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View Full Version : Lee products, The good, the bad, the ugly.



tracker
05-30-2005, 12:40 PM
Greetings
I want to know what you guys thinks of Lee products. This subject has been brought up before on many hunting chat room and maybe this on as well. I will state that if it were not for Lee products I would have never started hand loading years ago. My first hand loading tool was a Lee loader for a 30-30. The rifle was a Savage model 340 bolt action. I now have an Auto prime, Ram Prime, a Hand Press, and two Lee loaders and a set of 308 win dies. I had a Challenger press but gave it to a neighbor so he could learn to hand load. I use an RC now.

I know that there are better quality tools but Lee has made it possible for many to get into casting and hand loading who would otherwise just went to the factory loaded stuff and never gotten into the hobby. We may graduate to better equipment later on when the kids move out and all our resources are freed up but Lee made it possible for me to start and I think many others also. And for that, I am grateful to Richard Lee. And I still use some of his products. What say you folks, good and bad.

Tracker

David R
05-30-2005, 01:06 PM
Yeah, my first loader was a lee and a hammer. For $50.00 I had dies, and what I needed to load for my 357. My first mold was a lee too.

My dad has the Pro 1000. Nice machine, so when I bought a progressive in 45 ACP, I got the "better" one, the loadmaster. I am not happy with it at all. It has been sent back many times. Loading is supposed to be relaxing, not frustrating. I did buy one of the first models so that explains some of it.

I love their cast trimmer system and use some of their molds. For a few $s, you can reload. They keep it simple. The Lee hand prime is the only way I prime all my cases that I don't do on the progressive press. Yes I still use it, but....

I also have one of the group buy molds on order.

One time when I was having trouble with the Loadmaster, I called their phone #. I talked to a guy for a long time. Wen I was done, I asked him his name. He said Richard. I said Richard who? He said Lee.

Willbird
05-30-2005, 02:50 PM
I think their stuff serves a purpose, some of it is excellent in it's own right, some of it is merely well worth the purchase price.

I think they did blow the lid off the price of carbide sizers to the point that big green and the others lowered their prices, or rather didnt let them rise with inflation.


Bill

45Dave
05-30-2005, 03:45 PM
One of the very first tools that I had was a Lee hand priming tool which is what most benchrest shooters used then. I use the AutoPrime for hand priming when I need to do this -- a truly great tool. I also had the depriming tool which was great for those military crimped in primers.

Have several friends who have the Lee 1000 progressives. Someone gave me one but I have not been able to get it to work satisfactorily. One of those friends had set it up for me and has promised to come back and check it out again.

I read about the Lee Cast Press and bought one. This is a great single stage press with a hollow ram for primers to fall thru into a long plastic tube which is either capped or put into a large primer catch can or waste basket. The priming system works good too, but needs the primer feeder, due out this Summer according to the catalog.

FWIW, I understand that some of Lee’s patents are used under license by Dillon on his equipment. I have had Dillon presses for 20 years and use the Square Deal for my .45 acp loading, as many as 300 to 500 per week.

Bottom line is that I do like most of the Lee stuff, but not the progressive presses.

swheeler
05-30-2005, 10:59 PM
Love their case trimmers, best thing since sliced bread! Most of my reloading equipment is green, but their seater dies leave something to be desired, I have several sets RCBS,Redding,Lee dies that I purchased a seperate Hornady seater die for. All in all, I think you get you money worth from their products! My 2 cents
Scooter

shooter2
05-31-2005, 03:40 PM
I have a number of Lee products and like them all. Good value for the money. I use their factory crimp die for just about all my cast bullet stuff as I like to crimp as a separate step. About a half dozen sets of Lee dies that work fine. Except when I load for pistol on my Dillon 550, the Lee hand priming tool is all I use. It has a good feel to it. All in all, I am happy with what I have. For progressives, it is hard to beat Dillon.

35remington
05-31-2005, 08:37 PM
I would echo most of the above. I have only a few complaints, which are:

The Perfect powder measure is a bit imperfect, as some types of fine ball powder makes the drum bind. Great with extruded powders.

My Pro 1000 is a fair press, has loaded many rounds. The primer feed is spotty, and I need to order a new one. Occasionally gets out of time, but it is easy to make right. A heavy user of pistol ammo should get a Dillon, but the Lee is okay for the 5-8,000 rounds I shoot per year in 45 ACP.

The Safety Powder scale is easy to bump out of adjustment. If you're not looking, your setting of, say, 58.5 grains can be easily bumped to 58.8 or some such. It needs notches to hold the setting.

45 caliber rifle moulds that produce only .457" bullets, which are worthless for any .45 caliber rifle. I've had to get Lee to special select those that produce oversize bullets, which is worth the extra cost (25 bucks). I asked for .460" in wheelweights, and that's what I got.

Some very good products, which tend to be simple ones:

Priming tool
Inexpensive C frame presses with compound leverage-cheap enough that I've got two that I bolt to the benches at the range so I can reload there.

Their push through sizing dies. Hand press. Collet dies. Factory crimp die. Powder through expand die. Small rifle charging die, Auto disk kit.
Generally low cost dies that produce good ammo. I like the shellholder and dipper that come with the three die set. Case trimmer (the simple one), specific for each caliber. Sometimes these need to be shortened a little, but that's easily done.

Moulds-I haven't had the trouble some have had with their moulds. I baby mine, lubricate them well, and they produce good bullets. Handled carefully, they are well worth the low price in terms of value. Generally accurate designs. I especially like the C113F, their 148 grain .38 wadcutter, their .45 caliber 200 grain Hensley and Gibbs 68 copy, the .312" 160 grain, and my custom .45 405 grain that casts .460" bullets.

I have a 10 lb bottom pour furnace that I purchased in 1986 that is still working and has melted tons of lead. This weekend I used it to make 50 lbs. of .25 caliber bullets from my two Lee six cavity moulds that were a group buy on CastBoolits. The six cavity are their best moulds. I also have their 20 lb furnace.

A great deal of my loading equipment is Lee.

RayinNH
05-31-2005, 08:53 PM
35 Remington, on the Safety Powder Scale beam arm slider that allows you to set fractions of a grain, there is a little button located to the lower right hand corner of the Lee logo. When you push that in it locks the slider to the beam and holds your setting...Ray

Buckshot
06-01-2005, 02:25 AM
...............I have some of their dies, and they work fine. I bought a Perfect powder measure and other then as 35 Remington mentioned binding with fine gain powder (can you say WC820? :-) it's worked as advertised. Have their powder dippers (rarely used), push through sizers, Ram Prime (rarely used) buncha boolit moulds (baby them) and their lead furnace. Currently a 20# but had a 10 for a boggle of years. Gave it to a buddy and he used it and then handed it to a freind of his.

I haven't had to send a Lee product back to Lee yet, but the above are the only ones I've ever used.

Willbird is right in that Lee forced RCBS to do several things besides lower thier carbide size die prices. I'd bought a set of RCBS 45ACP carbide dies from RCBS in 1967 and they were $78!!!

..............Buckshot

BruceB
06-01-2005, 03:52 AM
Price differences can be astounding. A set of Lyman .45-3.25" dies can be had for about forty bucks. RCBS dies for the same cartridge are well over $200. Something tells me RCBS really doesn't want to be bothered with us small-market niche shooters. My .404 Jeffery dies were made by RCBS, and to replace them from Midway will run $234.00, which is sixty bucks more than I paid for the Cogswell & Harrison rifle in 1970!

On topic, I have quite a few Lee moulds, and have gotten very decent results from many of them. My .338s seem to like the 220-grain Lee bullet a whole lot, better to date than the two Lyman .338 moulds I've recently acquired. Another good one is their .30-180 semi-pointed design, which works well in many of my rifles.

Swagerman
06-01-2005, 08:17 AM
You get what you pay for is an old axum that still holds true today.

However, Lee dies are hard to beat for their low price, as is their moulds.

The only Lee press I have is the Classic cast iron job.


Swagerman

35remington
06-01-2005, 08:31 AM
Ray, thanks for the tip. I have examined a friend's Lee scale, but did not buy one myself due to the reason mentioned. Since that doesn't hold true, I need to reconsider, especially since they are on sale at one of the big distributors. An extra scale or three never hurt anything.

MT Gianni
06-01-2005, 02:06 PM
I have returned a mold that was out of round and a safety scale that had the arm broken after 10 years of use. the charge for the scale was 1/2 new list and the mold was replaced free. Their safety scale holds true with weight checks from .10 to 100 gr but is good for powder only because of the 100 gr max. I have a turret press and some dies that I have no real complaints with. Gianni.

Rrusse11
06-02-2005, 08:12 PM
35Rem,
Once you've found the lock on the Lee scale, I'm sure you'll be happy with it. I've used one for years now with no problem, VERY sensitive.
The limitation as Gianni points out is the 100gr limit, but I got a Lyman 500gr recently for brass and boolits, not nearly as precise IMHO for powder charges as the Lee.
I've got the Lee 4 hole turret, and love it. Changing calibers is a twist and snap. Yeah, there's better built stuff on the market, but I've always found the Lee stuff to have the precision where needed. And their Factory Crimp dies are the best thing going in my experience. The sizing/check dies are another moneysaver, so far I've managed to avoid the lubrisizer approach.
Cheers,
R*2

Willbird
06-02-2005, 10:00 PM
I sent my first 6 cavity mold back, with a note saying the tumble lube idea was lame, for the usual reasons people don't like it, lube buildup in the dies, PITA etc. (ya I know some folks like them,find ways to deal with it, thats cool) and for a 45 acp boolit it cast about .456

they were happy to replace it with one for a real boolit with lube grooves.

I also had a 357 hollowpoint mold that the HP pin was wayyyyyy off center, they replaced that with a new mold, the old style wasnt made anymore.


I think Redding are the nicest dies made for rifle stuff, and they don't seem to hold semi-special and specials quite so dear as big green does...I think their comp seaters and bushing dies are without parallal, I do not care for the comp bushing neck sizer. I prefer the plain old bushing neck die to it.

Bill

locutus
06-03-2005, 09:45 PM
I guess I'll go against the grain here. I've had bad experiences with Lee products. I don't like them at all.

I realize that many people would not be reloading if it were not for Lee, and the shooting community owes him a debt of gratitude for that. I will also admit that Lee products will load acceptable ammunition most of the time.

But to answer the question as originally asked: No, I don't like them, and won't ever buy them again.

Bent Ramrod
06-06-2005, 01:25 AM
I started out with a Lee Loader in .22 Hornet. When I graduated to a Pacific press and RCBS dies a few years later, it took about 9 months of load development to get back to the accuracy that I was getting from the Lee Loader.

Their bullet molds don't stand beating around or abuse, but they generally cast good bullets and are amazingly inexpensive. (I think they should put thicker grease grooves in some of their .45-70 molds, but the Hollow Base Mold is as good as any I've seen.) I bought a series of Lee round ball molds ranging from 0.310" to 0.323" to try to get an ideal diameter for my troublesome .32 cal Pedersoli Squirrel Rifle. Each mold for less money than a couple boxes of bullets of each size would have cost.

I use their Shotshell Loader. The only bad thing about it is that sometimes the crimp loosens up on some plastic shells. I scrounge paper shells when I can, and live with the loose crimps on the plastic. The loader paid for itself when it loaded about three boxes of shells, so it owes me very little, if anything.

I finally burned out their 10-lb melter with the temperature control after 25 years of increasingly deliberate abuse and promptly purchased a 20-lb version of the same melter (ladle casting; none of that newfangled bottom pouring). If I ever have to buy another furnace, I'll be very surprised.

I still use their priming tools. Very good design. Don't have any Lee presses or powder measures, because I got the other brands used for cheap. Somebody starting out who doesn't have the cunning of the born scrounger could do a lot worse than use Lee equipment to get started with.

The one example of their dies I have is in .44-40, and it is as good as any other die. Their "Factory Crimp" dies are the only way to go for those nut cases that insist on loading obsolete calibers like .44-40's, .32-20's and the like in this era of Short-Action Ultra Mags.

I can't fathom the obloquy about Lee products that I sometimes hear. They make good stuff, and amazingly inexpensively. On the other hand, I was able to make a Lyman plastic dial caliper work adequately for 10 years before I finally wore it out. So maybe it takes a certain touch to get Lee stuff to work at its optimum level.

I have mostly Redding and RCBS and Lyman loading stuff. But I can't really see any basic inferiority in Lee loading equipment.

brimic
06-06-2005, 11:47 PM
I have mostly RCBS stuff. But I do use some Lee stuff.

Things I like from Lee-
Their case trimmer is simple and ingenious. But noone likes to hear how my $10 setup will trim 30-06 cases just as well as their $100 case trimmer. :grin:
My RCBS trimmer hasn't been used in about 5 years

Production pot IV- works great for me. If I had to buy a $200 RCBS or Lyman pot, I wouldn't have tried casting at all.

Moulds- I'm 2 for 3 on those. 2 of them make good accurate bullets, the third I'm going to try to 'Beagle'

Collet dies- yet another ingenious Lee product that does a lot and costs very little.

Challenger press- I bought one for about $20 a few years ago. I use it for decapping and as a stand for my RCBS Uniflow measure, much more versatility than a RCBS uniflow stand which costs about the same.

Bullet sizing dies- a no brainer.

Lee Liquid Alox- I bought a used Lyman 450 sizer that I haven't used yet, because the Lee lube has worked for me so far.

Misses:

Lee lead dipper- I tried pouring exactly 5 bullets before I gave up on it, worksgreat for scraping the pot though.


Also- I just found out that my neighbor's dad who's always over there watching his grandkids and who I talk to often works for Lee, so I see myself buying alot of Lee stuff in the future :grin:

Char-Gar
06-07-2005, 12:14 PM
From your post, it would seem you already have firm opinion about Lee and it's place in the market.

There are some products that Lee makes that are very, useful and well worth the money. Their crimp dies, 6 hole molds and push through sizing dies come to mind. There other products vary from usable to ***.

I got started in handloading in the days when a dollar was a big as a wagon wheel. Lee was not around and I bought good equipment, much of which I still use today. I have never been a believer is starting cheap and trading up. You save money by buying good stuff in the first place. You also get the pleasure of working with quality tools, that last and last and last.

Maybe Lee got some newbies into loading and maybe those newbies would just have saved a little longer if Lee was not around. I for one don't know and really don't care.

grumble
06-07-2005, 12:56 PM
I think Lee should just triple their prices, and not change anything else. Then all the people who just HATE Lee products would start to love them. The main problem with Lee is that they don't overcharge.

Lee dies are at least as good as any other dies, and I prefer them to RCBS. With the exception of their 1 and 2 cavity molds, I've never used any Lee products (and I have a lot of them) that weren't well made for their intended purpose.

I have some high dollar stuff from other companies (Dillon, RCBS, Redding, etc) that's just fine, but few items are superior to anything I have from Lee, and if Lyman is included in the comparison, I MUCH prefer Lee.

I keep hearing talk about "quality" tools. Maybe I need some explanation of the term "quality." To me, if things are dimensionally correct, do the job properly, and last a long time, I consider that good quality. But then, I'm just an old country boy, and maybe I don't understand the true meaning of the word.

I expect to be lambasted with examples of how some particular product is better than a Lee (like, f'instance, a Dillon progressive being better than a Lee progressive, or a RCBS lead pot better than a Lee pot), and if you compare ALL brands against Lee, some items may come up superior. But, in a head-to-head comparison of Lee products against any other single manufacturer's products, you'll find that Lee will be very competitive, even before pricing enters into the comparison.

With Lee, you get what you pay for. With other brands, you get a lot less.

Rrusse11
06-07-2005, 01:21 PM
Grumble,

^5's

R*2

Char-Gar
06-08-2005, 08:03 AM
Grumble..I used the term "quality" so I had better step up with an explanation.

It could mean fuction and ability to do a task well. I bought a Lee Turret press and loaded a mess of 30-06 match ammo. When I got through, I noticed the OAL was visable different on the loaded rounds. A check with a Wilson gage indicated the problem was coming from the sizing die and there was a variation in headspace of the case. The die was an old C-H and I have used it for 40 years and know the problem was not there. There was enough slop in the fit of the turret head to the press to induced the difference. The press worked well enough to straight handgun rounds, but I could never trust it. I gave it away.

I also had a set of lee 38 special dies that had the expander plug off center.

Those were my first two Lee purchases and I stoped there for over 20 years. Two bad products out of two purchases was too much for me. Recently I have purchased some push through sizing dies and some six cavity mold that I am well pleased with.

Quality can also denote pleasure of use. Load one round on an old RCBS A2 or Hollywood press and you will have a difference experience. The massive leverage, smoothness of operation and perfection in parts alighment makes reloading very enjoyable experience. No fussing with the tools, everything works to perfection with every stroke of the tool.

I have no problem with folks who use Lee equipment, but in my experience and opinion, most Lee stuff does not meet my understanding of high quality loading tools. They are made cheap and sold cheap. I don't consider Redding products overpriced. Maybe it is just the different way we look at the world and the things that are in it.

I spend many, many hours each year with my reloading tools, and spending more to make that time more pleasurful is money well spent. IMHO

Char-Gar
06-08-2005, 08:11 AM
Grumble..I used the term "quality" so I had better step up with an explanation.

It could mean fuction and ability to do a task well. I bought a Lee Turret press and loaded a mess of 30-06 match ammo. When I got through, I noticed the OAL was visable different on the loaded rounds. A check with a Wilson gage indicated the problem was coming from the sizing die and there was a variation in headspace of the case. The die was an old C-H and I have used it for 40 years and know the problem was not there. There was enough slop in the fit of the turret head to the press to induced the difference. The press worked well enough to straight handgun rounds, but I could never trust it. I gave it away.

I also had a set of lee 38 special dies that had the expander plug off center.

Those were my first two Lee purchases and I stoped there for over 20 years. Two bad products out of two purchases was too much for me. Recently I have purchased some push through sizing dies and some six cavity mold that I am well pleased with.

Quality can also denote pleasure of use. Load one round on an old RCBS A2 or Hollywood press and you will have a difference experience. The massive leverage, smoothness of operation and perfection in parts alighment makes reloading very enjoyable experience. No fussing with the tools, everything works to perfection with every stroke of the tool.

I have no problem with folks who use Lee equipment, but in my experience and opinion, most Lee stuff does not meet my understanding of high quality loading tools. They are made cheap and sold cheap. I don't consider Redding products overpriced. Maybe it is just the different way we look at the world and the things that are in it.

I spend many, many hours each year with my reloading tools, and spending more to make that time more pleasurful is money well spent. IMHO

Willbird
06-08-2005, 09:13 AM
Also I wonder if a company came out called "cheaper than Lee" how many customers would leave Lee for them ??

Bill

grumble
06-08-2005, 11:51 AM
Chargar, we're in basic agreement on one thing at least. I, like you, have no problem with anyone using whatever brand product they choose. What DOES get under my skin a bit, is broad and unfounded criticism of an entire line of products, when those criticisms are based on stereotyping a brand that I know produces some good stuff.

My experience with RCBS dies is similar to yours with the Lees, and of about the same age -- I got my first reloading stuff in the mid-80s from a friend being transferred to England, and it was mostly RCBS. Out of all the stuff I got, I am still using the press and the Lyman tumbler -- the rest has been replaced, mostly with Lee. It's regrettable that you got a couple bad Lee dies 20 years ago that soured you on anything they ever did, or ever will, produce. I was displeased with the RCBS dies I got, but I still think RCBS makes some good stuff.

I'll also agree with you that the Lee turret press isn't the best on the market if that's the ONLY press you will have on your bench. If you only have one, then I suppose a heavy "D" press would be the one to have. I don't use my Lee turret for heavy work, only for load development and pistol loads. If I didn't have the old RCBS and Herters presses for heavy work, though, I think I'd buy the new Lee D press in preference to the others on the market today.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the meaning of the word "quality," I suppose. I'm a form, fit, and function guy, and I like Burger King hamburgers better than the $15 soy burgers sold in fancy restaurants.

Char-Gar
06-09-2005, 09:08 AM
Grumble..We are in agreement on more than one point;

1) I also would prefer a greasy real meat hamburger to soy crap

2) I also agree it is unfair to damn a product line, due to some bad experience. I used to do that, but started to think about it. So many people were having good luck with Lee. Perhaps I needed to stop "taring the whole line with the same brush". So, I just state my experience with various tools and let folks make their own decisions.

I got a bad RCBS die many yeas ago. The cases cumpled on me in the sizing die. I forget the caliber, but it was a bottle neck rifle round. A through inspection revealed that the factory forgot to drill the air vent hole.

I need to say that todays RCBS customer service is fantastic. I recently bought two RCBS dies that came without all the parts. An email to RCBS brought the parts to my mailbox in three day and all without charge. I am impressed.

When I buy new dies, I buy Redding...I have never had any problem with a Redding die, and I have several score.

You still living in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico?

StarMetal
06-09-2005, 10:30 AM
RCBS told me that the bottleneck neck dies no longer require a vent hole. I found that the new ones didn't have them and called them. I have a few Lee dies and when I form brass from other calibers, like forming 7.7 Jap from 30-06, the vent hole in the Lee dies scar the case. This happens in more then one Lee die. Anyone, in my opinion, that thinks Lees dies (and some other of their other equpment) are equal to the other major brands..IS NUTS. Example..Lee could never smell Redding dies. If you look at the wholesale prices all the companies can offer a die in a similar price range.

Just my two cents.

Joe

Rrusse11
06-09-2005, 10:41 AM
. Anyone, in my opinion, that thinks Lees dies (and some other of their other equpment) are equal to the other major brands..IS NUTS. .
Joe

Well, been called worse,,,,,,,,,,,,, {;o).

R*2

Char-Gar
06-09-2005, 12:01 PM
Uhh!..Joe..I said the bad ventholeless RCBS was many years ago..how about 1961. All dies came with a vent hole back in those stone age days. Rather than fool around with sending it back, I just drilled on with a drill press. The word "Customer Service" wasn't even invented until the 80's.

Willbird
06-09-2005, 12:20 PM
I will admit I like Nice things....if you handle tools you know what I mean, a Starrett or Brown and Sharpe 0-1 micrometer "feels" right in your hand....a Mitotoyo in some manner is not "right", it has the functional qualities but not the "feel" . Mitutoyo makes the very best ID micrometer I have ever used, and their Digimatic calipers are the best on the planet, so the BRAND isnt bad, just some of their line isnt as NICE in the hands as the old standards.

On Lee dies, their Carbide pistol dies are an excellant value...I myself do not care for their expander design on a conventional press. Their rifle dies.......personally I do not care for them.....Mr. Lee explains that his theory of operation is that the case neck needs no guidance during bullet seating. The bullet seater adjustment is crude, and the seating plug itself is aluminum,

Personally I far prefer a comp seater die from Redding to any other seater die made, the old Bonanza of the same style as the redding is an excellant die as well. back in the Day Big green was it, now I think Light Green (redding) is the king of rifle dies..they are very well thought out and very nicely executed...and they do offer dies for less popular ctg. at a very fair price compared to other mfg that may not offer them at all, or charge a LOT more.

Lee 2 cavity molds....worth exactly $15.00 or whatever they get for them...Lee 6 cavity molds, very well made and with excellant thought as to how best use the chosen materials...they should adopt the 6 cavity features into a 2 cavity at a slightly higher price I think.

a Wilson case trimmer is a NICE tool, it will trim cases to the .0001" every time...it costs more than most other tools.......it is not even in the same league as a Lee trimmer, BUT the Lee trimmer works BETTER then most other brnads that use a collet to grip the ctg. The collet types won't most of them hold .005" tolerance....differant rim dia make the collet pull deeper or shallower.

Lee progressives.....there is no other progro press avail for 125.00 so we have nothing to compare.

I have seen RCBS quality and "feel" go wayyyyyy downhill in 20 years, their comp seaters used to be made like jewelry, now they are crude and only 1/4 as nicely made, thus the redding is the one I like. BUT I just got a set of RCBS carbide 32 H-R/S-W long dies off Ebay and they are very nicely made.

Even Dillon sells redding dies in their catalog.and some people feel that the Lee carbide sizer is the very best even in a dillon (not I as of yet),,,,Hornady has adopted a Lee style de-capper in their new dimension dies.

it's all fine well and good to buy Savage/Simmons/Mitutoyo/Lee products if you choose, in SOME cases they may offer the BEST choice...........but the cheapest is NOT always the best.

We only live once, and this is not a practice life, and you cannot take it with you.


Bill

grumble
06-09-2005, 01:06 PM
Chargar, good post.

Yep, I'm still the only civilization for several miles around. But, an old rancher recently died and his family sold off his land in 150-200 acre lots, so I have new neighbors on the way. I've met some of the prospective neighbors, and they seem to be pretty good people. They're emigrating urbanites, though, and will move in with starry eyes. Once they realize that there isn't a 7-11 for 100 miles when they run out of milk, the reality of their situation will hit them. I'd guess half of them won't be here for more than a year or two, and I'll have some different new neighbors to meet.

You're right about the RCBS warranty. You can buy a piece of broken RCBS junk for next to nothing at a gun show, send it to them, and you'll get a new item in return. I had a RCBS scale that was destroyed in a house fire, and they sent me a new one, along with a note of sympathy.

Lee's warranty isn't as good, it's only for one year. But, if you buy something from them that doesn't work or breaks in the first year, they are just as good as RCBS. And they don't ask for receipts. I've broken decapping pins trying to decap Beridan cases [doh!!] and when I called, the operator did everything but BEG me to say the dies were less than a year old.

But, as has been said, I'm "nuts," so I suppose none of this matters. I've always known I was different, but I never thought of myself as "nuts" before. Live and learn!! <GGG>

Char-Gar
06-09-2005, 07:47 PM
Willbird..As long as we are talking trimmers and seaters, let me throw in my itty bitty piece.

Trimmers first.. I have both a Wilson and a Forster. I use the Forster to turn necks and drill hollow points. I have a file-trim dies for every caliber I load on a regular basis. They are just as fast to use a manual trimmer and you don't have to mess with setting the gizmo. I use Redding instead of RCBS file-trim dies. RCBS cuts their file-trim dies to the same specs as a FL sizing die and when you run a case into the die it will FL size it whether you want it to or not. That plays hob with your fire formed cases that you only neck size. Redding file trim dies are cut larger and do not size you cases..Good on them.

Now Seaters...I have long been a fan of Vickerman straight line seaters and had the guy at Cabin Tree make me one that will seat thirty cal bullets up to .3125 in size.

Lyman also made straight line seaters with a spring loaded collet to hold the bullets. Sorta like a vickerman without the bullet window. Lyman cut these several thousands larger than Condom bullet size and are very usefull for cast bullets. There was a guy on Ebay selling these things for a song about a year ago, and I picked up about a dozen in various calibers. Work like a champ.

Before, I had the cast bullet gizmo made for a Vickerman, I had Wilson make up a custom hand bullet seating die for cast bullets in .308. It is a real jewel. I called Wilson on the phone and about ten days later the seater arrived with the bill. Talk about trust!

You just can't get bullets too straight in the case.

I will admit to being a trifle odd in the way I do things, but it works for me.

Willbird
06-09-2005, 08:33 PM
I'd like to know what kind of preservative oil Wilson uses, it smells great.


Bill

RugerFan
06-11-2005, 02:21 PM
When I started reloading 18 years ago as a young family man, all I could afford were Lee products. If not for Lee's inexpensive reloading tools, I would have gotten started much later in life. I have since migrated to mostly RCBS, but still use some Lee items I find very handy (Like the little black primer pocket cleaner). I can't believe Lee discontinued their "cookie cutter" pan lubers.

buck1
06-13-2005, 12:33 AM
No one has bad mouthed Lee over the years as much as I have. I started out with used RCBS gear when I was a kid. The old RC press is still cranking out top dog ammo. It was well used when I got it 25 years ago. I would buy a new one if I could detect any need, but I cant.
I think $$ would be better spent on used quality stuff.
BUT I have found some LEE products worth buying.

Factory crimp dies.
mil depriming punches.
LEE hand priming tool.
LEE push through bullet sizers.
Cast bullet expander die.
Liquid alox has it place.
I have yet to try but may be ok....carbide crimp die.
Their 3 station press is the worst thing I have ever pulled the handle on.
I wish they would put some quality behind those "simple is best" ideas and get rid of the aluminum. Then I could be a LEE fan.....Buck

Bent Ramrod
06-13-2005, 09:14 PM
I got one of the Lee Carbide Crimp Dies in .44 Spl and it works very well. Haven't tried to load an unsized round and just do the whole sizing/seating/crimping operation with one pull of the lever, but I can see that it burnishes the sides of the already sized case after the crimp is applied.

Of course, one bad experience might be enough to sour anybody on the brand in question. My bad experience was with CH dies in .32-20 caliber. The seating die was so far eccentric that I got an "X-Treme" crimp on one side of the cartridge and none whatsoever on the other side. Later I heard that the founder of the company had died in a car wreck and the company had been taken over and run into the ground by the receivers.

However, when I need dies for really obsolete cartridges, I go to CH-4D, which is a new company incorporating the old name. The dies are not highly finished (one might even use the word "crude" when describing the outside and some of the sizing and seating stems) but they generally do a decent job reloading the cartridge in question, and, when they don't, the factory is very good about reworking them, free of charge. I can't afford the Group D, E, F and G dies that RCBS and Redding offer, unless I find them used.

I've never needed any such reworking from Lee. One of the many tragedies/farces of my life was when I went up to Oroville on a vacation trip one summer and bought some RCBS .43 Spanish dies for a fairly stiff price for my Peabody rifle. A month later, I found that Lee, incredibly, made the same dies for about 2/5 the cost. The Peabody is not a "National Match" rifle, so the Lee die set, I am sure, would have been more than adequate for making the reloads.

I got one bad RCBS die once. A .25 Remington sizer whose decapping/expanding stem was off-center to the die cavity. It could be used, after a fashion, by not tightening the lock nut and letting the stem wobble in the die. With this inferior, crummy equipment, accuracy was, of course, hopeless--the best I could do with my Remington Model 30 were not-infrequent one-inch groups at 200 yards. Later I found a Redding die set in the same caliber which, to any reloading tool aesthete, is a jewel-like joy to behold. No mechanical problems; superb finish and workmanship inside and out. Oddly, I haven't been able to better those groups with the same loadings in the same rifle put through the new die set.

It may be better to just go ahead and shoot the reloads, rather than going over everything with a micrometer looking for flaws beforehand. Power of suggestion, and all that. :wink:

utk
06-14-2005, 03:24 AM
I've owned two Lee-presses; the Challenger (which I bought used from a friend) and their smallest C-model (got it free from another friend). On both presses, the ram was out of alignment with the die hole, very much so on the C-press.
A pity, I wouldn't risk trying their new Classic Cast press, just don't trust them on presses.
Their moulds are ok for the price, their push-through sizers are very good. And their collet neck die in .308 is excellent.

utk

jh45gun
06-17-2005, 10:21 PM
Well I had a set of Hornady dies in 45/70 that darn near made me quit reloading before I hardly started the decapping pin kept breaking on it. I bought lee dies and that solved the problem I have not busted a decapping pin yet. Now all my stuff pretty much is Lee at least the stuff I buy new and I am perfectly happy with it. I am sure Hornady makes good products but one bad one cured me on their reloading line so hey guys other companies can have problems too. Jim

Wayne Smith
06-19-2005, 07:35 PM
I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but Lee's RB molds are head and shoulders ahead of any other's I know. It's the design, no sprue!

I've had problems breaking their 'unbreakable' decapping pin, replaced no charge. I love the 44-40 Factory crimp die, and dearly hope they'll make me one for my .41 Colt. I started with the Lee Loader and mallet and powder dipper for the 30-30 and 16 guage when I was 16 years old, and I'm now 52. Couldn't have started on my own without those products, even though I lusted after the Herter's equipment there was not enough money, even when I was loading for Dad's 30-30. If not for Lee I would have gotten started much later.

I now have a Lee sizer, a Lyman sizer, and an RCBS sizer. Well see how much each gets used, but I like lubing and sizing in one operation, and tumble lube ain't no good with BP!

Only press I've ever owned is my RCBS JR3, and well satisfied with it, even if the handle does droop. I e-mailed RCBS about a fix for the droop, they responded that they didn't know one, all of theirs had the same problem!

Like most companies, they have their good and bad points. Ever hear of an Edsel, or Corvair?

swheeler
06-22-2005, 12:34 AM
THE UGLY- Lee 7.62x38R die set!

Shuz
06-24-2005, 12:16 PM
I've read the various comments about Lee products with interest. Here's my experiences-- First, the hand tool called the Auto-Prime. I loved it when it first came out, but, early on I kept experiencing breakage of the tool body up where the shell holder fits in. Each time I contacted Lee Mfg, all they offered to do was sell me a new tool body! They even admitted that they had some "poor castings"! That's not my idea of good customer service. I quit using the Auto-Prime and bought an RCBS tool when they came out. I hate using the RCBS tool--too hard to change shell holders and then the darn pin falls out if you don't remember not to turn it upside down! However, the tool has not broken, so I guess I will continue to use the RCBS. Second, I have had poor luck with Lee 6 cavity moulds. One broke at the sprue handle right after I got it. I contacted Lee, and they said send it back to Midway for a refund and I did. Why didn't they just exchange it? After all it was their product, and not Midway's fault. Another Lee 6 cavity stared throwing boolits .005 to .007 outta round after several casting sessions. I gave that mould away. Thirdly, I've had relatively good success with a couple a 2 cavity Lee moulds that have been modified by either milling off the gas check and making a lighter boolit, or, in another case,hogging out the gas check ridge. These moulds perform as long as you keep the pins and sprues lubricated, but I have had "block pin" protrusions that I've hadda deal with, as well as sprue plate screw loosening. The latter is a real PITA, but I don't have the tools to fix this problem permanently. Fourth, the factory crimp dies work very well, especially on son's .300 RUM! In summation, my Lee experiences are both good and bad, and I usually think of Lee stuff, as cheap stuff, that usually(sometimes?) works, but if I can afford better stuff, I buy other brands.

David R
06-24-2005, 06:40 PM
I had the sprue handle break off my 6 cavity mold. I welded a screwdriver to it. Works the balls! Love the Auto prime, its all I use. The first one I had broke just like you said so I bought another one. Had it for 15 years or so.

There is no better case trimmer for ME. I welded a bolt Across the top of the cutter so I could hang on to it with my big clumsy hands.

Just like the title of this thread. Good, Bad and even Ugly.

floodgate
06-24-2005, 11:19 PM
I still use one of the very early (1960 or so) Lee hand priming tools - the older one with the screw-in shell-holders - for 95% of my priming (I like to inspect and clean my primer pockets after resizing and depriming). I got about 25+ of the various size shell-holders at a sporting goods store close-out years ago, and can accomodate just about any case except my .22 Velo-Dogs. Works like a champ! And - unlike the RCBS, which I find uncomfortable to hold and squeeze, not to mention the priming punch "fall-out" problem - it fits my hand like it was made for it. Just got one of the Lee alloy-frame "Reloader" C presses to use with their sizing dies, and it works fine (it was actually one of their "reject" sale items), though I'd hesitate to push it with heavy resizing. Like the old Herters' stuff, Lee's products are at least worth their low prices (and occasionally a lot more), and without the pretentious bombast old George Leonard was prone to, though Richard does brag his stuff up a bit. His Second Edition loading book is worth buying and reading (newbies take note!), too, even for an old Lyman / Ideal Handbook junkie like me. floodgate

omgb
06-25-2005, 10:26 PM
Lee dies are a good value, the factory crip dies are great for tube fed rifles. The lead pot is great, I have three, a 5 pounder, a 10 pounder and a 20 pounder. The bottom pour on both the 10 and 20 pounders leaks so I plug it and use a dipper. I had a Lee progressive 1000 once. What a tempermental ***. Never again! I use their priming tool...very slick. I also use their primer pocket tool again, a good value. For military brass I use their manual deprimer. It's unbreakable and it works perfectly on crimped primers. I have some of their moulds. For ML bullets and balls they are good enough. For serious rifle work, forget it. You get what you pay for. I use LBT or Paul Jones. My latest progresswive is the Horandy LnL AP...a perfect progressive and much easier to use and load with than a Dillon. I also still have my original 1960s Rock Chucker and And I have a Redding T7 Turret press for my 45-90 stuff. I use Lyman dies for my BPCR and RCBS for just about every thing else except pistol cartridges where I find Lee to be pretty good especially for the price. That round box is a worthless *** though. Just ehre in the heck do you store it? Their shell holders are an outstanding value. I also have one of their Lee Load-All shotgun presses. It's OK but not great. If you get in a hurry it will definately make very crappy crimps and bulge cases. That's my $.02 worth.

R J Talley, a loader and shooter since 1971.

gbair
06-27-2005, 05:19 PM
I've used Lee Products for reloading and casting bullets for over 30 years. Happy with the dies, bullet moulds, tumble lube, auto prime, turrent press, etc. Until I purchased my Load Master, I was very happy with Lee. The Load Master does the job, but is in constant need of adjustments and spare parts. I finally decided I'd had enough! So I bought a Dillon 550B. My father-in-law is full of I told you so's.

I just feel the need to warn anyone concidering a progressive reloader to wait and buy a more stable and time tested progressive. The reason for the warning is... now I have to spend even more money to replace all the shell plates and powder measures that are no longer useful to me. At least I can use the dies.

Greg

BruceB
06-27-2005, 05:42 PM
One of the great screaming deals available from LEE is their shell-holder set. For less than $20, IIRC, we get about a dozen of the most-used shellholders!

buck1
06-29-2005, 04:34 PM
i NEVER USED THEIR SHELL HOLDERS. i WILL KEEP THEM IN MIND!! ...buck

Magnum Mike
06-29-2005, 06:45 PM
I have never been a fan of Lee products. A few that i have that do work are their boolit molds (i have been lucky obviously), the case trimmers (assuming that "+ or - an ax handle" accuracy is satisfactory) and the Pro 4 20# furnance. Some i havent, their dies, the auto prime and the ram prime. In all fairness, i hate RCBS' hand priming unit too.Everybody makes a bad one once in a while so i concentrate more on the design and the materials the product is made from as a basis for my opinion.

nighthunter
06-29-2005, 08:17 PM
The few Lee products that I have purchased have been more than satisfactory. I used a Lee 10 pound bottom pour for about 10 years and loaned it to my brother. He is still using it and I had to buy myself another. When I got into casting lots and lots of 300 and 440 grain bullets I decided to go with the Lee Pro 20 pound pot and have used it a great deal and have no complaints as of yet. As some others stated here ... if they aren't being loaded in the Dillon 550 I prime them with the Lee hand primer. I think it does an outstanding job. I don't care for their bullet molds. After ordering my last couple from Dan at Mountain Molds I don't think I'll ever buy another brand. They produce a beautiful and consistant bullet. You get what you pay for I guess.
Nighthunter

4296
07-04-2005, 09:29 PM
Have to give Lee a thumbs up. I began reloading with the Lee dipper set,Safety powder scale,Perfect powder measure and "splurged" on a RCBS Partner press.All this equipment has been passed on to beginning reloaders and I use mostly Redding and RCBS now but still use plenty of Lee "support" tools(trimmers,shellholders,primer pocket cleaner,etc.). I do believe that Richard Lee knows that many of his products are entry level,He constantly preaches about getting shooters involved in reloading, and for this He deserves alot of praise and credit.
I think that as a rule reloaders appreciate fine engineering and many of us love to marvel at obvious overengineering of some of the better handloading tools.
Let's not bash a product line that offers so much affordable opportunity to our hopefully growing ranks.

Junior1942
07-05-2005, 06:15 PM
I also give a thumbs up to Lee products. I have many Lee molds, and the one and only one I had a problem with I sent back and they replaced it no questions asked. If Lee molds were twice their price, I'd still buy them. I'd also hate to do without my (1) Lee Auto Prime; (2) Lee case trimmers in many calibers; (3) Lee factory crimp dies in several calibers; (4) Lee regular dies in several calibers; (5) Lee universal expanding die; (6) Lee dippers; (7) Lee Auto Disk measure; (8 ) Lee push-through sizing dies; (9) Lee Liquid Alox; and probably several other Lee products I can't remember now. The ONLY Lee item I don't like is the round die boxes. They take up too much room on the loading bench shelves.

Newtire
07-22-2005, 09:31 PM
I started loading when I was 16 (against my Dad's advice) with a Lee 12ga. hand loader, a pound of Red Dot & a pound of AL-5. Shot our first "masterpieces" out of an Iver Johnson single barrel tied around a tree. That year found me up at our local reloading shop with the guy making me a dipper out of a .45-70 case soldered onto a handle for a load of Herco and before ya knew it I bought some 700-X, PB, & Green Dot. My Dad finally gave in & come down, loaded up a couple of boxes with me & showed me how to shoot Blue Rock. I gave up shooting for awhile after being in the Navy until I got my Springfield '06 on a barter for a clutch job. I bought another Lee hand loader before I finally scored a deal on some loading equipment which included moulds, a Mec 600 Jr., a Lyman Turret press, and a 450 sizer. Used those tools for years and still do. But I gotta tell you, I use Lee Dies mostly, just bought a pro-auto-disc measure that doesn't leak like Junior's, a 20 lb. Lee bottom pour (leaked like crazy but doesn't anymore). I broke one of those little single stage presses they sell sizing bullets. Like their sizers cause I'm too cheap to spring for the ones for the Lyman 450 (maybe some day). Use an RCBS scale, didn't have much luck with the hand-held priming tool (wouldn't push the primers in deep enough & flexed too much but used the ram prime single loader up until recently when started using the auto-ram prime & like that for speed. Their molds are great if ya get one the right size and do all the tweaks to keep the handles from falling off and keep the sprue plate in place. I know some guys rant & rave how rotten they are but found that if I do my part, they hold up real well.
Mostly, I agree with everyone in that they have brought out products that enable some people to get started into reloading who otherwise couldn't afford to. Some things they don't make & I buy the green stuff but since it's all so overpriced, I'll buy Lee first & give it a try. Richard Lee comes from the era of Elmer Keith, & the Herter's catalog days. I always liked to read Elmer.s Stories about lo-o-ng range shooting & how everything Herter's made was better than anyone elses. I like my Mec 600 Jr. better than Mr. Lee's stuff for shotgun loading but gotta hand it to those guys for keeping me interested in cast shooting with their low prices. Here here Mr. Lee!

j4570
08-05-2005, 06:44 PM
I think the LEE stuff is a mixed bag.

Good:

Shellholders (though tolerences are sloppier than some other brands)
Oddball dies cheap (like 8x56R, I'd never shoot that rifle otherwise)
Hand Press (for what it is)
Bullet Moulds (in general)

Adequate:
Single stage or Turret presses for reloading
Hand Prime (but prone to breaking)

Poor:
Progressive Presses
Die storage Box (doesn't stack neat)
Customer Service

Their tools can be adequate to start, and produce quality ammo.

However, many of their tools are not designed to last. For the person that's going to load 50-60 bullets a year for that old special rifle for the next 30 years, sure it's fine. Loading thousands, look elsewhere.

slug
08-08-2005, 09:44 PM
Overall, I've had 95%+ satisfaction with Lee products and have a lot of them.
I have just bought their classic cast press and will retire my Rockchucker.

Over the years, I've had more trouble with RCBS than any other maker. Their customer service has ranged from genuinely heartwarming to a bad taste in the mouth.

I've been pretty happy with Lyman over the years also.

Stew in Sudbury.

Piglead
08-14-2005, 07:25 AM
I'm a Pro shooter so I turn out a large volume of ammo each week !I must admit that I'm more than happy with my Lee turret & a few other Lee products that I use ! I still have a lee load all (12g) that I purchased in 1975 & for the volume Of shot shells I use it's great ! :-D ! The only thing I ever had trouble with was a 385gn .458 mould ! The spruce cutter screw tore out of the mould [smilie=b: But I normaly use CBE moulds so I was'nt overly upset!

Dave

swheeler
08-14-2005, 02:52 PM
I probably bad mouthed Lee undeservingly on the 7.62x38r dies. I e-mailed them about the dies working the brass excessivley, way to much sizing down of neck, and seater not being able to seat boolits into the case without modification. They replied back , that these dies were a special run, made for Mid-Way TO LOAD 32-20 BRASS for the nagant revolver, and that there was no 7.62 brass available when they were made. Although it would have been nice to have put this info on a note packaged with the dies, or supplied a spacer to go between the press and dies, so you could use both types brass without readjusting dies, just incase somebody found some 7.62 brass to reload!
scooter

showmad
06-02-2012, 01:28 PM
Lee is a good company good products and reasonable price,I have owned Dillon products and they are great but I like to enjoy reloading and their is just to much going on with the progressives, to reload the old fashion way a stage at a time for me is peaceful.I own some RCBS an Lyman,Hornady and even Redding products all good solid products but Lee helps to keep it economical."prices just keep heading for the sky an more hard times ahead"

Freischütz
06-02-2012, 05:51 PM
I use the Lee reloading dies, the collet dies, and the 20 lb furnace.

I'm satisfied with the reloading dies and really like the collet dies.

The furnace is good for the price. I just wish it didn't drip so much.

FLDad
06-02-2012, 06:44 PM
For my money, Lee's Classic Cast and CC Turret presses are second to none. Even their cheap Reloader press is rigid as heck and cheap enough to buy as a base for their sizing kits or universal decapper. Not that I'm going to try swaging on it, you understand.

Their dies are a mixed bag, but most of the pistol stuff works well for me. Their case trimmers work well but are not designed to be adjustable. Their 6.5 Grendel trimmer was the wrong length, but not their fault -- they were given the wrong dimensions initially. There are quite a few clever innovations in their equipment, such as the powder-through flaring die. I use those with dies from everybody else, too. And the rifle crimp dies can't be beat. Sometimes, though, they get just a bit too clever and economical. Their beam scale is a case in point. On the other hand, their boolit molds are an amazing value. So if you do your homework, Lee can help you clutter up your reloading bench and save some bucks in the process.

troyboy
06-02-2012, 06:49 PM
It is all about personal preference for the most part.

MasS&W
06-02-2012, 10:04 PM
I have used literally ALL lee products to load thousands upon thousands of .38 special and .35 remington for quite some time now. Never had anything break, not the hand press, the single stage, the primer tool, or the autodisk. Great stuff for the money. A good analogue would be what ugly stiks are for fishing rods. Best product for the money. I'm a college student though, so I may change my mind when I have the money for dillon or RCBS.

r1kk1
06-04-2012, 04:59 PM
I did not start with Lee products. I have seen good and bad from them.

The Good:

Bullet sizing dies are nice.
Their dies are soft enough to easily polish out and to slightly modify.

It's about time they brought out classic cast presses.

Custom order shop for case length gauges, bullet sizers, etc. rocks.

Decapping die works very well.

Cons:

Can't stand their alloy presses. The linkage on the older Challenger was the weak point. Wanted something lightweight and didn't work. Oh well.

The Load-All is a joke and very limited. Non-rotating crimp starter? Wow. It lasted an hour on the bench and was gone. I bought it for my son and tried it. He got a MEC jr. from me instead for Christmas. I love my P/W 375c.

The Perfect Powder measure was anything but. I needed a measure to throw flake, stick or ball. Plain and simple. The JDS works for me.

How many years did it take to finally make a hand primer, with a tray, to load whatever primer you had on hand? Whatever.

On the fence:

2nd Edition book is full of more hype than any other recipe book available. More equipment bashing occurs within those pages than anywhere else. The good of the book is the ingenious way of reducing rifle powders depending on the strength of the alloy used. BRAVO! Very useful.

Case length gauge are as accurate as the manufacturers brass tolerances of the brass rim. Plus they don't make one for 204 Ruger, 17 Remington, some of the Sharps cartridges etc. There is a reason rimfire and BPCR shooters sort brass or cartridges by rim thickness.

I've had good luck with Lee custom moulds and not so good with production moulds. Fixing cavities to be able to use it is not what I payed for.

Some things I like about Lee tools, some things I loathe! I don't understand for the life of me understand price. I didn't buy it because of price. I bought it to use and appeared to be well engineered. If it doesn't I'm considered a basher of a product line. If it works, I appear as a product line supporter. Whatever.

take care,

r1kk1

koehn,jim
06-06-2012, 04:31 PM
I use an RCBS press and a dillon 450 but have case trimming and loading dies. Things like a press I want big and heavy duty, Lee is too lightweight. Their bullet sizers and 6 cavity molds are i feel all first rate. they make many very fine products that help a great many people get into loading that could not otherwise afford it. It is diffulct to compare them to others because of the price differencs.

johnlaw484
06-07-2012, 12:30 AM
The Load Master press could be one of the best with a few changes such as the primer feed/seating. The shell plates advancing system can be a real nightmare.
My solution for the primer problem is simply use an Auto Prime and bypass that plastic POC. It requires an extra step, but it's still faster than a single stage.
I often drool over the Hornady progressive and Dillon 650, but I've had my Loadmaster several years now and have made my peace with it.

1bluehorse
06-07-2012, 01:49 PM
I don't think I've ever had a Lee product that didn't "work". But ummm, in a lot of instances I've found other brands that work "better/easier/more consistant". What these good, bad, and ugly items from Lee may be, seems to vary amongst us, some of the Lee items I like, others hate and vice versa so "expectations", "usage" and the amount of, would seem to have a large impact on our likes and dislikes with these products...example: I appear to be one of the few (extremely few) who like the zip trim...it works fine for me...BUT..I only load a couple hundred rounds a year where case trimming is necessary...I can see where someone going through 500 223 a month may not care for it and call it "junque". Lee equipment meets a price point for some that allows a hobby that otherwise may not be affordable. Good for Lee...

paul h
06-07-2012, 02:22 PM
I've used most lee products and most of them have worked better than they should have given the price. I've used alot of their reloading dies, and while they aren't as hard as other manufacturers, I've yet to have an accuracy problem or wear them out.

The only real disapointment was the "perfect" powder measure. Using H-110, the granules literally leak out the side of the measuer and bind it up. That said I've produced some excellent accurate amunition using it. I did upgrade to a redding br measure and have never regretted that move.

The decapping rods will slide in the fl sizing dies, the collet arangement really is inferiour to a threaded decapping rod given the forces. Also I did break the linkage in the challenger press sizing some oversize hard cast bullets.

I'm a big fan of their bullet molds. While I've used molds that cost 5 times as much, I've yet find a mold that drops bullets that shoot 5 times more accurately. More often than not bullets dropped from lee molds shoot every bit as accurately as those cast from other manufacturers, At least to my standards which is 2 moa for 5 shots. You simply can't beat the production per $ of their 6 cavity molds.

I've mostly gone to other manfacturers products as I prefer the better fit and finish, but I'm sure I'll continue to buy lee bullet molds.

cliff55
06-07-2012, 04:00 PM
Have been using lee stuff since 1973. Done me good. Just got pro 1000.working ok so far only ioaded 500 round 45acp

onehousecat
06-28-2012, 04:30 PM
I guess I'm swimming against the current, but I'm not a fan of Lee.

When I began reloading, I had the opportunity to use Lee, RCBS, and Lyman presses owned by other reloaders. I bought a RCBS for myself, and and have never regretted it. I was seriously underwhelmed by the Lee, and had access to a RCBS press that was less expensive than the Lyman. I don't know what the RCBS service department is like because I have never had to replace a part, whether on the press, dies, molds, melting pot or anything else.

I did buy a set of 357 Lee carbide dies. The carbide ring pulled out of after a couple of hundred cases were sized. That gave me a really dim view of Lee products.

On the other hand, I like to use the Lee hand priming tool. The bodies wear out, but you get a lot if of use out of them.

I own dies by Pacific, Lyman, and Redding. My lubrisizer is a Star. My case trimmer is a Forster. I'm not married to any particular brand, but an awful lot of my equipment is green.

FUBAR 6
06-29-2012, 06:45 AM
Lee priming tool is great for working up loads at the range.....