OK guys,
Lookin for opinions, thoughts, bitches, praise:
Forster CO-AX
OR
Rock Chucker Supreme?
Lookin for opinions, thoughts, bitches, praise:
Forster CO-AX
OR
Rock Chucker Supreme?
- Thread starter Spurlockda
- Start date
Two damn good choices. I'm using a Rock Chucker Supreme right now, but made the mistake of handling a Coax. Now I've busted out the Ramen and will hopefully be able to purchase one in the next few months or so. Not that the RCBS is bad by any means; I love mine. But the Coax is in a different league.
I also picked the coax. After spending weeks or months picking threw the pros and cons of other presses. With its slip in and out dies with ease and no she'll holder.
I run a Redding turret press, no need to slip dies in and out, I just leave them in, and rotate to the one I need. Today, one has so many good choices, I don't think you could go wrong with any of the above. J
I went with the RCBS kit, as I was looking for the biggest bang for my buck. I can't really think of any complains other than that sometimes the primers fly out instead of going into the catcher (not really a big issue, just annoying). Like the others said I don't think there is a wrong option.
Voted for the Rock Chucker - only because it's the only one I've used and have no complaints. Bought the whole kit from Cabela's years ago. RCBS has always replaced any parts, free of charge, with shipping on their dime, if I've ever needed any pieces or parts. Note that the press itself has never, ever had any issues. However I have worn out some parts on the hand trimmer, which they gladly replaced with the only hassle being I had to call and talk to them. RCBS is GTG.
I have both (and others). I really like the Co-Ax.
The only negative it has to the Rockchucker (for me) is when sizing MG-fired .308 brass that's hard to size. Sometimes the universal shellholder jaws will come off a case rim, leaving it stuck in the die. Sometimes I could run it up until the jaws snapped over the rim again, turn the die slightly, and get it out, but usually it was a lost case that needed the case remover. Once, the lip of the shellholder jaw half broke off and I had to get another (Forster sent it for free). Forster makes an adapter to use standard shellholders, and that is probably the way to go if sizing fat brass. I just use the RC when I have to do that now.
Overall IMO, the speed and ease of use of the auto shellholder jaws is worth it, however.
The only negative it has to the Rockchucker (for me) is when sizing MG-fired .308 brass that's hard to size. Sometimes the universal shellholder jaws will come off a case rim, leaving it stuck in the die. Sometimes I could run it up until the jaws snapped over the rim again, turn the die slightly, and get it out, but usually it was a lost case that needed the case remover. Once, the lip of the shellholder jaw half broke off and I had to get another (Forster sent it for free). Forster makes an adapter to use standard shellholders, and that is probably the way to go if sizing fat brass. I just use the RC when I have to do that now.
Overall IMO, the speed and ease of use of the auto shellholder jaws is worth it, however.
M
milo 2.0
Guest
I have both also, the only brass I'll size on the coax is 6mm BR, anything bigger requiring a die-shellholder contact with camover looks like it will result in damage to the coax shellholder system, like Barry states.
My coax is really nothing but a $270.00 bullet seater.
Even if a guy went with the coax, I think one should have a RC, or similar press to handle the unruly cases that come along. Snap, crackle, and pop aren't the sounds one likes to hear when reloading.
My coax is really nothing but a $270.00 bullet seater.
Even if a guy went with the coax, I think one should have a RC, or similar press to handle the unruly cases that come along. Snap, crackle, and pop aren't the sounds one likes to hear when reloading.
Rock Chucker Supreme....it works!
People tend to agonise far too much over the choice of a press, just pick a color that's color cordinates with the rest of your loading room. Personal tastes aside, your ammo will never know the difference what press was used to push cases in and pull them back out of the dies.
I love my redding T7 press
It's just a press - what's important is that it's square. My brand new RockChucker looks pretty square- as square as I can measure with my meager means, at least. I like it a lot. Never used a Co-ax. They look great, but I don't see why you'd need to pay more.
I wrote up a short review after I bought it earlier this year:
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme | Bison Ballistics
I wrote up a short review after I bought it earlier this year:
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme | Bison Ballistics
I had a Hornaday Classic and basically wore it out. The pivot pin was walking from side to side all the time.
I replaced it with a Co-Ax. The Co-Ax is nice because it's easy to change dies, it self aligns, and it's got a nice little cup for catching primers when you are decapping brass.
When I went from the Hornaday Classic, to the Co-Ax the run out on my loads dropped 50% from .0015" to .0010" average. Not that it makes a difference the way I shoot.
I replaced it with a Co-Ax. The Co-Ax is nice because it's easy to change dies, it self aligns, and it's got a nice little cup for catching primers when you are decapping brass.
When I went from the Hornaday Classic, to the Co-Ax the run out on my loads dropped 50% from .0015" to .0010" average. Not that it makes a difference the way I shoot.
Friend recommended RCBS. Solid, excellent customer service,no hassle lifetime warranty and a bargain for a rock chucker supreme kit for 290, and it came with a 50$ rebate.
RCBS has AR series dies now https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Ma...eenlabel=index&productId=6253&route=2011+Dies
RCBS has AR series dies now https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Ma...eenlabel=index&productId=6253&route=2011+Dies
When I went from the Hornaday Classic, to the Co-Ax the run out on my loads dropped 50% from .0015" to .0010" average. Not that it makes a difference the way I shoot.
Did this one have the Lock-n-Load bushings? I wonder if that's to blame for the runout... I always wondered about that system.
I agree +1000
Thanks guys! I am going to be experimenting with my .338 LM's powder loads, seating depths and etc. Another thing that i'm working towards by turning in all of my beer cans and bottles is a .408 or a .416. I hope to talk with someone who has experiences reloading them. I think I'm kinda in the same boat as Temp9 - time to bust out the ramen and peanut butter sandwiches oh and more beer so I can buy both. Like Barry and Milo talked about, I have heard from others that the co-ax's shell holder system is kinda designed squirrelly. A lot of people swear by the rock chucker so I'm still sizing up the choices. Who knows, maybe I'll win that lotto and buy both.
Oh well! I see you're not from MN or NJ... wishing you better luck on the next lottery! Guess you'll have to make a choice between the two after all. Me, I'll stick with my Redding T7.
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If I was you and I was looking for a press i would get neither of the two. I really like the rcbs company, they are awesome and have great customer service. I have a rock chucker and love it but if I had to do it again I wouldn't. The co-ax is nice looking but I don't like the feel of it for reloading a few hundred rounds. I like the quick change dies but the arm is poorly positioned and the primer position is horible. If a primer goes off its burning your arm as you reach over the press to seat it. If it was me I would go with a turret press for the same cash. You can have two to three die sets set up and the powder dropper on the turret. That would be the way I would go, pull the lever decap, index prime an powder drop, index place bullet pull lever and finished bullet. Just my 2cents good luck with your new press which ever you choose.
Rock chucker $160
Co-ax $300
Rcbs turret $260
Redding turret $300
Rock chucker $160
Co-ax $300
Rcbs turret $260
Redding turret $300
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Dang it! I was already thinking that I could buy everything in the Sinclair catalog - but then I woke up. Neither a garage full of new toys nor a bucket full of cash :-(
Back to the drawing board. One thing I did find was a post by one of those engineer types with the 50 lb brain and he talked about a lot of stuff that I can't even spell let alone understand but the gist of his post was that the run-out was much more controllable in the Forster.
But I'm not buying until I get a good feeling from you guys who I consider to be my mentors. Thanks again but please keep the dialogue coming.
Spud
Back to the drawing board. One thing I did find was a post by one of those engineer types with the 50 lb brain and he talked about a lot of stuff that I can't even spell let alone understand but the gist of his post was that the run-out was much more controllable in the Forster.
But I'm not buying until I get a good feeling from you guys who I consider to be my mentors. Thanks again but please keep the dialogue coming.
Spud
I seriously doubt that .0005" run out made a difference. The Lock-n-Load actually lets the die float a little to self-align. The Classic press is a good value for the money.
Well shit I read that as 0.015 and 0.010. I don't think anything under a thou matters at all. Also going from 0.0015 to 0.0010 isn't 50%
"Your ammo might not know the difference...but the concentricity gauge will. "
No, it won't and assuming it to be so isn't proof. Loaded concentricity comes from straight necks and a good seater, no press can influence either. All a press can possibly do is push the round case into the round hole in the round die and pull it back out. Anyone sweating a potential half thou or five thou "misalignment" in a ram is going to have a stroke when he notices the sloppy fit of his cases in a shell holder. And he would fall over dead if he looked at how loosely a CoAx holds the dies and cases.
I have an RC, two little Lee "C" Reloader presses and a well worn 48 year old Lyman Spar-T which no one would have ever called a "precision" press. As an experiment, I once selected 20 highly prepped and weight selected LC match 30-06 cases and loaded/fired that box of cases on each press using the same load and shell holder and dies and applied the same level of care. Twenty samples of anything isn't highly statistically meaningful but there was no significant difference in the measured concentricity from the presses, run out ranged from zero to just under 3 thou and the average varriation between each batch and there wasn't enough difference to make a difference on either the gage or targets.
Meaning there's no magic in a press, the press used is the least significant element in hand loading for accuracy. That's why some people get great results with Redding's big turret press which can't possibily have identical alignment of every die hole and there has to be some slop in the turret or it couldn't turn. Bottom line. a good loader will be able to do good work with any press and a poor loader won't do good work with any press.
The CoAx is a good press and handles spent primers beautifully but I don't care for the ergonomics. My RC has good ergonomics but tosses spent primers all over the floor. Lee's Classic Cast is big, strong and precisely machined; it catches primers like the CoAx and has even better ergonomics than my RC. I have no childish animosity or loyalty for inanimate objects, IF I had to replace my RC next week it would be with a Classic Cast, it's the better press.
No, it won't and assuming it to be so isn't proof. Loaded concentricity comes from straight necks and a good seater, no press can influence either. All a press can possibly do is push the round case into the round hole in the round die and pull it back out. Anyone sweating a potential half thou or five thou "misalignment" in a ram is going to have a stroke when he notices the sloppy fit of his cases in a shell holder. And he would fall over dead if he looked at how loosely a CoAx holds the dies and cases.
I have an RC, two little Lee "C" Reloader presses and a well worn 48 year old Lyman Spar-T which no one would have ever called a "precision" press. As an experiment, I once selected 20 highly prepped and weight selected LC match 30-06 cases and loaded/fired that box of cases on each press using the same load and shell holder and dies and applied the same level of care. Twenty samples of anything isn't highly statistically meaningful but there was no significant difference in the measured concentricity from the presses, run out ranged from zero to just under 3 thou and the average varriation between each batch and there wasn't enough difference to make a difference on either the gage or targets.
Meaning there's no magic in a press, the press used is the least significant element in hand loading for accuracy. That's why some people get great results with Redding's big turret press which can't possibily have identical alignment of every die hole and there has to be some slop in the turret or it couldn't turn. Bottom line. a good loader will be able to do good work with any press and a poor loader won't do good work with any press.
The CoAx is a good press and handles spent primers beautifully but I don't care for the ergonomics. My RC has good ergonomics but tosses spent primers all over the floor. Lee's Classic Cast is big, strong and precisely machined; it catches primers like the CoAx and has even better ergonomics than my RC. I have no childish animosity or loyalty for inanimate objects, IF I had to replace my RC next week it would be with a Classic Cast, it's the better press.
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I have both, (sort of) a 40 year old Rockchucker and a 8 month old Co-Ax and a 20 year old 550b. I bought all of them new.
I use the different presses for different processes but I have been very satisfied with all of them.
Trying to make a choice between the RCBS and the Forster would be like choosing between my dogs or my girlfriend.
Actually, that would be a lot easier..
I use the different presses for different processes but I have been very satisfied with all of them.
Trying to make a choice between the RCBS and the Forster would be like choosing between my dogs or my girlfriend.
Actually, that would be a lot easier..
I have them both and prefer the co-ax press.
I load everything from the 222 to 338 belted magnums on it and it makes life easy.
If your pulling brass out of the shell holder jaws your doing something wrong.
I load everything from the 222 to 338 belted magnums on it and it makes life easy.
If your pulling brass out of the shell holder jaws your doing something wrong.
