Why a turret press?

[flyrobb]

I've started my loading hobby on a Lyman Spartan. I really don't see loading anything but pistol in .45, 9mm and maybe 38 special. Although it could increase I currently don't shoot more that 200 to 300 rounds a month and I can see myself getting into something besides a single stage press.

I'm not really looking for suggestions on which brand of press but where does a turret press fit into the grand scheme of presses. Why would I select a turret over a progressive, or visa versa, based on my shooting needs? Turrets seem to be quite a bit cheaper but when I upgrade I want to do it once, if that's possible.

 

[series guy]

I shoot the same amount as you, maybe a bit more and I have a system that uses all turret presses. I've bought used Lyman All Americans for $60 to $100 each and mounted them on 3/4" plywood along with an RCBS powder measure (also bought used). I have one for each caliber so I can change calibers in 15 - 20 seconds and can load 100 rounds in around 35 minutes. Definitely not Dillon speed but I love using the old equipment and I haven't had to switch or adjust a die in years.

 

[SteedGun]

Progressive presses have more features to help you load faster. If you are reloading pistol and you think this is something you will do for years then spend the money to get a high quality progressive press. I loaded all my guns for 30 years on the RCBS Rock Chucker. About five years ago I bought a Dillon 550B. Big upgrade. Now, I am slowly adding all my rifle calibers as well. My advice would be to find someone in your area that has both the turret and progressive presses and try out as many as you can. Good luck.

 

[Rule3]

The Turret press and the only one that AUTO indexes (LEE) increases your output a little simply by not having to handle the piece of brass 3 or 4 times.

With single stage loading you batch load and handle the brass a lot, with a turret the round is finished. Not as fast as a Progressive but in between that and a single stage,

Conservative production is a 150 round per hour with auto index, and say 100 rounds single stage. Some can get around 200 with auto index. That is priming on the press and powder drop on the press.

Th manual index turrets are almost as fast but you have to turn it each step but still eliminates changing dies and touching the brass 4 times. The dies are all set in the turret so to change calibers just put on another turret.

The LCT can be a single stage manual index or auto index. all

 

[sturtyboy]

I load 7 hand gun calibers. I'm using the Hornady Lock N Load progressive. I can switch dies within seconds. The powder measure takes several minutes to set up if I'm changing powder capacity from large to small or vice versa. It's very easy to switch out the large or small cylinder. Just a few minutes if using the same charge cylinder and just adjusting the powder.
I used a single stage press for years and I can really appreciate the progressive style.

One thought... Unless you really want to load, and you are going to load a lot...think about the cost of the type and amount of ammo you use. One can spend a lot of money to reload and not load that much. So the savings is minimal if at all.

I shop carefully for the components and for loaded ammo and I have some great sources. Then I see some great ammo deals at times too. So for me, the volume is the real difference.

 

[fredj338]

A turret is a faster ss press. You leave the dies setup in the tool head & process one rd thru all the steps. My issue with one vs say a Dillon 550, it's a one trick pony. You are still pulling the handle the same number of times. So while an upgrade, it's a minimal one over a ss press.
The 550 can be run as an inverted turret, running one rd thru the entire process. Unlike a turret, you can run it as a progressive & get one rd with each pull if the handle. Go slow, go fast, but you will do less work on any progressive vs any turret.

 

[flyrobb]

One thought... Unless you really want to load, and you are going to load a lot...think about the cost of the type and amount of ammo you use. One can spend a lot of money to reload and not load that much. So the savings is minimal if at all.

Oh, I'm definitely hooked on the process and so far am really enjoying it. I know how I am and it's only a matter of time before I go beyond the single stage. Just starting to think about the options?

 

[snowman]

flyrobb,

The determining factor here is how rapidly you burn through ammunition. High-volume shooters eventually will tire of the long hours they have to sit at their single-stage presses in order to keep up with their shooting requirements. They need progressive machines to churn the rounds out quickly.

The turret, as has been stated, is a little faster than the single stage but still considerably slower than a progressive. I use a turret press and probably always will, because I don't shoot enough to justify investing in a progressive. My custom has been to use the cold winter months to load all I will need for the warmer part of the year when I can shoot. At 2-300 rounds a month a turret would probably be sufficient for you, but only you and your schedule can determine if it would do the job quickly enough to suit you. If you're like most folks I know, you have other important demands on your time and can only spend so much of that time at the loading bench.

Best wishes in your choice,
Andy

 

[flyrobb]

flyrobb,

The determining factor here is how rapidly you burn through ammunition. High-volume shooters eventually will tire of the long hours they have to sit at their single-stage presses in order to keep up with their shooting requirements. They need progressive machines to churn the rounds out quickly.

The turret, as has been stated, is a little faster than the single stage but still considerably slower than a progressive. I use a turret press and probably always will, because I don't shoot enough to justify investing in a progressive. My custom has been to use the cold winter months to load all I will need for the warmer part of the year when I can shoot. At 2-300 rounds a month a turret would probably be sufficient for you, but only you and your schedule can determine if it would do the job quickly enough to suit you. If you're like most folks I know, you have other important demands on your time and can only spend so much of that time at the loading bench.

Best wishes in your choice,
Andy

Very good points. I keep saying I'm going to get out and shoot more then there's, work at work, work at home, work on the cabin, throw in a little fly fishing and a month goes by and no shooting at all. Just ain't right.

I can see where more efficient reloading would result in more shooting though. I do know I am more conservative when shooting factory .45's vs reloads.

 

[Calliope]

I like being able to prep my .357 brass fully without removing it from the press. I deprime/resize at sta 1, then flick it to sta 2 and expand/reprime. Much faster than having to move each piece of brass in and out of the press for each operation.
Same for finishing. After charging all the rounds in a loading block to compare charges, It's back into the press for seating at sta 3, then flick to sta 4 for crimp.

For .45 auto where I can see the charges more clearly in the press, I put the powder measure at sta 3 and process each piece of brass all the way through the 5 stations, never having to remove them until they're complete, kind of a 'semi-progressive' mode.
I chose a turret over a progressive because I want to be able to concentrate on 1 cartridge at a time and manually operate my powder drop, but still have more speed than a single stage.

What's funny is I still look for excuses to buy a high end single stage like a Forster Co-ax or RCBS Summit, but then I sit down at my T-7 turret and that goes away.

 

[Calliope]

Dammit!
Now I have that wanderlust again. Thinking about a Summit single stage with a Hornady lock and load adapter and short handle for .357, 30-30 and ram priming. I could leave the T-7 permanently set up for .45 auto.

 

[Twoboxer]

You already know progressives are faster than (I'll talk only Lee) Turrets are faster than single stage.

Caliber changeovers and setup time are exactly the reverse . . . single stage is faster than Turrets are faster than progressives. Of course, if you can leave the powder measure and priming system exactly the way they were for the previous caliber . . . either by buying extra parts or presses . . . then Turret and progressive changeover can be very fast, but now the equipment costs are higher.

So, the important thing to look at is your volume . . . not necessarily your shooting volume (although that's a factor), but your reloading batch size. If you do 100 rounds per caliber per reloading session, and you are talking pistol, A Lee Turret is a good buy. Low cost, good ammo, and you won't wear the press out.

But if you can get your batch sizes up to (eg) 1,000 rounds, then progressives make a lot of sense. A half-hour of changeover/setup time (or less if you buy extra parts) and 2+ hours of reloading is a total of 3 hours . . . two calibers . . . 6 hours to get 2,000 rounds. That's somehwere between 7 and 10 months' shooting provided for. But if you do 100 round batches of each caliber on a progressive, you are talking about far more time spent reloading because of the changeovers. And far less of a speed gain . . . at a significantly higher equipment cost.

At your volume, a Lee Turret will give quick payback followed by a return on your investment thereafter. It will take twice or three times as long to payback an investment in a progressive.

Progressives also take a bit longer to learn . . . when suddenly the press seems to jam up, what caused it? And if you are old like me, and shoot low volumes, you don't use the press that often with larger batch sizes . . . and you forget stuff. Or at least I do lol. So it takes longer to get proficient with progressive presses. And perhaps more patience.

Analyze yourself, your wants and needs, and make a choice

 

[novalty]

I liked my Redding T7 when I had it. The biggest downside that I found was changing out and setting up the powder through expander for the RCBS Uniflow. In hindsight I could have bought more of the die bodies and had them set up for each caliber. When I got in a Dillon 550 I thought for quite a while about making the switch over--mostly regarding the extra cost involved--since I already wasn't happy with switching caliber on the T7 (powder-through & expanding adjustment)--I was looking at the cost of the quick caliber conversion kits and extra caliber conversion which added nearly $300 in cost. It was nice having 3 handgun calibers set up in the T7 turret, but several would not clearance the rear of the frame--so it couldn't be rotated fully around and you would have to still move dies in and out. While not as fast as the Lee Classic Turret, the T7 was still faster than single stage as you could have all your equipment right in 1 spot and not have to move brass out of press to powder measure, and you could rotate the turret and complete 1 round.

Here was my setup with the T7.


Here is my 550 setup

 

[snowman]

Caliber changeovers and setup time are exactly the reverse . . . single stage is faster than Turrets...

Help me understand you here, Twoboxer. I have used both of the above and changeover with my Lee Classic Turret is just as fast if not faster than my single stage was. All one has to do is get additional turret heads and have the next caliber's dies installed in them, give the one being used a twist and lift it out, and slip the next one in. Then, if the next caliber is a different diameter, unsnap and remove the shellholder from the ram and snap the next one in. Are you thinking of a different brand press, such as novalty's in the above post??

Andy

 

[fixitfred]

The Same But Different

I started with a Rock Chucker and expect to have till I depart this world. They tell me I can't take it with me so my kids will have it. I use it as my power/rifle press.

I like the control of a single stage. There are checks I like to do.

I have an RCBS turret I got on sale. My process is similar to others but let me run through it.

I size/decap then a turn of the turret and I bell the case mouth. The speed increase comes from not having to remove the case and replace it in the shell holder. May seem small but it adds up.

I sometimes tumble to clean out the primer pockets. I prime with a hand primer. Then I charge all the cases then do my checks. Visual comparison and random sampling of charges on the scale.

Then I return to the press for bullet seating. A turn of the turret then crimping. Done.

It speeds me up but allows me to get my QC checks in. You should get a turret press.

 

[fixitfred]

Go Blue

I don't have one but recommend Dillon. Get the BL 550 they run about $250. I get a kick out of telling people they run ads in the American Hunter next to the viagra ads.

It's a slow progressive/turret that can be upgraded to the full speed RL550b progressive press.

 

[fixitfred]

Let Me Add

I broke my postings down into seperate ones because they cover different subjects.

Caliber change over speed is over rated. I hear a lot about it but it doesn't make sense to change dies quickly since the time is a fraction of total reload time. I have a turret press but I do not have a seperate turret for different calibers. I simply unscrew the dies and screw in what I need. I replaced the cheap single set screw lock rings with the clamp type. I have them adjusted so all I need to do is screw them in to the lock ring stop.

 

[Rule3]

If you plan to load a LOT of calibers and do not need MASS quantities of ammo, the Lee CTP is a very affordable way to go.

The Redding T7 or RCBS are high quality presses but expensive, The prices of extra turrets is far more than LEE.

I load a lot of calibers, my total investment in dies, turrets and the press is much less than just a expensive press alone,

Change over is about 3 minutes or so.

As mentioned it is all about how much ammo you need and how much you want to spend. The price of "What Dillion is Right for me" is not the price of the actual press shown, and it does not come with the Hot model!.

I had a RCBS auto progressive, great machine but actually prefer the turret, but that is for my needs.

 

[Twoboxer]

Help me understand you here, Twoboxer. I have used both of the above and changeover with my Lee Classic Turret is just as fast if not faster than my single stage was. All one has to do is get additional turret heads and have the next caliber's dies installed in them, give the one being used a twist and lift it out, and slip the next one in. Then, if the next caliber is a different diameter, unsnap and remove the shellholder from the ram and snap the next one in. Are you thinking of a different brand press, such as novalty's in the above post??

Andy

You're correct - with inexpensive but still extra cost Lee toolheads all your dies remain set up and go in at once, leaving you only with primer and powder changes if applicable. All in all, can be faster than single stage . . . and if it isn't the difference isn't worth talking about lol.

(I never could get small primers to work on that Lee Turret - maybe that had an influence on my write-up. But . . .)

Yes, other turrets may or may not work that way, or have far higher extra cost for toolheads . . . but I did say I was talking only about the Lee Turret . . . the only one I have used . . . guess I slipped up and let the other turrets in lol.

 

[Rule3]

I broke my postings down into seperate ones because they cover different subjects.

Caliber change over speed is over rated. I hear a lot about it but it doesn't make sense to change dies quickly since the time is a fraction of total reload time. I have a turret press but I do not have a seperate turret for different calibers. I simply unscrew the dies and screw in what I need. I replaced the cheap single set screw lock rings with the clamp type. I have them adjusted so all I need to do is screw them in to the lock ring stop.

It's more for us lazy people.

Heck I bought separate 38 special and 357 Mag dies and have them is separate turrets. At the time turrets were $10 or less.