id buy one at 20 all day long. Matter of fact a couple years ago I bought one for 75 and turned it over in three days for twice that. I had absolutely not intention of keeping it. Had one years ago and needed bench space and it was between the coax and my rockchucker and that was a no brainer to me. But for 20 bucks you stole it! I think a lee hand press costs more then that today.
I'm the exact opposite of Lloyd. I sold my RC, and if I could only have one press for the rest of my life, it would be my Co-ax. I load everything from .32 S&W to .338WM on it, and use it to form cases for wildcats. It has way better feel for on press priming than my RC did.
I don't think it makes me cool; I like the way the tool works in comparison to O frame presses.
Most people would sooner die than think, in fact, they do so. -B. Russell
The Co-Ax must be good, the Army marksmanship team has there ammo made on a Co-Ax press.
As my grandfather used to say decades ago....boys buy what they can....men buy what ever they want.
Buy one and use it for a while. If you don't like it and decide to sell it, you will get your money back from selling it. But, I doubt you'll be selling it anytime soon.I'm only saying this cause I do own one myself.
True.Originally Posted by Hollywood_Goon
I don't care for the Co-Ax myself because of the ergonomics and my old shoulder injuries, but it's obviously a superb press.
Anyone wanting the "strongest" currently made deluxe class press is wanting Redding's seldom mentioned "Ultra Mag."
Last edited by 1hole; 01-30-2020 at 03:57 PM.
I normally agree with Lloyd on most things, but not this one. I have both and the RC would be on its way if I only had to have one press. I would size about 1000 .308 and 4000 5.56 machine gun brass first...LOL. But I do no other "heavy work" so that may matter. Space is not a big issue for me but if it was, I would get some kind of quick change system like InLIne offers or make one.
I hate to compromise when it is not required. My Co-Ax has been with me longer than anything expect my first .22 Anschutz. She is an old and trusted friend.
BTW, I bought the RC from an old man. He felt the same but knew he was done reloading. It was the only press he had on his bench. Must have been a sad day for him. We were friends and it helped knowing his press would be going to someone who would appreciated it and care for it. It is not going anywhere either.
Everyone should have a quality car, gun, or tool that has more value than the function it performs. Something that can be proudly passed on. I was sad for my old friend that he had no family interested in his passion. I have a couple of guns like that and my old Co-Ax. I am lucky that my son will appreciate them.
Don Verna
There is an awful lot of blue in that room.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2015/...smanship-unit/
Actually looks like my bench as far as diversity.
They have way more equipment in that room than any gun store in the city where I live
Yeah. And it means they're spending other people's money.They have way more equipment in that room than any gun store in the city where I live
Ive talked with AMU team members am friends with one. I was told the amu shoots LC nm at 200 and 300. Handloads loaded on Dillon 650s at 500 and or 600. At 800,900 and 1000 the ammo is loaded on single stage machines. the ammo loaded on single stages would be some 223 5.56, 308 7.62x51, and 300 win mag. The pistol teams loader probably use the Dillon way more. Some where should be some shotgun loaders for the trap and skeet teams also. In the 50s and 60s there was a lot of wildcatting being done in the room. And a lot of custom work in the armorers shop. special M-14, 38 sl 1911, ARs tuned and fitted, Rem 700s, barrets, and some others I have seen the AMU work with different calibers in .22 6mm 6.5mm 7mm and 30 calibers in rifles, In pistols 22, 9mm, 38, 40, and 45.
The military teams are unique in that the shooters are a small part of them, There are the armorers ( here some of the best smiths there are. Loading room personal, and other support people. Every body does there job and little else.
Better, is too subjective. The CO-AX does some things for me easier than other methods. Deprimming range brass mixed with my brass is at the top of easy things to do for me. I only need to keep an eye out for something odd. I can sort and prime at the same time and never have to change a shellholder, until I am ready to process .22 Hornet.
Priming can be a little fiddly on setup. But sometimes it goes quick. You do have to handle each primer. But once setup. You pull the handle till it stops. You're done. No feeling the primer seat. No worries about too much pressure crushing a primer. It seats to the depth of the cup. Unless brass is out of spec., no worries. But I do often use the Forster bench priming tool instead. No reason I have not used the Dillon. I could setup a toolhead and just prime.
I use the short handle for everything. Even resizing .308 to .358 Winchester. Do get the curved link arms which will improve the space for your fingers around the shellplate.
The only two presses setup on my bench is the CO-AX and a Dillon XL650. I did get rid of a Rockchucker. I also use an arbor press sometimes. Not everyone does things the same as other people. You find your own way that works best for you.
The army marksmanship team does not exclusively use coax presses. If you have proof of that id like to see it! they make it on coax's, rock chuckers, 550s 1050s lnls Holywood presses and about every brand press that's been made with the possible exception of lee and I wouldn't even bet they haven't got one of those set up somewhere. Now you want to convince me that that urban legand of self aligning dies has some merit?? Show me a bench rest shooter that believes it. Now look at what bench rest shooters use. Presses that are even more ridged then a rock chucker. Basically arbor presses with NO slop and dies with NO slop. They have the advantage of a quick die change. That's it. Sorry but the rest is just wanabe experts claims. Same guys that started bs like bullets have to be soft and bump up to be accurate. Same guys that will try to tell you that if you wing a guy with a 45acp it will blow them off there feet. Same guys that try to tell you the 270 made the o6 obsolete. Bonanza sold a pile of presses allowing that self aligning die bs to take root. I don't care for my single stage lock and load because the snap in die system has slop in it too. But at least Hornady isn't trying to pretend its a design feature that gives you better accuracy.The Co-Ax must be good, the Army marksmanship team has there ammo made on a Co-Ax press.
As my grandfather used to say decades ago....boys buy what they can....men buy what ever they want.
Buy one and use it for a while. If you don't like it and decide to sell it, you will get your money back from selling it. But, I doubt you'll be selling it anytime soon.
Benchrest shooters use light weight presses and custom dies as the job they are doing requires almost no force.
This is the Sinclair benchrest press.
they don’t want to lug around a hunk of cast iron as they load at the range.
You can read the article linked at the bottom of #26 though, he is the one selling tool heads converted to floating like David Tubb describes in one of his books. Palma is a bit different than 100-200 yard benchrest though, it’s scored at 800, 900 and 1000 yards.
Lloyd, place any hand die under the ram of any arbor press, then tilt the (usually un-anchored) press over a bit and watch the die fall out; you can't get any looser than that!
Even you have to know arbor presses don't cause any case-to-die alignment, they self-align because there's nothing to hold them out of alignment.
When I got my Co-Ax, I sat it upright on my bench and looked at (studied) it. I then mounted it at about a 30 degree angle, facing my left. My "press loading" hand, my left hand has good access to the shell holders and my right hand operated the handle quite easily. Regarding the "long swing"; nobody says you gotta hold the handle all the way out on the end. For many operations, I grab the yoke and easily prime, seat bullets and taper crimp (operations that do not require much leverage).
I think it questionable, silly that some criticize so vehemently, a tool that no one is forcing them to use. I've had several presses of different styles from different manufacturers and can't say I've hated any to the extent some here post about some tools. I was never forced to use/keep any tools and if I didn't kike them, so what? I either got rid of them or just didn't use them. If you don't like a particular tool, OK to share that, but no need to try and convince the entire reloading society that your opinion is the only viable "law"...
My Anchor is holding fast!
didn't say arbor presses I said basically arbor presses like the one that jmorris showed you. THAT is what precision loaders use. They use benchrest dies too that have no deflection and very fine threads in the bullet seating die adjustment to insure theres not play. Even micrometer stems in many. Id like to know the percentage of actually bench rest and l000 yard shooters that use tubs floating die set ups in there the bench rest presses. Tubs is a business man. He also pushes bore lapping bullets that I doubt any competitive bench rest shooter is putting in his 1000 dollar precision barrel. Kind of chuckle at them making floating tool heads for dillion 650s. Who is using a 650 to load bench rest ammo??? Heck my dillion tool heads come right from dillion with a bit of slop in them for freeLloyd, place any hand die under the ram of any arbor press, then tilt the (usually un-anchored) press over a bit and watch the die fall out; you can't get any looser than that!
Even you have to know arbor presses don't cause any case-to-die alignment, they self-align because there's nothing to hold them out of alignment.
The Wilson seaters for use with an arbor press are used like 4:30 in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsVzapkVI4g
Tubb doesn’t sell the floating tool heads just wrote about how he modified his, he’s not a benchrest shooter.
Whidden is the one that took Tubb’s idea, used it to take the top spot at the Palma trials and later started making them for sale, he is also not a benchrest shooter.
100/200 yard benchrest shooters get away with volume thrown charges, the two above are shooting at ranges long enough they have found advantages using weighed charges, yet use progressive presses.
I imaging if they found a single stage to give them a competitive advantage, they would be using one.
Have been squaded with both. The amount of ammo they go thru in a year pretty much precludes a single stage press unless they hire a person to operate it.
Having some "float" during bullet seating has been shown to help with bullet concentricity. That can be accomplished with a simple O ring as shown below:
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/...-neck-run-out/
A loosey-goosey press/die setup that is not consistent is not the answer. The system must able to "float" but still provide a consistent seating depth and maintain the dies/case/bullet aligned.
I believe Lee dies come standard with an O ring. It is important not to crush the o ring so much that it cannot float for this wo work...but I have never tired it.
The parameters that a press influences in achieving accuracy are concentricity (the tough one) and a consistent seating depth (the easy one). The quality of dies will also be a factor.
I looked at getting a gauge to measure bullet and case runout but have found it hard to justify for my needs. But I am a hack. I am getting MOA in the bolt action rifles I use to hunt and plink with. Not sure if the Co-Ax is part of the reason, or the dies or just dumb luck.
KISS so I leave well enough alone.
If I was starting out reloading rifle again, I would get a Lee SS and see what it would do. IMHO it is foolish to look at what Benchrest and Long Range shooters use unless you want that level of performance. You do not buy a Ferrari to go grocery shopping.
Repeatable 1 MOA in a varmint rifle and 1.5 MOA in a hunting rifle are reasonable and achievable goals that can be met affordably.
Would I sell my Co-Ax....HELL NO!!!! Do I NEED IT...????
Don Verna
One of my shooting buddies is a retired military shooter and when he has a reloading question he calls Fort Benning and talks to someone on the teams. They recommended the Co-Ax press and Redding dies. And thats what he bought.
I've never seen their loading room or even been there. But I expect that they have other equipment too!
midway has coax press for $349.00
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