Turret/Progressive Presses - Consistent and Reliable?

[GRSporth1]

Hello All,

I am a new poster from North Wales, looking to start my own reloading shortly - have tried a friends' single stage press just to get a feel for it - and concluded that will be too slow for my free time.

I shall be loading .45 in reasonable quantities, but also want to be able to produce more precise/tuned .303 loads in smaller quantities. I would prefer to start out buying one good press than end up with a couple of average ones.

My question: Does anyone have any experience with either the Lee Cast turret (the steel one, not the Aluminium) or the Hornady LNL Progressive?
I have seen and heard some positive views on both of these - have you used one and do you think either/both of these presses are up to the job when it comes to making decent quality, repeatable rounds?

Thanks in advance for your views.

[mag41uk]

I have the Hornady LnL Auto press with case feeder and its the mutts nuts.
IMHO much better than a Dillon 650 and much easier and cheaper to change calibers.
I load 41 and 44 on it and did load 45acp (still have the shell plate and dies if you go this route!)
In theory it will load rifle cartridges and I have loaded 7.62 x 39 on it using Lee collet dies.
I could load this round about as quick as 44 etc.
As for loading "proper" c/f carts on it,in theory its possible, as you can get the shell plates for them.
It will be down to how you resize the cases as to how feasable it is.
I am a big fan of Lee collet dies and ,as no lube is involved,these would work on the Hornady.
As it is,all my c/f rounds are loaded on a Rockchucker.
The only downside of the Hornady is the cost in the UK!
I got mine from smartreloader but i dont think they sell them any more.
Cant comment on the Lee press,but as its steel should be OK.
HTH
Tony

[Cj10]

I use a LnL, with case feeder for 45acp. Hornady now produce a dedicated 45acp shellplate, as the earlier 45/308 shellplate had some issues when used for 45acp. Other than that I've had no issues at all, and have loaded 308, 357 mag, 303, and, as an experiment 338 Lapua. The case feeder didn't work too well with the 338, but it was interesting to try.

My Lee loadmaster is used now exclusively for 357. Not impressed with the priming system on the Lee at all.

The other progressive I have is the Dillon Super 1050, which I use for 9mm and .223. Once set up, this is a great press, but not easy, compared to the LnL for calibre changes.

Overall, if you are looking for quality, ease of calibre changes and overall use in a progressive press then the LnL is the one I'd recommend. My view is you don't get the same degree of consistency with a progressive,as you do with a single stage such as the Forster. All my long range handloads are produced on the Forster.

Ceri

[phaedra1106]

Lee Cast Turret is very nice, you can load up to .308 on it as it has a greater height/clearance than the standard turret. If you're looking for hand tuned loads then a single stage would be better, the Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock Press is excellent value and a good solid design.

My .308 will give 1/2MOA if I do my part, but there's a lot more to that than just the press and dies, a consistently accurate powder dispenser and/or say a Target Master powder trickler will help greatly with that.

As for progressive, unless you're loading 100s of rounds then it's not worth it, I use a Lee Load Master for .44mag as I do them in batches of 100 or 200, it was a pain to set up and even now I don't use the priming system as it's too unreliable. The Hornady Lock-n-Load is a much better design but it's almost 3 times the price when you add all the required bits to it.

[ukrifleman]

I use the Lee Classic cast turret press to load 14 calibres (3 pistol and 11 rifle. up to 30-06.
I leave the indexing rod in place to produce .357, 44-40 and 45 Colt, but remove it when loading rifle calibres. My preference for a turret over a progressive press is safety, with the Lee turret, you only carry out one operation every time you work the lever; which means it is easier to monitor what is going on and makes for less margin of error.
With their primer safety feed, it is quick and produces consistant loads.
ukrifleman.

[Andy632]

I've got a Lee Progressive 1000 set up for pistol calibre, it's OK the biggest issue is with the damn primer feeder but when it's worked well, it's good.

I've also got a 6 hole, Lyman Turret press which was my first press & still my most used press, definitely recommend them. I keep .223 & .308 set up in it. But I just do the one operation at a time with it and use a Lee auto-prime for priming (got two actually, one for small primers & one for the Large.) Also got a Lee Cast turret which I use for odds & sods.

[Sim G]

I have a Dillon 550. Had it for well over 20 years and have literally loaded tens of thousands of rounds on it. The second one I sold to saddler and I believe he's very happy with it as well....

What have I loaded on it? .32 ACP, .32 S&W, .32 Mag, .380 ACP, 9mm Para, .38 Spl, .357 Mag, .40 S&W, .44 Spl, .44 Mag, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .223 Rem, .243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, .45-70 Govt, .38-55, .32-20, .44-40, and about to gear up for .25-20!

As reliable as the day is long and I have no complaints with regards to consistency, but, if looking to make the best ammunition I can, I go the single stage electronic scale and powder dispenser route....

[Chapuis]

SimG like you I have a Dillon 550B (I updated the original 550) and have loaded most of the calibres you have and some others also. I rate it very highly and if asked would buy another tomorrow over any other progressive. I also have a RCBS Rockchucker and if loading small numbers of rounds or for utmost accurasy use that though with a beam scales.

[dromia]

I have two progressives, an RCBS Ammomaster (no longer made) had it since the pistol days after being let down by Dillon. It has loaded 10s of thousands of rounds and never missed a beat. When I needed another one I bought a Hornady LnL, in my opinion better than the Dillon 650 but that could just be subjective, but is at least its equal at less dosh. Well it was lot cheaper when I bought mine, haven't compared current prices.

They do produce very good ammunition but have their own learning curve and need you to be alert. I am currently loading .303" British, 6.5 x 55 Swedish, 7 x 57 Mauser, .222" Remington, 6mm Musgrave, 32-20, .455 Webley and 310 Cadet on mine. The LnL is a doddle to calibre change. I only use the progressives for batches of over 250 rounds.

Progressives are not for load development, a single stage or a good turret used as a single stage is what you need for that. Once you have "the load then set that on your progressive for volume production.

I also have a Redding T7 turret for smaller runs of .310 Cadet and all my mouse fart indoor rifle loads, it is a fine press too. I also have a Lyman True Line Junior press for all my Lyman 310 die sets to compliment the handles, another fine press but not much leverage, but with most 310 dies only neck sizing leverage isn't and issue.

I have four single stage presses that all get regular use, Forster Co-Ax, Redding Ultramag, RCBS Rockchuker and a Holywood senior, all fine and robust presses that will load bench rest quality ammunition when required.

Ultimately I would never recommend a progressive only set up, a single stage is a necessity and if I could have only one press it would be a single stage, perhaps a turret but not an auto indexing one.

Reloading is never about speed, fast reloading is dangerous and to be avoided. Progressives can help increase the volume of ammunition produced, but never to be done at speed.

But then what would I know?

[dromia]

BTW the Le Classic Cast Turret is a good press for the money but not in the same class as the Hornady.