Another which press should I get thread. Co-AX vs T7 vs Rock vs Boss?

[Theiskell]

I’m going to vote for the Forester press. I used a RC for years and just like others have said, it’s a good press, BUT I wish I had bought the Forester a long time ago.

 

[GSPV]

It's the dies, not the press.

 

[snert]

I loaded on an RCBS cast Jr press from 1979 to 2012. It was and remains a fine medium duty loading press. I got a T7 and note that it is a very good press with lots of convenience. I have no experience with Forster. I have had expereince with newer RCBS products (Chucker, Jr) and the T7 blows them away in tolerance, quality and overall design. i have not had any issues at all with concentricty issue caused by the press. i load 17 cal through 45-70 and some long magnums. i do not do alot of wildcatting, but would not worry a bit on meium cases like the 308/06/wsm sized cases. if i was forming a 17 Cheytac, i would worry!

Redding, btw, is all American made. That means something to me.
Snert

 

[Lazydays]

I loaded on an RCBS cast Jr press from 1979 to 2012. It was and remains a fine medium duty loading press. I got a T7 and note that it is a very good press with lots of convenience. I have no experience with Forster. I have had expereince with newer RCBS products (Chucker, Jr) and the T7 blows them away in tolerance, quality and overall design. i have not had any issues at all with concentricty issue caused by the press. i load 17 cal through 45-70 and some long magnums. i do not do alot of wildcatting, but would not worry a bit on meium cases like the 308/06/wsm sized cases. if i was forming a 17 Cheytac, i would worry!

Redding, btw, is all American made. That means something to me.
Snert

RCBS and Hornaday (along with much of Lyman) are pretty much sourced in China these days. Forster, Lee, and Redding are still completely built over here. As far as I know Pact is the only U.S. made electronic scale, and electronic powder dispenser. My Lyman measurer has a made in USA sticker on it's box, and of course my Harrell is made over here as well. With 3.2 million folks out of work, I make it a point to look for the made in USA lable these days.
gary

 

[BoydAllen]

Years ago, when I replaced my RCBS Jr. with a Rockchucker, I was impressed with the difference in leverage. All of my dies were one piece and required a fair amount of effort going in and pulling the expander back through. I am not sure that custom dies were even available, much less bushing FL dies. These days, I know that if a rifle FL die requires a lot of pressure on the press handle, that it is not a very good match to the chamber for that the brass was fired in. I have not tried my minimally sizing bushing FL PPC die in an old Jr, but I seem to remember a picture of Mr Boyer's range loading setup that included one. Perhaps we need to pay more attention to why we need all of that leverage, and spend our money on better fitting dies.

 

[JRS]

Years ago, when I replaced my RCBS Jr. with a Rockchucker, I was impressed with the difference in leverage. All of my dies were one piece and required a fair amount of effort going in and pulling the expander back through. I am not sure that custom dies were even available, much less bushing FL dies. These days, I know that if a rifle FL die requires a lot of pressure on the press handle, that it is not a very good match to the chamber for that the brass was fired in. I have not tried my minimally sizing bushing FL PPC die in an old Jr, but I seem to remember a picture of Mr Boyer's range loading setup that included one. Perhaps we need to pay more attention to why we need all of that leverage, and spend our money on better fitting dies.

Thats it Boyd

 

[MrMajestic]

Boyd hit the nail on the head, fix the problem not the symptom!

 

[DanConzo]

I think Boyd is correct. You can use a bottle capper with a good chamber type seater die and seat the bullets as straight as a $150 arbor press and still have great feel. The RCBS Jr press is a very good press. The old Pacific Super C is a good press for regular reloading, but the C press got bad press about 40 years ago and it kinda killed it, except for the Heavy Duty Redding Ultra. There is a lot of good presses old and new. If heavy duty forming is to be done then a high leverage press would do the job easier and not take a beating. The co-ax is a real nice press for accurate loading. It could do some heavy duty sizing but a lot of people use another press to put all that stress on to save their precision loading press.