Area 419 Zero Reloading Press

[dverna]

I do not shoot well enough to tell the difference. Once I get to MOA, I am a happy camper. I was “conned” into a Co-Ax about 45 years ago. Not sure if I really needed it but it was the latest and greatest back then and I drank the KoolAid. It has always made MOA accurate loads if the rifle was capable....but a cheap Lyman may have been just as good.

Not all expenditures on expensive shooting stuff are for ego. I have a couple of K-80 trap guns and shoot better scores with them. Most folks may shoot just as well with a $1000 shotgun and for them spending over $10,000 seems stupid. I am either good enough to discern the difference or bad enough to need all the help I can get.

If someone can load better ammunition on a $1400 press, it is worth it to him. Wish I was talented enough to justify it.

[jim147]

At my age, health and shakes my current single stage surves my needs. 5/8 of an inch is plenty good for me.

[rbuck351]

I bought a Bonanza CO-AX about a year ago at auction for about $20. It must be the cheap price I paid for it as it doesn't load any better ammo than any of my other presses. It does handle spent primers better than most.

[richhodg66]

I bought a Bonanza CO-AX about a year ago at auction for about $20. It must be the cheap price I paid for it as it doesn't load any better ammo than any of my other presses. It does handle spent primers better than most.

I got a real good deal on a good condition Forster Co-Ax a few years ago and finally set it up recently and have been using it. It's probably because of all those years on a Rockchucker, but I can't seem to warm to the ergonomics of it. I'll admit it is well made and innovative, but it may end up going down the road if I can't get used to it better soon.

[John Guedry]

I figure thats a status symbol.

[mdi]

I disagree with the status symbol claim. I don't share my equipment or guns with anyone. Nobody knows my arsenal contents, nobody knows my equipment inventory. I purchase things for my needs/wants (why would anyone, who is not a specific collector buy a Beretta 81? I have one because I wanted one). When I have to justify buying something expensive or why I leave a big tip or how much I give the bum on the corner, that's when I'll find new friends. If I wanted a $1,200 press I'd buy one. No one I have to explain to why.

[GARD72977]

This is my new favorite thread.

[DocSavage]

Reloading accurate ammo is more technique than anything else,good equipment helps but attention to the details is the clincher. Case in point ages ago was at the range with a friend when another shooter arrived. We swapped pleasantries and notices the ammo I had with me and asked how much I paid
for ammo told him it was "X" and it was all handloads he didn't believe me my buddy told him yep handloads. He was quite amazed that the ammo shot and looked as good as factory ammo. I was OCD about my reloads at that time.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Guys; I saw this article and laughed when I saw the price which I was kind of expecting. Being a Machinist I can see the price, as the workmanship and design are excellent,,, but getting that much utility out of a Single Stage/Turret Press is going to be hard to justify in the real world.. But lots of people like Spolar Shotshell Loaders too which are nothing more that a PW 800 made out of nicely machined parts. They look nice but don't do anything any better than the PW or even a used DL366 for that matter.

Some people like nice things and I can't really argue with that. I'm like that, and my whole purpose in designing and building my tool was to make the best tool of it's type ever offered, and I think I succeeded ! It costs more than a Lee Hand Press cuz it's made better than the Lee tool.

I have some Idea of what makes a good Reloading Press (www.buchananprecisionmachine.com) and someone above said the only thing that really matters,,, and that is,,, "accuracy is in the dies." And as long as the press ram and die are aligned with in a few thousandths the slop in the case holder will allow enough movement to align the case with the die.

However,,, the most accurate cartridge loading is done with Hand Dies and a Small Arbor Press.

Those dies could be made by Wilson, or Lee.

Don't know how many of these he will sell? I didn't know how many of mine I'd sell either, but I just sold #300 and I know it will be going to a good home.

Randy

[jmorris]

I do not shoot well enough to tell the difference.

Those that do probably won’t be using that press either.

[tew3006]

I enjoyed reading the article in Handloader. It really got me interested, then I saw the price! I would love to try one, but there's no way I'm paying that much for it.

[alamogunr]

I don't know who posted that they don't shoot well enough to tell a difference in ammunition loaded on the Area 419 press. I don't either but I keep hoping that one day one of my "crappy" handloads will creep into the 10 ring. I still won't know if it was good ammunition or good shooting.

[1hole]

Again, ammo is made in the dies, not the press.

I just took a look at Sinclair International's nice little bench rest shooter's arbor press; $110. It's used with hand dies to make zero error ammo; it works too!

Paying that much for a press isn't buying improvement, it's just an ego trip.