Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Accuracy of Lee turret press vs Redding T-7

I have been using a Lee 3 hole turret press for several years for all my reloading and it has worked very well. Now I have decided I want to try to make the most accurate reloads I can. There is a little bit of play in the Lee press turrets due to the way they just slide into place. I would like to stay with a turret style press and have been looking at the Redding T-7 to replace the Lee. Would I be wasting money buying competition style dies shell holders ect trying to make the straightest reloads I can with the Lee press? Would the T-7 be a big improvement or should I buy something more like a Forester Co-Ax press and forget the turret presses alltogether.

I have both a Redding T-7 and Co-Ax presses. The T-7 has a reinforcement tower in back that opposes the ram side that helps it to stay in line. I also like that it has a lot of room around the press ram and that makes it easy to work with right or left handed. I tend to prefer it more for pistol rounds etc. that require 3 or 4 die sets. With pistol rounds I also find it convenient that you don't have to lower the ram all the way before pulling the case out of the shellholder - this can save time with pistol or shorter rounds.

The Co-Ax press doesn't have the clearance on the sides that the T-7 does but does tend to load with less runout than other presses I've tried. I prefer using the Forster lock rings and they can add up a bit if you have a lot of dies. IMHO they are well worth it and the quick die change makes it just about as fast moving between dies as does the turret press. The shellplate is great for most rounds and it further speeds up things not having to change shell holders more most rounds. I did find that it didn't work well with 338 Lapua and 7.62x54R cases even with the larger shell plate.

If I were choosing between the two I'd go with the T-7 is you loaded mainly pistol rounds and go with the Co-Ax if you load mainly rifle rounds. I load more rifle rounds on non-progressive presses so I use the Co-Ax a lot more than any other single stage press.......................DJ

Thanks for the info DJ. Runout is my main concern with the turret press. I mainly load rifle ammo and what pistol ammo I do load the Lee press would work fine for.

just remove the indexer. the little black plastic link on the spiral bar comes off and then it will make the turret stationary. i then just reach up and turn the dies to where i want them. much better.

i go through and size all at once, seat all at once.

works great and i have run up against only a few rifles i couldn't tune into sub-moa machines with my lee press.

While I can't make a direct comparison to the press's you specified I can relay my recent experiences with the T-7 vs a Lee Challenger. All my reloading equipment - T-7 included - is in WI, and I've been working on a long term basis on TX. I still wanted to reload and shoot, so I purchased a Lee Anniversary kit containing their Challenger press that utilizes interchangeable bushings for each die. Push a detent, give a quater-turrn and one die is out, and a new one is in. I was skeptical, but gave it an honest use. It has amazed me. I'm turning out concentric rifle and pistol ammunition in several calibers. The press came with two or three of the quick change bushings that hold the dies, and I've bought 'bout a dozen more for a few bucks each. In short the Lee press I'm using has been a very pleasant surpise.

I have an old Lyman turret press and see no reason to change it. I've loaded tens of thousands of rounds and it still works great. I own no benchrest or target gun but I consistantly get sub 1" groups with HUNTING ammo from that press. I have 2 different Marlin X guns that will shoot 1 hole groups when using standard Lee or RCBS dies in that press. I doubt you press will cause you any issues unless you were looking to load 1000yd match ammo. I'd save your money and use it for some other things for the reloading bench.

Years ago I had a Lee three-hole turret press and gave it to a friend when I bought a Redding 25 (predecessor to the T-7). I made the change because the opening on the Redding was unhindered - it had no bars like the Lee design and I could mount six dies on a Redding turret instead of three on the Lee. Ammo quality is the same; my buddy has turned out 1000's of rounds of CAS ammo on the Lee I gave him over the last 8-9 years and I have been satisfied with the Redding 25.

The only thing I've ever disliked on any press is the toggle-over-center feature. I'm sure those press's are fine, I just don't like 'em.

No rotating turret/progressive press head can possibly be both rigid and hold dies in consistantly precise alignment with the ram. No one I know of attempts to load high precsion ammo on a turret/progressive, T-7 or otherwise. Yeah, I hear some screaming, "High power competitors reload on Dillons all the time!" Okay, sure, but do you know of any BR competitor who does that?

I don't find my iron old turret to be faster than my single stage nor does it really add any other benefit to my meticulus rifle reloading process. Suggesst you keep your old press for handgun stuff and get a single stage if you seriously seek accuracy.

"Toggle over" lever or no, I don't care. I simply modify the way I work to do it as needed for either stype of lever operation.

Maybe I don't frequent the right places, but I rarely see complaints about presses not loading straight ammo.

I have been using a Redding T-7 press as my main press for several years now, partly because I am often loading and testing 2-3 different cartridges during any given week. I can just leave the dies in the press and turn the turret to whatever set of dies is needed, rather than switch them all the time.

I tested the T-7 when I got it to see if it was precise enough for my needs, and it was. It has loaded a bunch of ammo that averages (not occasionally groups) 5 shots in under 1/2" at 100 yards. I also can't tell any difference in results when changing to different holes in the turret. Eventually I gave away the single-hole press I'd used before acquiring the T-7.

I would worry more about a particular set of dies and how they work than any inconsistences in the T-7 press.

Mule Deer

You've addressed the accuracy issue. What about speed? Is the T-7 press faster?

When using a crimp die, the turret press is quicker. It's also handy when you are working in bigger batches of cases that are in different stages of the reloading process. No need to keep switching the dies in and out of the turret head. My Lyman holdds 6 dies so you have options.

Mule Deer (or is it smartass52 yet?), thanks for the quick review of your usage of the T7 press. I have been considering getting one to use just as you describe and now you have helped me make up my mind.

I really only handload for two calibers anymore; .223 and .308 so I would leave the 4 dies in the rotor. I am considering restarting to load for one pistol caliber and that would use up the other three positions.

One quick question for you, if I may; how easy is it to swap rotors or plates on this press? This is in case I have to start handloading for other calibers I shoot.

My T-7 has slight differences in the die settings for a couple of the different holes. It's probably not enough to matter much but it's one thing that's not an issue at ALL with the Co-Ax..........................DJ

FTR Shooter,

I haven't switched the rotor, but it goes on with just one hex-head bolt so shouldn't be tough.

As I noted earlier, I usually spend each week loading different cartridges, so I change the dies out once and work the rest of the week with those. Often one of the holes is filled with a Lee decapping die, and I like the fact that I can still have three other 2-die sets going even with the decapper in there.

Thanks for the good info.

Denys

The Lee Classic cast (4 hole) turret press is stronger and larger than the regular Lee turret. It is worth a look.

I finally busted my Lee turret press reloading 30-06 shells.I now have a Redding single stage press and would never use a lee turret again even if someone gave it to me. Cannot comment on the T-7 but Redding dies and single stage press is good.

JImmyP
Which Lee Turret was it?