Who's reloading rifle on a Lee Turret?

[Surveyor1653]

What flavor of ammo are you reloading, and are there any specific issues to watch out for? I intend to dup' (as closely as possible) M80 Ball for the M1A/Scout Squad.

For the record: I've been reloading handgun on this press for about four years. I'm all new to rifle, though.

 

[royesses]

I'm loading 308, 243,223 on a Lee classic turret press. Just keep it lubed properly and if you use the primer system make sure it is adjusted properly. Make sure all bolts are tight and align the turret with the ram as best you can. I also grind a flat on the shell holder where the retainer hits it, so the shell holder free floats and the flat keeps the shell holder aligned to the left of center for easy insertion of the cartridge. Works very well and I have had no problems. I use a redding bushing die and also turn case necks to .012" (Winchester brass). I use a Forster Ultra Micrometer seating die. I use a Sinclair/Wilson trimmer to keep case length to trimmed to specs. I use a Lyman flash hole uniformer and Lyman primer pocket uniformer. Also a Lyman Gen6 Powder Scale for weighing powder charges. I use a Lee rifle charging die to charge the case. Lyman case prep express to do most of the case prep chores.

Naturally there is no need for most of the prep I do, just that I enjoy the process. I don't know if any of it makes my ammo more accurate, my firearms shoot better than I do. I just know that my reloads are done as good as I can.

 

[Pulp]

I load .223, .243, .30-30, .44-40, and .45-70 on my 4 hole Lee turret. For the two die sets I put them opposite each other, and bring the case up between them for charging. So that only leaves one useless pull of the handle. For .44-40 it takes 5 pulls of the handle, as my Auto Disk doesn't have a big enough hole to throw 2.2cc of BP, so I use the 1.09cc hole and pull the handle twice on that die. I have the Lee Factory Crimp die in the 4th hole.

 

[Surveyor1653]

Thanks for the info. I picked up my rifle turret setup at Jerry's in Tulsa. The one thing I didn't anticipate was needing the double disk setup. The largest charge hole is the 1.57 and will only throw about 24gr if i remember correctly. Pulp, your solution of going with two pulls of the lever will work but there's not a disk hole size that throws exactly half of the charge I need with the powder I'm using (BL-C 2). I'll pick up the double disk kit next week.

I'm using the Hornady two die set, and the Lee powder & factory crimp dies.

 

[swampratt]

See all the steps royesses does.
I would need to use a turret as a single stage because of all the prep and measuring i would need to do between each die change.

Might be quicker because you do not need to change dies only turn to the one you now need.

 

[Pulp]

Swamp, you don't have to lower the ram all the way. Just come down enough that the cartridge clears the bottom of the die, take it out of the holder, put the next one in. Just like a single stage. The turret only turns when the ram is fully lowered. That said, I do believe there is just a bit of up and down slop in the turret, and that might be too much slop if your goal is to produce ammo that will stack bullet holes at 1000 yards.

 

[Surveyor1653]

If all I had was a turret or other progressive style press and wanted to load precision ammo I think I'd just forego the powder die and run with three dies in the press, then powder by hand on the bench. Again, I've never loaded rifle, much less for precision rifle. I could be way off.

 

[swampratt]

Well i won't be able to stack bullet holes at 1000.
But i did tweak my .308 dies and gun recently and got 3 holes in a .462" center to center group and 2 more rounds seated a little shorter fired into the same spot opened the group to .750" at 200 yards.
I pulled the bullets from all the other loads that were 1.3"-1.7" at 200 yards..just not worth it to shoot those.
Amazing what .5gr of powder or .010" different seating depth will do to a grouping.
I would think farther out those numbers could be smaller like .2gr or .005" seating depth would change a lot.

I would bet if you worked a turret right you could make dandy ammo.


All that tight group is well and good in prone or off a bench ..but when you are standing in the woods shooting at running coons or deer it probably makes little difference.

I do have a lee pro 1000 for my 45acp loading and i also use it for 357 mag sometimes.
It makes great ammo.

 

[streak]

I have a lee turret I use for 223 and 50 beowulf for rifle rounds and 9mm, 357, 38 for pistol. I will soon be adding 45ACP and 308 to the mix also. the press is robust and fairly fast. I love not having to have reloading blocks full of powder charged ammo to transport. I am clumsy enough as it is. gotta say I love just swapping out turrets for the next caliber also. no I just have to get more powder droppers and I will be ultimately set. Almost forgot to mention I use one turret just for my one off stuff in single stage mode. I have one turret hole set up to swage 223 bullets, one set up for a decapping die and I think I may add a swaging 357 and 9mm die to the mix to gas check some lead bullets.

 

[calixt0]

I've loaded some 223 on it.