Turret or single stage?...

[PXdon]

Hi all! So I'm about to buy my first press and I have it narrowed down to the lee classic turret or the lee breechlock single stage press. I really want to go with the turret, but I spoke with a very wise reloader today that suggested I go with the simpler single stage. His main reasoning was because the rotating turret has a slight amount of "give" or "play" to it as one can push it upwards slightly and feel it move. He was basically saying that the single stage will be more accurate because it doesn't have that give to the mechanism and it is, in general, easier to operate because it won't overwhelm me with 4 different steps happening so quickly.
What do you all think? Have you classic turret press users noticed any extra movement to the turret while operating it?
Thanks!

[Jumping Frog]

Turret.

You can operate the turret press as a single stage press as long as you want to. Keep things simple while you learn.

Then, when you want to switch to turret mode, your press is ready to go.

Single stage sounds good in theory, but I'll bet you switch to turret mode by the 3rd or 4th time you reload. It really is that much faster.

As far as some theoretical "give", you got to also realize that hundreds of millions of perfectly good ammo have been loaded on Lee turret presses over the decades they have been in use.

Also, grab a set of calipers and measure the OAL of commercial pistol ammo sometime. You'll find 0.010" variation in length is common. A Lee turret press can easily beat that.

Take the plunge and get the press that will meet both your short term and your longer term needs.

[jerryh63]

I'm new to reloading as well, and I decided to go with the Lee turrent. But I took the index piece out and use it like a single stage. You go at your own pace with it, and you don't have to keep changing dies. I do mainly 5.56, but just got another turrent and 9mm dies, and have those set up on the new turrent. I had an extra powder feed unit with a charge bar on it. So now when i want to switch, I just take one turrent out, install the new one and change my shell holder. I think this a good way to go even for a beginner. And as the above poster mentioned, you would be going to the turrent after loading a few hundred rounds with the single stage.

[OldCannon]

Definitely a Lee turret (Classic turret, not the other one)

I recommend these folks, by the way --excellent package and great service!

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?pag ... &Itemid=41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edit: If you want a more "higher end" turret that will last, oh, _forever_, look at the Redding T-7 turret.

[PXdon]

Thanks guys. I guess my real question is this... When loading using the turret as a single stage, will I be able to be as accurate executing the various steps as I would on a single stage press with less moving parts? I know that the "give" on the turret is not much, but I'm approaching this whole thing with a quality over quantity mind set.

[Napier]

The is no "give" if you push the handle to the extreme. My reloaded rounds always come out with OAL as accurate as my electronic caliper can measure. When reloading you want the amortized cost of the equipment to be as small as possible. You will almost certainly buy a turret later if you buy a single stage now, blowing your amortized cost by a hundred or so. And you will be buying Lee lock ring eliminators at about five bucks each for each die to avoid resetup on die change, whereas you will pay only about seven for a spare turret for the who die set. My goal, probably never to be achieved, is to get the amortized cost below the primer cost. Right now I have over $1300 invested in eight calibres, much of it on unnecessary things, so I'll need to relaoad over 40K rounds to get to my cost goal. Never happen at my age. So buy wisely.

[OldCannon]

When loading using the turret as a single stage, will I be able to be as accurate executing the various steps as I would on a single stage press with less moving parts?

Yes, definitely.

[LTUME1978]

I have both of the presses you mentioned and like both of them very much. I have load more than 20,000 rounds of pistol ammo on the turret press and that ammo is both very consistent in OAL and VERY accurate. I don't see any wear in the press or the rings that hold the dies. I also load my 223 ammo on that press. I bought the single stage press as I thought it might give me a little better results when loading ammo for shooting at 1,000 yards. Don't know that it does and I have not compared ammo loaded from the two presses. I also like the Lee dies. They may not look as pretty as my RCBS or Hornady dies but they work every bit as well. I loaded 300 rounds for 45 ACP on both my Lee dies and my Hornady dies and could tell no difference when testing for accuracy (Lee dies are half the price). Customer support from both companies is excellent. I use Lee dies for loading my ammo for 1,000 yards and get great results. I think you will be very pleased with the turret press if you get it.

[wally775]

I have had a Lyman single stage press since the early 70s.
Reloaded untold number of 38/357 and 44/44mag rounds.
Very few rifle rounds. It is a great way to get started and stay
focused for a beginner and/or a bench rest type shooter.

I have not reloaded in some years now and I am looking to get
back into this pastime for several reasons.
I would not take exception with much of anything that has been said.
I will say that what I will be reloading mostly now will be 45ACP, 45LC
and 9MM for various reasons. I am looking for a turret press because that is the
natural progression of things as I see it. You on the other hand need to look at
your reasons and needs.

If you need high volume you are going to wind up with some type of turret.
Do not have to start there but there you will wind up.

There are great guys and gals on this forum and others that will help you all
they can but if you do what you are comfortable with it will be more enjoyable and
you will likely stay with it longer.

Wishing you well with whatever you decide.
Have fun and be Safe.

[tbogart]

Napier, don't worry about the cost; just enjoy the hobby. You'll forget about equipment cost after a couple of loading sessions anyway.

[OldCurlyWolf]

Napier, don't worry about the cost; just enjoy the hobby. You'll forget about equipment cost after a couple of loading sessions anyway.

[Rifleman55]

Just buy a Dillon and be done with it, yes it will cost more, but it is well worth it.

[OldCannon]

Just buy a Dillon and be done with it, yes it will cost more, but it is well worth it.

We should be fair to the OP and help them choose between a single or turret, like he asked. Dillon's offering are for progressive reloaders, and while the "Square Deal B" offers are great for people wanting to get started in progressive reloading, they're nothing at all like a single stage or a turret.

[ghostrider]

Just buy a Dillon and be done with it, yes it will cost more, but it is well worth it

I'm a big fan of Dillon, but I'd recommend a single stage as a starter. In fact, if it wasn't for the likelihood that I would need to re-adjust all my dies, I would 'retire' my Lee single stage and move up to a heavier-duty RCBS single stage for the rifle and low-volume pistol calibres that I do
on the single stage.