Maintaining setup with turret press

[Chesapeake]

I'm looking to get into hand loading my own and am wondering about die setup. My thought is that with a single stage press you would have to readjust the die position each time you switch operations. Is this a simple operation and easily repeatable? Would it be worth it to get a turret press to maintain setup? Are the turret presses accurate? I would think there would be a bit of play in the turret assembly.

My ultimate goal(for now) is to be set up to load accurate loads for my 300 win mag. I would like to develope 2 loads, one for big game(180 grn) and one for coyotes(110 grn??). I have no plans for loading anything else at this time but this will probably change.

So far I have gleened off the site that the following are good products: Redding Comp dies, Lee collet dies, Redding and Forster inline seating dies, and the Forster Co-ax press.

Im specificaly looking at the Lyman Crusher II and T7 presses due to limmited funds. Does anyone have any opinions on these or other better options?

Also there is the case sizing to the belt issues I have read about. Seems the full length sizing dies dont size all the way to the belt well without pushing the shoulder back too far?????? The one suggested correction involved modifying a die. Are there any other solutions offered on the market? Perhaps a Redding body sizing die.

Sorry for all the newby type questions. The reloading documents I have looked at didnt seem to have the answers.

Ive read the Dan Newberry article on needed and not needed items.

 

[mo]

I have a Redding T7 press dose everything I want it to do very heavy duty I would recommend it to anyone. I had a Lyman turret it was an older model and the main frame cracked I think the new ones are better now.

For sizing the belted cases if u don't load to hot u can eliminate that problem, but there is a website I think he's member on this forum that makes a die specifically for belted cases, only one problem I ordered one 9 months ago, and still don't have one yet!!! I think he has some issues with the company who makes them for him. Here the website if u want to look at them. www.larrywillis.com I guess I need to check in with him again to see if he has got the issue resolved. I have checked with him about 4 times, and I think he said they were supposed to ship at end of March, but I have not heard from Larry.

Mo

 

[Jim Hundley]

I hope Larry Willis can get the production back on track.He is a very nice guy and offers a great die.I highly recommend the die.
Jim

 

[abinok]

Chesapeake,
heres what I would buy if I had it to do all over again... after shooting out my 3rd 300wm barrel.
These choices are based on getting top quality ammo cheap. If you want more features, upgrade the componets you think are most needing.
The single stage press is very easy to set up consistantly, and should not be the only reason for selecting a turret press.
Rcbs rockchucker supreme press
lee shell holders
rcbs hand priming tool
lyman 22degree chamber tool
Hornady one shot lube
brush for case necks
0000 steel wool for outside case necks
Powder management can range from a harrels meter, to the lee scoups depending on what you want to spend. Get the hornady trickler... its cheapest and works. The $22 lee perfect powder measure is the best extruded powder measure there is.
Ditto on trimmers. Lee trimmer is cheapest, fast and precise. The wilson is the best. pick the features and value you deem approprate.
Lee :"reloader" press for decaping and bullet seating at the range if you like. Never ever ever fore sizing. its $15-$20.

Dies:
Either, lee 3 die set with the collet die, seating die, and fl sizing die, with a Redding body die to bump the shoulder. FL die for virgin brass, body die and neck die for reloading. Total die costs: $40 or so.
OR...
Forester bonanza 2 die set (mainly for the upgraded seater) lee collet die, and redding body die. adds about another $30 or so, but the FB seater is really worth it. The cool thing about the lee collet die is for a $5 bill, you can have mandrels made to any dimension th allow you to adjust neck tension to anything you deem nessicary... in many ways, especially if you aren't turning cases, its superior to a bushing die, and significantly cheaper. a $20 collet die, and 2, $5 mandrels as opposed the the bushing die and iths bushings at more than twice the price. Order 2 undersized mandrels from lee when your die is on the way. When they show up, polish one with steel wool to .0005 under what it was when you got it, and you will be able to adjust from .001" to .002" in .0005" incriments... about right for a bolt gun. If you think you might need more, order one more and polish it an extra thousandth to get to .003" more details if nessicary.
Also, consider a lee universal decapping die, and when you order your mandrels from lee, order a 338WM expander. You can chuck the 338 expander in the universal decapping die, and use it to form a false shoulder in the neck for the first firing. You will get less case warping, and not have to worry about case head seperation for the life of the case. I can explain further if nessicary.

If you wanted to go the turret press route, definately get either the rcbs, or better, the redding version... both are better and more expensive than the lyman.
The neat thing about the turret press is you can put a virgin case in the shellholder, and on the stations:
1. expand to 338
2. fl size with false shoulder
Remove case, and continue batching... cow fireform if you like.
prime, chamfer, charge and seat.

reloading would have:
decap and clean and lube all brass.
1. body die bump .001"
2. neck size on collet die
3. charge
4. seat
DONE!

I usually decap all my brass seperately so I don't put all that priming residue on the good press... the lee press gets that, and then I clip the decapping pins off the mandrels and expanders so I can take my freshly fired brass, decap, clean, primerpocket uniform, and prime before sizing. This also lets me find loose primer pockets before all the sizing operations are wasted on used up brass.

The turret gives you a little faster round per minute rate, without much if any comprimise in round quality... you just have to decide if its worth the extra $100 or so.

 

[Chesapeake]

I found the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme (MASTER??) kit for $188. I plan to get that and then pick out my dies. I will have to look farther at abinok's suggestions and figure this all out.

 

[abinok]

The RCBS kits are great... but there are several. Just make sure you have a kit that has what you want... and you want whats in the kit. There are cheaper ways to get it, but what you are getting in them is good stuff. If any of that needs clarification let me know. Sometimes the wierd stuff I do... dosen't get articulated well /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif