lee reloading press

[DxieLandMan]

For what I reload for, Lee has always done what I needed it to do. I've never had to replace anything on them. Getting into reloading for me, price was an issue (it still is) and as long as my red press does what I need/want it to do, I will keep using Lee. Disclosure: I have not used any other brand of presses.

[sghart3578]

I'll add this to my previous comments.

My primary deer rifle for years was a pre-64 M70 Featherweight in 30-06. Nice Leupold scope. With the cheapest Federal ammo I could find it would routinely shoot 1 to 1.5 MOA all day long. And I'm not even a good shot.

When I tried my Lee Classic Cast single stage I used a bunch off used brass, Federal primers, some Sierra 150 gr "blems" and the first recommended load for H4895 (the only powder that I had at the time).

The result? The same 1 to 1.5 MOA I had been getting with factory ammo.

I can understand premium reloading equipment for competitors or guys that like 1000 yard matches, etc. But for what I do Lee stuff works great.

[porthos]

thanks guys for all of the comments. i originally stated that $ was not a issue. yet, most of the responses mentioned the price. nobody addressed what if anything was better. but in a way that did answer my question.

[robg]

i started with a wamadet press that i still use but have a lee press now .if i was starting again i would use lee kits every time. only lee tool i dislike is their beam scale with the ball adjusters,too fiddlely .

[mdi]

Lee id a very innovative manufacturer. They often come up with new and different tools that other manufacturers often copy. Lee used modern manufacturing methods and modern materials (I have never seen any "pot metal" on any Lee product).

Their single stage presses are basic and made for use, not for bragging rights. My first single stage press was a Lee Challenger aluminum (OMG!) press. (this was pre web so I didn't know Lee equipment was terrible ) and I used that press for mebbe 8 years until I had to sell all my reloading equipment due to a messy divorce. My Challenger did everything I expected of it and never had one problem. Being a lifelong machinist/mechanic I could see the press was well made, and finely fitted where it was needed. The aluminum frame didn't scare me and there was no galling or excessive wear on the steel to aluminum surfaces.

Arrogance and ignorance are the biggest foes of Lee products. For over 35 years I have used Lee dies, presses and assorted reloading tools and I cannot say all problems were the fault of the equipment. I also had some other tools/presses and none made better ammo, nor lasted longer than my Lee tools (Redding Boss, Redding dies, Herters, Pacific, and C-H presses and assorted tools from most manufacturers)...

[jimkim]

If money was no object, and I didn't lust after the Bonanza/Forster CoAx, Redding 700 UltraMag, CH4D Champion, and the big Bair/Pacific Super-O presses, I'd get a Lee Classic Cast over the other O-frames, but that's ONLY because I like the adjustable lever. IMO, it is neither better nor worse than the RC, Crusher, or Boss. Out of the box it isn't as smooth as the Redding presses, but then again, neither is the Lyman, or RCBS. I now own eight presses, and the ones I use the most are a Lee Classic Turret, Lee Challenger(it was free), and an RCBS RS, which I bought from a member of CB. I own more presses now, than I need, but not so many that I would sell one.

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[Conditor22]

I've put a 3 ft cheater bar on a Lee Breech Lock Reloader Single Stage Press and it still works just fine. -------

[jaguarxk120]

Lets see you spend over $2000.00 on a exotic rifle and $2500.00 on a imported scope sight.

Then spend $50 on a press and even less on dies! Something doesn't compute here??????

[Rcmaveric]

If money were no issue then Forster, Dillion and Hornady would decorate my Reloading Laboratory. I would also be running windows 10 on a new laptop with Oleher chrono and Chamber Pressure gauges with Bulseye target camer. Alas, money is an option so I dont have a Laboratory or any of the above name brands.

Red is my favorite color so if I had all the money maybe I would exclusive use Hornady, I have always loved their products and trust the brand.

Is the quality and function really worth 4 times the price of Lee. When it comes to Lee my personal opinion is a little attention to detail and finishing work from the user makes the their products very reasonable and reliable. But all the other products aren't worth their price.

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[jaguarxk120]

You get what you pay for!!

[elmacgyver0]

You get what you pay for!!

And sometimes you don't.

[mdi]

You get what you pay for!!

And that's true with Lee tools. You pay for innovative, modern tools that work and last. Yep, that's what you pay for. But if you want to buy a name or specific color, they go ahead and spend more for that...

[lawdog941]

To each their own. I have and use a Classic Cast. It's predominantly the dies that are making ammo. Those are the variables that you can control.

[HeavyMetal]

I have several brands of press's now and have had several others that I had for one reason or another, strangely they all did the same thing: they made good ammo!

Lee has been moving forward in press technology, the Lee Classic cast and Lee Classic cast Turret press's are very much the best bang for your buck buy and more than equal to any task you'll ask then to handle in the course of "normal" reloading.

HM

[Bazoo]

I don't have a lot of experience with different presses and none with the lee other than the hand press. Rcmaveric mentioned the user doing some tweaking to lee products. That might throw some people off, but if a little tweaking is not acceptable then reloading isn't for you. I tweak just about everything regardless of brand.

Right now I'm using a lee hand press and a Lyman Spartan but my heart wants a Crusher II. Fact is price is not only a factor for me, but the driving factor most of the time. That's why I buy used if I can.

[mdi]

A sloppy reloader cannot make good ammo even on the most expensive press, but a conscientious reloaded can make good ammo on a cheap press...

[Cast_outlaw]

I use this old lee (not sure of the model if someone can enlighten me “that’d be great”) my dad bought it in 95 96, and I got it in 2016 still works great,an has great functionality. The handle is a little buggered up and moves about, but managed to fix it with a little hockey tape (my Canadianness is really showing) it’s the only rifle/handgun press I have but I do have a progressive shotgun press I love it’s a mec 9000gn

[Ozark Howler]

From my experience I've found that most people that have a negative opinion of Lee single stage presses have never owned one. I've used the Lee CC and found it to be as good as any, and better designed than most, BTW, I've owned a Coax and found it to be awkward to use and found no advantages ("sold it"). The RCBS Summit, IMO is an marketing failure, I'm still not sure what they were trying to accomplish with that outdate design (had one also...sold it). I mostly use my RCBS A2 and have for almost 52 years, of all the presses I've owned (and there's been quite a few) I would say the Lee is as good as any being made today...one would be advised to look at the tool, not the price (IMO)

[kmw1954]

Single stage press? Just go onto ebay any time and search reloading presses and then pay attention to how many 70 year old "C" type presses that keep getting listed and sold. That in and of itself has to say something about the design!

[jimkim]

I use this old lee (not sure of the model if someone can enlighten me “that’d be great”) my dad bought it in 95 96, and I got it in 2016 still works great,an has great functionality. The handle is a little buggered up and moves about, but managed to fix it with a little hockey tape (my Canadianness is really showing) it’s the only rifle/handgun press I have but I do have a progressive shotgun press I love it’s a mec 9000gn

It's a Lee Challenger press. If you ever break a toggle, or you just want to upgrade, you can swap the old diecast ones for the new steel ones for less than $20.00.

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