Ahhh - the beauty of Lee

[mugsie]

I must confess - I'm a reloading snob. There - I've said it. I feel so much better already. I reload on a Dillon 550B. I cast using Lyman molds and furnace. I have RCBS dies and equip, Dillon dies, various Lyman equip but not (God forbid) Lee. Lee is the bottom of the pile. Only those on food stamps whould think about using Lee. They (wait whill I take another swig of the kool aid - gulp) can't compare to Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, Dillon, Hornady ....

The previous month I purchased a Lee round ball mold for my 1858 New Army. It casts perfect balls. I had a fun time during the session. This month I decided I would give another Lee mold a shot, so I purchased the 6 banger, 158g RNFP in 357. I also purchased, at a flee market, the Lee drip-O-matic. I fired up the drip-O-matic and in no time it was up to temp. Held that temp perfectly (as measured with my Lyman thermometer). I got out the Lee aluminum mold, didn't have to spend 20 minutes gleaning off all the oil and such, just took it out, heated it up and started casting. In just a couple of cycles it heated up perfectly. In no time I was dropping bulllets, 6 at a time by the way, which looked great. In under an hour I had hundreds cast (woulda had more if my neighbor didn't come over to talk and be mesmerized by the process) of perfectly shaped bullets.

When I was finished I simply put the mold away. No tremendous clean up. No spraying and soaking in oil. Just put er' away and she's ready for the next session.

I'm a convert guys. I know Lee has some problems, but so does Dillon, Lyman, Hornady you name it - they all do. For what I'm doing Lee is perfect. I love the mold. It has made what was an enjoyable hobby even more enjoyable. I can cast more bullets in less time than ever before. I will never drink the kool aid again. I will continue to use Lee for my molds and intend to purchase more. Same with the furnace - so it drips - I simply twist the little screw thingy on top and it stops. Big deal. I'm going to pay hundreds more just so I don't have to put an ingot mold under it to catch some excess lead? I'll bet they all drip.

So guys - I'm a convert. Whew - I feel better already. Now, back to some more casting .....

... and thanks for all your help. Each and every one of you - have a Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) and a very happy, prosperous and enjoyable new year. Stay well.

[IcerUSA]

Yepper , them there 6 banggers sure do cast a heap o boolits in a short time , even having to Leement one once in awhile they are worth every penny Lee charges for them I think .

Keith

[leadeye]

Learned about Lee six cavities and factory crimp dies this year from a friend. Good tools! Had only RCBS stuff in the past.

[DLCTEX]

Don't even think of trying the Lee Classic Cast /Turret series with the safety prime, or you'll really have some confessing to do.

[jonk]

Generally I say that there is a correlation between cost and quality.

Generally.

Now a lot of Lee stuff is garbage. Their powder scale is a good example. So is their C frame press (for anything more strenuous than sizing pistol brass anyhow). However some of their stuff is quite simply the best on the market, at any price. Their Classic Cast press is as beefy as a Rockchucker and 1/2 the price. Their dies are a heck of a lot harder to break than the competition- their lock rings are a bit chinsy but can easily be replaced- and are again, 1/2 (or less) the price of the competition.

As for their casting stuff, I love my Lyman molds, don't get me wrong. But for ease of use and set up you can't beat Lee, esp. the 6 cavity. As for their lead furnaces, again, so much cheaper than Lyman... and for the savings I can put up with a drip.

[The Double D]

Ah yes. Lee products. That classic press if you do any case forming with it, please send me the knuckle when it breaks, it's zinc and I can use it for casting cannon balls.

[Heavy lead]

I'll do that, I'll send you the Lee Challenger when it breaks too, resized the rigby and 338,300, and 7mm RUM on them and a lot others too, made 50 338 RUM from 300 RUM, never broke then either, and that was just the "junk challenger". I do use resizing lube though, maybe that makes a difference.:roll:

[The Double D]

If it ain't broke and not zinc, I don't want it.

This is what I want

http://www.fototime.com/8DF0BB6EB4039EF/standard.jpg

The results of forming 577/450 and 577 Snider from 24 guage shotgun cases with Imperial. Broke several more since this one. Replacement was always free from Lee.

You should see the mark it made in the door of the 74 Corvette

[Boerrancher]

I have had some problems with a few Lee products, but as a whole no more or no less than with any of the other manufacturers. I use to only use Lyman moulds, until I got my first Lee back in the late 80's. It was a 452-228-R, and it dropped WWs at 237grs. I used it in both my 1911 45 and my 45LC's I kept it at a friends house and not just me but everyone in the area that shot a 45 would come by and cast with it. If that mould didn't cast a million boolits then it never casted one. I guess my friends nephew still has it, as he took all of the reloading equipment after my friend died. I still have a couple of 3 lb coffee cans of these sized, and lubed stacked in my reloading room in my basement. The boolits were one of the few things the ex-wife didn't get rid of that belonged to me, I guess she couldn't move them. I have had to lee-mint a couple of my moulds, but for the most part my first stop when looking for reloading dies and moulds is the lee pages. For instance RCBS wanted over $100 for a set of 6mm284 dies (2 die set). I got my Lee dies for a bit over $35, and I know they will work just as well if not better than the RCBS set, and if I ever have problems Lee will fix them.


Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[copdills]

Another for the Big Red TEAM LOL Good Man

[45nut]

You should see the mark it made in the door of the 74 Corvette
I would like to see the 'vette regardless,, would you like it as your avatar?

[Lloyd Smale]

i like there pistol dies and there 6 cavity molds are exceptable but thats about it. rest of its about good to melt down and make boat anchors out of.

[Heavy lead]

HOLY COW
sorry Harry, may you RIP

[JDFuchs]

I still have not brought myself to spend $50 to $100 on a steel mold. So Lee is all I've ever used. I am quite happy with Lee's molds and melting pots. After working with aluminum at a machine shop for a year I'm sure these molds wont last for my lifetime (I'm only 23). But with no show of wear yet they should last quite long enough. My first casting press was the Lee's anniversary kit with a single stage press and most all else needed to reload. It worked well for me. But after seeing how much easier and faster other equipment can be. I'm not likely to get big lee reloading items. I did however try a Lee Deluxe Rifle 3-Die Set, I got for a friends 25-06 that i was not likely to use much at all. It was amazing! Easy and quick. I'm thinking of getting the 3 die set for my 30-30 work.

[454PB]

Of the dozens of moulds I own (or have owned), the only ones I ever had to send back were Lyman. I think I'm up to 18 Lee moulds at the moment.

[mold maker]

I have 17---6 cav. LEE's. Can you imagine what that would have cost in other brands??
With a choice between molds and groceries, I can diet enough for a couple Lees a month.
Don't be so swelled up on expensive stuff. Lee products may not be the elite, but they load ammo that works just as good as the rest.
The only thing I'm out to impress is the game I aim at, and they don't know the difference.

[Bob Krack]

I started casting in 1974 with several Lee moulds. Over the years I have tried Lyman with varied success. Never a problem with RCBS.

Wisht I could afford to try an NEI or three, but alas, it's all Lee for me now (not necessarily a bad thing - I am happy with them).

Bob

[The Double D]

The Vette belongs to RichardWV, he doesn't post here..he doesn't park the vette near the press anymore either. Need some 577/450 or Snider cases he'll make them for you on his Lee Classic press... he's made a couple thousand on that press in four or five years and three or four knuckles. I keep telling him, he needs to get a Rockchucker Supreme, he keeps making cases.

[Trailblaster]

I started out reloading on a Lee turret press l still have it also have a Dillon RL 550B .I use Lee molds for my casting and they get the job done I like Lee products.The auto prime has primed many cases for me.:drinks:

[PatMarlin]

I get tired of these pro lee, con lee threads.

I don't understand the problem with the Lee safety scale. That is a darn well engineered little scale and accurate too. Can't bump the thing out like a Redding, or Lyman. I think it's one of Lee's best items.

[j20owner]

I don't understand the problem with the Lee safety scale. That is a darn well engineered little scale and accurate too. Can't bump the thing out like a Redding, or Lyman. I think it's one of Lee's best items.

I just wish it had a higher capacity.

[PatMarlin]

That it could have for sure.

I speak up on it cause it's probably the safest manual scale made, and a very good scale for beginners new to reloading.

It has all the capcity you need for powder. Not enough for weighing heavy boolits. The redding and other beam scales are good for that, and since they jump out of measurement when you bump or breath on them, it doesn't matter with boolits really.

[MT Gianni]

I like Lee's scale too. I think it puts some off because it is touchy but it is very repeatable down to 1 graiin of most powders, not grain of weight. That may slow some down who can't wait to get done.

[klcarroll]

Seen previously in this thread: "I get tired of these pro lee, con lee threads."


Well, ....I can certainly understand that some of the veterans here have probably seen dozens of similar threads: …..And repetition can surely be boring!

But as a “newbie” here who is trying to get back into serious reloading after a 20 year hiatus, these threads are a gold mine of information!!!!

A lot has happened in 20 years!!!! (Like RCBS going to China, for instance!!)

.

[PatMarlin]

You're absolutely right KLC...'

Welcome to cast boolit heaven! ..:drinks:

[PatMarlin]

Oops...

I just saw your are from IL. I take that back ...:mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Love it when another state gets the heat for a change... :mrgreen:

[klcarroll]

Yeah, .......Not only is Illinois a very restrictive state, .....But these days it's positively embarrassing to admit that you call it home!! (…..Anyone want to buy a Governor???)

.

[SCIBUL]

I'm certainly a snob reloader too... But I look after myself :coffee:. The first dies I bought in 1986 were RCBS pistol dies. I have now HORNADY, LYMAN, FORSTER and..... LEE. Their collet dies are the better ones I can buy and I trully love the "perfect powder measure" that is the only one who can rival a bench rest scale for a minimum price. I like lee molds but don't have six bangers... for instance. Seriously I thing that mixing dies and molds is the way to go and LEE is in the run.

[500bfrman]

I know Lee has some problems,

It appears we have waited till december, but we do have the understatement of the year.

[DLCTEX]

I know Lee has some problems
As do RCBS, Lyman, Dillon, Hornady, Redding, etc. as evidenced by postings here. Nobody touches them on price and all their products get the job done, most of it as well as any others.

[Limey]

All my reloading kit is Lee.......I have to shoot on a very tight budget....but even if I had loads of cash I would still choose Lee as it's the best bang for buck kit out there in my humble opinion.

I am at an age now where performance v's cost with every purchase I make speak a lot loader than having a fashionable brand label that I have to pay a lot more for just to keep up with the Joneses.

Fact......without Lee I could not afford to shoot.

But just to please the knockers.....there is one bit of Lee kit that is rubbish.......that's their lead dipper. It's capacity is too small for big bullets and it's made of such thin material there is insufficient heat capacity in the material ito keep the molten lead hot enough and the result is wrinkley bullets!

...so grudgingly I had to cough up for a cast iron Lyman dipper.....and it does work a treat......so Richard Lee, if you are reading this......get that problem sorted out please!

Safe shooting

Limey

[PatMarlin]

LEE dipper makes a first class stirer.

[jnovotny]

I'm not a snob at all. I'll use anybodys stuff , if it works, I've got Lee Lyman RCBS Redding just about something from everyone. Nobody should be against something just because its cheap.This site is such a valuable tool. It too is part of my reloading bench.

[Junior1942]

LEE dipper makes a first class stirer.
+1 on that. It's also great for scraping the sides of the pot. For a dipper, the Lyman wins hands down. For a scraper, the Lyman is worthless. Get both.

[skeet1]

I have been loading for many years now and the most useful tool I have found is this forum. It has answered many questions I have always wondered about and given me new methods of making ammo. It is absolutely amazing how much knowledge is here.

I believe that this is one "hobby" that a person never quits learning and this is a good place to do it.

Skeet1