Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Turret Reloading Press

I don't have a turret press, but in addition to my Redding Big Boss II, I use a Dillon 750XL to load my pistol ammo which is what I shoot in the greatest volume.

Thanks for that, I ordered the kit, the turret head, brass wax.

Will endeavour to save for an Area 419 ZERO.

I have 2 Redding t7 presses, on both of them if you reach abound and put your finger on the spot where the turret rests on the frame while performing any step of your reloading procedures you can feel the movement or rocking of the turret. I use them for everything but seating bullets, although I realize that sizing cases might also be off a tiny bit. I think it’s “Creedmoor sports”that has a repair solution for that. I never bothered to buy the kits.

I compared the Redding T7 with my old Bonanza Co-Axial press. With the Co-Ax I set the dies and never need to readjust. Changing from one die to another takes about the same time as rotating the turret head. If I wanted to upgrade that would be my choice rather than any turret.

For really heavy work I have a Redding Ultramag.

I prefer those two over having any single press. Actually having two is the best “upgrade”.

I have a CoAx and a T7 because I want to have Redding Instant Indicators setup at the same time I set my dies for the CoAx. I like the Harrell's 4 station turret for shorter cases and portable loading. I like a progressive for production. There is no single best and many good enough. I don't doubt the shockingly expensive single stage presses are fairly priced for what you get. I started loading with a Lyman 310 Nutcracker when that was a low cost alternative rather than a special interest collector's item. At today's prices for old C presses having a dedicated press for decapping or even a couple for different shell holders and case sizes makes a lot of sense.

I have yet to be persuaded that the thousand dollar single stage press makes more and better ammunition in the same time but I welcome folks who find it so in the product and not just indicating on the press.

I have had a T7 for at least 15 years, and possibly 20. While it hasn't loaded as many rounds as the semi-famous T7 that Sierra Bullets used to load a million cartridges without any problems, am sure it has loaded hundreds of thousands of rounds. Am going to see if I can feel the "rocking" you describe, but I use it to load the 6mm PPC rounds for my benchrest rifle, which average around .0005 bullet runout (yes, half of 1000th of an inch) on more than one gauge. Depending on the load, those rounds will also average .15 to .20 inch for 5-shot groups at 100 yards. The die used for bullet seating is a Redding Type S.

Own 3, Only rock if nut is loose. Best turret made.

Got my t7 in 2009. Had a little play in it, I finally figured out that the bushing was a couple of thousandths proud of the thickness of the turret. A flat Diamond honing plate and some very careful polishing cured it. I have 3 turret heads and each one has it’s own custom fit bushing.

Bob

Good point. Each bushing needs to be kept with its turret. Have 3 presses and 8 turrets.

Just noticed this latest conversation on the Redding T-7 turret press. The last two posters nailed it. If there is more clearance between the frame and turret than is desired, you can adjust the length/height of the central bushing in the turret to reduce this. Take a piece of 400 wet/dry abrasive paper and tape it to a thick piece of glass, spray with WD-40 and move the end of the bushing on the paper in a figure 8. Carefully measure the length of the bushing when you start and work down in .001" increments. STOP when you can feel a very slight resistance when rotating the turret. Obviously, if you reduce the length of the bushing too much, you won't be able to rotate the turret. One other thought, small changes to the turret/frame clearance can be made by adjusting the torque on the turret nut which will vary the "crush" of the bushing. I designed the T-7 and got the idea to have 7 die stations when shooting my 357 MAG S&W 686+ seven shot revolver.

Thanks for the above information on the bushing thickness, now if I only had a micrometer that I could measure the turret thickness with. I will have to remedy that small problem and then look to tightening up my presses.

Finally got around to fitting the turret head and kit. The press seems to function a tad smoother and the metal (grating?) sound no longer exists, the lockup does seem to be more emphatic as well.

Simple to set up and apply...and the threaded handle is much nicer (stays put).

My concern with turret presses is wear. I think it’s probably a good idea to check for movement during operation on occasion.

Some of the methods described here seem to be good ideas.

I've been running a T7 for around 20 years now, and while it hasn't loaded as many cartridges as the one Sierra eventually retired after a million rounds, between load-testing for magazine articles and books, and a bunch of burrowing-rodent ammo, it has been quite a few. I have checked it for movement now now and then, and when I've felt a little play have tightened up the central bolt on the turret head.

Among many other cartridges, it's used to load the ammo for my 6mm PPC benchrest rifle, an antique itself. But when using Redding competition dies, the old T7 still makes ammo that groups five rounds well under .2 inch at 100 yards.

This ^^ Same press and I also disconnected the progressive bar.

kwg

I have no doubts any and all of my presses will be in fine shape when my heirs sell them cheap. I fear the shell holders and priming punches for the Hollywood Universal Turret will be separated but so be it. Nobody will be installing domed primers in 20years.

That said I use an aluminum Harrell's 4 station turret clamped next to my computer for a lot of first stage decapping and resizing pistol or short rifle cartridges before finishing on a progressive. I do feel guilty about using a more expensive fairly precision aluminum press that does not and is not made to handle used primers well. Used primer dust is both abrasive and lead styphenate filled and so to be avoided. A CoAx does decapping nicely, handles used primers better than any other and with a short handle is easy to use, with a long handle not so much, for decapping pistol cases. Just the same mounting a CoAx next to the computer is a non-starter.

Place me in the Co-Ax camp.

Have tried a Co-Ax, and prefer turret presses. But different "strokes" for different folks....

I use the same setup as well

Having ther 419 zero, T7, and rockchucker I’ve decided the Zero was a waste of money for me. The T7 handles the convenience and the rockchucker the precision.