All the Complaining That Goes On About Lee Precision

[Tom W.]

It is kinda strange, isn't it?

[dtknowles]

Ok Tim. Most people I knew started out with lee stuff.

The only person I know who started with Lee was my brother, he had a lee whack a mole for 32 S&W long but he got an RCBS press when he started loading for Rifles.

The Shooting Club at College had a Lyman press.

My shooting buddy has a RCBS press and Dillion progressive.

I don't know that many reloaders so my sample is small.

I like Lee but they seem to have gotten into the Press making business much later than the others some of whom are out of business. I would think that in the history of reloading more people have started using Ideal and Lyman stuff than anything else and I say that goes for bullet casting too. Maybe if we are talking about people who started in the last 20 years then maybe Lee has the most.

Tim

[RogerDat]

I think if you compare the kit prices Lee comes in at around $150 for single stage and $200 for a turret press. Lyman and RCBS start at $300 for a single stage and go up from there. So absent a "mentor" or forum discussion that steers them toward a green or orange purchase the prices of getting started kits favor purchasing a Lee. Now I think a fair number of folks buy individual components rather than kits, or maybe buy a press and get some hand me downs to help them get started. But those kits are offered because they have a market. You know I tend to think at least some of the perception of Lee being a "lesser" brand may simply be not having $600 and $800 single stage press kits. A base model Cadillac is still a Cadillac. The base models gain some cachet from the more expensive ones in the same brand space. Chevy is always going to be a Chevy, Impala doesn't gain much from Malibu (or is it other way around?)

[Ola]

Here starting with Lee press used to be more common but it has changed. The reason is simple. The whole idea of reloading / hand loading is more quality oriented. In the past most were doing it to get cheaper ammunition, but now it is done because they want to use BETTER ammunition.

So when the beginners ask for advice they are usually told to buy a solid O-press f.e Redding Big Boss, RCBS RC, Hornady... The idea is to skip the "flimsy" aluminum presses all together. And if they at some point want to sell the press it will have some resale value.

Oh, and I talking about reloading for RIFLE here. With pistols the only question is: "Who many rounds are you planning to load per year?" Well, you all know where this is going..

[Tom W.]

Tim, don't start none and there won't be none. I said people I knew. Not people you know. Not clubs you go to. I, me, not you.

[omgb]

A guy can only take so much.... Lee makes a fair product. After all, you can reload with it. I'm sitting here looking over a brand new Lee mold and am struck by the plainness of it. Thin sprue plate, chintzy wood on the handles and obvious machine marks and burrs on the blocks. But ya know what, it makes good enough bullets and it cost me a tad more than I would pay for dinner with my wife at the local drive in diner. I can't kick. Same can be said about the many Lee dies I have. I had one Lee Pro 1000 back in the late 80s and it was ****. Still I have lots of Lee loaders and they work and I loaded a lot of shot shells on my Lee Load-all. Generally though, I steer clear of Lee because I like the better finishing from the other makers. That's my story and I'm stick's with it.

[dtknowles]

Tim, don't start none and there won't be none. I said people I knew. Not people you know. Not clubs you go to. I, me, not you.

Yep, I can read. I understood what you said. I was just adding my remarks.

Tim

[runfiverun]

SSsssiiigh.

[jmorris]

I actually found this whole thing so intriguing that I spent 3hrs reading every page.

Must be pretty darn cold in Wisconsin today.

[OS OK]

Beat this Horse...beat him well...maybe you can put this issue to bed for a year or two!

5 years now and this Horse ain't dead yet...how about some variety?.........Harbor Freight?...give them a couple kicks in the nads too.

[kmw1954]

Must be pretty darn cold in Wisconsin today.

Yes it is. 16deg. right now and the lake has frozen over. About all caught up on my reloads and since I'm retired I have lots of time to read. I've had a few good chuckles.

[jmorris]

How thick is the ice? This might be a neat thing to do when bored.

[Josh Smith]

I started with a Lyman turret. The orange one. Someone from here or another reloading board I used to frequent didn't need it and sent it to me.

That thing lasted for years. The center bolt finally broke, parts were hard to find, so I gave it to a machinist in the family.

I was loading primarily rifle cases at that point, so I replaced it with a Rockchucker. Nice, simple, strong, and no tipping turret.

I've recently begun loading for volume with the .45acp since I'm running low, and decided to pick up a another turret press.

I wanted this one to auto index, and since I'm loading only pistol with it and size and deprime on the Rockchucker, I didn't require the strength of a heavy press. I therefore chose a budget Lee turret.

The stroke is shorter -- this was a selling point -- and though it's definitely not as refined as the more expensive brands, it does what I need it to do. I wish the detent ball's spring were a bit stronger because it does overshoot the index with a full powder hopper, but other than that it does what I ask of it.

The rifle ammo I load is often used to prove concepts when I prototype something for the Mosin-Nagant. Every round is therefore crafted carefully so as to take the ammo out of the equation.

If my livelihood centered around a .45acp firearm, I would not use a Lee press to load that ammo.

I do still use Lee dies for all my loading; it's what I started with and have no complaints. Likewise, I would use a Lee scale again with no hesitation. I do find my 505 to be more to my liking, but the Lee was very capable. I do wish more manufactures would use a razor edge fulcrum like Lee.

Regards,

Josh

[Eddie Southgate]

I got some Lyman (lots ) RCBS, Redding ,Pacific , Lachmiller , Hornady you name it . If you use it correctly regardless of brand it will work .

Eddie

[KenT7021]

If you all quit posting on this thread it will finally die.

[RogerDat]

If you all quit posting on this thread it will finally die.

You say that like it's a good thing.

Lee has two turret presses. One cast iron and one aluminum. They also have a nice $113 "O" press likewise not aluminum. Then they also have the inexpensive aluminum C press. There are items where Lee is "functional" and controls costs by not investing more than they need to in materials or finish. The molds are the prime example but the dies are good, and the presses range from inexpensive to your grandkids can probably plan on using it.

[kmw1954]

If you all quit posting on this thread it will finally die.

Then someone will just start another!!! So what's the point.

[EDG]

You can always chose to ignore it but there is always going to be someone gripping about Lee stuff.

If you all quit posting on this thread it will finally die.

[ukrifleman]

Just to add my 2 pennyworth from the other side of the pond, I have 7 bullet moulds, six Lee and one RCBS.

All produce excellent bullets, the difference between the RCBS and Lee moulds is, I paid £89 for the RCBS mould without handles and £19 for the Lee moulds including handles.

My Lee Classic turret press and 16 sets of Lee dies all produce good quality ammunition at a fraction of the cost of the competition.
ukrifleman.

[sghart3578]

Just to add my 2 pennyworth from the other side of the pond, I have 7 bullet moulds, six Lee and one RCBS.

All produce excellent bullets, the difference between the RCBS and Lee moulds is, I paid £89 for the RCBS mould without handles and £19 for the Lee moulds including handles.

My Lee Classic turret press and 16 sets of Lee dies all produce good quality ammunition at a fraction of the cost of the competition.
ukrifleman.

What he said.