I'm considering updating my reloading apparatus

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Stimovsky

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My press is a RCBS JR3 that dates back to the 70's. A retiring shooter gave it to me.

It still works fine. I experience the occasional hickup for no reason, but you know, I wonder… what would my life be with a younger and sexier one ?

I reload 5-6000 handgun cartridges a year, mostly .38WC, then .45ACP, and then a hundred .38 special and .357 magnum.
I usually work on 250 cartridges series I complete in 4 days, one die a day.
I'm never in a hurry, but I could use saved time.

I hadn't one wrong in 4 years (touching wood) so I'm confident I can use either a turret or a progressive.

So first question, have the presses evolved since the 70's ?

Second one : don't turret and progressive presses use caliber-specific shell holders anymore ? Are the shell plates universal now or will I need a plate for each caliber ?

Then I have requirements : I don't want to have to change dies. I use RCBS and Lee.
And I'd be really happy if I could have my old RCBS powder measure set up once and for all for .38 on tool head #1 and the new one for .45 on tool head #2.

Last thing to be told, I do trust RCBS. I already experienced their customer support service when I had to replace parts the previous owner damaged, like the primer seating tool for example.

Given what I read and wrote, I can't choose between RCBS Pro 2000, RCBS Pro Chucker 5 and Hornady LnL AP.

Thank you for your advices.
 
The Hornady is a beautiful machine and at the end of the day it's quite a bit cheaper than the other two you mentioned.
I believe all of these require specific shell plates. Hornady gets 25-33$ per plate.
 
I recently replaced my RCBS Partner press from the mid 70's with the Lee Classic Turret and have been very happy with it.
 
Lee Classic Turret press is the way to go if you don't want to go progressive. The set of dies for each caliber would be permanently mounted its own individual shell plate that is easy to change.

Go over to the Lee web page and view the videos there to get a feel for the Classic Turret press.
 
For what you are loading I think the Lee CLASSIC Turret press will fit in perfectly. The turrets are between $10 and $12 depending where you buy and there are no plates necessary. Any standard dies and shell holders will work too. The auto-index feature makes things move along smoothly. I have been using mine over 10 years now and I'm very happy with it. You can also load rifle ammo on that press.

Note: I'm recommending the Classics 4 hole turret press, not the Deluxe model.
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-4-hole-turret-90269.html
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-classic-turret-press-90064.html
 
jumping on the band wagon

ONe more for the Lee Classic Turret.

Looking at the number of rounds you want to load and your requirements, the LCT will meet them all. You will use your same dies on the die plates and the same shell holders.

You will save time vs single stage loading by removing the time currently required to handle the brass multiple times, and the auto advance system is quicker than manual advance turrets as well. The press is sturdy and produces quality ammo.

I have been using my LCT for a year now, and I absolutely love it. My round count and requirements are very similar to yours. I see no need to move up to a progressive.
 
Fairly new to the whole scene but at this point I can see myself posting 20 years from now that I'm still using my Lee Classic Turret.
 
Like you, I started with my RCBS Rock Chucker in 1974 and used it exclusively until I bought my Hornday LNL AP three years ago. While I load around 18,000 rounds a year, the Hornady fits your needs in my opinion. You don't need case or bullet feeders for the volume you load. You can use your RCBS dies although you will need to readjust them. You will need a shell plate for each caliber. I also like the powder measure that comes with the loader. Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.
 
All turret presses are single stage...sort of

All turret presses are single stage presses ....on their lower half. So use the same shell holders that single stage presses do.

The top end is what makes them a turret.


Stimovsky said:
My press is a RCBS JR3 that dates back to the 70's. A retiring shooter gave it to me.

It still works fine. I experience the occasional hickup for no reason, but you know, I wonder… what would my life be with a younger and sexier one ?

I reload 5-6000 handgun cartridges a year, mostly .38WC, then .45ACP, and then a hundred .38 special and .357 magnum.
I usually work on 250 cartridges series I complete in 4 days, one die a day.
I'm never in a hurry, but I could use saved time.

I hadn't one wrong in 4 years (touching wood) so I'm confident I can use either a turret or a progressive.

So first question, have the presses evolved since the 70's ?

Second one : don't turret and progressive presses use caliber-specific shell holders anymore ? Are the shell plates universal now or will I need a plate for each caliber ?

Then I have requirements : I don't want to have to change dies. I use RCBS and Lee.
And I'd be really happy if I could have my old RCBS powder measure set up once and for all for .38 on tool head #1 and the new one for .45 on tool head #2.

Last thing to be told, I do trust RCBS. I already experienced their customer support service when I had to replace parts the previous owner damaged, like the primer seating tool for example.

Given what I read and wrote, I can't choose between RCBS Pro 2000, RCBS Pro Chucker 5 and Hornady LnL AP.

Thank you for your advices.
Click to expand...

A few years ago I semi-retired my RockChucker in favor of the best (that fit my requirements, which, by the way are similar to yours) that money could buy.

See my story here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=695898

Your experience with RCBS' customer service has probably spoiled you for any maker but RCBS and Dillon. I have no experience with Hornady or Lyman, and Lee has only a limited warranty (but often surprises one with their willingness to accommodate).

Having said that, I will attest that the Lee Classic Turret is THE BEST auto-advancing 4-station turret press in the world. No fear of contradiction because there are only two such presses in current production. The other is the Lee Deluxe Turret and is inferior to the Classic Turret in a number of aspects.

If you want to save time, the Lee Classic Turret, but you will have to switch from your current methodology (batch processing) to "continuous processeing" (where you process each case from empty to finished round before moving on to the next case). This is the same continuous processing that progressive presses use, thus some turrets get the description "semi-progressive".

If you have a tight budget, I suggest the Lee Classic Turret because you can use the same dies you have now, caliber swaps are super-easy (and turret disks are cheap).

A more generous budget would put you into a Dillon Square Deal (with its proprietary dies). This would be for the chamberings you shoot the most. Or, the Dillon 550. It can use your existing dies, but the Dillon dies might be a better "fit"

Good luck.

Lost Sheep
 
Stimovsky said:
Given what I read and wrote, I can't choose between RCBS Pro 2000, RCBS Pro Chucker 5 and Hornady LnL AP.
Click to expand...

Choose the color press that best matches the decor in your reloading room. It will serve you well.

All the the main stream progressive presses work well and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Personally, I cannot understand the draw of a turret press. It costs more money and really does not give much advantages over a single stage press. The auto index on the Lee turret press has some advantage but you are still pulling the handle four or five times to make one cartridge. Lots of folks like turrets though.

All of the progressive press will require a different shell plate for each cartridge just as the single stage press requires a different shell holder per cartridge. Of course, some shell plates will work with more than one cartridge.

There is not a universal shell holder.

For the most part, except for the Dillon SDB, any reloading die threaded for 7/8" x 14 threads/inch will work in the current mainstream progressive presses. Some older dies, pre-1980-1990 vintage or so, will fit the press but may have features that do not work well with a progressive press.

A five station press has a bit more flexibility to permit the use of special dies like powder check systems.

Folks get rabid about the progressive press they use, many have not used another. Generally, folks will say how great their press is but probably will not talk about how bad a particular press is.

There is lots of information, comments, and videos out there. Look at how you like to reload ammunition and compare that to what's offered. You can figure out this way if a particular press will fill your needs or not.
 
Just to tell you where I'm coming from. I started with a RCBS RS (Reloader Special), from there I went to a Dillon XL650. Now I've purchased a Lee Classic Turret. (also have a RCBS Summit, but that was a deal I couldn't pass up)

Like you I wanted to speed things up after the Single stage. The Dillon is an excellent machine, but I needed to have a whole lot of brass to make it worthwhile. It's worked great for 9mm, 45ACP and .223.

For 38sp, 357mag and 380ACP, I just couldn't justify the setup for it. I found it much easier to use the Lee Classic Turret (LCT). I can load a 100 at a time, just change the turret with the preset dies, drop in a new shellholder and away we go. If I'm using the same powder... even quicker. I use the Lee Auto Drum powder measure and just change the drum.

Now I've even bought new dies (Lee) in 9mm and 45ACP to crank out a few hundred at a time. If I need several hundred then the Dillon XL650 is still my top choice.

For load development the two single stage presses still get some use too...
 
The lee turret classic actually costs a buck less than their classic single stage press at midway, and you get a lot more production potential. For relativly low volume handgun like you seem to be doing, it is your best, most cost effective solution.

Moving up a notch would be the dillon 550. It will cost you about 3x what the lee does. it does not auto index, nor does it come with bullet or case feed, so I consider it sort of a semi-progressive. If I could only have 1 press and money was tight, lee. if I was still single, the dillon 550.
 
The mode today seems to be Bigger, better faster and more expensive. The part That Is most neglected Is skill and Good Understanding. . Most younger Loader are Drawn tto the Gloss colors and The auto spinning wheels. . a Good single stage or Turret what ever You chose will be More Than what you really need. . When The machine does the work you are degraded to the Position Of just an Operator. weather you stand There or some one else It all The same. . For go the Lure Of lee's , Dillon's Hornady and Stay with your Long time skill Handloading
 
For the amount of reloading you do, I throw my hat into the Lee Classic Turret ring. I reload 8-10000 rounds a year (hmm, thinking more than that?) And I use the Lee CT.
 
OP,
Another vote for the Lee Classic Turret. And this is coming from a Hornady LNL user. My buddy, Quags, here on THR has both the LCT and the LNL. He sometimes prefers his LCT.
He finds he can get a good rhythm going with it and it's less things to have going on compared to his LNL.

I went from an RCBS Rock Chucker to a Lyman All-American Turret, to a Hornady Projector, and then to the LNL. I briefly considered the LCT, but since I already had the Lyman turret, I decided to go progressive.
 
Since you have been running a single stage all this time and have had very good luck with it I have to say the Lee Classic Turret press would make you happy if you don't mind still pulling the handle 4 time for a completed round.

I was loading thousands and thousands of 9mm on a single stage and I not a spring chicken any more and started having trouble with my shoulder so I went with the LNL-AP. I haven't been happier since.

I have to tell you there is a learning curve there, but it you stick with it the basic machine will do what you need to do and if you load a few thousand at a time, honestly it will be sitting idle for periods of time.

In my situation I love the thing because I shoot 50-100 of 9mm rounds a week and I can load enough rounds in about three hours to last me almost a month. I also shoot 357 and 41 mag and I see my press sitting idle a lot but when I need it, man it performs for me.

Do you like pulling the handle enough to pull it 4 times for a loaded round or do you want to pull it once for one.

I guess that's the real question you need to ask yourself.

You can't really go wrong with any of the presses discussed here.
 
One more for the Lee Classic Turret ...Still use a old single stage for precision rifle, but LCT is great for pistol.
 
cfullgraf said:
C
Personally, I cannot understand the draw of a turret press. It costs more money and really does not give much advantages over a single stage press. The auto index on the Lee turret press has some advantage but you are still pulling the handle four or five times to make one cartridge. Lots of folks like turrets though.
Click to expand...
Even though one still has to pull the handle multiple times, using the auto-index to enable continuous mode processing,means the operator has to handle the case one time instead of multiple times. That time- savings enabled me to nearly triple my throughput on an auto-indexing turret continuous processing vs single stage batch processing.

I was also able to match the output of my Lee Pro-1000 press (operating without the case collator).

Not that there's anything wrong with batch processing. It enables between-die operations like primer pocket cleaning, case length checking and such (more important to rifle shooters than straight-walled pistol) and very important to some, batch checking of powder depth in the cases.

Thanks for reading.

Lost Sheep
 
I recently changed from a Lee Classic Turret to a Redding T-7 Turret because the majority of my handloading is rifle now but for pistol loading the LCT is hard to beat.
 
I've also wondered what the advantage is of a turret. I guess having 3 sets of rifle dies ready at all times is cool, but a quick swap too head on a rl550 seems like just as convenient, with the added convenience of multiple processes happening simultaneously on each pull.
 
I can think of a couple:
cost- aside from the press itself being about 1/3 the cost of a 550b, you don't have to buy a shellplate and the turrets are cheaper for Lee than a Dillon toolhead.
Effort- this one isn't huge, bit on a turret you are just don't ng 1 thank ng at a time per stroke. Only sizing, only flaring, only seating/crimping. If you are old, or have bad shoulders, are a child, or just flabby, each individual handle pull is easier on the turret.
Simplicity- this is the one the single stage guys always harp on, but if you are on a turret and the pull feels wrong while you are (seating, sizing, whatever) you know what went wrong and can easily removed and inspect the case. With the 550 it is not as readily apparent which station messed up.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my Lee turret, but I'll trade anyone anytime: my classic turret for your 550b. What, no takers? I'll pay shipping. :)
 
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