Forrester press question

[shot410]

Thinking a buying a Forester press because of the primer seating. What do you think? Does any one use one of these? Are they better or easer to use than a RCBS?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

In the long run my feeling you will use a hand priming tool for the most part.

 

[tykempster]

I use the primer thingy on mine, seats them very consistently and has pretty good feel.

 

[fdshuster]

I'm with Johnny on this one. Have no doubt the Forster will do a good job of seating primer, but in at least some cases, they are just "too much", kind of like driving a carpet tack with a sledge hammer. For that reason, and to keep the feel as the primer is seated fully, I believe most use some type of a hand priming tool. I would judge a press more based on the method of capturing and controlling the spent primers/ hate it when the damn things are bouncing onto and all over the floor, and for that reason mostly use a hand punch to knock out the spent primers. A lot of excellent presses out there, but most seem to come up short on the control, both de-capping and seating, of primers.

 

[Rem06]

i have been using a forester press for at least 8+yrs now. I have owened several other types before this one and i will use this from now on.Seating primers is rather simple and not that big of a deal for me doing one at a time.It does a great job seating them at the same debth very consistently.
However if you're a primer pocket reamer and digger,i would quit doing that.It takes the taper off and blamed one misfire,there was too much gap for it to hit a solid surface.

When i remove the case from the tumbler i wipe it off,use a worn flat digital(VOM)(meter)probe to poke and lightly scrape the primer pocket,go to the press and prime-ready for powder.

you will love the press just for the fact of getting rid of all your shell holders,you could always go back to hand priming,I didn't.

 

[tsiero]

That press is too good of a reloading tool to pass up because of the priming option. I just threw away my second 1 LB powder can of spent primers saved from my Forester press during reloading. I can say enough about this tool.

 

[Nomo4me]

95 % of my shooting is with small rifle primers and I leave my RCBS universal set up for that size.
I leave my Co-ax set up for LR and actually enjoy priming that way in the volumes that I do.

 

[acloco]

....and remember...every time you start to reload for a new to you caliber, you save $5 to $7...because you don't have to buy a shellholder.

 

[amamnn]

If we are talking about the Forster Bonanza Co-ax press there is a long list of good reasons to buy one, the primer seater being somewhere near the bottom.

 

[hogan]

Forster makes great gear, especially their sliding chamber seating dies.

Have been using a Redding Ultramax for over 8yrs and know it to be the finest single-stage press going. Used the priming arm for first time a few weeks back, until I could get a Lee priming tool case holder for new case. Very Pleased with the control of the priming arm and the operation. Even better is that it stays down and out of the way if you don't want to use it.

The Dillon 550b is also a great and versatile loading press. Great powder measure and primer seating facilities built-in. Easy to buy only a few extra locating buttons and funnels so you don't need a conversion kit for each ctg you load for.

Think I would go Dillon if I were just starting out and wasn't loading any xlg magnum ctgs. Priming and Powder measure make the press itself competitive or even less than other quality single-stage jobs.

 

[jonbearman]

The ram mechanical ability on most presses are 14:1 ratio up to 22:1 approximately,however the coax is 44:1 ratio meaning that case forming or tougher jobs are a cinch on this press.

 

[Laurie]

That press is too good of a reloading tool to pass up because of the priming option. I just threw away my second 1 LB powder can of spent primers saved from my Forester press during reloading. I can say enough about this tool. (posted by tsiero)

+ 1 on that. This is such a good press that I would have bought mine even if there were no priming facility on it.

Laurie,
York, England

 

[shot410]

Thanks, for the replies. I bought one. However it's on backorder. OH well!!!!