Why not a new lee classic turret press?

[GrizzLeeBear]

Regarding runout. I load my Highpower (AR-15) match ammo. on the Classic Cast Turret press. Last match I shot a 97 (out of 100) in rapid fire sitting and a 96 in the slow fire prone. These were at a 200 yd. range, so the slow fire prone is on a target that is reduced to simulate shooting at 600 yds. It is a very demanding target. The press loads very good ammo.
IMHO runout is one of those things that only very good benchrest shooters can detect any difference in accuracy on the target, unless it is extreme in the loaded rounds.

[JesterGrin_1]

For those who have taken the time to directly address my question of rifle ammunition quality on the Lee turret, I thank you. My direct comparison was with the Redding T-7, which I think is much better supported than the Lyman presses.

My concern with the Lee is that at some point, the turret is in motion upward, driven only by the case and/ or bullet moving upward into whatever die is in use. It seems that this would induce an opportunity for the entire turret to "cock" sideways until it tops out against the locking lugs and squares up again. It is these intermittent locking lugs that bear the upward thrust, not the "entire circumference" band at the top of the turret as someone suggested. I do understand that once the turret is up and "loaded", it is fully supported and should be square to the ram; it's just the in-between motion that bothers me. If I could figure out a way to pre-load/ spring-load the turret up against the lugs at each station (without shooting it out the top of the press in between lug engagement), all of this play when the cartridge is in the die would be eliminated! Maybe this would make little practical difference, but it would sure make me feel better.

35Remington, thanks for your qualitative answer. My BPCR cartridge dies are not collet dies, but your answer does make me feel a little better.

Thanks guys! Sorry for partially sidetracking this thread, but I think it does apply to the original question.

Y'all take care! Regan

Allot of good information has been posted here by many experienced re-loaders on the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press along with many other threads on this board and others on the quality and workability of the Lee Classic Turret Press. But if you like some other design of a press then please by all means purchase it and have fun. As with this hobby and many others you can accomplish anything you like in any direction that you like. But with all of the great info here it should get many started on the right foot.

[DLCTEX]

If you are bothered by the travel upward before the turret engages the locking lugs you can use a spring, such as a 1911 recoil spring placed over the index shaft, cut to a length that will lift the turret after the turret has turned to the point that the locking lugs are engaged. In my opinion this is unnecessary and amounts to picking fly specks out of black pepper. DALE

[Woodtroll]

Dale, that's exactly what I had in mind, and you are probably right about the fly specks! <G>

Folks, if any of y'all think that I have insulted this press or your opinions of it, I want to apologize right now. That is certainly not the case. My first reloading press, purchased about 1984, was a Lee 3-station turret, and I still use it, along with a couple others purchased later. I am very familiar with the mechanical workings of this press. It has served me well for handgun ammunition and some rifle ammo used for less formal purposes, but sometimes is not quite consistent with the long straight BPCR cases. I would only think that the wider, heavier 4-hole turret may be more likely to induce runout, but could certainly be wrong in my assumption- that's why I asked in the first place.

Reviews of the Classic Turret elsewhere on the net do indeed mention alignment problems, bullet shaving, etc. Many of the reviews are less than helpful to me, because they deal with folks cranking out quantities of handgun ammo (these people are actually using the press in the best design capacity, I think!). I, on the other hand, will be using it basically to store dies, and will do my loading in a batch, one operation at a time, because I like to hand prime, and because bulk black powder is best handled by an old Belding and Mull measure or something similar. The feedback I was looking for was pretty specific, like what 35Remington and GrizzLeeBear offered: "I load rifle ammo on my press, it is consistent, and concentric, and shoots well".

I am a tinkerer by nature, growing up on a farm with a father who was the finest machinist I have ever known, and one of the best "backwoods engineers". I have done some work as a field research technician, and now work in a field that requires a working knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, anatomy, electricity, mechanics, pneumatics, hydraulics, building construction, and psychology (you get extra points if you can guess my occupation! <G>). I am used to looking at things and how they work, but I am also analyzing how well they are working, and if I can improve on them. I often "think out loud", as in my last post that seemed to ruffle feathers, so others can understand (and critique) my thought process. That post was certainly not meant to offend anyone.

Enough about me. I enjoy the "company" here, and the wealth of knowledge to be gained from this board. I also apologize for sidetracking this thread.

Back into the corner now. Y'all take care! Regan

[jim4065]

Like most here I have several presses - RCBS, Lyman and Lee. My go to press is always the Lee Classic Turret for everything except BPCR - which I simply like to fuss with.

IMHO the Classic Cast Turret is the best general purpose press made today.

[DLCTEX]

Woodtroll: I for one was not offended. I had the same questions in my own mind, but had resolved them to my satisfaction by observation of the press in action, so pardon me please if I seemed to dismiss your question out of hand. On the few occasions that I observed a tilt to the turret as it lifted, it squared itself long before any seating of the bullet occured, thus negating the tilt. The Classic Cast Turret allows for better alignment than my Rockchucker as the turret can move right or left slightly to correct any misalignment in those directions. I had considered the spring added, but decided it was not needed. Today was extra pressured at work at work and I was not feeling too helpful. A short nap and I'm not even grumping at my wife, right now. DALE

[VTDW]

I was the one with the only smart a$$ post because I was almost certain the Lee bashers would be out in force on this thread.

WOW but have I been surprised!! I have only been reloading for a bit longer than 3 years now and I bought all my initial equipment on the advice of Ranch Dog as he is a Lee man all the way. I have disabled my indexing feature and seat with the hand primer. All I can say is the Lee turret press (I do not have the Classic) certainly suits my needs as I like to do one thing at a time and I seldom load more than 50-60 rounds at a time and usually only 20. Prime, then pour the powder using loading blocks and a funnel, then to the press to seat the boolit and crimp. I was also concerned with the slop in the turret when seating until I use dial calipers about a hundred or so times to check the COAL and my mind finally rested on that issue.

I have tried to absorbed all the little nuances described in this thread and am thankful for all of those that have contributed thus far.

Dave

[JesterGrin_1]

I think the reason of lack of Lee Bashers on this thread is because it is about the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press. Sure there have been complaints on older Lee products as cheap entry level tools. But with there production of the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press and the Lee Classic Cast Single Stage Press things are changing. It will just take time. As these tools now represent more bang for ones hard earned dollars.

[Ranch Dog]

No, no don't change VTDW's mind on these Lee products as when he gets pissed off at something he sends it to me!

[VTDW]

No, no don't change VTDW's mind on these Lee products as when he gets pissed off at something he sends it to me!

You nailed me Michael.