Turret or multiple single stage.....

Hunt&Hook

Hunt&Hook

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I am going to update my reloading bench and am thinking either a Lyman all american, or 3 single stage presses.

I currently use a Breech Lock Challenger , which I would use for sizing and decapping, and I would buy another Challenger for expanding and priming and one C-frame press, which I would use for seating + roll crimping.

My bench would look like this: press, trimmer, brass prep center, press, powder measure (+ scale), press or,

Press, trimmer, prep center, turret.

Cost for 2 presses is $160 and would be foolproof.
Cost for the turret right now is $400 (Inc flow through expander dies and new powder measure) and there is a bit of room for error.

I would like to utilize the dies and whatnot that I have, so a progressive is out. I don't wish to start over.

I load 1500+ rifle rounds for 8 different calibers and a few thousand pistol for 2 calibers.

I enjoy my time reloading, but doing 1000 pistol rounds does get tedious.

Discuss.
 
I have a Lee Classic Turret with dies/turrets for 38/357, 9, 40 and 45. On average, I reload 2-3K combined pistol rounds per year.
Casting, sizing and tumble lubing 3-4K rounds takes 5-6 long winter/early spring days a year.

Lee Classic Cast for rifle, which was aborted some yrs back. Bought it for 30.06 and .223 Rem. Sold the 06 rifle and hardly shoot the AR. And turns out prices for .223 during Black Friday sales are like reloading cost. But this single stage is used for sizing the pistol bullets after the first lube.

RCBS priming tool for when in the mood.
 
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Turrets main advantage in my opinion is that you handle the brass less. On press priming on any press other than a progressive is a PITA.
Hand priming tool would be my preference.
 
You do not need anything extra going from single stage to turret. If you don't have powder through dies and powder measure, simply leave the station empty, and place your powder funnel on top of the brass to charge powder when ram is on top of the stroke.

Going from turret to progressive, the only thing extra that is absolutely required is the shell plate. They can add up quick for 8 calibers ($35~40 per caliber), but some common caliber share the same shell plate (i.e. 45ACP/308/3006, 223/9mm).

Note that factory reconditioned lee press can be had for cheap on Lee website's closeouts section. Also of course the EE here.

I bought a lee loadmaster off EE for cheaper than a new turrent press. I setup sizing die and lee quick trim die on it. In 1 pass my rifle brass all get sized, trimmed, and auto ejected into the bin. This is much more tolerable than doing multiple passes on single stage press.
 
I use a Dillon 650. I buy the sizer decap die by itself and use my regular dies for seating/crimping. I won't go back even if it costs more to get set up. I only load pistol though (6 calibers). Anything I load only once in a while I still use single stage and a hand priming tool
 
Another vote for the LEE Classic Turret. I use mine as a single stage. Set up the dies once and just switch turret's to change caliber. It also catch's most if not all the spent primers
 
Thanks for all the info.... I have something to add.....

My 9 yr old son was laid up with a broken femur. Now that he is able to use the stairs, he's been coming down and helping out.

I've decided to get 1 turret for loading solo and 1 more single, for bonding/loading with him. I borrowed my neighbor's c-frame and clamped it to the bench, set up dies and voila! An assembly line.
I flared, primed and charged powder, he seated and crimped. We did 200 x 9mm in no time before bed. It was awesome!

I'm lucky that 2 of 3 kids are avid shooters.

Brad
 
It's amazing how I just keep coming back to the single-stage Lee I first bought. Never thought of setting up another one in series. That's a good idea.

I bought a Lee Load Master last year and it lived up to its name - it's a total Load. (Of something.) Good for brass prep though - except for priming, which it completely fails at.
 
BAAC said:
It's amazing how I just keep coming back to the single-stage Lee I first bought. Never thought of setting up another one in series. That's a good idea.

I bought a Lee Load Master last year and it lived up to its name - it's a total Load. (Of something.) Good for brass prep though - except for priming, which it completely fails at.
Click to expand...

Exactly why I have an RCBS hand primer.
 
Hunt&Hook said:
Thanks for all the info.... I have something to add.....

My 9 yr old son was laid up with a broken femur. Now that he is able to use the stairs, he's been coming down and helping out.

I've decided to get 1 turret for loading solo and 1 more single, for bonding/loading with him. I borrowed my neighbor's c-frame and clamped it to the bench, set up dies and voila! An assembly line.
I flared, primed and charged powder, he seated and crimped. We did 200 x 9mm in no time before bed. It was awesome!

I'm lucky that 2 of 3 kids are avid shooters.

Brad
Click to expand...

Nice, start them young and they will enjoy the sport for life. I can see you reloading together well into your 80s.
 
The classic turret press is great. I have loaded 3000 rounds on it so far but it takes a lot of time. I am looking for a progressive like a 650 now.
 
My setup is an RCBS Partner for dirty work, Lee Classic Cast for rifle and Hornady LNL AP for handgun.
In your case I would either get a few Lee Classic Turrets or a few single stage.
 
Here's what I've settled on. Replace the cordless drill with a motorized trimmer and I'll have it.

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If you have the bench space I would humbly suggest multiple single stage presses, one for each stage of the reloading process. The reason is basically mechanical rigidity of the single stage press combined with the efficiency of a linear assembly line. You could also have one or more people working in that press assembly line (like a son or daughter that is learning reloading).
 
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