The simple elegance of Lee stuff

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mdi said:
Possibly, but many have said "Why should I spend the extra $$$$ for a Dillon when my Lee is producing excellent handloads?"...
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sevt_chevelle said:
Loaded about a 100 rds on a Lee before I thought screw this and bought a 650, don't regret it one bit.
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Otto said:
“Man, I wish I had got a Lee instead of a Dillon”
…said no one ever.
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My buddy has a 650. Works well and fast. I'm retired and rarely load more than 100 pistols rounds at a time. My Lee Classic Turret takes me about an hour to load a 100 rounds including setup and clean up. Suits my needs and gives me relaxation while loading. I load rifle rounds on a Rock Chuckar. Freedom to choose what we each likes best is a wonderful thing.
 
I agree with what many of you have said about Lee. I started with a single stage Lee kit. Some years later I picked up a single stage RCBS press. I have since added a Dillon 650. It has replaced the single stages to a large degree, especially for handgun ammo. I still use both single stage presses though, often set up side by side. Also all the positive things said about the "accessories" is spot on. Simple and reliable and frequently my go-to when I have a very specific job to do.
 
While I like Hornady, I am not brand loyal, I have a RCBS jr3 and various dies. But I like the simplicity of the, dies..

Thewelshm
 
My first press was a Rockchucker in a basic reloading kit. RCBS dies. Quickly added a Lee (round) Autoprime. That was all I used for many years, mostly reloading for revolvers, still using both.
Then I got a few Lee dies sets, they work just fine, and a good price point.
Then I started tumbling brass, and needed to remove primers before tumbling.
Enter a Lee single stage C press, (pre-breechlock), universal depriming die, universal case mouth expander (occasional), and more Lee cast bullet sizing dies - all worked better on the little short stroke C press than the big O press.

The O press is still primary for case sizing, case swaging, seating and crimping

Still using the original balance/scale and powder measure that came with the press. Did add a (manual) powder trickler.

I do have some specialty dies from other makers for small base sizing and particular bullet seating, and some bought used.

I am happy with the Lee equipment I have, but do not like or hate any brand in particular. I guess it's function over brand . . . upload_2021-8-24_18-31-51.gif
 

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I've been using a Lee Classic Turret press for many years and I love it! I load a lot of 9mm, 223rem, 357mag, and now 6mm ARC. I removed (disabled) the auto-indexing and prefer to rotate the turret head manually, and that works well for me. I really like Lee's "factory crimp" dies and their "adjustable (powder) charge bar." I also have a Hornady single-stage press for when I want to get really exact for my OCD moments;).
 
On my Lee Challenger breech lock press, have had a few instances where bullet seating depth was not consistent. Latest was some 270 test loads using RCBS dies. Think I found the source of error.

After reading about features of the press in the Lee book, realized I may have screwed up mounting it, which I did in a hasty manner one day, just to test it. Been that way ever since.

Bench top is 3/4" plywood over 2x4 frame. Mounting press to edge of the bench meant that at the top of the ram's stroke, the toggle linkage of press was bumping against bottom edge of the frame before the built in stop of the linkage was reached. So my stroke was variable. To gain full stroke, linkage actually passes some 10 to 15 degrees past the vertical edge of bench the press mounts to. Solved that problem by cutting a notch in the framing along bottom edge of 2x4 to get the clearance needed. Toggle linkage now extends a full 1/4" farther than it had been. But now ram will stop when linkage hits the stop.....not when it bumps the edge of bench. Mounted up as it is now, with addition of backing block under plywood for the center hole that is the deepest of the three, press is now rock solid. Far better than it was before. Not a fault of the press, but something to be aware of just the same.

Also see this as a reminder that much of the Lee stuff works different than the others. This press, for example, does not cam over....it uses stops built into the linkage instead. So when reading instructions on dies.......say for the RCBS or Hornady, and they say to set dies so press cams over, that is not valid for the Lee.
 
I have a lot of lee tools. There presses leave a lot to be desired, especially progressives. I've never seen a loadmaster work the way it is supposed to. Lee carbides are about the best value out there. I like the dippers. Also the trimming tools.
 
90% of my stuff is LEE. Some of it is excellent. Other stuff is good.
The dies work great. My O-frame single stage press works great. (really, how can you screw up a single stage press?)
My Auto Breach Lock Pro progressive works fine (I use it in manual mode without all the clap-trap add-ons).

If I did competitions and needed high volumes of ammo, I would lean toward Dillion. For now, the LEE tools work just fine.
 
I started out with the Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit and several sets of dies. While I have upgraded many of the accessories that came with the kit the press, the dies, the hand priming tool and a few other gadgets are still going strong. I never have time to sit down for hours and reload. So I set up to do one step at a time and do that for an hour or so several times a week then switch to the next step. I might case prep for two weeks then move to reload the next two weeks. I have never needed to reload large volumes of ammo at one time so the Lee products work great and produce the same quality of ammo as other setups costing 10 times as much. I would rather save the money and buy more guns.
 
I like a lot of their stuff and haven't had too many disappointments overall. I think a few things they do better than most like the FCD or universal decap. I'm also happy with my 4 hole turret press & think it's an outstanding value. That's a great fit in between 'I want to go faster than a single stage' but 'I don't want to spend big $ on a progressive and expensive changeover kits for it'.

But.......this POS should not exist

10550025.jpg
 
What is the deal with the scale? I've only seen pictures and videos......but first thing that comes to mind is it tops out at 100 grains, which for me is abut 2X as much as I would ever worry about. On the fine tuning end, appears to me to function like a set of vernier calipers. Description says it is sensitive enough to weigh your signature from a lead pencil on a piece of paper, which BTW, have been meaning to try with my balance beam scales. 0.1 grains is 0.1 grains. If one can do it, all should be able to.
 
At my age 74, I've been reloading for 57 years, I started out with a Lee whack a mole type set up in .270 as well as .44 Magnum, and went to a Rock Chucker by RCBS and RCBS dies and a Uniflow Measure, then to a a RCBS progressive self indexing and has been using that ever since, however I've used Lee's case length kits in my many calibers I acquired over the years, as well as Priming tool with all the shell holders when loading rifle precision casings using that Rock Chucker single stage. Note I've also purchased there carbide dies, and several rifle dies when I could not find the dies in RCBS or Hornady dies. I've never been disappointed with LEE Precision products, but I've never tried anything other than there "Whack a Mole" reloading kits. BTW my Progressive press will still put out 250 rounds per hour, and RCBS has not charged me a penny for replacement repair parts to date.
 
gifbohane said:
If you love the lee stuff, go for it. I, for one, will not buy or use it. I also heard Lee called a lot of things but never elegant.
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I always enjoy threads about Lee products, it is usually one of the more controversial ones(people have strong opinions). Especially when it's about the FCD.
 
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irishlad said:
Especially when it's about the FCD.
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I will step into this one again (at my peril). I will not use or buy a "factory crimp die." To me, if my process is correct I do not need one.

Lee marketing is superb with names like "Factory crimp" which is just a crimp die. And "Perfect Powder measure" All brilliant marketing.
 
I'm a two decade long Lee devotee. I've got a Lee Classic single stage I bought used at a garage sale, the cheap Lee "RGB" die sets, Lee scoop set for powder, and the ultra cheap lee case trimmer you use with a drill. I use PAM as a case lubricant, clean with soap and water, dry in the sun. Its a very simple setup and that's what I love most about it.

And when I'm feeling really nostalgic, I still load for my old bolt guns with Lee Classic Loaders (the style you use with a mallet.) In terms of simplicity and function, those simple little sets are an instant classic. If you have rounds that don't need to be full length sized, you need one of these kits, just for the simple, slow, old fashioned way of doing things.

I've got zero interest in progressive presses. I don't need to produce that much ammo, I don't need to rush through the process. I enjoy taking my time, sipping some coffee, and making an afternoon of it. I shoot about 2000 rounds of .223 a year in high power matches. Another 40ish a month in milsurp bolt guns. Just no need for a super fast slick progressive.
 
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gifbohane said:
I will step into this one again (at my peril). I will not use or buy a "factory crimp die." To me, if my process is correct I do not need one.

Lee marketing is superb with names like "Factory crimp" which is just a crimp die. And "Perfect Powder measure" All brilliant marketing.
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Like you I have never bought one. I did receive one from a friend that loaded 357 sig. He gave me a press and dies to sell for him. I kept the 357sig FCD, and a few other Hornady dies. I have not used it. It crimps only.

They do make a collet crimp die for bottle neck cartridges that only crimps. This is good.

All the straight wall FCD resizes the body which is bad, unless you knock out the sizing ring.
 
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