Just bought a used Savage 6br Benchrest. I currently have a Rock Chucker for my rifle loading. How much better would I be with an arbor press and Wilson dies over just sticking with the Rock Chucker and some nice Redding Type S dies?
Are arbor presses worth the trouble?
- Thread starter zanemoseley
- Start date
It's a personal decision that only you can make. Good dies produce good results. An expensive/inexpensive arbor press produce the same result. The ram comes down and goes up. The quality of the die is the difference. Other than a custom threaded press (Hood-Crawford), the Lee Classic Cast is dimensionally more accurate than any other production made reloading style press made, and with the removal of the 7/8-14 insert, accepts the larger dies.
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I don't think a arbor press has ever been a problem . But they sure have made better loads . Larry
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
+1. I found also that Concentricity is better using an Arbor Press with Wilson dies than the rounds I previously seated using my Rock Chucker or my Redding Big Boss. The Arbor Press also affords the reloader a MUCH BETTER ability to "feel" the bullet being seated that also tells you about your brass in terms of how hard it is or if you have uneven neck tension.
Alex
The small bench rest arbor presses have a much lower mechanical advantage than bench presses.
Because of that you cannot full length resize a case - that is unless you get a much heavier arbor press.
However with the small arbor press you can easily bushing neck resize for a tight neck chamber.
You can also feel small variations in seating force. I consider it the most basic and pure form of reloading.
With good dies and good case prep there is very little work to reloading a round. There is no case lube needed.
So you neck size, replace the primer and powder and seat another bullet. There is very little to adjust and very little to go wrong.
Because of that you cannot full length resize a case - that is unless you get a much heavier arbor press.
However with the small arbor press you can easily bushing neck resize for a tight neck chamber.
You can also feel small variations in seating force. I consider it the most basic and pure form of reloading.
With good dies and good case prep there is very little work to reloading a round. There is no case lube needed.
So you neck size, replace the primer and powder and seat another bullet. There is very little to adjust and very little to go wrong.
I'm with Phil. I do the sizing and forming on the Ruck Chucker and set with Wilson micro top dies. Very convenient to have a arbor press at the range for load development.
rkittine
Gold $$ Contributor
I have been using a Rock Chucker for years and then I went to the Williamsport 1,000 Bench Rest School. I have to admit I am still very new to this game, but I was impressed loading at the bench on my instructors Arbor Press and Wilson Dies, so a few checks later I had Wilson Neck Sizing Dies(as another poster said, not enough leverage for full length sizing) and seating dies for each of the calibers I shoot as well as the additional Wilson Bullet seating inserts for VLD projectiles.
When I saw how there was less torqueing with a Foster Coaxial Press then with a Rock Chucker and with the primer seating arrangement on the Foster I had to have one of those too and that is now what I use for any case forming, full length sizing and shoulder bumping.
My mentor has a combination Harrods Press that is a Coaxial and Arbor Press built into one. I am happy with my two new press's and my old Rock Chucker is used for less stringent rifle calibers and my turret press for less volume pistol rounds, with Star Loaders for the higher volume.
Bob
When I saw how there was less torqueing with a Foster Coaxial Press then with a Rock Chucker and with the primer seating arrangement on the Foster I had to have one of those too and that is now what I use for any case forming, full length sizing and shoulder bumping.
My mentor has a combination Harrods Press that is a Coaxial and Arbor Press built into one. I am happy with my two new press's and my old Rock Chucker is used for less stringent rifle calibers and my turret press for less volume pistol rounds, with Star Loaders for the higher volume.
Bob
Bob
You had a good mentor Larry
Raythemanroe
Bullet Whisperer
I use a a RockChucker with Redding FL bushing die to size.. K&M Force Measurement Arbor with Wilson type chamber dies to seat...
Ray
Ray
I’ve used a Redding competition seater mated with a Lee cast press, and now a Wilson inline seater with a K&M arbor press.
I can’t really tell much difference is consistency, but the biggest advantage of the arbor press for me is:
1) I can use the K&M force dial indicator to check seating force.
2) being able to seat bullets at the range easily.
I can’t really tell much difference is consistency, but the biggest advantage of the arbor press for me is:
1) I can use the K&M force dial indicator to check seating force.
2) being able to seat bullets at the range easily.
dcali
Bullet Maker
In my experience, the arbor seaters are not better any better, and they're not any more trouble. In some ways they're less trouble. I think they get a reputation for being better because they are used in benchrest a lot, but in my opinion, that's for reasons that don't have much to do with die quality. It's more about portability and simplicity. A nice wilson style custom seater is a lot easier to male than something like a Redding competition seater, and those point blank guys like to load at the range.
rkittine
Gold $$ Contributor
Personally from what little experience I have it about the Wilson Dies rather then the press. I can push the brass into the neck sizer by hand (albeit maybe not as straight) and for sure push the seater down to seat the bullet. But they are cute and light and easy to attach to the bench.
Bob
Bob
Get a harrels press, not sure of the name of it but it takes normal threaded dies in the centre and also able to use wilson dies on the side.
I still have a Sinclair arbor press that had custom dies made with the reamer that cut the chamber on my 6PPC. I sold the rifle and dies. You probably will never see the difference between threaded press dies and custom dies unless you can consistently shoot groups under 0.25”. I am sure short range BR shooters don’t use off the shelf Wilson dies. The dies they use are cut with the same reamer as the chamber or from measurements on fired cases. Someone else can comment better than me on this part. Initial cost is high and it probably won’t improve your groups. Continue using a press unless you are dead serious about short range BR competition. Will sell my high quality arbor press if you are interested.
The advantages I see are as follows:
1. Uses a custom die made based on your chamber dimensions.
2. Eliminates press and die thread slop.
3. Eliminates how well a press is machined.
4. Don’t have to carry and mount a press at the range.
5. An arbor press is small and can be used on any small flat surface. No mounting bolts.
6. Easy to reload small numbers of rounds at the range.
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