Turret Press VS single press?

[Caveman Jim]

I have been coaxed along to getting into serious debt to reloading recently by someone whom, themselves have just bought a single press starter kit (RCBS). He only has one caliber that he reloads for (300WM) and I will only have 2 .223 & 40S&W).
I have searched this kit and also found 4 & 5 hole turret presses. Seems to me that it is a lot of work (in the beginning) to keep removing & replacing dies on a single hole press and me being a NUB I just gotta know the reason experienced reloaders (unless mass producing many calibers) prefer the single presses?

TIA Peeps.

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[Member 5605]

Early on I used a Lee breech Lock because it was quick change bushings for all of the calibers I loaded. For the time spent and the low volume I reloaded it worked perfect.

Then I started wanting more pistol rounds and went with a Lee turret press. Sure glad I did. 200 rounds an hour and not working too hard makes it nice. Only pausing to refil primers or the powder drop.

I still use the single for rifle rounds except .223, mainly due to the force needed to size the brass.

 

[filsonhand]

Lol
I'm getting a redding T7 so the Wifey can reload also, without the added complications of a progressive just yet

Sooo if anyone has a used one for sale, let me know

 

[ageingstudent]

I load on a Lee Classic Turret and have no regrets about getting it. It's very versatile and caliber changes are super easy. I load .380, .38/.357, .40 S&W, .401sl, .45acp, 500 S&W, and .22-250. It does rifle and pistol equally well and you can use it like a single stage for Precision loading. If you want to step up the pace it puts out a reasonable amount of quality pistol ammo. It's a very good press for the money. I have no complaints. I like the auto-index it works quite well.

Nothing wrong with a single stage. It's just a whole different experience loading large batches of pistol or .223 ammo. Having the turret mostly eliminates the need for load blocks for instance.

 

[Stomper]

I'm seriously studying the Dillon-550...

 

[ageingstudent]

It seems like you could set a bl550 up to be versatile like a turret with the added ability to go full progressive. I've been looking at that also. Might be my next press purchase.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Wow, lots of info, thanks.
I am developing sometimers recently so this will be a huge learning curve but to my credits, I am patient when needed....

 

[WWShooter]

I'm really new to reloading myself. My initial reloading was strictly pistol - 9mm and .38 special. After a lot of internet research, I settled on a Lee Classic Turret press, which works well for pistol. As noted above, you can produce a lot of rounds reasonably quickly, while still getting eyes on each round. I like visually confirming the that there's not (due to operator error) a double powder drop and randomly weigh the powder drop and check the finished rounds with a case gauge. Running slower than a full progressive press (one round per pull) allows (forces) me to pay more attention than I think I would if I could produce 4 to 5 times as many rounds per hour.

My pistol shooting doesn't demand perfect rounds - I'm not that good a shot. I can go to the range, have fun with my reloads and keep my limited skills as sharp as I can cheaper (I tell myself) than using factory ammo.

One thing I did with the Lee was to get a couple of spare turrets, so I can keep my dies for .38, 9mm and now .45 set up in a turret and swap turrets, rather than resetting the dies each time I change calibers.

More recently, I've been gathering tools to reload for my .260 Remington which I want to be a long range target gun - 500+ yards. Loading for the rifle will need to be a very precise process. Although the Lee would probably work fine, I've gotten a single stage Forster Co-Ax press for reloading .260. It allows for more precision with each operation, which hopefully will be reflected on the range. With my .260, I'm not going through a lot of rounds with each trip to the range, and don't need a volume press; with a .223 you may be in a very different boat.

In other words, different presses for different objectives.

 

[Steve M]

I think of turret presses as being a single stage press with a different type of quick change system. You can buy Lee breechlock bushings, Hornady LNL bushings, or turret heads but they all accomplish the same thing.

 

[Don H]

Check out the user 76Highboy Reloading on YouTube for tons of awesome videos on all aspects of reloading and equipment.

Here is one playlist for the Dillon 550B:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLByND7BRp-e39xHbK7aLpID3bRVhxy_iD

 

[Caveman Jim]

WWShooter I like your idea about the spare turrets with other dies, that is slick thinking!!!!!

 

[ageingstudent]

Lots of turrets make life easier I have since mounted my turret caddy on the wall now It's a turret shelf.



There is also a guy on YouTube fortunecookie45lc that is worth looking up. He's a little dopey but he knows what he is doing with the lct and his vids are well done.

 

[Otter]

I really enjoy reloading, so don't mind the slow process of producing lots of pistol or varmint ammo on a single stage press. Changing out dies takes no time at all for me. After the die is set up and the lock ring set, just a matter of screwing it back into the press.

I often reload 500 rounds of 40 S&W or .357, and it takes me about 5 hours to do so. Takes about an hour to size, hour to expand, hour to prime, hour to charge and seat and maybe 1/2 hour to crimp. And at least an half hour of farting around. Not unusual to spread this out over the course of several days.

On a Dillon you can probably do the same amount of ammo in an hour. On a turret press, probably 3 hours.

If you think you will enjoy reloading you might want to go with a single stage press. If you don't think you will, better get a Dillon.

 

[cookie]

Having owned a Dillon 550 since 1991 I would with out reservation recommend one. I started loading in 1977 or so on a borrowed RCBS Rock Chucker. I have loaded 38/357, 9mm, 40S@W 45ACP, 223, 308,30-06, 300 Weatherby and 338 Lapua. Several people have learned to reload on my 550 and have themselves bought 550s. Smple to set up and learn.

 

[Mikej]

I have been coaxed along to getting into serious debt to reloading recently by someone whom, themselves have just bought a single press starter kit (RCBS). He only has one caliber that he reloads for (300WM) and I will only have 2 .223 & 40S&W).
I have searched his kit and also found 4 & 5 hole turret presses. Seems to me that it is a lot of work (in the beginning) to keep removing & replacing dies on a single hole press and me being a NUB I just gotta know the reason experienced reloaders (unless mass producing many calibers) prefer the single presses?

TIA Peeps.

Because I/you have the time!

I load all common handgun except 10mm and .45 Colt. I do it in stages. 1: Dirty brass-to-clean brass. Once cleaned a few hundred come into the house. 2: At some point I go through and resize/decap/bell the case. At that point it goes to "Ready to reload". 3: Next step is prime, charge, seat a bullet. Each step has it's own set of cheesy clear containers, kept in different places. 1:Garage. 2:Under the desk and 3:Loading table. Those stages can be separated by weeks, sometimes months. I'm just a small operation compared to most of the guys though. And, if I do say so myself, I've got pretty damned good at it!

Handgun is a breeze after getting some experience. I' will be doing .223 after I burn through a bunch of the 1000 rounds I bought for the AR. Rifle cartridges worry me a bit as there's much more to consider, proper re-sizing with a shoulder and tapered brass, lubrication, crimped primer pockets, reaming primer pockets, trimming for length.

If you have the time, I'd agree, go single stage to start. It gives you the best feel and view for the mechanics of the process. I can tell several different head stamps of brass when re-sizing and/or seating primers because of that feel.

If you do jump into this, after a thousand or two reloads you'll look at commercial ammo and go "Whoa! I can't imagine paying THAT for ammo!".

 

[filsonhand]

Because I/you have the time!

I load all common handgun except 10mm and .45 Colt. I do it in stages. 1: Dirty brass-to-clean brass. Once cleaned a few hundred come into the house. 2: At some point I go through and resize/decap/bell the case. At that point it goes to "Ready to reload". 3: Next step is prime, charge, seat a bullet. Each step has it's own set of cheesy clear containers, kept in different places. 1:Garage. 2:Under the desk and 3:Loading table. Those stages can be separated by weeks, sometimes months. I'm just a small operation compared to most of the guys though. And, if I do say so myself, I've got pretty damned good at it!

Handgun is a breeze after getting some experience. I' will be doing .223 after I burn through a bunch of the 1000 rounds I bought for the AR. Rifle cartridges worry me a bit as there's much more to consider, proper re-sizing with a shoulder and tapered brass, lubrication, crimped primer pockets, reaming primer pockets, trimming for length.

If you have the time, I'd agree, go single stage to start. It gives you the best feel and view for the mechanics of the process. I can tell several different head stamps of brass when re-sizing and/or seating primers because of that feel.

If you do jump into this, after a thousand or two reloads you'll look at commercial ammo and go "Whoa! I can't imagine paying THAT for ammo!".

A trick I've found with lubing 223 brass is to put a couple hundred of em into a gallon ziploc and spray 4 or 5 pumps of case lube shake it around and repeat until a nice even coat. No more dimpled shoulders

 

[Caveman Jim]

Because I/you have the time!

I load all common handgun except 10mm and .45 Colt. I do it in stages. 1: Dirty brass-to-clean brass. Once cleaned a few hundred come into the house. 2: At some point I go through and resize/decap/bell the case. At that point it goes to "Ready to reload". 3: Next step is prime, charge, seat a bullet. Each step has it's own set of cheesy clear containers, kept in different places. 1:Garage. 2:Under the desk and 3:Loading table. Those stages can be separated by weeks, sometimes months. I'm just a small operation compared to most of the guys though. And, if I do say so myself, I've got pretty damned good at it!

Handgun is a breeze after getting some experience. I' will be doing .223 after I burn through a bunch of the 1000 rounds I bought for the AR. Rifle cartridges worry me a bit as there's much more to consider, proper re-sizing with a shoulder and tapered brass, lubrication, crimped primer pockets, reaming primer pockets, trimming for length.

If you have the time, I'd agree, go single stage to start. It gives you the best feel and view for the mechanics of the process. I can tell several different head stamps of brass when re-sizing and/or seating primers because of that feel.

If you do jump into this, after a thousand or two reloads you'll look at commercial ammo and go "Whoa! I can't imagine paying THAT for ammo!".

Yep, lots to know and to learn. My friend got started by talking to and doing an OJT period from a master gunsmith and reloader. I plan to do the same thing, if only I can retain the knowledge....
Thanks to all who have replied.

 

[SHPD_Retired]

Just got my turret press for Christmas and what I like about it is you don't have to handle the case as many times. It just makes it a bit easier if you have any type of arthritis or just getting older.

 

[mjbskwim]

I didn't read anything but the OP,so I may be reiterating what someone else said.
Even though I am not an expert,the first thing I tell others is to only do as much as you can concentrate on.How much time before someone interrupts you?
Cause you do not want interruptions when reloading
I started with a rock chucker.Works fine. What I did was size and prime a bunch,turning them upside down to keep debris out of the cases. Then I would take as many of those as I wanted to load and powder them. Then bullet those. I would only powder what I was going to get done right away.Maybe 20 maybe 100. That would put out a lot of ammo. And you don't change the dies around as much.
Now a buddy has a Lee turret press and he loves it. He hasn't really given me numbers but he gets a lot of ammo put together with it. Those do all the steps to 1 case at a time,but without the changing of dies
Any way you go,I would buy a single stage for my important rifle rounds,no matter what.
And I have to say,if you shoot a lot then a 650 Dillon would be the way to go.

 

[JRuby]

I use a single stage press for resizing lake city 7.62*51 brass I dont think a turret press will hold up to that for very long. Could be wrong.