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Offline Sourdough

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Thinking of a turret press
« on: August 07, 2011, 11:33:30 AM »
I have been using single stage presses for 50 years.  I am now retired and loading a lot of ammo for my self, my son, and the wife.  Think about upgrading, and was thinking about a turret or a progressive press.  Don't think I really reload enough for a progressive but what is the advantages of the turret press.
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Offline longwinters

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Re: Thinking of a turrent press
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2011, 12:14:21 PM »
The advantage of the turret is that you can have 3 different calibers for rifle or 2 for pistol.  If you have the Redding turret you will also have room for a camlok bullet puller as it has 7 holes instead of the 6 for Lyman or RCBS.  You can also buy additional turrets so that all your calibers can be pre-set up and ready to go.
 
I have the RCBS that I really like, but the Redding is "the mother of the turrets" in my opinion.
 
Long
 
 
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2011, 12:22:23 PM »
Redding makes a great product. I bought a LYMAN and was not happy, too much play, tighten it up so that was gone and it wasn't useful as a turret...
 
I like my SS presses...
 
Not a turret, it is a progressive, I do like my Dillon's!!
 
CW
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Offline luckydawg13

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Re: Thinking of a turrent press
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2011, 01:39:05 PM »
i have two #1 is set up for my 357/243 and #2 is set up for 44mag/06
there both old Lyman S/T made in the 1970?
love them
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Offline flashhole

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Re: Thinking of a turrent press
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2011, 03:18:21 PM »
Take a serious look at the Lee Classic Turret.  Great design, great press and turrets are very inexpensive so you can set up for every cartridge without breaking the bank.  I picked up my second one a few months ago.  Factory Sales has the best prices.
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Offline mechanic

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Re: Thinking of a turrent press
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2011, 03:38:31 PM »
I have a Lee turret, and an RCBS progressive.  Use the Lee all the time, the RCBS is somewhere in a box............
 
Ben
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Offline huntducks

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Re: Thinking of a turrent press
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2011, 10:52:57 AM »
I still can't figure out why anyone would buy a turret press it takes less then 15 sec. on a SS to unscrew and screw in a die.
 
Now a progressive is the way to go if you want to load ammo fast, Dillon makes a stripped down verison of there 550 it sells for $250 and you can add all the whistles and bells as wanted or needed.
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Offline Old Syko

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2011, 12:16:00 PM »
There simply is no advantage to a turret press.  As huntducks states, it takes only seconds to change dies so there is nothing to gain there.  Also as cwlongshot states it is impossible to eliminate the play in a turret without defeating the purpose.  The only real upgrade is to go progressive for handgun and small rifle calibers and even then you will want to stick with the single for big rifle stuff.
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Offline Savage

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2011, 02:48:31 PM »
Quote from: Old Syko on August 08, 2011, 12:16:00 PM
There simply is no advantage to a turret press.  As huntducks states, it takes only seconds to change dies so there is nothing to gain there.  Also as cwlongshot states it is impossible to eliminate the play in a turret without defeating the purpose.  The only real upgrade is to go progressive for handgun and small rifle calibers and even then you will want to stick with the single for big rifle stuff.

Actually there are several advantages to a turret over a single stage. You just have to buy the right turret. As someone mentioned in an earlier post, the Lee Classic is the best value in a turret, at least for my money. Priming and charging are done integral to the process, really speeding things up. I sometimes load .223 on mine when I'm only going to load a hundred rounds or so. There is very little play in the LCT. It's auto indexing feature allows you to produce lots of completed rounds at a sitting rather than "Batch Load" as you would with a single stage. It is easily many times faster than single stage loading, and I can detect no accuracy difference from ammo loaded on my Rock Chucker. Never use my "T Mag" anymore, my RC is used to swage primer pockets or run a universal depriming die. The LCT is used for low volume (<100) loading, my high volume stuff is loaded on a progressive. Can't get by with just one press!
Savage
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Offline sr sawyer

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2011, 04:00:32 PM »
The turret press is not as rigid as the single stage but it has its purpose.  I have a very old Lyman Spartan (my first press from the late 60's) and a newer Lyman T-Mag that i purchased used a few  years ago.
 
Personally I size everything with a RCBS Rockchucker and set my turrets up for expanding case mouths, seating  and crimping bullets.  This works especially well for setting seating depth with bullets for my tried and true loads.  The turrets give me the option of setting seating dies for an established load and saves the time of set-up for proven loads.
 
With my two turrets I have ten available slots to do my non heavy sizing and not  needed rigid applications to set and leave for an extended period of time if so desired without changing anything.  This works great especially for staight wall pistol calibers.
 
Ken     
 
 
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Offline rdmallory

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2011, 04:31:27 PM »
+1 Lee Classic Turret

I load a lot of different calibers and it works great for me. I can de-prime and size like a single stage and load like a turret. The Disk powder drop works great and it is only about $35 bucks.

http://youtu.be/KB6OS0LoRPE  Can't do this with a single stage. ( his table looks a little week)

Just purchased the Dillon BL550 and I am using the Lee Disk powder drop on it. Dillon is nice but it would cost over a thousand dollars to get it set up like I have the Lee. The shell plates and powder funnels are $44 plus another $20 for the tool head. My Lee powder funnel came with the dies and the shell holder is $3.

I purchased the  Dillon to get caught up on my .223 and 9mm which I "bulk" reload. Might  get a shell holder for .308 later on to keep my 1919a4 fed.

Doug
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Offline gypsyman

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #11 on: August 09, 2011, 03:52:25 AM »
I've been using a Redding T-7 turret press for 4-5 years now. There are a couple dies I leave locked in so I don't have to mess around re-adjusting them. Been very happy with the press. Used a Rock Chucker for over 25 years when I switched. Nothing wrong with either one, just what makes ya happy. For my blamo ammo, I have a Dillion 550. gypsyman
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Offline Grumulkin

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2011, 07:02:27 AM »
I'm frequently working on 2 or 3 cartridges at a time so I find my Redding T-7 turret press saves me a lot of time and especially bother.  I can highly recommend it.
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Offline goodconcretecolor

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2011, 02:48:21 AM »
Chalk up another one for the Lee Classic Turret press. With the turret fully supported around its perimeter, alignment takes care of itself. Lee is unique in this. A simpler and innately superior design. I have had mine for about 2 years and use it exclusively.
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Offline HAMMERHEAD

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #14 on: August 10, 2011, 07:07:24 AM »
I'm very happy with my Redding T-7. Had it for about 5 years now, wouldn't trade it for a progressive, wouldn't go back to a single stage.
I like being able to cycle a round all the way through the process without removing it from the shell holder, or batch prepping brass by sizing/repriming/flaring without having to remove them for each die.
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Offline huntducks

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2011, 12:25:47 PM »
I still don't see were you gain anything on a SS press, you might gain a few sec. of just unscrewing and screwing in a die but that's it, if try to tell me your dies are always set so are mine on a SS that's what the set screw is for on the side.
 
Redding T-7 is $270 a Lyman Mag is $175 you can buy a Dillon progressive BL-550 for $259.00 use you own dies and powder measure sure you will have to buy shell plates or just a conversion kit $30 and a tool head for $20 but you still get the ability of a progressive and if you want you can add the auto primer feed and powder measure at a later date or just keep it that way you can never change a turret to a progressive.
 
Plus you get Dillons warranty none better.
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Offline wncchester

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #16 on: August 12, 2011, 09:21:09 AM »
Get the Lee Classic Turret and you will have something easily useful.  Neither I nor anyone else I know who has a conventional turret finds them much, if any, more helpful than a single stage.  Lee has an auto-indexing feature that actually turns the turret after each step and that does save a good bit of time.  And, unlike the others, Lee's turrets are easy to swap in a few seconds and are inexpensive enough to make having a head set up for every cartridge you load reasonable.
 
A Dillon progressive, alone, isn't much different in price from Redding's T-7.  But, swapping cartridges in a Dillon isn't cheap, easy or quick.
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Offline Savage

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #17 on: August 14, 2011, 04:10:56 AM »
Quote from: wncchester on August 12, 2011, 09:21:09 AM
Get the Lee Classic Turret and you will have something easily useful.  Neither I nor anyone else I know who has a conventional turret finds them much, if any, more helpful than a single stage.  Lee has an auto-indexing feature that actually turns the turret after each step and that does save a good bit of time.  And, unlike the others, Lee's turrets are easy to swap in a few seconds and are inexpensive enough to make having a head set up for every cartridge you load reasonable.
 
A Dillon progressive, alone, isn't much different in price from Redding's T-7.  But, swapping cartridges in a Dillon isn't cheap, easy or quick.

That pretty well sums it up. I would add that if I could only have one loading press, the LCT would be my choice. Inexpensive, fast, quick change over, and produces good ammo. About all you can ask from a press.
Savage
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Offline Dand

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #18 on: August 14, 2011, 07:25:53 PM »
I have the Lyman Turret  and 3 extra turrets. I like it and it makes good ammo.  But if I had to buy a new press today I'd buy the Lee Classic Turret. Several times on this forum I have posted my technique that I call "Semi- Progressive" with the Lyman - mostly for handgun ammo. You might want to search for it. Its faster than single stage but I have to pay close attention.  The Lee allows a faster version of my system and would probably be a little safer with the auto- advance. For smaller shells like 9mm - I much prefer to reduce the number of times I have to insert and remove the case from the press. And I like to pull a completed cartridge out of the press.  I think its a great way to go for those who shoot moderate quantities of ammo. Check out the Lee and a Lee ProAuto powder measure.
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Offline Jim_Ole_Timer

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2011, 06:17:14 AM »
Quote from: Savage on August 08, 2011, 02:48:31 PM
Quote from: Old Syko on August 08, 2011, 12:16:00 PM
There simply is no advantage to a turret press.  As huntducks states, it takes only seconds to change dies so there is nothing to gain there.  Also as cwlongshot states it is impossible to eliminate the play in a turret without defeating the purpose.  The only real upgrade is to go progressive for handgun and small rifle calibers and even then you will want to stick with the single for big rifle stuff.

Actually there are several advantages to a turret over a single stage. You just have to buy the right turret. As someone mentioned in an earlier post, the Lee Classic is the best value in a turret, at least for my money. Priming and charging are done integral to the process, really speeding things up. I sometimes load .223 on mine when I'm only going to load a hundred rounds or so. There is very little play in the LCT. It's auto indexing feature allows you to produce lots of completed rounds at a sitting rather than "Batch Load" as you would with a single stage. It is easily many times faster than single stage loading, and I can detect no accuracy difference from ammo loaded on my Rock Chucker. Never use my "T Mag" anymore, my RC is used to swage primer pockets or run a universal depriming die. The LCT is used for low volume (<100) loading, my high volume stuff is loaded on a progressive. Can't get by with just one press!
Savage

I agree that the turrent press is great. I have 4 presses altogether (no progertssives) and I always end up using my old Lyman T-Mag. It does come a little loose but its easily tightened up and works great. The nice thing about a turrent is you can start one case and finish it without changing dies. This comes in real handy when working up loads. I'm betting I can reload 50% faster then a single stage press. I rarely use my Rockshucker just cause the T-Mag works so well.   :)
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Offline lakota

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #20 on: August 20, 2011, 06:22:50 AM »
I like the Lee too. I have a SS press I use to deprime. I reprime with an hand priming tool and then I load on the turret. I can crank out ammo pretty quick this way. I load all my handgun calibers this way.(.357/.38, .45 Colt and .380 ACP)
 
I also use the SS to load varmint rifle ammo.
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Offline Dand

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Re: Thinking of a turret press
« Reply #21 on: August 26, 2011, 01:19:49 AM »
I thought I saw this morning that Cabela's has the Lee Classic turret on sale for 89.99 right now.
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