Want to reduce reloading time

[RERICK]

If he really wants a turret, there's the Redding T-Mag. It's the top of the line

Actually Redding's turret is called the T7 and its Lyman who makes the T-MAG neither of which is any where near as fast as Lee's turret. I have both so I feel qualified to make a comparison.

[CrustyFN]

benedict1
As to loading rate, if you get bullets and cases organized and have an extra primer tray ready to go, 200 rounds per hour is quite easy to do. If you are having indexing problems you can adjust both the turret and your technique. Don't run the handle back to the stop point as you lower the ram in jerky, quick fashion. That causes the turret to accelerate too fast and it will overshoot the detent. Work it smoothly and firmly and the press will index perfectly.

As Benedict1 says, most people I talk to turn out 200 RPH no problem. You can also fit 200 primers in the tray with plenty of room to spare. The Classic Turret is fast enough to meet my ammo needs and I shoot a lot. I enjoy my time in front of the press so why would I want to spend five times more for something that doesn't make any better ammo than my Classic? In fact if you aren't careful you can make a lot of bad ammo in a hurry with a Dillon, I have talked to many people that have done it. You won't end up pulling 100 bullets because you didn't notice the primer feed wasn't working with the Classic.
Rusty

[Rimrod]

Depending on which RCBS press you have, you may be able to mount an RCBS piggyback conversion. These are progressives, by the way one manual and the other auto indexing. Make sure you check what is and isn't included in the package too. I have the older Piggyback ll, I had to supply a seperate Uniflow Powder Measure which I already had. The newer ones use their APS priming system which is what I use now for single stage reloading.

[HSMITH]

Why spend all that money on a 550 and still have to turn the shell plate manually, always introducing the possibility of forgetting to rotate it in a moment of stress, and then double charging? There have been at least two instances of that on popular forums in the last two weeks. Auto-indexing whether it is turret or progressive reduces that dangerous possibility dramatically.

Because the Lee presses are worth what they cost and the Dillon is worth what it costs. I have owned and used both, and there IS a real difference. I have put around 300 THOUSAND rounds across my 550's with one squib and ZERO double charges. I take responsibility for my actions and mind my reloading process accordingly. I am fully capable of indexing the press when required, and do not view auto indexing as a safety feature. Even with auto indexing it would be a HUGE mistake to trust it instead of paying attention to what is happening.

I am still waiting for Lee to put a good powder measure and priming system on the Loadmaster, THEN they would have a press worth buying. Ditch the hinky plastic index cam and it would be super sweet.

I own and use a bunch of Lee products that I also recommend to others, but their presses are really cheesy compared to a lot of the other products you can buy.

[cheygriz]

Not anymore. The Lee Classic Turret will perform just as well, or better and is made like a battleship. cheygriz , with all due respect, you are way out of date--

You can't be serious! Lee vs Redding??? Kia vs Mercedes?

Sorry. I've just seen too many of my friends buy Lee, and six months later try to sell it so they could buy Redding, Forster, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, etc.

But, if you're satisfied with it, more power to you!

[dairycreek]

I have been a reloader for over 40 years and, now that I am retired, have decided to get into a little more production than my single stage press can accomplish. Don't want to spend a whole lot of money either so no stuff from Dillon. Recently, I bought a Lee Classic Turret press. Well, the directions are absolutely stinky but with a little time and perserverance I have found that the doggone thing works pretty well. So far I have loaded for my 44 magnum and my 454 Casull and the device has performed quite well. If money is at all a concern this is certainly worth a good look.

[cheygriz]

Actually Redding's turret is called the T7 and its Lyman who makes the T-MAG neither of which is any where near as fast as Lee's turret. I have both so I feel qualified to make a comparison.

You're right! My bad. I had an old Lyman T-Mag, and have been wanting a T-7, but since I have a Redding Big Boss for the little jobs I don't do on the Dillons, I can't really justify the expense. (OTOH, I WANT it, so I just may get it!)

[duckriverdave]

Go ahead and get a Lee turret press. It will do you a good job.

Warning!! After you get it, do not go over to a friend's house that has a Dillon 550B. You will start saving your money. I now have two of them and a square deal B.

drd