Redding Competiton Shellholders in a Forster Co-Ax Press?
- Thread starter PatMiles
- Start date
Shell holders float just fine in the adapter. Just leave the set screw a bit loose.
ben-o
Silver $$ Contributor
I use the Redding shell holders in my co-ax. I already had a couple sets when I got the press, and I never really used the spring loaded jaws.
If I were starting from scratch, I’d probably skip the Redding shell holders, and figure out how to adjust headspace with fine adjustment of the lock ring. But the Redding shell holders definitely work well, and they make setting up my sizing dies really easy.
If I were starting from scratch, I’d probably skip the Redding shell holders, and figure out how to adjust headspace with fine adjustment of the lock ring. But the Redding shell holders definitely work well, and they make setting up my sizing dies really easy.
Last edited:
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
im sure they do but for me they would just be some additional stuff i dont need.
DON'T NEED! Blasphemy!!
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
ill look it up
memilanuk
Gold $$ Contributor
So... long ago and far away, when I first started reloading with a Redding M25 turret press (pre-cursor to the T-7), I bought a couple sets of the Redding Comp shell holders (.223 and .308) to go with my various Redding Comp die sets. As a new reloader I was somewhat terrified by the thought of trying to adjust such a tiny amount on the die body of a 7/8-14tpi die, where a mere 1/8 turn is a little under 9 thou. Kept using them on through moving to a Redding Big Boss press, and then when I got a Forster Co-Ax, I immediately bought the conventional shell holder adapter so I could keep on using them.
At some point... it became a bit of a PITA, and I wasn't getting quite what I wanted out of the Redding shell holders - one of those times where one shell holder was getting me about 3 thou bump, and the next was getting me more like 0 to maybe 1 thou, and for whatever reason, I wanted *two*. No more, no less. I was a little more confident by then, and tried adjusting the die lock ring. Made a scratch on the ring, and moved it about one letter width of the engraving on the die body - which got me exactly where I wanted to be.
Eventually, I just ditched the shell holder adapter, and went back to the original Forster spring-loaded jaws, and life became even easier. I just adjusted the die where I needed it to be, and sized on. If I needed an adjustment, I just made it - I wasn't constrained to the steps/increments of the shell holder set, or felt like I needed to file/grind one down to make some DIY custom height shell holder. And I never again had the little 'problem' that nobody ever mentions... where you size one caliber/cartridge with one shell holder, and then go to do a different caliber/cartridge (same head size) and forget to change the shell holder. Whoops - there went your precious headspace, oh no what will you do? And to those who'll claim they've *never* made that mistake... sure. Whatever you say, man
Never had an issue with keeping my headspace where I wanted it either. It all just worked.
Later, I bought an Area 419 Zero press, and went 'all in' on their system, with the shell holders and solid die contact with the shell holder / ram. TBH, I had more *problems* with that setup than I ever did with the floating dies in the Co-Ax. So eventually I sold it, and went back to the Co-Ax - and my 550 - for my sizing needs. Neither of which use the fancy stepped shell holders, and still manage to keep my case headspace where I want it.
I realize there are some special circumstances where people are firing and sizing cases repeatedly, without the ability to anneal every firing (like during a BR match) and feel they need to be able to adjust their die headspace *exactly*. I would imagine something like the Whidden click-adjustable die rings would help with that... but a) I'm guessing most of those folks aren't lugging a Co-Ax to the range for those events and b) the slot in my Co-Ax was pretty snug to where I wasn't happy with the function of those rings on my dies in my press. Maybe the fancy die rings from Forster or SAC that have laser-engraved hash marks on them (why that took so bleeping long to come to market is a crime) would be of use?
YMMV.
At some point... it became a bit of a PITA, and I wasn't getting quite what I wanted out of the Redding shell holders - one of those times where one shell holder was getting me about 3 thou bump, and the next was getting me more like 0 to maybe 1 thou, and for whatever reason, I wanted *two*. No more, no less. I was a little more confident by then, and tried adjusting the die lock ring. Made a scratch on the ring, and moved it about one letter width of the engraving on the die body - which got me exactly where I wanted to be.
Eventually, I just ditched the shell holder adapter, and went back to the original Forster spring-loaded jaws, and life became even easier. I just adjusted the die where I needed it to be, and sized on. If I needed an adjustment, I just made it - I wasn't constrained to the steps/increments of the shell holder set, or felt like I needed to file/grind one down to make some DIY custom height shell holder. And I never again had the little 'problem' that nobody ever mentions... where you size one caliber/cartridge with one shell holder, and then go to do a different caliber/cartridge (same head size) and forget to change the shell holder. Whoops - there went your precious headspace, oh no what will you do? And to those who'll claim they've *never* made that mistake... sure. Whatever you say, man
Never had an issue with keeping my headspace where I wanted it either. It all just worked.
Later, I bought an Area 419 Zero press, and went 'all in' on their system, with the shell holders and solid die contact with the shell holder / ram. TBH, I had more *problems* with that setup than I ever did with the floating dies in the Co-Ax. So eventually I sold it, and went back to the Co-Ax - and my 550 - for my sizing needs. Neither of which use the fancy stepped shell holders, and still manage to keep my case headspace where I want it.
I realize there are some special circumstances where people are firing and sizing cases repeatedly, without the ability to anneal every firing (like during a BR match) and feel they need to be able to adjust their die headspace *exactly*. I would imagine something like the Whidden click-adjustable die rings would help with that... but a) I'm guessing most of those folks aren't lugging a Co-Ax to the range for those events and b) the slot in my Co-Ax was pretty snug to where I wasn't happy with the function of those rings on my dies in my press. Maybe the fancy die rings from Forster or SAC that have laser-engraved hash marks on them (why that took so bleeping long to come to market is a crime) would be of use?
YMMV.
Yep, Foster Co-Ax is just hard to beat {mine is a Bonanza, the original Co-Ax before Foster bought up Bonanza} No fiddling with shell holders, swap dies in and out in a flash and never loose the setting as can happen when trying to loosen the jam on the die nut with conventional presses, case always alined with die.So... long ago and far away, when I first started reloading with a Redding M25 turret press (pre-cursor to the T-7), I bought a couple sets of the Redding Comp shell holders (.223 and .308) to go with my various Redding Comp die sets. As a new reloader I was somewhat terrified by the thought of trying to adjust such a tiny amount on the die body of a 7/8-14tpi die, where a mere 1/8 turn is a little under 9 thou. Kept using them on through moving to a Redding Big Boss press, and then when I got a Forster Co-Ax, I immediately bought the conventional shell holder adapter so I could keep on using them.
At some point... it became a bit of a PITA, and I wasn't getting quite what I wanted out of the Redding shell holders - one of those times where one shell holder was getting me about 3 thou bump, and the next was getting me more like 0 to maybe 1 thou, and for whatever reason, I wanted *two*. No more, no less. I was a little more confident by then, and tried adjusting the die lock ring. Made a scratch on the ring, and moved it about one letter width of the engraving on the die body - which got me exactly where I wanted to be.
Eventually, I just ditched the shell holder adapter, and went back to the original Forster spring-loaded jaws, and life became even easier. I just adjusted the die where I needed it to be, and sized on. If I needed an adjustment, I just made it - I wasn't constrained to the steps/increments of the shell holder set, or felt like I needed to file/grind one down to make some DIY custom height shell holder. And I never again had the little 'problem' that nobody ever mentions... where you size one caliber/cartridge with one shell holder, and then go to do a different caliber/cartridge (same head size) and forget to change the shell holder. Whoops - there went your precious headspace, oh no what will you do? And to those who'll claim they've *never* made that mistake... sure. Whatever you say, man
Never had an issue with keeping my headspace where I wanted it either. It all just worked.
Later, I bought an Area 419 Zero press, and went 'all in' on their system, with the shell holders and solid die contact with the shell holder / ram. TBH, I had more *problems* with that setup than I ever did with the floating dies in the Co-Ax. So eventually I sold it, and went back to the Co-Ax - and my 550 - for my sizing needs. Neither of which use the fancy stepped shell holders, and still manage to keep my case headspace where I want it.
I realize there are some special circumstances where people are firing and sizing cases repeatedly, without the ability to anneal every firing (like during a BR match) and feel they need to be able to adjust their die headspace *exactly*. I would imagine something like the Whidden click-adjustable die rings would help with that... but a) I'm guessing most of those folks aren't lugging a Co-Ax to the range for those events and b) the slot in my Co-Ax was pretty snug to where I wasn't happy with the function of those rings on my dies in my press. Maybe the fancy die rings from Forster or SAC that have laser-engraved hash marks on them (why that took so bleeping long to come to market is a crime) would be of use?
YMMV.
What’s not to like??
I have mine mounted on some 1” ply topped with 3/8” steel plate that can just be C clamped down virtually anywhere you can get a flat surface.
A Harrells press is also a handy and readily portable press and a favourite with the Bench Rest 6PPC crowd that reload between @ /event/round.
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