Best F-class single stage press (not for reloading section)

J

Jefferson

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in the reloading section I could get lots of general answers to this but that is not the prupose nor intent,

if you were loading ammo to take to the worlds or nationals you need the best, hence the question for this forum please moderators.

I have a harrels single stage for Benchrest (yes I know the wacky ocd guys who load and shoot small groups)

since joining the ranks of the unemployed retired guys and fining f-class I have decided I need a better suited single stage press.

thoughts so far.


1. Dillon BL (basic loader)

without the automatic powder measure (just has a funnel for one at a time dropping to the .02 hundredths of a grain) SO NO AUTOMATIC PRIMING AND POWDER DUMP, great I likey,
BUT with the specs being what they are you ned a widden cnc toolhead, an adapter kit to re-thread the fit of the toolhead and so on, I just want to buy one already done up by someone who can get it to work like a precision piece of loading tool that we need,


2. CH 4D did not know they were making these now, look OK but no specs on them for precision loading to ensure you are getting the best,

http://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/presses/044000

look nice and I like the dual ram idea, for no runout on the stroke portion (so you do not get a stroke after measuring your ammo once built)


3. Harrels precision met the brothers at Kelblys over a decade ago and they make nice stuff I
have some of their products,


http://harrellsprec.com/index.php/products/harrells-tooling-turret-press-by-henry-harrell


BUT is this press strong enough to handle the 284 or 284 shehane cases with ease and not having to fight the handle (the Ch4D might be easier to use)


4. Forester looks nice and may work but the ergonomics seem funny to me as not pulling on the side I wonder about ease of use,

http://www.forsterproducts.com/store.asp?pid=24822&catid=19938


ANY THOUGHTS FROM REAL COMPETITORS ( who are not in the USA in phoenix or when they come back)


just thinking of getting something faster than my harrels with k and m priming tool and doing batches of individual rounds if I need 200 built for each gun or cartridge,

your most reasoned reply

and that is why this wil not work in the reloadin general section as I will get the usual comments just get a dillon 550b it is good enough,

thanks (I think)

Jefferson



AND TO ANY OF THEM MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF PREIE
http://harrellsprec.com/index.php/products/harrells-tooling-turret-press-by-henry-harrell
 
Dies are the most important part of this. The press just provides mechanical leverage. There is so much slop in shellholders, the case will center in the die.

With a quality runout gauge, you can verify what is happening.

Tried a bunch and found that as long as the ram runs true (or little variation), the dies do the work

For me, I use a Lee challenger breech lock press. Love the inserts for quick die change. Ram moves very true. Cast toggle will break but have been running it that way for 4 yrs and thousands of match rds without issue.

but this is likely not the answer you are looking for.

Good luck...

Jerry
 
Jefferson,

I use an arbour press with Wilson hand dies to load 7-300WSM. When I do my case prep I FL size using a Redding single stage press and a el cheap sizing die but the rest of the work is on the arbour press.

For powder throwing I use a Harrell's powder dispenser and an AND 120FXi digital scale. I can throw a short load of powder then trickle into the pan on the scale. I can throw powder and seat at a pace of about 100 rds an hour not including case prep / priming time.

I use an RCBS priming tool with the primer pan that holds about 100 primers to do my case priming.
 
Jiffy Pop, I am sure you have a pretty good idea what you need. Get a Redding Boss and be done with it. If it is worth anything I know a few guys who have gone into bullet making and the vendor used Redding presses and modified them. Story is they are truer than the RCBS.


2-Time SBRS Provincial Champ
2013 BRSC National Champ

;-P
 
Like most guys here I have my Idiosyncrasies, I deprime with a universal deprimer on a forester co-ax, and use a rockchucker to resize using a body die. I would use the forster for all steps as I love the floating jaws , but I use custom dies and need custom shell holders hence the rockchucker for resizing.

Primers are inserted with a sinclair hand primer, the K&M tools is good as well, powder is thrown with a Harrel, and then weighed. Neck sizing is on the forster and final seating is done with wilson hand dies and an arbour press. I think that the Forster is the best single stage press system that I have used, there is shell holder adaptor that can be used if you need a shell holder in place of their floating jaws.
 
Jefferson, thanks for the letting me spend the afternoon visiting, you always leave me with lots of things to think about and not everything is related to the shooting sports
I know we kinda discussed this topic but let me share my thoughts with others who maybe wondering the same thing, as we know I dabble in SR BR, have the custom toys and equipment to compete and play with in the F class game, based and because of that I can only reload in one way " for extreme accuracy", now that being said I do use a Redding T7 turret press for my gopher,pd guns and a fellow shooter confirmed the turret press does "not" seem to induce runout when compared against the Harrel, a custom made single stage press "provided by me", several other Redding single stage presses and the T7 turret press, now I am a believer you get out what you put in and I think that would apply to any F class reloading you do, so its my opinion if you remain true to your reloading practises that you use for BR shooting, almost any press you chose to use will not hurt you, in the end it will be in the details that will hurt you
 
Hey Jeffy..........get a lee classic cast, they cast them and then line bore for the ram and threaded die insert, they are very true......If you ever have a chance to talk to our good buddy Randy the ballistic idiot he'll tell you how many of his bullets are swaged on these modified presses.

I know that you have your head wrapped around spending more to shoot better........but it really isn't necessary.......
 
My best rounds ever made were on an RCBS Jr press with Redding Comp dies. Since I "upgraded" to a rockchucker my runout has never been as tight as the rounds made on the RCBS Jr.
 
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