Lee 1000
- Thread starter caster456
- Start date
Works great if you take the time to learn how to run it smoothly. Bigger learning curve on the Lee but I don't regret using them. I have one set up in 9mm and one set up in .45. I was frustrated as h@#l at the start. I even know someone who trashed theirs because they were previously spoiled by a Dillon. (Steve D - LOL) If you run into any problem just post on CGN and there will be a bunch of Lee users that will help you out. Best thing I did after I read everything and tinkered a bit was to get a Lee owner over to my place for a few hours and load a bunch of 9mm and .45. That's enough to get you going on your own with confidence.
I have a Lee PRO 1000 set up for 9mm.
Have since upgraded to the Dillon XL650.
The lee is a good entry-level progressive loader. You will learn the basics while you save money and produce your own loads.
My advice - if you buy the Lee, order a bullet puller at the same time, you'll need it.
Good luck.
Have since upgraded to the Dillon XL650.
The lee is a good entry-level progressive loader. You will learn the basics while you save money and produce your own loads.
My advice - if you buy the Lee, order a bullet puller at the same time, you'll need it.
Good luck.
+ 2
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
That is exactly right. I have about 200 left to pull. 90% user error though. I would say the Lee1000 is a good press. You definatly have to pay attention and watch eveything. Wich isn't a bad thing.
The biggest problem with the Lee 1000 is that you can not see the powder in the case before you seat the bullet. Since there is only three stations and the station to seat/crimp the bullet is at the 10 o'clock position, the only way to make sure there is powder in there is to physically get off your seat and look.
A lot of people complain about the priming system and it can be a headache until you get it worked out. If you miss a primer then you have spilled powder everywhere and guess what you are doing for the next 15 minutes.
I have never run a Dillon 550 but from the videos it looks like you can see the powder in the case before seating the bullet. Since you have to move back and forth in your seat to move the handle and place an empty shell in the carrier on the right side and then place a bullet on the left you have to look there anyway.
I know a lot of my friends have a 650 for the added protection of having the low powder system to detect double charges or missed charges.
Haven't used the Hornady L&L so can't comment on it.
I don't shoot enough ammo in one caliber to justify buying a Dillon 550 or 650 so I will keep my Lee1000. I run the brass thru the 1000 first with depriming and re priming/belling and no powder or bullets. The machine just fly's and all my brass is primed and flared.
Then when I want to load some ammo I get out the rcbs powder measure and load up a loading block with primed cases and put powder in each one and physically see each case.
Then I put a bullet on top of each case and load it into the 1000 one at a time and have the seater die in station one and the crimper in station 2 and that is it, nothing in station 3.
Sounds more complicated but I can average 300 an hour no problem with system and never have to worry about a squib load.
A lot of people complain about the priming system and it can be a headache until you get it worked out. If you miss a primer then you have spilled powder everywhere and guess what you are doing for the next 15 minutes.
I have never run a Dillon 550 but from the videos it looks like you can see the powder in the case before seating the bullet. Since you have to move back and forth in your seat to move the handle and place an empty shell in the carrier on the right side and then place a bullet on the left you have to look there anyway.
I know a lot of my friends have a 650 for the added protection of having the low powder system to detect double charges or missed charges.
Haven't used the Hornady L&L so can't comment on it.
I don't shoot enough ammo in one caliber to justify buying a Dillon 550 or 650 so I will keep my Lee1000. I run the brass thru the 1000 first with depriming and re priming/belling and no powder or bullets. The machine just fly's and all my brass is primed and flared.
Then when I want to load some ammo I get out the rcbs powder measure and load up a loading block with primed cases and put powder in each one and physically see each case.
Then I put a bullet on top of each case and load it into the 1000 one at a time and have the seater die in station one and the crimper in station 2 and that is it, nothing in station 3.
Sounds more complicated but I can average 300 an hour no problem with system and never have to worry about a squib load.
on the OTHER hand , i've had 3 since 1990 and once tweeked and you UNDERSTAND how they WORK, they work perfectly- by tweeked , i mean doing things MOSTLY to the priming area/feed- it's a gravity feed with an angle to it, and that's where the problems lie mostly- first thing i did was to swing that stupid case sensor out of the way, amd then tilt the whole works by 15 degrees forward( don't do this for the 223 btw) and install o-rings on the column to give it more of a bump-that cures it most of the time- or you can choose to go the auto-prime route and prime the case OUT of the press, which eliminates ALL the problems
notsorichguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- The city that rhymes with fun
I have 3 Lee 1000's (4 if you count the one I picked up for parts)
1 in .223
1 in 9mm
1 in .45
One in 38/357 & one in 40/10mm one day I am sure.....
I used to have a Dillion SDB but I went the other way and sold it, I was taking it apart just as often as the Lee and buying the parts for a cailber conversion was about $400, where as a new Lee is about $250 to your door.
The .45 Lee works every time with out a hitch, I usually get about 1500 rounds through it before I need to take it apart and clean & lube it. I usually average about 320 rnds per hour with my Lee 45.
The 9mm Lee works 'most' of the time, I generally have to take it apart every 300 rnds or so to clean and lube it (I don't know why) and it always seems to be out of time, I usually keep a phillips head screw driver at hand when using my 9mm Lee. I figgure its the whole tapered case theing takes more pressure and therefore more abuse on the rotating & moving parts of the press. I usually average about 250 rnds per hour with my Lee 9mm.
The .223 Press was a real mind bender till I got a system figgured out. I eventually just removed the re-sizing die from the press and re-size, deprime, trim & re-prime all the old fasioned way (single stage) but I still use the Lee to fill the cases with powder and to seat the bullets.
I usually stand when I am loading with my Lee's so I alwyas check for powder, I do seem to miss the odd primer, the trick is to use a powder that does not trickle out of the flash hole, so you don't have a mess to clean up.
I know a couple of guys that seem to have a squib every 150 rnds or so out of their Lee 1000's I my self have not had 1....... ever (about 7500 rnds on all 3 ). (knock on wood) I did have a bad primer once, but I don't consider that a sqib, more like a dud.
Some times when I am feeling brave I go out to the garage and prime those loaded cases (the ones off my Lee with no primer), I don the welding gloves, saftey glasses and a face shield & my ear plugs. I then take the hand primer & one primer than pick up the case........
I've done this about 130ish times now and still no bang in my hand....... come to think on it..... most of those were 9mm cases too.
My $.02, YMMV
Cheers!
1 in .223
1 in 9mm
1 in .45
One in 38/357 & one in 40/10mm one day I am sure.....
I used to have a Dillion SDB but I went the other way and sold it, I was taking it apart just as often as the Lee and buying the parts for a cailber conversion was about $400, where as a new Lee is about $250 to your door.
The .45 Lee works every time with out a hitch, I usually get about 1500 rounds through it before I need to take it apart and clean & lube it. I usually average about 320 rnds per hour with my Lee 45.
The 9mm Lee works 'most' of the time, I generally have to take it apart every 300 rnds or so to clean and lube it (I don't know why) and it always seems to be out of time, I usually keep a phillips head screw driver at hand when using my 9mm Lee. I figgure its the whole tapered case theing takes more pressure and therefore more abuse on the rotating & moving parts of the press. I usually average about 250 rnds per hour with my Lee 9mm.
The .223 Press was a real mind bender till I got a system figgured out. I eventually just removed the re-sizing die from the press and re-size, deprime, trim & re-prime all the old fasioned way (single stage) but I still use the Lee to fill the cases with powder and to seat the bullets.
I usually stand when I am loading with my Lee's so I alwyas check for powder, I do seem to miss the odd primer, the trick is to use a powder that does not trickle out of the flash hole, so you don't have a mess to clean up.
I know a couple of guys that seem to have a squib every 150 rnds or so out of their Lee 1000's I my self have not had 1....... ever (about 7500 rnds on all 3 ). (knock on wood) I did have a bad primer once, but I don't consider that a sqib, more like a dud.
Some times when I am feeling brave I go out to the garage and prime those loaded cases (the ones off my Lee with no primer), I don the welding gloves, saftey glasses and a face shield & my ear plugs. I then take the hand primer & one primer than pick up the case........
I've done this about 130ish times now and still no bang in my hand....... come to think on it..... most of those were 9mm cases too.
My $.02, YMMV
Cheers!
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Had one. Hated it. Got rid of it. Don't regret it for a second.
I run 2 one is dedicated 9mm and the second I convert to 45 ACP 38 S&W 357 223 and now 380 Auto as required. They take some time to get used to running and set up but once tuned I can turn out ammo faster than I can use it at my range so for me its all I need and very affordable as well. Both presses have turned out a combined total of about 8000-9000 rds and I really dont have that much to complain about with them yet but time will tell how long they can hold up.
easyrider604
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Greater Vancouver, BC
Chances are you will not be happy with the Pro1000, as many people will attest.
It was my first reloader ever, bought in 1989. So without any experience whatsoever, this newbie proceeded to learn how to reload on it. Got it to work and was able to load a couple thousand 45 ACP with it, but it was temperamental and required a lot of maintenance and adjustment. Not my bag.
Next came a Hornady Pro-jector. Wasn't a fan either. In 1990 came a Dillon 550B, and another, and another. Reloading became pleasurable.
Two months ago, my last 550B was sold and I am waiting for two Lee Classic Cast Turrets. Nothing wrong with the 550B....it worked well....no issues at all.
But my needs and circumstances have changed and I prefer the Lee Classic Turrets. 200 rounds an hour is what a buddy can do with his old style Lee Turret so I expect the same with the Lee Classic.
It was my first reloader ever, bought in 1989. So without any experience whatsoever, this newbie proceeded to learn how to reload on it. Got it to work and was able to load a couple thousand 45 ACP with it, but it was temperamental and required a lot of maintenance and adjustment. Not my bag.
Next came a Hornady Pro-jector. Wasn't a fan either. In 1990 came a Dillon 550B, and another, and another. Reloading became pleasurable.
Two months ago, my last 550B was sold and I am waiting for two Lee Classic Cast Turrets. Nothing wrong with the 550B....it worked well....no issues at all.
But my needs and circumstances have changed and I prefer the Lee Classic Turrets. 200 rounds an hour is what a buddy can do with his old style Lee Turret so I expect the same with the Lee Classic.
- Location
- Keswick, Ontario
Not true, just before the round gets a bullet, you can look in and see what the level of powder is.
Agreeed. Primers are a PITA. But keeping the magazine full will eliminate most issues. Clean is the key. You have to keep the system really clean for it to run smooth.
I have a couple of 1000s for large and small primer pistol calibers, had them for years , bought them both new for a total of $270. They paid for themselves years ago. I have had no issues with mine, they work absolutely fine. I am sure the Dillons are wonderful but at least in my case I have no reason to spend more money for the blue wonders. I just wish lee made a 1000 shell plate for 455 webley round. I might just have to look at Hornady after all.
