Help a newbie out

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glockguy-187

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So im looking at the lee classic reloading press kit to start into the 6.5 creedmoor reloading game. Looking for the best banh for my buck. Should i get the 4 hole turret press? Or a simgke stage press? What would be better for precision rifle ammo? The single stage press kit is aluminum.. is that ok? Help haha
 
glockguy-187 said:
Is the aluminum base okay?
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There is nothing wrong with an aluminum casting for a light-duty press. The thing to watch on the LEE is the handle connection which is the weak point of the design. This shouldn't be an issue with resizing the Creedmoor case unless your rifle has a grotesquely over-sized chamber.
 
Single stage when it comes to precision rifle reloading , if you want to produce volume reloads a turret press is the way to go. But as always reload with in your means and what you can afford
 
I bought the Lee breechlock challenger kit 15 years ago or so, and still use it. The 60th anniversary kit has a couple different items, like the bench mount primer and the quick trim. The best upgrade I did was getting an electronic scale when I could afford it.
 
RCBS Rock Chucker kit goes on sale. You'll still need to flesh out the kit to have what you need to be efficient and effective. Mine has produced thousands of rounds for me no problems. Too bad it won't produce those rounds when I'm tucked into bed at night...
 
I bought a Rockchucker 40+ years ago. Later bought a Dillon 650 for bulk pistol ammo, and still use the RC for rifle. One of my sons will probably keep using it for their lifetimes as well.

As far as precision, the dies are far more critical than the press itself, imho.

I am sure there are newer, better presses available now, but I stay with what works
 
Ganderite said:
Single stage is a better bet. A buddy got the turret and had a lot of problems.

Does RCBS offer a single stage kit?
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Ganderite said:
Too much press. I had a Partner press by RCBS. Used it as a portable Good cheap press.
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Yep, and it is still available. Cabela's has the kit on sale for $120 CDN, shipping included.

h ttps://www.cabelas.ca/product/106145/rcbs-partner-reloading-kit

I bought one for a friend of mine a while ago, and he is doing well using it.

Ted
 
The turret is a good simple machine, don't know how anyone could have problems with it. But for rifle only the single station is more precise than any turret machine. Revolving turrets have play built in or they can't rotate. And they wear as they rotate. So if you're looking for top precision then a single stage is better. That said - I load a heck of a bunch of rifle ammo on a Lee Turret press because for those rifles it has a perfectly acceptable level of preciusion. And it's more convenient and faster than a single stage.

I prefer the Lee cast iron presses to aluminum presses. The aluminum presses theoretically wear out quicker - but you'll still get tens of thousands of rounds from it before you notice any wear. The ram guides are where the wear will show up first. Lube and clean the occasionally and they last longer.

I'm not a big fan of the Lee kits, mostly because I'm not a big fan of the Lee Safety Scale or Lee Powder measure. I'd replace the scale with a better beam scale and at that point the economy from buying a kit is lost. Kits are a good deal for new reloaders I suppose.

I see the Lee Classic Anniversary kit is on Amazon for $226 with free shipping for Prime mebers. That's a pretty good deal. Still will need some more bits and pieces to get started but a good start.
 
If I was to go Lee, I'd get the steel press version, just eliminates the questions about aluminum on the other one. I'd be looking at the new RCBS also, it has thru the ram primer disposal now, and a bit different base than the Rockchucker, slightly larger footprint on the bench. And if you want a press that will deliver, either a Co-Ax or the MEC. If you like shooting, and decide you like reloading, down the road you may thank yourself for spending the extra loot, as you never know just where the pursuit will take you. And they are better for resale if you don't want to reload after all.
 
Munkey1973 said:
Agreed, buy once and cry once... Half measures cost twice as much. My third (now last) press was a Foster Co-Ax. Would have saved some serious cash if I had bought it first!
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When you buy the bargain basement gear, you're getting hands-on experience so that in future you can make your own decisions and not need to rely on some stranger on the internet to tell you what you should do. :)

Newbies don't know if they're going to like reloading. I have friends who started reloading and they didn't take to it. They sold their Lee presses and kits and didn't lose much. Unless you wreck stuff you can get 60-70% of it back easily. But if you turn into a serious reloader you will keep the old cheap press and use it for depriming or something like that. I have my first Lee presses and I still use them some. Each one had it's place.
 
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