Have a Dillon 650 and an ATRS Accu Max and without the powder thrower there is not much difference. Slowing down, proper setup, using good dies and taking time the 650 can load very competent rounds in most calibers. If you can only have one I would go with the 650. Couldn't load 9mm on a single stage... Both are really nice units and I'm sure there are many others that will do what you need. It's more about the operator than the press sometimes.
Best type press for reloading accurate rifle cartridges
- Thread starter Done_Swimmin
- Start date
^^^ This all the way!
If you're only reloading rifle ammunition, the RCBS Rock Chucker is the bees knees. I also use a Hornady auto charger, not the beam scale.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I have an RL550B and it's a great press, but there is no way that the ammunition produced will be as accurate as fully prepped brass and trickled powder charges not to mention the #### show that I foresee reloading bottleneck cartridges to be without an extra step to clean lube from the cases. For maximum possible accuracy a single stage press (Redding, RCBS are my favourites but Forster is excellent as well) is the only way to go.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
For my match ammo, I have for many many years used the Lee challenger press -now the breech lock version. Just killed my last one after maybe a decade of use (the silly button on top of the press to lock the insert got knocked and now stuck in the press, otherwise, worked just fine).
My new one works great and does all that I want to produce match ammo for standard length cartridges.
For HG ammo, I lean on my friend who has a very very very nice dillon that pumps out ammo at a scary rate.
For precision rifle ammo, controlling error in charge weight matters. You can use ball powders to speed up the process but these are usually very temp sensitive so retuning becomes a chore. The better stick powders don't work in any powder measure.
Now, I can see how a good scale/dispenser set up can be incorparated into a progressive. That could certainly speed things along but the way I make my brass, I just don't see any advantage.
pretty hard to outside neck turn brass in a progressive.
Jerry
PS if looking for a Forster Coax... instock.
My new one works great and does all that I want to produce match ammo for standard length cartridges.
For HG ammo, I lean on my friend who has a very very very nice dillon that pumps out ammo at a scary rate.
For precision rifle ammo, controlling error in charge weight matters. You can use ball powders to speed up the process but these are usually very temp sensitive so retuning becomes a chore. The better stick powders don't work in any powder measure.
Now, I can see how a good scale/dispenser set up can be incorparated into a progressive. That could certainly speed things along but the way I make my brass, I just don't see any advantage.
pretty hard to outside neck turn brass in a progressive.
Jerry
PS if looking for a Forster Coax... instock.
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Here's a great article in single stage press. Forster Coax is a great press.
http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=1750
http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=1750
even the best turrets will wear and have some degree of play in the turret mechanism. in the context of the OP's original question regarding the best press for reloading the most accurate ammo, then it is my experience that a single stage press is the best. Even a crappy single stage doesn't have any play because there is no turret mechanism.
I think that's what he meant.
RangerPark
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Near Edmonton, AB
I'm really happy with my Forster Co-Ax. I've used an RCBS Rockchucker and Turret press before that. They all worked well. I find the Forster the most versatile so far. I really like the primer seating part and the primer catch. I also really like the lock rings, once a die is set up properly you don't have to fiddle with it again.
For sizing, forrestor co-axial.
Bullet seating would be an arbor press. The best specifically is 21st centuries hydro press.
It all comes down to attention to detail, I know of one F-class shooter who uses the Redding turret press, and has it set up to leave all his resizing dies permanently set up in one for his comp guns. He then weighs his powder, and uses a hydro press.
Bullet seating would be an arbor press. The best specifically is 21st centuries hydro press.
It all comes down to attention to detail, I know of one F-class shooter who uses the Redding turret press, and has it set up to leave all his resizing dies permanently set up in one for his comp guns. He then weighs his powder, and uses a hydro press.
- Location
- West Quebec
best in my opinion
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
Another vote for Forster Co Ax.
A turret press performs one operation with each pull of the lever. So you pull the lever, decap and resize for example. Then the turret advances and you pull the lever forward and prime, then pull the lever back again up your brass goes to the powder die. The turret advances and you place a bullet, pull the lever and the bullet seats.
In a progressive, all the above operations happen with each pull of the lever simultaneously. So pull the lever, station one decaps and sizes, station 2 primes, station 3 fills with powder, station 4 seats the bullet. So you're basically getting a complete cartridge with each pull.
He meant that even if you use a progressive it won't help you do some things any faster - like neck turning. He didn't mean he neck turned in a press. You didn't understand his comment.
I fully understood the comment.
I just don't get how in some peoples's minds an operation that is done off press gets associated as a negative attribute to a progressive but not a single stage press.
In some loading functions the loader may want to do things one at a time, and I get that.
But it baffles the mind that some folks out there, that due to automation, think that things cannot be made accurately.
You guys don't believe federal GMM, Lapua match and the like are made by hand one at a time do you?
I think you're reading too much into it. He said that a progressive doesn't speed up some processes and gave neck turning as an example. He did not say a single stage would be any better in that regard
A good portion of the answer is dictated by the shooter's definition of accuracy, for the gun he is using, in the application it is being used for.
I have guns that 3" @ 100 is good enough, others that I would not be happy with, over 1" @ 100, others that I want bugholes out of, others that are minute of gopher at 2-300. Going gung-ho with Wilson dies and lab grade scales and an arbor seating setup and neck turning and etc., is kinda over board, for a gun that can't justify it in the first place. Single stage is not all that convenient for a pistol or an ammo blaster rifle shooter in most cases, but, full progressives are at the same time, maybe a bit much in some cases, for a beginner.
All of the current presses will deliver "accurate" rounds for a non-bughole shooter or non long range shooter, and all of them, can even satisfy a lot of those accuracy nuts.
I have guns that 3" @ 100 is good enough, others that I would not be happy with, over 1" @ 100, others that I want bugholes out of, others that are minute of gopher at 2-300. Going gung-ho with Wilson dies and lab grade scales and an arbor seating setup and neck turning and etc., is kinda over board, for a gun that can't justify it in the first place. Single stage is not all that convenient for a pistol or an ammo blaster rifle shooter in most cases, but, full progressives are at the same time, maybe a bit much in some cases, for a beginner.
All of the current presses will deliver "accurate" rounds for a non-bughole shooter or non long range shooter, and all of them, can even satisfy a lot of those accuracy nuts.
