Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Turret Press

Finally decided I need a new press, the 30 year old Lee single stage is starting to get loose. Looking at a couple of turret presses, don't think I need a progressive. Most of my loading is for pistols, 38 Special HBWC loads is the one I load for the most. I also reload for about a dozen different rifles/pistols. Just don't really need to load hundreds at a time. Lee Classic Turret, Lyman T Press, Redding 7. Lee is the cheapest, but money is not really the object, looking for quality. Any pros or cons to these presses?
Any advice on a powder measure? I am worried that a powder measure may not be able to throw a 2.7g Bullseye load reliably.

Sounds like an upgrade I just got back in December. I got the new Lyman turret. I have mounted it on my bench but have not used it yet. It seems to be well built for the money.

I use the Lee Classic Turret, and like it a lot. It's much faster than a single stage. With the Auto Disk or the Adjustable Charge Bar, I think you'll be able to throw small charges well enough.

+1 My choice as well for .35 Whelen and down. I throw my charges with a Redding measure though.

Redding is a nice turret.

There is no better than the Redding T7. My opinion of course. Will others do the job? Of course. Mine will never leave the bench.

The C-H multi-station H-press is worthy of consideration too. Rugged as heck, precisely built/fitted, no turret to wear out, and lends itself to fairly speedy loading if that's a requirement. Not cheap, but your heir's heirs will probably be the ones to actually wear it out.

The ones I liked best were the Redding and the Lee, Redding has seven stations, Lee 4. Lee's heads are much cheaper than the Redding's however. I have read that the indexing "plastic
squares" can wear on the Lee, but are cheap to replace.

Redding is better by a long shot, but the Lee is good.

I used to have an old Lee in the garage that I only used for de-capping, to keep the dirty stuff away from the loading bench to keep it clean.

Back in '67 I bought a complete reloading bench with Lyman tools with a Colt National Match 45. I still use the Lyman turret, but only to seat bullets for 6 different cartridges. All my sizing duties are now done with an RCBS Rockchucker. I inspect the brass after every preperation step anyway, so installing all the dies for one cartridge on a turret press didn't save me any time. If you really want one, the best commonly found is likely the Redding. But as with a single stage, be sure the one you buy doesn't have a ram that "goes over the top" making setting dies more difficult.

Is the C-H press still current? See a few used ones for sale but nothing that is new.

Still have an old, old Herter's cast iron press if I need some muscle.. It's just not as easy to use.

Yes, go to C-H4D's web site and check out the 444H press. At $325 new retail it ain't cheap like I said, but on the other hand...

I load 9mm, 357 mag, and 38spc with the Lee Classic Turret press, and will never give it up. It is solid and repeatable and turns out great ammo.
No regrets.
Not looking at other alternatives.

Went with a Redding T7 years ago. My Rockchucker just sits on a shelf now. The Redding is a great press.

Yeah, I've been using a T7 for over a decade, loading rounds from the 9mm Parabellum to .416 Rigby. T7's are very precisely made. I once did a rifle swap with Steelhead, trading him a rifle, dies and cases for one of his rifles, also with dies and cases. He has a T7 too, and the swapped dies worked on our T7's without changing the settings.

Redding has a T7 that Sierra sent them after it loaded one million roads. The press was still working fine, but the guys at Sierra thought Redding should have it. Sierra got another one, of course.

I'm a slow learner and it took me four progressive presses to find out that my 1960s Texan turret press was more than adequate for my needs. I've used this press for decades. I'm not a big Lee fan, but but I would certainly look hard at the Classic Turret should my Texan ever need replacement. I have a friend with the Redding turret. He likes it well, but I'm sure it's a lot more money than the Lee. Regardless, I think the Redding is also worth considering. Over the years, the cost of a press is recouped many times.

As for a measure, I've had many, but I'd recommend Redding. I have four of theirs, the newest of which is at least twenty-five years old.

This is true, but it takes a long time for them to wear and the last time I bought any (admittedly years ago) they were ultra-inexpensive.

To the OP, I would recommend the Lee Classic with auto-indexing. You will need Lee dies for the charge-through powder measure. It will be very reliable with Bullseye or anything else.

I used the LEE 3 hole turret when I first switched from a single stage press and was pleased with it. As stated above the plastic indexing part will wear with use, it is inexpensive to replace. I now use a Ponsness Warren press, while it is a turret it is not progressive it suits my purpose well

I used a Redding T25 for fifteen years of professional shooting, a few years ago I purchased a T-7 as a replacement and am happy which the purchase, though I did cut that mongrel lump of iron off the front as I prime with a Forster priming tool.

The T25 is still being used by another Kangaroo shooter in town, and when he gives up shooting I shall get it back.

Redding T7.