 1/4"). Works great. Go cheap, get cheap. Bear in Fairbanks

That's a pretty respectable list of choices. The REDDING Ultra Mag appears to me as the best choice for your reloading. One thing that seperates REDDINGs from the others is the Top-Dead-Center feature that stops the ramstroke very consistently. OACL variations can be held to absolute minimums, even without a competition seating die. Several that you mention have plenty of ram strength for the large magnums and even .50 cal.

once you've had a coax you'll never use anything else. I load long cases, things like 300,375,416 and 470 on mine. the 470 is a bit tricky, but then again when i load for it i'm loading a box or 2 not 500 rds, so it works fine for me

Just buy a RCBS Rockchucker, on my second one now, after 35 years, had a Herter before that. Today I always tell people to start off with a RCBS, because you are going to own one sooner or later and the price only goes up. You can buy other presses too, I have a Dillon and an ancient C-H on my bench too, but the most used press is the RCBS.
LLS

You are a serious candidate for the Redding T7 turret press. I will be buying one today after researching this to death for a long while. Please do yourself a favor before you buy and consider this model. It cost about $200 but will last forever, is built like a tank and shoots your primers into a tube for convenience.
I've been using a Lee Challenger for the past 3 years to learn on and frankly it has worked just fine, but now I'm looking for more quality as I do this for a hobby.
The Redding T7 press is a wonderful solution for all my handloading needs.

I agree with all before that RCBS has excellent customer service. You could buy all RCBS and be happy for the rest of your reloading career!
Great company, great customer service and good products.

Guys,

Thanks for all the advice.

Looks like most people use RCBS presses followed by Redding...

The Co-Ax sounds really good as well but, I'm concerned about loading cartridges that have an oal of up to 3.75 inches.

quote:

One thing that seperates REDDINGs from the others is the Top-Dead-Center feature that stops the ramstroke very consistently. OACL variations can be held to absolute minimums, even without a competition seating die. Several that you mention have plenty of ram strength for the large magnums and even .50 cal.

KLN375 that is exactly the type of info I was hoping to get. Not having any reloading experience I miss these sort of features unless pointed out to me...

Anything else I should take into consideration?


Regards,
Dave

I have both the Forster Co-Ax and the CH Champion single stage presses and I reload (off of your list) the .270, .300 Win Mag and the .375 H&H (I have no experience with the .416 or .470). In my opinion there is no finer, faster or more accurate single stage press than the Co-Ax. I use Forster Ultra seaters and the .375 has to be be inserted bullet first into the seating die then the case head is swung into the shellholder--not a big deal, but I think it illustrates the upper limits of maximum length the press can handle. The CH Champion is one heck of a press, all 26 pounds of it (makes the old-style Rockchucker look a little puny when they are mounted next to one another)! It also has a 1 1/8" heat-treated ram and is drilled for spent primers. I use the CH primarily for bullet swaging but have been using it of late to full-length resize the .375s (it's a much easier operation on the CH than the Forster, though the Forster does do it) with no change in runout. Both CH and Forster seem to have excellent customer service as far as answering questions though I've never had to replace a broken part on either. Before I bought the CH I was considering either it or the Redding Ultramag. I went with the CH for the larger, heat treated ram; again, because I use it primarily for swaging bullets. If it helps, my CH measures 3 3/4" from the top of the ram to the bottom of the bushing in the die bushing. I say get the Forster and back it up with one of the bigger/stouter (Champion, Supreme, Ultramag, Ammomaster, 50 BMG) presses and you'll have the best of both worlds.

I have a Co-Ax press, a Rockchucker, a Jr., three Dillons, two Stars, and an RCBS A-3 all set-up on my benches at the moemnt. Have also used a number of other presses in the past. Of them all, if you can find one, I would recommend either an RCBS A-2 or A-3, or a Hollywood. All these last 3 are discontinued, but they are what I would look for and pay for if I wanted a really good press that would do what you want to do and last the rest of my life and my son's life, and probably his son's too.

I'm sure I'm in the minority here. My in-laws bought me a RCBS Partner press (yeah, I said it!) and it's served me well for 15 years. I load 9mm, 40, 45 acp, 44 spc, 44 mag, 257 Roberts, 257-264, and 30-06 with it. I can't complain. Maybe that's only because I never had anything better or maybe it's because the "Partner" is good enough. (or maybe because it was FREE)

If you're only doing rifle cases the Redding Boss or RCBS Rockchucker are nice for the money. Saw the new Lee cast iron press...looks good and tight unlike their other cheapo aluminum and leftover scrap metal presses, and the price is very reasonable. Turret presses are nice but their bullet seating repeatability is not as good due to the play necessary to rotate the turret. If you're seating a couple of thousands off the lands a little wear or additional play in the turret bushing could easily put you into the lands...not where I prefer to be. Been there, done that, and don't wanna do it again. On the other hand, if you don't care to seat that close they're great...and certainly more convenient. The Redding unit is nice.

Here's my endorsement of the Forster/Bonanza Co-Ax press. It' reloads .416 Rigby's with no problems, although I use a hand held primer tool. For reloading .50 BMGs, the CH press looks awesome, but for any cartridge equal to or shorter than the Rigby, the Co-Ax will give you good service.

DavidC: RCBS customer service is excellent in my experience also. All of the presses mentioned are great. Prior to 1998, most of my equipment was RCBS, but when I retired (well not completely) my old press and started looking for it's replacement, the one feature that I couldn't let go of was the Top-Dead-Center feature. Glad I didn't! It's on all of REDDINGS presses. Prior to that I had already began buying REDDING Titanium Carbide dies and pretty much buy REDDING exclusively now. The T-7 mentioned is also worth consideration if the slight advantage in convenience seems worthwile to you. I'm probably nitpicking, but I like the precision of a single stage. Turret presses are better than ever, but the dies are not held as stationary as they will be in one of these large SS. The Big Boss is big enough for most chores and the Ultra-Mag will cover them all!

http://www.redding-reloading.com/pages/ultramag.html

ROCKCHUKER

Thanks again guys!

I am leaning tword the Redding Ultra Mag. and will most probably go in that direction. The quality of the various presses seem similar to me and I don't think I would really go to far wrong with any from my initial list.

Maybe I shouldn't be but, I am sort of suprised at the number of presses people have for reloading. I was expecting folks to have 1 or 2 not 3, 4, 5 or more! Well it looks like this reloading 'hobby' is going to take on a life of its own and require a much more extensive list of equipment then I had first considered.....
Isn't that the way it always works...?

Regards,
Dave

The Ultramag is top of the line, and if you don't mind spending that much, it is a fine choice. For economy (or a second press) you might want to look at the Lyman Orange Crusher (now renamed something else and no longer colored orange, I think) or the Lee O-frame iron press. Both of these provide ample ram travel for the longer cartridges and sell for a little less than other presses, but should perform well.

I have a Redding T-7 turret press and it is probably the best turret on the market, but I would never recommend any turret for a steady diet of heavy full-length sizing with large cartridges -- use the single station press for this task.

I see lots of Rock Chuckar recomendations, and I have had mine for over 40 years with flawless performance.

When I started loading the 375's 416's and 470's found that the Rock Chuckar Supreme is a better choice. That extra 1" in the opening make all the diference in the world. Looks like the same quality as the old Rock Chuckar and it has a much improved primer catcher