Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Presses for Small Bores

. Anyone using the rcbs partner?

I have a RCBS Partner and a Hornady Lock-n-Load single stage

^^ what do you load primarily? Have browsed both.

The MEC looks slick, but similar role as the coax.

T7 still calling me, but again is larger scale than am looking for today.

Think will give the harrell turret a twirl. Spoke with them today and was advised it is dimensioned to handle up to .308 case lengths and has a short throw. Pretty much what am seeking. May need to fab a mount, as appears it’s a table clamp design, while my bench is 3” thick. Minor.

sandcritter, do you have the short handle offered for the coax? If not you might want to try that for general use. I got one when I first got a coax and never used anything but the short handle.

For exclusive dedicated bench use on a reloading bench permanently setup and mounted solid, that is not clamped, the T7 is far and away the better general choice. Aluminum has some advantages but although kept clean and lubricated it won't last like the iron and steel T7. I'm assuming everybody here knows that a T7 with a million logged cartridges and still going strong was recently retired to display and marketing. Extra holes, extra precision over the life of the press, I like to leave a Redding Instant Indicator tool set up for shoulder and oal adjustments while also having dies set up. And when I have the dies anyway bushing, micrometer bushing, different size bushing, small base and different bullet nose for seating can add up to more than a two die set. T7 does a good job handling spent primers though maybe the CoAx has an edge there the T7 definitely beats the Harrells all hollow with spent primer dumping.

That said the Harrell press is mighty user friendly for low power tasks on shorter cartridges. The shorter throw shorter handle is nice for repetitive tasks - compare with a CoAx third series with a full length handle that clears the long rifle cartridges with micrometer tops Decapping a .40 S&W with a Redding double carbide ring sizing die then pushing the case base first through a bulge buster die works just fine at my desk with the Harrell either way first. I have experimented with extended shell holders for pistol cartridges to shorten the throw and found I still needed to operate over the full range for enough leverage but the Harrell is easier on my arm and shoulder. The Harrell is clamped to my desk next to my monitor and keyboard. The T7 is part of a dedicated bench with a stainless top for static control if good grounding all around helps and I think it might.