Turret up-and-down play in Lee Turret Press

[UnderDawgAl]

Any solutions to the vertical give in the Turret press? I have the old-style press. When the ram pushes a brass case up into the die, the turret itself moves up just slightly less than 1/16 inch.

Theoretically, I guess, it shouldn't make any difference in the consistency of a batch of reloads if cases are the same length and the dies are adjusted with an inserted case at maximum ram-up position.

However, there's that part of me that wants to eliminate any unnecessary variables in that relentless quest to bring my .38 Spl target load group sizes from 8" down to 5" at 7 yds.

UDA

 

[shadowalker]

Take a look at this thread.

Also don't forget target OAL and charge weight when looking for accuracy.

At 7 yards with pistol ammunition I doubt the play in the turret would have a very noticeable effect, at that distance you might get more return out of shooting technique and dry fire practice.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I haven't noticed any difference in accuracy in rifle either... Though I have much less upwards movement in my Lee turret...As long as it moves straight up, no problem...By The Way...My Lee turret is 20 years old...

 

[UnderDawgAl]

Thanks for the thread, shadowalker. I must have missed that one. Good reading.

The group size comment was tongue-in-cheek.

Bushmaster, glad to hear you're using an old one. I got mine for Christmas 1988, but I didn't set it up till a few weeks ago! I put some homemade parchment paper "trays" in those two big holes beside the ram so that I don't have to worry about cleaning up primers. Didn't take me long to figure the need for that!

 

[The Bushmaster]

Dismount your Turret press from the bench. Drill a large hole in the bench where the press will be mounted. Either put a wast basket under the hole in the bench to catch the primers. Or find an old aluminum ice tray and install it under the bench on some kind of slide so the spent primers fall into the tray. When it's full...Slide it out and empty it...

 

[jfh]

I'll second The Bushmaster.

A variant on the primer catch is to use a typical plastic peanut butter jar. If you use the lid for layout, you'll see you can get the back press mounting bolt inside it and still have room to carefully drill a nominal 1" hole in the center, and to secure the lid with two more small SM screws--put washers on them.

The procedure I used to mount mine was to

1) remove the press,
2) do the layout,
3) mount the jar top and drill through that, coming up from the bottom.
4) When the pilot bit breaks through the top, then finish off the hole from above.
5) file / cleanup the hole edges as needed.
6) remount the press, and
7) screw on the jar bottom.

It won't hold as many spent primers as an ice cube tray, but it holds a few thousand, and it's easy to remove and empty without spilling or to provide access to drawers or doors that may be in the bench beneath the press.

Jim H.

 

[RustyFN]

I have the classic turret press and it has a little play in the turret also. I think it needs a little play so it will spin and be able to stop in the right place. I haven't noticed any problems caused from it. I check OAL on my rounds every so many and they are always where I want them to be.
Rusty