« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Thinking of a turret press  (Read 1285 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Sourdough

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8150
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged
Where is old Joe when we really need him?  Alaska Independence    Calling Illegal Immigrants "Undocumented Aliens" is like calling Drug Dealers "Unlicensed Pharmacists"
What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact.

Offline longwinters

  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3070
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
 
 
Logged
Life is short......eternity is long.

Offline cwlongshot

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (158)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9907
  • Gender: Male
  • Shooting, Hunting, the Outdoors & ATVs
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
Logged
"Pay heed to the man who carries a single shot rifle, he likely knows how to use it."

NRA LIFE Member 
Remember... Four boxes keep us free: the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.

Offline luckydawg13

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (27)
  • A Real Regular
  • *****
  • Posts: 982
  • Gender: Male
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
Logged
kids that hunt and fish dont mug old Ladies
and drive a F150

Offline flashhole

  • Trade Count: (15)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 201
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged

Offline mechanic

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (32)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5112
  • Gender: Male
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
Logged
Molon Labe, (King Leonidas of the Spartan Army)

Offline huntducks

  • Trade Count: (4)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 337
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged
Remember it's where the first bullet goes out of a cold barrel that counts most.

Offline Old Syko

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2263
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged

Offline Savage

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4397
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
Logged
An appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last,

Offline sr sawyer

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (70)
  • A Real Regular
  • *****
  • Posts: 599
  • Gender: Male
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     
 
 
Logged
NRA Life Member

Offline rdmallory

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 724
  • Gender: Male
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
Logged

Online gypsyman

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4852
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
Logged
We keep trying peace, it usually doesn't work!!Remember(12/7/41)(9/11/01) gypsyman

Offline Grumulkin

  • Trade Count: (33)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2028
    • http://www.orchardphoto.com
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.
Logged

Offline goodconcretecolor

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 222
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged

Offline HAMMERHEAD

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • *****
  • Posts: 508
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged

Offline huntducks

  • Trade Count: (4)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 337
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged
Remember it's where the first bullet goes out of a cold barrel that counts most.

Offline wncchester

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3856
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged
Common sense is an uncommon virtue

Offline Savage

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4397
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
Logged
An appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last,

Offline Dand

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (35)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2974
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.
Logged
NRA Life

liberal Justice Hugo Black said, and I quote: "There are 'absolutes' in our Bill of Rights, and they were put there on purpose by men who knew what words meant and meant their prohibitions to be 'absolutes.'" End quote. From a recent article by Wayne LaPierre NRA

Offline Jim_Ole_Timer

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 94
  • Gender: Male
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.   :)
Logged
Protect our constitution, all of it. Our kids future depends on it. And please teach them Conservatism.

Offline lakota

  • Trade Count: (26)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3472
  • Gender: Male
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.
Logged
Hi NSA! Can you see how many fingers I am holding up?

Offline Dand

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (35)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2974
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.
Logged
NRA Life

liberal Justice Hugo Black said, and I quote: "There are 'absolutes' in our Bill of Rights, and they were put there on purpose by men who knew what words meant and meant their prohibitions to be 'absolutes.'" End quote. From a recent article by Wayne LaPierre NRA
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »