Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Single Stage Press - - What's best? And Why?

My sentiments are pretty much the same as Boomtubes, A friend has the CO-AX and I tried it out, ergonomics left me a little cold also. I do like the primer catcher arrangement. It's probably because I'm so used to the RC I've been using for almost 30 years. I have to wonder that the bullet pulling setup maybe better on the RC, it's simple and solid, but nobody here has to pull any of their bullets right I have 4 RCBS presses, an old RC, a new RC (taller window), an A-4 and a Pro 2000. I've seen a few posts lately remarking that their RC press rams are getting worn out, I haven't had that trouble(keep it lubed) and I wouldn't even try to venture a guess on how many cartridge's I've loaded. Suffice it to say it's alot.

It sorta is.

Redding T-7.

Why? You can set up your dies and they are ready to go.

I have mine set up with dies for 223, 308, 30-06, and one extra hole for whatever. Love it.

Let's be honest: all current presses are excellent. Choice may boil down to ergonomics, price, minor features - or a favorite color. Any of them will last a lifetime or three in normal use.

And NOBODY can say which is best because almost nobody has used more than one or two kinds. We can say we like the one we have, or prefer the one we now have, but that's about it.

Agreed, I don't think anything much is 'best'.

Mostly subjective.

Or not.

I have an old lee, 2 rockchuckers, an ammomaster, Redding Big Boss, Redding Ultramag, Redding T-7, 2 Co-Ax's, Dillon 650 with milled die blocks, and have used others.

I also have the RCBS Casemaster, Sinclair Runout tool, a Bersin tool, Neco and the Hornady Concentricity tool.

I've checked Thousands of rounds for concentricity when loaded on the different presses it has been my experience that the Co-Ax DOES overall load ammo more concentrically than all the other presses.

Not to say that you can't load excellent concentric ammo on any of the presses if you are particularly carful with die setup etc. but day in day out the Co-Ax is easier and more consistant in loading concentric ammo, the Forster dies help too...............................DJ

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Well, my wallet won out. I found a Lyman's Crusher 2 today, new in box at a pawn shop today for $70. Couldn't pass it up. Should work just fine.

Great press and an excellent deal to boot! I've been using a Crusher II for over 15 yrs now. I'm not a target shooter but I'll tell you that I have turned out some scary accurate ammo with it.
Enjoy...

Dan

"NOBODY can say which is best because almost nobody has used more than one or two kinds"

In Rocky's defense, note the "almost nobody." And I think he's dead on, I strongly think most of those who are determined that their 'favorite' tools are the best ever made probably haven't used much else, if any; a little real experience quickly dampens that certainty. And for sure, NOBODY can say for sure what's "best" if for no other reason than there are too many 'favorites' for different reasons for that to be true. ??

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"Reloading isn't rocket science" "........ It sorta is."

Am I correct that you really haven't worked on any rockets, other than perhaps lighting a fuse on July 4?

What? Bottle rockets ain't rockets?

Started out on a friends Pacific (I think) and it made good ammo. He passed and then his family got rid of all the stuff and I ended not being asked. I went with a Rockchucker kit and it has a Rockchucker press. I still have it after many years of use. It makes ok ammo. I even load 9mm and 40 S&W on it (slow and steady kinda like me)

I will always have the Rockchucker cause like my wife says I'm frugal.(cheap)I'm so frugal she thinks the rainbows in the neighborhood where I grew up were in black and white. If it ain't broke I'm not fixing it. I got into reloading to save money and spending it on equipment ain't saving it.

"What? Bottle rockets ain't rockets?" Ah! You ARE a rocket scientist, I conceed to your experience!

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I will always have the Rockchucker...If it ain't broke I'm not fixing it...spending it on equipment ain't saving..."

Chain, surely no one suggests you should change anything. ??

Yuup I know, it amazes me though because I'm cheap all the stuff that people buy and then trade or discard.

I'm so cheap that when I buy bullets and they don't work out for best accuracy with my particular gun I sell them and buy only the "chosen" one and stick to that bullet so to speak.
I just can't bear to use propellant in my huntin' rifles that ain't "thee" load for my rifle. My long range stuff is what I sweat, my semi-auto plinkin and eventualities loading is different though, as I use whatever I can get reasonably for the most part.

I started reloading about 10 years ago with a like new RCBS RS5 press kit that I got at a yard sale for $30! Been working fine but recently thought it would be handy to have a portable set up to bring to the range to develope loads and save some back and forth. I ordered a RCBS Rockchucker Supreme last week for my permanant set up and the RS5 will now be the portable press.

That's my choice, and Forster dies too.
I just don't see how you can beat the quality and simplicity.

I'd say buy one that you know is going to last a lifetime, make accurate/consistent ammo, has a customer service that is phenomenal.The word "best" is subjective to say the least and I would never say the RCBS rockchucker supreme press is the best because I've never had to worry about using a different press (mine exceeds my expectations every time). I can say however RCBS is the "best" company I've ever had to deal with and they will have my business for a very long time......

I've got 2 Lyman presses, one's a Crusher that I bought 3 or 4 years ago, the other is a 'C' style from the late 70's and it's still going strong.

I had one problem with the Crusher, Lyman sent me a new part as soon as I called them.

Dale

Lee Classic,last one designed,so has the most features.

I was having problem with my Lee Challenger with it's pot metal linkage,since changed,and asked about the other presses,as RCBS was quite pricey in Canada. One guy replied,he had tried three looking for the one with the lest runout. He felt it was luck of the manufacturing draw rather than colour.Lyman was the lest.He ended up with a Co-Ax.

A simple test for presses,run the ram up to the top,then see how much sideways movement you get.That my friends is the wear.

With the Co-Ax any side to side movement is float which allows the shells in the case holder to self center.

The way to test runout on ammo loaded on a given press is to measure loaded rounds. How much the ram moves at the top of it's stroke is mostly irrelevant..........................DJ

I said wear,not run out.When you test the loaded rounds for run out,you are testing your prep,the brass,the dies,and maybe the press. If those first three are right,99 44/100% of the pressses will likely work fine.

A press is a simple machine,the two holes must be straight and line up.Since the sliding fit will the same for 1 1/4" as for a 5/8" the fit percentage of the diameter will be larger in the smaller ram,more slop.Deeper the hole for the ram, more bearing surface, less slop.Slop may not be all that bad,consider it as a self -alaigning feature.