Couldn't agree more. The only downfall to the Classic Cast Turret kit is the charge weighing and the RCBS Chargemaster dispenser/scale fits the bill perfectly.
Any reason I shouldn't get the Lee Classic Turret?
- Thread starter llcwalsh
- Start date
Couldn't agree more. The only downfall to the Classic Cast Turret kit is the charge weighing and the RCBS Chargemaster dispenser/scale fits the bill perfectly.
Rod B
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The Lee Classic Cast Turret press is an excellent machine. I am getting out of pistol shooting & sold mine last month. If I ever were to start again I would buy the same press.
I also have the Lee classic cast single stage that I use for my rifle reloading.
Some people bash Lee but I have had nothing but good service from their products,
I also have the Lee classic cast single stage that I use for my rifle reloading.
Some people bash Lee but I have had nothing but good service from their products,
You have not told us your volume of handgun ammo you use per month. If you're only shooting a couple of hundred rounds then the LCT would do just fine. But expect to spend a couple of hours per month pulling that lever. At four pulls per round there's a fair amount of arm use to get a single round. In that same time and effort you could have FOUR rounds.
So all in all I think that if you can really only start on a budget and can only get one press then the LCT would be not a bad way to go. But it's sort of like the general purpose sort of machine. It's not going to be as fast or easy as a full progressive due to the ability to only handle one casing at a time. And for later it's not going to be as rigid and consistent as a good solid frame single stage due to the support rods being able to flex when things aren't just right to a greater degree than a full cast frame with stiffer uprights. So it's that in between "jack of all trades, master of none" situation. A progressive is better and faster at doing handgun ammo and high volume rifle rounds such as 5.56 for feeding an AR clone. But the solid frame single is going to be more accurately lined up between the die and the ram and it's going to hold that accuracy to a far smaller variation than the smaller rod columns of the LCT.
So if you will only get the one press and make it work then an LCT isn't a bad way to go. But if you're thinking of the longer term you might want to consider a one piece closed frame single stage to start and then add a progressive in a while for the high volume loading.
Your handgun loading with a single stage will be limited to something around 130 to 150 per hour once you get into the swing and develop the working shortcuts. You'll work in "blocks" of 50 which I found took me around 20 to 25 minutes per 50. Why 50? Because that's what the universal loading block holds for cases. And it's a handy number to fit the ammo cases.
The good thing for higher accuracy rifle loading is that the die is now held more centered on the ram than you'll get with a turret sitting on the three column rods.
The downside is the loss of speed and convenience for die changes. But most of that can be cured by using either the Lee Breechlock setup or going with the bayonet style Hornady Lock n'Load system. Or buy a bunch of Hornady Sur-Loc pinch style die nuts that securely lock in place by clamping to the threading of the die so you can spin them in and out and know that they will hold their adjustment.
So "Jack of all trades, master of none" so you can focus on one press or go specific with a good single stage that has more of a focus on accurate rifle rounds and live with the handgun loading speed of it until you can pair it up with a true progressive press.
You won't lose either way. You may find that the LCT is fast enough and rigid enough for your needs. And if that's the case then it's the right press for you. Just keep in mind that if you run into things you can't seem to explain that it may be due to the press flexing and shifting from the support rods. Or if you seem to finish up your hand gun ammo sessions with a tired arm and reaching for the Advil that it's due to pulling the "slot machine" four times per round instead of one.
So all in all I think that if you can really only start on a budget and can only get one press then the LCT would be not a bad way to go. But it's sort of like the general purpose sort of machine. It's not going to be as fast or easy as a full progressive due to the ability to only handle one casing at a time. And for later it's not going to be as rigid and consistent as a good solid frame single stage due to the support rods being able to flex when things aren't just right to a greater degree than a full cast frame with stiffer uprights. So it's that in between "jack of all trades, master of none" situation. A progressive is better and faster at doing handgun ammo and high volume rifle rounds such as 5.56 for feeding an AR clone. But the solid frame single is going to be more accurately lined up between the die and the ram and it's going to hold that accuracy to a far smaller variation than the smaller rod columns of the LCT.
So if you will only get the one press and make it work then an LCT isn't a bad way to go. But if you're thinking of the longer term you might want to consider a one piece closed frame single stage to start and then add a progressive in a while for the high volume loading.
Your handgun loading with a single stage will be limited to something around 130 to 150 per hour once you get into the swing and develop the working shortcuts. You'll work in "blocks" of 50 which I found took me around 20 to 25 minutes per 50. Why 50? Because that's what the universal loading block holds for cases. And it's a handy number to fit the ammo cases.
The good thing for higher accuracy rifle loading is that the die is now held more centered on the ram than you'll get with a turret sitting on the three column rods.
The downside is the loss of speed and convenience for die changes. But most of that can be cured by using either the Lee Breechlock setup or going with the bayonet style Hornady Lock n'Load system. Or buy a bunch of Hornady Sur-Loc pinch style die nuts that securely lock in place by clamping to the threading of the die so you can spin them in and out and know that they will hold their adjustment.
So "Jack of all trades, master of none" so you can focus on one press or go specific with a good single stage that has more of a focus on accurate rifle rounds and live with the handgun loading speed of it until you can pair it up with a true progressive press.
You won't lose either way. You may find that the LCT is fast enough and rigid enough for your needs. And if that's the case then it's the right press for you. Just keep in mind that if you run into things you can't seem to explain that it may be due to the press flexing and shifting from the support rods. Or if you seem to finish up your hand gun ammo sessions with a tired arm and reaching for the Advil that it's due to pulling the "slot machine" four times per round instead of one.
Lots of great advice here. Thanks guys.
I'm likely to go through 2000 .223 and 1000 each of 9mm and .40 in a year. That's just a guess. I also don't mind the time it may take to do 100 rounds here and there. Other calibers aren't really in the works yet but I do intend to fire off some larger caliber rifle rounds in the future.
Anyone selling a quality single stage? I could be convinced to learn what is need and save up for a progressive for next year.
I'm likely to go through 2000 .223 and 1000 each of 9mm and .40 in a year. That's just a guess. I also don't mind the time it may take to do 100 rounds here and there. Other calibers aren't really in the works yet but I do intend to fire off some larger caliber rifle rounds in the future.
Anyone selling a quality single stage? I could be convinced to learn what is need and save up for a progressive for next year.
After looking into a bunch of options I knew that I liked the speed and repeatability of some sort of quarter turn option for a single stage. This led me to Lee and Hornady. Now the fact was that I was looking to replace a Lee screw style single stage which I'd been given. I was replacing it because after some odd results and ammo that was measurably "bent" I tested and found that the ram and the die threads were not coaxial. And when that is the case there's nothing that is going to fix it that will fit in a home shop. So being a bit put off by Lee at that point I went for a Hornady and bought a couple of 10 packs of the bushings.
I know the pro Lee fan folks will be on here quick enough but that is what I found and it was very obvious to the test instruments I used. And it was actually my own Mk I eyeball that saw that something was off. And the rifle I was putting the ammo into confirmed it. So call it Lee bashing if you wish but I won't be buying any Lee presses any time soon.
But don't take my word for it. Look into the options suggested and watch videos on each on You Tube. You may be new to this but the ease of setup and use in these videos will give you a feel for what you think you want and which way to go.
One possible turret press that might be a nice way to go is the Lyman T-Mag II. It's a rather solid bit if engineering and you can get additional die plates. The plates hold a total of 6 dies so there's enough room for two sets of dies in some cases. And it skips over the need for bushings or better pinch style lock rings by letting you set up the dies once and then leave them there. Overall it's going to cost more than a Lee single or LCT and more than a Hornady single and a bucket of bushings. But it's a solid piece and might just lure you in with the easy clicking between dies.
Me? I'm just pleased as punch with the speed of the bayonet style Hornady bushings. And I don't doubt that Lee's Breechlock setup is just as quick. And I also realize that my bent Lee was not common. So a breechlock Lee might serve you well.
Then there's the Redding single stage setup. Not cheap either. And it would sort of want the Hornady Sur-Loc rings again. But no one has a press mounted priming setup like Redding's. Again do a You Tube search on it to see the priming setup in action. I use a Lee hand primer instead since the Hornady press mounted priming gear for their single stage just seems like it's never in stock anywhere. Not even on You Tube.
With either of these fast change setups for the dies switching between steps is easy. As I said above the LCT brings nothing to the game other than a little time savings by not having to handle the casings four times instead of once. For that alone it's not a bad way to go. But even the Lee faithful will look at their shoes and admit that the skinny posts used to support the die holder ring are not that stiff so the plates can bend a little under heavier duty loading. Namely the larger rifle brass that needs some serious lever effort to full length size when required. And that brings us back full circle again.
So yeah, a single will take you longer because you handle the brass more often. But for that you get a more solid press that won't flex out of alignment under any circumstances. Which colour you go for is open but I feel that the two red options with the breech or bayonet bushings have an edge over the others just for this one feature.
Now there's one other. The Forster Coax. It is just as fast to swap dies because it doesn't use the threading at all. The dies just slip into place. BUT..... There's always a "but" isn't there?
Because the dies sit in a slot and use the die nut to set the die position you REALLY want a nut or ring that locks securely and square to the long axis of the die. And that brings us right back to the Hornady pinch style Sur-Loc rings again. Any design other than this pinch style that closes around the thread and pulls square to the long axis is a distant second best regardless of who makes it.
Oh yeah. One other higher end single stage caught my eye a while back. It's the RCBS Summit press. It's a screw style single stage with a honkin' big column. because it's a screw style you'll again want the Hornady rings. Or because it shows a bushing for the threaded part it may well take the Hornady LnL screw in outer carrier to take their LnL bushings. And THAT would be a nice top end option.
The price is climbing rapidly as we talk about these last few options. And you may not need such a thing. For the $140 I paid for my Hornady I've been happy as a clam. And I'm the sort that for what a Forster or the Summit costs would go that way if I found myself being blocked or limited. But other than poor on press priming I have not found a short coming. Oh, and when tested the ram and dies sat in line to a greater degree than I could measure with my machine shop gear. So relatively inexpensive doesn't need to also mean "cheap".
So that's my story and what I've learned from both doing and looking around at some of the other slick looking toys.
Way back when I started out reloading a long time shooter that had taken me under his wing was cleaning out the shed. I brought home three boxes of gear with four presses in those boxes. The Lyman I've still got. The Lee Classic got tossed for being bent. The progressive 1000 was used for a few years by me and a cowboy action shooting buddy. There was also a single position three die head turret that was based on the 1000 style frame with posts holding the die plate.
The 1000 worked but only with a number of mods along the way. And not little things. The holes in the die plate ring were drilled out quite large so the dies could self center then tighten the post screws. The ski jump primer deliver setup was wearing and lifting out of the recess so it was jamming so that got drilled and tapped for a set screw to secure it. The lift spring on the primer ram wasn't enough to consistently keep the shell plate platen in the rest position so a helper spring and plunger was made up to aid this. A shield was made up to deflect spent primers so they would drop into the bucket instead of spraying out onto the floor. And I think there were a couple of other little things.
On the other hand once the ring holes were oversized so the dies would center the single shell holder ram setup of the other 1000 based press was fine. But we weren't asking much of it.
When I tripped over a used Dillon 550b with dies and a good supply of primer tubes for a good price the Lee went to my buddy who is still using it with good results.... along with the half dozen upgrades that is. And since I had the new Hornady and that Lyman I sent along the other 1000 style "three post" press as well. So he's got a full on setup to do all of his reloading with that lee gear Both the progressive for the handgun ammo and the other turret model for any future rifle reloading.
Me? I was happy to see it leaving the house. The other stuff suited my needs far more. And the Dillon gave me a fourth position in the die plate so I could run separate seating and crimping dies which is a FAR better way to run. Particularly if you are loading cast lead bullets at all.
OK, I'm rambling again. But hopefully it'll give you a glimpse into all the choices. Some of it may not make sense just yet. But as you learn more some of this will suddenly jump out at you.
I know the pro Lee fan folks will be on here quick enough but that is what I found and it was very obvious to the test instruments I used. And it was actually my own Mk I eyeball that saw that something was off. And the rifle I was putting the ammo into confirmed it. So call it Lee bashing if you wish but I won't be buying any Lee presses any time soon.
But don't take my word for it. Look into the options suggested and watch videos on each on You Tube. You may be new to this but the ease of setup and use in these videos will give you a feel for what you think you want and which way to go.
One possible turret press that might be a nice way to go is the Lyman T-Mag II. It's a rather solid bit if engineering and you can get additional die plates. The plates hold a total of 6 dies so there's enough room for two sets of dies in some cases. And it skips over the need for bushings or better pinch style lock rings by letting you set up the dies once and then leave them there. Overall it's going to cost more than a Lee single or LCT and more than a Hornady single and a bucket of bushings. But it's a solid piece and might just lure you in with the easy clicking between dies.
Me? I'm just pleased as punch with the speed of the bayonet style Hornady bushings. And I don't doubt that Lee's Breechlock setup is just as quick. And I also realize that my bent Lee was not common. So a breechlock Lee might serve you well.
Then there's the Redding single stage setup. Not cheap either. And it would sort of want the Hornady Sur-Loc rings again. But no one has a press mounted priming setup like Redding's. Again do a You Tube search on it to see the priming setup in action. I use a Lee hand primer instead since the Hornady press mounted priming gear for their single stage just seems like it's never in stock anywhere. Not even on You Tube.
With either of these fast change setups for the dies switching between steps is easy. As I said above the LCT brings nothing to the game other than a little time savings by not having to handle the casings four times instead of once. For that alone it's not a bad way to go. But even the Lee faithful will look at their shoes and admit that the skinny posts used to support the die holder ring are not that stiff so the plates can bend a little under heavier duty loading. Namely the larger rifle brass that needs some serious lever effort to full length size when required. And that brings us back full circle again.
So yeah, a single will take you longer because you handle the brass more often. But for that you get a more solid press that won't flex out of alignment under any circumstances. Which colour you go for is open but I feel that the two red options with the breech or bayonet bushings have an edge over the others just for this one feature.
Now there's one other. The Forster Coax. It is just as fast to swap dies because it doesn't use the threading at all. The dies just slip into place. BUT..... There's always a "but" isn't there?
Because the dies sit in a slot and use the die nut to set the die position you REALLY want a nut or ring that locks securely and square to the long axis of the die. And that brings us right back to the Hornady pinch style Sur-Loc rings again. Any design other than this pinch style that closes around the thread and pulls square to the long axis is a distant second best regardless of who makes it. Oh yeah. One other higher end single stage caught my eye a while back. It's the RCBS Summit press. It's a screw style single stage with a honkin' big column. because it's a screw style you'll again want the Hornady rings. Or because it shows a bushing for the threaded part it may well take the Hornady LnL screw in outer carrier to take their LnL bushings. And THAT would be a nice top end option.
The price is climbing rapidly as we talk about these last few options. And you may not need such a thing. For the $140 I paid for my Hornady I've been happy as a clam. And I'm the sort that for what a Forster or the Summit costs would go that way if I found myself being blocked or limited. But other than poor on press priming I have not found a short coming. Oh, and when tested the ram and dies sat in line to a greater degree than I could measure with my machine shop gear. So relatively inexpensive doesn't need to also mean "cheap".
So that's my story and what I've learned from both doing and looking around at some of the other slick looking toys.
Way back when I started out reloading a long time shooter that had taken me under his wing was cleaning out the shed. I brought home three boxes of gear with four presses in those boxes. The Lyman I've still got. The Lee Classic got tossed for being bent. The progressive 1000 was used for a few years by me and a cowboy action shooting buddy. There was also a single position three die head turret that was based on the 1000 style frame with posts holding the die plate.
The 1000 worked but only with a number of mods along the way. And not little things. The holes in the die plate ring were drilled out quite large so the dies could self center then tighten the post screws. The ski jump primer deliver setup was wearing and lifting out of the recess so it was jamming so that got drilled and tapped for a set screw to secure it. The lift spring on the primer ram wasn't enough to consistently keep the shell plate platen in the rest position so a helper spring and plunger was made up to aid this. A shield was made up to deflect spent primers so they would drop into the bucket instead of spraying out onto the floor. And I think there were a couple of other little things.
On the other hand once the ring holes were oversized so the dies would center the single shell holder ram setup of the other 1000 based press was fine. But we weren't asking much of it.
When I tripped over a used Dillon 550b with dies and a good supply of primer tubes for a good price the Lee went to my buddy who is still using it with good results.... along with the half dozen upgrades that is. And since I had the new Hornady and that Lyman I sent along the other 1000 style "three post" press as well. So he's got a full on setup to do all of his reloading with that lee gear Both the progressive for the handgun ammo and the other turret model for any future rifle reloading.
Me? I was happy to see it leaving the house. The other stuff suited my needs far more. And the Dillon gave me a fourth position in the die plate so I could run separate seating and crimping dies which is a FAR better way to run. Particularly if you are loading cast lead bullets at all.
OK, I'm rambling again. But hopefully it'll give you a glimpse into all the choices. Some of it may not make sense just yet. But as you learn more some of this will suddenly jump out at you.
I have the Classic Turret Press. Strongly considered a progressive. However for the sake of learning I figured the current press would provide the right mix of production, learning grounds.
I'm loading and 38 special, 44 Mag. Good volume. You get to really sense the feel for sizing, priming, etc.
Now it has a Lee Loadmaster for a friend next to it.
I'm loading and 38 special, 44 Mag. Good volume. You get to really sense the feel for sizing, priming, etc.
Now it has a Lee Loadmaster for a friend next to it.
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
I have a Dillon XL650, a Lee Classic Cast, a Lee Classic Turret, a Co-Ax and a Lee shot shell loader. Love em all. Honestly, for your volume the Turret is most economical.
I still do the calibres I do a 500 run of or so a year on the Classic Turret. Like .45 ACP and 6.8 SPC. Buy a few turrets and it's cheap and yer GTG. The Lee Disc powder dispenser always works perfect tor me. I hand prime. As a starter press, it's much faster than a SS, you can take out the rod to do true SS or index yourself.
The problem with a progressive is... Money. It's not just the press. It's the case feeder, powder dropper, conversion kit, tool head and other stuff. I load .40 and 5.56 on my Dillon and that's it. It's not worth the trouble to spin up for anything less than 1000 or so. But I bet I'm at 2200 bucks to load 2 calibres.... Where a Lee Turret is a 15 buck turret and dies. Done. Don't get me wrong, I load 2 or 3 - 5 gallon pails of 5.56 each year, so it's well worth it. For 2000 that's 8 hours on your turret. No problem.
Even with the others, I'd never sell my turret. And if I had to pick 1 press.... The Classic Turret would be it.
I still do the calibres I do a 500 run of or so a year on the Classic Turret. Like .45 ACP and 6.8 SPC. Buy a few turrets and it's cheap and yer GTG. The Lee Disc powder dispenser always works perfect tor me. I hand prime. As a starter press, it's much faster than a SS, you can take out the rod to do true SS or index yourself.
The problem with a progressive is... Money. It's not just the press. It's the case feeder, powder dropper, conversion kit, tool head and other stuff. I load .40 and 5.56 on my Dillon and that's it. It's not worth the trouble to spin up for anything less than 1000 or so. But I bet I'm at 2200 bucks to load 2 calibres.... Where a Lee Turret is a 15 buck turret and dies. Done. Don't get me wrong, I load 2 or 3 - 5 gallon pails of 5.56 each year, so it's well worth it. For 2000 that's 8 hours on your turret. No problem.
Even with the others, I'd never sell my turret. And if I had to pick 1 press.... The Classic Turret would be it.
One HUGE issue with the lee classic turret is that the rotational plate has a rather large gap when sliding around in the press. This allows the plate to lift itself, move to the next die hole, then fall back into the slot. The issue is that when you engage the shell holder with the lever to press the ammo against the die, the plate that holds the die actually lifts up by a few millimeters. Not only does this shift the measurements like OAL, but the slight rise on one side of the plate forces the die down onto the ammo shell at a slight angle. I have this press as well as an RCB single stage press, and there is no lateral movement on the RCB press. This isn't an issue for short length ammo like 9mm, but for rifle ammo, this is a notable problem.
I have two, they are a good press. All the fiddly adjustments are easy enough to compensate for. Took me 30 years to wear out the first one. I recommend it (I also own a Lyman turret and Dillon 450). FWIW - dan
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Haven't found this to be a problem at all. Yes the rotary has a tolerance built into it for ease of movement (it turns freely, results in less pressure/wear and tear on the rotational parts) but the tolerance is the same no matter what station is being used...once a die has been set the same amount of tolerance/movement/slack is taken up with every shell case used in the press.
A shooter that wants the ultimate long range loads might have concern here and might be better served with a micrometer seating system just for peace of mind, but the reality of the situation is that the tolerances in the press won't matter or make a noticeable difference to 99.99 % of us.
On my bench I currently have a Lee pro 1000, a Lee classic turret and a Lyman Tmag 6 hole turret press.
I like the pro 1000 as its lighting fast but it's a bit of a process to change calibers so I only load 9mm on it ad that's it.
My first press was my Lee classic turret press. I've loaded at least 10,000 full size rifle rounds on it. Ive loaded small calibers like 222 remington and 9mm luger all the way up to 7mm reminton magnum and 43 mauser. Its been great for any of my reloading needs.Im a target shooter almost 100% and long range is my favorite to do. Yes the turret on the Lee moves up slightly when running brass into a die but I've yet to notice any accuracy issues related to it. It's a great press!
Lastly just for comparison sake I have a Lyman Tmag press. It holds 6 dies instead of the Lee's 4 dies. It's sure beefy and and super rigid. It's also more then 2x the price of the Lee. I got it in a package deal and I was excited to get something better then my trusty lee.
I will say that the Lyman is more rigid, it has more leverage and we'll it looks cool with its hammered finish. It also holds more dies which is nice. Those are the pros so far.
The cons are it's twice the price of the Lee, I don't like the tube style priming system as a primer detonation can be dangerous with that style. The indexing is is very nice and smooth but it takes lots of force in fact it has a 6" lever that is inserted into holes on the turret which makes indexing more of a chore then on the Lee. The replacement turrets are like $80 vs. The Lee's $20 turrets.
So all that said I love my Lyman Tmag and my pro1000 but if I could have one press it's going to be my lee turret.
I like the pro 1000 as its lighting fast but it's a bit of a process to change calibers so I only load 9mm on it ad that's it.
My first press was my Lee classic turret press. I've loaded at least 10,000 full size rifle rounds on it. Ive loaded small calibers like 222 remington and 9mm luger all the way up to 7mm reminton magnum and 43 mauser. Its been great for any of my reloading needs.Im a target shooter almost 100% and long range is my favorite to do. Yes the turret on the Lee moves up slightly when running brass into a die but I've yet to notice any accuracy issues related to it. It's a great press!
Lastly just for comparison sake I have a Lyman Tmag press. It holds 6 dies instead of the Lee's 4 dies. It's sure beefy and and super rigid. It's also more then 2x the price of the Lee. I got it in a package deal and I was excited to get something better then my trusty lee.
I will say that the Lyman is more rigid, it has more leverage and we'll it looks cool with its hammered finish. It also holds more dies which is nice. Those are the pros so far.
The cons are it's twice the price of the Lee, I don't like the tube style priming system as a primer detonation can be dangerous with that style. The indexing is is very nice and smooth but it takes lots of force in fact it has a 6" lever that is inserted into holes on the turret which makes indexing more of a chore then on the Lee. The replacement turrets are like $80 vs. The Lee's $20 turrets.
So all that said I love my Lyman Tmag and my pro1000 but if I could have one press it's going to be my lee turret.
I just finished Converting a "OLD" three hole Lee Turret to four hole setup with new auto index Ram and safety priming system.
Tried to set up some old RCBS 9mm dies and the RBCS lock rings are too wide for the hole spacing!!
I had forgotten about that pet peeve after not using a Lee turret for about 10 years.
More wasted time. Setting it up for a friend and don't want to change my Lee 9mm dies that are setup for my Hornady LNL AP
Tried to set up some old RCBS 9mm dies and the RBCS lock rings are too wide for the hole spacing!!
I had forgotten about that pet peeve after not using a Lee turret for about 10 years.
More wasted time. Setting it up for a friend and don't want to change my Lee 9mm dies that are setup for my Hornady LNL AP
I had one given to me (some sentimental value as well I guess). I use my classic turret for load development, single stage function and for case prep. It was my primary press for loading 9mm for a few years now, until I bought a Lee load master, but I was still able to crank out 200 - 300 rnds in an hour if everything went smoothly.
I now use it exclusively in single stage function and mainly use it for loading 45-70 and case prep for 223/556. I have separate turret plates with different sizing dies and a swager. Very handy press and one I wouldn't get rid of.
I now use it exclusively in single stage function and mainly use it for loading 45-70 and case prep for 223/556. I have separate turret plates with different sizing dies and a swager. Very handy press and one I wouldn't get rid of.
Good choice to get started. You can use as a single stage if you like to start, then go turret when you are ready to produce more faster. Lee works fine and they backup their product if/when something breaks. Works to make good ammo for way less than the other over priced manufacturers. I would recommend the new Lee drum powder dispenser over the other dispensers. Zero leakage and accurate drops.
Its how I got started before going to the loadmaster. Still use it for depriming, cast bullet Sizing.
Its how I got started before going to the loadmaster. Still use it for depriming, cast bullet Sizing.
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The dies are old too.
I have 2 Lee turret presses, mostly using them for swaging cast, expanding necks, universal decapping...etc.
Not so much for complete reload process of one caliber.
Also an ancient CH C-press SS that will be heading to the scrap yard soon.
The CH press, the formerly three hole turret and the RCBS dies came, among many other reloading items, from an older club member friend who died last year in his early eighties.
Most used for loading, Hornady Classic SS for rifles and LNL AP for pistol, with an RCBS Rock Chucker.
Have a Piggyback kit for the Rockchucker that stays in a box. Not worth the frustration with indexing problems.
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