Forster COAX Press In Stock

[lee1000]

Just FYI, Midway has these in stock. I’m really hoping this thing cures my runout issues.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/265719/forster-co-ax-single-stage-press

 

[Dusty Stevens]

A press will not cause nor help runout. All it does is push a case in the die and pull it out. If youre getting runout after sizing its your die or your necks need to be turned

 

[Bc'z]

A press will not cause nor help runout. All it does is push a case in the die and pull it out. If youre getting runout after sizing its your die or your necks need to be turned

Dusty your the man!
You just saved Lee 1000 $350

 

[Straightshooter1]

If you want to get an good idea of what the differences between press's can be (like in terms of run out), check out the details in this comparison (it just might be an eye opener):

https://ultimatereloader.com/2019/04/08/fourteen-reloading-presses-compared-single-stage-shootout/


https://ultimatereloader.com/2019/0...ng-presses-compared-single-stage-shootout/15/

 

[lee1000]

Well I’ve already bought it, hope it fixes it. Equipment I’ve been using is below. After shooting neck runout is 0, after sizing it’s 0.001 and after seating bullet runout between the ogive and tip is anywhere from 0 to 12mils. Average ~6 and completely inconsistent.

If this doesn’t fix it I’m going to start turning necks. I have a annealing machine but haven’t used it yet.

-Press was Lee Classic Cast Breach Lock (first press). I paid to have it shipped to Lee and they said it was the she’ll hold retainer....BS. I tried all the tricks, floating the shell holder with a oring, floating the die with a oring, nothing helped.
-I’ve replaced a Lee Collet die with a second one and that didn’t fix it.
-Using Lapua brass
-Forster Micrometer seater die with a stem matched to bullets by Forster.
-Reloading for 308
-Bullets are 155gr SMK Palma

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So it pretty much happens upon seating. You have a brass neck thickness issue id bet. Your equipment is adequate enough for sure. After sizing and getting .001 proves that. You could always try a wilson type hand die

 

[Straightshooter1]

Well I’ve already bought it, hope it fixes it. Equipment I’ve been using is below. After shooting neck runout is 0, after sizing it’s 0.001 and after seating bullet runout between the ogive and tip is anywhere from 0 to 12mils. Average ~6 and completely inconsistent.

If this doesn’t fix it I’m going to start turning necks. I have a annealing machine but haven’t used it yet.

-Press was Lee Classic Cast Breach Lock (first press). I paid to have it shipped to Lee and they said it was the she’ll hold retainer....BS. I tried all the tricks, floating the shell holder with a oring, floating the die with a oring, nothing helped.
-I’ve replaced a Lee Collet die with a second one and that didn’t fix it.
-Using Lapua brass
-Forster Micrometer seater die with a stem matched to bullets by Forster.
-Reloading for 308
-Bullets are 155gr SMK Palma

Sounds like you've traveled exactly the same road I did (except the bullets I used were 168 SMK's). The Lee Classic press I have just wasn't giving me the results I was looking for. Was able to get some pretty good results . . . some of the times. I just couldn't find the consistency I was looking for until I got the Co Ax. And I will add, the Co Ax also sped up the process for me.

You definitely should start annealing on a regular basis, and . . . turn those necks. Both those things made a significant difference for me, not only with runout, but also with ES's and SD's and how it prints on paper.

I even like using the primer seating tool on the Co Ax, as I get consistent seating depth with it and the way I've got it set up, it's as fast or fast than using a hand priming tool (like the Lee Auto-Primer).

 

[Kracken McGraw]

If you want to get an good idea of what the differences between press's can be (like in terms of run out), check out the details in this comparison (it just might be an eye opener):

https://ultimatereloader.com/2019/04/08/fourteen-reloading-presses-compared-single-stage-shootout/


https://ultimatereloader.com/2019/0...ng-presses-compared-single-stage-shootout/15/

Yea, but I’m not near hip enough, or nerdy, or something to watch all of one of his videos.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Yea, but I’m not near hip enough, or nerdy, or something to watch all of one of his videos.

In that case, simply go to the second link and check out the Summary Data. Though, that can be a bit "nerdy" too.

 

[Bob L.]

Lee,
You’ll like your Forster, if just for the ease of changing dies. If it turns out you don’t for some reason, you won’t have any trouble selling it.

 

[HTSmith]

bullet runout between the ogive and tip is anywhere from 0 to 12mils. Average ~6 and completely inconsistent.

Is this the "normal" place to measure runout? Would it measure any different if you moved back to full bullet diameter?

 

[Kracken McGraw]

In that case, simply go to the second link and check out the Summary Data. Though, that can be a bit "nerdy" too.

Thanks, just did that! Glad to see Redding and RCBS do well on the test.

 

[lee1000]

Is this the "normal" place to measure runout? Would it measure any different if you moved back to full bullet diameter?

Ideally I’d have 0 at the bullet tip. I’ve always measured runout at this location so the measurements are relative to all others....Too much

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Ideally I’d have 0 at the bullet tip. I’ve always measured runout at this location so the measurements are relative to all others....Too much

Tip doesnt matter as much as the bearing surface

 

[Titansfan2104]

Midway is sold out but is also in stock here
https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/4863

 

[GAnderson]

Something to think about since it apparently is during the seating process...I had this issue crop up once and it ended up being the seater stem "cup" or "cone" depth being too shallow for longer more pointed tip bullets...the tip of the bullet was all that was bottoming out up in the seater stem...so the bullet was getting seated off of its tip rather than contacting somewhere on the ogive...a "new and improved" seater stem cured the run out issue...bullets now are seating off the ogive. I had the exact same scenario as you...everything stayed straight until seating and then it was all over the place. A well respected site member posed this possibility to my dilemma and it was the problem...sometimes it can be the simplest of things.

Gene

 

[mauser284]

While it is nice that someone is attempting to get to the bottom of things the test design has so many issues as to be statically flawed from start to finish both in the studies design and it's execution. I am not an engineer but have worked in engineering for decades in the automotive manufacturing world. First the level of precision that people think they are loading too is fraught with clearance and tolerance stacking issues in every single part of the die, reloading press parts and the brass and projectiles. Then you have all the clearance issues, concentrically issues and tolerance stacking and variability in every part of the rifle and the rest and so on.....If you tested 10,000 presses you would get huge variable to the point that it would start to look random. On top of that as the gear is used and rusts and suffers wear no one is measuring their gear and re-calibrating everything with each lot of ammo produced. The vertical moving rod that presses the case into the die is larger than the base of the cartridge and the shell holder itself is not precision machined. The rod, shell holder, primer, case and bullet are not all being held concentrically precise and as they all rust and wear the numbers will change!Any run out is mostly about the die in relationship to the bullet and the brass. I have Sinclair, RCBS, Hornady, Lee and Dillion 550B relaoding presses, tooling and measuring gear. My wife is trained as a machinist and we both have insane measuring gear. I own Zeiss and Swarovski microscopes and measuring gear I just purchased a 4 ball Zeiss bore gauge and calibrating equipment. I own multi channel 400Mhz Ocilliscopes with analog and digital capability and spectrum analyzer's that I own for fun just for a hobby use! Chasing ammo's accuracy potential based on the press being used is barking up the wrong tree. Obviously the Forester Coax press has the potential to produce the most accurate ammo but that statement is fraught with assumptions. The case prep and precision of the die's and how well the brass and the bullet fit the die are the biggies! The seating stem and how well it handles the huge variety of VLD shapes is a huge factor! Precision is important but were it pays off and were it is a waste of time to pursue is the secret to using your time wisely and spending your money wisely. Case Prep and die precision and fit with the brass and bullets you are using are the most important. Knowing what to measure and how to work the brass is HUGE!