Lee Reloading Equipment

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Flyingbullet

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Are Lee's scales still no good? I'm thinking of purchasing one of their kits and want to know if I need a different scale.
 
Accurate but PITA - two cents

I find mine extremely affordable and very accurate but a PITA. Here is why:

Takes time to set up so the damping magnet works well without sticking.

Cheap plastic grain adjustment and bar system for half grains not intuitive and too flimsy/sensitive.

Metal tray awkward to reach around and lift, and hard to pour into. It was not designed for useability.

Other than that, it is a great scale. It is not worth selling, and I use it once in a blue moon to just double check the electronic scale when working close to max loads.
 
LEE scales are good they work just fine. That being said they are not fun to use.
A good used RCBS 505 wins hands down.

I got a LEE scale with my 1st package and I still have it.
I dont use it but I save it for back up.
Or if I just want to double check a weight.

Freind of mine though has never used any thing but a LEE scale and he does not feel like he missed a thing.
 
i started reloading 2 years ago and have used a Lee scale up until now. Tried a couple of inexpensive electronic scales but found issues with them. I just ordered a used RCBS 505 from Ebay for a total of $40 shipping included. One word of caution on these is that the new ones are made in Mexico and the quality control has slipped a little. If you are starting out I would use the Lee at first but you will want to upgrade the scale before long. I like the idea of having two scales around for double checking each other also.
 
As others have said, Lee scales are accurate. My problem with them is their light and my old age shaking is not compatible! Maybe the problem is more me!
 
The Lee is a very good scale.
It is quite accurate, very sensitive, and quite inexpensive.
Certainly much better than any digital scale for less than $100
Also pretty fiddly to use and adjust.

Get the Lee kit, they are worth it, and are good tools.
Try the scale. If you can read a vernier scale, you won't
have a problem. If you find you hate the scale, then go
looking for another one.
 
I have and use one, but honestly my needs are 'better' served by my $30 digital which is more than accurate enough for MY needs and way easier on my tired old eyeballs - lol

The Lee beam scale IS super accurate, but it is kinda fussy and fiddly, whereas the Ohaus style 505 is much easier to use and read, though IMHO no more accurate..
 
Yep, I agree with everyone. I have a set, and I wouldn't say they're "no good", but they're definitely not as good as my RCBS 5-0-5. The 5-0-5 gets used, the Lee sleeps in a box.
 
I have to agree with the others. I found my Lee scale to be very accurate but not fun to use. If you are looking at the classic turret kit then look at www.kempfgunshop.com. Their kit comes with dies and no scale so you can buy a decent scale to start without having to buy the Lee.
 
The Lee scale is good enough to load anything using the Lee load book. As I remember, the Lee scale is only accurate to within 0.2gr, but then the Lee load book is so de-rated (because some Lee reloaders are using dippers) that you'll never get into trouble.

So, 'yes' go ahead an use it. Just because a bench rest shooter might not use it doesn't mean it's not useful for a new reloader. That would be like saying you need the same shorts and shoes as an Olympic contender just to get started with jogging. :D
 
Rory McCanuck said:
The Lee is a very good scale.
It is quite accurate, very sensitive, and quite inexpensive.
Certainly much better than any digital scale for less than $100
Also pretty fiddly to use and adjust.

Get the Lee kit, they are worth it, and are good tools.
Try the scale. If you can read a vernier scale, you won't
have a problem. If you find you hate the scale, then go
looking for another one.
Click to expand...
It's hard to argue with that.

I have a Lee scale and have use it with great success. It's a PIA to set up and I like my RCBS 505 better but they are good scales.
 
I will say that in order to move that adjusting slide on the Lee scale, I found it easier to use a toothpick and gently tap on it rather than trying to move it with my finger. Much easier to get tiny adjustments. I just didn't like the "vernier caliper" type way of lining up the white marks. The 5-0-5 is so much easier.
 
Alright I will try it out and if I absolutely hate it I will try something else. How about the Perfect Powder Measure? I have heard its not so perfect and leaks?
 
The Lee Perfect Powder Measure is one of the best measures out there. I use almost exclusivly, and I have a Lyman 55 and a Hornady benchrest measure. The Lee sits on my bench ready for use, the Lyman 55 goes to and from the range as needed, the Hornady sits in the cabinet.

One note, the Lee needs to be broken in if using fine powders.
 
Thanks for asking our advice.

Flyingbullet said:
Alright I will try it out and if I absolutely hate it I will try something else. How about the Perfect Powder Measure? I have heard its not so perfect and leaks?
Click to expand...
After the mating parts wear in (and you re-tighten to get the right clearance-not too loose and not too tight) most all powder measures slow down their leakage. Some are easier than others and some behave better with certain powder types than others. Almost all will leak with certain powders.

Depending on what you are loading, there are better choices and worse choices. What calibers/quantities will you be loading; what kit are you considering; what are your shooting goals? Knowing these answers would help target our answers better.

Lost Sheep
 
I will be reloading 30/06 mostly and possible .223 later on. I'm considering the Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit. As for goals, I just want to have an accurate bullet and be able to make my own ammo.
 
Thats a good kit to get you going and a very reasonable price at this Dealer I lookid up.

https://fsreloading.com/lee-breech-...ntent=CSE&utm_campaign=google_merchant_center

If you stay away from ball powders you will be more than happy I believe. IMR 4895 is a very good and popular powder for use in 30-06. Plus it will work perfect in the measure that comes with the kit. I also reload for .223 and use Accurate 2015 which also will work excellant with that powder.

More than likely by the time you're ready to branch out to other calibers and powders the measure mating surfaces will be broaken in.

Before it comes up, to those that might claim quality items should not need to be broken in I only have this to add, my first Corvette came with instructions on how to break in the engine. hehe
 
I got a Lee scale with my loading kit. It's not junk. It works. It is quite accurate... if you are quite patient.

Life is too short to futz with that thing. Sell it on evilbay and get an RCBS 502 or 505.
 
Get the Lee kit. You'll be fine. Use the Lee scale and, through time, you might find it's really not a pain at all to use - just finicky. But you'll spend tons looking for a more accurate scale, and end up not finding it.

The Lee scale is truly not designed to find out how much something weighs. In other words, you don;t push the poise back and forth trying to get an unknown weight to balance out and reveal how much it weighs.

No....the Lee scale is designed specifically to target a weight. Say you're load needs to be 39.6gr of whatever powder. You zero the Lee, set the poise at 9.6 gr, roll the ball to 30 grains, and check your load. It works very well using it as intended.

I have a little $30 Hornady digital that I use as a primary check from the powder dispenser. Then the pan goes from it to the Lee. An RCBS trickler is setup near the Lee to trickle up to weight.

Watch out for these little digital scales! They're good for getting an estimate, but I have three of them and will not trust one without a balance scale to double check with.
 
Where did the lee scale being only accurate to .2 gr come from? I have one and a couple of RCBS scales and it is all as accurate as them. In fact, they claim you can weigh a very very small piece of paper accurately, and I tried it and it did so very accurately.

I usually use it for reloading steel shot loads now, which is mostly done with dippers, so I am just confirming what I already know.
 
As I remember, the Lee scale is only accurate to within 0.2gr, but then the Lee load book is so de-rated
Click to expand...

I agree with most all the above. Mine says .1 gr accuracy. It even siggests cutting a piece of computer paper 1/4" x 1/4" square and weighing it = .1 gr. It will do so. I have marked mine at .1 above and below the zero marker as a reference.

StretchNM:
The Lee scale is truly not designed to find out how much something weighs. In other words, you don;t push the poise back and forth trying to get an unknown weight to balance out and reveal how much it weighs.

No....the Lee scale is designed specifically to target a weight. Say you're load needs to be 39.6gr of whatever powder. You zero the Lee, set the poise at 9.6 gr, roll the ball to 30 grains, and check your load. It works very well using it as intended.
Click to expand...

This is VERY true. It can weigh something; but Once you finally get it set, you won't want to be changing anything. It can weigh up to 100.9grs max. I have to cut pistol bullets in half to weigh them.

It's all I use for pistol loads.
 
"Freind of mine though has never used any thing but a LEE scale and he does not feel like he missed a thing."

I feel the same way; it's accurate, everybody agrees on that. I like the ball bearing because you can't get that halfway to a spot on the beam. I've played around with the expensive scales and didn't see they were much faster and it was easier to get the 10 grain weight in the wrong spot, especially if the old eyeballs aren't as good as they used to be.

Vernier scales and reading them is a skill that 80%?? of the population doesn't seem to have. I've got one of the cheap midway digital scales, I weigh something on the Lee scale and try it on the digital, and they agree to a .1 or so... must have got a good one. I just wish there was a way to keep it from turning off every 2 minutes.
 
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