Arbor Press Loading

[markm]

I think I've mentioned this press a few times... But I wanted to do a mini review and dedicate a thread to Arbor press loading.

Pappabear scooped this press up on an impulse buy when he was in Bruno's reloading supply over a year ago. Prior to this I was using a huge, heavy Harbor Freight arbor press.

The K&M is probably a quarter of the weight, and 3 times as nice. It has a spring loaded contact point on the press ram that gives you a great seating feel and some over-travel movement in the handle when you bottom out the die. This light weight press is tough and strong. I've seated some tight 300 WM neck tension ammo without bending or damaging the press.

Another feature for lunatics is the option of attaching a dial gauge that measures the seating pressure of each bullet seated.

Press height is adjustable with a big T shaped allen wrench that comes with the press.

https://i.imgur.com/gb4dzqv.jpg

[NWPilgrim]

Mark, what is the benefit of an arbor press over a regular single stage press like the Rick Chucker? I’ve seen these in the Sinclair website and various reloading catalogs and always wondered “why this instead if that?” And “Am I missing something in my reloading process?”

Does an arbor press perform all the die functions or just seating? Use common dues or special? Finally, are you familiar with the Wilson arbor press and what do you think of the K&M versus that?

I appreciate your hands on review!

[Pappabear]

Im feeling some good ammo to slam mañana. Keep rolling big boy!!

FYI, I buy anything that increases production. I slammed 1,300yrds last week 5/5 with some home rolled 225's from the Markm factory. Its good when its rollin!! #300WM rules

We are tinkering with 6.5 right now. Range report to follow.

PB

[andre3k]

Usually the advantage of the arbor press is that its compact and can fit in a tool box for load development at a range. Just bring your primed brass and a way to dispense your powder and you're GTG. You can have everything you need to load at the range fit in a machinist toolbox.

I shot short range Benchrest (100/200 yards) for a few years and it was a mixed bag, I don't think it loads ammo that's any more accurate than a traditional press. I watched Gene Bukys set a NBRSA record and he was loading on an RCBS partner.

Also if you're getting barrel chambered you can send in a Wilson die blank and have a seater made with the same reamer that cut your chamber. I do like that about the inline dies.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[markm]

Mark, what is the benefit of an arbor press over a regular single stage press like the Rick Chucker?

With Arbor press seating, you get to use the L.E. Wilson seating dies which seat the bullet perfectly straight. It pairs nicely with the Chargemaster since you can seat bullets while waiting on the next powder charge. Arbor seating is just a simple method of producing high quality ammo.


Does an arbor press perform all the die functions or just seating?

Since there's no shell plate to hold brass, the press is really just for bullet seating. All other brass prep (body sizing, neck sizing, and priming) is done on my Big Boss II.

[NWPilgrim]

Ok thanks for the info. I end up using my turret press as a single stage for rifle ammo due to the case prep steps and powder charging off the press. Sounds worth looking into an arbor press. I like simple, quality tools when speed is not needed.

[bigedp51]

On a standard Rockchucker type press the Forster and Redding benchrest seating dies will produce less neck runout than any other type seating die.

Below the Forster and Redding seating dies hold the case body and bullet in perfect alignment. German Salazar at his Rifleman's Journal website did a seating die test and these dies came in first place. This was because these dies had the ability to slightly correct the neck runout and lowering the bullet runout.

https://i.imgur.com/MomXeUI.gif

[masan]

Usually the advantage of the arbor press is that its compact and can fit in a tool box for load development at a range. Just bring your primed brass and a way to dispense your powder and you're GTG. You can have everything you need to load at the range fit in a machinist toolbox.

I shot short range Benchrest (100/200 yards) for a few years and it was a mixed bag, I don't think it loads ammo that's any more accurate than a traditional press. I watched Gene Bukys set a NBRSA record and he was loading on an RCBS partner.

Also if you're getting barrel chambered you can send in a Wilson die blank and have a seater made with the same reamer that cut your chamber. I do like that about the inline dies.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Gene is one of those guys who could out shoot most other people on a range even if all he had was a squirt gun, lol. A trued Partner Press is/was a staple amongst us short range benchrest shooters, as it travels very well, taking up only a little space and being far lighter than most other options.

The custom seater made on the same reamer as your barrel is the bees knees, especially if your smith uses a barrel drop for the die body and hand laps the Wilson stem to the die.

[masan]

Mark,

I cannot tell from the photo you posted, so I will ask, do you use the Skip Otto shims on you Wilson dies?

They are shims that can go between the seater top and seater body (they ride on the seater stem) that allow you to make small but repeatable adjustments to your seating depth.

https://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-equipment/reloading-dies/replacement-parts-amp-upgrades/reloading-die-shims-for-7-8-14-dies-sku749001325-33711-65249.aspx?rrec=true

They are a wonderful addition to an inline seater setup, especially if you switch bullets often or chase the lands as your throat erodes.

You can also get shims that go under the lock ring on your sizing die, work just the same, just bigger. I have moved away from those though, as there is a better mousetrap for making extremely small but precise changes to your case sizing.

Anyways, good writeup on the K&M Press. I am one of those lunatics who has the Force Pack on his, but I also make my own bullets so I wont argue that I am not a lunatic.

[markm]

I am one of those lunatics who has the Force Pack on his, but I also make my own bullets so I wont argue that I am not a lunatic.

:sarcastic:

The force pack is really cool, but it would make me nuts.... sorting and what not.

I've used shims on 300 WM loads in the past when we were messing with secant ogive/VLD bullets. We've since gone to all ELD bullets seat them without shims... just simply leave the die set up to whatever OAL I want.

[masan]

:sarcastic:

The force pack is really cool, but it would make me nuts.... sorting and what not.


Yeah, unless you are running one brass type, all from the same lot#, and all neck turned, the force pack would be the next best thing to pointless.