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Reloading Presses

PATBUZZARDPATBUZZARD Member Posts: 3,556
I have 4 reloading presses,3 from one company that have play in the ram,and one older press that has no play at all.Is play normal in a press,is it from wear or just sloppy manufacturing?

Comments

  • PATBUZZARDPATBUZZARD Member Posts: 3,556
    edited November -1
    Does anyone have any experience with Lee's Precision Turret Reloading press?

    Is this a good press for the money?
  • lksmith03lksmith03 Member Posts: 1,742 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Turret press no experience, but I have the hand press, The pro 1000, and the cast press. all of them are good presses. Most of my loading equipment is Lee. They say 2 year warranty but I have never been asked how long I've had the part they just ask an address to send it to.
    If you are looking to load anything big or size bullets (especially hard alloy)spring for the cast press. I use it to load for 50bmg and it has plenty of leverage to size those big cases.
  • TopkickTopkick Member Posts: 4,452 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have had one for years. Love it. I load all my pistol calibers on it. Plenty of power for pistol rounds. I also have the autodisk powder dropper-actually two of them.

    I use the RockChucker for the rifle ammo.

    On the Lee, I usually do around 100/hr but I know others who can double that.

    I like the interchangeable turrets for quick caliber changes.
  • ruger41ruger41 Member Posts: 14,646 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have had great luck with Lee Single stage presses. Awful luck with a progressive Lee set up for .45 Colt. Ended up with about 50 rounds that didn't get powder put into them and didn't know until at the range..thankfully 1 round that just went into the barrel was able to be knocked out with a dowel. Not sure if the powder I was using was wrong type for a progressive but I just went back to the single stage until I have more time to learn on the other.
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This needs moved to the reloading forum.....
  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
    edited November -1
    I have one and like it. I like my Dillon better for quick change of calibers, but the Lee turret is a great press.
  • fordsixfordsix Member Posts: 8,722
    edited November -1
    been useing lee stuff for over 25+ years works for me
  • PATBUZZARDPATBUZZARD Member Posts: 3,556
    edited November -1
    @BPOST Am I blind, where is the reloading forum? Had I seen it I would have posted in proper venue. Please feel free to move at your convenience. Thanks everyone!
  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,595 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Lee Turret press is an excellent, economical way to get started in reloading. You can load a box of fifty rounds in about 15 minutes. I don't know how many thousands of rounds I loaded on a Lee Turret press before buying my Dillon!
  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,969
    edited November -1
    I had the same problem as Ruger41 with the one I had. The primer feed and powder measure are the biggest POS on them. It cost me a custom 1911 barrel [xx(][:(!] Got a Dillon SDB and have had no loading problem,s since [^]
  • ruger41ruger41 Member Posts: 14,646 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ya the primer feeder is a PITA. Maybe I just got a bad machine..but love my single stage and with Lee dippers I never have issues filling cases with powder.
  • Cornflk1Cornflk1 Member Posts: 3,715 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by ruger41
    Ya the primer feeder is a PITA. Maybe I just got a bad machine..but love my single stage and with Lee dippers I never have issues filling cases with powder.


    Same here, primer feeds and powder drops are inconsistent. Dies are great though. Use them on my rock chucker.
  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,595 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Does the Lee Turret Press even have a primer feed? I had two Lee Turret Presses, many years ago, and neither one of them had primer feeds. They had a primer arm into which you would manually place a new primer and then move it into position as you lowered the ram. That system was fool proof and worked 100%. The Lee Auto Disc powder measure that came with my turret press also functioned 100%.
  • fordsixfordsix Member Posts: 8,722
    edited November -1
    i like the lee primer ram unit that is on top of turret press mine works great and is easy to get a rythem going and sensitive primer feel
  • mango tangomango tango Member Posts: 3,833 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just love love love the Dillion 550 Progressive press, i'm just sayin!
  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,595 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mango tango
    I just love love love the Dillion 550 Progressive press, i'm just sayin!


    Didn't you make me some tool head holders a few years ago? Those were geat!
  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,519 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Post this over in the reloading section and ask for Rocky Raab. He will steer you in the right direction.
  • coop359coop359 Member Posts: 84 ✭✭
    edited November -1
  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use a Lyman, but pretty much same same. My reasoning for having a turret press over a progressive press is I'm not a high-volume shooter meaning like thousands of rounds a month. Also it's nice to switch out heads for multiple calibers, set it once and forget. I think you'll be happy with it.

    PS move this over to the reloading form.
  • NordicwargodNordicwargod Member Posts: 102 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I started out with a Lee Turret press and it was great for learning to load with. It will only do pistol rounds and maybe some shorter rifle rounds. I loaded quite a bit of 223 with mine. It won't do 308 or anything simular length wise. I also don't think its strong enough to size 308.
    The other two presses by lee with "turrets" are the pro 1000 and the Loadmaster. The turrets on these presses don't spin like the turret on the turret press does. The shell plates spin.
    I use the loadmaster now. Got it for free from someone frustrated trying to learn how to use it, there is a learning curve [thank you U-tube] And the priming system sucks! Cheap plastic parts that get mashed easly. Dirt and powder gets into the track and everthing goes to heck quickly. I like to handprime now. Find more damaged cases and you can feel the primer seat all the way into the primer pocket. Not all cases are the same and even the Dillon has some problems with their priming system. I know of several prople with the 550, 650, and even one of my best friends has a Dillon 1050 [What a beast!] and they always has some issue to fiddle with. Most common is flipped primers [upside down]. Dillons customer service is top notch, it does not get any better. Lee's is so-so.
    If you are on a budget like I am a Lee is the way to go, everythig is priced right. Compare for instance the price of shell plates, or the cost for a caliber conversion. If you got bucks get the Dillon. It will last forever and if you break anything,,,even if its your fault,,, and you admit it to Dillon that its your fault they will still send you the replacement parts for FREE!!! If I had lots of money for a reloader I would get the 550, with everthing I need for the calibers and primer feeds it would set me back about $1200. I probably have $125 invested in my Lee Loadmaster in shell plates and turrets. The dies are the same.
    If you want to load lots of pistol ammo like I do a progressive is the only way to go. I crank out about 250 9mm per hour with my Loadmaster taking my time.
  • Bubba Jr.Bubba Jr. Member Posts: 8,176 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lee makes 2 different turret presses. The Deluxe and the Classic. The Deluxe is a light duty press that will make thousands of rounds of pistol ammo, but you may break the linkage if you try to do rifle rounds (I speak from experience).

    However the Classic that I bought to replace the Deluxe, is a much stouter press that should be able to reload anything that you can get between the ram and the dies.

    With either of these presses you have a turret and a single stage press in one. Just remove or re-install the twisted metal rod under the center of the turret. The advantage over a true single stage, is that you don't have to remove and replace the dies for each operation, you just rotate the turret manually to the next die.

    As far as primer feeds, Lee sells a primer feed set that includes both large and small primer arms and both primer feeding arms.

    Here's a link to the Classic press.
    http://leeprecision.com/4-hole-classic-turret-press.html
  • Riomouse911Riomouse911 Member Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Pro-1000 primer feed really does stink (I have 2, one in .44 and .45C with two heads to change calibers and one in .357) and I am not a real fan of the powder measure (I manually do it just to be sure) but the Lee presses and dies themselves work just fine. (I have 2 Challengers and a "C" press also bolted to the bench) I am sure their turret press will do what you need of it.
  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Lee's turret press is very good. The only two small problems I can find with it are:
    1. The indexing is dependent on a small, cheap, plastic ratchet that is consumable and fails after a few thousand pulls of the handle. Takes 30 seconds to replace, they give you one free one, but I made it a point to order a dozen (they are about $.50 each).
    2. The turret itself has some slight vertical play when put under pressure by the ram. So long as horizontal alignment is true, this isn't really an issue, but you will notice it.

    Other than that, the thing is a beast, far superior to their old designs; it will handle even the biggest belted magnum with ease, though the auto index feature is only going to work for mid length or pistol cartridges.
  • Mk 19Mk 19 Member Posts: 8,170
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jonk
    Lee's turret press is very good. The only two small problems I can find with it are:
    1. The indexing is dependent on a small, cheap, plastic ratchet that is consumable and fails after a few thousand pulls of the handle. Takes 30 seconds to replace, they give you one free one, but I made it a point to order a dozen (they are about $.50 each).
    2. The turret itself has some slight vertical play when put under pressure by the ram. So long as horizontal alignment is true, this isn't really an issue, but you will notice it.

    Other than that, the thing is a beast, far superior to their old designs; it will handle even the biggest belted magnum with ease, though the auto index feature is only going to work for mid length or pistol cartridges.

    Due to those issues I would recomend looking at the Redding T-7 Turret Press. The Redding not only solves the issues listed above but it also allows for loading rifle cartridges.

    http://www.redding-reloading.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49:t-7-turret-reloading-press
  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Nordicwargod
    I started out with a Lee Turret press and it was great for learning to load with. It will only do pistol rounds and maybe some shorter rifle rounds. I loaded quite a bit of 223 with mine. It won't do 308 or anything simular length wise. I also don't think its strong enough to size 308.



    The Lyman turret will handle .308 & 06 without breaking a sweat. With Good press setup and load practice, Bullet Run out will be .002-.005 +- on a Concentricity Gage.
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Buy the Redding a cry once.
  • gunnut505gunnut505 Member Posts: 10,290
    edited November -1
    Quit cryin' and buy the Dillon!
  • M1A762M1A762 Member Posts: 3,426
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bpost
    Buy the Redding a cry once.


    I have the Lyman T Mag turret press, I reload .308, .30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag with no problems. The Lyman is a stout press.

    But if I buy another turret press it will be the Redding. [:)]
  • PATBUZZARDPATBUZZARD Member Posts: 3,556
    edited November -1
    Thanks to everyone that has replied. My goal is to have one press that will be able to handle the vast array of calibers I intend to reload for. I have but one question left, can anyone with the Lee 4 Turret model know just how long a cartridge it can handle? The largest cartridge I will need to reload for is a .45-110 (.45 2 7/8"). Since I'll be reloading it as a BPC I'll be charging off of a drop tube, but if I use the turret press in single stage mode can it handle seating a 535 gr postel on a cartridge that long?
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