Single stage presses?

[nedro]

Yet the Forster Co-Ax is based on a floating die design??? Its a common practice for guys to use a rubber O ring on their dies to create a floating die. But your claiming that a bushing system doesn't work the same way???

Not saying your wrong, but from everything I've ever read and seen your info isn't jiving.

You are talking about the sizing die.
The seater die, although it does have a floating ogive shoe, it centers perfectly and consistently. you do not want any movement lengthwise when seating the bullet. That is why you don't want a bushing system when loading precision.

[nedro]

if you like the forster dies try a set of whidden dies...i love forsters but whidden is a few steps above.

I swear, just when I find the most expensive die I'd be willing to buy, someone comes along with this.
It never ends, does it?

[hambam105]

If I wanted to discourage someone from reloading:

The 1st thing I'd do is 'Go Cheap' and get a hand press instead of a decent bench mounted press.

Nothing is more slow, more inaccurate, more labor intensive, more likely to crush you fingers, and requires more hand strength than using a hand press.

Nothing gets done in reloading without an operational press. Nothing. Zip.

Reloading is akin to spending 10 grand on a new kitchen so you can save 25 bucks a day for the next forty years instead of ordering take-out 7 days a week.

Buying a Lowe's ice chest instead of new refrigerator for this new kitchen is ill conceived.

[tonyjr]

Lee mounting kits that fit almost any press . I have 2 of the 90251 . They are mounted on " scape plywood from home depot . People buy plywood and have them cut to size and then leave whats left and they sell .
I buy the felt pad things at dollar store . Someone said to use " T " nut from granger's = cheaper at harbor freight .
If there is a metal recycling place close , go there and buy either angle iron or anything heavy with holes and bolt to back for weight
I also use Aluminum Crush Washers - between die and tool head . I was buying by the 100 , but not listed on ebay anymore . These serve 2 purposes - they raise the die off tool head [ so wrench does not mare ] and are a lot better than rubber , but both are listed below on ebay . [ I do about 15 calibers , so 100 does not last long ]
Fragola 999205 Aluminum AN Crush Washer -10 AN 7/8" 10 Pack
AFA - [15 Pcs] Flat Rubber Washers - 7/8" Dia - Universal Application... Free Shipping
LEE PRECISION Bench Plate Press Mounting System
90251 * BENCH PLATE KIT
Lee Precision Bench Plate Kit # 90251
FYI - I am not a fan of the ball sizing die . O K on pistol cases but I prefer Lee's taper sizing / decapping rod [ but just for sizing - not decapping ]
A word of advise -
Either print and hi light these posts or just copy and paste into a word doc .

[tonyjr]

hambam105
I have both the lee loaders [ for all my calibers ] and the lee hand press [ 2 of them ]
I take / took the hand loaders when hunting for changing loads .
The hand press goes to range when making pet loads .
Anyone who goes cheap / less expensive is either going to upgrade , become good with what they have or give it up .
The best crap in world is worthless unless you can use it .
The more you spend does not make better - just easier not to screw up sometimes .
Telling people they need a 1050 or don't bother ?
I started with a lee hand press went to a load master [ all they had in stock that had places for 5 dies . ]
I have been asked how hard is it to reload ? I show them the lee hand press - not how hard it is to set up each die , powder drop , scales - all the rest . As they learn they upgrade [ my nephews and nieces would rather buy another gun than buy another press .

[longrange1]

The multidimensional slop in the Hornady bushings are not the same as the two dimensions of floating in the Co-Ax.

Yes I understand that...I own a Forster coax now.


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[longrange1]

We talking about dies, or the people buying them?

Both lol!


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[longrange1]

I swear, just when I find the most expensive die I'd be willing to buy, someone comes along with this.

It never ends, does it?

Forster make fantastic dies but I like the whiddens better and I used Forster for several years.

Does it ever end?

No it don't depending on how far you want to chase the accuracy rabbit down the hole...I can't tell you how many thousands I've spent...funny thing is most of the gadgets I've bought have been replaced since I first started.


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[hambam105]

Telling people they need a 1050 or don't bother ?

Not at all. Not at all.

A hand press is good for a field purposes or for those deemed unstoppable to getting into the practice.

The real authority here, you know it's true if it's on the inner-web, is watching those on YouTube struggling along with a hand press instead of comfortably working the handle of bench mounted press.

[stilly]

Bushings = go to ebay - some tool heads say with bushings and others don't .
Other than on web , I have never seen a T-7 .
I decap and clean , recap off press for pistol rounds and use all 5 stations .
For rifle / bottle neck - decap and size on press , then they go to vibrator, then I reprime by hand .
I looked at the T 7 and decidedI would stay with Lee .
3 of my nephews wanted another press , At 3 showing up , one would deprime , one would set up and use press while 3rd would clean the gun [ s ] .
Since I have 6 nephews and 2 nieces that reload here another press would be helpful .
When 3 of them decided to beat deadline , the mew press kitty got M T' ed .
Since that money was from brass , bottles and cans , it has built up again .
6 nephews , 2 nieces and me saving - it is building up again . I figure around Xmas , people will be dumping their machines , but I would rather buy new .

I touched one once... MAYBE at RELOAD OC...

I know I fingered a 650XL there...

A T-7 would be most excellent to have instead of a single stage JRRC. But it would still be slower than a LCT. But it is prolly the best companion press that I have found.

[mtenenhaus]

i really like my Forster.....but it would be hard to turn down a $50 pacific, sounds like a great deal

[tonyjr]

Here the only way to see presses is on web .
I only thing at gun shows is dies and they are way over priced .
The only store that had presses was closed by ATF years ago . That was were I bought my loadmaster - an open box return , but all they had with 5 die holes .
I would like the T-7 for pistol rounds , but I would still be using the loadmaster on rifle / bottle necks .
To me it is like buying a suburban , Yukon xl or Escalade

[jay_cue]

Thank you guys for all the wonderful info. I don't plan on using the Dillon until I get comfortable with all the processes on a single stage, which might be some time. I'm all about safety first.
My plan was to get a single stage press first but my wife surprised me with the Dillon.
I know I have tons to learn and you guys gave me more to think about. I've been reading this section for quite some time and reading some manuals. Would really like to find a reloading class or something local to me.

i got a lot of flack for starting on a 650. i took my time with it doing batches of 5-10. test fired about 25 before continuing. i ran into primer seating issues with my first couple of batches. had someone help me adjust the primer seating. after that just cranked out 100 at a time. i check powder drop before each session to make sure it's where i want it. once that's done i just crank out 100 rounds. i took my time with setting up the dies and measured and remeasured quite a bit. once i'm done i run each round through a case gauge. every so often i run into a round that doesn't pass the case gauge test then pull the bullet and redo those rounds using a different case and just toss out the brass that didn't resize for whatever reason since i have so much brass. i log my reloading sessions and leave room for comments to note any rounds of any that fail to fire.

[knucklehead0202]

i got a lot of flack for starting on a 650. i took my time with it doing batches of 5-10. test fired about 25 before continuing. i ran into primer seating issues with my first couple of batches. had someone help me adjust the primer seating. after that just cranked out 100 at a time. i check powder drop before each session to make sure it's where i want it. once that's done i just crank out 100 rounds. i took my time with setting up the dies and measured and remeasured quite a bit. once i'm done i run each round through a case gauge. every so often i run into a round that doesn't pass the case gauge test then pull the bullet and redo those rounds using a different case and just toss out the brass that didn't resize for whatever reason since i have so much brass. i log my reloading sessions and leave room for comments to note any rounds of any that fail to fire.

It's not the one that fails to fire that's the problem, but the one that blows up the gun that i'd be worried about. While Dillon makes a great press and you may be a very attentive loader, it only takes one double-charge to ruin the day. Consenting adults can choose however they please, but i'd never recommend starting on a progressive. I've been reloading a long time and still don't want anything to do with them, nevermind the exorbitant cost. As others mentioned, i'd buy guns with that money and keep my stuff that already works. To each his own.

[Mayor McRifle]

It's not the one that fails to fire that's the problem, but the one that blows up the gun that i'd be worried about. While Dillon makes a great press and you may be a very attentive loader, it only takes one double-charge to ruin the day. Consenting adults can choose however they please, but i'd never recommend starting on a progressive. I've been reloading a long time and still don't want anything to do with them, nevermind the exorbitant cost. As others mentioned, i'd buy guns with that money and keep my stuff that already works. To each his own.

Do you understand that after a case is charged it advances forward on a Dillon 650? You would have to manually remove a charged case from station 3, remove the empty case waiting at station 2, insert the charged case back into station 2, and then pull the handle again in order to drop a second charge into it. On the other hand, all you have to do to double charge a case while loading on a single stage press is forget to move the funnel forward on your loading tray (which I've done many times).