Reloading on a turret

[wodaddy]

For those who reload on a turret, which dies do you use? I am not asking for the brand name, but the actual dies in their position. I am new to reloading, expecting my redding T7 this afternoon, and want to know which dies to buy. Station 1, size and deprime, expand and charge, seat and crimp. As I am sure you are aware, the T 7 has 7 stations, and I was wondering if most seat and crimp separately, and do some use a station for charging? I will be loading mostly .45 acp, .357 and maybe 9mm.

Thanks in advance

Mark

 

[Kyle M.]

I've always only used 3 stations.

Station 1 size,deprime
Station 2 expand, drop powder- I use the lee pro auto disk measure
Station 3 seat and crimp

I have always used lee dies for handgun calibers and have never felt the need for a separate crimp die, lee seating dies are adjustable from a taper crimp for autos to a full roll crimp for revolver cartridges. I know rcbs seating dies do this as well (with regard to a taper crimp dunno if there adjustable to roll crimp)but I don't know about other brands. I've loaded .38 super, .40 S&W, .45ACP, .44 Mag, and .45 colt using only the three die sets and it's always worked well for me YMMV.

 

[raddiver]

On my T-Mag II i do:
Station 1 size,deprime
Station 2 expand,
Station 3 seat
Station 4 crimp
Station 5 collet bullet puller
Station 6 on rare occasions is a powder drop.

 

[mdi]

I have kept the seating and crimping operations separate for many years so I use 4 stations; size/deprime, flare, seat, crimp...

But I just reloaded a bunch of .223 last night for my single shot and only used two!

 

[john16443]

With 7 available stations you have the luxury of doing what you want. Personally, I would separate seating and crimping for all the calibers you list, but it isn't absolutely necessary. So here's a suggestion for each of your stations.

1 - deprime/size/prime
2 - flare and charge with your favorite powder dispenser.
3 - some sort of powder verification die, be it a RCBS lock out die or Hornady powder cop
4 - RCBS or Hornady bullet seating die and plastic tubes. Great if you're loading FMJ, plated, or moly coated bullets. Not useful for lead bullets. I love them on my Hornady LNL as I don't have to handle bullets, just brass
5 - seating die
6 - crimping die
7 - open

This should allow you just about every bell & whistle you'd ever need.

 

[BYJO4]

For semi auto calibers, I prefer to seat bullet and crimp in 2 steps. On revolver calibers, I use a roll crimp and seat bullet and crimp at the same time.

 

[Steve2md]

What John Said:

1 - deprime/size/prime
2 - flare and charge with your favorite powder dispenser.
3 - some sort of powder verification die, be it a RCBS lock out die or Hornady powder cop
4 - RCBS or Hornady bullet seating die and plastic tubes. Great if you're loading FMJ, plated, or moly coated bullets. Not useful for lead bullets. I love them on my Hornady LNL as I don't have to handle bullets, just brass
5 - seating die
6 - crimping die
7 - open

but you could bump everything up a station and put a universal decapping die in station 1.....

 

[Magnum Shooter]

I only use my Lyman T-Mag II for load development and not for production.
Station 1 Size / Deprime
Station 2 Flair case mouth
Station 3 Reprime then throw powder charge using Lyman 55
Station 4 Seat die for RN
Station 5 Seat die for SWC
Station 6 Crimp die

 

[CraigC]

I use an RCBS turret and load two sets of handgun (or rifle, all with expanders for cast bullets) dies in separate turret heads. I've never seen the need to seat and crimp in separate steps, even with the thin-necked .32-20 and .38-40.

 

[RustyFN]

Lee classic turret.

1: size
2: expand and powder charge
3: seat
4: crimp

 

[JLDickmon]

Lyman T-Mag
1. Decap & size
2. Expand/bell
3. Prime
4. Powder drop
5. Seat & roll crimp
6. (.45 Auto and .223) taper crimp

 

[Sport45]

My bottleneck rifle loading involves only two dies. Size/deprime and seat.

Pistol loading is a three or four step operation.
Size/deprime
Expand and flare
Seat/Crimp (usually)
Crimp (sometimes)

My powder charging is done off-press when not using a progressive.

 

[oldreloader]

What RustyFN said..works for me too

 

[rikman]

Redding for rifles and rcbs,lee,hornady for pistol

 

[Sport45]

As I am sure you are aware, the T 7 has 7 stations, and I was wondering if most seat and crimp separately, and do some use a station for charging? I will be loading mostly .45 acp, .357 and maybe 9mm.

For that, I would probably set it up with sizing and seat/crimp dies for each of the cartridges mentioned and put a Lee Universal Expanding Die in the 7th hole.

BTW, welcome to The High Road!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Lee classic turret.

1: size
2: expand and powder charge
3: seat
4: crimp

I also have a Lee Classic Turret press and that's my setup in that order.

A buddy has a Redding Turret press and he set up 2 calibers on the same head.
1. size & deprime 9mm
2. expand & drop powder 9mm
3. seat & crimp 9mm

4. size & deprime 45 Auto
5. expand & drop powder 45 Auto
6. seat & crimp 45 Auto

7. Universal decapping die

He uses a Lee Pro Auto-Disk in the powder through dies and he likes to hand prime all his cases, even handgun cases.

Welcome to the forum and reloading...

 

[david bachelder]

RCBS Turret here.
For my straight wall pistol reloading.

1st) resize decap die. reprime on upstroke.
2nd) bell (flare die)
4th) powder drop
3rd) bullet seat and crimp

I have to leave the powder drop in space 4, If I don't it will hit the primer safety tube.

So I go from 1 to 2 to 4 then back to 3.

I check every eighth round for proper charge weight prior to seating the bullet(the RCBS uniflow powder drop doesn't fluctuate much ..... very seldom). Works for me and I can load them pretty quickly.

 

[Steel185]

I'm with Craig and David, I have a RCBS turret and only use 3 stations. Sometimes i put the powder drop there if i don't have a permanet mount on the bench (my bench is always changing). I keep two calibers on a turret head, and just get an extra head for other dies. that way they are already set up and ready to go. I just change out one bolt and torque it down. 45ACP 4 dies, with the last being extra taper crimp.

 

[PO2Hammer]

For auto rounds I set up my T-7 like this.
1-resize/de-prime
2-flare and re-prime using the press mounted priming arm
3-charge with the press mounted powder measure/inspect powder charge/weigh random charges
4-seat
5-crimp

Because I can't see the powder charge in .357 cases on the press, I do this
1-resize/de-prime
2-flare/re-prime
3-charge
3.5-remove case from press and put in loading block. compare all the charges to each other & weigh random samples.
4-seat
5-crimp

I usually just index past stations 6 & 7. I keep a universal decapping die in 6 and a universal flaring tool in 7.
I have a spare turret head, but never use it. With the powder measure on the press I find it faster to just swap dies when I change calibers.
If I'm doing mostly revolver calibers, I'll move the powder measure to a bench mounted stand and charge the cases right in the loading blocks. It's faster to change powders or empty the hopper when it's in a bench mount.