The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Hi all!
I have been using a Rcbs rockchucker for the last 10 years and I am toying with the idea of getting a new press. I have been looking at the Forester Co Ax due to its reviews however wanted to ask if I would be better buying an arbor press with the Wilson seating die?
Thanks
Harry

I would go for the Forster unless you have a burning desire to use Wilson dies.

I use both for everday re loading I would go for the Co ax the Wilson stuff is about neck sizing with bushing dies. Wilson stuff can work out very expensive if you re load for lots of different calibers. I am a big fan of Wilson.

An arbor press is s great choice if you travel and reload - especially for travel by air.

..

I just seem to be fighting with run out issues and I am not sure what the culprit is. My fired brass has no run out on the case neck however as soon as I sized it yesterday I am getting 4-5 thousands run out. I am using a redding bushing die and have removed the expander.
Any ideas guy?

Harrytucker wrote:My fired brass has no run out on the case neck however as soon as I sized it yesterday I am getting 4-5 thousands run out. I am using a redding bushing die and have removed the expander.

What type (brand) of brass?

And how much do you size down in one step?

..

I am using lapua brass and Peterson brass. After firing and cleaning the brass I punch the primers out using a decapping die, then resize the brass using a bushing die bumping the shoulder back 0.001.
After this I trim cases to length using a Wilson trimmer, clean primer pockets out, chamfer case moths, clean flash holes ready for pruning and powder. To seat bullets I use a redding micrometer seating die.
I have just ordered a Sinclair expander die instead of using my K&M one.
Any thoughts is much appreciated.

All cases have also been neck turned using a K&M neck turner.

Do you know how much you size-down the neck in one step?

From memory there is some limit, over which it is better to size in 2 or more steps, maybe 0.005" or thereabouts.

Also, how much are you then sizing-up with your mandrel?

Do you have a one-piece (non-bushing) FL die you can try? since you're setting neck tension with an expander mandrel the neck ID resulting from the sizing die is less critical, and fixed dies can apparently give improved runout vs bushing dies.

Another option to try would be sizing the neck with a Lee Collet die. These are a firm favourite for low neck runout. They can take a little fettling and a little getting-used to the required technique, but don't discount them because they're 'red'. They are also cheap to try.

Also look at your lube. What do you use? Do you lube the neck ID (especially if you clean the neck ID to bare metal)?

Be in no doubt - Rock Chuckers can load ammo with less than 0.004" to 0.005" runout, so I wouldn't switch to CoAx or Arbor+Wilson just to solve that particular problem, at least until you have firmly established that the press is the cause (e.g. has a pretty serious fault).

..