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Chaffee, Western New York | I'd like to start reloading. Got started with some reading material and a Lee loader but would like at least a scale and maybe a press.
Lee equipment is usually bad mouthed on all the firearm forums but I'm not looking to keep an army loaded or impress anyone. Lee kits and handy things like their hand press are inexpensive. Craftsman vs SnapOn? Or are there genuine problems?
How wrong can I really go with a $130 Challenger kit with hand primer, scale, trim tools, powder measure? Vs $300+ for rcbs. Only looking at 308 for now. |
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NW Central Ohio | ...There's probably someone ready to sell their RCBS press out there somewhere. Get a set of the new RCBS dies that size the length of the shell also. That will eliminate the need for a case trimmer right away. |
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| I would say Lee is more the Harbor Freight than the Craftsman of reloaders. You get what you pay for and would look at a RCBS rockcrusher kit. Get about everything you need less dies and be set up to go. A solid press makes all the difference in the world on rifle calibers.
INDY |
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| Take a NRA Reloading class. . I currently have mostly Dillon equipment, but do have some Lee and other. Richard does make decent cost effective stuff |
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MI | As much as I like their collet dies, the rest of the Lee reloading line I feel is second class. But second class is fine if all you are looking for second class results. If you are looking to clip the wings off a fly at a 1/4 mile you will need first class stuff. If you are just reloading to save some money and you are happy with 1-2" MOA, second class stuff is just fine. I started reloading 19 years ago to eek out every last bit of accuracy I could. Trust me, it can become an addiction. I started with a RCBS Rockchucker set. Now the only two things I still consistently use from that set is the press and the allen wrench set. But I do think it was good to have the set to start the learning process. The biggest thing to remember. This is a dangerous sport. Learn a system of checks and double checks. |
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Chaffee, Western New York | Thanks. I'm a life member but was unaware of a reloading class. |
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| always have to have a choice
be easier if there was only one perfect solution |
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S.C. Wisconsin | There are a lot of books on reloading. I reload and in my opinion there are 2 ways to reload. The right way and the wrong way. |
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Mechanicsburg PA | I've stopped reloading because I don't shoot much any more, but had used the Lee Challenger press for many years with good success. not match grade but loaded a LOT of military surplus and hunting rounds (mainly 270) plus some handgun. after putting many rounds through it, am seeing that its at the end of its life but has well paid for itself. Yes I am also looking for good price on a rockchucker but as a first setup the challenger worked well for me. just be sure you lube your cases adequately (not excessively). if you find you like reloading, can upgrade. I do prefer the RCBS dies but they can be 3X more than the Lee, so look for them used or on sale. |
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| So much nonsense in this thread... |
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Bremen, KS | Could you please be a bit more helpful? That sort of statement doesn't shed any light on what is nonsense and what is sense.
I've never taken up reloading and may never do so, but it always did pique my interest slightly. What do you have to offer of substance to someone like me who could easily be misled by hype?
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| People (gun and car people especially) will spend entirely too much time and effort worrying about what their equipment is capable of and not enough time worrying about what THEY are capable of. With reloading your routine, doing everything consistently, is going to make more of a difference in the end result than the amount of money you throw at it. Yes, you can buy better equipment...but it's going to do the same job. It may do that job faster and easier, but the end result is the same.
A full length sizing die will not remove the necessity of a case trimmer. At all. Full length sizing is almost entirely unnecessary for pistol cartridges and most bolt/lever action rifles. |
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Wolcottville,Indiana | Don't know about reloading equipment but Dillon has the best shop calendars, SMILE |
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MI | Maybe if he would have asked about form and breathing and such, you could have helped out with that. He asked about equipment and opinions of said equipment. PS: RCBS claims their X die will not cause the case to lengthen over multiple sizings. Not quite what pupdaddy made it sound like but I'll assume this is what he meant From there website: Trim a bottleneck case once—and never trim again with the X Die Full Length Die Set, which includes an X Die Sizer and Standard Seater Die. The sizer features a specially designed mandrel with an expander ball and decapping pin attached. The patented design eliminates the need for repeated trimming after an initial trim of .020 inch off the maximum length to standardize the case. The X Die doesn’t shorten the length of the case: The mandrel reduces the growth caused by the case mouth contacting the mandrel during sizing. Because of an extremely close tolerance between the mandrel and die neck wall, the neck wall of the case does not thicken as the case length is pushed back. Cases repeatedly sized in the X-Die will initially grow a few thousandths of an inch, and then stabilize below the maximum case length with no discernable loss of accuracy or case life. Note: Reloaders who already own a regular set of dies for the chosen caliber need only order the X Die Full Length Sizer. |
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| I offered my opinion on equipment. It will all do the same job: buy what you want.
I'm not so worried about your stance and breathing with a reloading press as much as I am consistent case prep and operation. |
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Chaffee, Western New York | I only have a volumetric powder measure. (Scoops)
My primary focus is on reduced loads. Trailboss. I have a Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle. Very short barrel and light weight make more muzzle blast and flash. Neighbors called after the first three rounds of factory ammo.
I don't want to load anything without a weight and the Lee scale is paned, as well as the newer RCBS scales. (Dairyman....right way?) |
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haskell county, ks | reloading is an extension of the shooting sports. much reward can come from it once you start and as you become more familiar with reloading you will know whether or not you want to go into it further. much of my equipment has come as christmas presents as i am kinda hard to buy for and has been enjoyed for a long time. start reloading and see where it goes. |
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NCIA | Rockchucker set here. If reloading is a hobby you plan to have for a long time, I think you'd be happier with the RCBS. However you may get addicted and want a progressive someday so then spending less now would be a good thing. Either way enjoy it it's a great pastime. |
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Troy, Missouri | I'm interested to see what others say too. I recently came to the same decision, that I would like to start reloading. Bit time consuming, but it sounds very interesting =)
After doing lots of research, watching YouTube videos, and searching and reading reviews on MidwayUSA, I believe I have what I need, or at least think I know what I need. I went and got a Hornady Lock n Load AP press as a single stage sound horribly slow....and the Hornady progressive sounded like if you took your time, you could produce rounds and get great quality ammo out of it as well while not costing an arm and leg for the press like an RCBS or Dillon. Aside from the press, reloading manuals, 1 set of dies, powder, bullets (got 500 free from Hornady for buying the press, some promotion they have going on) and cleaning/ lubricating spray, I don't have much yet. Have some other matters that require the money I set aside for reloading which are more important. So for now, that's all the farther I've made it. But once I get the funds, I shall continue on! |
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High Springs, Florida | I have a Lee press and system for .223/5.56 and it does fine. I get much better accuracy, tighter groups, than with most factory ammo. I also have a set of Hornady dies for 9MM. The press isn't that much of an issue as the dies are, IMHO. But I have only been doing this for a year, so I am a green horn.
If you get the powder measured accurately, case length, and the bullet runout, and bullet length correct for your firearm, you have won most of the battle. |
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McCanna, ND | I started with a rcbs Jr. Kit. Wish I would have bought older used stuff as it's cheaper then new and better quality. Things I really prefer are my co-ax press. 505 scale and Lyman 55 powder throwers. Have rcbs-forester-Redding dies. If your going for accuracy get the last two. A nice scale is well worth it. My model 55 throwers are accurate enough I just throw my powder charge for certain rifles. Others I have found better accuracy by throwing short then trickling in the rest. If you can find a mentor that would be great. Otherwise read read read. And take everything with a grain of salt. Email in profile is good |
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| Congrats, it's a great press, I have the same one (well, there's two others bolted to the bench next to it: a single stage and a turret).
Single stage isn't so terrible...for some calibers I like to stockpile primed brass so I might run 1000 cases through the single stage at a time. I've also put a decapping die in the two little presses to knock out primers as I sort brass before, too. |
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Troy, Missouri | Thanks. It seemed like the best buy for the money. That and it gives you room to grow. Also, I don't have to use it as a progressive in the beginning. Think I need to make sure I get everything down correctly and safely before I worry about mass production.
I don't know how much it would affect the performance of the shells, maybe nothing at all, or maybe a lot over time, but I researched case tumblers and found that the dry media ones don't really clean the inside of the cases or the primer hole; they just stay dirty. I would think over time, of getting powder buildup in the primer hole and inside the case, that it may affect the burning of the powder. That and dry media cleaners don't do that great a job of cleaning.
I came across the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Rotary tumbler that uses water, dish soap, lemon shine and stainless steel media and it does a heck of a job cleaning the outside, inside, and primer hole. Don't have that toy yet, but that is what I plan to get for a tumbler. So, that means I will de-prime everything first, clean it, then run the cases back through the press to get primed/ powdered, powder checked with the RCBS lockout die (on pistol cartridges. starting off with just 1 caliber; 45 ACP), seated, and then crimped.
After doing a lot of reading on seating and crimping in 1 step vs. 2 steps, I decided to go wit 2 steps as it seems easier to adjust. From a beginners point of view at least. Since with a 1 step, if you adjust the seat, you have to adjust the crimp now as well. Doing it in different steps, you can adjust 1 but not the other. |
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NCIA | As for tumblers you can easily build your own. I recently did. I planned on using it as a dry but decided to get some ss pins and cleaner and give it a try. Best thing I ever did. I will never have to toil away cleaning primer pockets or brushing out necks. You will be amazed by how you can take the ugliest brass you never would of dreamed of using and turn it new again. |
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Chaffee, Western New York | I was planning on building a wet tumbler from an ammo can and a miscellaneous gearbox if I don't end up with an old cement mixer. So far I only have once fired factory brass. Estimated that it would take one reloading before they were too dirty. |
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Central Iowa | Lee loading equipment is fine. The fit and finish isn't as good as the bigger dogs, but you don't get extra points for that.
I have a Lee hand press, an RCBS Rockchucker, and a Dillon 450. They're all good for what they're intended to do.
I will say, you should splurge on two things: The dies and the scale. Those two items ultimately have more to do with your was of entry into the hobby than anything else.
For dies, spend the extra $15-20 and get RCBS. They're the industry benchmark today, and you really can't go wrong. I reload for the same rifle, and battled somewhat with Lee dies and lost. I chucked the whole hot mess and bought RCBS. My rifle is now happy.
The scale will keep you alive and prevent blindness. I can tell you that the Lee scale suck balls three different ways on three different days. Run away. It will chase you, so drive hard and ditch it. Go to midway and buy a digital scale. almost any digital scale. You'll be in business in no time.
Good luck.
Edited by jame 10/10/2016 23:59
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White Stone, Virginia | I have both Le and RCBS. RCBS was my first press. Either will do the job, just make sure that whatever you get is a full frame press, not a "C" press. The "C" frame presses have a lot more flex in them if you are doing rifle cartridges. Straight wall pistol cases can be done on the "C" frame OK. |
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| I have several Lee presses, and they work just fine. The Lee powder measures are also decent, as long as you have a consistent hand on the lever, which is pretty much true of any powder measure. I've had good luck with their dies, and I like the fact that their die sets come with the shell holder, while most other manufacturers make you buy it separately. I also like their factory crimp dies.
As others have said, their scale is junk. Do yourself a favor and get a digital scale to start with. It will make your life so much easier. I have a Hornady digital scale and a Lyman balance beam scale, and I try to use the Hornady whenever I can (The Lyman has a larger capacity, so I usually only use it when checking shot weights for shotshells). I also don't like Lee's case trimming tools, though others swear by them. I can't seem to get a true, consistent cut out of mine, so I use a Lyman trimmer.
You should have a good load book on hand. I use the Lyman book, and cross reference from IMR's reloading data center website. Trail Boss is easy to load with, but I'm sure you'll want to move past it in time.
I use a Harbor Freight vibratory tumbler with walnut media to tumble my cases. Gets my cases clean enough for me, and wasn't too expensive. I think tumblers and cleaners are a matter of personal preference, so use whatever you find does the best job.
The rabbit hole of reloading equipment is a deep one; but in general I've found that most of Lee's equipment is quite servicable, and that which isn't is easily replaced. The more important thing I've found is developing a consistent hand, and an eye for detail. The Lee equipment will let you do that on a budget. |
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Troy, Missouri | Speaking of powders, is there any load data anywhere on Hodgdon's CFE Pistol powder? Like I said above, I'm new to this also. I had heard good things about the CFE powder, and about Hodgdon powder in general, and found that specific powder for a good price at a local shop and got it. Unfortunately, though, I cannot find much of any load data on it in my 9th Edition Hornady reloading book, the 2016 Hodgdon Annual Reloading Manual, or even on Hodgdon's website when the powder is used with Hornady .451 diameter XTP bullets.
From comparing data on the Hodgdon website and what I have in my Hornady book, the .451 XTP's I believe I found have the same overall case length and diameter as some of the load data for other rounds listed (for example, the 230 gr. Hornady FMJ FP compared to the 230 gr. Hornady XTP). I'm really looking for data on the 185 gr. Hornady XTP's as that was what I got for free from the promotion they have going on currently. Thanks for the help. |
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Reloading equipment
