Co ax sizing

[Jeff Von Rosenberg]

Is there any real advantage to the coax? I have a rockchucker the ammo masterII and several small Sinclair type c presses. I seat with a st. Line seater and arbor press. JVON

 

[Big Bob]

I had a RCBS Rockchucker that I used for 30 years.

I had a custom rifle built and the gunsmith strongly urged me to use a Forester Co-Axial press.
I got one and now get straighter ammo than with the Rockchucker.
I checked the loaded ammo with a gauge I bought from Sinclair.

I would strongly suggest you get the Forester Co-Axial as with it you will get better ammo.

 

[Chuckhunter]

JVON, I have a Co-Ax press that I have been using since the late 70's It has a lot of features that I really like but with that being said, if you already have a Rockchucker, I wouldn't replace it. Straight ammo is a result of the sizing die and not the press, I have a little RCBS Partner press that I take to the range and it produces ammo that is as straight as what comes out of my Co-Ax. I place an O-Ring under the sizing die's lock ring and the metal clip that holds the shell holder has been replaced with a snug fitting O-Ring. By doing this the shell holder and die can move slightly allowing self alignment, similar to the Co-Ax. As long as you have a quality die, your ammo will come out straight. You can buy a lot of O-Rings for the price of a Co-Ax.

 

[johara1]

I will agree with the above, I have used a RCBS A2 for longer than i can remember and last year i switched to a CO-AX and have used it ever since. Better? No, more convenient? yes. The only thing i use it for is sizing…… jim

 

[Milo 2.0]

I will agree with the above, I have used a RCBS A2 for longer than i can remember and last year i switched to a CO-AX and have used it ever since. Better? No, more convenient? yes. The only thing i use it for is sizing…… jim

I'm the opposite of Jim, I only seat with mine. If one must cam over hard with the coax, the snap, crackle and pop noises it makes scares a guy, you think you're going to break the jaws.

 

[BoydAllen]

I have a friend who has a couple of Forster presses. When he is setting up to load for an out of state or country hunting trip, he sets one up to size and the other up to seat. I have helped him reload several times, as well as at the range when working up loads. After they are set up, they work fine, but contrary to the glowing reports that I see all the time, I have a couple of small negatives to throw into the mix. I set FL dies to the thousandth for bump, and find conventional presses to be much more convenient for this. Also, if one is expanding up to a larger caliber, as is common when making 6PPC brass, the floating feature works against getting the best results, as far as runout is concerned. I have checked this on several presses, and the Forster was the worst. My Rock Chucker, was better, and my Harrell Combo was the best, having the tightest die threads, and excellent alignment. I would agree that concentricity comes mostly from the FL die, and may maintained but not improved by the seater. The Straightest brass that I have used comes from a one piece die that is properly dimensioned for my chamber and which produces correct neck tension without an expander.

 

[Phil3]

These may help. A summary of what I wrote in these follows.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3815450.msg36227717#msg36227717

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3825111.msg36284409#msg36284409

Forster Advantages:
1) No shell holders. But, you can still use if you want. I have had no need to.
2) Free floating dies in the horizontal plane. Can center self before pressure is applied.
3) Dies snap in and out. No screwing in and adjusting. Die with secured lockring already on it just snap in and out. Much faster than screw-in dies.
4) Free floating shell jaws in the horizontal plane. Along with floating die, shell and die can easily align with one another.
5) Very clean and easy to use depriming arrangement.
6) Consistent priming arrangement if you choose to use. Always sets primer to same depth. .004" below head as I recall. Slower than hand held.
7) Short handle option. Useful for low resistance cartridges. Reduces arm movement.

I like that the handle and yoke is dead centered over the cartridge. Little flex in the design that I can see. This press does not cam over. I measured it with a test indicator to learn this.

Forster Disadvantages:
1) The Redding Instant Indicator won't fit the press.
2) Hornady collet style bullet puller is a little awkward to use (I have no trouble).
3) Best to use Forster die lock rings for best fitment in the press. Not an issue for me as I prefer Forster lock rings and use Forster dies.
4) Some people find operation of the press awkward. I don't. Maybe I would like the ergonomics of another press better, but don't know.

I respect Boyd's opinion, but have not had any real trouble incrementing shoulder bump down to .001".

Phil

 

[Shynloco]

Is there any real advantage to the coax? I have a rockchucker the ammo masterII and several small Sinclair type c presses. I seat with a st. Line seater and arbor press. JVON

JVON,
If you are using Wilson Inline seaters and the arbor press combination for more precise reloading, IMHO there's NO bench press that can equal their efficiency, no matter the pluses and minuses you read about. Bench presses boil down to what individual reloaders like about one and dislike about another. I have both an RCBS Rockchucker and a Redding Big Boss for Full Length Resizing and neck expansion that I do for better neck tension control. I have used a shooting buddies CO AX which is a very nice press. But when it comes to resizing, they all do the same thing in the end and it's certain conveniences some folks like over another. But when it comes to seating bullets, I use strictly my Sinclair Arbor press and my Wilson In-line Seaters that give me my best concentricity and bullet runout which equates to better accuracy, not the Bench Presses I mentioned. Ultimate accuracy is my game and it took me a handful of years of reading and testing various pieces of reloading equipment to help get me to my best accuracy. Kinda boils down to what makes you happy when reloading. Just my thoughts.

Alex

 

[Cody Richardson]

Switched from a rockchucker to a coax, best move I've see made, bot only is my ammo straighter, resizing is nearly effortless, I load for 223 all the way to 338 lapua and sizing is still effortless. GET A CO-AX!!!!