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Old November 1, 2008, 01:52 PM   #1
judgemint
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lee cassic turret, or rcbs

Im getting into reloading and was looking at getting a lee setup breechlock or classic turret. then I got the frown from some people going with a lee. so I was looking at the RCBS rc supreme kit(More money) then I read on here a lot of people like the classic turret so now im confused on wich way to go. I will be loading for now 270 wsm 40sw and 9mm any feedback would be gereat thanks
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Old November 1, 2008, 02:06 PM   #2
QBall45
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I have a breechlock and love it. I load 223 and 45acp. I think that the classic turret would be nice but... I tend to like loading in batches of 100 or 200. So I like the control I get from a single stage. However the classic turret is just a glorified single stage.
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Old November 1, 2008, 02:15 PM   #3
wncchester
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"...was looking at getting a lee setup breechlock or classic turret. then I got the frown from some people going with a lee. so I was looking at the RCBS rc supreme kit(More money)..."

It is popular within our crowd to be "PC" and frown at Lee because it doesn't cost enough. It has no more validity than anyother kind of PC. (Perhaps they would like Lee better if the prices were doubled?) Ignore them and buy what you want for the reasons you want it. Be confident that ALL our makers produce fine equipment and there is no difference on the target with reloads made with any of the brands. NONE.

That said, I have and don't use a turret press. It offers noting for me in time saved nor convience. I do all my work on a single stage press. But I don't shoot a lot of volume. If you think you will want large volumes of ammo then get a progressive, not a turret. It seems Hornady's LnL AP is the current better model for that.

It is puzzling that anyone would want the added possiblity for press-to-die misalignment with a "breech lock" or "LnL" type die mount to "save time". It only takes maybe fifteen seconds to unscrew a die and replace a die normally so if you could swap them instantly it wouldn't make a lot of difference. And if the die's lock rings are properly tightened there is no adjustment to be concerned with. The die mounting inserts seem to be an expensive solution for a non-issue to me.
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Old November 1, 2008, 05:34 PM   #4
CrustyFN
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Quote:
It is puzzling that anyone would want the added possiblity for press-to-die misalignment
Because they want to load faster than the 50 to 75 rounds per hour you are getting from your single stage press. I load 200 rounds per hour on a classic turret without misalignment. Do a search and you will also find misalignment problems with progressive presses.
Quote:
I will be loading for now 270 wsm 40sw and 9mm any feedback would be gereat thanks
I have been loading on a classic cast turret for two years. I haven't had any of the misalignment or safety prime problems, most people don't. I load 200 pistol round per hour and after case prep I load 250 rifle ( 223 ) rounds per hour. I load 9mm, 38/357, 45 auto and 223. You can change calibers including primer feed in one minute. It's very easy to setup and operate. This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOpN9iYOyE8 will show you just how easy it is to load on the classic turret. The press is built very sturdy and will last a lifetime. I would recommend it to anybody that doesn't need a very high volume of ammo per week or month. I like to just load at a comfortable pace because I enjoy it and I'm not in a hurry. I can sit down and load 500 rounds in three hours including checking powder drops every so often, checking OAL every so often and filling primer trays. Good luck with what ever you decide to buy.
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Last edited by CrustyFN; November 1, 2008 at 07:29 PM.
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Old November 1, 2008, 06:31 PM   #5
buckwoods
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Started with a Lee anniversary kit, including challenger press 2 years ago for about $75. Load 45 ACP, 45 Long Colt, 44 spl, 9 mm, and 38 spl. Bought classic cast about a year ago for $70, and set it up to decap & resize in first operation, then to challenger press to flare and charge case (after modifying by mounting powder measure above flare die to throw charge on stroke), then back to classic press for bullet seat. The two presses are mounted side by side on bench. Like this setup, as the case is flared, charged, then moved directly from challenger press to classic for bullet seating. More surety proper charge is placed in case. Total cost, $140-150 for basic setup, and have two presses in case one goes out. And - classic cast press is heavy enuff to handle all short of 50 BMG. I have loaded several thousand rounds with no problems whatsoever.
As stated by others - if you want to reload for fun and enjoy working with the equipment, Lee is hard to beat. All of their items are unconditionally guaranteed for two years. If you are in it for production - you may want something else that has more bells and whistles. Good luck!!
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Old November 1, 2008, 09:25 PM   #6
irocknrol2
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Speed seems to be the in thing today. I started with a single stage press long ago, back then progressive ones were way too expensive for the average reloader now they are not so costly.

However, I never saw the need to move over to one, I can easily the way I reload produce 100 + rounds an hour which is sufficient for my needs. Of course I do a lot of prep work ahead of time.

It just depends on what you want to do. Do not be mislead by brand names, the major names of equipment that you see are all good, some just have added extras that you will pay for.
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Old November 6, 2008, 03:24 PM   #7
totalloser
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I can only say that I am very fond of my Classic Turret. I do nearly all my loading on a progressive (including .308 and .223) but I truly appreciate the quality of the Lee Turret.

The Classic a glorified single stage, not a turret press??? HOGWASH. It even has automatic indexing. And the TURRET removal/swap is about as easy as I can imagine is possible. An extra hole would be nice, but an extra hole is ALWAYS nice. It has 4. And there's an update for the older one that had 3 so it can take 4, now. (Support for old equipment big +)
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Old November 7, 2008, 06:52 PM   #8
jpwilly
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Lee Classic Cast Turret Press!

Lee Classic Cast Turret! It's built like a tank and the auto indexing quick change turrets make this the best value anywhere! Forget the PC crap.
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Old November 7, 2008, 07:12 PM   #9
jaguarxk120
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Is this a race? How many rounds do you want to load per hour?

The turret is great for setting up seating dies, but for the most part I use a standard press, as cases are processed in several stages not all at once.

I like to size, clean primer pockets, tumble-polish, wash, reprime, then load. And if you have a lot of range brass it has to be sorted and cleaned to.
And changing threaded dies is not a problem, to the left they come out and to the right they go in.
TF
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Old November 7, 2008, 07:45 PM   #10
flipexed
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Hey guys i just started on a lee classic turret and have loaded 400 rounds (9mm+45acp). Really enjoying it... last 100 .45 rounds took me about 1hr 20min. Not really that time occupying and fun as well; relaxing in fact!

Just wished i bought the carbide dies for the 45acp because i don't like handling the resizing lube.
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