Looking to finally start reloading. Have read post after post about what press and it seems as though you either like lee products or hate them. Can someone with experience with this kit tell me if this press with rcbs ccompetition dies would turn out the quality of ammo as say with a rock chucker? And what if anything in the kit should be replaced or anything else to buy outright. Will be loading .308 for now and maybe some .223 down the road. Any help is appreciated.
- Thread starter razor88
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Re: lee aniversary kit
Your just getting started, and not sure if you'll like it.
If you get LEE you'll get quality at an AFFORDABLE price.
If you go with other's you pay a hellofalot more for the same result's.
It can be as big as an investment as you wish, but if you find your not really into it,how much can you re-coup your loss's?
Your just getting started, and not sure if you'll like it.
If you get LEE you'll get quality at an AFFORDABLE price.
If you go with other's you pay a hellofalot more for the same result's.
It can be as big as an investment as you wish, but if you find your not really into it,how much can you re-coup your loss's?
Re: lee aniversary kit
I see where your comin from. Anything that I should buy to go with or replace things from the kit? Not including dies.
I see where your comin from. Anything that I should buy to go with or replace things from the kit? Not including dies.
Re: lee aniversary kit
I have a very similar set, I pieced mine together as I went along. I too did eventually move from the the Lee dies to RCBS, as I feel they are of better quality and are a bit easier to adjust.
I would not "replace" anything from the kit, but here are some additional items I would consider.
Loading manual of your choice, Lee, Speer, Hodgdons etc. The annual Hodgdons is sold at Wallgreens on the magazine shelf in CO.
Digital scale: The Lee scale is very accurate, and easy to use for working up loads. I use a simple Frankford Arsenal scale to measure the throws from my powder measure, quick and easy.
Powder trikler: Trying to increase the load by 1gn or less at a time can be frustrating
Redding Imperial sizing die wax: No dented brass, you put it on like carmex, dab your finger and rub it on. A qtip to do the inside of of bottle neck.
Inertia bullet puller: Seated that bullet too deep? Wanna change some surplus rounds to hunting? Gonna need a puller. RCBS makes a collet puller, but a $5 inertia puller and a 2x4 and you are golden. Kinda freaky when you first do one though, nothing like banging a live round against a wood block to get you squimish.
Loading tray: You have to put them cases full of powder somewhere.
Lee case trimmer: If you will only be doing one or two calibers then the lees are great, you can chock them in a drill as well. If you can afford it, a lyman or equiv trimmer will make life easier.
Of course one of the most important is a good set of calipers, digital are cool, but I find I have to constantly recheck zero as they can flake out, but not too bad.
For the future:
Brass tumbler: Extend the life of your dies, shiny brass, no more black fingers. Makes cleaning up brass less of a chore.
I still have my starter set, and eventually want to move up to a turret style press. The reason is 223, I shoot a bolt action and can easily to through 200 rounds in one sitting. I am sure if you have an AR it will be much more. 223 can challange you patients on a single stage press. I just do 100 at a time and move on till later.
Have fun and be safe, if in doubt, throw it out.
I have a very similar set, I pieced mine together as I went along. I too did eventually move from the the Lee dies to RCBS, as I feel they are of better quality and are a bit easier to adjust.
I would not "replace" anything from the kit, but here are some additional items I would consider.
Loading manual of your choice, Lee, Speer, Hodgdons etc. The annual Hodgdons is sold at Wallgreens on the magazine shelf in CO.
Digital scale: The Lee scale is very accurate, and easy to use for working up loads. I use a simple Frankford Arsenal scale to measure the throws from my powder measure, quick and easy.
Powder trikler: Trying to increase the load by 1gn or less at a time can be frustrating
Redding Imperial sizing die wax: No dented brass, you put it on like carmex, dab your finger and rub it on. A qtip to do the inside of of bottle neck.
Inertia bullet puller: Seated that bullet too deep? Wanna change some surplus rounds to hunting? Gonna need a puller. RCBS makes a collet puller, but a $5 inertia puller and a 2x4 and you are golden. Kinda freaky when you first do one though, nothing like banging a live round against a wood block to get you squimish.
Loading tray: You have to put them cases full of powder somewhere.
Lee case trimmer: If you will only be doing one or two calibers then the lees are great, you can chock them in a drill as well. If you can afford it, a lyman or equiv trimmer will make life easier.
Of course one of the most important is a good set of calipers, digital are cool, but I find I have to constantly recheck zero as they can flake out, but not too bad.
For the future:
Brass tumbler: Extend the life of your dies, shiny brass, no more black fingers. Makes cleaning up brass less of a chore.
I still have my starter set, and eventually want to move up to a turret style press. The reason is 223, I shoot a bolt action and can easily to through 200 rounds in one sitting. I am sure if you have an AR it will be much more. 223 can challange you patients on a single stage press. I just do 100 at a time and move on till later.
Have fun and be safe, if in doubt, throw it out.
Re: lee aniversary kit
I am trying to give a fair opinion but I think the Lee press and scale that comes with the anniversary kit are kind of cheap and not as user friendly as the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme kit. I own both and am going to sell the Lee kit.
I am trying to give a fair opinion but I think the Lee press and scale that comes with the anniversary kit are kind of cheap and not as user friendly as the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme kit. I own both and am going to sell the Lee kit.
Re: lee aniversary kit
I have experience and have a 25 year old RockChucker. Price - or common owner hype - is no serious guide for the quality of ammo that can be made with anything, the user is far more important than the color of his tools.
Fact is, Lee's alum alloy Challenger press will make ammo as well as anything else on the market. But, their steel/iron Classic Cast is better overall and it has the best user fearures of any current single stage available; if I had to replace my old green press next week that's what I'd get.
I suggest noobs avoid kits from anyone, no maker has a lock on the better tools across the board. Anyone with tools all the same color is almost certainly a noob, experienced loaders will virtually always have a mixture of brands on their bench.
IF you're concerned with max performance right off, get your rifle dies from Forster or Redding and handgun dies from Lyman or Redding. Get your beam scale from Dillon. Use Redding's BR-3 powder measure and stand, and their trickler too. The rest of it won't much matter. By the time you want more tools you will have a bit of experience to help guide your own decisions.
I have experience and have a 25 year old RockChucker. Price - or common owner hype - is no serious guide for the quality of ammo that can be made with anything, the user is far more important than the color of his tools.
Fact is, Lee's alum alloy Challenger press will make ammo as well as anything else on the market. But, their steel/iron Classic Cast is better overall and it has the best user fearures of any current single stage available; if I had to replace my old green press next week that's what I'd get.
I suggest noobs avoid kits from anyone, no maker has a lock on the better tools across the board. Anyone with tools all the same color is almost certainly a noob, experienced loaders will virtually always have a mixture of brands on their bench.
IF you're concerned with max performance right off, get your rifle dies from Forster or Redding and handgun dies from Lyman or Redding. Get your beam scale from Dillon. Use Redding's BR-3 powder measure and stand, and their trickler too. The rest of it won't much matter. By the time you want more tools you will have a bit of experience to help guide your own decisions.
Re: lee aniversary kit
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: razor88</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I see where your comin from. Anything that I should buy to go with or replace things from the kit? Not including dies. </div></div>
Only after your comfortable to do so.
Learn to walk first.
I still have one of those little LEE Reloader press's. I paid $18.00 for it and it's still working.
I've gone to the Turret press for my main one.
I set the dies once and it's done.
Different caliber mean's a new turret.
Some I set up 20+ year's ago and their still set at the same place.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: razor88</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I see where your comin from. Anything that I should buy to go with or replace things from the kit? Not including dies. </div></div>
Only after your comfortable to do so.
Learn to walk first.
I still have one of those little LEE Reloader press's. I paid $18.00 for it and it's still working.
I've gone to the Turret press for my main one.
I set the dies once and it's done.
Different caliber mean's a new turret.
Some I set up 20+ year's ago and their still set at the same place.
Re: lee aniversary kit
Fuzzball's post is great information... I started reloading maybe 5 years ago and wanted the "best". Bought a Dillon 550 with all the bells and whistles. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dillon! But now I am planning on buying a single stage dedicated to rifle loads...
Fuzzball's post is great information... I started reloading maybe 5 years ago and wanted the "best". Bought a Dillon 550 with all the bells and whistles. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dillon! But now I am planning on buying a single stage dedicated to rifle loads...
Re: lee aniversary kit
I started 30+ years ago with an RBCS kit and most of the simple items are still in use. Everything else has been replaced several times over (except a 10-10 beam scale). I'm guessing it would be the same with Lee. My dies are mostly Redding or Wilson, but there are some from Hornady and Forster mixed in. Everything else is a mixed bag with most specialty tools coming from the Sinclair folks. In one sense, there's no harm in starting cheap because if you keep at it, you'll end up upgrading almost everything anyway.
I have tried several Lee tools over the years (trimmer, primer seater, etc). They all ended up in the trash. They worked for a while but the materials were cheap and they all broke or started giving unacceptable performance. I'm sure they make some stuff that works. I've heard good things about that Classic press, for instance. All I know is that every Lee tool I ever bought was a waste of money. I don't know how else to say it. Others obviously have had different experiences.
I started 30+ years ago with an RBCS kit and most of the simple items are still in use. Everything else has been replaced several times over (except a 10-10 beam scale). I'm guessing it would be the same with Lee. My dies are mostly Redding or Wilson, but there are some from Hornady and Forster mixed in. Everything else is a mixed bag with most specialty tools coming from the Sinclair folks. In one sense, there's no harm in starting cheap because if you keep at it, you'll end up upgrading almost everything anyway.
I have tried several Lee tools over the years (trimmer, primer seater, etc). They all ended up in the trash. They worked for a while but the materials were cheap and they all broke or started giving unacceptable performance. I'm sure they make some stuff that works. I've heard good things about that Classic press, for instance. All I know is that every Lee tool I ever bought was a waste of money. I don't know how else to say it. Others obviously have had different experiences.
Re: lee aniversary kit
I started out with a Lee Anniversary kit; but, the press eventually ended up breaking. I still use some Lee reloading equipment but I would recommend against that particular press. Like Fuzball recommended, I'd go with the Lee Classic Cast over the press in the anniversary kit.
I started out with a Lee Anniversary kit; but, the press eventually ended up breaking. I still use some Lee reloading equipment but I would recommend against that particular press. Like Fuzball recommended, I'd go with the Lee Classic Cast over the press in the anniversary kit.
Re: lee aniversary kit
"All I know is that every Lee tool I ever bought was a waste of money. ..Others obviously have had different experiences."
I can agree with that. I've had two Lee AutoPrimes and an AutoPrime II since '87, no problems with any of them yet. But then I stop to check what's wrong if a primer isn't entering smoothly, seems Tim Taylor's "more power" method of using hand tools isn't alwasys productive. ??
Lee's Challenger press has a two piece cast aluminum alloy toggle block that's secured with a single large bolt the instructions say to keep tight. If that bolt works loose and is ignored, the geometry of the lever forces in the block changes and that results in a broken toggle. Bad thing but it's really not the press's fault, is it?
Good to note that the toggle of the Classic Cast/Turret is steel, same as the body and toggle links are. Both of those presses are fully as strong, if no more so, than my old Rock Chucker II.
"All I know is that every Lee tool I ever bought was a waste of money. ..Others obviously have had different experiences."
I can agree with that. I've had two Lee AutoPrimes and an AutoPrime II since '87, no problems with any of them yet. But then I stop to check what's wrong if a primer isn't entering smoothly, seems Tim Taylor's "more power" method of using hand tools isn't alwasys productive. ??
Lee's Challenger press has a two piece cast aluminum alloy toggle block that's secured with a single large bolt the instructions say to keep tight. If that bolt works loose and is ignored, the geometry of the lever forces in the block changes and that results in a broken toggle. Bad thing but it's really not the press's fault, is it?
Good to note that the toggle of the Classic Cast/Turret is steel, same as the body and toggle links are. Both of those presses are fully as strong, if no more so, than my old Rock Chucker II.
Re: lee aniversary kit
I started off like you buying a Lee aniversary kit. I still to this day use the press, and I have loaded thousands of rounds on it. Everything in the kit is function, not fancy, but very good. The only thing that sucks in the kit is the beam scale. Go out and get either a decent digital scale or get an RCBS 5-0-5 beam scale.
I started off like you buying a Lee aniversary kit. I still to this day use the press, and I have loaded thousands of rounds on it. Everything in the kit is function, not fancy, but very good. The only thing that sucks in the kit is the beam scale. Go out and get either a decent digital scale or get an RCBS 5-0-5 beam scale.
Re: lee aniversary kit
had mine now for 15 yeas and still use it to this day.the only reason why I have a rockchucker is because my dad ended up with my name one Christmas.so now I use it for the sizeing and use the a Lee for smaller stuff like deprimeing.
I even ended up with two more little Lee press' from a friend.will find something to put them to use.
another way to look at it.you can get the kit to start you out.and if you like the reloading world then go bigger.or you can just put alot of your money into reloading and maybe not like it.then you have alot into something you do not like.either way you will make loaded rounds for your rifel.
had mine now for 15 yeas and still use it to this day.the only reason why I have a rockchucker is because my dad ended up with my name one Christmas.so now I use it for the sizeing and use the a Lee for smaller stuff like deprimeing.
I even ended up with two more little Lee press' from a friend.will find something to put them to use.
another way to look at it.you can get the kit to start you out.and if you like the reloading world then go bigger.or you can just put alot of your money into reloading and maybe not like it.then you have alot into something you do not like.either way you will make loaded rounds for your rifel.
Re: lee aniversary kit
I've used the Lee Anniv. Kit for years as well. I ended up with a digital scale to make things a little easier/quicker, and have changed dies, but for the most part I have never had a problem with the set-up and still use it even though I have another more expensive set-up.
I use the lee for all my service rifle competitions including the nationals and those loads have helped me get into the record books on a few occasions. Good luck with whatever you decide on buying, but you cant go wrong with Lee
I've used the Lee Anniv. Kit for years as well. I ended up with a digital scale to make things a little easier/quicker, and have changed dies, but for the most part I have never had a problem with the set-up and still use it even though I have another more expensive set-up.
I use the lee for all my service rifle competitions including the nationals and those loads have helped me get into the record books on a few occasions. Good luck with whatever you decide on buying, but you cant go wrong with Lee
Re: lee aniversary kit
I bought a Lee kit 11 years ago and I am still using it for 44 mag, 223, 30-06, 338 Lapua. Challenger press broke at the linkage while trying to flare ends on 44 cases pushing too hard when the die was not adjusted properly. Completely my fault and $11 to repair. It was also my fault when I stripped the expanding ball off my RCBS FL sizing die(free to repair) but the press won that battle. The press is more than capable than what is needed. I did not like the scale so I updated to an electric scale. I also find that the powder measure works very well particularly for 223 varying up to .3 grains but can usually get better consistancy. Although if you plan on upgrading anything in the future it would be cheaper in the long run to get it to start with.
I bought a Lee kit 11 years ago and I am still using it for 44 mag, 223, 30-06, 338 Lapua. Challenger press broke at the linkage while trying to flare ends on 44 cases pushing too hard when the die was not adjusted properly. Completely my fault and $11 to repair. It was also my fault when I stripped the expanding ball off my RCBS FL sizing die(free to repair) but the press won that battle. The press is more than capable than what is needed. I did not like the scale so I updated to an electric scale. I also find that the powder measure works very well particularly for 223 varying up to .3 grains but can usually get better consistancy. Although if you plan on upgrading anything in the future it would be cheaper in the long run to get it to start with.
Re: lee aniversary kit
i started on the lee kit, still use it with redding dies for rifle ammo but i use a dillon 550 for pistol stuff. Lee works great but i shoot 1000+ rounds of pistol a week so the speed of the dillon is really nice. I would def get a digital scale and a powder trickler, the lee powder thrower is pretty consistant but takes alot of time to adjust when changing loads
i started on the lee kit, still use it with redding dies for rifle ammo but i use a dillon 550 for pistol stuff. Lee works great but i shoot 1000+ rounds of pistol a week so the speed of the dillon is really nice. I would def get a digital scale and a powder trickler, the lee powder thrower is pretty consistant but takes alot of time to adjust when changing loads
Re: lee aniversary kit
Been loading with that Aniversary kit for 20+ years, with no issues. I purchesed a 4 hole Turret press for handgun ammo, but still use the single stage for all my case sizing. Like you said, love or hate it, you'll certainly get different opinions....
Been loading with that Aniversary kit for 20+ years, with no issues. I purchesed a 4 hole Turret press for handgun ammo, but still use the single stage for all my case sizing. Like you said, love or hate it, you'll certainly get different opinions....
Re: lee aniversary kit
I have a Lee turret press , Dillon 550 and a RCBS rockchucker and lee,RCBS,and Hornady dies. My older rifles I use lee my modern rifles RCBS and Hornady for a good price on LEE go to www.factorysales.com
I have a Lee turret press , Dillon 550 and a RCBS rockchucker and lee,RCBS,and Hornady dies. My older rifles I use lee my modern rifles RCBS and Hornady for a good price on LEE go to www.factorysales.com
Re: lee aniversary kit
I don't claim to be all knowing when it comes to anything especially reloading, but the Lee press and scale that came with the Anniversary kit did not work for me. I do not use only green, blue, orange, or red I have a mixed bag like most 15+ year reloading junkies. Just giving my opinion
I don't claim to be all knowing when it comes to anything especially reloading, but the Lee press and scale that came with the Anniversary kit did not work for me. I do not use only green, blue, orange, or red I have a mixed bag like most 15+ year reloading junkies. Just giving my opinion
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