Which kit for a beginner?

Major Sights

Major Sights

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Lee precision: 50th Anniversary Breech Lock Challenger Kit (comes with the auto primer system) @ $143
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OR

Lee precision: Breech Lock Challenger Kit (comes with the hand primer system & Auto-Prime Shell Holders) @ $162
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Yes, before you say anything, I know I need more than what is in the kit ;) .
 
When I started I bought the 50th anniversary kit, and then bought the hand primer. When I upgraded (about 3 months later) to the classic turret press, I then had the auto primer, but then that was the plan when I bought the first press.

I still use the first press, as I use it for load development for my rifles and my 454 Casull. I also use it for decapping military brass, using the RCBS decrimping tool, and for removing the glock bulge from all my 10mm, & 45 ACP brass with the Lee bulge buster kit.

Basically you can't go wrong with either press, just plan ahead for where you think your next step may take you and buy the most appropriately appointed press kit to start. As you said yourself, you know there is more to buy anyway.

Later......
 
after inspecting and handling the Lee anniversary kit, I am more convinced than ever, that RCBS is a much better choice.
Especially bad is the so called "Lee Safety Scale", which is right out dangerous (because it doesn't hold the adjustments).
 
polaris said:
after inspecting and handling the Lee anniversary kit, I am more convinced than ever, that RCBS is a much better choice.
Especially bad is the so called "Lee Safety Scale", which is right out dangerous (because it doesn't hold the adjustments).
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how doesn't it hold the adjustments? Beginner here, trying to learn all I can :D
 
I use the Lee 50th but the scale has gone in to the trash, if you reload pistol ammo stay away from the scale, it may just have been mine but it was crap
If you can spend a little then go for rcbs ,redding or hornady dies.
 
I am not reloading pistol (yet... need the RPAL first. :D ) just going with .223 now, and perhaps 308 later. I was leaning towards Hornady dies and a hornady loading manual, as I was planning on Hornady Projectiles (My logic being, they were designed by the same company, and there should be fewer issues.) A newer digital scale would be on the list as my reloading advances a little bit.
 
I'd go with the RCBS kit and, if you can afford it the Redding Big Boss Pro-Pack is even better.
 
Major Sights said:
I am not reloading pistol (yet... need the RPAL first. :D ) just going with .223 now, and perhaps 308 later. I was leaning towards Hornady dies and a hornady loading manual, as I was planning on Hornady Projectiles (My logic being, they were designed by the same company, and there should be fewer issues.) A newer digital scale would be on the list as my reloading advances a little bit.
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I reload pistol ammo for my sub2000 don't have rpal either, and use hornady 7th ed manual and projectiles for 7.62*39, 308.
I paid $300 for digi scale but worth it
 
1899 said:
I'd go with the RCBS kit and, if you can afford it the Redding Big Boss Pro-Pack is even better.
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x 2, will cost you a little more, but it is worth every penny.

RCBS is a company which stands behind their products, which means they will replace anything for free, should it break.

The best reloading manual and the only one I am using today is the Lyman reloading book combined with online charts fro Hodgons etc...
 
Go for an RCBS Rock Chucker kit, nothing beats its value.
It's more expensive than Lee or Hornady but you get quality and service.

The 2 best reloading manuals are Lyman and Sierra, get them both a read them and read them again.
Sierra has the answers to almost all of your reloading questions:
How many times should you reload a rimless case, 308 brass for M-14, 223 brass for ARs or belted magnum cases...

You'll be surprised by how much can be learned every time you read them!

Alex
 
LEE, RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady, Dillon ALL make good products. There are a number of people on here that have loaded for years and years (decades even) with equipment from all the major manufacturers. Do not be swayed by some people's emotional ties to the colour of their reloading press. I have Lee, my buddy has Dillon. When we load ammo, both goes bang and makes a clean hole in paper, or the particular animal we are hunting.

Use your best judgement and buy what your comfortable with spending on.

Like I said I have Lee equipment. I will someday buy a Hornady for a progressive press so I can reload hundreds of rounds an hour. Just want to show you I have no special attachment to any particular brand out of emotion.

Later..........
 
I will certainly agree with everyone on the Lee scale however. I have it, but I did not find it very good or easy to use.

I bought a cheap digital scale from Ebay for $10.00 delivered from China. I holds +/- 0.02 grains consistenly, so I'm happy. I also validate it's function everytime I turn it on just to be sure ( i take nothing for granted that way)

Later (again)
 
jawsman said:
LEE, RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady, Dillon ALL make good products. There are a number of people on here that have loaded for years and years (decades even) with equipment from all the major manufacturers. Do not be swayed by some people's emotional ties to the colour of their reloading press. I have Lee, my buddy has Dillon. When we load ammo, both goes bang and makes a clean hole in paper, or the particular animal we are hunting.

Use your best judgement and buy what your comfortable with spending on.
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Exactly. Some brands are more suitable to some peoples' tastes, others to others'. Don't get misled by emotion and bias. None of them are bad.
 
I keep running on Lee Hand and Reloader presses ever since I started reloading and I don't think I have to upgrade.I like them,got them for cheap years ago and they do exactly what I want them to do.

If you are planning to do small scale reloading say 50 pcs at the time than I would suggest going with Lee.
 
My reloading history began with a Lee Loader. $8. All I could afford. NOT a wealthy man, EVER!! I loaded for 4 deer seasons with it for my .303.

Then, a member of the gun club I belonged to traded me some carpentry work for a challenger press (with a cracked cast metal cam), a set of Lee .303Br dies, and an auto prime. I have used that for almost 30yrs and just last year I finally got a new cam for it. I picked up some odds and ends over the years to add to it but mostly all of my stuff is Lee.

When I had a few dollars ahead about 10yrs ago, I bought a Challenger kit, so that I could get a scale and a powder measure. THAT was a mistake!! Those two items are not worth the money and I got no satisfaction from Lee on them, even though they tried. Those pieces of equipment went into the garbage. I would not even give them away.
I also have a Rock Chucker. My first wife got it for me as a Christmas present 25yrs ago because I thought I wanted it and it was only $75 used in a gun shop I frequented. I have used it primarily for pulling bullets from milsurp ammo and swaging military primer pockets. It is now set up with a universal deprimer so that when I get range brass of various types and cartridges, I can deprime it before I sell it.

Currently, I have the following metallic reloading equipment:

2 Lee Challenger Presses
1 Lee Turret Press
1 Rock Chucker
Lee Hand Press
Lee Loader (in .303Br)
Lyman 55 measure
Lyman 500 Balance scale (in grams)
Hornady Case Length Trimmer (Which I NEVER use)
Lee Case Length Trimmers (for each cartridge I shoot which I use ALL the time)
RCBS Rangemaster 750 digital scale (again, ALL the time)
Full set of Lee Dippers (only use them to trickle)
Lee Dies in X39, x54R, 8x57, .243, .308, .30-06, .303Br
RCBS Dies in .243, .30-06
Hornady Custom dies in .303Epps
Lee Hand Primer
Lee Auto Prime
RCBS Collet Bullet Puller
RCBS Inertia Bullet Puller
RCBS Primer Pocket Swager
Lyman flash hole uniformer
Lyman primer pocket ream
Imperial sizing wax
and a host of other stuff.

As you can see, there is no brand loyalty here, only to the pocketbook, and even that has been mostly 2nd hand. Don't let anyone on here tell you that Forster equip loads better hunting rounds than Lee. That's crap! If they do, then 35yrs of hunting and shooting hasn't proved it to me! The difference is too small to matter. That being said...it may make a difference on the precision shooting end...on that I can't say.

Buy what you want and feel comfortable paying for. A Lee kit will not be the worst thing you can purchase. You CAN load with both the measure and the scale, I just found them to be labour intensive and tended to wander.
 
I'm not recommending reloading equip. anymore, because you recommend some kit that is top notch but costs extra and folks go out and buy the cheapest. So why did they ask??
Why not just ask for the cheapest?
 
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