The company gave me a new Lee Precision 4 hole turret press to do quick load development with. That way I can adjust the dies and jut pop the die turret head in and out. Once set up a caliber change is about 10 seconds.
This way I don't have to tear a Dillon 550B press down and convert it. I've been using the Lee Turret press for over 25 yrs. and it's my go to press for new caliber work. I had sold my older 3 hole press that I converted to 4 hole.
Anyway I did load development on a new powder in 40 S&W. Load, shoot, and chonograph. Lots of fun and got it right on the 2nd loading.
After I was done I did a time study and it took me 15 minutes to load 50 rounds. And that was putting the primers on one at a time. I told them to dig a auto primer feeder out for the press.
If you never used a Lee 4 hole turret press you don't know what you are missing. It really is all the press a hobby reloader needs as it can do 200-300 per hour with a Lee auto powder measure and the auto primer feed.
1. Put a primer and fired case in the 1st stage and pull the handle. The carbide sizing die decaps the fired primer, sizes the outside of the case. On the up stoke you seat the primer.
2. Pull the handle and inside expand the case and drop the measured amount of powder with the lee powder measure.
3. Put on a bullet and pull the handle and seat the bullet.
4. Pull the handle and run the loaded round through the Lee carbide factory crimp die. The Factory crimp die also re-sizes the loaded round to loaded round factory specks.
With the auto indexing rod in the die head turret turns to the next station. Or if you want to do something special just pull out the indexing rod and you have a single stage press and the die turret head doesn't move. There is no lost adjustment by removing a install the indexing rod.
The slickest press made bar none. We been selling them for 26 yrs. and don't have to make any excuses about the press.
On a side note I load all my pistol rounds with the 4th die of a Lee Factory Crimp die. On automatics the carbide sizer resizes the loaded round to factory loaded round specks. Never have any function problems with rounds in autos using the lee factory crimp die.
On revolver rounds we have found we gained 1/2" of increased accuracy at 50 yds. by crimping seperately with full load 44 mag. hunting loads.
This way I don't have to tear a Dillon 550B press down and convert it. I've been using the Lee Turret press for over 25 yrs. and it's my go to press for new caliber work. I had sold my older 3 hole press that I converted to 4 hole.
Anyway I did load development on a new powder in 40 S&W. Load, shoot, and chonograph. Lots of fun and got it right on the 2nd loading.
After I was done I did a time study and it took me 15 minutes to load 50 rounds. And that was putting the primers on one at a time. I told them to dig a auto primer feeder out for the press.
If you never used a Lee 4 hole turret press you don't know what you are missing. It really is all the press a hobby reloader needs as it can do 200-300 per hour with a Lee auto powder measure and the auto primer feed.
1. Put a primer and fired case in the 1st stage and pull the handle. The carbide sizing die decaps the fired primer, sizes the outside of the case. On the up stoke you seat the primer.
2. Pull the handle and inside expand the case and drop the measured amount of powder with the lee powder measure.
3. Put on a bullet and pull the handle and seat the bullet.
4. Pull the handle and run the loaded round through the Lee carbide factory crimp die. The Factory crimp die also re-sizes the loaded round to loaded round factory specks.
With the auto indexing rod in the die head turret turns to the next station. Or if you want to do something special just pull out the indexing rod and you have a single stage press and the die turret head doesn't move. There is no lost adjustment by removing a install the indexing rod.
The slickest press made bar none. We been selling them for 26 yrs. and don't have to make any excuses about the press.
On a side note I load all my pistol rounds with the 4th die of a Lee Factory Crimp die. On automatics the carbide sizer resizes the loaded round to factory loaded round specks. Never have any function problems with rounds in autos using the lee factory crimp die.
On revolver rounds we have found we gained 1/2" of increased accuracy at 50 yds. by crimping seperately with full load 44 mag. hunting loads.
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