Forster Co-Ax

bk

Well-Known Member
I've got two presses, a Big Boss and a Big Boss II. I've done some rounds and used the wrong press :oops: so the headspace is all wrong after FL sizing.
I reckon if I sold both I wouldn't be a million miles away from the Co-Ax. Is it a move forwards to swap them about? I'm reloading .222, .243 and 7-08 so would I have to adjust the shell holder bits moving from .222 to the .308 cases?
 
If you can afford to I would do it a heart beat. Had mine a couple of years now and would not go back. Dies set up and done. I load similar rounds to you. .20 Tac, 6mmbr, .243, 7-08 and .308 the only thing you really need is Forster die holders if using another brand of die.
 
I have purchased a dillon and doubled up on everything, just swap over tool heads leaving everything set for my calibres inc powder measures!
I've got two presses, a Big Boss and a Big Boss II. I've done some rounds and used the wrong press :oops: so the headspace is all wrong after FL sizing.
I reckon if I sold both I wouldn't be a million miles away from the Co-Ax. Is it a move forwards to swap them about? I'm reloading .222, .243 and 7-08 so would I have to adjust the shell holder bits moving from .222 to the .308 cases?
 
If you can afford to I would do it a heart beat. Had mine a couple of years now and would not go back. Dies set up and done. I load similar rounds to you. .20 Tac, 6mmbr, .243, 7-08 and .308 the only thing you really need is Forster die holders if using another brand of die.
I've got them anyway for my Redding dies so they clamp on them so no probs there.
 
Quick question though, can you still use a press mounted bullet puller in the co-ax? Wont the puller spin?
 
The only issue that I have found is that the cam handle on the Hornady bullet puller is a bit long, so you have to be a bit creative. Forster make their own, but I haven't tried it.
 
I've done some rounds and used the wrong press :oops: so the headspace is all wrong after FL sizing.

I doubt that the headspace issue is anything to do with the press.

Its entirely down to the dies, shellholder, and how you have adjusted them.

A change of press won't help unless you either learn how to set up the dies properly, or change the dies and shellholder for a matched pair which are guaranteed to work correctly when adjusted to bottom-out together.

AFAIK the only supplier who guarantee this are Lee.

Most other die manufacturers make their FL sizers slightly short, so they will work with any shellholder when carefully adjusted, but if set up to bottom out will always push the shoulder back too far.

The Forster co-ax is a great piece of engineering but if anything it will make your problems worse, if you haven't yet understood how to set up your dies correctly.
 
I doubt that the headspace issue is anything to do with the press.

Its entirely down to the dies, shellholder, and how you have adjusted them.

A change of press won't help unless you either learn how to set up the dies properly, or change the dies and shellholder for a matched pair which are guaranteed to work correctly when adjusted to bottom-out together.

AFAIK the only supplier who guarantee this are Lee.

Most other die manufacturers make their FL sizers slightly short, so they will work with any shellholder when carefully adjusted, but if set up to bottom out will always push the shoulder back too far.

The Forster co-ax is a great piece of engineering but if anything it will make your problems worse, if you haven't yet understood how to set up your dies correctly.

Yep. I know how to set my dies up but if they are set up for one press and you put them in another then there is a few thou difference in HS thus won't chamber okay
 
Yep. I know how to set my dies up but if they are set up for one press and you put them in another then there is a few thou difference in HS thus won't chamber okay
Not really surprising. By all means change presses, the Co-Ax is a nice design but not perfect, the "universal" shellholder clip (actually two sizes needed for all cartridges) is obviously a compromise. Or ISTR there is an adapter to use standard shellholders (I wonder what problem that was designed to solve ?) The co-ax relies on various bits "floating" together hopefully leading to perfectly co-axial results. Probably works sometimes, but so do traditional presses designed with minimal imprecision/minimal slop, consistently. But you won't have solved the basic issue which is the need to check the dies are set correctly each time you change them. The easy way is to keep a dummy cartridge with the perfect shoulder depth, maybe also bullet seating depth. Glue the bullet in place with loctite or superglue so it won't shift if dropped or unadjusted die clamped down too firmly. Back off the die, load the dummy cartridge, snug down the die, lock it off, job done.
 
Ive got one now and Im very happy with it. The only problem I can see is the lock ring has to be quite low down on the the dies so the lid wont shut on the die box.
I think I can live with that :lol:
 
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