Lee Handheld Press: first impressions.

[Pond, James Pond]

After a 5 week, 10 country, 6K Mile trip around Europe, I have been away from reloading for some time. This did make me do some strange things.

More than once, my wife surprised me late at night, vigorously pumping my handheld. I don't mean that euphemistically...

You see, 2 weeks into the holiday, I met up with my dad who had with him the Lee handheld press I had had sent to his address.

So, lacking dies, fired cases and the rest, all I had to bring the warmth of reloading a bit closer was simulated bullet-seating in the dark...


Now I am home and I have had a go. I got together all my fired and salvaged .308 brass and set to decapping.

Handling:
It works. Yes, it requires more effort than a bench press (the reloading tool, not the weights discipline), but not much more if cases are well lubed. It is also quite light and so not a strain over time. The breechlock system has been handy so far, even if I am just decapping with a single die

Looks:
Small!! I was expecting something about a 50% bigger, but it is about the length of an average person's forearm.

Likes:
Portability. I can definitely see myself taking this to the range when doing load work-ups.

Dislikes:
Only that the full-size die did something several times with the handheld that had never happened with the turret: the decapping pin got stuck in the mouth and got pulled from the die. A pain to sort out and meant using the breechlock release system several times.

Conclusion:
Happy to have bought it.
I can see this becoming my main press for rifles. For me .308 reloading has more itsy steps to follow than my .44Mag and doing them all in the comfort of my home or summer cabin will be great. I hope it is as consistent as the turret in this respect because I have invested a lot in rifle reloading for consistency.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

I find the Lee Handheld handy at my club range. Been using one in my Reloading Traveling Bag for quite a few years. Great for making plinking ammo up on the spot or up-scaling or down-scaling a hunting load without making to too many cartridge's beyond grouping's need. Tool is adequate for those (above) purpose's. But I would like to point out. I wouldn't depend on the Lee for making match grade ammo.
Have a Lee Hand held. Tried a Huntington Hand held one time. For the difference between the two. Lee gets my vote for simplicity, size, & value.

[Pond, James Pond]

I wouldn't depend on the Lee for making match grade ammo.

What let's the Lee down in that respect?

As I said, I am planning to load rifle ammo with it. I have invested money in making my rifle loads as accurate as I can: chamber length gauges and now will put in the time such as learning to bump the shoulder. I have done several OCW strings to try and find the best loads for my rifle.

If all that comes to naught, there is little point in me using it for rifle loads.

It has to full-size consistently, and it has to seat consistently. Those are the only two steps I use the press for in rifle loads.

I would have hoped it wold compare well to the bench press as the Lee Turret has that bit of play in the turrets when the ram first applies pressure to the die, yet still pumps out good rounds. The handheld has no such play!!

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

It has to full-size consistently, and it has to seat consistently. Those are the only two steps I use the press for in rifle loads.

As I said prior in a comment. When it comes to building hunting loads or simple put-together plinking rounds (cast or jacketed). It will do a fine job for those purpose's. As far as match grade ammo. Not like I've witness by those who do shoot match grade custom target rifles and rail guns. Those fellows at my Club and those from out-state competing do make such match grade ammo. Much of their reloading equipment is custom machined. I don't think a Lee Hand Held press has the capabilities nor tolerances to compete with that type of custom (spendy) equipment. But for us everyday folks who are out to have fun and shoot the best we can with what we have available. Lee Hand Held is near perfect for that application. Personally I think everybody who goes out to shoot afield or at a range should have a travel bag of portable reloading equipment along. Only shells I make at home these days are the dozen rifle shells I take hunting with me every Fall. Rest of the year all my rifle ammo is made with my portable reloading tools carried along for the purpose..

[Pond, James Pond]

OK, so it sounds like we're comparing it to a high-end press rather than the likes of my Lee Cast Turret.

If I can get comparable results to the turret, I am happy because it is the best I could do prior to the handheld, anyway!

[chris in va]

I've loaded thousands with my hand press. I've actually never used anything else, and sitting at a bench just doesn't appeal to me.

[wpsdlrg]

I have actually loaded TENS of thousands of rounds with the Lee Hand Press, over the last 15 or so years. The only press I've ever used, too. Still have the first one I ever bought... though a little worn (slightly "looser" than a new one)....it still works perfectly. I even use the hand press to re-form 30-06 and 270 Win. cases to 8mm Mauser.

Perhaps it won't produce "match grade"ammo on par with a $12,000 "custom-machined" Super-Dooper 9000 press.....but that it irrelevant.

[5R milspec]

if it helps in any way a good friend of mine use to use the same little press to load all of his 1000 yard ammo. ( 300Ackley imp ) and did rather well with it too

[coldbeer]

I've loaded some fairly accurate 308 rounds with a Lee hand press over the years. If I don't put 5 shots within an inch of eachother at 100 yards it's my own fault not the press.