Bushmaster,

.014 " (14/1000) play doesn't seem excessive to you? Granted, it is less than what I saw with my brother's. Maybe you did get a special one. Somehow with .014" play in a rotor you can manage to turn out ammo with no more than .002" runout. That is pretty special. I don't give the cerdit to the equipment, it is poor at best, but the guy at the bench is someone special. Bushmaster, you have found a technique that turns out good to excellent ammo with a sloppy, inexpensive press. It makes me want to donate some good equipment just to see what you could turn out with it.
I checked my press:
On my Lyman turret press (an old four station "All American") I can't get a .001" feeler gauge between the adjusting screw and the turret. I put a dial indicator at the center of the die (at the active station in front) and locked it in to the stationary center shaft. I sized a 3006 and the needle didn't move. I figured I had to have some play so I reset and checked everything and put a steel plate on the shell holder and raised it into the seating die. I put at least twice the pressure I would ever use to size a case on it and the needle had no perceptable deflection. The steel plate didn't bend, twist or squeeze but it did have a mark where it was pushed into the seating die.
I shoot groups that are .75" at 100 yards on the average and on a good day when it all falls into place the group shrinks to .5" with my best group ever at .417 (about 7/16"). I think accurate equipment helps but I think that my skill is part of that too. The .417 inch group was with ammo assembled using Lee Classic loader, an arbor press, and some home made dippers calibrated on a little undampened R. F. Wells scale. I still have those pieces but I don't use them much - fancier dampened scales, nice green, red or orange presses, and top of the line measures, trimmers and and the rest. Still, The smallest group I ever shot was made with a budget set up that I had less money in than one of my scales now.

Don't know what all the fuss is about...I've been using a Lee turret press for the past 10 years & have no complaints. It's the older 3-die turret version. I have a turret for each caliber I load, 44 Mag, 38 special, 9mm, 300 Win Mag, 30-06, 45 LC, 45-70, 243 Winchester, 223 Remingron, 454 Casull, & S&W 460. No problems with chambering or accuracy. No slop in the turrets. So, what's up?
Keep it coming...

Have no idea what my .30-06 will do at 100 yards as it wasn't purchased for that range. The only one set up for 100 yards is my .30-30 and it cuts a 3" red dot to shreads at that range off sand bags.

Bushmaster,

I hate this medium - are you saying that you shoot three inch groups or that you can cut a three inch dot from your target?


George,

I am real happy that you own a Lee turret press that has no play in it. How do you change turrets? It must be hard to install and turn with no clearance.

I guess every one got mad and left!

Crackshot wrote:

I guess every one got mad and left! )

Crackshot,

I don't think anyone got mad, everyone just said all they had to say on the subject. At least I hope that was the case. It was a really good thread though, alot of opinion and conviction.

Live Long and Shoot Well

I hate brand wars. Don't you? Just not productive...

Bushmaster wrote:

I hate brand wars. Don't you? Just not productive...

Amen Bushmaster !!

I dont like brand wars, But we ALL jumped in quick didnt we?
My daddy said "to each his own". I'm a firm believer in this, If what you have makes YOU happy, then by all means, be happy.....
And as a matter of fact, Ive been considering getting a Lee Progressive press(Laodmaster I think)

I have an opinion as well.................... You guys can have your Dilon or Lyman press or whatever but I will stick with my RCBS Rockchucker any day. I may be a bit slower reloading but I don't care............

Well that didn't go well. I was responding to what PaulS wrote.
Ofcourse there is enough play so that you can swap them out, moving parts have play. I'm merely pointing out that when on station, there is no play. To remove one, just rotate it and yank it out. I have so many, one for each caliber, that mine haven't worn enough to have play. & if it were to get sloppy, $10 is all one needs to get a new turret. I've worked up excellent loads for all that I shoot with it. I know there are other presses out there that are priced a lot higher, but, I have no reason to abandon my Lee turret press.

I don't know how I missed out on keeping this thread going, just got by me I guess. It sure wasn't because I got mad or anything. I value all inputs.
Keep it coming...

george20042007,

I would like to put a dial indicator on your frame with the anvil on the turret to show you how much play you have each time you stroke the ram on you "no play" press. You may be able to make accurate ammo with it just like Bushmaster but I bet you have as much play too. My brother's press was brand new - it was what I call "SLOPPY". It was the reason that his cases were bending. granted it was with 223 cases but no press should be able to bend cases when brand new.

I have zero qualm using my "O" frame RCBS purchaced in 1985...it's all I've ever needed since and still performs top shelf...

I reload strictly hunting/practice ammo now but used to reload steel comp. heavily for years...did it all single stage.

I'm not a fan of more moving parts to remain in the cosistantcy/accuracy game....some of the MOST accurate ammo I ever turned out was with a 7X57 Mauser Lee hand loader, back in the early years...the only moving part there was the hammer................


A five shot product of that old single stage press.......

PaulS, I probably won't make measurements to so if I have any honest play as it's not going to make a difference to my reloading game. But, I will say I'm surprised at the amoung of "wiggle" I get from the brass when in the shell holder. At times that did pose a problem when I was in the resizing/decapping station. Nothing significant though, just had to move the case slightly. And I am using the corect shell holders.

I've thought about upgrading to a better press & have been thinking single stage. I don't like presses that require a lot of attention. That's why I stuck with my Lee turret for so long, it's easy, reliable, & I've gotten great results.
Keep it coming...