[speedracer81]

ok guys, I have 300 budgeted for a turn key reloading operation for reloading 9mm for a springfield xd9 tactical. if it was yours what would you buy? thanks!

[nambu1]

http://www.grafs.com/product/190688 or http://www.grafs.com/product/190935

[jim147]

A few questions might help get you better answers.

Have you reloaded before?

How much ammo do you plan to shoot?

[charby]

this is what I have

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000449357

of course I have a lot more accessories then what comes with the kit.

[Afy]

Since you already have the reloading kit, dies etc....

Bullets, Primers and Powder

[lee n. field]

ok guys, I have 300 budgeted for a turn key reloading operation for reloading 9mm for a springfield xd9 tactical. if it was yours what would you buy?

What anticipated volume -- how many rounds per month?


low -- single stage -- the RCBS Rock Chuck kit
medium -- Lee Classic turret
high -- a progressive. See below on Lee progressives. Do a search on THR for tweaks on the Lees.


Progressive or not?

yes -- Lee Loadmaster, which has better reputation than the lee pro 1000. These 2 are the only progressives that fit your budget. Be aware that the primer feed is somewhat finicky.
no -- the RCBS kit. Quality with a capital Q.
sorta -- the Lee Classic Turret + associated hardware bits. Pricewise in the same range as the Lee Progressives, but somewhat more flexible in how it's going to work. Slower -- 3 or 4 lever strokes/round vs. 1. Can be run as single stage.


Going to be loading anything else in the future?


yes -- see above list
no -- consider Dillon Square Deal B, though it's a bit over your price range. Proprietary dieset and expensive conversion.




Want to try to make it portable?


portable, low volume -- Lee Hand Press or equivalent


If the budget was another $100 higher, I'd be looking seriously at the big name progressives -- RCBS, Dillon or Hornady.

[SSN Vet]

Lee classic turret press kit from Kempf's

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=630&category_id=190&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41

pay the $22 for the upgrade to pro-auto disk and both large and small safety primer feeders.

Get a decent scale.

ABC's of reloading and at least one good load manual.

a tumbler, media seperator, Nu-finnish and media.

spend the rest on bullets and powder.

don't start out (imho) by trying to maximize speed on a progressive.

if you upgrade to progressive later, that classic turret press with load every thing else that you don't shoot in high volume. It's a dandy!

[Walkalong]

Lee classic turret press kit from Kempf'sAgreed. It may just be the most bang for your buck in reloading sets these days.

[speedracer81]

sorry about the delay in response... peske job. I shoot around 100/week and may load the ocasional .308 in addition to my steady diet of 9mm. I was looking at the two turret kits from lee and rcbs.
rcbs kit: http://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/MainServlet?storeId=webconnect&catalogId=webconnect&langId=en_US&action=ProductDisplay&screenlabel=index&productId=2850&route=C04J148
$495 includes dies
lee kit:http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1218828732.1139=/html/catalog/rlpress2.html#DeluxeTurretPressKit
$145 plus $40 for dies

[Shoney]

speedracer81: The press that best fits your numbers and needs is the Lee Classic Turret KIt from Kempf (as listed above). It can be used as a single stage press by disableing the auto acvance, so you can more easily learn the intracies of reloading, then used as auto-advance turret to get higher production numbers.

Once you have learned, you can easily load fron 150-200 quality rounds per hour.

THR members who have reported on the press give it high marks.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Based on your round count, by far your best choice would be the Lee Classic Turret. Kempf's has great customer service and I would highly suggest you go this route. It's pretty easy to setup and providing a hundred rounds would be at max a half an hour's work.

The RCBS turret is slow and produces at best, by an experienced reloader, 50 rounds an hour. You're shooting a pistol and likely, once your reload, your round count will go up a bit as costs reduce to shoot. So the Lee Classic Turret, whose quality easily matches anything in the industry, would be an ideal choice.

BTW, I have a Hornady LnL progressive, a Lee Classic Turret and a Lee Classic Cast single stage press. I have owned: Dillon RL550B, Lyman Turret press (very similar to the RCBS turret you're looking at), two RCBS single stages and have had the chance to load on most stuff out there, excepting the RCBS progressive. I would not recommend nor buy a kit from a manufacturer, as they tend to give you stuff you don't want or need, but a kit built up by a dealer is usually pretty decent.

For you, I would go with the Kempf's Lee Classic Turret, upgrade to a Lee Pro Auto Disk (don't forget the auto disk riser, so your powder measure will clear the safety prime), get both the large and small primer safety prime kit and upgrade to a better beam scale, such as an RCBS 505, Hornady or Dillon beam scale. Get the Lee 4-die deluxe die set as well, it's excellent in 9MM, loads great cartridges. (I know, I had the Lee set until I sold my 9MM pistol.)

Check the sticky at the top of the forum for "add ons" you might want/need and you'll be set to reload fairly quickly at a very reasonable price with a quality press. Here's a link:

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=630&category_id=26&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41

Regards,

Dave

[RustyFN]

As mentioned above, the Lee classic turret kit.
Rusty

[lee n. field]

The RCBS turret is slow and produces at best, by an experienced reloader, 50 rounds an hour.

Which is pretty much what you can do with a single stage press.

may load the ocasional .308 in addition to my steady diet of 9mm

Then the Lee Pro 1000 is out, as it can't do cartridges longer than .223 or 7.62x39.

I've not used it, but I've heard much good and very little bad about the Lee Classic Turret.

[Griz44]

Who shoots 9mm and only shoots a hundred a week? You start reloading and you will shoot 4-500 a week, then you will start casting to make up the additional cost of more rounds, then you will shoot even more, then you will start loading for guns you plan on buying in the near future, then loading for guns that you might buy someday, then start loading for guns you saw on the internet, ..............

STOP! DO NOT START RELOADING. You will never recover.....

(Loadmaster, I do everything from 40 S&W to my 30.06 custom hunting rounds on it.)

[lgbloader]

Grizz says: Who shoots 9mm and only shoots a hundred a week? You start reloading and you will shoot 4-500 a week, then you will start casting to make up the additional cost of more rounds, then you will shoot even more, then you will start loading for guns you plan on buying in the near future, then loading for guns that you might buy someday, then start loading for guns you saw on the internet, ..............

STOP! DO NOT START RELOADING. You will never recover.....


Believe me when I say believe every word Grizz says... He even loads himself... with the home made beer he brews himself!!! Now that is what I call handloading !!! I just wish he would share some of it with me....

LOL...

Cheers...

P.S. I think the Lee Classic Turret is what you want.

[Walkalong]

STOP! DO NOT START RELOADING. You will never recover.....
It's true, but you won't want to recover, so it all works out....

[speedracer81]

thanks alot guys! its alway cool when the cheaper option turns out to be the better one. I apreciate all of you helpin out a new guy.

[crebralfix]

I have a Lee three stage turret press. I have loaded many rounds on it, but it does have limitations:

1) Primer seater

The post is a bit weak and the angle will change. You'll need to monitor this and bend it back every few thousand rounds. If your primers aren't flat in the hole, then it's time to fix it.

I prefer to use the Lee hand primer. I punch the primer and resize a whole batch of cases and then put the primers in on a different night.

2) Disk powder measure

It's a great idea, but the drawback is that you're limited to the regulated charges listed in the table. For some bullets, this means you have very few charge choices. For example, with Hodgdon Clays for 45 ACP with 230 grain FMJ bullets, there are two settings: .53 and .57, yielding 3.6 +- 0.1 grain and 3.9 +- 0.1 grain. I have seen the minimum charge listed as either 3.6 or 3.7 grains...a small problem (.53 works though...it's just very mild with a cartridge overall length of 1.255" - 1.270", average of 1.260"). With the .57 disk, you're riding the line and will get some 4.0 grain charges...with the occasional 4.1 or 4.2 grain charges...so you need to measure EVERY load with the .57.

The best course of action is to find a bullet and powder combination that has several settings within the powder charge range listed for that bullet with at least 0.2 grains outside each end point (meaning the listed minimum/maximum charge is 0.2 grains less/more than the minimum/maximum disk size). This means you only need to do periodic QC checks on the powder charge. Study the chart and compare your load data and you should find three or four powders that will work.

If you don't want to do this, then get a loader that allows you to set the charge to anything you want. I believe Lee offers such a device, but I haven't done more than glance at it.

[aerod1]

As mentioned above, the Lee classic turret kit.
Rusty


Here's another in the Lee Classic Turret camp! Probably the best press for the money.....ever.:)

[ArchAngelCD]

I bought a Lee Classic Turret press when I first started reloading and I'm still using it for everything I reload. I can produce 180-200 quality rounds of 38/357 per hour safely and still make quality .30-06 rounds using the press as a single stage press without the auto-indexing feature.

I like the ability of changing from caliber to caliber in seconds but changing the turret. Additional turrets cost only $8, a small price to pay not to re-adjust dies every time you want to reload another caliber IMO.

Also with that press kit you will have enough money to buy the powder riser you will need and a few other additions and still have money left in the $300 budget for components.

[everallm]

Re the powder measuring disks, easy fix is to get a second set of disks

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=870920

To quote the blurb.....

This kit raises the hopper of the Lee Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure so you can stack two disks. This not only doubles the capacity of the disks, but it makes very fine adjustments possible. Most powders can be adjusted +/-.1 grain with different combinations of disks. Complete listing of combinations, 4 extra disks, screws and risers are included.

Technical Information

Notes:
# Kit raises powder hopper permitting two disks to be stacked in powder measure.
# Allows the user to double the capacity and make very fine adjustments.
# Most powders can be adjusted up or down in 1/10th grain increments using different combinations of disks.
# Includes list of different combinations, four extra disks (which are the same as those included with the powder measure), longer screws for the powder measure, and riser.
# This kit can drop powder charges of up to 28.8 grains of Unique and 42.2 grains of IMR 4064

[ArchAngelCD]

everallm,
That's good advice... I bought the Double Disk set, the Adjustable Powder Charge Bar (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=150005&t=11082005) and the Micro Disk (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=441523) too... I just love to buy toys, especially toys that make the job go easier with better results.

[alex9328]

Excellent postings. Yes do a little research, find the press that will meet your needs. Then do like I did, find a used and or slighty used version of it. Ebay. Auction Arms, GunBroker, and Here. Make you dollars go futher buy a good use set up. It worked for me. Be frugal.

Thanks. Alex

[BullsEye10x]

Another LCT fan here :D
Buy it new (too inexpensive to even bother looking for a used one), with all the trimmings as mentioned above. Then, take the money you saved from getting Lee instead of Dillon, RCBS, etc... and buy powder, primers, bullets, and a nice bench to keep it all on. Here's what I've got so far:

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/331/dscf0984ap0.jpg

Finally, load the heck out of every caliber you own and HAVE FUN!

[crebralfix]

OOOOOOOOOOH...adjustable powder bar and double disks...excellent. Thanks for posting the links.

[lgbloader]

Bullseye... You must be mighty proud of that bench, Mate. this is like the 4th or 6th time you posted a picture of it. Just kidding...

[speedracer81]

excellent advise guys. my buddy is now gonna buy the lead casting equipment for the 9mm. so it sounds like we are gonna be doing a little more shooting!

[everallm]

Ooooh, forgot to say about the double disk set.

I find it very consistent (good) but what weight it drops is not always exactly as per the manual. Due to powder type, size etc so you may have to play a little with the set up. Not a problem , I just remember to record it and recheck whenever I change.

When you set up the disks the first time, run the powder through a couple of times first to ensure smooth flow then throw one and weigh

Always remember to stack the smaller disk hole on the bottom not the top so you have a V cross section not the other way round (as I did the first time........)

Live and learn......8-)

[BullsEye10x]

Bullseye... You must be mighty proud of that bench, Mate. this is like the 4th or 6th time you posted a picture of it. Just kidding...

Haha, I'm just new to image hosting sites and they're way too easy to link. My humble setup is really nothing compared to most around here. I'm sure in a few years, I'll have taken over the entire room though :D

[ArchAngelCD]

OOOOOOOOOOH...adjustable powder bar and double disks...excellent. Thanks for posting the links.
crebralfix,
You're welcome... I got a lot of help from this forum and forums like it when I first started to reload so I now want to do the same. When I find any tricks and tools I like to pass it on. (not that any of this is ground breaking information)

Those three tools cost very little and add a lot of versatility to your Lee Powder Measure. The adjustable powder bar doesn't work well with very light charges since the hole isn't directly under the hopper so you should also buy the micro disk.

I use the micro disk when charging the light powder charges necessary when using Clays under a 148gr DEWC in a .38 Special. (only 2.3gr to 2.5gr)

All three tools work GREAT!!!

[ArchAngelCD]

Always remember to stack the smaller disk hole on the bottom not the top so you have a V cross section not the other way round (as I did the first time........)
everallm,
I'm fairly sure you have that backwards. If you put the smaller disk hole on the bottom some of the powder will sit on the "shelf" created by a smaller hole on the bottom with a larger hole on the top. You will get incorrect and inconsistent charges. If the configuration is like this "^" nothing can be left behind. When it's like this "-V-" there is a "shelf" in the middle that can and will hold powder.

[lgbloader]

Bulleye... Post away, Mate. I like your bench. I wish I had an inside bench too!!!!

Cheers buddy and keep pulling that lever.

[RustyFN]

Always remember to stack the smaller disk hole on the bottom not the top so you have a V cross section not the other way round (as I did the first time........)
I found it to work better with the smaller hole on top. If it's on the bottom it will create a shelf for the powder to set on and it will drop different every time. My drops with the small hole on top have been very consistent.
Rusty

[evan price]

What I did is bought extra disks cheap on eBay for my AutoDisk measure. Then I chose a disk smaller than what I needed and very carefully reamed the hole with a round file, mounted it, dropped some loads and measured. Repeat until it is consistently dropping exactly what I want. Mark the disk permanantly so that you and anybody else knows it is modified. It is important to enlarge the hole around the entire diameter instead of filing it oblong, it is more consistent that way.
I tend to find a bullet & powder load and stick to that, I don't experiment a lot once a good combo is found.

[Griz44]

Great idea Evan. I'm ordering an extra set of disks tonight!

[Slappy McGee]

Not to hijack this thread, but if you were in the same boat as the original poster, but had a larger budget, would that change your recommendation?

[PCFlorida]

It would for me. Then I'd buy another Dillon 650 ;)

[alex9328]

Lee Turret Press Package - (FL)

See FOR SALE Board here



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Im am getting out of reloading...need to get rid of my lee stuff....I would prefer to sell all of this as a package...This set has only loaded about 400 rounds over 6 months....

1. Lee Turret Press (4 hole)

2. Lee Beam Scale

3. Lee Auto Prime

4. Lee Perfect Powder Measure

5. Lee AutoDisk II Powder Measure

6. Lee Universal Powder Charge Die

7. Lee 4 Hole Turrets x 3

8. Lee Safety Prime (small primers only)

Retail for all this is about 230ish before shipping...And all you need is dies to start loading...Great beginner set..

I would like to sell it all for 180 shipped FIRM! Con't US. FTF in Florida possible in the Brevard County Area

Shoot me an email at chrisandvenecia@msn.com if interested....

[RustyFN]

Not to hijack this thread, but if you were in the same boat as the original poster, but had a larger budget, would that change your recommendation?
That's a hard question. When I was looking to get into reloading and was researching presses and I was looking at Dillon but it was out of my budget. If it was in my budget I probably would have bought it. Now forward fast to today. I have been loading on a classic turret for two years. I have loaded on a friends Dillon 550. Knowing what I know now if I was just starting today I would start with the classic turret. At 200 rounds per hour the classic meets my needs no problem. I can add a caliber for the price of dies and a $9 turret. It is very fast to change calibers and primer feeds. The quality of the ammo is as good as any other press. The press is built very solid and will last a lifetime. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying the Dillon isn't a good machine, I'm saying there are a lot of other good machines also and the classic turret is one of them.
Rusty
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8da27b3127ccec398914a0e3000000010O00DZOGblm4Yg9vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

[lgbloader]

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying the Dillon isn't a good machine, I'm saying there are a lot of other good machines also and the classic turret is one of them.


You shot it right between the eyes, Rusty.
I don't have one, and I have never even had the chance to try one, but with all the gentlemen on THR who use it and express their unwaivering fondness for this press, it has made me a fan and I will probably end up with one in the near future.
In addition to the fairly comfortable and well stocked Man-Cave in the garage, I have been allowed to put together a very small bench in our family room (due in part to my jealousy of Bullseye's new inside bench.) It is only 48 inches long x 20 inches deep x 32 inches tall. I have been using it to process brass but I still dont have a press bolted to it yet. I almost drilled the holes for my retired rock chucker on it yesterday after work but I am leaning on putting a LCT on the darn thing and calling it a day.
It's kinda funny because I have the three Dillons, the T7, and a Lee Classsic cast on my bench in the garage.

Cheers...

[ArchAngelCD]

I also agree, knowing what I know now I would still buy the Lee Classic Turret Press even though I originally bought it because it was affordable.

[PCFlorida]

I also agree, knowing what I know now I would still buy the Lee Classic Turret Press even though I originally bought it because it was affordable.

Can't beat an answer like that!

[BullsEye10x]

In addition to the fairly comfortable and well stocked Man-Cave in the garage, I have been allowed to put together a very small bench in our family room (due in part to my jealousy of Bullseye's new inside bench.)

Ha! See lgbloader, all those photos of my bench ended up doing some good after all ;) Congrats on your "upgrades", and let's see some pics when you get everything set up.