Lee reloading eqpmnt?

chaslavk

chaslavk

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I am totally new to reloading and I familiarized myself to reloading by reading "ABC of reloading" so I don't have any experiance with reloading nor with eqpmnt. After having problems with shooting commercial reloads in my Ruger P944 I started thinking of reloading myself but I am very short of funds. Lee reloading kits can be bought for under $200, price is attractive. If I buy it what will I be getting: enjoyment or problems?

Reloads I shot are loaded by: Beckett-Colonial Industrial, London. Lead bullets. Gun had extraction problems afyer some 70 rnds. On previous range session gun digested 200 rnds without problems.

Thanks for response.
 
I got a Lee kit and the following are really nice, IMO: Press, chamfer tool, pocket cleaner, powder measure. The trimming tool is also really good, simple to use (with a drill or without) and all you need to do is pick up pilots for whatever calibers you're trimming which cost $2 or $3 each. The set does not come with a powder trickler which you'll thank yourself for buying.

The following are sub-par, IMO: Scale & on-press priming system. I could see how people like the priming system but I got to like priming off the press better. The little plastic primer feeder kept feeding improperly so I stopped using it. The scale is tedious when compared to a good quality digital scale, which I picked up after.


Lee dies are also not as good as RCBS and Hornady dies which both have little set screws in the locking ring so that they lock positively. You lock them once and never have to worry about it again. The Lee die locking rings don't actually lock so you're constantly fiddling with them to get proper bullet seating depth.

I have been reloading a few months now and have loaded just over 700 rounds over 5 calibers. I'm not an expert but had the same questions you did just a short while ago. Hopefully this is of some help to you.
 
gps said:
The following are sub-par, IMO: Scale & on-press priming system. I could see how people like the priming system but I got to like priming off the press better. The little plastic primer feeder kept feeding improperly so I stopped using it. The scale is tedious when compared to a good quality digital scale, which I picked up after.
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you are understating my friend...

the reloading scale found in their kits is absolute and horrible s**t

it is even very dangerous to use this "scale", because it will not hold the adjustments.

the rest of their kits is flimsy at best.

that's why they are so cheap.

you better buy some used RCBS reloading equipment, here on the EE, much better quality and it might even be less expensive.
 
A Lee Classic Cast Turret Kit, IMO, is the best reloader value anywhere.

You may need to get used to the powder scale if you are used to other types. But as in all things mechanical, there is a learning curve.

In reloading, a little patience is a good thing.

Nothing wrong with their dies either.
 
Breaker61 said:
You can't beat Lee Dies for the price. Especially the 4 die deluxe carbide pistol die sets. Quality at a affordable price.
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you are right, their dies are great, but only after you replaced their locking rings with the ones from Hornady...
 
Both RCBS and Lee can use Hornady or Foster locking rings,RCBS chew up threads and Lee are"soft".If you two Lee lock rings together,one as jam nut they work fine.I think Lee F/L dies make truer cases,as collet centered stems are going to be better centered than any stem that's threaded ,certainly ones on dies that we can afford to buy.I found my 30-06 Lee to have better interior finsh than my 30-06 RCBS as well.

But,with Lee equipment,the more mechanically inclined you are the more you admire them,but if you go by looks,the Redding stuff is much better looking.
 
Lee stuff is not the Cadillac of reloading gear, but it is well priced, functional, and by far the best value out there. Most of my stuff is Lee, and I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds over 2 decades on Lee gear. I flat out think that every new reloader should start with a Lee setup, as it gets you everything you need at a price you can handle, and lets you learn what you really want when or if the time comes to get top end equipment.

On the other hand, I will likely never buy anything RCBS again, unless I am desperate. They are, IMO, far and away the most overrated reloading brand going.
 
There is nothing wrong with the Lee reloading equipment, especially if you go for their cast iron turret or cast iron single stage press. Yes, there will be lots of people saying blue, green, other red, etc, are much better. Maybe, but the ammo they load isn't any different.

See here. http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek075.html The person in the article is our very own Mysticplayer. Note near the bottom that he is using a Lee Challenger press and Lee dies to make ammo that shoots one hole groups at 345 yards....

Note that even now, RCBS presses are cast in China and finished in the USA. At least Lee is entirely made in the US.
 
chaslavk said:
I am totally new to reloading and I familiarized myself to reloading by reading "ABC of reloading" so I don't have any experiance with reloading nor with eqpmnt. After having problems with shooting commercial reloads in my Ruger P944 I started thinking of reloading myself but I am very short of funds. Lee reloading kits can be bought for under $200, price is attractive. If I buy it what will I be getting: enjoyment or problems?

Reloads I shot are loaded by: Beckett-Colonial Industrial, London. Lead bullets. Gun had extraction problems afyer some 70 rnds. On previous range session gun digested 200 rnds without problems.

Thanks for response.
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I have not found anything by Lee that I am happy with.
 
Dies: Very good.

Shell holders: Very good.

Scale: Don't know. I use a Lyman and a Texan.

That little C press they sell: Junk. After you break the handle off, it makes a good holder for your powder dispenser.

Auto prime: Don't know. Have heard good things. Doesn't use standard shell holders.

Molds: Very good

Powder scoops: Not the most precise way to measure powder.

Lead hardness test kit: Ok I guess. Found it a little hard to hold the scope steady, but it serves the purpose.

Pro1000 progressive press: Too light for a boat anchor. Too big for a paperweight. Sure as hell isn't any good for reloading. Isn't worth it's weight in scrap metal.

Case length gauges/trimmers: Excellent. Pretty much fool proof.

Reloading manual: Very good except for the fact that there's way way way too much pushing of their company's products.

Lead melting pots: Junk

Autodisk powder measure...at least the one on the Pro 1000 press: Dangerous junk.

4 hole turret press: Very good for pistol/small cartridges. Not so good for doing things like full length resizing of 300 win mag cases (turret splits).


If I think of more Lee stuff I own, I'll post it.

Want a single stage press, see if you can find an RCBS Rockchucker that's a few years old. They're pretty much the industry standard and they're built like a tank. A year ago, a video was posted that showed there was a lot of side to side slop in the ram. I don't know if this was a one off problem or if they're all consistantly sloppy now. Given RCBS's warranty/usual quality, I doubt they would let that go on very long. I bought mine about 3 years ago and it's rock solid.
 
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Lee Kit.

Press good.

Dies good.

Shell holders good.

Scale works fine but sticks sometimes.

Additional hand tools fine.

Never tried the powder measure.

IMO, the Lee kit is a great way to get started in reloading without investing a tonne of cash. Depending on how anal you get, you may want to upgrade pieces along the way, or you may not. The value of the Lee kit, is it unsurpassed, I don't know but its pretty good.

BTW, you can get pretty anal about reloading. I've worked with computer geeks for a good junk of years and thanked the Lord many times that I was not born a nerd. And then I got into reloading. :D
 
Ok first don't listen to the snobs who say lee is crap.
Second you will not be dissapointed with the lee turret.
Third the powder scale is junk.

Now I have had the same kit as you for aver a year now and had 0 issues although there is a little square plastic piece that lee calls a ratchet. Keep this you may need it someday. I have yet to use mine, but eventually this piece wears out and needs to be replaced. They are practically free so who cares. For those that say this is unreasonable, I say why do you get an oil change in your car. I could buy 100's of these for the money I saved choosing Lee.

The autoprime is ok but why add this extra step, get the safety prme and riser for the powder measure, and your loading time will speed up noticeably.

Another great feature is that you can buy multiple turrets for different calibers, and not have to ever "fiddle" with lock rings or dies. All you have to do is transfer the powder measure(riser makes it easier) and put the new turret in place.

I can load about 225-250 rounds an hour if I am really concentrating on time. This is for pistol rounds, so rifle will be alot less but still much quicker than a single stage, even if you use it like one and take out the indexer.

Enjoy the press, and don't listen to the guys who talk down to the less fortunate who don't have 600 bucks for a loading setup. I love mine and would do the same thing over agian without hesitation. I shoot 200 rounds a week in each caliber so this press does me well.
 
Fixed it for you...



warrenb said:
Lee Kit.


IMO, the Lee kit is a great way to get discouraged (started) in reloading without investing a tonne of cash. Depending on how anal you get, you may want to upgrade pieces along the way, or you may not. The value of the Lee kit, is it unsurpassed, I don't know but its pretty good.
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Based on what? Did you even read my last post? You guys are the ones discouraging this newb. If you tell him not to buy Lee and that he has to spend 500 bucks on a kit to reload he may never make the jump. Like I said I have used that kit for 17 months now, and had 0 issues. It loads perfectly for my needs.
 
mlehtovaara said:
Based on what? Did you even read my last post? You guys are the ones discouraging this newb. If you tell him not to buy Lee and that he has to spend 500 bucks on a kit to reload he may never make the jump. Like I said I have used that kit for 17 months now, and had 0 issues. It loads perfectly for my needs.
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Did you read my posts or all the other posts ?

a reloading scale should be the single most important part of a reloading kit, if the scale doesn't hold the adjustments it will lead to errors and therefore unsafe/dangerous reloads...
the rest of their Anniversary reloading kits is exactly what you pay for : CHEAP

Somebody new to reloading can do much better for less $ on the EE, buying quality used reloading equipment.
 
The Lee Classsic Turret is a good press, but not without flaws. The loose tolerances between the turret disks and the press body allow for a lot of deflection and only get worse with time. That being said, if you make good use of your calipers and stay on top of your die adjustments to compensate, you can make pistol ammo as good as anybody using any press, at any price. Big blue is much better, but much more expensive, big red is also very good. You get what you pay for, but Lee will do the job at a lower cost. If I had lots of money, I'd go with Dillon or Hornady, since I don't, I went with Lee.
 
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