Author Topic: Which new press,turret or progressive? (Read 531 times)

hunt4570 · « **on:** April 06, 2005, 11:35:17 AM »

I've been loading rifle cartriges for a couple years. Just bought a Redhawk 44mag,sounds like a good reason to get a new press.I've been using a Lee aniversery kit and probably will stick with Lee.I dont shoot millions of rounds like some,but obviosly going to be shooting more than my single shot TC's. So the question is a turret press,or progressive(Lee pro 1000 or loadmaster?)AND WHY.SGB

jgalar · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2005, 02:05:23 PM »

The turret is alot cheaper than the progressives and cheaper to change over to load other cartridges. It is also very quick and easy to use and make caliber changes. You can probably load about 200 handgun rounds an hour with the 3 hole auto indexing turret and the disk measure. I have been using a turret press for a number of years and have no desire to get a progressive. I especially like being able to lock the dies in place and just pop out the shell holder and turret to change for a different caliber. It only takes a few seconds to change over. I use the auto indexing 4 hole press because I need the extra hole for the case expander and the crimp die when loading cast rifle bullets. If I had the room I would get an extra 3 hole auto indexing press to load handgun rounds.

MnMike · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2005, 06:12:44 PM »

I agree with jglar. The turret press is fast enough for most reloading. I don't even use the rotate feature. I use it as a single press with the advantage of not having to adjust the dies each time I change calibers. My opinion is just an opinion based on what I do. I shoot a few rounds of many calibers each month. If you are looking at doing a lot of rounds of ne caliber at a time one of the progresives may be the wat to go.

mike

Questor · « **Reply #3 on:** April 07, 2005, 02:25:50 AM »

The progressive presses come to mind when the shooter feels he is spending too much time reloading. If you don't think you need the volume of cartridges, then you're probably better off with a good single stage. I don't understand the "adjusting dies" argument in favor of the turret press because all my single stage dies for a given cartridge are already adjusted, and all I have to do is screw them in to the single stage press.

jgalar · « **Reply #4 on:** April 07, 2005, 05:52:45 AM »

Maybe thats becasue you have never tried it....

Questor · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2005, 06:05:01 AM »

Maybe if somebody could tell me where the time savings are in a turret press, I'd be able to understand it. It doesn't take that long to screw in two or three dies.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** April 07, 2005, 08:07:49 AM »

Lee turrent works very well I load all my pistol brass on one and its about a hundred times faster than a single stage, I use one of those too, I use the 4 hole progressive with a powder pro measure thru the belling die and a factory crimp die in there, I can load 200 .357s in about an hour.

jgalar · « **Reply #7 on:** April 07, 2005, 05:04:34 PM »

Questor I didn't mean any offence in my comment...
I have both a turret press and a single stage press. I can change out the whole turret faster than, or at least as fast as, I can screw in a die with the single stage. I only have to change the turret once you must do it 3 times for a 3 die set.
When loading with a 3 die set in a single stage press you must install and remove a case at each stage. So if you are loading 200 rounds you have to at the least make 600 case swaps. With the turret you only insert the case once and move the turret (200 case swaps). When using the auto indexing feature its even quicker just 3 strokes of the ram and you have a loaded round.
I don't use the auto indexing with rifle cartridges. I could use a single stage press, but I find the turret is again quicker. I load in batches just like you do. I have bags of brass that some are just cleaned, some are sized only, some are ready to load etc. Instead of screwing dies in and out depending on which bag I use I just pop in the turret. For example if I am sizing cases and get bored and want to load up a few I just rotate the turret grab the bag with ready to load brass and go to it.
I just see it as a dang convenient way to do my reloading.

hunt4570 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2005, 05:16:06 PM »

So you guys seem to be leaning to the turret,is the 3 hole enough or would the 4 hole be more usefull?Thanks for the feedback....SGB

SLAVAGE · « **Reply #9 on:** April 07, 2005, 05:24:56 PM »

i would say get the 4 one with auto indexing you dont have to use it like that but for the few extra $$ now you might want to use it like that down the road some

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #10 on:** April 07, 2005, 09:39:57 PM »

I have the three hole non progressive model, I then bought a four hole progressive kit to fit it, Three bolts out, change from one to the other, three bolts in done. I use the four hole alot because I load pistol rounds with four dies, I like crimping in a seperate step useing the Lee factory crimp dies.