Yep. As a long time LCT loader, I always preferred to work in short "sprints" of 30-100 rounds. You can go very quickly for short periods of time. But trying to crush it out for an hour is verging on exercise!
Lee Classic Turret vs. Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock
- Thread starter labnoti
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Yep. As a long time LCT loader, I always preferred to work in short "sprints" of 30-100 rounds. You can go very quickly for short periods of time. But trying to crush it out for an hour is verging on exercise!
someguy2800
Member
Starting with an ice cream pail of dry tumbled brass I do about 200 9mm an hour on the turret, including weighing a charge occasionally, refilling the measure and primers and taking short breaks to get up and walk around. After about 500 rounds my back is shot from sitting up in a position I'm not used to and the repetitive motion. On the auto breech lock I can do 400 an hour working at a reasonable pace stopping to refill everything. But my back does not get sore from doing 500 in a sitting, so that's where a lot of the benefit is for me. I decided to get a progressive because loading 9mm and 223 was getting to be an uncomfortable chore.
thomas15
Member
200 rounds per hour on a Lee turret press is 800 pulls of the handle, or 1 pull every 4.5 seconds.
On my LNL progressive I claim (above) that when I hustle I can accomplish 1 pull every 7.42 seconds.
The rate (4.5 seconds) is impressive.
Turret will be faster and more flexible, but I would decide which one to keep based on what I load the most.
If I was mostly doing large rifle (bigger than .223) I would probably keep the SS, more pistol or .223 the turret.
Without changing the priming off press (I like to as well, do it while watching TV)
I would say take the index rod out of the turret and deprime/resize all the brass, then prime up a bunch while watching the news, sports etc, just get them all primed.
No wasted movement going back and forth between the hand primer and the press.when loading.
Get a Lee Autodrum (I don't see if the OP said he has Lee dies or not, if they are Lee dies he has the powder thru expander, otherwise he will need one) (I have an Autodrum and an Pro Autodisk, disk is ok if it throws the charge you want, drum is nicer) ~$35
Load the primed brass. So now you have one or 2 extra handle pulls, 1 powder, 2 bullet, 3 FCD (if you want it)
In this case I might be tempted to leave the index rod out and advance the turret by hand.
Probably faster than the extra handle pulls.
I broke my last plastic advance piece, no spare......aaarrhh, ordered some but advanced the turret by hand waiting for them to arrive. Got used to doing it and never put one back in (Old 3 hole Deluxe turret)
I found since I have to put a bullet on the case it didn't waste much time moving the turret by hand.
I haven't used it or seen one in person but maybe return both and get the new little Lee progressive.
Run all the brass thru and resize/deprime.
Hand prime whenever (since you want to) but I would still prime all the brass before loading, no fiddling with the hand primer while loading = faster
Station
1 powder expand
2 seat bullet
3 FCD (if you want)
4 empty (no completely wasted handle pull, press is doing 3 other things)
or
1 powder
2 lockout die, tube type bullet feeder (Hornady, Mr Bullet etc) - Yes Lee makes one that does not use a station but it looks "fiddly" to me but may work great.
3 seat bullet
4 FCD (if you want)
Of course with either priming on press would speed things up.
For pistol I like to do a quick clean onmy brass, maybe 30 minutes in the wet tumbler, then resize/deprime it on my LNL, then run it again for about an hour. Clean primer pockets probably don't make that much difference
but clean brass makes me
I then hand prime and inspect the cases while watching TV, listening to music etc. (sort out the SP .45s here for priming later if I am doing LP 45s, toss 9mm with the ridge or any cases I don't like for some reason)
I store the primed brass in Sterilite plastic 7qt containers, but the primed cases could be stored in lots of things., zip lock bag, plastic coffee cans, nut jars, etc.
When I have a progressive setup with an empty station, I leave the station after the powder drop empty.
When the shell plate is up you can easily see into the case in that empty station for a powder check, and then insert the bullet.
I prefer this over using a powder check or lockout die, as you don't need to reach inside the press to place the bullet when the shell plate is down.
jmo,
someguy2800
Member
Well two of those pulls go quickly because your not doing anything with your hands. The charge station and crimp station probably only take a second or so each. My right hand never comes off the press handle to size, charge, seat and crimp. I click the safety prime and set the bullet in with my left hand so the press doesn't really stop moving except to take a shell in and out and a brief pause to click the safety prime.
Toprudder
Member
Those are about the numbers I get with my LCT (200-250 with auto-index) and my Dillon 550 (400-450). I'm not trying to set any speed records. I start to feel uncomfortable (mentally) if I start pushing for more quantity than that.
When I'm using my LCT, my right hand never comes off the handle during/between any of the pulls. Dexterity with the left hand is actually one of the limiting factors for LCT speed. I'm right-handed, but as a (hobbyist) drummer, I spent years learning to do two different things with my right and left hands, with a particular focus on getting my left hand to be able to manage complex patterns while my right hand is doing something simpler. All the case handling, primer handling (I don't use the primer system, I stick each one into the primer arm manually), and bullet-placing - that's all left-handed for me. (Same thing with bullet-placing when I'm running my 650.)
If you can't rub your stomach and pat your head at the same time, there's a much lower limit to LCT speed potential than if you can truly multitask with your hands. It's all very repetitive, though, so most people can learn to do it.
someguy2800
Member
I take the loaded round out with my left hand and load the empty brass in with my right, and I also click the primer thingy with my right hand.
I was able to equip the LCT with an Auto Drum Powder Measure and the Safety Prime. The Safety Prime was a disaster for me. To place 50 primers, it dropped 21 more. If it did get the primer in the holder, I often had to nudge the shell in the holder before it would seat. The dies will usually slide a misaligned shell into place, but the primer seater will not. Primer depth was inconsistent, and some were high. Using it, my rate was poor and my attention was too divided to stay confident. But I can prime 100 cases in 7 minutes with the RCBS Universal Hand Primer. Doing that, I cycled through four dies on the LCT with the Auto Drum Powder Measure. Then I was able to load cartridges at a rate of 214 per hour, or if we add the time to prime, about 170 per hour. This is a bit faster than I was using the LCT but charging powder off the press, and I would probably increase my rate slightly with more practice. Remember, I am comparing my rate on one press to my rate on another, not to yours, and I am not racing, but looking for efficiency while maintaining quality.
I dislike the Lee Auto Drum Powder Measure. The plastic "disconnect" seems fragile and purposeless. The Deluxe Perfect Powder Measure appears to be simpler and more durable, and I don't have to remember to push a button in the middle of numerous other procedures. I was able to install a light so I could see the powder in the case on the press before I placed the bullet, but I have greater confidence in a block of cases charged with powder and inspected off the press than I do with ones charged on the press with a fiddly measure and inspected individually, in-between numerous other operations.
I dislike the Lee Auto Drum Powder Measure. The plastic "disconnect" seems fragile and purposeless. The Deluxe Perfect Powder Measure appears to be simpler and more durable, and I don't have to remember to push a button in the middle of numerous other procedures. I was able to install a light so I could see the powder in the case on the press before I placed the bullet, but I have greater confidence in a block of cases charged with powder and inspected off the press than I do with ones charged on the press with a fiddly measure and inspected individually, in-between numerous other operations.
Suggestions:
- Learn to do the primers by hand with the left hand. It's just as fast as the safety-prime and more reliable for many.
- Disable the stupid disconnect on the AD - Lee includes a screw so you can do that. Once you learn it, you are far less likely to have a double-charge than in block loading.
I thought that was SOP for using the Auto Drum
someguy2800
Member
Yep take off the disconnect, it’s stupid and useless. Hope you find a process that feels good for you.
I am going to disable the disconnect the on the AD and I'm pretty sure I will like it better. I will say I found it to be accurate/consistent with the BE-86 flake powder I am using.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
I am not saying remove the disconnect (I did) but I had heard the new instructions don't have the process.
If you want to (do so at your own risk) here they are from the manual that came with my autodrum
I thought what the heck try it with it on the measure first.
I only used it with the disconnect for about 5 minutes before I removed it.
If you want to (do so at your own risk) here they are from the manual that came with my autodrum
I only used it with the disconnect for about 5 minutes before I removed it.
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I removed the disconnect. The Auto Drum Powder Measure came with it removed. I assumed I had to follow the instructions to install it, but it works far better without it. I still inspect the powder in every case on the press before I put a bullet over it.
I primed and loaded another hundred at a rate of 195 per hour.
I chrono'd a string of five today. 780 788 640 793 782
Too bad about that 640. When I first chrono'd this load, the SD on 5 shots was 9.
I primed and loaded another hundred at a rate of 195 per hour.
I chrono'd a string of five today. 780 788 640 793 782
Too bad about that 640. When I first chrono'd this load, the SD on 5 shots was 9.
cowboy77
Member
I have both presses. Started with the classic cast and got my Turret a few weeks ago. I just bought a separate plate for my inline fabrication riser for each press. Also have my first Lee Anniversay press bolted to the bench to deprime only since I use a ss tumbler to clean my long range ammo. I love the turret for 44 mag, 357, 223 and 44 mag. I still use my classic cast for precision rifles. I bought the Lee pro disk measure and a charge bar along with a double disk set. I can get more precision out of the charge bar on pistol loads verses the disks. 6.5 creedmoor 7 mag 7-08 308 I still prefer to do on my single stage. Just me I guess. You sure are running a lot faster than I am on the Turret but I'm checking most powder loads on scale still. H110 powder doesn't have a lot of room for error in my 44. A few times I've just ran powder through my Hornady loc n load auto charger and use the powder thru die. It's throwing consistent with the auto disk. I'm just Leary until I get the hang of it.
Strat Rider
Member
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As with shooting competition - conservation of motion is the best time saver. On the LCT, I rotate the shell holder opening to the 3 o'clock position.
While stroking the crimp die I am picking up a new shell and after the crimp, I use the new shell to push out the loaded cartridge into a funnel (cut off 2 ltr jug) which drops it into a bin and seat the new shell while removing my hand.
This alone took me from about 120 rounds per hour up to 200 rph when I first started.
While stroking the crimp die I am picking up a new shell and after the crimp, I use the new shell to push out the loaded cartridge into a funnel (cut off 2 ltr jug) which drops it into a bin and seat the new shell while removing my hand.
This alone took me from about 120 rounds per hour up to 200 rph when I first started.
Basically, shove as much work onto your left hand as possible, so that your right hand can leave the lever as little as possible. Your method allows the right hand to stay in contact with the lever 100% of the time, which is ideal for best speed. Next best would be only removing it for the competed-round/empty-brass changeout. And so on.
Strat Rider
Member
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- Jan 14, 2018
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- 78
and I really like to FEEL that primer seat. Not sure if you could do that with a foot pedal.
Now a 2 foot pedal system while running barefoot might be an option.
sparkyv
Member
Impressive! Great economy of motion, 1KPerDay. Best I can do on mine is 4 rounds per minute. My safety prime is not as smooth as yours; I have to push it "just so", not just jam if into position like you do yours. Also the one-handed pull of loaded round and insertion of fresh case is very slick. Definitely a few things I need to improve upon. I can keep up that 4RPM pace for about 20 minutes, then must take a break. Thanks for the inspiration to get faster!
someguy2800
Member
On my turret press I could actuate the safety prime with a broom stick. I literally just stab it with my finger. On my auto breechlock pro I have to be more slow and deliberate.
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