Forester Co-Axe issues with Hornady dies help pls

[Mc Fraser]

Hello,
I have a Forester Co-Ax press, Hornady Bushing Match Grade, Custom Grade and Redding FL 6.5 PRC.
I also have Forester and Redding Micrometre and competition series for 270 Win, 300WM, and 300 PRC.

For some reason, the FL Hornady dies won't resize the brass even when the press is about half a turn past touching the shell holder. I believe Forester calls them jaws.

Has anyone had this issue before?

 

[SteveUrban]

Do you have another press to try the dies in to make sure that the dies are not the problem?

 

[clowdis]

If you have go-nogo gauges you can check the dies to be sure they haven't been cut too deep. Or like Steve said you can try them in another press. IF they are cut too deep you can have someone with a lathe cut some off the bottom to bring them into spec.

 

[gmr4]

Its not the press.

 

[NF1E]

I agree ^^^^^^^. Not the press.

 

[shoot4fun]

Its not the press.

I agree ^^^^^^^. Not the press.

I'm with these guys. I have had an issue with the Co-Ax and Hornady's Micrometer Seating Die for my 300NM 35˚IMP. Properly set for bullet seating it will not allow the yoke to pass over without bumping. The one time I had the issue you describe I sent the die back to he manufacturer and he found it was not machined correctly.

 

[big5ifty]

For some reason, the FL Hornady dies won't resize the brass even when the press is about half a turn past touching the shell holder. I believe Forester calls them jaws.

Has anyone had this issue before?

Not in a Forster press, I have experienced the problem.

In the past when I first encountered the issue in .243 , I switched to a different make full length sizer which fixed the issue. I was using a single stage press with a shellholder, I can't remember which one and I don't recall exactly what dies I had and which I switched to.

Now I'm seeing the same problem when I take my perfectly working dies for 3 calibers from the single stage configuration, and fitting them to a Hornady Pro-Jector. When screwed as far in as the shellplate permits, the shoulders are not being pushed to where they need to be. The sizers are Redding and Forster, the body die is Redding.

I suggest you try the dies in any old single stage that takes a shellholder, that will tell you if it's the tolerances in the Forster press that happen to be stacked against you.

I won't be changing dies, everything works on the single stage presses, I am considering having 20 thou taken off the bottom of the dies, if the machine shop says they can do it. Reviving the old Pro-Jectors for brass prep is going to be a huge time saver, so it's worth it.

 

[Mc Fraser]

Do you have another press to try the dies in to make sure that the dies are not the problem?

Yes. Rock Chucker. Same story. I know its not the press.

 

[Mc Fraser]

Hornady said they will take it back but I have to pay for shipping. Sad.

 

[SSchnd]

Zero issues with a Hornady Match Grade set of dies on my CoAx in 6.5CM sizing or seating.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

Hello,
I have a Forester Co-Ax press, Hornady Bushing Match Grade, Custom Grade and Redding FL 6.5 PRC.
I also have Forester and Redding Micrometre and competition series for 270 Win, 300WM, and 300 PRC.

For some reason, the FL Hornady dies won't resize the brass even when the press is about half a turn past touching the shell holder. I believe Forester calls them jaws.

Has anyone had this issue before?

As other posts above stated: Its Not the Press!!!!

2nd. When setting up dies in the Forster or Bonanza CO-AX press, avoid setting the dies lower than contacting the jaws!!!! You can break or damage the jaw assembly!!! Read the Forster owners manual!!!!!!

My Redding FL bushing die for 6.5 PRC is about a eighth of a turn from contacting the jaws on my Bonanza Press!!!!
Roughly 0.009" above contact!!!!

The only other issue I have with the Forster and/or Old Bonanza CO-AX presses is, some seating stems will sit to high and contact the handle yoke, restricting full up and jaw disengagement!!! A Dremel with cut off wheel works great in shorting the stem and cutting the new straight screwdriver slot!!!

Get the Forster graduated lock rings for the sizing dies!!! They are great for setting and/or adjusting shoulder bump (shoulder datum)!!!!!

 

[bugman]

Try changing the Hornady lock ring for a specific steel Co-Ax ring. Often, other rings are not sufficient to prevent slight vertical movement of the die when the ram is lowered.

 

[Mc Fraser]

I'm sending the die back.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

I'm sending the die back.

I notice in the picture, the link is about 1/4" to 3/8" from contacting the cam over stop on the yoke!!!! That die was set WAY TO DEEP!!!! A little advice from a 45 year Bonanza CO-AX press reloader!!! Set the press at full cam over, then adjust the die down until you have slight contact!!!! In the position from the picture, you were only getting about 50% to 75% full leverage (pressure) of the press!!! It may not have been a bad die set!!!! You probably didn't have enough force to bump the shoulder from my perspective of the PIX!!!!!!

 

[Mc Fraser]

That picture was taken to prove a point. That's not how I set up my dies.

I needed to prove that the die is fully screwed in, and even when past touching, it does not bump the shoulder.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

That picture was taken to prove a point. That's not how I set up my dies.

I needed to prove that the die is fully screwed in, and even when past touching, it does not bump the shoulder.

GOOD!!!!!!!!
If you need any advice on the press, DM Wild Bill!!!!
Singer sewing machine oil is great on the CO-AX rods and in between the pressure plate and under side of the jaws!!! I've tried other lubes, but the sewing machine oil holds up and works the best!!!! And a little bit of oil will go a long ways!!!!

 

[Mc Fraser]

Thank you Sir!

 

[Fire Dog]

GOOD!!!!!!!!
If you need any advice on the press, DM Wild Bill!!!!
Singer sewing machine oil is great on the CO-AX rods and in between the pressure plate and under side of the jaws!!! I've tried other lubes, but the sewing machine oil holds up and works the best!!!! And a little bit of oil will go a long ways!!!!

I agree, I have used “Dri-Slide” in the past and though it is a great product and leaves dry moly behind it is also messy if you get carried away and will transfer black to you if you contact the parts treated with it..
Singer oil is crafted to be used in a machine with reciprocating parts, clearly a feature in a re-loading press and designed to protect said parts with thin film lubrication.