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Old May 28, 2009, 09:15 PM   #1
jman841
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Lee aniversary kit

Hey guys, I am new to reloading and was wondering what you guys thought of the lee aniversary kit? Its fairly inexpensive and read good things about it. I would mostly be reloading .308 win. Is this a good starter kit? Is there anything else not included in the kit (besides brass, bullets, primers, dies) that i will need? How many rounds per hour can i expect to produce from this once i get efficient in using it? Is it worth getting the turret kit?

Thank you
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Old May 28, 2009, 09:33 PM   #2
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that lee kit is what I started with. Odds are you won't be loading high volume right away. Add a digital scale and a powder trickler and you are in business. Keep your loading small scale untill you figure out what kind of reloading you are going to do.
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Old May 28, 2009, 09:44 PM   #3
wncchester
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Tens of thousands of satsified Anniversary users can't be wrong. Especially so if you are only loading for one caliber as easy as .308. Unless you want to load 2 or 3 hundred rounds quickly the turret won't be much help. I work slow and can easily, and carefully, load up to a hundred rounds an hour on any single stage press made.

I've been loading since '65. I have no digital scale and don't want one, wouldn't pay the price they get for decent ones even if I did. They are no more accurate and very little faster for powder measurements, which is a reloader scale's primary job. Why some say a beam scale is "slow" is beyond my comprehension, they must have a really poor set up and/or a poor flow pattern if a digital is really much faster to use.
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Old May 28, 2009, 09:54 PM   #4
jman841
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What about the hand press? It got good reviews and seems like a nice set up to be able to reload where ever. would these be evan slower?

Also, anything i should know before i go out and buy a press and give it a try?

It seems like something i would enjoy doing and save some money on ammo costs these days. Plus as i get better at shooting i could start to customize loads for specific pourposes.
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Old May 28, 2009, 09:56 PM   #5
Shane Tuttle
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It's a good starter kit. I cut my teeth with the Anniversary kit. You just can't compare the quality of the Lee with the others. It is overall inferior to other brands. But don't let this spook you. This kit will get the job done and test you to see if reloading is for you or not. If it is, then it will suffice until you upgrade as needed. If not, then you won't be out nearly the pretty penny if you bought other higher end components.

The scale is one weak spot. It's accurate, but the tenths adjustment is a pain. The powder measure's achilles' heel is it doesn't meter fine powder such as AA#2 without spilling through the seam a bit. You'll find out soon enough what I mean. It does meter extruded powder just fine, though.

To stay on the cheap, I'd invest in Lee dies as well. For the beginner, they're inexpensive and also get the job done.
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Old May 28, 2009, 10:08 PM   #6
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Quote:
What about the hand press? It got good reviews and seems like a nice set up to be able to reload where ever. would these be evan slower?
The hand press is painfully slow. I'd at least get the regular kit. Forgot to tell you that shellholders for the hand primer is included, but you have to buy shellholders for the press itself. They're not the same as the ones for the hand primer.

I personally wouldn't get the turret kit. For rifle, I suggest sticking to single stage for now.

Quote:
Also, anything i should know before i go out and buy a press and give it a try?
Read, read, and read. Get at least two or three reloading books. Even though they may have some of the same general information, they all have significant content worth buying. ABC's of Reloading, Lyman's 48th or 49thed, Hornady's, Speer, etc. are all good books. This is more important than getting the press itself. Use the search function in the toolbar to look for answers, then post threads with questions that you couldn't find answers. There's loads of information on file here and many members willing to help out.

Quote:
Plus as i get better at shooting i could start to customize loads for specific pourposes.
And this is the whole reason why reloading is fun. You can reload rounds the way YOU like to have them.
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Old May 28, 2009, 11:15 PM   #7
Mtn Biker
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The only other thing you will need is a Lee case length gauge and shellholder for the 308. The kit comes with the lock stud and cutter. I think the aniversary kit is a great way to start reloading and very affordable.

VL
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Old May 29, 2009, 02:34 AM   #8
SKULLANDCROSSBONES65
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G'day.
Quote:
I would mostly be reloading .308 win
What other will you be reloading for?
Will this be for target or hunting?
Does the anniversary kit you you are looking at have the 'auto prime' or the press mounted primer tool?

The press mounted priming tool is probably better suited for straight walled pistol cases. Pistol cases typically need one to two extra operations in a press. That is why a turret press is more popular for pistols. Rifle shooters typically want to produce highly accurate ammo, so they pay much more detail to every aspect of the load. If you get the Breech Lock kit the Dies can be swapped back and forward quickly without having to re-adjust them each time.

Quote:
Read, read, and read. Get at least two or three reloading books.
+1

Quote:
Is there anything else not included in the kit
Most LEE die kits include a shell holder that you will need. You will need the LEE case length gauge. A Vernier caliper should also be high on your list of things to get.

Enjoy.
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Old May 29, 2009, 08:07 AM   #9
wncchester
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"What about the hand press?"

Reviews of the hand press WILL be good, as a tool it works fine. But, asking about USING it will change the reviews.

With a bench mounted press we often use both hands, I use the left to manauver cases and bullets around and the right to work the lever. Doing that with a press that's sitting in my lap is much more difficult - and slow!

You can't prime with the hand press so you must have a hand priming tool too.
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Old May 29, 2009, 09:08 AM   #10
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+1 for reloading manuals. Every loader should have several. The lyman manual is a fantastic beginner beginner manual.
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Old May 29, 2009, 09:58 AM   #11
Twinsig
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Good starter

I bought the kit in Nov. 08, load 40 & 44mag. It's slow but how many rounds are you gonna shoot? I do a minimum 200 in the back yard once a month.

Have had no problems....
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Old May 29, 2009, 10:48 AM   #12
jman841
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I will be reloading mostly for target shooting and some hunting applications in the future. I'm not to worryed about dead on accurcy for right now, i doubt i can out shoot what i will be loading. I was mainly looking for a way to put more bullets down range at less cost than buying manufactured ammo. I figure .308 is going for about $1 a shot for the cheap stuff right now and i can reload for a lil under $.60 if i use cheap stuff, so its a significant savings.

Once i get better at reloading i may start trying to load more specific and accurate loads.

The only other thing i could possibly reload would be 7.62 x 39 which is still cheaper to buy the russian steel stuff than reload the brass so not likley.

Maybe in the future i would be reloading .223, 9mm, and/or .45 ACP. but would like to start on .308 and learn the basics.

Thank you guys for all the info, its somewhat intimidating when you first start looking into reloading.
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Old May 29, 2009, 10:56 AM   #13
tjhands
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I started out with this kit too. I still use the press and the dies but have replaced the scale with an RCBS digital and the powder measure with an RCBS.

I do love the Lee Auto-Prime, though. I love to be able to feel the primer being seated.

Overall, the Anniversary is a good starter kit but you'll probably choose to upgrade a thing or two as you get the hang of it. Plus, if you decide that reloading isn't your bag, you haven't invested $400 in a more expensive setup.
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Old May 29, 2009, 11:51 AM   #14
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I love my Lee Breech-Lock press. I have loaded many thousands of rounds of 45, 9mm, and 223 with it and have great results. The only upgrade I made was to get a better scale, not digital. I don't care for the Lee scale but it will get the job done. The Breach-lock system makes changing dies a snap and really speeds up the process. I usually will de-cap, prime and resize a bunch at a time and then add powder and a bullet later. Sometimes just before I go to the range. I don't feel handicapped by this system at all. Welcome to reloading. You won't save money because you will shoot so much more and have more fun. Also, the reloading becomes fun just by itself.
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Old May 29, 2009, 07:37 PM   #15
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I use the same kit, works well for me after some adjusting. Not fast, not slow, but just right
Get the extention for the powder measure and the Auto prime kit, you will need them!
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Old May 30, 2009, 10:52 AM   #16
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Aint a thing wrong with that kit except for the scale. That's what I started with but it came with an aluminum o frame press. It works well but i have upgraded to the newer cast press. Just add a digital scale and powder trickler, good calipers and have at it.
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Old May 30, 2009, 02:39 PM   #17
Dannyl
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lee single stage press & Aniversary kit

Hi,
There is NOTHING wrong with this press.
I started loading with it back in 91. Since then I have moved to a lee 1000 progrsive for my handguns, and reserved the single-stage for us when I reload for my rifle ( 30-06), in fact, 15 minutes ago I just finished a batch of 40 cartridges with it.

As others have said, you will also need a vernier, case length gauge and a high quality scale, I personally use a digital scale made by Dillon Precission.

Other than that you will want to get a case tumbler, it is the most convenient means to clean cases properly without making it overly complicated.

With this equipment and a good dollop of patience I am able to produce ammo that regularly prints groups of 0.6" at 100M. (Remington BDL 700 )
So the price tag on the press makes it a good choice if you want to start reloading without laying too much money upfront ( I am saying upfront, because down the line every reloader finds lots of very good reasons to add more equipment )

Hope this helps you.

Cheers,

Danny
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Old June 1, 2009, 12:49 AM   #18
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Lee is fine. I load 7mm-08, .243 Win, .45 ACP and 9mm on my turret, and I'd highly recommend it - though I only use the auto-index mode for the 9mm, it's very convenient to have the dies adjusted and set up, and be able to change calibers in less than 30 seconds. Even though I load the 7mm in single-stage mode, it's nice to be able to have the dies in place and change back and forth beween dies with a simple turn and "click".

Not sure what to make about the issue somebody raised of priming bottleneck rifle cartridges on the press with the ram prime system - I do it all the time with Winchester and CCI large rifle primers and prefer it to the Auto-prime hand primer; I just think it's quick to do while you're decapping and resizing. Why add steps and motion?

I'd skip the Auto-Disk system and go with the Lee Perfect Powder Measure for about $15 more - you'll save time and believe me, you won't miss messing with the disks. The Auto-Disk has a charge bar you can buy, but it's not designed to drop charges as large as those you'll use for the .308. I didn't like the Lee scale either - I replaced it in short order; first with a Lyman digital and here lately with the Lyman 1200 DPS III. I've got three small children under 7 yrs old, am a business owner and my time is severly limited; the DPS III is slicker than snail snot and saves me a boatload of time.

Lee equipment is built to deliver value at a low price, but I wouldn't say it's low quality. It's more no-frills, like the original VW Beetle. Many of us can afford more, but don't see much reason to cross over. Maybe it's the cheap b*stard in me.
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Old June 2, 2009, 09:06 PM   #19
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Most of my equipment is Lee and I'm happy with it.
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