Turret Press
- Thread starter grego
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grego said:
Indestructible, very smooth and I doubt you'd be sorry you bought one.
HOWEVER, I must say that with some creativity, you can have a better press cheaper.
A RockChucker, with Hornady's LockN'Load adapter and a set of bushings, and you can switch dies so fast that it really eliminates the need for a T-7, and ultimately you can have MORE pre-set dies than with a turret.....and let's face it nothing beats a RockChucker for accuracy and simplicity.
BigSlick
Member
I recently picked up a new T-7.
I have been using it for about a little over a week.
Fit and finish is flawless, outstanding in every respect. Robust, heavy and smooth as silk.
I own a Rock Chucker too. Great press with a legendary history, lifetime guarantee and hell for stout. I bought the T-7 because I finally got tired of hassling with picking primers up off the floor and to a lesser degree, swapping dies.
I bought the 'accessory primer catcher upgrade' and still missed about a third of the primers I decapped on it. I fashioned a 'backstop' to give the primers something to lodge against instead of roll off the press onto the floor. It worked OK for the most part, but a cheesy solution at best. No matter how I collected spent primers, the pile of primer residue left by a typical loading session was a hassle to keep clean.
The T-7 drops spent primers down the ram, and out the bottom of a small attached nipple. You can use the poly tube (attaches to the nipple) with the plug (included) to collect spent primers and the crap that dislodges from the primer pocket, or just set a small trash can under the hose without the plug in it. The poly tube holds a couple of hundred primers easy.
After decapping 1000 rnd bag of .223 for prep, the top of the ram and frame are still pristine. No more mess to clean up and not a single missed primer.
I have loaded 50 rounds of 30-06 so far with a standard two die setup mounted in the T-7. The LNL bushings are a great idea (used them with my RC), but it sure is nice to be able to load in a semi progressive mode. I prep all my rifle brass before starting to load, so all I had to do was drop powder (case activated measure, mounted in the press), turn the handle and seat the bullet. It was a ton faster than dropping the powder, moving the brass to a loading block and then inserting every round again to seat the bullet.
Overall, the elimination of the primers all over the place was worth the cost alone (to me). It isn't nearly as fast as a progressive of course, but it is faster than a single.
I bought a couple of spare turrets. One I have mounted with 308, 30-06 and .223 dies and a BR30 powder measure for working up small batches or working up a new load. In the second I have mounted a universal decap die, a swage die, a collet puller, a trim die for 8mm, a neck size die and competition seater die in .308. I haven't used the third one yet, but I will soon.It has certainly helped give me a little more room on the bench.
Lyman makes a pretty good turret press too, but the 7 hole turret (Lyman is 6) works best for my needs.
The T-7 is more expensive than the Lyman or Lee turrets and in the same ballpark as the RCBS. I looked at the RCBS, Lyman and T-7 up cose and personal (hands on) before deciding which one to buy. I like the T-7 auto primer feed the best of any of the ones I looked at.
After many years of reloading, I have seen my share of equipment and gadgets. I am a firm believer buy once, cry once will save you money in the long run if you load much at all.
I do
BigSlick
I have been using it for about a little over a week.
Fit and finish is flawless, outstanding in every respect. Robust, heavy and smooth as silk.
I own a Rock Chucker too. Great press with a legendary history, lifetime guarantee and hell for stout. I bought the T-7 because I finally got tired of hassling with picking primers up off the floor and to a lesser degree, swapping dies.
I bought the 'accessory primer catcher upgrade' and still missed about a third of the primers I decapped on it. I fashioned a 'backstop' to give the primers something to lodge against instead of roll off the press onto the floor. It worked OK for the most part, but a cheesy solution at best. No matter how I collected spent primers, the pile of primer residue left by a typical loading session was a hassle to keep clean.
The T-7 drops spent primers down the ram, and out the bottom of a small attached nipple. You can use the poly tube (attaches to the nipple) with the plug (included) to collect spent primers and the crap that dislodges from the primer pocket, or just set a small trash can under the hose without the plug in it. The poly tube holds a couple of hundred primers easy.
After decapping 1000 rnd bag of .223 for prep, the top of the ram and frame are still pristine. No more mess to clean up and not a single missed primer.
I have loaded 50 rounds of 30-06 so far with a standard two die setup mounted in the T-7. The LNL bushings are a great idea (used them with my RC), but it sure is nice to be able to load in a semi progressive mode. I prep all my rifle brass before starting to load, so all I had to do was drop powder (case activated measure, mounted in the press), turn the handle and seat the bullet. It was a ton faster than dropping the powder, moving the brass to a loading block and then inserting every round again to seat the bullet.
Overall, the elimination of the primers all over the place was worth the cost alone (to me). It isn't nearly as fast as a progressive of course, but it is faster than a single.
I bought a couple of spare turrets. One I have mounted with 308, 30-06 and .223 dies and a BR30 powder measure for working up small batches or working up a new load. In the second I have mounted a universal decap die, a swage die, a collet puller, a trim die for 8mm, a neck size die and competition seater die in .308. I haven't used the third one yet, but I will soon.It has certainly helped give me a little more room on the bench.
Lyman makes a pretty good turret press too, but the 7 hole turret (Lyman is 6) works best for my needs.
The T-7 is more expensive than the Lyman or Lee turrets and in the same ballpark as the RCBS. I looked at the RCBS, Lyman and T-7 up cose and personal (hands on) before deciding which one to buy. I like the T-7 auto primer feed the best of any of the ones I looked at.
After many years of reloading, I have seen my share of equipment and gadgets. I am a firm believer buy once, cry once will save you money in the long run if you load much at all.
I do
BigSlick
happy old sailor
Member
after bigslicks reply, there is not much room to talk. i predict you will like it. i have an old Lyman Spar T that has a home on my bench set up with rifle dies i do not have to move. have looked at the newer models and been tempted, but my LnL AP is fast taking over all the reloading i do. one pull, one bullet, sweeeeeet. the time i save i use to check check and check before i pull the handle again. overall. it is much faster for my style loading.
i progressed from the Lyman to the little Lee Turret model and still have it in comission as my wife loves it and loads all her 38/357 on it. i cant stop looking at Dillon's 550 for rifle loading. one evening i will succomb and order it, i know i will. i'm just having too much fun buying new guns and loading equipment to stop now.
enjoy.
i progressed from the Lyman to the little Lee Turret model and still have it in comission as my wife loves it and loads all her 38/357 on it. i cant stop looking at Dillon's 550 for rifle loading. one evening i will succomb and order it, i know i will. i'm just having too much fun buying new guns and loading equipment to stop now.
enjoy.
Spar-T
I too have a Spar-T. I picked it up off a friend who dad bought it, gave it to him, and now neither of them reload anymore. I love the turret style press.
My neighbor got me interested in reloading on his RCBS Rock Chucker and it's good to learn the basics on a single stange press. I bolted this turret to my bench and away we went!
It saves a ton of time over the single stage as pointed out about, simply because you don't have to put the same case in and out 3 or more times. Once in, pull, spin, pull, spin, dump, spin, bullet, pull, DONE.
I too have a Spar-T. I picked it up off a friend who dad bought it, gave it to him, and now neither of them reload anymore. I love the turret style press.
My neighbor got me interested in reloading on his RCBS Rock Chucker and it's good to learn the basics on a single stange press. I bolted this turret to my bench and away we went!
It saves a ton of time over the single stage as pointed out about, simply because you don't have to put the same case in and out 3 or more times. Once in, pull, spin, pull, spin, dump, spin, bullet, pull, DONE.
Magical_Merlin
Member
I have the Lyman T-Mag and I love it. I keep my set of 38 dies and my 45 dies in one head and my 9mm and 357 dies in another. You can change the head with just one bolt. I have not loaded any rifle ammo in it because I use a Redding Boss for that. I couldnt afford to have both the T7 and the Boss. Good luck.
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