Lee reloading kits

FlyingHigh

FlyingHigh

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i'm going to be ordering a Lee reloading kit in the next week or two. i'm just starting out with reloading, and i've heard that Lee makes a good starter kit. i'm debating between the Breech Lock Challenger kit and the 50th Anniversary kit. there's a $20 difference, and the Breech Lock kit comes with a set of shell holders and a couple other things. i'm leaning towards it. is one actually better than the other, or are the extras pretty much the only difference?

the other thing i'm wondering is what else do i need to add to the kit? i know i'll need manuals (lots and lots and lots by the sounds of it :D ), dies, brass tumbler, media separator, bullets, primers, powder. are there any other tools that would be good to have?

i'll be reloading for my 7mm Rem Mag for now, using once fired brass.

here are the two kits:

http://ww w.wholesalesports.com/storefront/hunting/reloading/presses/breech-lock-challenger-reloading-kit/prod247145.html

http://ww w.wholesalesports.com/storefront/hunting/reloading/presses/lee-50th-anniversary-kit/prod252150.html
 
FlyingHigh said:
i'm going to be ordering a Lee reloading kit in the next week or two. i'm just starting out with reloading, and i've heard that Lee makes a good starter kit. i'm debating between the Breech Lock Challenger kit and the 50th Anniversary kit. there's a $20 difference, and the Breech Lock kit comes with a set of shell holders and a couple other things. i'm leaning towards it. is one actually better than the other, or are the extras pretty much the only difference?

the other thing i'm wondering is what else do i need to add to the kit? i know i'll need manuals (lots and lots and lots by the sounds of it :D ), dies, brass tumbler, media separator, bullets, primers, powder. are there any other tools that would be good to have?

i'll be reloading for my 7mm Rem Mag for now, using once fired brass.

here are the two kits:

http://ww w.wholesalesports.com/storefront/hunting/reloading/presses/breech-lock-challenger-reloading-kit/prod247145.html

http://ww w.wholesalesports.com/storefront/hunting/reloading/presses/lee-50th-anniversary-kit/prod252150.html
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I picked up the Anniversary kit, all good for me. No complaints at all.

Other Items I got: Digital Caliper, Dies, ammo boxes.

Other Items I will be getting Asap: Tumbler and media, powder trickler, Lee Modern Reloading Second edition.
 
hey if you want to buy my Lee Pro 1000, i'm selling it for $200, it's brand new, haven't used it. it's set up right now with 9mm dies, this press is a progressive press, not like the one you were looking at.
 
I bought the 50th Anniversary kit from BCredneck and so far I'm very happy with it.
msg.drew of reloaders.ca has some Lee kits for a very good price as does Smacdonald from cedarvalleyhunting.ca. Send them a message and they'll answer all your questions.
 
i purchased my reloader from Reloaders.ca, he's a great guy, fast reply, prompt action, nothing bad to say!

but i can still sell you the press cheaper. because i really don't like this press, and it's my fault, i should have listened to all the comments made regarding this press. it would cost you $260 shipped, i can send it to you for $200 flat, shipping included, insured.

i just don't like it, it's hard to set up (for me), i found the dillon 650 was very simple to set up, but then it also cost me about $750. you get what you pay for.
 
thanks for the info so far folks. :)

florin79 said:
i purchased my reloader from Reloaders.ca, he's a great guy, fast reply, prompt action, nothing bad to say!

but i can still sell you the press cheaper. because i really don't like this press, and it's my fault, i should have listened to all the comments made regarding this press. it would cost you $260 shipped, i can send it to you for $200 flat, shipping included, insured.

i just don't like it, it's hard to set up (for me), i found the dillon 650 was very simple to set up, but then it also cost me about $750. you get what you pay for.
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thanks for the offer. i think for now i'm going to stick with the cheaper single stage press. once i get the hang of reloading and get more involved in it, i'll move up to the progressive press. right now, i'm also on a bit of a budget, so getting as many tools as i can as a package is beneficial.
 
bigdaddyeo said:
I bought the 50th Anniversary kit from BCredneck and so far I'm very happy with it.
msg.drew of reloaders.ca has some Lee kits for a very good price as does Smacdonald from cedarvalleyhunting.ca. Send them a message and they'll answer all your questions.
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X2 for Smacdonald he is a membe on this site and I am petty sure he will beat the prices your looking at.

I have bought 2 presses and other items from him in the past.

A+ guy

maka
 
What does one gain when spending twice the price on a RCBS or Hornady reloading kit? Are each company's dies fully interchangable with each company's presses?
 
maka, i am an A+++ guy, and will go really low with my press lol

do any of you have the Lee 1000 Pro? it's got to be me, i know there have been other people that found the lee progressive press to work just fine, but after owning a dillon, it's really hard to go backwards. everyone has their own experience.
 
cam1936 said:
What does one gain when spending twice the price on a RCBS or Hornady reloading kit? Are each company's dies fully interchangable with each company's presses?
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Why does one buy a Cadillac when you could buy a Hyundai? Satisfaction? Warranty? They both still get you from point A to point B. Heck my theory is start with a Lee single stage and that way if reloading isn't for me or if it prooves to be too complicated then I'm only out a couple hundred. If I love reloading I can always upgrade later.
 
Since no one really seems to have covered this, the only difference between the anniversary kit and challenger is the type of priming system it comes with.

The 50th anniversary primes on the press, where as the breech lock challenger comes with tools for hand priming(the shellholders you mentioned are for the hand priming tool).

Aside from that they are the same thing, so It just boils down to how you want to prime.
 
When loading large quantities on a Lee press you are looking at a lot of pulls on the lever. 2000 rounds one long weekend, 8000 pulls led to repetitive stress injury which took over a year to recover from. One pull per round on my Dillon 550, plus 3 on and 3 off, is a lot easier to endure.
 
Ive been on the fence regarding the Lee as well... now that Ive read this I think I'll go get the breech lock set...

the progressive press doesnt sound like something I could take advantage of, but if that price were to come down a little more I could be convinced ;)
 
florin79 said:
maka, i am an A+++ guy, and will go really low with my press lol

do any of you have the Lee 1000 Pro? it's got to be me, i know there have been other people that found the lee progressive press to work just fine, but after owning a dillon, it's really hard to go backwards. everyone has their own experience.
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yea, i have 3 of them , 9mm, 45acp and 223- had them since 1990 when i got into pistol shooting seriously-and all mine tick right along without any probems provided you KEEP THE PRIMER TROUGH CLEAN and REFILL WHEN THE RESEVOIR gets empty- that means you have about 10 in the press- i also have the dillon 550 and it really is a STEP BACKWARDS to use the dillon with it's manual index- most people do one of three things- either NOT ADVANCE the ram ALL the way in both directions, or don't advance the timing that extra turn on the screw, or FAIL TO CLEAR an unused/upset primer- the usual reason you get no primer is that there's either something in the feedway, or you don't have enough primers in the trough, or the pin didn't retract fully into the base- the odd time lee will leave a plastic flash in the feedway and that has to be removed- most of the time an e-mail to lee ( leeprecision) will get you an answer - as far as the ratchets, go, i've had to replace ONE since 1990- and that was in 223, when the shellplate wouldn't rotate due to some hardened grease-
 
the 50th anniversary kit is nice I just got one for x-mass and it is very user friendly. The lee dies come with shellholders which is convient and cost effective. I was going to order mine from wholesale sports as well but they have been nothing but trouble for me.
 
bigdaddyeo said:
Why does one buy a Cadillac when you could buy a Hyundai? Satisfaction? Warranty? They both still get you from point A to point B. Heck my theory is start with a Lee single stage and that way if reloading isn't for me or if it prooves to be too complicated then I'm only out a couple hundred. If I love reloading I can always upgrade later.
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Have you bought a Cadillac lately, good luck with any warranty issues.

I have a Lee Breech lock and a Lee Pro 1000. Both are excellant for the money.

I shoot IPSC so I fire a decent amount of 9mm. I will still probably never by a dillon or any other reloader. The Lee Pro 1000 produces fine ammo. Any problems I have had with my reloading has been 100% user error.

If someone feels they have to spend $1000 to get set up reloading, great.

I have spent about $600 total so far including bullets and powder and have enough on hand to reload:

300- .303 actually made brass .410 shells
2000 - 9mm
450- .204
1000's - .25 ACP


Personal preferance I guess, I feel I have good equipment so I am happy.

Wg
 
I prime on the press, and by the looks of it priming off the press would be a lot faster and easier (not that its slow and hard now). As for accuracy i'm sure they both rate the same.
 
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