S
swifty572
Guest
can anyone tell me what kind of press do the benchrest shooters use when they are not at the range. been looking at a foster co-ax pess and would like to know if anyone out there use this press
Boyd Allen
Active member
The Forster press is excellent. It may be better, in some ways, than those of conventional design, but having tried it once for expanding case necks up to make 6PPC brass, I would suggest that another press be used for this task. For that, my Harrell Combo press is the best that I have. The die fit is as tight as it can be, as is the ram fit, and the alignment is excellent. While letting things float is probably superior for sizing, holding as close to perfect alignment as is possible is the best when expanding with a mandrel. (IMO)
D
Dennis Sorensen
Guest
I still have an old Brown Bonanza Co-Ax press, one of the first imported into Canada... back about 1970... It has been a great press... I sold quite a few of them after letting others try it...
Mount it back into the bench so the handle just clears the front edge of the bench... and you can shorten the handle as well... I still have tons of leverage with the handle 6 inches shorter...
Mount it back into the bench so the handle just clears the front edge of the bench... and you can shorten the handle as well... I still have tons of leverage with the handle 6 inches shorter...
Niccolo M.
Member
Like that CO-AX press
I have a Bonanza Co-AX Press that I purchased in 1978. It is a great press with tons of leverage and still tight as a tick. The only problem I've ever had with this press is that the handle yoke prevents you from using micrometer style seating dies with long cartridges. I’m talking cartridges like .270 Win, 30.06, .300 Win. Mag. etc. long action cartridges mostly used for other than point blank benchrest. Forester makes CO-AX seating dies with the sliding chamber and the whole Mary Ann with a regular style stem that work fine. The micrometer style seating stems are faster to use but once set, the old school style stems are fine. For cartridges in the .308 family and shorter the micrometer seating stem dies work really slick. A side benefit is all of the 7/8 X 14 locking rings you have leftover after replacing them on new die sets from other manufactures with the Forester ones. Whenever I need to make leveling screws for benches, machining jacks and such, I make them 7/8 X 14 because I have all of these really cool locking rings with set screws that I can use.
Nic.
I have a Bonanza Co-AX Press that I purchased in 1978. It is a great press with tons of leverage and still tight as a tick. The only problem I've ever had with this press is that the handle yoke prevents you from using micrometer style seating dies with long cartridges. I’m talking cartridges like .270 Win, 30.06, .300 Win. Mag. etc. long action cartridges mostly used for other than point blank benchrest. Forester makes CO-AX seating dies with the sliding chamber and the whole Mary Ann with a regular style stem that work fine. The micrometer style seating stems are faster to use but once set, the old school style stems are fine. For cartridges in the .308 family and shorter the micrometer seating stem dies work really slick. A side benefit is all of the 7/8 X 14 locking rings you have leftover after replacing them on new die sets from other manufactures with the Forester ones. Whenever I need to make leveling screws for benches, machining jacks and such, I make them 7/8 X 14 because I have all of these really cool locking rings with set screws that I can use.
Nic.
H
hayseed
Guest
Hey Dennis -
I too have an old brown Bonanza that's served me well for nearly 4 decades. For the life of me, I can't quite picture what your describing in mounting the press back in the bench, or what it would accomplish. Would you expand a little?
Dick
I too have an old brown Bonanza that's served me well for nearly 4 decades. For the life of me, I can't quite picture what your describing in mounting the press back in the bench, or what it would accomplish. Would you expand a little?
Dick
D
Dennis Sorensen
Guest
First, with the handle shortened and the press mounted back you don't have to back up from the bench when you are behind the handle ... it also allows you to place a small tray in front to catch brass if you are moving fast.. I just flip the brass off the shell holder into the tray...I can insert, size and dump the case just about as fast as you can move the handle back and forth.. and last, I have a drawer under the table top and all the primers and residue dump directly down into the drawer...
R
Roger rodbolt
Guest
Forster redesigned the yoke on the Co-Ax a while back. The newer model will clear a RUM die with a micrometer top, maybe larger. I wish I would have bought one decades ago, slick machine.
H
hulk
Guest
For most operations, the consensus of opinion, is that the die is the key to quality results.
I am lightyears from being an expert but when expanding cases, the press is the key to quality results. Without exact alignment, zero flex and plenty of power, the potential for crooked cases goes way up.
The "O"-frame or "H"-frame presses seem to be better for expanding without having problems.
I am lightyears from being an expert but when expanding cases, the press is the key to quality results. Without exact alignment, zero flex and plenty of power, the potential for crooked cases goes way up.
The "O"-frame or "H"-frame presses seem to be better for expanding without having problems.