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Thread: Redding t7 as a semi-progressive

  1. #1
    Boolit Master omgb's Avatar
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    Redding t7 as a semi-progressive

    I've hear you're not supposed to, but I've been using my T7 as a semi-progressive for years and love it. I load a sizing/decapping die in one station, a Hornady case activated powder measure with the case expanding funnel in station two, a Mr. Bullet mini bullet feeder in station 3 and a seating die in station four. I do my priming off the press after sizing and before the powder drop. I rotate the tool head for each operation and turn out a finished round before resetting the head back to sizing. Anyone else do it this way?
    R J Talley
    Teacher/James Madison Fellow

  2. #2
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    dannyd's Avatar
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    Used a RCBS turret press like that for couple years. Worked okay

  3. #3
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    I love my T7 press but do one function at a time. Seems like a lot of work switching the turret about that much. To each his own. Gp

  4. #4
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    Ickisrulz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by omgb View Post
    I've hear you're not supposed to, but I've been using my T7 as a semi-progressive for years and love it. I load a sizing/decapping die in one station, a Hornady case activated powder measure with the case expanding funnel in station two, a Mr. Bullet mini bullet feeder in station 3 and a seating die in station four. I do my priming off the press after sizing and before the powder drop. I rotate the tool head for each operation and turn out a finished round before resetting the head back to sizing. Anyone else do it this way?
    That is the way you're supposed to do it. You should be priming on the press as well. The turret allows you to only handle the case one time instead of several. Although I don't know how many people have a bullet feeder on their turret press. But good for you.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

    Lefty Red's Avatar
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    I deprime on a Lee APP, then wet tumble my cases.
    I prime on a RCBS bench mounted primer or on my Lee BL Challenger.

    On my T7 I resize, then flare the case mouth. I normally then take it off the press to get a powder charge. Then back on for bullet seating and crimping. I really enjoy using my turrets this way, I like the process over production at this point in my life. But can still load up to 150 rounds an hour while listening to podcasts and drinking coffee.

    I use to have my Uniflo mounted on my T7, but didn’t like it. Couldn’t imagine using the bullet feeder on it, but that one you use is a nice one. Buddy has one in his Lee BL and likes it.

    Lefty
    I'll be needing that for squirrels and such.....

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy rototerrier's Avatar
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    I seat and rotate and crimp all the time. Just 2 stations, back and forth.

    Doesn't make sense to me to have to handle the rounds more than once for that process.

    And it is fast. I can rotate about as quickly as I can lower the ram and then I bump it back at the same time I'm removing and putting in the next charged case. The rotation of the head is definitely not the bottleneck in the speed equation.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I have done that for years with a Lyman AA but it has the proper number of of die holes. Size deprime and prime on first stage, expand and bell and powder on second stage, add and seat bullet on third stage and crimp on forth. One more click to restart. I don't find it much faster than batch loading but it does allow me to stop when ever I have to with loaded rounds rather than a half batch of primed or powdered cases and no loaded rounds.

  8. #8
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    What you are doing is what is done on a turret lathe. One full revolution of the turret= one complete part.

    It is NOT Progressive or Semi Progressive.

    In this case you are moving the tools to the work.

    A Progressive Machine moves the work to the tools and once all stations are occupied, a done part is ejected with every pull of the handle, and every operation in the loading sequence is done simultaneously to whatever case that is under it's specific tool. IE; all operations happen at once.

    The main difference is that each round requires multiple pulls on the handle to complete each round with the Turret Press, as opposed to a completed round dropped with every pull of the handle with the Progressive Machine.

    This translates to "Economy of Motion" which results in higher output per unit of Human Energy expended.

    It is important that everyone who reloads ammo understands the difference between these two types on Machines as the nomenclature does affect the comments you will get when talking about it or asking questions about the operation.

    Hope this helps with understanding of the subject.

    Randy.
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    What you are doing is what is done on a turret lathe. One full revolution of the turret= one complete part.

    It is NOT Progressive or Semi Progressive.

    In this case you are moving the tools to the work.

    A Progressive Machine moves the work to the tools and once all stations are occupied, a done part is ejected with every pull of the handle, and every operation in the loading sequence is done simultaneously to whatever case that is under it's specific tool. IE; all operations happen at once.

    The main difference is that each round requires multiple pulls on the handle to complete each round with the Turret Press, as opposed to a completed round dropped with every pull of the handle with the Progressive Machine.

    This translates to "Economy of Motion" which results in higher output per unit of Human Energy expended.

    It is important that everyone who reloads ammo understands the difference between these two types on Machines as the nomenclature does affect the comments you will get when talking about it or asking questions about the operation.

    Hope this helps with understanding of the subject.

    Randy.
    An excellent clarification!

  10. #10
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    gwpercle's Avatar
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    Nope ... I like to do 50 - 100 cases at a time before turning the turret head .
    Less wear and tear on the turret and me .
    I also find I can turn out more completed rounds by doing 50 - 100 sizing , then moving to station #2 and doing the next 50 - 100 cases , then on to #3 and doing 50 - 100 cases untill they are all loaded .
    But there is no right or wrong way just do it the way you like doing it .
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 05-10-2021 at 11:40 AM.
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  11. #11
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    Turret Lathes are made to be indexed millions of times and both my Hardinge Turret lathes have been done like that.

    The entire purpose of the turret is so that you don't have to change tools as often. I could start with blanks for a part and do the first operation to each of the parts and cycle them thru the collet for each subsequent operation. However the main purpose of having the turret is so that concentricity of the part is maintained thruout its processing. Everytime you take it out of the chuck or collet the concentricity of following operations is lost.

    With a Turret Press, concentricity is a non issue. Concentricity is controlled by the Dies not the press. IE; you will get the same concentricity in your loaded cartridges whether you run each case thru all operations in one holding, or cycle them thru in Single Stage fashion. It is more about "Economy of Motion" Which is how many times you handle each case. Less is usually better.

    If you are going to cycle your brass thru each station on a Turret Press there is no advantage in use over a Single Stage Press except not having to change the dies at the end of each run thru. If that is your only reason for doing it then a Hornady LNL Quick Change Die System or Lee Breach Lock System on a single stage press could be a more economical answer.

    I use them on my Hand Presses and they are far more popular than the original design with the threaded top plate.

    Randy
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 100464267.jpg   100464269.JPG   100464270.JPG  
    Last edited by W.R.Buchanan; 05-10-2021 at 03:10 PM.
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check