Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Getting into rifle reloading-should I add a Forster press?

I have my 550b on a Ultra mount and have a change plate and such coming so I can switch it out with the Forster. Also got the powder measure arm to use. Inline makes a great product, I am slowly covering my peg board with his wall mount system.

One more questions-- Since Forster doesn't offer a Die for the .348 winchester, I have been trying to figure out what die to use? I have been reading a lot, some say to get REdding neck sizer, while others say it is unecessary and to just use a Lee FCD, while others say it isn't long enough for the .348.

Any suggestions on what brand of die for the .348.


Also, on the subject of trimmers and powder throwers, I have stumbled across a used giraud and a harrel powder measure that someone has offered to sell me. $300 for the pair. Its more than I need, but at that price I am not certain I can turn it down.

I know next to nothing about either brand other than people seem to hold them in high regard. The gentleman has been trying to sell them for a while as he can no longer reload and is just looking to get rid of them.

Get them, the Harrell is one of the most accurate powder measures and the Giraud is one of the fastest most convenient trimmers. They are not essential but if you believe in getting the best start with those. I probably have as much tied up in the duplicate trimming set ups I ended up with.


The only down side to the Giraud is that all your reloading buddies will want to come trim their cases at your house.

Agreed. I bought a Redding T-7 when they first came out. My only complaint is I didn't buy two of them. I supposed I could buy a second turret, but I don't reload quiiiiiite as many calibers/cartridges as Mule Deer does for his article research. I mean, I am a rifle looney, but not THAT much of a rifle looney...

I keep one station in my T-7 with a Lee decapping die more or less permanently. Presently the other 6 stations are occupied with dies for 3 calibers that I'm loading a lot of right now: all are Lee Collet dies with corresponding dead-length bullet seaters (270 WSM, 375 H&H, and 6.5mm Creedmoor). I get great ammo with these dies, with very little bullet runout and excellent accuracy. But 3 months ago I had a set of Redding dies for my 358 Winchester in there, and a set for .223 Rem. The nice thing is I can leave a set of carefully adjusted dies in place for weeks at a time while I'm working on a long-term load development project, but still have plenty of stations left for other calibers as needs be. It works pretty well for my system of rifle handloading.

I only use Forster aluminum lock rings on my Coax. Aluminum is softer than the cast iron the press frame. This isolates wear on the aluminum lock ring, which is easily replaced. Using steel lock rings would focus wear on the die slot machined into the press frame.

I’ve not used the Forster rings in my Coax in a long time. All Hornady for about the past 15 years. I checked the slot to look for “wear” and can’t see anything wearing down. I switched when Forster rings used the Crosslot screws vs the good Allen screws on the Hornady rings.

DocRocket,

Yep, that's basically what I do--except I have three turret presses, two Redding and one of the new Lymans. The second Redding is set up in a smaller loading area I have in the basement, for when the big garage area gets too cold or hot. All of them have Lee decapping dies in one hole. It saves a lot of time in simply changing dies when I'm working with several different rounds, especially 3-die sets, like the .50-70 Springfields I've got in one right now.

For someone that's going to load under 100 rounds a year for a few different
cartridges a used Rock Chucker would save money and do a fantastic job.

Even better? A used Redding single stage.

Darn close?
Any American cast iron single stage from hornady/Frontier, Lyman...
Used. These things can get messed up, but won't wear out.

EBAY!

The Uinflow doesn't like stick powders that well, most measures don't love them.
But, come on, 100 rounds?
That's around where I decide to pecker around with a measure.
Much under that, a bowl and spoon, Lee Dippers, or a homemade dipper.
I can load 50 rounds faster using a teaspoon, than getting a measure out, setting it,
checking on it, refilling it, rechecking it, emptying it, and putting it away.

For under 100 rounds a year I would load my ammo at wallmart.

Most accurate powder measure by far I have uses is the Lee. On the box it says most accurate powder measure in the world and Ive found it to be true. Its only $20 ish. I liken that powder measure to the Lee Neck dies. Yes it even does the stick powders usually to a tenth of a grain. Ive had it throw 100 rounds dead on every time with finer powders.



Trystan

That was not my experience with a Lee measure, though that was a few years ago. It worked OK with stick powders but gummed up with sphericals. Maybe it has improved since?

I didn't say 100 rds a year I said 100 rd batches. I have 80 pieces of 348 brass ready to load already just from shooting last week. My point is a simpler to change caliber makes sense for smaller batch rifle loadings as opposed to the 550b which I load 400-500 batches.

I said 100 rd batches. Also you can't get 348 or even 33 Winchester at walmart, and if you could it would probably be 100 bucks per 20. That's why I am reloading.

I had the Lee micrometer powder drop on my old classic turret press and it worked very well.

But I mostly loaded just tightgroup

To be more specific the one I have is called the Lee perfect powder measure and there $25 at midway. Its a cheap looking plastic contraption, I picked mine up about a year ago.

From 1999 to 2005 I used a rock chucker
From 2005 to 2012 I used a pair of co-ax presses
From 2012 to 2019 I used a pair of RCBS partner presses on a mobile mount for my vehicles and this desk.


I still have the co-ax presses and the rock chucker in the reloading room, but I prefer handload at the desk or in the field.