Lee clasic cast press

Oh, OK, $85 US from Cabelas USA. But, look at the nice message I get, when I try to order it from their US site:

Item Restricted

We're sorry, but the following item(s) cannot be shipped to your shipping address. Please make a selection below:

* Lee Classic Cast Reloading Press


Unfortunately, it is "Backorder" on their Canadian site. And the price here is $120.

Is it available anywhere else in Canada for that low a price? Or from the US, from a store which will ship it here?
 
that's STRICTLY a cabella's thing- lee themselves offers presses, ( and seconds and referbs for about 1/2) and depending on where you are- there is this place in ontario that eveyone buys their powder from in buk- i have to be somewhat vague as he's not a sponsor asfar as i know , and just look around- if you were to give us your location, we could be somewhat more specific
 
Yes, I know the place you're talking about, I have an order with them at this moment. However, they have the press priced at $130, which is $10 over WSS. Plus, we now have to pay HST to feed the Ontario Psudo-communist ruling regime, whereas before I only had to pay GST. That is why I am trying to find it from elsewhere here in Canada. But if I can get it from the States at a good price, it'll do too, since I wouldn't be propping up the Ontario Statist Elite that way. Thanks.
 
Sorry folks, you're wastin' your money, for a single stage press happiness is spelled "CO-AX", too many rounds reloaded and sent downrange to not know the difference! May as well spend a bit more and get quality.
 
Hi desporterizer. Go back only one page on this thread to read Kevan's post. You'll get a fair opinion about the Coax, from someone who has used one for some time, at the same time he's used other models to compare it to.

I am sure the Coax is a premium, first quality press. But the question is, do you really need what it offers, when you can get almost the same things from a less expensive press? A press which, incidentally, might offer you other things the Coax cannot.

I already have a Dillon RL550B and a cheap Lee Challenger (which has served me very well, by the way), and really don't feel the need for a premium single stage press at this time. So, I believe the Lee Classic Cast will give me everything I'm looking for (and/or need) at this moment, while at the same time leaving cash in my pocket for other projects. I can't ask for anything more! Of course, YMMV.
 
The Co-ax has been tested many times and has proven to make ammo with far less runout then any other press, dual rams instead of one, floating jaws(shell holders are universal) which allow best alignment, instant die changes, no need for diff. shellholders, deprimes through a steel tube and leaves ZERO used primer residue on/in your press or ram. Just the fact that it produces quality ammo with little or no runout is enough for me, and just for the record, I don't think there are many out there that have used a reloading press as much as I have.
 
ben hunchak said:
The Co-ax has been tested many times and has proven to make ammo with far less runout then any other press, dual rams instead of one, floating jaws(shell holders are universal) which allow best alignment, instant die changes, no need for diff. shellholders, deprimes through a steel tube and leaves ZERO used primer residue on/in your press or ram. Just the fact that it produces quality ammo with little or no runout is enough for me, and just for the record, I don't think there are many out there that have used a reloading press as much as I have.
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The Co-ax is a fine press and well made, but it is not the be all and end all of presses. It does have its limitations, a small opening for one, and the floating shell holders can be a pain to switch around if one is loading several different cartridges. It is a very clean press, much cleaner than my old Rockchucker, but no cleaner than my Lee Classic Cast.
The Lee is very sturdy, has a very large opening, will easily load 50 BMG or 22 Hornet and is a nice tight press to use .
All my match ammo is loaded on the Lee using a Vickerman straight line seating die, a die the cannot be used in a Co-ax press.
As far as I'm concerned every press has its good and bad points, this I believe from roughly 50 years of reloading experience.
 
Well maybe you have an older Co-ax, they had smaller clearance, I use In-line seaters in my Co-ax with the extended shellholders that came with it(Vickerman). The ext. shellholders can be used "floating" or solid with the adaptor to reg. shellholders. The Co-ax develops more leverage then the other presses and I use it for tough bullet pulling jobs, and tough reforming jobs. What was the advantage to the Lee press again??
 
ben hunchak said:
Well maybe you have an older Co-ax, they had smaller clearance, I use In-line seaters in my Co-ax with the extended shellholders that came with it(Vickerman). The ext. shellholders can be used "floating" or solid with the adaptor to reg. shellholders. The Co-ax develops more leverage then the other presses and I use it for tough bullet pulling jobs, and tough reforming jobs. What was the advantage to the Lee press again??
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I might have one of the older presses having had it for years, bought from a chap with all the goodies included for $50. My Vickerman die will not fit in the opening under the handle, nor will my 45-120 seater so perhaps the opening is smaller than the new ones.
As for the Lee it seems plenty strong, easily sizing and loading 50 BMG brass or the 3 1/4" 45s.
Strength-wise the Ammomaster is by far and away beefier than the Co-ax or the Lee and will easily deal with the toughest jobs, but as we know that comes with a hefty price.
I want to clarify that I am not a fan of Lee products as such, but the Classic cast press appears to be beefy enough and well thought out, and if I had any issues with it they would be posted here.....and rest assured it wouldn't be bolted to my bench if it couldn't do the job.
They all have their place and purpose on my bench.
Loading presses are like everything else, it just a matter of "to each their own".
 
ben hunchak said:
...What was the advantage to the Lee press again??
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I don't mean to be a ####, specially since I can't compare my meager 15 years of reloading experience with yours, but... I don't load ammo for competition, I don't use special dies, I don't use special shell holders, I don't reform any special cases, I don't seat any "harder-than-usual-to-seat" bullets and I really don't need any more leverage than a regular press can offer me. At least not at this precise moment. So, please allow me to answer your question with this: the Lee Classic Cast is 1/3 the price of the Coax. That is all the advantage I need at this moment, since I don't actually need anything more than it has to offer.

However, I do understand your point. Maybe if I had the special needs you have, then it might be a different story. But to load hunting and plinking ammo, I think the Lee is more than enough. I mean, I can load ammo that gives me 1/2" groups at 100M, from a standard hunting rifle in a magnum caliber, using the much cheaper/lower quality Lee Challenger press. Very, very far from being competition wining ammo, but I still haven't heard a single accuracy complain from all the deer I've shot so far, all at less than 100m. ;)

I do know that a BMW might be the better car, but more often than not all we can afford is an Accord. A car which will do everything we need it to do for us, though sometimes not perfectly, and at a much lower cost. :)
 
Gun Lover, you have a very good point in your post and Ben is absolutely correct in his description of the Co-ax.
With all due respect to Ben as I enjoy his posts immensly, I must state that I've loaded my F-class match ammo on both presses and also on my Dillon 550 with no noticeable difference in performance, however he may be depending and relying on a more precisely assembled load for his shooting requirements.
On the other hand, if your needs and budget are comfortable with the Lee, I assure you it will work for you.....if mine were going to crap out it would have done so long ago.
I don't believe that I baby any of my presses, nor do I abuse them.....
 
So that's it then? The Co-ax has many advantages, including more accurate ammo production, many things have already been touched upon, and the advantage of the Lee is that it is....well......cheap! Like most lee stuff I have tossed over the years.
 
ben hunchak said:
So that's it then? The Co-ax has many advantages, including more accurate ammo production, many things have already been touched upon, and the advantage of the Lee is that it is....well......cheap! Like most lee stuff I have tossed over the years.
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Ben, you want advantages ?? Try loading 50 BMG on your little Co-ax, it can't handle longer cartridges like the 45-120 and is difficult with the H&H rounds. The Lee Classic cast priming system is much more efficient eliminating the need for a separate priming tool.
As for changing over from say 22 Hornet to 50 BMG, I can do that just as fast as you can change from 223 to 45-70 for example.
As for more accurate ammo production, sorry I don't believe that for a second, my 40X 223 shoots 1/4 moa with loads from my Co-ax or the Lee and my Dillon...
All I'm saying is that the Lee deserves credit for what it is and can do.
Bottom line.....if you haven't tried it. don't knock it....
 
ben hunchak said:
So that's it then? The Co-ax has many advantages, including more accurate ammo production, many things have already been touched upon, and the advantage of the Lee is that it is....well......cheap! Like most lee stuff I have tossed over the years.
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Sounds like stubborn old man syndrome here.

Seriously have you even tried a Classic Cast?? Its one solid piece of equipment capable of handling a 50 bmg?? Can your Co-ax do this? At $80 its the best bang for your buck out there. I agree that all other Lee stuff pretty much sucks though.
 
I don't know what press you're using but the Co-ax has a very robust priming system that trumps anything Lee has, I load my 50/90 Sharps and 45/100 on mine. Is it possible that you are thinking of another press, some other Lee, or something. I won't sling mud on here as I already have some brownie points for calling BS on another know-it-all.
 
. I won't sling mud on here as I already have some brownie points for calling BS on another know-it-all.[/QUOTE]

What is this "another know-it-all " stuff ?
There is no need for that sort of talk and I strongly resent the implication that I am "another know-it -all ".
I was seriously considering putting an order together with you for some cast bullets, now I'll be damned if I will.
If this is how you conduct a discussion then you deserve the brownie points I'm afraid.
I have had enough of this thread......
 
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