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Old 12-28-2014, 08:54   #16
Peregrino
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Originally Posted by koz View Post
Pretty much all things Forster are good. Their Co-Ax press is really nice and has some great features. It's a bit more expensive.

Also look at the Forster dies. I've used Redding for a long time but have been converting over to Forster.

If you want a progressive other than the Dillon, take a look at the Hornady Lock and Load A&P.


Also, if you go with the Chargemaster (which is a great product) - look at the "straw mod" to aid in accurate trickling. For what it's worth, I had a very expensive accurate scale (I could measure a 1/2 kernel of power) but I saw no real difference using it vs the Chargemaster.
The gunsmith TR and I depend on uses a Forster Co-Ax press and the older (pre-L&L) Hornady progressive presses. He inherited them from his father who most likely bought them when they first came out. He has the trophy case and records to prove the quality of the ammo they reload. Good equipment is a life-time investment.

Side note: Between koz and GT I've learned two worthwhile things from this thread that will improve my own setup. I've had my CM1500 for almost two years and I have never heard of the "straw mod". A quick Google and I find that and two other "tweaks" to improve accuracy and production rates. Thanks for the input.
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Old 12-28-2014, 10:55   #17
WRMETTLER
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I’ve had a Foster press set up for at least 20 years. I use it for all single stage reloading from 223 through 300 WM. I really love it. No shell holders to set up, and it hasn’t broken yet.

I do use the Dillon 550 (older than the Foster) for some .308 and .223, and all pistol loadings. If you find the right powder, it throws a very accurate charge. I use Unique or Bullseye for .45 and 9mm and TAC for .223, and have found that with 10 throws the total weight for all 10 throws doesn’t vary more than 1/10 of a grain.

For more accurate 223, 308, 300 WM and 6.5x’06, I weigh each charge using a beam scale and a powder trickler. I can achieve a very low standard deviation with reloads that are probably very accurate – if only I was a good enough shot to find out.

I trade with Dillons because they have good stuff (if you know what to buy) and have a very good return, repair policy. Also, they are close by. I buy all my dies and other components from Bruno’s by Deer Valley Airport. They are expensive but they are convenient as well. Hard to find components I buy off the auction websites. Buying good powder right now is difficult.

My only suggestions: buy a micrometer cartridge headspace tool to confirm the set-back for the sizing die. It takes the guess work out of setting up the sizing die. I use this one and it works. http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadin...prod33476.aspx

Also the competition dies with micrometer-adjustments are easier to adjust for accurate resizing and bullet seating.

Reloading is fun and relaxing for me. Problem is you can’t drink beer while reloading.
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Old 12-28-2014, 11:20   #18
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My only suggestions: buy a micrometer cartridge headspace tool to confirm the set-back for the sizing die. It takes the guess work out of setting up the sizing die. I use this one and it works. http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadin...prod33476.aspx

Also the competition dies with micrometer-adjustments are easier to adjust for accurate resizing and bullet seating.

Reloading is fun and relaxing for me. Problem is you can’t drink beer while reloading.
I like that idea!

(No problem with the beer, I only drink whiskey when I reload.)
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Old 12-30-2016, 13:32   #19
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RCBS Chargemaster 1500

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Originally Posted by Peregrino View Post

For match quality ammo I use a RCBS Rockchucker press, Redding Competition dies, and a RCBS Chargemaster powder measure. Add the tumbler, gauges, caliper, trimmer, Autoprime, etc. and it's a fairly involved process that gives me sub-MOA groups with match bullets (Sierra Matchking) and extruded powder (.308 = IMR/H4895, or Varget, 300WM = H4350).

HTH
I asked Mrs. Claus for a RCBS Chargemaster 1500, and now I cannot believe I waited over ten years to get one. This is an amazing addition to my reloading bench. Highly recommend!
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Old 12-30-2016, 20:14   #20
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I asked Mrs. Claus for a RCBS Chargemaster 1500, and now I cannot believe I waited over ten years to get one. This is an amazing addition to my reloading bench. Highly recommend!
Now add the "McDonald's Straw" modification and reprogram the steps for the motor. The first improves the accuracy, the second speeds it up significantly. Enjoy.
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Old 01-05-2017, 17:51   #21
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So far nobody has touched on "what equipment to make."

If you plan to recover and reuse your rifle brass, you will want to avoid overworking it during resizing. Dedicating particular brass to a particular rifle is a helpful thing to some. 7.62 NATO chambers and .308 chambers will yield different size cases when the case is extracted. A one-size-fits-all approach will cause earlier case separation failures in those cases fired from a M14/M1A-type, or even more grossly, an Ishy 2A1, than those cases fired from your nicely-built .308 bolt rifle.

You want to use a cartridge headspace gauge in order to set the resizing die to make the brass small enough that it chambers in whatever rifle you want it to. A Hornady gauge was mentioned by greentick. I use Wilson gauges. They tell, by visual and by feel, overall length, shoulder setback, and will tell you of a goober in bullet seating. This gauge is used more than once during the process, last time used is the assurance that finished round that you're putting to storage, will fit any chamber you want it to.

The gauge is a cylindrical machined slug, hand-held, that you insert cases into. Its steps front and back are go/no-go lengths for what protrudes of the brass. Lore, is that an educated fingertip can detect a .001" shortness or proudness. I can't vouch for that.

Bottom line on using a case headspace gauge, is that it can help you avoid over-resizing your cases, which will help you avoid case failure from overstretching the case. Example: So what if my fingertip says that shoulder-to-boltface is a tad long, it's to be fired in a long chamber, and my die setting preserved the life of the case.

Cases are going to fail due to repeated resizing. So the tool that you want to make, is what could be called an interior-of-case rake. Case head separations happen maybe a quarter inch or less above the rim. The rake that you use to find case weakness before it goes bad, is made out of common tie-wire.

Cut a five inch piece of wire. Sharpen one end real nice and remove any burrs. With pliers, turn the sharpened end back 90 degrees. Make the length of that turn short, a quarter inch, it must go down the case neck. To finish, twirl a loop on the other end so you can hang it in a place handy on your bench.

To use, this rake is extension of your mind. When resizing rifle brass, material gets sucked from the area just in front of the rim. Your rake and its sharp point goes down there and feels for a lesser amount of brass. When the rake finds an irregularity, don't ponder, just pitch that case.

greentick also mentioned buying a bullet puller for your ooppses, and gave a choice between kinetic and collet types. I prefer collet to kinetic. They are less work for a few rounds, and are the only rational choice if you need to pull a few hundred. My brand is C&H, bought the first collet in '88 and my latest from them last year.

People here may remember Paragon, from a generation ago. I bought a K of .303 British from them, MEN 84 headstamp (sort of a curious thing that the West Germans would be ressurecting .303 ball ammo during that timeframe, no? No it really wasn't curious.). It was pretty hot for my Enfields. Real hard bolt lift. I pulled about 800 bullets and reloaded them back with 10% less powder. A collet-type bullet puller is your friend for big fubars.
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Old 01-06-2017, 12:32   #22
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^ Nice post. Remember seeing that "raker" regarded as a matter-of-fact tool to have in some old school reloading guides - have one in soft-cover (like the old Shooter's Bible) on the bench shelf around here somewhere. Much to be said for reliability vs. over-pandering to the chamber. I scrutinize my meat gun 7-08 cases & the kid's 30-06 the same way even though dedicated to the individual rifles, disliking argument when a pair of big does jumps up.

OT: Speaking of ammo & reliability, didn't realize till latest Blue Press got here of the passing of Mike Dillon who, among many other deserved kudos, is an Honorary Night Stalker. His contribution to that community here.
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Old 05-27-2019, 09:42   #23
Uman
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A great site

This guy test everything and gives great reviews
https://ultimatereloader.com
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