Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles What is the best single stage press?

What is the best single stage press?

I have a Lee Classic Cast and have loaded some good rounds with it. I believe it to be great for the price.

I also believe an expensive press might have tighter tolerances. Therefore more repeatability. But I do not have the machine shop skills to measure this

I have used a Lee, RCBS Rockchucker and Forster. Of the three I prefer my Forster. I like not having to have a shell holder for every cartridge head size. Its primmer system is a bit slow, but very consistant. I also like the ease of changing out dies. So far I can't say one produces more accuracy then the other.

Redding T7

Redding Big Boss II.

I don't care much for turret presses and love the spent primer system. After years of spent primers bouncing out of my Rockchucker primer tray, this system is appreciated.

And, the Big Boss seems to have more clearance than the Rockchucker for longer rounds.

DF

I want to try the rcbs summit.

Made in china, like the current rock chucker?

I dunno, probably. Isn't everything?

Nothing Redding is.

"Best"? Redding's Ultramag. But ammo is made in the dies. All a press can do is push cases in and pull them out of the dies. If the users skills aren't high no press or dies ever made can correct for that!

With good dies - and most are - plus good components and good load development, a skilled reloader can make precision ammo with any normal press; without good skills none of the rest matters very much.

I've got a RCBS rockchucker and a forster co-ax. The rockchucker is indestructible, but the forster is more precise and easier to load straight ammo with. I use them both, but the co-ax gets more use.

I've got a RCBS Rockchucker and wish I'd of gotten the Forster Co-ax. For all the reasons listed above.

I've used several different presses. I bought a Lee "just to see". It seems the folks that bash Lee presses are merely talking through their wallets. The Lee turns out as good ammo as the two RCBS I also use at this time.
You don't have to have a lot of shop skills to make good ammo but you do need a pretty good bench (shooting) technique to determine that it is good.

I have owned a Rockchucker since 1973, only press I have ever owned and probably ever own.

You have as good as you will ever need

There is no best and many good enough. NO machinists skills needed - do your loads perform to your satisfaction?

If so you're good to go if not then look for areas of improvement.

One area of improvement is technique. One test is run out another is consistency of length. Some folks will use a rubber o-ring under the lock ring to give a floating effect much like the Coax. I've got a Coax and it's everything it's cracked up to be but it's a luxury for many people or maybe for people who handload as a hobby rather than a chore. I've got a T-7 as well which I use for leaving Redding Instant Indicators setup while I may load with dies in another press. The press I use the most in the sense of spend more time cranking the handle is a Harrell's 4 station turret as shown on the cover of one of Zediker's books all of which I recommend. The Harrell's is NOT the most versatile and won't do .50 Browning or the various oversize British or Blackpowder cartridges - I've got a Hollywood Universal Turret for big cartridges and bigger than 7/8-14 dies but I can't suggest that's an ideal press for general use.

Once again trying to buy quality without an understanding of the process and quality control is not the best value.

stay with what you have no need to upgrade shell do more than fine

Have had RCBS JR & Rockchucker with which I was satisfied. Also owned a Coax for a while. I now load all my ammo on Ponsness Warren P200 and Metal-matic II, great presses precision made and a joy to use.

+1

I load my ammo on a very old RCBS A-2 press. No complaints here!

Another vote for the Forster Coax...

John