Speed of Redding Turret

[terryt]

Hi:

Does anyone know how many rounds an hour you can load on a Redding turret press?

Are there's any faster than a RCBS 4x4 or other turret press's?

Is it worth it to move up to a Dillon 550?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Terryt

[NSB]

Having both, I'd have to say that if just speed is what you're looking for there's no comparison. The Dillon will easily produce more rounds per hour than the turret press ever will. With the Dillon you get a loaded round every time you pull the handle. Now, having said that I'll say that I use my Redding way more than the Dillon anymore. I gave up handgun competition shooting and my needs are way less. The Redding is totally reliable, reasonably fast, and easy to work with. Unless you're going to be shooting over a hundred rounds a week on a steady basis.....week after week, get the Redding. If you're shooting competition, get the Dillon. Both great tools but fill different needs.

[Silverboolit]

You could look at the LEE classic turret. Very quick and is a good value. I use mine for everything and couldn't be happier.

[dudel]

Dillon will load more rounds. The Redding might be a bit more accurate (but not as accurate as a good single stage). Do you need volume or higher accuracy?

I load the bulk of my ammo on my 550b (and it's plenty accurate for the plinking I do with .223, 9mm, 45GAP, 45ACP and 38Spl). If I'm loading for accuracy, I tend use the RockChucker.

[dragon813gt]

A Lee Classic Turret is going to be faster than the Redding but slower than the Dillon. I personally don't understand the point of a turret that doesn't auto advance. The advantage to the Dillon is that one pull of the handle yields on loaded cartridge. The Lee and Redding require one pull per die for a loaded round. So you're typically looking at four per round. That's four hundred pulls compared to one hundred.

The Lee will do everything the Redding will do at less cost and a has a faster rate of production.

[williamwaco]

If you are reloading 15 or 20 rounds, and if it is already set up and adjusted, the turret will be faster than a single stage. If you are loading a couple hundred there will be little to no difference.

If you want speed, get the progressive. But: Don't expect to achieve the number of rounds per hour you hear quoted. Those are usually calculated. I can do 8 to 10 rounds per minute on my Hornady LNL but 480 per hour? Not if my life depended on it.

[troyboy]

No way the Dillion is any faster than the 4x4 and both of these are faster than a turret.

[tazman]

I have a Lee Loadmaster and a Lee classic cast turret.
With the turret with the auto index enabled I can get 150 rounds an hour. That includes reloading the primer tray and moving boxes around. Extra turrets are cheap and changing calibers that are already set up on the turrets takes only a few seconds. This includes changing the priming system.
With the Loadmaster I can get 300 rounds per hour. This includes reloading the primer tray, keeping the powder hopper full, and filling the case feed tubes. I expect that most progressive loaders will run about the same unless you have a bullet feeder attached. Changing calibers on the Loadmaster is a bit more time consuming than the turret press due to the case feed and priming system. The dies fit in a replaceable turret which only takes seconds to change. It also only takes a few seconds to change the shell plate. If you need to change primer sizes it is easy enough to do but takes a couple of minutes to change and can be done when you change the shell plate. The other part is changing the case feeder for the different case since it is case size and length dependent. Still only a few minutes.
You hear about issues with the Loadmaster all the time. Most of them have to do with the priming system. After I got the newest primer feed for the Loadmaster from Lee(cheap fix), my issues with the press all went away.

[williamwaco]

I have a Lee Loadmaster and a Lee classic cast turret.
With the turret with the auto index enabled I can get 150 rounds an hour. That includes reloading the primer tray and moving boxes around. Extra turrets are cheap and changing calibers that are already set up on the turrets takes only a few seconds. This includes changing the priming system.
With the Loadmaster I can get 300 rounds per hour. This includes reloading the primer tray, keeping the powder hopper full, and filling the case feed tubes. I expect that most progressive loaders will run about the same unless you have a bullet feeder attached. Changing calibers on the Loadmaster is a bit more time consuming than the turret press due to the case feed and priming system. The dies fit in a replaceable turret which only takes seconds to change. It also only takes a few seconds to change the shell plate. If you need to change primer sizes it is easy enough to do but takes a couple of minutes to change and can be done when you change the shell plate. The other part is changing the case feeder for the different case since it is case size and length dependent. Still only a few minutes.
You hear about issues with the Loadmaster all the time. Most of them have to do with the priming system. After I got the newest primer feed for the Loadmaster from Lee(cheap fix), my issues with the press all went away.


300 per hour is about what i get on my Hornady LNL.

[tazman]

Most people who tout the speed of their progressive presses are only timing the actual loading portion of their time and not including the part where they have to refill all the hoppers,tubes, bins,etc.
In some cases it takes almost as long to refill everything as to load 100 rounds on the press. I don't buy those numbers. If you need to spend time refilling things periodically, that should be included in your numbers. It takes me about 5 minutes to fill everything that needs to be refilled between runs.
That's why I said most progressive presses will be in that neighborhood.
300 per hour gives me twice as many as I used to get and is fine for bulk shooting.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

slow, redding turrets, slow

[terryt]

Hi:

Thanks for the information. A friend of mine has a RCBS 4X4 and likes it better than the Dillon 550.

Thanks,

Terryt

[wrench man]

The one and only time I looked at the time to load said rounds on my Dillon 550B, I loaded 470 40S&W in 45 minutes, that included time to top off the powder hopper and flip, pick and drop primers, it can be done!, I don't generally run it that fast, you MUST! be focused.

[DeputyDog25]

I have a Redding T-7 turret press, and without getting in a huge hurry, I can do 100-150 per hour. Hope this helps

[sghart3578]

I have a RCBS turret. I have 4 "heads" set up for various calibers. I view my RCBS turret as a single stage press. It just has the various dies already set up in different holes.

I can get a rhythm going sometimes, But I only load 50 to 100 rifle rounds at a time, then change calibers.

For my high volume pistol rounds the Lee Classic Turret is my choice.

[Dan Cash]

The Redding turret will not compete with a Dillon or other GOOD progressive for volume but it is not intended to. It will let you perform many processes on a cartridge without removing it from the press and is thus more efficient than a single stage.
I load a lot of black powder .45=70 on my T7 and that is after experimenting with a number of systems. The T7 beats all the others for the purpose. I also load a good deal of .38-55 BP ammo which follows the same process as the .45-70, but having only one head for my T7, I use a pair of Co-Ax presses. That is nearly as fast as the T7 but not nearly as efficient, requires a great deal of bench space and handling of cases to accomplish the same end. I will probably invest in another Redding head.
I also have 2 Dillon 550B presses but they will not satisfactorily perform the BP reloading jobs. They are supreme when large volumes of quality, smokeless powder ammunition are required.

[mdi]

Speed = progressive (Dillon).
Convenience = turret.
Just stuffin' brass for the love of reloading = single stage...

[LUBEDUDE]

A manual turret press; Redding, Lyman, RCBS, Hollywood, etc. is a totally different animal from the auto indexing Lee Turret press (which can be switched to manual mode).

The manual Turrets are just one step up from a single stage press. They are basically single stage presses with a gas pedal with the added bonus of extra capacity for another set(s) of dies.

The Lee Turret press is a step below progressive presses. A good alternative at a cheaper price.

Different presses for different styles and needs. Which one is best is up to you.

[tazman]

Speed = progressive (Dillon).
Convenience = turret.
Just stuffin' brass for the love of reloading = single stage...

A lot of truth there.
I use the faster presses for handgun loads. Progressive for semi-autos, turret for revolver, and single stage for rifle.

[jmorris]

Most people who tout the speed of their progressive presses are only timing the actual loading portion of their time and not including the part where they have to refill all the hoppers,tubes, bins,etc.

The reason why I made these two videos.

100 rounds loaded in under 4 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl63cR9Y_Y0

[jmorris]

Topping it back off in under a minute and a half.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WTZ-_v6Mks

Puts me at 5.5 minutes per hundred and ready to go for the next hundred or over 1000/hr, including keeping the machine full.

[tazman]

You left out the part about refilling the powder hopper but I will grant that it only takes a few seconds.
I really like that vibra prime tool. I didn't know anybody made a gadget like that.
That is a really nice setup you have there. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the complete system with all the bell and whistles you have on it cost?

[jmorris]

Yeah, the powder hopper will last hundreds of rounds with 3.1 powder charges I am throwing there but it is inconsequential anyway from a time prospective even with large charges loading rifle rounds.

I would never post costs of my reloading equipment (guns for that matter) anymore than my wife would post the price of her shoes or purses. That said I built the bullet collator from 6" PVC and 1/2" plastic.

[dragon813gt]

I really like that vibra prime tool. I didn't know anybody made a gadget like that.


I bought two of them over the last month and returned both of them. They would not feed any primers reliably. This was after removing a slight bit of flashing. If you read the reviews you will see they are inconsistent.

[EDG]

There is no real speed in a Redding turret - maybe a little convenience but you still have to pull the handle for each and every operation on every case.

If you want speed you need multiple cases in the press and multiple dies performing multiple operations for each pull of the handle.

[murf6656]

It takes me 12 minutes to load 20 308 cast bullet loads on my lee classic turret indexing it manually. 14 minutes on a RCBS single stage press.

[Ickisrulz]

I just timed myself loading 100 45 ACP cartridges. I used a Redding #25 Turret press. I sized and belled the case, removed it to prime with a K&M hand primer, placed it into a loading block, dumped powder from my Uniflow, inspected each case with a strong light, then seated bullets and taper crimped the case. It took me 45 minutes.

Considering the time it takes to clean the cases, cast-size-lube bullets, and then load them, I'd say I have about 1.5 hours into each box of 100 rounds of handgun ammo. I shoot between 100-200 rounds each week in my backyard. I may not be the fastest reloader, but I save a great deal of time not driving to and from a range or waiting for a shooting lane.

[terryt]

Hi:

Thanks for all of the info.

Terryt

[W.R.Buchanan]

The purpose of a manually operated turret machine is to reduce parts handling. Any time you have to handle a part it takes time. That time must be multiplied by the number of parts you are producing, which will in turn yield your parts per hour production rate.

A single stage press will require that you handle the case in between every step.

A Manually Operated Turret Press will require you to handle the cartridge after several steps thus eliminating all the handlings in between operations. However you still will have to pull the handle for each of those steps to finish one cartridge at a time.

An Automatic Indexing Turret Press Eliminates the motions necessary to index the turret but you are still only processing one cartridge at a time.

A Progressive Press performs every operation with each pull of the handle and as such you are processing how ever many stations the machine has with each pull of the handle. As soon as all stations are full you then produce a completed round with every pull of the handle.

Automatic case feeders and bullet feeders eliminate those two motions.

All of these various operations take time and if the machine is operated by a person who has to pull the handle then every second he is not pulling the handle is lost production. This is why automatic machines exist. They don't take breaks.

In order to determine which machine is best for your application you need to assess how many rounds per unit of time you need to load. Then figure out many hours you want to spend loading ammo and buy a machine which fits that production rate.

Keep in mind that the companies claim of how many you can load per hour is based on a "best case scenario."

When converting that to what you are going to get out of it refer to the bold type above.

In Morris' video he was doing about one round every 2 seconds for @25 rounds per minute or 100 rounds in 4 minutes. With 1.5 minutes for reload of the machine it reduced his output from 1500 rounds per hour to @1100 per hour. This assumes he can pull the handle 1100 times in one hour which I assure you he can't.

Every 2 seconds that handle is not moving equals 1 round that doesn't get made. So in the 90 seconds it took to reload the machine he lost 45 rounds of production.

All of this science goes back to Automatic Screw Machines which evolved from Hand Screw Machines (which are very similar to a Turret Reloading Machine) to Mechanically Operated Automatic Screw Machines to CNC Screw Machines.

These machines have all had devices developed for them to cut down on, or eliminate completely, the need to replenish the stock the machine is using to produce the product. Automatic bar feeders that reload themselves eliminate the need for a machine to sit idle while a man reloads it. When you are making parts at the rate of one every 2-3 seconds and you get .25 for each one this becomes an issue of profitability. For every 10 seconds you are down you lost a dollar.

For us it's just about having to stand there a little longer to make our needed number of rounds to shoot up.

Randy

[tazman]

W.R.Buchanan-- Excellent write-up.
I would only add one other consideration, that being the cost of the machine. For the cost of some of the current crop of fast production presses, you can buy a considerable amount of powder, primers, etc. In some cases you can even buy a pretty good gun.
It all depends on what you want to spend, your time reloading so you can have more toys/supplies, or your money so you can spend more of your time shooting.
I am retired so I have time to reload and would probably shoot the same number of rounds a week regardless. Therefore, I can use whatever press I feel like to accomplish my needs. Others will have different priorities.

[jmorris]

This assumes he can pull the handle 1100 times in one hour which I assure you he can't.

I have on many occasions, I smell a bet here.?



Every 2 seconds that handle is not moving equals 1 round that doesn't get made. So in the 90 seconds it took to reload the machine he lost 45 rounds of production.

This is the key, stop and your speed is zero, the number zero really hurts an average. Like the "top off video" I posted, where it took 1:18 to talk through and fill everything up, use the Dillon filler at the end of the video and you cut the time you spend refilling to less than 30 seconds, then get back to reloading and 20 rounds into the next hundred the filler shuts off with another tube of primers ready.

Anytime you can preform operations concurrently it greatly increases your output. Not unlike the collators for the bullets and cases, if one had to fill the tubes by hand, they would be all but useless devices to increase production.

[Char-Gar]

If it is speed that you are after, go with electrically operated automatic loading machines. Everything else is slower than those.

I am not a fan of progressive loaders for reasons we have hashed out on this board time and time again. The bottom line is that speed is not a friend of the individual who is trying to produce safe and accurate handloads.

I have a Redding turret set up for my favorite and most loaded caliber (38 Special). There are enough holes in the turret to accommodate my special dies that I use from time to time and I can leave them set up and adjusted. I do not use the turret to increase speed.

Everything else, handgun and rifle are loaded on single state presses.

It has been my observation that many folks, mostly males have a fascination with speed. They want cars, boats, motorcycle, bicycles and every other type of machinery to go faster and faster. There is no particular reason for this other than the desire for speed itself.

These are the folks who often die young at an early age and have a closed casket service.

I am not one of those addicted to the concept of speed. I also want to live my full allotted time, with as many of my original body parts as possible.

[jmorris]

electrically operated automatic loading machines. Everything else is slower than those.


Yes and no, some are quite fast even if they run better not ran "wide open".

When loading, mine actually runs slower than I operate them manually but like the primer filler discussion, you can do other things while it's loading.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-RxMulCqbQ

FWIW good practices are what gives you safety not speed. There have been plenty of kaboom threads started by folks that own SS and turret presses too.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have on many occasions, I smell a bet here.?

Let me rephrase that comment,,,

"I" can't!

Randy

[Char-Gar]

Over the life of this board, I have noted than on whatever topic is discussed regarding reloading and shooting, there are always some who can do it better, faster, more accurately or more whatever than anybody else has managed to do it.

I suspect there will be one or more who can fly unaided by either machinery or wings. We have some truly exceptional people on this board.

[JMax]

i have 2 Dillon 550's, a Redding Turret and a Lee Classic cast, volume production goes to the Dillon's including my rifle cast loads, case prep on the Redding and special functions on the Lee.I use a 1 ton press for making my gas checks. I use them all:-)

[jmorris]

I suspect there will be one or more who can fly unaided by either machinery or wings. We have some truly exceptional people on this board.

Hope they post a video when they have it figured out.

[tazman]

Hope they post a video when they have it figured out.

I'd like to see that myself.:popcorn:

[EDG]

Most of the time when I read a sad tale of the magazine being blown out of an auto pistol it is a question about why a particular progressive loader loaded a bad round.


Over the life of this board, I have noted than on whatever topic is discussed regarding reloading and shooting, there are always some who can do it better, faster, more accurately or more whatever than anybody else has managed to do it.

I suspect there will be one or more who can fly unaided by either machinery or wings. We have some truly exceptional people on this board.

[r1kk1]

The most recent kaboom I have witnessed was a 460 Rowland conversion in a Kimber frame. The slide was still stuck with a round in it and the uppermost cartridge in the magazine, the powder ignited. The brass case in the magazine resembled a tround round. I believe it was a maximum load of Longshot that the owner has fired many times and the operator received a powder burn under his eye below his safety glasses. This was last week on a hunting trip. The owner used a single stage press. Over decades, I've seen a few 'kabooms' and squibs on various shooting ranges and in competitions. I have noticed what powders and equipment was used. The kaboom scenarios I have encountered where done on single stages and turrets. I'm NOT saying it doesn't happen on progressives. The squib scenario's were interesting. I've seen this on every type of reloading press meaning single stage, turret, or progressive type. On that same hunting trip, a 41 magnum was lost to a hot factory load. I seen the revolver but didn't catch the name of the ammo used as I was busy hunting myself.

I've know people who will NOT use certain powders, i.e., Bullseye or Blue Dot for example. I myself look for good case fill to not allow a double charge without overflowing the case. Sometimes, depending on the cartridge, etc. I can't do that. I have experienced squib loads in very cold weather hunting situations. So far a change of primer or powder has alleviated this issue.

I like speed. I own four times as many single stage presses to my 1 progressive. Unless Hornady releases a LNL turret press, I probably will not own one. The only advantage for a turret for me would be reloading in a RV. When I'm home, the progressive loads thousands of pistol and rifle rounds for the year.

All I can do is try to be very consistent in my loading session. It doesn't matter what press type for me. The end result is what counts.

take care,

r1kk1

[Shooter6br]

About 20 min to load 50 rounds with RCBS turret (pistol). Has primer feeder, and a Hornady pistol measure with a Lyman adapter. Works for me Very straight forward .Plain and simple .......K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid ) LOL

[1hole]

Personally, I think the question as it's asked means nothing. The real question is, what are you really after?

If you want precision ammo get a single stage. If you want modest volumes get a Lee Classic Turret with auto advance (especially if you load for different cartridges). If you really want large volumes in the shortest time get a progressive.

I have an iron turret press and find any practical speed difference to a single stage to be small.