Am I crazy?

Consider a Forster Co Ax. Set your dies up......ONE time. Die change takes less than five seconds if you have the container for the next die case open.

I say if you're happy stay with it for now. There's something about single stage that's intimate and in control. And if you decide to want speed then move up. It all depends what you're trying to do. But always keep a single stage handy.

What are you loading for pistol or rifle?

Get the T7. Set it up on the other end of the bench. In six months sell the one you like least.
Or you could relegate the RCBS to a dedicated decapper. I added one of these https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Primer-Catcher-Chucker-Supreme/dp/B0738MP4JK to my Rockchucker and the mess is gone.

I second the above question - what are you loading for?

Among the many presses on my bench, my T7 is one of my favorites. And being honest - I do believe it is a lot of fun to use. I don’t see the others as not being fun, but for some reason, I just correlate the T7 with being an enjoyable time at my bench.

Each of my presses has a particular job and that’s why I own them. The T7 is essentially focused around straight wall magnum cartridges. I wanted the ability to run one single round through the press, from start to finish, without worrying about multiple stages at once and being able to pour powder from a Chargemaster. I don’t do batch processing on it as, in my opinion, it defeats the purpose. It’s one round, the entire way through, then I pull it off the ram. My T7 allows me to feel more in control, it is built like a tank, the spent primers always flow down the drop tube, it is quick, it is precise, and it is a blast. When shooting revolver cartridges with 40gr a powder, it was how I got comfortable loading more at a time with a little speed.

I started off reloading on an RC Supreme and loved that press. There were multiple times I did 1,000 round sessions of pistol cartridges on it. It did it’s job! I finally parted ways with that press within the past year. I managed an incredible deal on a Redding UltraMag and decided to keep it over the RC - mostly due to the spent primer issue. Also - the Co-ax is a great press, but I don’t necessarily think that it deserves the Holy Grail status it always awarded. The time “saved” for switching dies would be passed very quickly within the first 25 rounds of batch processing on a turret style press. Not to mention, if loading pistol, the extra stroke required every time isn’t a time saver. You have to work the ram the entire way, otherwise the jaws don’t open - or you buy / make an after market opener rod to start that process earlier. Plus, the stroke of the over the top center handle can be quite taxing for long sessions.

If money isn’t an issue - I say pickup the Redding T7. Die set up is no different than any other press and doesn’t take long. Plus, you can use other items you’ve already purchased - such as shell holders.

dcloco said:

Consider a Forster Co Ax. Set your dies up......ONE time. Die change takes less than five seconds if you have the container for the next die case open.

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Good advice here. I replaced my Turret press with a Co Ax and I get much better results out of it for precision rifle loads. I really like the self adjusting shell holder feature and the quick change die feature is super nice. The on press priming is the best I've ever used. It's one at a time so a little slower than some but has a machined stop and primers are seated exactly .005 below flush...every time.

If you go this route, you will need to keep your RC around for utility stuff like bullet pullers, swaging, and the like.

.40

Sounds like you're all set to me.

I have a 550B & a 550C, + a Lee Breechlock single stage.

For my reloading needs I have everything I want
Just my 2¢ worth.
YMMV

Well actually I'd liike a MEC 600 Jr to reload 20 ga & 410 Bore

Bat Rastard said:

Get the T7. Set it up on the other end of the bench. In six months sell the one you like least.
Or you could relegate the RCBS to a dedicated decapper. I added one of these https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Primer-Catcher-Chucker-Supreme/dp/B0738MP4JK to my Rockchucker and the mess is gone.

Click to expand...

Wow...$29 + $5 shipping, that's expensive. There's a file you can download (legally) and 3d print it yourself. I actually printed mine for $2 at the local library, as I don't have a 3d printer. Best $2 spent on getting my reloading setup.
Bat rastard is right... Primers are no longer an issue with this primer catcher.

When I bought mine it seems like it was a lot cheaper. It is a dandy addition to a Rock Chucker.

I have never reloaded for speed, rounds per minute, etc., because I like reloading. If I need 200 rounds and cranked them out in 15 minutes, then what? Go watch TV or play on my computer? Some methods/equipment aids my reloading but faster, faster, more, more just doesn't fit my lifestyle. I use a Forster Co-Ax, not for speed, but because I like the precision and some steps are easier (I can change dies very easily but I still double check every adjustment with nearly every die change). If I was looking at a turret press, it would be for ease of use only, not rounds per minute, and everything I've read/heard about the Redding turret has been positive...

ElGuappo79 said:

I have been using my RCBS RCII for ever and it's a fine press. A bit messy with primers everywhere, but I don't mind cleaning up

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I've used a Rock Chucker and a Rock Chucker "Supreme" forever. A 5-gallon plastic bucket placed on the floor underneath your press will catch most (but not quite all) of those spent primers, the one's that don't drop into the primer catcher, before they go bouncing off across the room.

mdi said:

I have never reloaded for speed, rounds per minute, etc., because I like reloading.

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Same here. Back in the '80s, my wife and I were heavily into IHMSA, and we after work, were handloading 3 or 4 evenings out of every week. Handloading became more like a job than a leisure-time activity, so we quit IHMSA.

If a person asks a reloading forum about whether to buy reloading equipment, does anyone expect the answer to be "No?"

To buy a new press, the only one you need to justify it by is yourself. If you want it and have the finances then buy it. Kinda like, I already have 10 pistols do I really need another one. NO, do I want another one? Not right now. Will I buy another one? MOST LIKELY!

I try not to put my self in a position of regret and sometimes reasoning with myself can get difficult. A year or so ago I hemmed and hawed about buying a new Lee Turret press or buying the new Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro. Did that for almost 4 months and finally bought the ABLP Pro4000 and now believe it was the right choice.

cougar1717 said:

If a person asks a reloading forum about whether to buy reloading equipment, does anyone expect the answer to be "No?"

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Sometimes, if said person is asking about buying Lee reloading equipment.
Just clowning around everyone - no reason to get in a twist.

Sypher.... said:

Wow...$29 + $5 shipping, that's expensive. There's a file you can download (legally) and 3d print it yourself. I actually printed mine for $2 at the local library, as I don't have a 3d printer. Best $2 spent on getting my reloading setup.
Bat rastard is right... Primers are no longer an issue with this primer catcher.

Click to expand...

That product is not going to work with your RC II. I made a perfect system for free for mine and it kicks cases too....


If you want a turret buy a turret!....I can't think of one press I could buy that'd I be sorry about except one of the light weights.....well except the Lee APP....that thing is a HOOT! and it is saving me time and effort....what's not to like about a single station press with a case/bullet feeder!.....it complements my RC II, Summit, Pro 2000, and my Pro Chucker 7!

Get the T7 if you want one. No reason not too if you have some spare cash and the bug. I have sorta caught the new press that I do not need bug too. But...unlike you I like the LNL system so I am gonna get a new Redding Boss 2. I am too cheap to want to buy enough $80 heads to do the several calibers I load.

The Redding is better than some of the other center mount turrets, at least they made an effort to minimize tilting of the turret as the load is imparted into the die, with a support, for the turret, opposite the ram.



The old Lyman’s did too though and as loads went up, they move, so I kind of lost trust in the idea, if I wanted the most precision.

Then there is also the fact that you can only run a certain number of dies in any given turret. So at some point you are going to have to remove and replace or buy more turrets. Same goes for presses that use bushings, just another cost involved.

The co-ax is unique in that it just uses the lock ring to maintain the setting, also makes it very fast to swap.

As the video demonstrated, I was indeed using my R.C.II for decapping, before dunking and tumbling brass in pins, Lemishine and water.....and I got it running fairly fast. But it also demonstrated how fumble fingers can slow it down!

Which is why the new little lightweight Lee APP interested me enough to buy one last January, and tinker with it until it fed what ever I want it to, fast and efficient!


If there's a problem with it at all, it's the little bump (because I think of its light weight) when the crimped primer is pushed out......but it's still way faster than using the RCBS R.C. II coupled with my fat fingers. I love the idea of a case feeder for a single station press. What I'd really like to do is make my RCBS Summit feed cases! Bet I wouldn't even notice any bump with that one. Or how about jmorris's Forster Co-Ax? jmorris, I'd be willing to bet, could make it feed cases.....with a little weekend project....

Why deprime off my progressive? Two reasons:

I'm addicted to Bling:


And I wanted this once ugly L.C. brass swaged and pockets uniformed...off-press, so the reloading process on the progressive would be smooth and efficient with no interruptions due to priming variances. Even a Dillon 1050 can't both swage and uniform pockets. The picture is of such prepared .308, ready for my progressive....and with the uniformed pockets and the built-in primer stop....primers go in exactly the same depth every time.

I didn’t make it for feeding cases but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

I am a co ax owner. There is wisdom in what was said by Rat Bastard. Get the T7. Setup both. Sell or re-purpose the looser.

jmorris said:

I didn’t make it for feeding cases but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

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While motorized is neater than hell, that's the one thing I will probably never try......its a matter of skill set, tools I don't have, not to mention a much smaller need for such production output. Hand cranked production is more than plenty for what I shoot......but for those who need it........awesome.....and fun to build for sure.

How often do you use it? Me? I've yet to cast my first boolit.....probably never will.