Lee turret press

[Woodlander]

I currently use a Lee turret press which is fine and handy not to have keep changing dies,but I've always been a little concerned about the amount of play on the disc,though my home loads have always seemed fairly accurate.

I'm about to start loading for a 6br and although I'm not expecting br accuracy,I'd still like to get the best out of it. Is that possible with a Lee turret press?

Will just be used for long range varminting and informal targets. Thanks.

[phaedra1106uk]

Should be fine, the only problem you may have (if it's the value and not the classic version) is the completed rounds catching the bottom of the dies when it rotates.

 

It certainly does on a 2.8" 308 but you may be ok with the shorter 6br (2.4")

[Laurie]

10 or more years ago, I did a side by side test of 223 loaded on the traditional small Lee Turret pistol cartridge press and a massive Lyman Crusher II single-stage job, using the Turret with the auto-advance rod removed and batch processing cases and rounds. (Still fast - you just manually turn the head to the next station when you want to do the next job on your 50 or whatever cases.)

 

Despite the obvious turret head tilt, I couldn't find any difference in run-out or on-range performance between either press when using a Lee Collet neck-sizer die. The original Turret is really a bit too short though even for the 223 COAL making it rather non-ergonomic.

 

Over in the USA, a surprising number of fairly serious long-range competitors / come deerhunters who also load for handguns use the later Classic Turret model which with its higher pedestals provides a much larger 'gape' to handle rifle cartridges easily. It is said to handle full-length sizing of 30-06 calls cases OK too, although I can't comment on that so far. I can say it is a MUCH nicer press to use whether for revolver type cartridges or rifle models than the original model. I have a 'Classic' lying around and intend to do a side by side test with the Forster Co-Ax at some point. I suspect that it'll work a lot better than 'common sense' would suggest.

 

http://leeprecision.com/classic-turret-press/

[Chanonry]

I view a bit of play as an advantage. It lets the case align with the die which is really the key.

 

After many I years I eventually managed to break the casting and switched to a Lyman turret. Very nice but is the ammo any better - no, and there was some very good stuff made on the lee.

[Woodlander]

Thank you very much chaps. It was the play that always concerned me,now I feel much happier about it and shall crack on with only myself to blame,or the wind,or the uneven ground,or the damned midges......

[Davesson]

I currently use a Lee turret press which is fine and handy not to have keep changing dies,but I've always been a little concerned about the amount of play on the disc,though my home loads have always seemed fairly accurate.

I'm about to start loading for a 6br and although I'm not expecting br accuracy,I'd still like to get the best out of it. Is that possible with a Lee turret press?

Will just be used for long range varminting and informal targets. Thanks.

 

10 or more years ago, I did a side by side test of 223 loaded on the traditional small Lee Turret pistol cartridge press and a massive Lyman Crusher II single-stage job, using the Turret with the auto-advance rod removed and batch processing cases and rounds. (Still fast - you just manually turn the head to the next station when you want to do the next job on your 50 or whatever cases.)

 

Despite the obvious turret head tilt, I couldn't find any difference in run-out or on-range performance between either press when using a Lee Collet neck-sizer die. The original Turret is really a bit too short though even for the 223 COAL making it rather non-ergonomic.

 

Over in the USA, a surprising number of fairly serious long-range competitors / come deerhunters who also load for handguns use the later Classic Turret model which with its higher pedestals provides a much larger 'gape' to handle rifle cartridges easily. It is said to handle full-length sizing of 30-06 calls cases OK too, although I can't comment on that so far. I can say it is a MUCH nicer press to use whether for revolver type cartridges or rifle models than the original model. I have a 'Classic' lying around and intend to do a side by side test with the Forster Co-Ax at some point. I suspect that it'll work a lot better than 'common sense' would suggest.

 

http://leeprecision.com/classic-turret-press/

 

Woodlander I was in the same mindset as you so Thanks Laurie for providing the side by side comparison. I just use mine for .308 and 7mm08 and like you say take the indexing rod out and use it as single stage. The press seems to be hanging in despite being 3rd hand. Only complaint is having to tighten the arm on regular basis.