Single stage or Turret press?

[Hook686]

A turret press can be used as a single stage press, but a single stage press cannot be used as a turret press.

[liberty -r- death]

Thanks for the original post. I have been wondering the same thing. Now I know I'll be doing both a progressive for plinking ammo and a single stage for more accuracy on the long guns.

[BigJakeJ1s]

The speed advantages of a turret occur in two distinct areas. The first is when you can reload an entire cartridge, from fired case to seated (and crimped if necessary) bullet, without removing the cartridge from the press. This eliminates a lot of handling of the case that occurs with a single stage press.

However, accurate rifle reloading, depending on your definition of "accurate," may mean taking reloading steps that do not occur on the press, such as cleaning lube from the case, dumping powder, cleaning, and/or uniforming primer pockets, removing primer pocket crimps, trimming to length, inspections, sorting, etc., etc. Also, sometimes more steps are needed than there are positions on the turret for dies/tools. These off-press steps greatly diminish this speed advantage of a turret press over a single stage press.

The other speed advantage of a turret over a single stage occurs when you use the turret as a single stage, but can more quickly change dies between batches. This speed advantage is minimal, and is negated if the single stage press is used with one of the quick-change die systems such as the Lee breech lock, or the Hornady LNL systems, or the Forster Co-Ax press's built-in system.

The accuracy issues of a turret press arise from the fact that there must be some slop/play in the turret head, and for most turret presses, that play results in a tilt of the die to the axis of the ram/cartridge travel. With conventional single stage presses, there is also play/slop and angular changes that occur during the stroke. A well-built turret press is probably not less accurate than a conventional single stage press, because there is plenty of angular play in the ram anyway. However, the Forster Co-Ax press does not suffer from the typical single stage issues, and is likely, when used with the best dies by an experienced reloader, more accurate than a turret press.

Progressive presses with removable tool heads suffer from the same issues as a turret press, plus additional opportunities for inaccuracy caused by tilting of the shell plate. Even with all of the stations of a progressive press occupied, the operations in each station differ, and apply different downward forces on the shell plate, which results in tilting not only the tool head, but also the shell plate. While some problems from movement of the tool head and/or shell plate are fine as long as the movement is consistent, consistent angular movement can still cause consistent concentricity problems with the finished cartridge, which is bad whether it is consistent or not.

Again, whether these potential accuracy issues affect accuracy in the field or at the range, depends upon the accuracy achievable by load, the rifle and the shooter.

Andy

[DiscoRacing]

I have a turret myself.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by BigJakeJ1s

The accuracy issues of a turret press arise from the fact that there must be some slop/play in the turret head, and for most turret presses, that play results in a tilt of the die to the axis of the ram/cartridge travel. With conventional single stage presses, there is also play/slop and angular changes that occur during the stroke. A well-built turret press is probably not less accurate than a conventional single stage press, because there is plenty of angular play in the ram anyway. However, the Forster Co-Ax press does not suffer from the typical single stage issues, and is likely, when used with the best dies by an experienced reloader, more accurate than a turret press.

Prove it.

That's all speculation.

[BigJakeJ1s]

Prove it.

That's all speculation.

We all have our opinions. I have solid engineering principles behind mine, and you have valid reasons behind yours. And neither of us can prove, to the other's satisfaction, that our's is right.

Please re-read the last line of my previous post.

Andy