Itching to reload...Lee?

[mendozer]

I've been struggling to find great ammo for my gun. I've been itching to get into reloading for some time, read several books, etc lots of online research. When I do, I think I'm gonna go with the Lee Turret press so I can quickly do pistol ammo but also batch load rifle (I have 9mm, 30.06). Seems to be a good kit with good reviews when used properly.

My question is whether to buy the kit whole or part by part. Obviously the kit claims you can start unloading right away. But some people complain about the powder measure, the scale, this that, etc. Others say it's a kit fine on it's own and it's ready to roll.

Thoughts on this?

Classic kit (90304):
Pro-Auto disk measure and riser
large and small safety prime
case cutter
lock stud
chamfer tool
large and small primer pocket cleaner
case lube
case length gauge
safety powder scale (beam)
reloading manual

What I'll need for rifle:
double disk set
rifle charging dies
gauge holder

[indie_rocker]

I bought & use a single stage kit, accessories are about the same though.
The safety scale, works fine for the multiple handgun calibers I load.
If utilizing case cutter, you'll need the appropriate shell holder. You'll also want a better chamfer tool.

These pieces are inexpensive to upgrade and at the least will get you started so you're better off buying the kit rather than making individual purchases.

[T. O'Heir]

The only kit from Lee you should throw away is the silly scoops. They're calibrated in CC's for some daft reason and can vary the powder charge plus or minus as full grain. Otherwise Lee kit is ok. Low end kit. but ok.
Buy a Lyman manual too. It's more versatile than any powder or bullet makers book. Lee does no testing at all either. They get their data from the powder makers. Mostly Hodgdon.

[reynolds357]

I like Lee's classic press, other than that, I am not a fan. I guess it is OK for what it costs, but unless you are cash strapped, RCBS Rock Chucker kit would be my suggestion. I bought a Lee scale on sale dirt cheap one time just to have as a back up scale. I got so mad at it that I threw it against the concrete wall and now my 4 year old plays with it. I put a test weight in it 10 times and 10 times it went to different spots on the line.

[TailGator]

I'm only a couple of months ahead of you, but what I did was buy a kit from Kempf. This isn't the prepackaged Lee kit - Kempf packages their own kit with the LCT press, primer feeder, Auto Disk powder dispenser with a reasonably priced upgrade to the Pro version, and your choice of die sets. They also throw in a handful of ammo boxes. For a scale, you pick your own; a lot of folks aren't big fans of the Lee beam scale anyway, and basic digital scales are not a huge expense.

After looking around quite a bit, I thought it was a decent deal, and they shipped promptly and were nice to deal with.

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?...mart&Itemid=41

[pathdoc]

Get the kit. I can't see you going too far wrong.

You may want to add a Lee perfect powder measure to that lot for the rifle loading. The auto disk measures are stepping in nature (like fancy versions of the scoops) and may not suit your desired powder and charge in larger cases, while the PPM is infinitely adjustable. Some swear at it, I swear by it. The Lee scale is somewhat more controversial; although I don't own one, I wouldn't be rushing to get it. It will get you by to start, but in that area at least my preference is firmly for RCBS.

[Technosavant]

Some Lee stuff is a great deal- their Classic Turret Press (the cast iron base one), their dies, even a few other things are the kind of thing one can use for years and years and never want for more. That Turret Press is great for a beginner- you can run it single stage until you get comfortable, then put in the auto indexing rod and speed things up a bit.

Some other stuff is workable and priced right- I consider their Auto Disk Pro powder feed to be this. With the turret press, it's hard to go wrong with that.

Some other Lee stuff just isn't worth it. I just didn't like their safety powder scale one little bit.

Most of that kit you'll be just fine with. I do think it's a good place to start- I sold a setup with most of that to a friend just this weekend... it's just good kit. I did tell him to get a decent scale (I'd thrown out that Lee one), but with that and a kinetic bullet puller, he'll be good to reload as soon as powder can be found.

[kilimanjaro]

Get the kit, it's a bargain. The Kempf kit referred to sounds good.

Put the beam scale on a window sill for use after the North Korean EMP attack and spend the money on a good digital scale.

Also, a good calipers to measure cases.

Good measurements mean good rounds, best thing for a beginner is to get good quality control equipment. You'll upgrade everything else, especially your powder system, but the scale and calipers will last forever.

[dickttx]

The Kempf kit is a very good deal. Just add a decent balance beam scale (505 or Dillion), upgrade to PRO Auto Disk, and you are ready to go.

[A pause for the COZ]

Not too bad. Still need a scale and a means to trickle your loads.
I would suggest. Popping onto Titan reloading s site and price out each item.
You may end up spending less or the same and get the Auto disk pro instead.
There is a huge difference between the Auto Disk and Auto Disk pro.
you want the Pro.

And if you do not already have one A MANUAL. I would recommend Lyman 49th addition. and ABC's of reloading.

[snakeye]

I use the Lee Classic Turret and for anyone starting out I highly recommend it. It is simple and easy to use. Buy the kit you won't regret it.

[849ACSO]

I bought the classic cast turret from Graf & Sons. Since, I have never considered any other press. 150+ per hour for handgun. I load 38,357, and 45 with auto index. I load 223, 308 and 30-06 without the indexer (as a single stage). I use the auto disk measure for handgun with several powders and it works fine. I hand measure each rifle charge because there's off press case prep anyway after resizing, and I'm more interested in more consistent rifle rounds. Handgun ammo is for training and.1 grain of powder difference is acceptable to me. Rifle, not so much. Get a different powder scale and a way to effectively measure oal. As far as the press, the self indexing turret won't disappoint.

[Lost Sheep]

With a nod to William Shakespeare.

Yes, a kit will get you loading a little quicker. The thought you put into assembling your own kit will pay you dividends in the deeper knowledge you have of your equipment.

I have had dealings with Sue Kempf. She is a good person and I recommend looking long and hard at the kit from Kempf's. It is sparse, but contains most of what you need (including dies) to get started and nothing (except perhaps the ammo boxes) that you will want to trade off. Most other kits do have things you will want to upgrade. Most all kits lack things you will want to add. Kempf's kit will get you started efficiently. Sue told me that she uses the Classic Turret herself and we agree on a number of other points about Lee gear as well.

Having given that testimony, you can assemble the same kit from Graf's, your local retailers, FS Reloading or any number of other vendors very easily.

I started loading on a Single Stage RCBS press, moved up to Lee Pro-1000 to increase my throughput and after 3 decades moved "up" again to a Classic Turret. I say "up" because I am temperamentally unsuited to progressives (at least, not the Lee Pro-1000). When I switched to the Turret, my throughput did not suffer and I was more relaxed after a loading session than I ever was behind the progressives.

My advice. Do research before buying anything but books. ABC's of Reloading is good. The early chapters of as many loading manuals as you can find in the Library, used book stores or borrow (age does not matter, as loading techniques have not changed much in past several decades).

Summation: Assemble the basic elements. Press, Dies, Scale, a few manuals and the usual safety gear. Add the incidental accessories as you find the need (dippers, powder measure, trickler, lube pad, loading blocks, bullet puller, etc)

Good luck. Thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep

[Lost Sheep]

10 Advices for the novice loader

I have thought of a few things I think are useful for handloaders to know or to consider which seem to be almost universally mentioned, so I put together this list of 10 advices.


Much is a matter of personal taste and circumstance, though. So, all advice carries this caveat, "your mileage may vary".


So you can better evaluate my words, here is the focus of my experience. I load for handguns (44 Mag, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 454 Casull, 9mm, 357 Mag, 480 Ruger) a couple hundred per sitting and go through 100 to 500 centerfire rounds per month. I don't cast....yet.


When I bought my first gun (.357 Magnum Dan Wesson revolver), I bought, at the same time, a reloading setup because I knew I could not afford to shoot if I did not reload my own ammo. My setup was simple. A set of dies, a press, a 2" x 6" plank, some carriage bolts and wing nuts, a scale, two loading blocks. I just mounted the press on the plank wedged into the drawer of an end table. I did not use a loading bench at all.


It cost me about 1/4 of factory ammo per round and paid for itself pretty quickly.


I still believe in a minimalist approach and and try to keep my inventory of tools low. I do not keep my loading gear set up when not in use, either, but pack them away in small toolboxes until the next loading session.


Now, here are my Ten Advices.


Advice #1 Use Reliable Reference Sources Wisely - Books, Videos, Web Sites, etc.


Study up in loading manuals until you understand the process well, before spending a lot of (or any) money on equipment.


Read as many manuals as you can, for the discussion of the how-to steps found in their early chapters. The reason you want more than one or two manuals is that you want to read differing authors/editors writing styles and find ones that "speak" to you. What one manual covers thinly, another will cover well so give better coverage of the subject; one author or editor may cover parts of the subject more thoroughly than the others. The public library should have manuals you can read, then decide which ones you want to buy. Dated, perhaps but the basics are pretty unchanging.


I found "The ABC's of Reloading" to be a very good reference. Containing no loading data but full of knowledge and understanding of the process. I am told the older editions are better than the newer ones, so the library is looking even better.


There are instructional videos now that did not exist in the '70s when I started, but some are better than others. Filter all casual information through a "B.S." filter.


Only after you know the processing steps of loading can you look at the contents of of a dealer's shelves, a mail-order catalog or a reloading kit and know what equipment you want to buy. If you are considering a loading kit, you will be in a better position to know what parts you don't need and what parts the kits lack. If building your own kit from scratch, you will be better able to find the parts that will serve your into the future without having to do trade-ins.


Advice #2 All equipment is good. But is it good FOR YOU?


Almost every manufacturer of loading equipment makes good stuff; if they didn't, they would lose reputation fast and disappear from the marketplace. Generally you get what you pay for and better equipment costs more. Cast aluminum is lighter and less expensive but not so abrasion resistant as cast iron. Cast iron lasts practically forever. Aluminum generally takes more cleaning and lubrication to last forever. Just think about what you buy. Ask around. Testimonials are nice. But if you think Ford/Chevy owners have brand loyalty, you have not met handloaders. Testimonials with reasoning behind them are better. RCBS equipment is almost all green, Dillon-blue, Lee-red. Almost no manufacturers cross color lines and many handloaders simply identify themselves as "Blue" or whatever. Make your own choices.


About brand loyalties, an example: Lee Precision makes good equipment, but is generally considered the "economy" equipment maker (though some of their stuff is considered preferable to more expensive makes, as Lee has been an innovator both in price leadership which has introduced many to loading who might not otherwise have been able to start the hobby and in introduction of innovative features like their auto-advancing turret presses). But there are detractors who focus on Lee's cheapest offerings to paint even their extremely strong gear as inferior. My advice: Ignore the snobs.


On Kits: Almost every manufacturer makes a kit that contains everything you need to do reloading (except dies and the consumables). A kit is decent way to get started. Eventually most people wind up replacing most of the components of the kit as their personal taste develops (negating the savings you thought the kit gave you), but you will have gotten started, at least.


On building your own kit: The thought processes you give to assembling your own kit increases your knowledge about reloading. You may get started a couple weeks later than if you started with a kit, but you will be far ahead in knowledge.


Advice #3 While Learning, don't get fancy. Progressive, turret or Single Stage? Experimental loads? Pushing performance envelopes? Don't get fancy.


While you are learning, load mid-range at first so overpressures are not concerns. Just concentrate on getting the mechanical steps of loading right and being VERY VERY consistent (charge weight, crimp strength, bullet seating depth, primer seating force, all that). Use a voluminous, "fluffy", powder that is, one that is easy to see that you have charged the case and which will overflow your cartridge case if you mistakenly put two powder charges in it.


While learning, only perform one operation at a time. Whether you do the one operation 50 (or 20) times on a batch of cases before moving on to the next operation - "Batch Processing" or take one case through all the sequence of operations between empty case to finished cartridge - "Continuous Processing", sometimes known as "Sequential Processing", learn by performing only one operation at a time and concentrating on THAT OPERATION. On a single stage press or a turret press, this is the native way of operation. On a progressive press, the native operation is to perform multiple operations simultaneously. Don't do it. While you can learn on a progressive press, in my opinion too many things happen at the same time, thus are hard to keep track of (unless you load singly at first). Mistakes DO happen and you want to watch for them ONE AT A TIME. Until handloading becomes second nature to you.


Note: A turret press is essentially a single stage press with a moveable head which can mount several dies at the same time. What makes it like a single stage rather than a progressive is that you are still using only one die at a time, not three or four dies simultaneously at each stroke.


On the Turret vs Single stage the decision is simpler. You can do everything on a Turret EXACTLY the same way as you do on a single stage (just leave the turret stationary). That is, a Turret IS a single stage if you don't rotate the head.


Learning on a progressive can be done successfully, but it is easier to learn to walk in shoes than on roller skates.


Also, a good, strong, single stage press is in the stable of almost every reloader I know, no matter how many progressives they have. They always keep at least one.


Advice #4 Find a mentor.


There is no substitute for someone watching you load a few cartridges and critiquing your technique BEFORE you develop bad habits or make a dangerous mistake. (A mistake that might not have consequences right away, but maybe only after you have escaped trouble a hundred times until one day you get bit, for instance having case lube on your fingers when you handle primers; 99 times, no problem because primers are coated with a sealant, but the hundredth primer may not be perfectly sealed and now winds up "dead")


I started loading with the guy who sold me my press watching over my shoulder as I loaded my first 6 rounds to make sure I did not blow myself up, load a powderless cartridge or set off a primer in the press. I could have learned more, faster with a longer mentoring period, but I learned a lot in those first 6 rounds, as he explained each step. I educated myself after that. But now, on the internet, I have learned a WHOLE LOT MORE. But in-person is still the best.


After you have been mentored, mentor someone else. Not necessarily in loading or the shooting sports, but in SOMETHING in which you are enthusiastic and qualified. Just give back to the community.


Advice #5 Design your loading space for safety, efficiency, cleanliness


Your loading bench/room is tantamount to a factory floor. There is a whole profession devoted to industrial engineering, the art and science of production design. Your loading system (layout, process steps, quality control, safety measures, etc) deserves no less attention than that.

Place your scale where it is protected from drafts and vibration and is easy to read and operate. Place you components' supplies convenient to the hand that will place them into the operation and the receptacle(s) for interim or finished products, too. You can make a significant increase in safety and in speed, too, with well thought out design of your production layout, "A" to "Z", from the lighting to the dropcloth to the fire suppression scheme.


Advice #6 Keep Current on loading technology


Always use a CURRENT loading manual. Ballistic testing has produced some new knowledge over the years and powder chemistry has changed over the years, too. They make some powders differently than they used to and even some powder names may have changed. However, if you are using 10 year old powder, you may want to check a 10 year old manual for the recipe. Then double check with a modern manual and then triple check with the powder maker.


Read previous threads on reloading and watch videos available on the web. But be cautious. There is both good information and bad information found in casual sources, so see my advice #10.


Advice #7 You never regret buying the best (but once)


When you buy the very best, it hurts only once, in the wallet. When you buy too cheaply it hurts every time you use the gear. The trick is to buy good enough (on the scale between high quality and low price) to keep you happy without overpaying for features you don't need. "The delicious flavor of low price fades fast. The wretched aftertaste of poor quality lingers long."


Advice #8 Tungsten Carbide dies (or Titanium Nitride) rather than tool steel.

T-C dies instead of regular tool steel (which require lubrication for sizing your brass) for your straight-walled cartridge cases. T-C dies do not require lubrication, which will save you time. Carbide expander button for your bottlenecked cases. Keeps lube out of the inside of the cases.


Advice #9 Safety Always Safety All Ways.


Wear eye protection, especially when seating primers. Gloves are good, too, especially if using the Lee "Hammer" Tools. Children (unless they are good helpers, not just playing around) are at risk and are a risk. Pets, too unless they have been vetted (no, not that kind of vetting). Any distractions that might induce you to forget charging a case (no charge or a double charge, equally disturbing). Imagine everything that CAN go wrong. Then imagine everything that you CAN'T imagine. I could go on, but it's your eyes, your fingers, your house, your children (present of future - lead is a hazard, too. Wash after loading and don't eat at your bench). Enough said?


Advice #10 Take all with a grain of salt.

Verify for yourself everything you learn. Believe only half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for everything you find on the internet (with the possible exception of the actual web sites of the bullet and powder manufacturers). This advice applies to my message as much as anything else and especially to personal load recipes. Hare-brained reloaders might have dangerous habits and even an honest typographical error could be deadly. I heard about a powder manufacturer's web site that dropped a decimal point once. It was fixed REAL FAST, but mistakes happen. I work in accounting and can easily hit "7" instead of "4" because they are next to each other on the keypad.


Good luck.


Lost Sheep

[ljnowell]

The Lee turret press is one of the best presses ever made. While it's not a progressive it can really spit out some ammo. I used one for about 7 years and still use it for 45 colt and 45ACP.

I just recently stepped up to a Lee Pro 1000. There are tons of people out there that can't wait to tell horror stories of Lee presses. Many of them have never owned one, they "know a guy." Others own a different color and feel the need to bash what they don't own. There are still another group that do not follow instructions well and get frustrated easily. A person willing to take time and educate themselves will find that even Lee Progressives are good presses. My Pro 1000 has been flawless through thousands of rounds now.

[skizzums]

https://fsreloading.com/lee-precisio...kit-90050.html

I have this kit here, costs a hundred bucks. you need dies and a pair of calipers. I am sure there are better out there, but I have loaded over 10 thousand .223, .38/357, 9mm, 300BLK. I love it, its easy and looks like itll last forever

[indie_rocker]

Originally Posted by skizzums

https://fsreloading.com/lee-precisio...kit-90050.html

I have this kit here, costs a hundred bucks. you need dies and a pair of calipers. I am sure there are better out there, but I have loaded over 10 thousand .223, .38/357, 9mm, 300BLK. I love it, its easy and looks like itll last forever

That's the one I have as well. No complaints here. I've loaded a few thousand 9mm & .38/357.

[mendozer]

nice. I looked and it seems all Lee rifle dies are steel not carbide. But carbide dies are only available for straight walled cases right? (so for me the 9mm dies). .30-06 would need regular dies and therefore case lube right?

[pathdoc]

Mendozer, yes, unless you use a neck-sizing die (e.g. Lee collet or Lee loader) in which case you must use cases fired in one particular rifle for that rifle only, and it cannot be a self loader.

[Blindstitch]

The lee kits are the way to go if you want to set up now and not wonder what you're missing every step of the way.

I would get it and then when you find better options for things like the Lee Safety Scale switch. I used my scale for about a year before finding a Lyman 505 for $10. Best buy ever. And then you can sell the lee scale or keep it as backup.

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by mendozer

nice. I looked and it seems all Lee rifle dies are steel not carbide. But carbide dies are only available for straight walled cases right? (so for me the 9mm dies). .30-06 would need regular dies and therefore case lube right?

All dies for bottlenecked cartridges are steel, but some have a carbide "button" or mandrel to open up the case neck to ease things a bit.

Even though the 9mm is a tapered case, the taper is not so great that they don't make carbide dies for the 9mm parabellum. They do, I have a set.

Even if you have carbide dies, a little case lube makes things easier.

Lost Sheep

[Average Joe]

get the lee, they have been around forever.

[pete2]

No Lee for Mee............................................................

[GTOne]

You won't find a better press than the LCT for twice the money.

I like almost every accessory that goes with their kits except that scale and the chamfer/deburr tool.
Scale is accurate, but fiddly.
The chamfer/deburr tool is clumsy and not very efficient. The rcbs combo tool is far better. (neither is fun if you are working an ice cream bucket of .223).

Lee should have made a full size double poise beam scale, that thing they are selling is just too small and touchy.

[OverPressure]

You can't beat this reloader from a beginner to when you become confident
and need to crank out some quality volume.

I have probably loaded 50000 pistol rds and the only parts i have purchased
are the auto index clamp , TF3566 and the square ratchet TF3567.

I have figured out how to apply the scale, "recently"!!!

I just added the Micrometer adjustable charge bar due to expermentation
with powders that i normally wouldn't load. The charge bar is a great
pistol loading asset.

I preprime all my cases , i have loaded close to 300 in an hr. That is 45acp
200gr SWC, 4.2 gr Clays Standard. GREAT LOAD! One right on top of the
other at ten yards!!!


I know guys with the primer feeders on the Lees 1000 some say its ok
some not so good. I don't own it, so i guess you will find out how the
primer system works.

ENJOY