Arbor Press vs Conventional?

[Phil3]

I was all set to order the Forster Co-Ax press, and then find out that 'arbor presses' are recommended for the highest precision reloading. And that Wilson products apparently only work with the arbor press. I am new to reloading, but do wish to make the highest quality ammo for accuracy shooting. Just what does an arbor press get me, and can it take the place of a regular press, such as Forster Co-Ax?

- Phil

 

[jadams]

No ! Buy the Forster.

 

[JoePellegrene]

Phil,

I use an arbor press for my custom seating dies.

When you fire a round in your chamber the brass expands and plasters it's self to the walls of the chamber sealing off the gases, pressure builds and the bullet exits. The brass then quickly cools and contracts a .001 or so allowing for extraction. Your brass is now the size of your finish reamer that was used to create your chamber.

You then buy a blank seating die and ream it out with the same reamer that was used to make your chamber. This gives you the best possible fit, or support between your brass and your seating die.

Not all chambers will be exactly the same size for a particular caliber and what you get with the mass produced dies is one that's big enough to work with them all, or a sloppy fit.

You'll create the straightest rounds with custom dies sized for your chamber.

 

[dmickey]

Bull feathers!!! I use an RCBS A-2 press with the Redding Competition die set. When I first tried the competition set, with standard dies I got 4-5 thousandth run-out. With the competition dies I got .001 run-out! As far as accuracy goes, in my Remington 40XB in .22 BR Remington bolted into a machine rest, five shots at 100 yards measured less than .100 of an inch! Is that enough accuracy for you?

 

[GermanS1]

Phil, an arbor press gets you portability and that's why they are commonly,but not exclusively) used in Benchrest competition as most BR loading takes place at the range. The press itself has little to do with the quality of the ammunition, the dies are far more important. Wilson dies are very good, so are Redding, Forster and probably some others. Since you're getting started in reloading, solid, reliable equipment that you use at home is the first priority; the Forster will fill those requirements and give you a lifetime of service.

 

[Winchester69]

Is this the press being discussed?

www.lockstock.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FR028271

It's listed as 'Out of Stock', but you may check to see how backorders are handled.

 

[Phil3]

Yes. Outstanding price, but I called and they won't have any for about two months. - Phil

 

[Hammerhead]

My vote is on the Forster too.
Very nice press and you will be very happy you bought it as you get farther into reloading. I also have an Arbor Press for some Wilson dies I have but it always good to have the Forster around.

Good luck!

Tim

 

[GermanS1]

Something else to consider is that with the arbor press and Wilson dies, you won't be able to full-length resize and that's a very significant limitation. I prefer to full-length size all brass and I think there are few competitive shooters in any discipline these days who only neck size.

I like my arbor press and Wilson dies and I use them when I load at the range for load development, but they are an 'extra'. For me, as a Highpower shooter, not Benchrest, the vast majority of my reloading is done at home on a normal, single-stage press,Rockchucker).

Phil, one of the downsides of forums is that you get a lot of well intentioned advice but it often comes without a complete understanding of the recipient's needs or experience. Since you said you are new to reloading and it appears this will be your first press, that's why I'm emphasizing the bench-mounted press as the best type to have at this point.

 

[Chuckhunter]

Phil, Go with the Co-Ax Press and a good set of quality dies as German suggested. I have had one since 1972 and it is still as tight as when I bought it. When I want to load at the range, I have an RCBS Partner press that I picked up cheap from E-bay. I just C-clamp it to my bench and then can Fl or Nk size, whichever I prefer. Oh yeah as far as an Arbor press to use with a Wilson straight line seater. Go to a yard sale, flea market or look on E-bay for an old bottle capper, you can pick one up for a couple of bucks and it will do the same thing a $100.oo dolar Sinclair will do. I used on for years when I compeated in IBS score compitition. Good Luck and good reloading.

 

[Phil3]

Thanks for the replies. Still unsure as to what an arbor press gets me as a benefit other than portability, nor do I understand what makes the Wilson products so special and why they are only available for use with an arbor press. I hear the bullet is seated straighter, but don't understand what it is about the Wilson or the arbor press that contributes to this. This is one of those things where pictures would be worth a thousand words, but can not find any. I am still looking.

- Phil

 

[fdshuster]

Phil: I have and regularly use both the Wilson seater die(s) with a Sinclair arbor press, and Forster micrometer benchrest seater dies with an RCBS "Rockchucker" that I bought new in 1991. Both produce excellent ammo. I'm always running my loaded rounds under 2 different dial indicators (Sinclair & RCBS), and cannot say one method produces "straighter" rounds than the other. If I had to nit-pick, I would say it takes just a little more time to seat the bullets using the Wilson/arbor press. As German said, full length resizing is more of a problem with the Wilson type of dies, so for that requirement, you would be better served with a conventional type press, like the Forster, RCBS, Redding, etc. I think of the Wilson/arbor combo as a "speciality" item, and the conventional press as "general purpose".

 

[Preacher]

Phil-- What do you want to see as far as photo's go ????
I have Wilson dies and a Harrells combo press..
I had a Sinclair arbor press but it left right after the Harrells arrived..
I'll try to provide you with any photo's you need....

 

[Phil3]

Phil-- What do you want to see as far as photo's go ????
I have Wilson dies and a Harrells combo press..
I had a Sinclair arbor press but it left right after the Harrells arrived..
I'll try to provide you with any photo's you need....

Thank you. I see that regular dies thread into a press and the press provides the horsepower to perform whatever sizing or seating action is needed. How does an arbor press differ from this? What makes it different than a regular press? What makes Wilson dies or seaters superior? I do not understand the mechanics of what is happening to see what an arbor press and a Wilson seater supposedly superior. It is one of these things that appears one has to see in person, or see on a video to understand. Or, at least a series of photos perhaps. Some aspects of precision reloading are so mysterious or hard to convey, it is like one attempting to explain how a a Mazda Wankel engine works or a differential in a car operates, using written text alone, without pictures.

The following video is pretty helpful, but do not see why the Wilson arrangement used here is superior to say a Forster with their competition bullet seater. I am looking for more videos like this.

- Phil

 

[jo191145]

Phil

Let me start by saying I'm a newbie to the 6ppc and do not own either a arbor press or a Wilson/Harrel die so get out the salt shaker.

A Wilson type die is more accurate simply because its made that way. Theres two choices that I know of to get a die that fits your brass tighter than an off the shelf Redding possibly can.
Send Wilson some brass thats been fired in your gun a few times with some zippy loads. They have a ton of reamers on hand and will pick the one that most closely fits your chamber. Two, most pro's own thier own reamers and send it to Wilson when getting a die made for an exact fit.

Besides brass fit being customized a Wilson style die is not threaded in a press. The concentricity is not hampered by a conventional press and its flaws. Press threads not exactly concentric or out of line with the ram, loose ram, are just a few things that can cause trouble on a conventional press. With a Wilson all concentricity is dependant on the die itself and they machine them with very tight tolerances.

An off the shelf die must be designed to work with almost any 6ppc brass. Tolerances must be looser in a neck sizing die and tighter in a FL die in order for them to work with all the slightly different 6ppc reamers made over the years.

The arbor press is just a means to force the case into the die or seat the bullet. If using light neck tension its possible to use just your hand to accomplish this task. I think a few folks have used a small mallet to accomplish the same task. I would quess thats not highly recommended unless your winning alot

FWIW when I first started testing my 6ppc I set up my Redding dies in a $15.00 Lee hand press. Never bothered using this cheap press with anything else but I had my reasons. Even with this cheap press it outshoots me and I've never bothered switching to my standard press. Go figure.

 

[Nodak7mm]

I own and have only used a Forester CoAx. Love it. With that said, I have several Wilson seaters that I use with the CoAx to seat bullets. The CoAx use an overhead, pulldown motion, much like an huge arbor press. Doesnt take much imagination to figure out how to apply the mechanics of the CoAx to the Wilson Seaters.. May seem cude, but effective.

Nodak