I use a Lee Classic single station press with LNL bushings. I am looking at getting a Redding Big Boss. But...the T7 is doable also. So, is the turret just used to switch between dies and everything is done like a single station or do you ever leave the shell in the ram and turn the turret for another operation?
How do you use a turret press..
- Thread starter Bill M.
- Start date
desmobob
Member
The turret rotates the various dies over the ram.
Hockey7711
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It's very easy. Set up the various dies on the turret. Then insert the shell, decap, resize, reprime.
Next pull expand mouth, fill charge.
Next pull seat bullet.
Last pull crimp.
Next pull expand mouth, fill charge.
Next pull seat bullet.
Last pull crimp.
Atavar
Member
Isn’t that the description of a progressive press?
desmobob
Member
A progressive press holds several cases at once and advances them through the die stations automatically/simultaneously. A turret press holds only one case at a time.
LiveLife
Member
No, on a turret press, you get a finished round after so many pulls of the ram lever.
With a progressive, once the shellplate is fully loaded, you then get a finished round with every pull of the ram lever.
N555
Member
Put it on eBay and sell it.
Docendo Discimus
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Either way is acceptable, it comes down to preference.
CQB45ACP
Member
Your second sentence is saying essentially same thing two different ways—either way is how it works.
Here's a pic of the T-7
Case stays in the shellholder, you turn the dies from sizing to crimp. Basically a single stage press but you don't have to swap out dies for each step.
Or you can still do each step separately, which would be less confusing. That's the way I think most people would do it and not try to load a complete round each time.
Case stays in the shellholder, you turn the dies from sizing to crimp. Basically a single stage press but you don't have to swap out dies for each step.
Or you can still do each step separately, which would be less confusing. That's the way I think most people would do it and not try to load a complete round each time.
Varminterror
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Seems like the OP is aware of how Turret presses work and is aware of multiple modes in which they can be used, but rather is asking how INDIVIDUALS CHOOSE TO USE their turret presses.
Personally, when I'm using a Lee Classic Turret, I leave the case stationary and I let the autoindex feature pass through all of the functions I have installed - so for my competition ammo, that means I size and mandrel expand in two strokes then index two strokes while I remove the sized case and replace a fresh case to be sized. On my Redding T7, I do the same, but I turn the turret forward and backward between the individual steps.
I use this method because I typically design my loading processes around time-efficiency and improved economy of movement, as well as eliminating wasted activity and actions in the process. In general, inserting and removing cases from the press is one of the greatest contributors to overall process time, and eliminating as many remove/insert steps as possible will eliminate a lot of wasted time. Equally, remove/insert is NOT a value added step in the cycle. When the ram is moving, we're doing something to the brass, whether that's priming, sizing, expanding, or seating - but when the ram is WAITING for our hands to remove and insert cases, we're wasting time on a specific cycle step which does not add value to the product, hence does not add value to the process.
I know a lot of shooters which use their progressive presses for partial processes - which eliminates the hand moving to insert and remove cases altogether, and allows sizing and expanding to happen in an automated flow, no hand moving, and the ram is always moving - of course, this has a relatively low capital efficiency, as the total gear cost is much greater for a case collator, feeder, and progressive press than for a simple turret press. But the capital investment dramatically improves time efficiency, reduces operator error potential, and reduces labor burden in the process. All good things, for those of us loading big batches of rifle ammo. Of course, we'd love to be able to load the entire process in one uninterrupted cycle, but most rifle shooters want to clean brass, maybe anneal, and definitely trim between decapping and seating, so we can't use the progressive press for full process, as it is designed. But the tool still works.
Honestly, I'm really tempted to test sizing rifle brass on my Lee APP. I'd have to run the brass through the press twice - once to size and once to expand, but I'd love to eliminate handling the brass into the press from my process entirely. Lee APP to decap, clean, dry, annealer with robotic feeder, Lee APP to size, Lee App to expand, Giraud with robotic feeder, Lee ACP to cap, charge with the Auto-Trickler, seat in Arbor press... I'd never actually have to put a case into a shellholder, and wouldn't ever be using a conventional press...
I HAVE occasionally needed to do ONE step on my press, and rather than getting out my Co-Ax or my O-press, I've simply disabled auto indexing on my LCT, or left the turret alone on the T7. For example, when I'm drawing bullets, or bulge busting pistol brass, or small base body sizing cases when changing barrels. But most of the time, I try to crank as many operations as I can without removing the case from the press.
Personally, when I'm using a Lee Classic Turret, I leave the case stationary and I let the autoindex feature pass through all of the functions I have installed - so for my competition ammo, that means I size and mandrel expand in two strokes then index two strokes while I remove the sized case and replace a fresh case to be sized. On my Redding T7, I do the same, but I turn the turret forward and backward between the individual steps.
I use this method because I typically design my loading processes around time-efficiency and improved economy of movement, as well as eliminating wasted activity and actions in the process. In general, inserting and removing cases from the press is one of the greatest contributors to overall process time, and eliminating as many remove/insert steps as possible will eliminate a lot of wasted time. Equally, remove/insert is NOT a value added step in the cycle. When the ram is moving, we're doing something to the brass, whether that's priming, sizing, expanding, or seating - but when the ram is WAITING for our hands to remove and insert cases, we're wasting time on a specific cycle step which does not add value to the product, hence does not add value to the process.
I know a lot of shooters which use their progressive presses for partial processes - which eliminates the hand moving to insert and remove cases altogether, and allows sizing and expanding to happen in an automated flow, no hand moving, and the ram is always moving - of course, this has a relatively low capital efficiency, as the total gear cost is much greater for a case collator, feeder, and progressive press than for a simple turret press. But the capital investment dramatically improves time efficiency, reduces operator error potential, and reduces labor burden in the process. All good things, for those of us loading big batches of rifle ammo. Of course, we'd love to be able to load the entire process in one uninterrupted cycle, but most rifle shooters want to clean brass, maybe anneal, and definitely trim between decapping and seating, so we can't use the progressive press for full process, as it is designed. But the tool still works.
Honestly, I'm really tempted to test sizing rifle brass on my Lee APP. I'd have to run the brass through the press twice - once to size and once to expand, but I'd love to eliminate handling the brass into the press from my process entirely. Lee APP to decap, clean, dry, annealer with robotic feeder, Lee APP to size, Lee App to expand, Giraud with robotic feeder, Lee ACP to cap, charge with the Auto-Trickler, seat in Arbor press... I'd never actually have to put a case into a shellholder, and wouldn't ever be using a conventional press...
I HAVE occasionally needed to do ONE step on my press, and rather than getting out my Co-Ax or my O-press, I've simply disabled auto indexing on my LCT, or left the turret alone on the T7. For example, when I'm drawing bullets, or bulge busting pistol brass, or small base body sizing cases when changing barrels. But most of the time, I try to crank as many operations as I can without removing the case from the press.
Basically, a turret press is a single stage with a movable die holder (except the Lee is Auto Index). I owned a Lee turret for many years but I disabled the auto index feature the second time I used it. Works better for my batch reloading style...
Ironicaintit
Member
I'm a simpleton...
I size rifle cases on a single stage, then prime by hand. I set the turret up (old Lyman spar-T) with the seater and crimp (if I'm crimping)
For pistol cases, I'll keep the sizer, expander, seater and crimp dies all on the turret. (Again hand primed)
I set them up fresh every time, as I dont have spare turret heads. Also, my powder dispenser is set up by itself next to the turret.
The one thing that never leaves my turret is an RCBS collet puller. The rare mistake or case with lousy neck tension gets pulled apart right then and there.
I size rifle cases on a single stage, then prime by hand. I set the turret up (old Lyman spar-T) with the seater and crimp (if I'm crimping)
For pistol cases, I'll keep the sizer, expander, seater and crimp dies all on the turret. (Again hand primed)
I set them up fresh every time, as I dont have spare turret heads. Also, my powder dispenser is set up by itself next to the turret.
The one thing that never leaves my turret is an RCBS collet puller. The rare mistake or case with lousy neck tension gets pulled apart right then and there.
CQB45ACP
Member
I’m a small batch reloader for just 9mm &45acp and happily use a T-7 (and a Lee SS for some steps).
I decap, size, seat, and crimp 45acp on the T-7 and just seat and crimp (when necessary) 9mm. Each batch completed on a station before moving turret to next station.
One great benefit of the seven place turret press is not having to remove, replace, and readjust dies.
I don’t time myself nor am I concerned with saving time here or there. If I did large volumes perhaps I’d look at it differently.
I decap, size, seat, and crimp 45acp on the T-7 and just seat and crimp (when necessary) 9mm. Each batch completed on a station before moving turret to next station.
One great benefit of the seven place turret press is not having to remove, replace, and readjust dies.
I don’t time myself nor am I concerned with saving time here or there. If I did large volumes perhaps I’d look at it differently.
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Stefan A
Member
I almost always use my Lee turret press with the auto indexing rod.
.38 Special
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I dislike using a turret press as a handicapped progressive press. Making one cartridge at a time, start to finish, strikes me as inefficient, so I tend to use a turret like a single stage: the batch of brass will all get run through the sizing die, then the turret turned and all the brass run through the belling die, etc.
On the whole, though, the turret press seems neither this nor that, so I got rid of my last one quite a few years ago.
On the whole, though, the turret press seems neither this nor that, so I got rid of my last one quite a few years ago.
NMexJim
Member
I agree w/ .38. When I had a turret, it was used like a single stage. I traded up to a progressive and have not looked back. If you're loading pistol rounds, it's a wonderous thing to plop a cartridge w/ every handle pull. I do rifle case sizing on a single stage and then move over to a progressive. Works like a charm.
Soonerpesek
Member
I have mine set up with various rifle dies and use it for SIZING only.....................................................................just a ME thing.............
That's the way I read it.
Click_Here
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I'll use it a single stage to remove primers, then I will use it again as a single stage to re-size.
I'll use the auto-index for powder drop/bell, seat and crimp. on the 4 hole turret press, it leaves me one pull to get to the next cartridge.
I'll use the auto-index for powder drop/bell, seat and crimp. on the 4 hole turret press, it leaves me one pull to get to the next cartridge.
WrongHanded
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For rifle, I use my Lee Classic Turret press as a single stage.
For handgun, I gather the components close and run one piece of brass through every stage, then swap the finished cartridge for a fresh piece of brass and dump the loaded cartridge in a tub.
The only exception for that process with handguns in .357 Sig. I resize the case body with a .40/10mm die, and do this step as a single stage. Then I switch the turret head and use the .357 Sig die set to run each piece of brass from neck resizing through to crimping, as for all other handgun cartridges.
For handgun, I gather the components close and run one piece of brass through every stage, then swap the finished cartridge for a fresh piece of brass and dump the loaded cartridge in a tub.
The only exception for that process with handguns in .357 Sig. I resize the case body with a .40/10mm die, and do this step as a single stage. Then I switch the turret head and use the .357 Sig die set to run each piece of brass from neck resizing through to crimping, as for all other handgun cartridges.
I am using the Lee turret press and I don't use it as designed with the indexing rod like most folks have already stated. I use it to keep my dies for that caliber together and set. Nice just to pop in the four hole die holder for the caliber you are working with. Also, I found the turret press has too much play in it for bullet seating, so I have a companion press to seat the bullets. So I use them for FL and neck sizing, separate crimping, expanding dies, compression, does etc. Also, I do small batch loading, so it works for me.
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kalielkslayer
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This post was very informative to me.
I loaded with a Rockchucker for 30’years.
Then got a Dillion 550C.
I skipped the turret press. I can see the benefits of a turret.
But I’ll continue to load hunting ammo on the Rockchucker, trickling out every powder charge.
And load .223, 40, 9mm, .357/38, .380 on the Dillion.
I loaded with a Rockchucker for 30’years.
Then got a Dillion 550C.
I skipped the turret press. I can see the benefits of a turret.
But I’ll continue to load hunting ammo on the Rockchucker, trickling out every powder charge.
And load .223, 40, 9mm, .357/38, .380 on the Dillion.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
Informative.....still use my Rockchucker.
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