REDDING T 7 or FORSTER CO AX ?????

[lrgrendel]

Single stage guy all my life.

Precision rifle with extreme consistency is the goal.

Looking to becoming a little more efficient.....

Who uses these? Positive and negative views please.....

What do you say!!

[Mad Charlie]

I've never used a T7, but I have nothing negative to say about my Forster.
I tend to shy away from the idea of using a turret type press for precision loading, but the
T7 might be solid enough, I just don't know. Seems to me that if the head CAN move, it WILL move...

[Kilco]

T7 is solid. Well made and easy to use.

That being said I only use it for pistols and 5.56.

Still use my old Rock Crusher for my Grendel and bolt guns.

[Sticks]

My biggest issues with reloading presses, both single and multi/progressive is the dies coming loose.
Just went through that again yesterday with my RCBS bushing sizing die. Walked out .004 while sizing a 250 count lot. Had to measure out and re-run 1/3 of them.

[bj139]

I thought one of the positive features of the CoAx press is the loose die which allows it to self align better.

[Mad Charlie]

It is, but the lock ring needs to be tight. I get very little runout on my finished rounds, but I usually pick out one brand of brass and have Forster hone (or not) the neck to achieve the neck fit that I want. I also am going to try mandrels for sizing the neck soon.

As far as a press goes, whatever it takes to achieve minimum runout with the desired bullet to neck fit (neck tension) is the goal.

[65Whelen]

Never used a Redding so I can't comment on that. But
I used a rock crushed for years, bought a Forster last year and love it, light years ahead of the crusher. Forster has a group on Facebook, I copied my stand off of it. I really like not having my reloading press bolted to the bench.

[lrgrendel]

Never used a Redding so I can't comment on that. But
I used a rock crushed for years, bought a Forster last year and love it, light years ahead of the crusher. Forster has a group on Facebook, I copied my stand off of it. I really like not having my reloading press bolted to the bench.

Very nice. Is it stable with that wooden stand?
Would like to do some thing similar but would like it very stable.
Great idea....
Are you producing as consistent and accurate rifle ammo as you were on the "chucker"?

[LR1955]

Single stage guy all my life.

Precision rifle with extreme consistency is the goal.

Looking to becoming a little more efficient.....

Who uses these? Positive and negative views please.....

What do you say!!

LRG:

I have both presses and use both presses regularly.

This has been said many times before but I will say it again so you can make a good decision. The T-7 is a six station tool head, not a true turret press. It is too heavy and way too hard to rotate to be used like a classic turret press. You can put at least two calibers of rifle dies on it but you will end up doing one stage of the loading at a time. Size everything, probably hand prime then charge using a measure on another stand, then back to the T-7 for seating the bullet. It is a very large and strong press, much stronger than your classic turret presses so it will take bigger cartridges. It is easy to size even the larger cases that would be extremely difficult to size in the smaller turrets.

I have a Bonnanza Co-Ax which is now Forster Co-Ax. It is a single stage press but is as fast as the T-7, a lot lighter and smaller in size (if you are lacking space), and the dies simply snap into the die holder and float so you get automatic alignment with the brass. Theoretically this gives as good alignment as possible for the press. If your dies suck, it won't solve that problem. The priming feature is absolutely useless and the handle is on the top of the press so your range of movement to operate the press is greater than the T-7 or most other presses. I believe this to be a poor design feature in ergonomic terms plus it does not leave a lot of room for tall dies since the handle yoke is directly above the die when the handle is in the up position. It is fine for my Redding Competition dies in longer cases like the 6.5 / .284 but the yoke barely clears the top of those seating dies. Sizing effort is a bit more than the T-7 due to the design of the handle.

One more comment. The T-7 takes conventional shell holders. This is fine until you need a shell holder you don't have or find the one you bought is too tight for a brand of brass. The Co-Ax uses a sort of universal shell holder. It is easy to adjust until you go to a very large case where you will have to turn over the two sliding bars that are the shell holder. Then be prepared to deal with two small springs. I believe the Co-Ax shell holder is easier to use, especially when loading a lot of brass. It is very forgiving and very easy to adjust.

If I had a choice between the two, I would probably go with the Co-Ax. Neither has a good primer seating so you will end up hand priming anyway. And most people charge the cases using powder measures on separate pedestals so you probably won't put a powder measure on the T-7. You won't fit one on the Co Ax because the handle won't allow anything that high. The T-7 may hold a bunch of dies but changing out dies on the Co-Ax takes a second or less. If you get the Co-Ax, test it out at a couple of heights so you can find the height where you can work the handle efficiently.


LR55

[65Whelen]

Very nice. Is it stable with that wooden stand?
Would like to do some thing similar but would like it very stable.
Great idea....
Are you producing as consistent and accurate rifle ammo as you were on the "chucker"?

Been reloading the Creedmoor and Grendel, resizing is no problem off the the wood stand. Ammo is just as good if not better off the Forster and it's easier and more efficient. Just the ease of die changing is such a time saver not to mention the self-aligning benefit between shell holder and die.

[sneaky one]

You are clamping the box down to the bench, right dude? Maybe pic that up.? A few have wondered.

As far as the press choices- it's like buying a car- research it test it -buy one.

I went with the Lyman turret unit. Rotate rotate. It's always the same.

My first was the lee challenger. It's fine for priming, and my44 mag. loads.

BFT got to use it here a while back. He thought the 2 presses were awesome.

[babue]

LRG:

I have both presses and use both presses regularly.

This has been said many times before but I will say it again so you can make a good decision. The T-7 is a six station tool head, not a true turret press. It is too heavy and way too hard to rotate to be used like a classic turret press. You can put at least two calibers of rifle dies on it but you will end up doing one stage of the loading at a time. Size everything, probably hand prime then charge using a measure on another stand, then back to the T-7 for seating the bullet. It is a very large and strong press, much stronger than your classic turret presses so it will take bigger cartridges. It is easy to size even the larger cases that would be extremely difficult to size in the smaller turrets.

I have a Bonnanza Co-Ax which is now Forster Co-Ax. It is a single stage press but is as fast as the T-7, a lot lighter and smaller in size (if you are lacking space), and the dies simply snap into the die holder and float so you get automatic alignment with the brass. Theoretically this gives as good alignment as possible for the press. If your dies suck, it won't solve that problem. The priming feature is absolutely useless and the handle is on the top of the press so your range of movement to operate the press is greater than the T-7 or most other presses. I believe this to be a poor design feature in ergonomic terms plus it does not leave a lot of room for tall dies since the handle yoke is directly above the die when the handle is in the up position. It is fine for my Redding Competition dies in longer cases like the 6.5 / .284 but the yoke barely clears the top of those seating dies. Sizing effort is a bit more than the T-7 due to the design of the handle.

One more comment. The T-7 takes conventional shell holders. This is fine until you need a shell holder you don't have or find the one you bought is too tight for a brand of brass. The Co-Ax uses a sort of universal shell holder. It is easy to adjust until you go to a very large case where you will have to turn over the two sliding bars that are the shell holder. Then be prepared to deal with two small springs. I believe the Co-Ax shell holder is easier to use, especially when loading a lot of brass. It is very forgiving and very easy to adjust.

If I had a choice between the two, I would probably go with the Co-Ax. Neither has a good primer seating so you will end up hand priming anyway. And most people charge the cases using powder measures on separate pedestals so you probably won't put a powder measure on the T-7. You won't fit one on the Co Ax because the handle won't allow anything that high. The T-7 may hold a bunch of dies but changing out dies on the Co-Ax takes a second or less. If you get the Co-Ax, test it out at a couple of heights so you can find the height where you can work the handle efficiently.


LR55

I would agree completely with LR55 on his review of the Bonanza/Forester Co-Ax press. I have had mine for many, many years. Never prime with it and all the other features are great. I love the quick die changes and not needing to buy or keep track of bunches of shell holders. I have never had a T-7 but have considered it because of having multiple die sets setup all the time but by changing dies in the Co-Ax in only seconds and those dies being already setup for the press just never saw the need to add a T-7.

[kmon]

I have used several presses over the years and currently own 5. The Co-Ax and the Lee 50BMG are the presses most often bolted to the bench. The Co-Ax gets far moe use. Hornady lock rings work great when using the Co-Ax press.

I have used my setup before I built the bench with a Blackendecker workmate in the living room of an apartment and my house as well as at the range. With the press mounted on a 12'X12" piece of 3/4 plywood c-clamped to the workmate have sized and loaded cases as big as the 7mmSTW.

[65Whelen]

You are clamping the box down to the bench, right dude? Maybe pic that up.? A few have wondered.

Nope, just sits on top of the bench while resizing, no clamps.

[Mrvmax17]