Hey guys, I just wanted to do a quick review of the Lee 50th Anniversary Reloading Kit for any who are interested.
I don't claim to be an expert by any means, this is a review from a beginner perspective.
First of all, let me say that as far as value for the dollar goes, wow, this kit comes with a lot of quality items for the price.
The components included are:
-Breech Lock Challenger Press with a breech lock quick change bushing
-Lee Perfect Powder Measure
-Lee Safety Scale
-Powder Funnel
-Case preparation tools include a Cutter and Lock Stud, Lee Chamfer Tool, Sizing Lube, Primer Pocket Cleaning Tool and the large and small Safety Prime
Breech Lock Challenger Press:
First off, it's a "O" Frame press, meaning that it can handle just about anything as far as case sizes go. Being an "O" Frame, it doesn't have any flex in the press so the larger magnum cartridges are no problem to load.
This press is very user friendly, and has the breech lock bushing system which, if you purchase additional bushings (the kit comes with one) makes changing dies very quick and allows you to leave them depth set when you remove them from the press.
The function of the press is quite smooth once you add a few drops of oil to the cam (be careful to only use oil that will not harm your primers).
Overall, it's a great press for starting out and will serve you well until you want to seriously speed up production.
Lee Perfect Powder Measure:
This powder measure seems to be quite accurate onle you get going with it. The first few throws from it will have some variation in weight though, so I would suggest dumping the first 5 - 10 back into the top of the powder measure and start working from there.
In my first loading session with this powder measure I set it to throw just under the amount that I needed and weighed every charge on my scale and they seemed to come out pretty consistant. If you are a stickler for precision like I am, I would suggest doing this and using a powder trickler to top them off on the scale.
Every time that I cycle the powder measure, my hand wants to tap on the side of it to make sure that it is fully loaded and then again to make sure that all the powder has fallen out. My advise for this is, DON'T. You will never manage to tap it with the exact same force every time so doing so will cause the amount of powder to vary slightly each time. Just cycle it normally and you will get better accuracy.
I have been using ball powder with this powder throw so far, so I can't comment on how it will work with stick powder, but I have been told that the Lee Perfect Powder Measure has different internals than most other powder measures on the market and because of this it is less likely to 'chop' your stick powder.
Lee Safety Scale:
This scale measures very accuratly and consistantly. It is a beam scale, so it does take longer to use than a digital scale, but as a beam scale it will measure more accuratly than most cheaper digital scales.
The only down side that I see to this scale design is that the powder cup is mostly under the beam of the scale when hung in place, making it a little more difficult to trickle powder into the cup without making a mess.
Powder Funnel:
Well, it's a funnel... It works quite well to funnel the powder into the cartridges.
The neck on the funnel is small enough to except a .223 cartridge, and opens wide enough to accept the larger magnum cartridges.
Lee Cutter and Lock Stud:
This cutter works very well for a hand cutter. It will cut the necks of the brass down quite cleanly if you take your time with it.
In order to use the cutter you will need to purchase the depth guage and shell holder kit for the caliber that you are reloading (something that isn't mentioned on retailers websites).
Lee Chamfer Tool:
This little chamfer tool does work, but not as well as others do. I would recommend purchasing the RCBS Deburring Tool, as it works considerably better.
Lee Sizing Lube:
Throw it away. This lube does work, but will add hours to your reloading process that you don't need to spend. A simple squirt bottle type liquid lube that you can stand the cartridges in a shell holder and give them a quick spray will save you a ton of time. Make sure that the lube that you use is a type that will not damage primers if you are going to use a spray type.
Lee Primer Pocket Cleaning Tool:
This little tool works quite well to clean out any residue that is left in the primer pocket after de-priming your brass (something that is quite important if you are striving for accuracy with your hand loads), and it won't damage the primer pocket. It works for both small and large primer pockets.
Lee Safety Prime, Large & Small:
These safety prime's work flawlessly when connected to the Lee Press. I have primed around 290 cartridges with it now and haven't had a single issue yet.
A hand primer is a better tool than priming on your press only because you can feel the primer seating all the way to the bottom of the primer pocket better, but the press will prime your brass and the safety prime's make that much faster and easier.
Additional Items That You Will NEED To Buy To Use This Kit:
-A reloading manual
-A Set of dies for each caliber that you want to reload
-A set of calipers (verniers)
-A case length guage and shell holder set for the cutting tool for each caliber that you want to reload
Additional Recommended Items:
-A tumbler
-A hand priming tool
-RCBS deburring tool
-Better lube
-A powder trickler
-A bullet puller
Thanks for reading!
I don't claim to be an expert by any means, this is a review from a beginner perspective.
First of all, let me say that as far as value for the dollar goes, wow, this kit comes with a lot of quality items for the price.
The components included are:
-Breech Lock Challenger Press with a breech lock quick change bushing
-Lee Perfect Powder Measure
-Lee Safety Scale
-Powder Funnel
-Case preparation tools include a Cutter and Lock Stud, Lee Chamfer Tool, Sizing Lube, Primer Pocket Cleaning Tool and the large and small Safety Prime
Breech Lock Challenger Press:
First off, it's a "O" Frame press, meaning that it can handle just about anything as far as case sizes go. Being an "O" Frame, it doesn't have any flex in the press so the larger magnum cartridges are no problem to load.
This press is very user friendly, and has the breech lock bushing system which, if you purchase additional bushings (the kit comes with one) makes changing dies very quick and allows you to leave them depth set when you remove them from the press.
The function of the press is quite smooth once you add a few drops of oil to the cam (be careful to only use oil that will not harm your primers).
Overall, it's a great press for starting out and will serve you well until you want to seriously speed up production.
Lee Perfect Powder Measure:
This powder measure seems to be quite accurate onle you get going with it. The first few throws from it will have some variation in weight though, so I would suggest dumping the first 5 - 10 back into the top of the powder measure and start working from there.
In my first loading session with this powder measure I set it to throw just under the amount that I needed and weighed every charge on my scale and they seemed to come out pretty consistant. If you are a stickler for precision like I am, I would suggest doing this and using a powder trickler to top them off on the scale.
Every time that I cycle the powder measure, my hand wants to tap on the side of it to make sure that it is fully loaded and then again to make sure that all the powder has fallen out. My advise for this is, DON'T. You will never manage to tap it with the exact same force every time so doing so will cause the amount of powder to vary slightly each time. Just cycle it normally and you will get better accuracy.
I have been using ball powder with this powder throw so far, so I can't comment on how it will work with stick powder, but I have been told that the Lee Perfect Powder Measure has different internals than most other powder measures on the market and because of this it is less likely to 'chop' your stick powder.
Lee Safety Scale:
This scale measures very accuratly and consistantly. It is a beam scale, so it does take longer to use than a digital scale, but as a beam scale it will measure more accuratly than most cheaper digital scales.
The only down side that I see to this scale design is that the powder cup is mostly under the beam of the scale when hung in place, making it a little more difficult to trickle powder into the cup without making a mess.
Powder Funnel:
Well, it's a funnel... It works quite well to funnel the powder into the cartridges.
The neck on the funnel is small enough to except a .223 cartridge, and opens wide enough to accept the larger magnum cartridges.
Lee Cutter and Lock Stud:
This cutter works very well for a hand cutter. It will cut the necks of the brass down quite cleanly if you take your time with it.
In order to use the cutter you will need to purchase the depth guage and shell holder kit for the caliber that you are reloading (something that isn't mentioned on retailers websites).
Lee Chamfer Tool:
This little chamfer tool does work, but not as well as others do. I would recommend purchasing the RCBS Deburring Tool, as it works considerably better.
Lee Sizing Lube:
Throw it away. This lube does work, but will add hours to your reloading process that you don't need to spend. A simple squirt bottle type liquid lube that you can stand the cartridges in a shell holder and give them a quick spray will save you a ton of time. Make sure that the lube that you use is a type that will not damage primers if you are going to use a spray type.
Lee Primer Pocket Cleaning Tool:
This little tool works quite well to clean out any residue that is left in the primer pocket after de-priming your brass (something that is quite important if you are striving for accuracy with your hand loads), and it won't damage the primer pocket. It works for both small and large primer pockets.
Lee Safety Prime, Large & Small:
These safety prime's work flawlessly when connected to the Lee Press. I have primed around 290 cartridges with it now and haven't had a single issue yet.
A hand primer is a better tool than priming on your press only because you can feel the primer seating all the way to the bottom of the primer pocket better, but the press will prime your brass and the safety prime's make that much faster and easier.
Additional Items That You Will NEED To Buy To Use This Kit:
-A reloading manual
-A Set of dies for each caliber that you want to reload
-A set of calipers (verniers)
-A case length guage and shell holder set for the cutting tool for each caliber that you want to reload
Additional Recommended Items:
-A tumbler
-A hand priming tool
-RCBS deburring tool
-Better lube
-A powder trickler
-A bullet puller
Thanks for reading!
