Which Reloading Presses Are You Using?

coleman1495 said:
Thanks for the response.

Should I be able to obtain consistent headspace without bottoming out the die and shellholder?
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Not as consistent as you would see with caming over and bottoming out the die to the shellholder. If you don't have a hard stop then you will have variations in your headspace.

how many thou under your fired case headspace does your current system allow, depending on how much bump we can come up with a solution.

If you aren't getting enough bump you have two options

Grind the FL die down a few thou to get the proper bump or buy the Redding competition shellholder series

Redding competition shellholders https://www.brownells.com/reloading/shellholders-amp-shellplates/competition-shellholder-sets-prod39926.aspx
The new Redding Competition Shellholders are packaged in five piece sets in .002” increments (+.002”, +.004”. +.006”, +.008” and +.010”). Each shellholder has a distinct black oxide finish and is clearly marked to indicate the amount it will decrease case-to-chamber headspace. You can now easily adjust the shoulder bump to customize cases to your specific chamber.

Trevor
 
there is a third option and this might be the simplest.

buy the same shellholder you currently own and plain it a small amt until you get to the desired bump. far cheaper and if you burn a shellholder you are out $14 not the $100 for the dies or $60 for the competition series.

sorry i didn't think of that sooner.

Trevor
 
Trevor60 said:
there is a third option and this might be the simplest.

buy the same shellholder you currently own and plain it a small amt until you get to the desired bump. far cheaper and if you burn a shellholder you are out $14 not the $100 for the dies or $60 for the competition series.

sorry i didn't think of that sooner.

Trevor
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I only have the Lyman Go/No Go style gauges. According to the Lyman gauge I am ~2 thou under minimum sized, and ~ 1 thou over minimum with a fired case.

Unfortunately removing material from the shellholder or die will only produce a shorter headspace.

The Hornady dies/shellholder weren’t designed to bottom out the shellholder/die according to the setup instructions. I guess I would need a taller shellholder and continue to bottom out the die/shellholder.
 
I think before folks start grinding their shell holders to shorten headspace they should ensure that the expander ball is not stretching the case when being extracted on the upward stroke. Insufficient lubricant, too much carbon on the inside of the neck or a poorly formed or polished expander ball can all contribute to this problem particularly if the brass is softer or recently annealed. This is one reasons why Lee collet dies are well regarded by some shooters.

Incidentally I wasnt aware that ‘F’ class shooters ‘prefer’ Forster ‘Co-ax’ presses.?
 
This review of 14 presses is quite well done. There are associated articles on Gavin Toobe's Ultimate Reloader website which give a quantitative breakdown.

The Forster coax press, which is what I use right now, does not give the best concentricity according to his measurements. He mentioned that he used normal die rings in his tests, it would have been a better test if he had used the Forster ones with the machined faces. You have to apply much less force with your arm due to the mechanical advantage of the design, I can load 300 rounds at a time without any fatigue.

 
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How does a person control headspace on the Forster press? I am only able to produce consistent headspace on my current press if I bottom out the die/shellholder.

The Forster has a universal shellholder so how do you control headspace? If you bottom out the shellholder does it produce a minimum headspace or is it slightly under? Can I produce consistent headspace without bottoming out the press?
 
With the coax press you can adjust the threaded die up and down by repositioning the die ring. Normally people have micrometer dies that allow you to set the COAL to whatever you like. No problem to get the length to ogive within 1-2 thou with a micrometer die. You just set the die and use the full stroke on the lever.
 
DrXenon said:
With the coax press you can adjust the threaded die up and down by repositioning the die ring. Normally people have micrometer dies that allow you to set the COAL to whatever you like. No problem to get the length to ogive within 1-2 thou with a micrometer die.
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Are you talking about the seating die or the sizing die?
 
Sizing or bump die is the same idea. You just measure the fired cartridge in a Sinclair bump gauge and keep increasing the insertion depth until the die bumps the shoulder back 1-2 thou for a bolt gun, or about 4-5 thou for a semi. You are using the full stroke on the lever every time.
 
DrXenon said:
Sizing or bump die is the same idea. You just measure the fired cartridge in a Sinclair bump gauge and keep increasing the insertion depth until the die bumps the shoulder back 1-2 thou for a bolt gun, or about 4-5 thou for a semi. You are using the full stroke on the lever every time.
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Yes the issue is I can only obtain consistent headspace when I bottom out the die

There is so much flex in the Lee it’s impossible to obtain consistent results by simply adjusting the die when the press is at maximum stroke.
 
Understood. Don't know anybody who uses Lee gear to do precision reloading. The coax is very rigid, I think you would be happy with it. Just get a spare set of shell holder jaws, they break sometimes.
 
coleman1495 said:
Yes the issue is I can only obtain consistent headspace when I bottom out the die

There is so much flex in the Lee it’s impossible to obtain consistent results by simply adjusting the die when the press is at maximum stroke.
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In EVERY press, you have to relie on a "solid" stop to determine where sizing/seating stops.

Some press have a hard stop.. like the Lee. This is a very simple and effective way to control dimensions. If you are flexing ANY press, you are pushing WAY too hard on the press lever. There is something else wrong with your process that needs to be addressed.

I would look at the lube and quantity you are using.... or the pressures of ammo leading to excessive case growth... or flex/movement in your action allowing the case to grow excessively.

Cam over is the other method. Here you are rely on the press to determine where the end point is. Some press have spring in this which can lead to inconsistent results. If you need to he-man your Lee now, a cam over press will likely give worst results as you are now limited by the mechanical leverage of a cam and the slop within that set up. Others will wear creating a changing end point.

I prefer a hard mechanical stop which I can control ...and adjust for in case of wear or various dies.

Can offer pretty much all brands of press including the Forster CoAx so it matters not what a customer chooses BUT if there are issues in your current process, might be a good time to evaluate the why....

YMMV.

Jerry

PS I am using a Lee breech lock challenger press to make my match ammo and have done so for many years. Given that I am loading for SA cartridges, there are positives in the size and function of this press I very much like. If I ever got back into magnums again, I would look at a larger press.
 
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