Possibly starting to reload... Lee vs RCBS

Furync

Furync

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Hiyas,

So if I were to start reloading, I imagine I would have to buy a "kit" or something... What's a good kit for beginners? Should I start with a Lee or RCBS?

All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!!!

As far as my experience goes, I've reloaded slugs before, never did rounds.

Thanks for the help!!
 
I'd say RCBS. I recently broke the primer catcher on my 30 year old RCBS Rockchucker. I emailed them and they sent me a new one free of charge....no questions asked. You can't put a price tag on great customer service. Just my 2cents.
 
I know many people that started with LEE and later bought RCBS.I started with RCBS and am still using the same press 27 years later.I don't know anyone that started with RCBS and then bought LEE.
 
If you shoot alot of pistol, buy a progressive press. If you're reloading to save money, buy lee, if you're reloading to customize your ammo and do your own quality control, I'd avoid Lee.

Lee makes great dies, other than that you get what you pay for I'm afraid. Lee's got alot of plastic is their products and I've found it tend to wear out pretty quickly. The accuracy of some of their stuff (like the plastic junk) isn't great. Their classic press is a little under-built for full length resizing of rifle cases, I've broken mine.... twice...

RCBS I've seen lots of up close but don't own. I've heard great things about their customer service and the product looks quality built at a glance. As I said, I haven't owned it so I can't say more than that.

Personally I like Dillon. The 550 is pricy but well built and a joy to use.
 
My advice is pretty much like above. If you want to start out single stage reloading stick with the RCBS. The last I remenber, they have two kits that you can purchase. One of the kits includes the Rock Chucker press which I found to be a solid piece of machinery.

If you want to go progressive, take a look the the Dillons. A Dillon 550 can be used to reload both pistol and rifle calibers and is resonably priced.
 
I've been using the same RCBS equip. since the early 60s, still going strong....Lee has some good ideas and i would take advantage of them, just not for an application which requires strength or accuracy. I like their Universal decapper and their Universal expanding(belling) die,and their ram priming attachment. I don't like their presses or their bullet moulds.
 
Actually, there is one Lee product I found to be superior and more cost effective than some other manufactures. I highly recommend the Lee Auto-Prime. It's much easier to use that the primer seater on the presses.
 
Actually, there is one Lee product I found to be superior and more cost effective than some other manufactures. I highly recommend the Lee Auto-Prime.
Click to expand...

The auto prime is the one LEE loading tool that I do use.I haven't found any product to do a better job at any price.
 
I've got a Lyman Orange Crusher press but the new press they have (it's grey color) is not as good; I'd avoid it. There is a lot of play in the ram, very sloppy. My old Orange Crusher is tighter then any of the new Lyman presses I have looked at in spite of 15 years of service.

Redding is too expensive for a beginner; likewise Dillon.

I cannot say if the Lee press is good or bad...

I'd recommend the Rockchucker or the Hornady. They are good and fairly priced.

RCBS does have great customer service.
So does Lee.

Also you will find the accessories that you require, shell holders, dies etc... may be slightly different brand-to-brand so that you need adaptors to mix and match with your press. Simplest thing is to just get all RCBS press, dies and shellholders. No problem!

Now for accessories like powder scales, case trimmers, deburring tools, hand-primers you can get whatever floats your boat. I've got stuff from Lee, Hornady, RCBS and Lyman on my (cluttered) bench.

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I really, really like the Hornady hand-priming tool. It is the best hand-priming tool going IMHO.

I think powder tricklers are a waste of $$$...

If you load any straight wall cases the Lee Factory Crimp Die cannot be beat! :rockOn:

Lastly the most important tool on your bench is the reloading manual! You should buy several and always cross-reference whatever calibers you are loading. Get Nosler, Hornady, Speer, Barnes, Sierra etc...
 
1 vote here for Lee...

Well, I would still consider myself a beginner with reloading. I am using a Lee progressive (Pro 1000) for 45ACP and I am quite happy with the results. So far I have cooked up about 800 rounds and it has been working fine. Their mail order service is quick (1 week to get accessories fro U.S.). I took time to understand the process and thoroughly understand the press and it's function. The dies I am using are RCBS that I picked up on Ebay.

Quite happy with my Lee reloading system.

Emil
 
All of the reloading tool manufacturers produce tools which you will find useful. My core tools are RCBS, but I have Redding competition dies, a couple of Wilson hand tools, Forster seating dies, a fair bit of Sinclair stuff, and a Giraud case trimmer. I have used Lee products from time to time, and overall I have been less than impressed. I do recommend the Lee factory crimp die for pistol ammo, and their little C press is handy if you want a press to assemble loads at the range, or as a second press on you bench for belling case mouths or seating bullets.

I think you should start with RCBS rather then start with Lee stuff that you'll be faced with replacing in a year or two. After a year or two you are better off purchasing more products to make you reloading easier, faster, and better, rather than replacing the tools you have already invested in.
 
If you are just starting out the Lee Anniversary kit is a really good deal. I'm sure there are a pile of people out there who decide to handload and then kind of drift away from it, no problem with the Lee stuff, I have swapped out just about everything fomr the Lee kit over the last 5 years, but it was great to start. I love Lee trimmers, a great simple product.
 
I used an old Pacific press for years and it was a solid tool. Last christmas I
got a new Rockchucker and gave the pacific to a friend.
I have mostly Redding Comp. dies and some RCBS ones.
A Hornady neck trimmer and hand primer and a RCBS powder measure.
The only problem I have is with a Redding body die for my 6mmbr rem. The dim. are too big at the web and sized brass won't fit in my chamber.
 
604shooter said:
You can't put a price tag on great customer service.
Click to expand...

Yes you can. If the press cost $100 more than another brand, that's about $3.33 per year you paid to get a $2.00 part for "free".

Anyway, if you're going singe-stage, think Lee Classic Cast because of the primer management - goes straight into a tube and from there to a garbage can, instead of more-or-less into a cup or cups on the RCBS.

Good primer management - as done on the Lee and some Redding - is a significant advantage.
 
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i started with a rcbs, then went to the lee as it was WAY BETTER PRICED and the only other thing available at the time was the lyman, which was a way over my budget- first to the turret( the old 3-hole , but which i used to load both rifle and pistol) then to the 1000, and now there sits on my bench 3 lee 1000 , a lee turret and a DILLON- the 1000 's do 9mm, 45acp, and 223 remington- the dillon does 308 exclusively, and the turret does the other calibers i do short runs of- 50 or so rounds- on the other bench sits a LEE LOADMASTER, which does 45colt/44 mag- but this is after 30 years at this game
were i to start over, i'd go LOADMASTER for a progressive, or LEE Turret for
cheap-at least a 4 hole, so i could fit a lube die and/or a factory crimp/collet- those 2 dies can make a world of difference
 
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