Single Stage verses Turret Press Question?

[o6Patient]

I have always used a single stage press set up and have not in the past loaded enough
volume in my mind to justify the cost of a good progressive set up. (Yet)
I do every once in a while think I might be missing something not having a turret press.
I have in the past resisted and let the urge pass but recently it has come back again.

Is there any real advantage a turret press has over a single stage press other than die set
up time which isn't much for me because I've always created a "dummie " round set up for
each and every bullet combination I load for.? What if anything am I missing? (thanks)

[13Echo]

If you are loading for pistol which requires multiple die changes a good turret will make a differenc. For rifle with only one or two dies, not so much.

If you want to try you might find the Lee four station turret suitable. It isn't very expensive, it is easy to store the dies in their own turret, already set up and ready to use as soon as you put it in the press and you can have a separate turret for each cartridge you reload. The auto advance is a time saver when loading a lot of rounds. The press is perfectly adequate for pistol and most rifle.

I still use an old three station Lee for most pistol but stick to the Redding T7 for black powder rifle and the Lee Classic or RCBS single stage for everyting else. I bought the Lee turret many years ago thinking I'd upgrade someday. So far the little press works so well I haven't felt the need.

Jerry Liles

[BruceB]

A 4-station turret works very well for rifle loads as well.

Station 1 - size/de-prime/re-prime

Station 2 - flare/expand case mouth and neck (for CAST bullets)

Station 3 - powder measure, mounted right in the turret

Station 4- seat bullet

When loading cast bullets for rifle cartridges, the operations are obviously very similar to loading cast bullets for handguns.

[jmort]

As mentioned, it is real nice to store your dies pre-set in turret. On the Lee Precision Classic Turret, you can swap-out calibers/turrets in 30 seconds. I use mine in single stage mode. I hand prime and use powder dippers. Very simple system.

[doulos]

The speed difference for a properly set up single stage and turret isnt that great. A single stage press with dies set up in Hornady Lock N Load die bushings is almost as fast as a turret. I have a RCBS Rockchucker set up that way and I can reload almost as fast as I could on my Lyman turret. To really increase speed I went to a Dillon 550B

[BruceB]

[QUOTE=doulos;2012250]The speed difference for a properly set up single stage and turret isnt that great."

It really depends on how one USES the turret.

For my routine on the All-American, the case is placed in the shellholder and IS NOT REMOVED until completely loaded. I turn the turret from station to station to accomplish this.

There is NO time lost to handling cases over and over again before they're finally loaded. Many people will process all the brass through one step, such as sizing, and only then turn the turret to begin mouth-flaring all the brass, and only then move the turret for powder charging (if they even do the charging in the press)) and so on. All this unnecessary case-handling eats up time and does nothing to improve the ammunition. Use the turret press AS A TURRET, not just a place to store dies.

This is MUCH faster than a single-stage press; I started on a single 47 years ago, and believe me, I know. I still use a single, and a turret, and a progressive...they all have their uses but for routine loading the turret really shines.

[march41]

Try a forster co-ax it is one of the fastest single stages out their,love mine for bpcr cals.

[LUBEDUDE]

[QUOTE=BruceB;2012511]

The speed difference for a properly set up single stage and turret isnt that great."

It really depends on how one USES the turret.

For my routine on the All-American, the case is placed in the shellholder and IS NOT REMOVED until completely loaded. I turn the turret from station to station to accomplish this.

There is NO time lost to handling cases over and over again before they're finally loaded. Many people will process all the brass through one step, such as sizing, and only then turn the turret to begin mouth-flaring all the brass, and only then move the turret for powder charging (if they even do the charging in the press)) and so on. All this unnecessary case-handling eats up time and does nothing to improve the ammunition. Use the turret press AS A TURRET, not just a place to store dies.

This is MUCH faster than a single-stage press; I started on a single 47 years ago, and believe me, I know. I still use a single, and a turret, and a progressive...they all have their uses but for routine loading the turret really shines.

+1 I'm with Bruce

i didn't play with Blocks much as kid and sure don't now.

[doulos]

You could be right Bruce. Been a long time since i used it. I'll have to reset up my turret and try again. I hated priming on it. I never got a good feel for it. So I went to sizing and depriming and removing the case and hand priming. I ended up using my single stage more until I got a progressive. I actually have better feel for priming with my Dillion. I actually used my turret more for loading BPCR than anything. And I would remove the case anyway to pour powder from a drop tube.
I'll have to revisit it but i still dont think I'll be that much faster.
The All American you mention is that a old Lyman?

[LUBEDUDE]

Lyman All American

[MT Chambers]

Try a forster co-ax it is one of the fastest single stages out their,love mine for bpcr cals.

The Co-ax is the fastest for die changes and no turrets to buy, preset dies just slip in, no fuss, no shellholders to change, and the most precision of all.

[drklynoon]

I use my Turret as a two stage press. By that I mean to say I handle each piece of brass three times. First I size deprime and case expand. Then I remove the case. I do this for every piece. Then I use a hand prime for all pieces. Then I dump powder from my press and seat a boolit then the case is put in a casegaurd. This method does not eliminate as much of the brass handling as the previous poster but is none the less become my method due to not liking the Lyman prime system on my press. This method is much faster than running a single stage but it does all come down to your individual taste.

[dragon813gt]

The speed difference for a properly set up single stage and turret isnt that great. A single stage press with dies set up in Hornady Lock N Load die bushings is almost as fast as a turret. I have a RCBS Rockchucker set up that way and I can reload almost as fast as I could on my Lyman turret. To really increase speed I went to a Dillon 550B

You are mentioning a non auto indexing turret in your comparison. There is definitely a speed increase when using the Lee Turrets. It's the only press I use anymore. But my volume requirements aren't as high as others.

[dragonrider]

In turrets vs single stage, the turret is faster. Like Bruce I have a Lyman AA and of the several turrets I have had in the past the AA is by far the best. It is the one I turn to most often.

[walltube]

o6Patient,
As stated, Forster's Co-Ax is fastest of all of single stage presses given its quick-die-change feature. And of course, IMHO, the most accurate. This machine is my go-to for neck-size only, mil-surp bolt rifle (Enfields mostly), ammo production. Priming is a separate operation. Powder is dispensed with a PACT dispensor; not as quick as a mechanical measure, but less troublesome with stick propellents. I am in no hurry here.

The Lyman T-MagII, when employed as BruceB says, will by far complete more rounds per stroke than the Co-Ax. After all, that is the intended design concept of a turret press: quantity! A marvelous thing when first introduced. This press makes rounds for my straight wall revolver stuff and Rem 700 rifles.

A bit off topic, but perhaps relevant here:
the Hornady Pro7 on my bench is a different specie that rolls out .9mm Para and 45ACP in much greater numbers than the Lyman T-Mag II. Auto loading pistols are a hungry lot..

There Ya go, o6Patient.
Regards,
Wt.

[zuke]

My next press will be a LEE Classic Turret

[Bonz]

Currently own a Lyman T-Mag II turret press. I just load pistol ammo but I really thought the turret press would be all I need. Obviously a huge improvement over the single stage press where you have to load in stages because of die changes. Still takes me about an hour to load a box of ammo from start to finish.

I now have a Hornady LNL progressive on backorder and will be using my turret press for case prep and swaging only.

But you never know, may not be the press, maybe I just shoot too much...

[doulos]

Currently own a Lyman T-Mag II turret press. I just load pistol ammo but I really thought the turret press would be all I need. Obviously a huge improvement over the single stage press where you have to load in stages because of die changes. Still takes me about an hour to load a box of ammo from start to finish.

I now have a Hornady LNL progressive on backorder and will be using my turret press for case prep and swaging only.

But you never know, may not be the press, maybe I just shoot too much...

Boy those Hornady progressives are hard to find and have been for a while. I think you'll like loading on a progressive for your pistol rounds. I love using my Dillon 550B. Watch how much more you shoot when you can crank out the ammo quickly.

[bobthenailer]

I have a Posness Warren P200 turret press, with a semi auto primer feed, Dillon auto powder measure , TC dies i am able to load between 200 to 250 pistol rounds per hour. I now use it for less loaded cartages that it would be too expensive to set up the Dillon for. such as 32 acp, 30 carbine and recently 45 LC

With a single stage press with TC dies i was able to load 100 pistol rounds per hour, max.

I also have a Dillon 550 , with it i usually load between 400 to 450 pistol rounds per hour . Im not trying to beat any records when loading , as i really enjoy it, Im just trying to make good Quality ammo at a pace thats comfortable to me .

IT really depends on how many rounds you shoot verses amount of free time avalible to load ammo , Or if you just got to have it ! I have had single stage press for 50+ years, the P&W for possibley 35 years and i bought my first Dillon when the 450 came out and have upgraded to a 550B when they came out.

[r1kk1]

Hey that p200 is my 375 converted to metallic use. 10 stations on that bad boy. Could you do the 445 supermag on it?

Take care

r1kk1