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Old October 6, 2009, 08:32 PM   #26
scouty
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Lee Kit

Hi, Using mine for 9mm. I'm a newbi but I'm happy with what I have. It's a slow process but your able to check everything with each step. I'd say go with it to start out with, not a big investment. Good Luck and enjoy.....
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Old October 8, 2009, 03:08 AM   #27
jpdavis423
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I would use what is included in that kit as a guide for what you need. A press is a press and dies are dies - get a Lee press and dies. I initially bought a Lee kit but ended up replacing the scale, priming tool and powder measure with RCBS.

The Lee scale, and priming tool are fairly good. I just found them to be kind of small and harder to use than others.

Get a set of loading blocks too.

Jeff
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Old October 8, 2009, 12:00 PM   #28
wncchester
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I've been at this a long time and have learned enough to not be blindly brand loyal to or anything of any brand. Those most rabidly commited to a single brand are usually the least experienced with much else and, at least for presses, tend to compare apples to watermelons instead of equals by type!

Kits are, by definition, for noobs. IMHO, no kit is complete and none is markedly better than any other for noobs. Each one works, each has tools I like, each has things I don't like. Perhaps the first question the noob should ask himself is why he's getting into reloading (price or precision) and what might he expect his volume become. Most users will be quite satisfied with an inexpensive single stage, compound leverage, "O" type press.

Lee's Kit tools are quite good and will serve most loaders well for a lifetime, and do it at a rational price. The press is fine, so is the powder measure and priming tool. (I've had two Auto Primes for 20+ years without breaking or wearing anything out. And I use more Federal primers than any other.) The Lee Safety scale is usable and very accurate but it can be a bit freaky in use so that is one thing I would change eventually, for a Redding or RCBS 505 - NOT a digital.

IF a loader ever gets into reforming cases more strength in the press would be needed. I make 22-250 form .30-06 and that would ask too much for any alum alloy press! Lee's Classic Cast would do as well as my RCBS Rock Chucker II and do it at a much lower cost. But, few ever do things like that.

Bottom line, no one makes poor tools or kits. We can get any and be sure we have done well but we will need more tools than what's inculded.

Noobs should get a Lyman manual before anything else. It has the best illlustrations, most clear instructions for noobs available. And it includes a LOT of good stuff for old hands as well as excellant loading data.
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Old October 8, 2009, 01:36 PM   #29
Hardcase
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I bought that kit last year. The only thing that I didn't really care for was the priming system. It was a little finicky and didn't always feed a primer or would drop the primer out of the cup. So I bought the hand held primer, which works much better.

I think that it's a great kit and a great way to get started. As far as issues about swapping out dies and bushings, etc., I just use one bushing and thread the dies into that. Since they're already adjusted via the locking nut, it's really not a problem to take a few seconds to change. I do my loading in batches, so it's even less of a problem.
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Old October 8, 2009, 02:26 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim R
The other thing you should be aware of is once you start reloading, calibers start growing.
Tim,

That's what a case trimmer is for.


Zyphnab,

As you've probably concluded reading the other posts, the kit is a good thing. The advantage to it being a kit over purchasing individual parts is some degree of price savings. If the hobby takes with you, you will end up eventually getting additional equipment, but this will get you started, and you will always have uses for its components even after you upgrade to some others.

I never owned the kit (after my time) but I do have a Lee Challenger press I got at a gun show, and even though I have two Dillons, a Forster Co-ax press, a Lyman turret press, a Lee Hand Press and the great Lee Classic Cast press, that little guy still sees duty with a universal decapping die, sizing bullets in Lee sizers, and other odd jobs.

The scale, unless you break it, will always be as reliable as gravity. Electronic scales offer a great improvement in speed and save fiddling with beam adjustments, but they eventually go bad. The Lee scale will let you cross-check an electronic scale's calibration and will serve as a backup if your electronic scale quits unexpectedly (and who expects it?). The measure is quite decent with stick powders and it has another advantage: Lee sells the powder hoppers as separate parts, and they close off when you twist them 90 degrees. I label them for different powders, then tuck them in my range load development box with rubber bands holding the lids on, then I can close one of with a twist, pull it off the drum, open its lid to drop remaining powder from the drum in, then close that hopper and pop on a different hopper and powder to try.

The bottom line with this purchase is a good introduction to reloading at a reasonable price. Start buying specialty tools as you find you need them to build up your reloading estate. By the time you start doing that, you will know what you are doing.
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