YouTube Down The Line Review On The Lee Ultimate Turret Press

The reloading portions of this video have been deleted. For the version including that content, please go to the RUMBLE site. For the Full Enchilada version, please go to Patreon. - - Let's have another look at the latest press from Lee - the Ultimate Turret Press. In comparison to our favored turrets from Redding, Lyman and RCBS, what about this Lee press might turn the turret world topsy turvy and even overturn long entrenched thought and beliefs on same...

[@fcava-ti7mb]

I've been admiring your knowledge and passion for this hobby for years, especially with all KZbin's restrictions you are still very dedicated and jumping through hoops! Kindness regards from the UK😊

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@fcava-ti7mb Thanks for the kind words. Best wishes to you from across the Pond..!! Steve

[@johnblood3731]

Mr Lee said that when they figure something out they do not tell their competitors but know they can buy their product and measure them to figure it out. Love Lee products and your videos.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@johnblood3731 Thanks for your information sharing...and for being a part of the Hot Lead Zone... Best to ya, Steve

[@gscotty311]

Awesome! Thanks Steve! Much love! You've taught me so much!

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@gscotty311 Appreciation to you for your cool comment....and Good Reloadin' to ya, Steve

[@Ruteger100]

you're great FC. What an introduction!

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@Ruteger100 And the viewers are great - much appreciated... Steve

[@phildo39645]

Thanks Steve good to see ya!

[@pg981]

Excellent review, I have the Classic cast turret press, and the freeplay in the turrets has always been a concern. However, the ammo it produces is very accurate. As far as mounting the press, I use the steel stand that Lee makes, sturdy, and keeps it out of the way and protected. I do have their basic C-press mounted on the bench for secondary ops. I may pick this one up. 👍🇺🇸

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@pg981 It's all about the level of accuracy we require for our jobs at hand. If it's staying in the 10 ring at 25 yards and less or taking down deer or hogs at 200 yards or less, any press will do - even a hand press or a Lee Loader. And that goes for the bullet we use - cast bullets will do nicely. But can we use a nicer, well fitted and high quality press and the best jacketed bullets? Most assuredly yes, and the freedom and opportunity to do so is very American. Best Regards, Steve

[@pg981]

@@FortuneCookie45LC Agree 👍

[@burrco3086]

Another great video. Watched it on rumble too. Great vids

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@burrco3086 You're being amongst the Hot Lead Zone viewers, is much appreciated...Best to ya, Steve

[@mitchellcox1912]

Good job and thanks.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@mitchellcox1912 I appreciate you taking the time to post comment... Best Regards, Steve

[@justinjones9042]

Looks promising and a good value

[@kenjustken5994]

That makes perfect sense to me

[@floorpizza8074]

Great video, FC, thank you. I've loved my Classic Turret Press for years, but this is definitely going to be replacing it. I have two Dillon presses, a Lee Classic Turret, a Lee APP (for bullet sizing), and an old RCBS Rock Chucker. It's awesome, because I leave my Dillon 1050 set up for 5.56, the Dillon 550 for 9mm, then I use the LCT for most everything else. My primary complaint with the LCTP is the vertical slop in the die holder, just as you demonstrated. This left me having to use the old Rock Chucker for precise bullet seating on my long range rifle rounds. I'm hoping the new Ultimate will help with that.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@floorpizza8074 - You've got a good stable of reloading...Can you load accurate ammo with the LCT? Answer is yes. Is the LCT the most accurate, precise press? The answer is no. In my own testing, the quality of the dies is more responsible for the precision of our ammo. But the particular press does matter. Within reason, in good condition, a slightly misaligned press might cause .001 - .002" more runout than a press with either precision alignment or a press with co-axial self alignment. This difference may not be significant for anything inside of 500 yards. And, if we use anything other than very uniform bullets, nothing on our reloading benches will matter (again, within reason, of course). I remember what my benchrest shooter friend Nick said when I asked him what to do to get the most accurate ammo. He said, "Start with 200 rounds of very good brass, and buy the best bullets you can find." Have a great day, Steve

[@luvtahandload7692]

Do not let that slop scare you. It is adjusted out of it with most dies, including Lee's own Dead Length Bullet Seating die. It also allows everything to "find center".

[@aarongilkey8077]

thanks for the video. I’m in the hot lead zone!!!

[@johnh4957]

I tried to get that progressive handle when I bought my pro 4000 but evidently it messes with the case feed system the 4000 uses, the current straight handle touches the feeder already, I did just upgrade to the newer 5 tube case feeder which is a big improvement over the original 4 tubes.

[@charlesfields7908]

I have a lyman 8 turrent brass smith. Biggest complaint about it is the slop between turrent and base body on the up stroke of the ram. 1.001 is the length of the bushing in the turrent. 360 grit diamond hone work the bushing down to .998-.995 and put the washer to the stone as well making a figure 8. Basically machine matching the 2 surfaces. Itll tighten up the turrent to the body, make the bearing engagement more solid and overall make the press more solid than anything lee has. Not knocking lee I like their products to. Beats wasting $30 for an "upgrade kit" from creedmoor sports to accomplish the same thing.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@charlesfields7908 I did some testing of my Lyman 8 that revealed that three of my stations producted higher run out ammo. I marked the turret stations so that when I want the best accuracy ammo, I use the appropriate dies stations. These give me runout .001" or less using the Forster dies and the Lee Neck Size Collet die. Since I measure the run out on my loaded ammo, this provides a constant testing of those die stations. No need to even think of getting a Creedmoor Sports turret or doing any upgrade work on my Lyman 8 ti;ll then - Best to ya, Steve

[@charlesfields7908]

@@FortuneCookie45LC took the easy way 🤣 whatever works though.

[@curtislong1987]

I'm still not convinced, that this is superior. When this press wears out the Lyman and Redding, Will still be cranking out rounds.

[@mikemcallister9091]

I have always loved Lee products and have a ton of them. I do have the Lyman and like it for load development. Just picked up a Forester Co ax. Wondering if you have tried the Forester? Thanks for all you do for the community. Not many knowledgeable reloading channels left.

[@danoneill2846]

yep

[@ComiCBoY000]

I had an RCBS turret press for a few years and got rid of it because the tipping was bad and I went to lee turret presses and I do find the lee's are better.

[@rifleshooterchannel208]

I’ve honestly never found a turret press that I liked. I’ll use all kinds of presses and always end up going back to my Classic Cast single stage 😅

[@ComiCBoY000]

@rifleshooterchannel208 I've never got rid of my original single stage because it still has its purposes but I shoot at a volume that a single stage just can't support.

[@JohnDoeEagle1]

@@rifleshooterchannel208 I love my Redding T7....it's built like a tank and the BEST one IMO.....

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@@rifleshooterchannel208 Absolutely nothing wrong with the good old single stage... Best Regards, Steve

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@@ComiCBoY000 Cool comment that says a lot on the bend of our reloading presses... Best to ya, Steve

[@luvtahandload7692]

My Redding Big Boss could use a bench with an overhanging top. It wants to pinch the primer tube. I think most Lee bashers have never read the FRONT of the Lee manual. If they would, they might sing a different tune.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@luvtahandload7692 I did read the front of the Lee manual, but it was a while back....now I need to go back and check that out... Thanks for the comment, Steve

[@lanceschul]

Walter is the man!

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@lanceschul Yes, he's a cool dude.... Best to ya, Steve

[@T.A.B.Videos]

👍👍

[@user-yx8rr5gc1y]

I love Lee Precision products and have their 4-hole Classic Turret Press (as well as their Classic Cast Single Stage and Pro 6000). I just can't see the practicality of this press. If you're using the Lee Breech Lock Bushings, you might as well get one of their progressive presses. I can't see having to raise and lower the ram 5 or 6 times for one round of ammunition. Nice press but, not for me. Great video though.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@user-yx8rr5gc1y - In your case, with the CTP and Pro 6000 already, you really have no need to get the Ultimate. If you are loading 50 - 100 rounds, whip on the 4 hole Classic Turret. If you need more ammo, fire up the 6000. And if you are developing loads, the CCSS is the go to press. You are all set.... Best Regards, Steve

[@thorsaxe5881]

Steve, glad you are getting busy out there in your man cave. Maybe I'll see you at the range someday. - Dave

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

Dave - We do need to meet some time soon... I'm going back to CA for a few days to take care of business... see if we can arrange something for August or so... Best to ya, Dave - - Steve

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

I think Area 419 would beg to differ with you and John Lee about that C design being less then the O design. The tilting issue in the layman can easily be addressed with a little wet sanding of the metal bushing.

[@hercules1073]

It isn't just the tilting. C frames always flex under load whether solid or not. That's why the old Herter's,Wells etc. presses were so massive. The old manuals showed sprung c presses sometimes and spoke of them quite often as well as camming o frames with the top beam broken. Companies like RCBS and competitors came to the rescue with stronger designs, but considerably smaller than the old workhorse C frames and LEE (and Redding) solved the issue with light presses having solid stops. My lyman 8 turret press weighs twenty three pounds whereas the LEE turret presses are much lighter in weight, but the LEE's raise the turret in a ring that does not allow tipping like all other C presses and that's the reason for their superb accuracy working in the form of an o frame with float. I don't like the idea of the breech lock bushings in the ultimate though as it just opens up the opportunity for more runout.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@@hercules1073 - Thanks for answering Johnny - your reply is right in with that of John Lee, CEO of Lee Precision. John even went further to say that any loss in run out accuracy from the remaining backlash in the Ultimate Turret's die plate and breech locks will not really impact accuracy significantly to matter. On that, I would disagree - we still want the lowest run out we can get in our long range ammo. However, 99.99% of hunters and competitors will not be able to tell any difference in a statistical analysis. Confidence analysis - now that is a different thing, and without confidence, we might as well not be out there. Best to ya, Steve

[@hercules1073]

@@FortuneCookie45LC I installed a breechlock conversion in a Rockchucker supreme and it increased runout. There was a solution, but I'd rather not have to worry with remembering to do one more thing etc. so yeah I too think it matters. I bought their turret press back when all they offered was a three hole and noticed right off the bat that it was an ingenious invention (if you recall their first version was like everyone else's, but they decided against marketing it) as it allowed something never before offered in a turret type press...the turret raised, aligned, and locked level into a steel ring supported by the columns and to this day I believe their turret designs are spectacular for the most concentric ammo in a multi station press, but I feel the bushing idea in the ultimate is a step backwards as far as concentricity. Maybe you'll prove the theory right or wrong though... I'd love to see some testing done :) btw LEE has always had the need for better marketing of things like their turret presses IMO.

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@@hercules1073 Your comments and thoughts are co-axial to mine. Lee marketing has always been under accomplished. Their success has been predicated on the value and utility of their products. In my testing, accuray of dies is more critical than type of press. We can gain .001" less run out with the "best" presses. But the gain from using dies like the Lee Neck Size Collet die and Forster in line bullet seating gain .002-.003" less run out than other "regular" dies. None of the pull out expander dies is in the running. This all only applies to the use of good brass and good-best quality bullets (we're lucky today that the major bullet manufacturers do a decent job of making consistent bullets). Have a grreat day, Steve

[@jesseboutdoorsreloading]

I don’t get KZbin. Why can the Ultimate Reloader channel show reloading but no one else can?

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@jesseboutdoorsreloading KZbin has always been adverse to me ever since they deleted my most watched video that had 1.2 million views. It also knocked down my total views affecting search engines. When I was threatened with channel take down because of "unacceptable" content, I tried to figure out what it was that was objectionable since I had been on for years doing content that was OK previously. If KZbin simply deleted stuff on their own, their censorship would be obvious, but they wanted us to censor ourselves. I had done nothing of a divergent nature, and did my best to delete what I thought their guidelines required. But then I was demonitized. It was painful to many, but we stayed on KZbin because of the vast numbers of people on the platform. People wanted the "free" source, and this is not a critism - it's logical. Why can other channels show reloading (YT guidelines forbid showing manufacturing of ammo, and more) - not just Ultimate Reloader - there are others? On UR, they even show the partial making of guns - expressly forbidden by YT. UR shows up on my side screens in multiples whenever I watch any shooting video on KZbin, no doubt because I enjoy watching UR - if you note, no ads are running on UR - the channel is demonitzed as far as I can tell. UR is a very well funded channel with the best stuff - apparently, there is no need for channel monitization - YT exposure is all they need. Why haven't old reloading videos been taken down? Why can channels glorify head sized melons blowing up from high power bullets (let's just scare the bejabbers out of Miss and Mrs. America)? If YT banned all shooting channels, they would lose a large audience and consumer base for the viewing of many other videos on YT. I'm sure you have thoughts on all this....

[@michaeldunn150]

I was going to get one but Viejo (Walter) told me don't do it and recommended me to get a Lee Pro 4000 kit....... I am liking the Pro 4000 kit for my 223.....

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@michaeldunn150 - Walter was not happy with his Ultimate for a while - don't blame him a bit as the overtravel of the die plate was a real PIN. With the bugs worked out, the Ultimate is a valid press. But his Rx on the 4000 remains good advice as it is a good press. Once you are up to speed on it, it is really all the press you need. Part of the fun of reloading is to have different equipment for what we want to do. The Lee APP press is still a good press for any of us to own to supplement whatever we have already. Best Regards, Steve

[@jonathanrogers9961]

Is it big enough to comfortably load 30-06?

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@jonathanrogers9961 - Yes, there is room to spare for all the 30/06 family of cartridges.... Good reloadin' to ya, Steve

[@allthingsconsidered3211]

No half strokes of youll break the plastic cam gear

[@gunmetalbullets]

It would have been even better if the toolhead didn't move.

[@jonflanagin6682]

That's not a LEE in your thumbnail.

[@wreckervilla]

Well... I haven't seen a turret that can do 50bmg.

[@4570Govt]

Older Hollywood presses can do 50BMG

[@andrewmontreal]

I don`t believe when you say you can not show anything,Ultimate Reloader shows every step,other channels too show the entire step by step,,

[@FortuneCookie45LC]

@andrewmontreal It sure looks that way, plus there are older videos from some of small guys showing reloading steps - those are still running as well. But where there used to be 50 - 100 bullet casting videos, now there might be 2. If you note, they have all been demonitized including UR (I enjoy watching UR videos as do many - lots of great machines and toys there - UR has great financial support behind it). For years, I enjoyed making my total of videos on YT that exceeded 1700 videos with freedom and got some monitary support from my efforts. Then came new guidelines that included the banning of assembling of ammo and guns as being "unacceptalbe content". One of my bullet casting videos that had 1.2M views was deleted by YT - OK, they didn't like casting videos (why was beyond me, but I was told by others that it is their platform - they can do anything they want - even censorship) so OK - got that - I deleted my casting videos - censored myself, YT wanted us to censor ourselves as then they didn't have to appear badly. A lot of channels disappeared altogether. There was a vailed threat - get emough strokes amd channel is taken down. There are so many ways that YT can deplatform any channel they wish. Making ammo videos was also not acceptable. I tried to comply by deleting a ton of reloading videos so that I could apply for remonitization. When I did, I was told that unacceptable conttent was still present. Basically, my content was never going to be accepted. It is frustrating to see other reloading videos continue. RUMBLE contains all the reloading sequences deleted for YT posting.

[@John_Redcorn_]

Well, this isnt a turret press; more accurate to call it a progressive. Once you do that and compare it to other progressives like the Hornady LNL, the Lee has no advantage (those have no wiggle or slop either). A true turret press allows you to keep multiple dies of multiple calibers in the head and you manually move to the die you need. Lee presses seem to always have some odd little quirk here or there, requiring some fiddling to get running right or requiring work-around solutions. I love their dies and various specialized case prep tools, but for presses its a ‘buy once cry once’ mentality for me. RCBS, Hornady, Redding. Ye olde Rock Chucker single stage still has its place on my bench 🙂

[@pepepepito623]

Why upload decaffeinated videos?

[@JohnDoeEagle1]

I just threw some bait out and sure enough KZbin deleted it. I only log approx 20% of my posts anymore. It's ridiculous it's gotten that bad. If you aren't losing comments you don't have enough experience to know what you are doing and talking about. I've came to that conclusion.....

[@coldfront7914]

While I enjoy your content and character I respectfully disagree that this is a turret press. As another commented before me: the auto indexing puts it in the category of a progressive press. For my $$$ I'll go with a Dillon ever time.

[@JohnDoeEagle1]

Carol and the kids are sure proud of those presses these days since Mike died. Good lord...they are pricey now. I have three that I bought over the years. RL550B, RL550C, XL750. The prices have gone through the roof the last few years. My oldest and first Dillon was a RL550B I bought over 20 years ago. I remember it was about $325 or $350 as shipped and all ready to go back then. In your dreams now because it's double that at least now.