Co-ax or Dillon Precision

[Blondie]

Well, I am about ready to take the plunge and invest in some reloading equipment. I have never done this before, but have found some good info on TFL and some good videos on you tube.

I am thinking about either getting the Forster Co-ax (single stage) or the Dillon 550 or 650 (progressive). I do beleive I could start with a progressive press, however I don't know if the volume I shoot would require it. The calibers I have are:

Rifles: .270, 30-06, .223, 30-30, .300 win mag
Pistol: .44 magnum, 9mm, 10mm, .357 magnum, .50 active express

Is it possible to reload all of these calibers with one press, assuming you have the proper dies? If not, it may be that I only reload the .223, 44 mag, and .50ae (i.e., the higher volume .223 and the more expensive 44 and 50).

Thanks,

Blondie

[DoctorXring]

I would get a Forester Co-Ax and never look back.

Get a progressive next. I would strongly consider
a Hornady Lock and Load AP when that time comes.

I've had a Dillon 550 and now have a LnL AP.

Don't do what I did and wait 20 years to get a Co-Ax.
A joy to use and it produces precision quality rifle ammunition
due to it's design.

dxr

[WESHOOT2]

I have a Co-Ax on my research bench (7.5" to the right of a LEE Reloader w/mounted-on-Lyman-'M'-dies Hornady/Pacific powder measure, across from my Lyman Crusher II).
My XL650 is on my main bench.

Knowing what I know now I'd buy the Co-Ax first, unless high volume shooting is planned.
I'd also buy a cheap LEE to sit 7--8" to its left.

Ensure (call and ask) that all the cartridges you wish to reload have dies that fit the Co-Ax......

[VaFisher]

I have the co-ax myself and could not agree more with above post's.

[ClarkEMyers]

Another vote for start with the Co-Ax.

My suggestion for a follow-up is a minimum of TWO Dillon machines for large and small primers. A 650 is better for the rifle cartridges to use a powder check die and a 550 for the handgun offers easier switching there is no utopia except more machines.

Or Hornady which is the best buy with the included at no extra cost bullets and don't overlook the Pro2000 from RCBS which is I think the best single machine for folks who change cartridges a lot because of the easy head change and the APS primer system

[amamnn]

If you are out to build very high quality ammo for precision shooting, the co-ax is probably going to be your choice. Corbin also makes swaging presses that also work very well for loading BR quality cartridges, but I do believe they are more expensive. If you think you'd like to make your own jacketed bullets you might want to look at the Corbin presses. Also, if you'd like to learn why all these presses (the Forster included) are more likely to produce a better cartridge than "C" or "O" presses, you might want to look at the Corbin press info page.

http://www.corbins.com/prcsp-1.htm

[FM12]

I have a Co-Ax...the ultimate single stage, IMO. At least one Army Marksmanship Unit loads their ammo on one, I saw it on a Military Channell special on Snipers. Even if you buy a progressive later, you'll never regret the Co-Ax.

[BigJakeJ1s]

Single stage first, and definitely the co-ax. LNL AP later.

Andy

[Blondie]

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

Blondie

[RobertS]

You definatley have enough money to start up and here is a little info to consider.

The progressive press is dedicated to those individuals who obviously either desire to reload in large volume or wish to reload at a higher speed; the two actually are interrelated. I often reload 600 to 1000 rounds at a time, but also at times reload a few rounds as I work up loads. I definitely enjoy using a progressive over the slower presses i.e. single stage or turret presses when reloading large volume and I also have no problems reloading one round at a time on a progressive press either. If you are not a large volume reloader or don't mind reloading at a slower rate then I would look into the Lee Classic Turret press as it is built very well, is extremely reliable, and is fairly inexpensive. The Classic Turret enables one to still load around 150 to maybe 200 pistol rounds or 100 to 150 rifle rounds in an hour taking your time which isn't bad if you are a person who doesn't shoot tons of rounds every week and doesn't mind reloading time. I have owned all types of presses and have moved from one to the next as my volume increased and opinions changed.

Here is my opinion on progressive presses! I am a cost efficient person and will look towards finding products that are reliable at a better price. I was a Dillon owner by family trend, father was a Dillon man, and although the Dillon 650 is a nicer finished machine and had fewer issues out of the box (due to better factory control--I will discuss this a little later) it cost 3 to 4 times as much as a Lee Load-Master and the caliber changes are much more expensive than a lee as well. Once I modified some parts, sanded or filed here and there for the indexing rod, and set the indexing correctly I have actually had the same repeatable success with the Load-Master as I did with any of the Dillons I owned (had a 550 before selling it to pay for the 650). There has been no tinkering or adjusting once I did all the initial setup and performed the minor modifications found on Loadmaster Zone - http://loadmastervideos.com/

Once I worked with the Load-Master long enough (four years and thousands and thousands of 45 acp rounds later) and felt that it was a solid functioning press, I finally ensured myself that I could let go of Dillon comfort blanket. I sold the 650 to a Dillon nut who thought I was the nut and now own two Loadmasters and still have not come close to the cost of the 650. I did not have the case feeder with the Dillon as it would cost more than an entire lee loadmaster kit in itself so again the Loadmaster prevails as it comes with this if you buy a kit. I could actually buy another Loadmaster kit and would be getting closer in cost to the Dillon 650 and its caliber changes.

I may be one of the few who have actually sold a Dillon to buy a Lee and maybe the only one to post it on a forum but having two progressives presses dedicated to certain cartridges is really nice and I have no problems showing my cost efficient nature. I actually bought my Loadmasters as rebuilt or reconditioned for $175 shipped directly from Lee Precision. They were both kits so I had everything I needed except the extra die for crimping (454 casull reloader and I also prefer crimping in another stage) and the universal decaping die which I use in station 1.
NOTE: if you choose rebuilt keep in mind you are receiving a press that is used so there are sometimes cosmetic flaws etc. but everything will work fine and if you don’t think something is right call lee and they will send you what you need at no cost.

A little more about the Load-Master and my experiences:
There are many mixed results on the Loadmaster and there are tons of forums concerning the topic. Once set up properly coupled with the fairly easy modifications the Loadmaster performs without a hitch, but one needs to be patient during setup and make sure everything is adjusted properly. If one chooses a Loadmaster I highly recommend the website: Loadmaster Zone @ http://loadmastervideos.com/ Look at the videos first before buying a Loadmaster so you have an idea and feel more comfortable about the machine. If you decide Loadmaster you will immediately see that the factory directions are less than desirable so having videos helps tremendously and I still wished there was this website when I setup the first press.

The videos eliminate errors as well as saves time and parts; in fact I never ruined a single part the second time around even the plastic ones that people are so concerned about. Yes, I did mention there are plastic parts and if you look at the Dillon, Hornady, or RCBS presses they all have plastic too. I see plastic as a good thing on the Loadmaster as these parts are very inexpensive $1 and help save the more expensive ones (simply have spares so if you the operator accidentally messes up you are not left without ammo). I rarely have broken parts though. If you are frugal like me, one doesn't even have to pay for the parts. Mail out the broken parts to Lee, usually for the cost of a postage stamp, and put in a little note with what you need and they will have new parts sent in the mail in a few days. I've even called them and they sent me parts free of charge as well.

Progressive presses in general: AGAIN BE PATIENT during setup as all progressive presses have problems at first, but more so with Lee progressives as I don't think their presses leave the factory (factory control issues) with such watchful eyes as Dillon, RCBS, or Hornady and I believe this is why the Loadmaster and Pro 1000 receive such bad reviews. People expect to pull these Lee machines from the box and have them index and feed primers correctly with no adjustments and I will tell you, this is not probable. I took a good 3 hours from mounting, to making the case ejector modification (Loadmaster Zone video), to adjusting the indexing, to lubing, to indexing dry runs before I started to reload single rounds. Reloading about 50 single rounds to fully see how the press ran I then move to full progressive and was off and going.

With the videos I actually reset the 1st press and with the case ejector modification I eliminated those occasional indexing problems I once had; it runs smoother than ever. I also suggest if one decides Loadmaster that you size at the same time you prime (station 2) as this keeps the brass in place while priming. A good tip, make sure the press indexes without any problems before you setup the dies in the turret etc. The correct indexing alignment (shell plate carrier and case ejector modification) as well as using the sizing die in station 2 is a critical part to success of this press.

Like I said before you have enough money to start up so if you are a person who likes things to work right out of the box then the Loadmaster will not suffice for you and you may want to look into the other big three reloading press companies. If you are like me and don't mind a longer initial setup with some modifications then you can have two pregressives along with a Lee cast turret and a cheap single stage (off ebay) at the cost of a Dillon 650 setup and a tad bit more than a Hornady Lock-n-Load progressive or RCBS progressive.

[Shoney]

Get the Co-Ax first. Later add the LNL AP, because it has a much better run out than the dillons, and is more inovative and flexible.