I have been using a RCBS rockchucker for years.Recently, I bought a Lee turret press. After a week of frustration of dealing with all the rattel ,slop and powder being scattered all over my bench, I sent the darn thing back.
Question?Is the principal advantage of the turret press limited to being able to leave the dies in place once they are set?
I use Hornady lock rings on my dies and they usually stay put so I can screw them in and out with little adjustment .All cases are trimmed prior to use. I prime with a Lee auto prime.
There is a lot of pick up and placing for some of the steps.
I powder charge all cases while they remain in the loading block.I like the idea of the redding 7 station because you can leave two calibers in the plate. However, It seems there will be a lot of stations to cycle through.
Finally, I like to look down in the case and see the powder load I am using.
Comments and opinions?

I have been using a RCBS rockchucker for years.Recently, I bought a Lee turret press. After a week of frustration of dealing with all the rattel ,slop and powder being scattered all over my bench, I sent the darn thing back.
Question?Is the principal advantage of the turret press limited to being able to leave the dies in place once they are set?
I use Hornady lock rings on my dies and they usually stay put so I can screw them in and out with little adjustment .All cases are trimmed prior to use. I prime with a Lee auto prime.
There is a lot of pick up and placing for some of the steps.
I powder charge all cases while they remain in the loading block.I like the idea of the redding 7 station because you can leave two calibers in the plate. However, It seems there will be a lot of stations to cycle through.
Finally, I like to look down in the case and see the powder load I am using.
Comments and opinions?

If you load a lot of differnet calibers, and load in smaller amounts, a turret press is of no real help. Helps a bit with the caliber(s) you load in large amounts and keep permanently in the press...but the Hornady lock rings pretty much speed up that process as well.

Swifty -

Been reloading for over 45 years. Go to the range at least once a week lugging 3 - 5 firearms each session, so that means a lot of reloading in between (and cleaning!). I'm still using a single stage and really see no need for a turret or progressive loader. 'Course, being retired, there's time enough during the week to do this. A young feller with a family, job and chores would be hard pressed (no pun) to get it all done.

As ribbonstone says, if the quantity isn't all that much (40 rounds a session or less) the single stage will work fine. More ammo and other things to do, a good turret press such as Redding, RCBS or Hornady would probably be your answer. A real dedicated handgun shooter that shoots weekly matches and practice rounds will be better off with a progressive.

Don't throw the old single stage away if you change,though - you'll find all kinds of uses for the extra press.

I agree with the others.If you load one caliber,predominantly,it'l save a few minutes every session.
The negatives out-weigh the positives,in my opinion.

Swifty,

What calibres are you reloading for and in what quantities? Were I you, I would take that into consideration before making a decision on a turret. If it was a lot of rifle in various calibres, but lower quantities, I'd either add a turret like the Redding T-7 to my bag of tricks or I'd add the Hornady Lock N Load conversion kit to my Rock Chucker, which really makes die changes as quick as twist and click, they're ready to load, no adjustments. (I did this with my used Rock Churcker and Lee classic cast press, works well with both. In fact, I use them in tandem to speed up my single stage work on new load workup, does well that way.)

If I were looking to load large quantites of pistol or rifle in one calibre, I'd look real hard at a progress, such as a Hornady Lock N Load (I have one, is a killer machine for both rifle and pistol, due to the stability of the Lock N Load Bushings and the cylinder style powder dispenser that handles stick powders well.), a Dillon 550 or 650 or a RCBS Pro 2000.

Hope this helps,

Dave in Oakwood, GA

Hi Dave:
Thanks for the advice.I never thought of the Hornady lock and load conversion kit.
I shoot 3 or 4 rifle calibers and 4 handgun calibers.
The hand gun ammo goes pretty fast.

I use a Lyman T-Mag II and love it. I only shoot from 200-500 rounds per month (though I would like to own a Dillon SDB) and I only load for two calibers: 45 Colt and 30-06. I use my turret as a "progressive" only when seating and crimping 45 colt reloads(seating die and separate factory crimp die). Very fast. Otherwise, I use the turret as a "fast" single stage press. I do use a Lee pro auto disk powder measure (handgun only) which bells and charges the case all in one operation.

Though I've had a Lee Turret press for over 20 years, I have used it as a single-stage since the first week. I like the quick-change facet of the turrets, since I load for a lot of calibers, and the fact that the dies are set once and forgotten. But I prime on a Lee Auto Prime, then flare and dump powder with the 2nd die and a Lee Powder measure. Then I seat and crimp. I usually do 50 to 100 pieces at a time, and after dropping powder, I can stop to check the level in each case before proceeding. With some loads I seat and crimp in one operation, with others I do them seperately. The best thing about this arrangement is that once the cases have been deprimed and cleaned, I can reprime them in front of the TV or at my desk, and can do 200-300 cases an hour, then take them home and have them loaded in short order. I'd rather do it this way than with a true progressive, it gives me more control and there is less that can go wrong. I hate pulling bullets!
PJ

I have been using a RCBS rockchucker for years.Recently, I bought a Lee turret press. After a week of frustration of dealing with all the rattel ,slop and powder being scattered all over my bench, I sent the darn thing back.

Swifty, don't know why you had the problem with the press but that's one way to cure things! I now have about 12,000 rounds through my Lee Turret and have not experienced any problems. If the thing cratered today, I wouldn't look at another type, style, or manufacture of press... I would just buy the same and have it sent to me overnight! I would probably buy the 5-hole turret now that it is available.

I use mine for pistol as small as .25 Auto up through the 444 Marlin. For the pistol and .223 I use it with the Auto-Index and crank the stuff out. Like Pappa above, for the rilfe I use it as a single stage press. After the priming, I do work a cartridge at a time as just cycle the turret by hand.

For the pistols, I deliver powder with the Auto-Disk. I've actually picked up these off of eBay for just $$ and have one on each turret plate. The rifles use the Pro Auto-Disk and I move the hopper between calibers with the convenient quick detachment. For the 444 I measure the powder with the Perfect Powder Measure and drop it through the Expanding Die.

I reload lots of ammo and wouldn't live without my Lee Turret Press.

Michael

Have used Lyman Mag T, and what ever the one befor that was for a number of years and never been unhappy. Probably don't use it to full extent, but for seating and factory crimping with the lee die, it is great. I deprime and resize all my rifle brass and tumble clean it, so wouldn't make any difference if I used a turret or a single. However, for cast, where I use a Lyman M die, I like the turret. A lot is just what you are used to, what works for you, and keeps you happy and shooting. Good luck. Paul

Swifty,
Is it the press that was shaking or your bench?? When I moved my reloading shop from the shed to the basement (shortly after the ex moved out :) ) I built a new bench. At first it rattled too much until I beefed it up a bit. Now no problem.
Think that I'm on the same page with almost everyone else. For the small batch rifle loads, I use my old Rockchucker. For the high volume .45ACP and other pistol rounds go with a progressive.

Hi Guys thanks for your comments and advice. I bought a Dillon 550B with multiple tool heads and an extra powder measure..one for 357 mag and one for 45LC. Time will only tell if its worth the investment about $500 total. Already I have a touch of buyers remorse.

Hey, forget any remorse!! The Dillon is a great unit and will last forever. I've got the same and after the intial learning curve where I had a bunch of rejects, I went back and read the instructions a couple more times. Now I can crank out rounds faster than I can load the pistol magazines!! Takes a little getting used to and don't be in too much of a hurry intially like I was.
Only time I suffer remorse is when I sell or trade a gun. That's when I get taken to the cleaners!! :p
My plan now it to keep EVERYTHING, and buy more.