[Bear2000]

After a whole three months of shooting guns (I'm a newbie, and totally hooked!), I've decided to jump into reloading - 9mm for my new CZ 75B and 223 for my Savage 12FV (thanks everyone who helped me decide on these guns). I imagine I'll shoot 2000-3000 rounds of 9mm next year and 1000-2000 .223. I've done the math, and that's about how much range time I'll have, considering I also like shooting my 10/22 and will be getting a Ruger Mark III soon enough.

Anyway, I did a little research here and elsewhere and decided to order a Lee Classic Turret Press from Kempf Gun Shop. Seemed like a good deal, and they've been helpful, too. But now I'm asking myself why I didn't buy the Lee Pro Press 1000. Can anyone tell me why? Should I be jumping right to progressive loading? Pricewise, there's not a heck of a difference. I can still change my order - I've told Sue Kempf to hold it for now.

Thanks!

[AtticusThraxx]

Bear I have both and though they are setup a litttle uniques for me, I don't see a major difference. If your gonna reload for pistol, progressive is the only viable option.
Just some general tips....
Safety Safety Safety. Can't stress that enough. I'm constantly surprised with buddies who are absolutely anal on a range about safety but think nothing of smoking while reloading, keeping powder an primers together, setup on a static-charged carpet etc...etc..etc.
Be consistant in your approach to setup steps and reloading procedure. Learn to do it the same way over and over. Cuts down on the risk of scewups.
Those Lee's can be a little tricky at first. Mine get out of time once in a while and you'll get brass stuck in disk now and then. I'd get a spare turret or two, some spare bushings, and maybe some feed tubes. Mine also seem to get kinked somehow. Keep press clean also, they get a little gummy and that's when I start having problems. Keep parts lube to minimum, just attracts all the gunk. White grease on the ram works well also. Make sure you read the directions real well. There's warnings about primer brands you'll want to be aware of.
I think of anything else I'll put it up. I'm guessing there's alot more experienced reloaders then me on this forum who can really get some good advice to ya.

[Bear2000]

Hi Atticus,

Thanks for the advice! I think maybe the classic is better for this newbie than the progressive.

Bear

[Wayne"O"]

agree with atticus i have both 1000 for pistol BE SAFE GO SLOW to start with

[jfh]

For the volume of shooting you do, the Classic (Cast) Turret--or the original Lee Turret (in the 4-die version) will do you just fine. In fact, I'd say it's preferred. Here's why:

1. The Lee Turret(s) are about the best machine I know of for load development--e.g., to use to make perhaps 10 rounds at one charge, then another at a slightly-higher charge.

2. When you are simply producing your selected recipe, you can safely make about 180 rounds per hour. Given your projected shooting needs, that means that an average one hour a week of your time should produce all the ammo you think you'll be shooting over the next year.

However, there are also other important advantages to a Lee turret setup for you--they are much easier to learn on: simply remove the auto index rod, and the press works like a single station. On any progressive, there is a lot happening at once--with the Pro 1000, "three times as much". And, the Pro 1000 is "only" a 3-die setup; the 4-die turret, with a Lee FCD die in station four, helps a beginner produce good ammo.

In the last four months, I've load about 5,000 to 6,000 rounds, mostly on my updated Turret Press--I'm just finishing up a big "development project" for 38+P 'replica rounds' for the Speer GDSB 135-gr. PD load. (Now I can shoot carry-gun ammo for 12 cents a round, instead of $1.00 for the factory round.) I took down my Pro 1000--which I used to use to produce 1911 and 10mm fodder for my 1911s. For production, I have a Load-Master set up and awaiting attention--but that's another post.

So, stay with the Classic Cast Turret. If I were starting over, I would buy one myself.

Jim H.

[Bowfishrp]

Yep I would recommend that you start cheap and go with the classic press kit. It almost comes with everything you need to start loading immediately and you will WANT to do this just to learn it all.

[baz]

I started with the Lee Hand Press. It was cheap, I was just using it to load 9mm and .38/.357, and though I expected to move up to a stationary press, I liked the utility of having something around that I could take with me if I ever had to go on the move. I'm ready to move up to a stationary press, and the Lee Turret Press is what I'm going to get. I really think one should have some experience under the belt before going to a progressive loader. As others have noted, for many, the Lee Classic Turret Press is capable of producing the volumes required. I don't know if there's anything comparable for the progressives, but I also like the idea of being able to get multiple turrets, and leave the dies intact, just swapping turrets in and out as I move between calibers. I don't see how going with a Lee Classic Turret Press could be wrong.

[RustyFN]

I would go with the lee Classic Turret. It will load around 200 rounds per hour when you get used to the machine. That usually takes about two weeks. I load 9mm for my CZ and 223 for my RRA AR15 on my Classic Turret. Very easy for a beginner to setup and use. A very strong press and and I have found the Pro Auto Disk to be accurate and the Lee dies to be accurate. The safety prime is an awesome addition and is very easy to use.
Rusty

[wally]

+1 to the Classic Turret for the reasons jfh and RustyFN have already pointed out.

If you settle in shooting mostly a single caliber a dedicated progressive set up for it is the way to go and use the Classic Turret for all your other calibers since its so easy to switch setups.

--wally.

[Bear2000]

I went with the Classic Turret from Kempf Gun Shop. I highly recommend them. Sue Kempf is an expert loader and will take the time to explain everything to you on the phone - 20 minutes in my case - to make sure you get everything you need. Their prices were also very competitive.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be bugging you again soon for bullet recommendations. I order 250 Hornady 22CAL 55GR SP W/C to start today. Hope that will work for now.

[Phil A]

I went with the Classic Turret from Kempf Gun Shop. I highly recommend them. Sue Kempf is an expert loader and will take the time to explain everything to you on the phone - 20 minutes in my case - to make sure you get everything you need. Their prices were also very competitive.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be bugging you again soon for bullet recommendations. I order 250 Hornady 22CAL 55GR SP W/C to start today. Hope that will work for now.

Good decision. I have both the classic turret and the Pro1000. The turret loads everything well and is more reliable. I learned to work with the 1000 and have limited it to a couple of cartridges. - Phil

[LubeckTech]

I started with the turret press and would advise you do the same because it is simple compared to the progressive press. I have a Pro 1000 and will buy a Lee progressive press again probably a Loadmaster. The Pro 1000 is a good press BUT a necessary element for it's successful use is PATIENCE!! The press has a steep learning curve and can be quite quirky at first. The biggest problem is primer feeding - the primer chute gets dirty quite easily so I have an air compressor at my bench which has made a real difference. The bullet feeder is problematic at best BUT you can load just about as fast without it. For the money it is a good press and can produce lots of quality ammunition in a short time IF you are patient and willing to invest the time in learning to make the press work.

[darwin-t]

I agree that you made the right decision. Does it come with the safety prime attachment? If not, that would be a nice addition

The nice thing about a turret is that you can make a round with 3 or 4 pulls of the handle OR remove the indexing rod and use it as a single stage press with instant die changes.

If you later decide to upgrade to a progressive, I'd go with the Loadmaster rather than the Pro 1000. I've had both and prefer the LM by far.

Enjoy your new press!

[FieroCDSP]

Progressives can be finicky, and for the life of me, I can't get anywhere near 4-600 an hour out of it. That's probably just because I'm slow. The turret will do you well for a long time. I've still got my Lee classic cast "O" press, and since I've started loading rifle now, it gets a lot of work. You'll always have a use for that turret press, even if you go progressive. +1 on the Loadmaster over the Pro 1000. I like my loadmaster, and once you watch the You Tube vids on setup, it works darn near flawlessly.

[Rod B]

I used two Lee Pro 1000s for about fifteen years. Yes they will produce a lot of ammo quickly but in doing so I found they required almost constant tinkering with the case feeder & the primer feed. I finally decided to make my reloading a little easier & sold both of these presses.

Last year I bought a Lee Classic Cast for my rifle loading & a Classic Turret press for handgun loads, no it is not as fast as the Pro 1000. However the ease of caliber changes, the reliable primer disposal & excellent Safety Prime system are a pleasure to use. I find that the Cast turret more than adequate for my needs.

I believe things are changing at Lee Precision. The advent of the Classic Cast & Classic Turret may lead to a new heavy duty cast iron progressive press that will replace both the Lee 1000 & the Loadmaster. Wishful thinking? Maybe.

Richard Lee gave us affordable reloading equipment, now his son John is offering us a higher quality product while maintaining a realistic price.:)

[AtticusThraxx]

Lee has a couple of reconditioned Turret Presses for sale:
http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/surplus.html

[wally]

The Loadmaster could be a great press with a few changes.

The case feeder crank slider setup is awful. It needs keys or detents to index the rod square face parallel to the case slider ramp in the plane of the ram axis.

A table of how many turns out the square rod holder has to be for various calibers should be provided. Mine came with the dies installed close enough to "right" I mistakinly assumed the press was setup before shipping and promptly broke the crank slider as soon as I moved the ram with the rod holder in its as shipped position. Sure Lee sent out a replacement for free the day I called but its a showstopper until the replacement part arrives.

The primer feed is perhaps the biggest issue since you can't see a screw-up until its too late. This will be much harder to fix. I like that it doesn't feed a primer with no case present, but why should this matter? Can't it just return from whence it came and thereby block the next in line from dropping? I think it could be made of better (tougher) materials if this complexity were removed

The case resovoir is also pretty lame with the whole thing held in alignment with the compression of two nuts tightened against the case slider ramp.

I didn't bother with the bullet feeder, filling the tubes seems to me would take as long as putting the bullets in the cases one by one.

--wally.