Lee Precision Load Master

mouse

mouse

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EE Expired
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Location
Port Coquitlam, B.C.
I am Strongly considering this reloader as my first. I do like reloading but never had the money to buy myself one until now...... dun dun dun..... I like it because i can load progressive or singly. I shoot 9mm and 38/38spl/357 and some large magnum cases. Its perfect for banging off some handgun ammo in no time or loading match rifle ammo singly. I am also thinking a bullet feed kit to increase my rate for handgun ammo. Anyone have any reviews on this reloader? Is the auto disk powder measure any good for accurately loading rifle ammo? and also how are lee rifle dies compared to redding?


Thanks for any info you can provide!
 
The entry level progressive press is the Dillon 550. Call it $700 tax in and out the door with a primer flip tray and 4 extra tubes, most places.

Not, I repeat not the "No-deal B" (square deal B). It's garbage. And Lee's priming system is the worst conceivable. Avoid the lee progressives.

Dillon 550.
 
I have a Loadmaster, and it works just fine. I can crank out 700 rounds of 9mm an hour without having to rush.

Having said that, I would not recommend this for a first press. There is A LOT that happens every time the handle is pulled. There are a lot of fine adjustments to be made for proper operation (This is where most who hate the Loadmaster stumble. They don't have everything adjusted properly.) that can be difficult for someone not experienced in the ways of reloading.

For a good inexpensive first press, I would recommend the new Lee cast turret press. Not a true progressive, it will still turn out 200-300 rounds an hour with a bit of experience. It can be used single stage by removing the indexing rod. It is taller than the old model turret press so will load more types of rifle ammo, and they have improved the few other things wrong with the older model.

Oh. If you still decide to go with the LM, don't waste your money on the bullet feed kit.

Auggie D.
 
X2 on the Loadmaster. What AD said about it not being a good first press is correct. It takes a couple of hours of fiddling, if you know what you are doing, to get it set up properly, and after that I have found it to be trouble free.

There are those who can't see beyond blue but when you compare the price of a Dillon 550 or 650 with a case feeder to the $180 US that I paid for a new Loadmaster, well, decide for yourself. Yes the Dillon is a better constructed press, but for pistol ammo I don't see any difference.
 
The Loadmaster has some 'foibles' that can be a bit frustrating at first, but once you and your Loadmaster come to an understanding, it works just fine. Great value for the money, and not to be confused with the awful Lee 1000.
One piece of advice if you do buy the Loadmaster...don't reinvent the wheel. If you have difficulty with any of the Loadmaster's features or operation, go to Lee's website for hints and tips on operating and maintaining the Loadmaster.
acrashb is also a great resource.
 
can you make the dillon 550B single stage/easily to load small batches of rifle ammo? thats what keeps pushing to towards the LM. Auggie D do you use the bullet feed kit or just place em by hand to load 700 an hour? load matches for pistol doesnt exactly concern me, but when i am loading rifle i want to do so singly and i dont think the 550B does that or converts
 
The bullet feed kit is ... um ... one of those things the helps create a negative image about Lee. It's OK with lighter bullets, but you don't save time because there's no collator, you still have to put bullets in the feeder one at a time. Might as well just put them in the case instead.

The 550 is manual index, so yes you can 'single stage' it. The LoadMaster powder throw runs out of steam right about .308, so if you plan on loading larger rifle cases you either use a separate powder throw and pour on the LM, or you just use a single-stage... which is what most of us do, because you aren't likely to need mass volume of large rifle rounds.
 
or stick another powder measure on it like i did with the 223 -1000- used a dillon pm on the lee set up and it works fine after monkeying a bit to get it feed-
 
Seriously, listen to the folks that tell you a progressive is not the ideal choice for a first press.
Drop over to the EE, I think I saw an RCBS Jr press for like $65. In a year-or-3 * if * you want to sell it, you'll get most of your money back.

I say 'if', because most of us reloaders have at least one single stage press in addition to whatever progressive machines we have.
 
mouse, I just place the bullets on by hand. As acrashb said, you still have to load up the bullet feed tubes by hand, so it really doesn't save any time.

I still think the cast turret press is a great first press. You can take out the index rod and learn each step single stage. As you get confident in your results, you can then put the index rod in and go to town. The new priming system on the cast turret press is is way better than the old system.

I learned to reload on a turret press over 20 years ago, and I am still using it for some of my loading needs. I am currently ordering the parts to convert it to the new priming system.

Auggie D.
 
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