single stage or turret press?

[RKirby]

After putting it on the back burner for many years, I think I'm gonna give reloading a try. I will be loading 9mm primarily along with the occasional batch of 30-30.

As a starting point, I've narrowed it down to either the Lee Anniversary Kit with the single stage press, or the Lee Deluxe Turret Kit. There is little difference in price between the two kits.

I'm leaning toward the turret press and it's more automated function. Seems to me it would be much faster than a single stage setup for loading pistol ammo. I would think that the single stage press would be better suited to smaller batches of rifle rounds.

Is there a benefit to the single stage press that I'm missing or should I go with the turret press?

[Houston1944]

I like my Redding T7 but I also use a single stage. The turret is faster mainly because you can instantly go from one operation to another without having to remove one die and install another die. I don't know how many stations the Lee turret has but you will need 4 stations for the 9mm and 3 for the 30-30. You could reduce each by one if you seat and crimp at the same time but I do not recommend this. Crimping at a separate station will eliminate a lot of problems.
If I were starting over again I would probably skip the single stage and begin with a turret. (I hope my old faithful Rockchucker press is not watching me type this).

[RKirby]

I like my Redding T7 but I also use a single stage. The turret is faster mainly because you can instantly go from one operation to another without having to remove one die and install another die. I don't know how many stations the Lee turret has but you will need 4 stations for the 9mm and 3 for the 30-30. You could reduce each by one if you seat and crimp at the same time but I do not recommend this. Crimping at a separate station will eliminate a lot of problems.

Not having to swap dies is the primary reason I am leaning towards the turret press. Seems to me it is a much more efficient way to operate.

The Lee is a four station press, BTW.

[mrbug]

Turret all the way for the 9mm. I still reload my 270 on my single stage RCBS press. If I did it all over again I would go with a three hole turret for my pistol reloading. I prefer to use my RCBS and do all my depriming on it. I then use my Lee autoprime to prime all the empty brass. Come time for the turret all I have to do is flare, powder charge, seat bullet, and taper crimp.

[O6nop]

Seems to me it would be much faster than a single stage setup for loading pistol ammo. I would think that the single stage press would be better suited to smaller batches of rifle rounds.

I'd figure the opposite, turret for small batches, single stage for large, no matter what you are loading.

With the single stage, you can do large quantities one step at a time, so you don't have to change dies so often.

Size and decap your entire collection of used brass, then after trimming them all and adding your primers, your next step can be charging and bullet seating. Then later you can crimp them all. This can be done rather than completing the process one round at a time.
Another method is to use a speed die. I have one for .45acp and dedicate it to my single stage press.

I also have a Lee Classic Turret press. It has it's disadvantages. If you decide you want to do one operation at a time, I don't think you can do it. Once you get going, though, the process seems to go pretty fast. You can do small batches or large.

However, I am just starting out and learning as I go. Either method can produce plenty of ammo in a reasonable time, it just takes practice.

[age_ranger]

I think you could devise a system to reload large batches on either press. The benifit of using a turret is that you complete the reloading process for one round each time the turret rotates whereas a single stage press would simply do one stage at a time. I think the turret would be faster and would beat chenging out dies, so that's what I got. Works well for me and I can do about 160ish rounds per hour on it. Not bad at all. IT also makes changing calibers easy as you can set up additional turrets and simply change them out with the dies already installed. Cost is pretty cheap too. Here's my turret.....Lee Deluxe with 4 hole Turret

[mrbug]

Using the turret press with the brass already primed for me allows me to get around 350 rounds per hour. I have the auto rotating turret. Each pull of the handle completes an operation and advances the turret to the next stage. Bam Bam Bam and time for the next shell.

[mcub]

I went the single stage way, simply for cost, I have more time than I have money.

I would also say that with planning, single stage is decent in speed.

It's also good exercise, and I feel better since I can inspect the case individually at each step.

[O6nop]

In my limited experience as a reloader, I've found that the cases must also be trimmed before the operation if using a crimp. Everytime I've resized after trimming, the case buckles below the neck when I crimp. If I resize it and then trim, the crimping operation is flawless. Obviously, resizing alters the length and affects the crimp.
This makes using a turret less than ideal, unless I'm missing something. You have to stop and remove the case from the press after the resize/decap step in order to trim it. I like to trim 100% to ensure a good crimp. This is .223 I'm speaking of right now. I haven't tried pistol ammo on my turret yet.

Of course, I am probably missing something... I'm getting nowhere near 350/hr, maybe 50-75/hr.

[stroo]

I think the choice really depends on what you are going to reload the most, pistol or rifle. I have both a Lee Turret and a Lee Single Stage. The Turret is much faster for pistol rounds. However I use the Single Stage for rifle becuase it is stronger and I think more stable. Plus for rifle, I generally do batches of 20 or 40 rounds whereas with pistol, I do batches ranging from 100 rounds to 500 rounds.

[Tom]

In my limited experience as a reloader, I've found that the cases must also be trimmed before the operation if using a crimp. Everytime I've resized after trimming, the case buckles below the neck when I crimp. If I resize it and then trim, the crimping operation is flawless. Obviously, resizing alters the length and affects the crimp.
This makes using a turret less than ideal, unless I'm missing something. You have to stop and remove the case from the press after the resize/decap step in order to trim it. I like to trim 100% to ensure a good crimp. This is .223 I'm speaking of right now. I haven't tried pistol ammo on my turret yet.

Of course, I am probably missing something... I'm getting nowhere near 350/hr, maybe 50-75/hr.

06nop,

Whether you crimp or not, you do need to heed the case length.
Checking case length after resizing, and possibly trimming, is necessary.

You are doing this correctly and 50-75 per hour isn't bad either.

I do have two suggestions however, to speed up your processing of .223 brass, and its reloading.

1. Get the RCBS X-Die for .223, it also decaps and full length resizes;
2. Get the Lee Crimp Die for .223.

The X-Die will allow you to trim each piece of brass exactly one time, max.
It will then freeze the length of that properly trimmed brass to the length
you set it. It will not grow more than a thousandth or two beyond.
With new brass you may never need to trim if you start out using the X-Die.

The Lee Crimp Die gives you a simple visual reference for crimping. No
more guessing during the bullet seating step. It is a separate step but it
is oh so fast.

On a turret press you would have the X-Die in first position and the Crimp Die
in the last position. Priming, powdering and seating would occupy the middle.

One other minor irritant that I have had to incorporate into the process for
.223/5.56 is the cleaning of the primer pocket. I use only M-41 primers
and they are difficult to seat below flush with any crud left in the pocket.
I don't know if you can get an attachment for a turret press to do that.
It would be an interesting gadget though.

I do all of my reloading on two single stage presses: a Rockchucker and
a Lee. One for the right hand and one for the left. And generally one
hand does not know what the other is doing. Somehow it all works out.


Kind Regards,

Tom

[mrbug]

The 350 per hour is for pistol reloading only. For my 45, 40, and 9mm. When I am reloading for my 270 it is single stage all the way and yes I do agree with trimming the rifle brass. I also, if I haven't mentioned it, prefer to do my case resizing/depriming operation on my single stage.

[O6nop]

Not being sarcastic, but it looks like I do things kinda backwards from everyone else (pistol on my single stage, rifle on my turret), but as I said, I'm new at this and I will find my comfort zone in no time.

I am learning a lot and getting lots of help on this forum.
-Thanks to everyone

[mrbug]

It ain't backwards if it works for you. The most important thing is to be able to load safely. Speed is great but consistency, repeatability, comfort, and enjoyment is tops. Lot to be said for not blowing yourself up as well.

[longtooth]

Good post mrbug.
I sure like your signature tooo.