Will you be reloading for handgun, rifle, or both?I know this is for components but I am liking for a good deal on a press. Either SS or a really good deal on a turret. Thanks.
9mm 7mm08 and possibly.40. And that is the cheapest I have seen by far as well.Will you be reloading for handgun, rifle, or both?
drband, that is a good $. 4 years ago that same set had the best price at about $215 shipped.
It seems like everyone thinks because they paid X 4 years ago their used junk is worth X today. Ok with presses junk may be harsh, but I have seen bubba'd firearms go for more than new prices because the owner upgraded the gun with "accessories" that negatively affect function. Because of this I have been leery of E-bay or gunbroker.I wanted a press to keep at my retirement property so that I could adjust bullet seating depth and the like on rounds I had loaded at home. Nothing fancy. I've bought a lot of stuff off of eBay, so I lurked around to see if a used press came up at a decent price. I was astonished to see, for example, used Lee Breech Lock Reloader presses selling for more than you could buy them for new from Midway or Midsouth Shooters Supply. The same held pretty much true for RCBS, Hornady and Lyman presses as well. In time, I just gave up and decided that since a press will probably be a lifetime investment, I should just bite the bullet and buy one new.
If you're not doing a boat load of the 7mm08, the LCT should serve you well. But if you will be full length resizing many, I would suggest a good cast iron SS.
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Nothing factual, but I have loaded several hundred 8x57 and a couple hundred 7.62x54R on my LCT. Some were neck-sized and some FL. In those, I have had a few that took a lot of umph to FL size, mainly with 8mm. I would be concerned if I did that all the time. Would the LCT hold up to that full time, maybe. But for me, I would rather just use a SS for the more stressful sizings.Where does this reasoning come from? The LCT (Lee Classic Turret), has all steel compound leverage just like the rock chucker and the Lee classic cast single stage with a cast iron base. It can easily full length size any center fire shell made today EXCEPT the .50 BMG.
that is a deal!!This Midway deal is the cheapest I've seen for this kit: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/785993/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press-deluxe-kit
Exactly !! Snuffy is right again.I thought about this some more so I grabbed my caliper, measured the ram diameter of both the LCT and my classic cast press. Both have 1.125 diameter rams. I don't have a rockchucker to measure, but I'd bet it's real close to that diameter. The difference is that both Lee presses are drilled to produce a hollow ram for the passage of the spent primers to be captured in the plastic hose.(Or diverted into the trash bucket) Yeah I know they're brass, so sell them for scrap.
The RCBS being a solid ram may be a bit stronger, but often a tube is as strong as a solid shaft.
The boss where the ram travels is 3.5 inches in length for both and the base on the LCT is .875 and the classic cast is 1.15 thick. The footprint on both is the same. So the classic cast has more meat in the base and more room for the really long cases like the ultra mag line or some others.
IMHO the LCT is tough and strong enough to be used for any rifle loading.
Somebody is going to say it, so I will head them off at the pass. The turret has upward play in it, therefore it can't be as precise! Yes, there is some play in the turret, there HAS to be, otherwise it wouldn't be able to turn. The thing is that the play or clearance is taken up as soon as there's upward pressure during the various operations be performed. And that travel is the same each time, consistent and repeatable. I wondered about that, so I checked it with a dial indicator. Same-same each time. I don't remember how much it moves on my press, but it doesn't matter anyway.