Which Lee loader might be best for my uses?

[LEADLUBBER]

That is what I am thinking also, 2wheelduke, Lee makes a good product with a lot of very happy followers.

They aren't the fastest, but, they turn out quality ammo for 1/5 the cost of some other brands, and the parts available for the presses and tools makes it that much more attractive for the long term...

[Crash_Corrigan]

I started out with a Lee Challenger single stage and a Lee Loadmaster progressive. That progressive once I got it up and running really churned out the ammo but the primer system was really an annoying PITA mostly.

I cannot tell you how many times it failed to seat a primer and I ended up with spilled powder all over the press and the bench. It was such a PITA that I tossed it when I got my paws on a Dillon 550RL progressive press.

Now I have the original Lee Challenger (mostly for depriming and priming), a Dillon 550 RL, a Dillon Square Deal Press (9 MM), a Lee hand press for range use and a Lee Classic Turret Press.

I must say that the Lee Classic Turret Press is very nice to use and produces good results. The only down side is that some die nuts are just a mite too big to work well on the tiny turret ring. I keep a spare sack of Lee reloading die nuts handy for that purpose. The other issue is the priming deallie. I still am working on that but I usually just hand prime my cases while watching TV in my easy chair with Sgt. Rambo on my lap keeping me warm.

I know it is an extra step but again it is something involving shooting and I enjoy pretty much all aspects of this sport and it will produce another opportunity for me to examine the brass for splits and such and produce a more reliable and accurate round of ammo.

[LEADLUBBER]

Thanks for the tip on the die nuts!!

it is nice to hear all the small quirks with something before getting into it and getting frustrated...

Glad to hear so many good things about the Classic Turret....

Gives me that much more faith in buying it....

[C.F.Plinker]

I must say that the Lee Classic Turret Press is very nice to use and produces good results. The only down side is that some die nuts are just a mite too big to work well on the tiny turret ring. I keep a spare sack of Lee reloading die nuts handy for that purpose. .

Hare you tried the Dillon 1" die nuts with the Turret Press?

[dudel]

What I don't want: Spending 3 hours to resize and reload 50 rounds like I used to do with an old friend on an RCBS single stage

Well, you won't get that with a Lee. You'll spend three hours setting it up and getting it to work right. Each time I might add.

[mike in co]

Well, you won't get that with a Lee. You'll spend three hours setting it up and getting it to work right. Each time I might add.

me thinks you have miss read his plan...he is going wiht the lee TURRET...not the 1000.......

mike in co

[Suo Gan]

For rifle I really like the classic turret. The real Lee Loader requires the use of a mallet.

[mike in co]

they turn out quality ammo for 1/5 the cost of some other brands, ...

thats false economy...
you are not taking in to account the value of your time, nor the time in use...the dillons will smoke the lee in terms of count/down time..........
the components cost the same so the real added cost is output minus parts and down time and original cost......


on the other hand your choice of the lee turret is good for what you do....


mike in co

[JIMinPHX]

I've been running a Lee 1000 for more than 20 years. My original (bought new) press has turned out well over 50,000 rounds & is still going strong. So is the one that I bought used at a gun show, very used.

They are not the strongest press made. They are not the safest press made. They are not the easiest to use. They take a little fiddling now & then. When used properly, they can turn out a lot of good quality ammo in a short time. Nothing else that I am aware of in the price range even comes close.

I have used Bullseye, Unique, & W-231 in the powder dispenser for years with no problems.

The two biggest issues that I have seen on the 1000 are that the primer feeder can be a little fussy & you don't get a powder cop style protection system.

When the press is new & the primer feed area is kept clean, the primers feed fine. If a flake or two of powder gets in there, you need to clean it out. After a few years, the plastic primer feed gizmo can start to sag & not feed so well any more. A little tap of the finger now & then can overcome that, or you can buy an inexpensive replacement part.

The 1000 does not have a powder cop style safety gizmo, so if you get out of sequence for some reason, you the operator, must make sure that you don't double charge or fail to charge powder into a round. You get no help with that. The newer (round) style powder hopper from Lee is less likely to let you double charge than the older (rectangular) type, but it can be done if the operator makes the wrong mistakes.

The 1000 has enough cartridge height to load .223 ammo, but probably not .308. I'd have to measure one before swearing to that though.

The 1000 does need to be adjusted correctly to work, but it normally comes that way from the factory. If you don't mess it up, you should not need to mess with it much. I've gone 5 years at a stretch without touching any of the adjustment on one of those things.

My record is 800 rounds in 1 hour, when I had all the components laid out & ready to go. My normal loading rate is about half of that. I don't think that it is prudent or wise to try to load much faster than 400 rounds per hour on one of those things. I don't try to do that anymore.

If you are a careful & conscientious reloader that wants a fast press & needs to work inside a tight budget, then the 1000 is a great choice. If you are not confident in your abilities to keep careful track of your powder charge or you are not willing to keep an eye on your primer feed, then you should save up your money for a nicer press with more safety gizmos.

[mike in co]

i'm glad your press has worked well for you....
as anexample of how a dillon is used..i know a competitor that shot 40,000 rounds in prep for one match...all loaded on a dillon....in the three months or so prior to the match........lots of dillons see similar use....mine dont....maybe 10k every couple of month or so....

plain and simple i cannot be spending time "working" on the press...time is just too valuable.


i did not say they did not work.......

but i do believe it is false economy to say they are less expensive per round to operate.....


mike in co

[Skipper488]

I'd be willing to bet that anyone who shoots less than 2000 rounds a month would be well served with a Lee press. I know I'm lucky to shoot 500-600 per month and usually that's just one trip to the range. I may shoot another 100 shells at the trap range. I don't shoot competitively and while many on here do I'd bet most don't and that makes the capacity of the Lees just fine with us. After all if I was shooting that many I'd spend the $12,000 on a Magma Caster and count myself even further ahead. I mean seriously people willing to spend that much and shoot as little as people like me would be better off just buying their ammo. $12,000 would buy me several years worth of ammuntion and I could spend my time collecting stamps or something.

[mike in co]

I'd be willing to bet that anyone who shoots less than 2000 rounds a month would be well served with a Lee press. I know I'm lucky to shoot 500-600 per month and usually that's just one trip to the range. I may shoot another 100 shells at the trap range. I don't shoot competitively and while many on here do I'd bet most don't and that makes the capacity of the Lees just fine with us. After all if I was shooting that many I'd spend the $12,000 on a Magma Caster and count myself even further ahead. I mean seriously people willing to spend that much and shoot as little as people like me would be better off just buying their ammo. $12,000 would buy me several years worth of ammuntion and I could spend my time collecting stamps or something.

sorry but i just don't see it..a guy talking the lee presses and turns around and says he'd spend 12,000 on a caster........and still load on a lee...?????/

sorry just more false economy.........

yes a lee can work.....but again i'd rather load than tinker...

mike in co

[Skipper488]

sorry but i just don't see it..a guy talking the lee presses and turns around and says he'd spend 12,000 on a caster........and still load on a lee...?????/

sorry just more false economy.........

yes a lee can work.....but again i'd rather load than tinker...

mike in co

That's my point Mike, I reload so I can shoot more because my wallet doesn't allow me to buy enough ammunition to shoot all I'd like. I'm struggling right now to scrape up enough money to buy a rifle that will cost all of $315 and I got into reloading when .45acp ammo was running close to $30/box and I could reload a box for about $17. I got into casting so I can get that price down to about $6/box People on here are poo pooing the Lee presses because they take a little tinkering. Well I tell you what when anyone out there wants to get rid of their Lee in favor of a Dillon I'm open to a little charity and would be most grateful for it. I all but quit going to one reloading site because it seems that unless you spend $10,000 on a gun you're a bum. I come to these places to learn from experienced casters and reloaders and to share what I have learned. I value knowledge and experience and I have a lot more respect that can cobble together a piece of equipment from scrap than one that writes a check for what he wants.

[Cowboy T]

It seems that one's objection to Lee gear is directly proportional to the money one has spent on, and thus must emotionally justify in reloading forums like this one, much more expensive presses. These "fanbois" seem to take the position that anything that doesn't have the name "Dillon" on it automatically sucks. Of course, it's not true. My two Pro 1000's, one of which just recently clocked its 20,000th round of .38 Special (this is in just over a year), are very easy to work with and do not require a lot of "fiddling" at all.

Is Dillon good gear? Of course it is! But for my needs of 1,000 rounds/month, the Pro 1000 does a mighty fine job and has proved to also be good gear.

[mwjones]

As it's been said above, the 1000 will work great for all your pistol calibres. HOWEVER, I'd be strongly gainst using a turret press to reload for rifle. It might be fun to see the whole press flex when you're FL resizing .308 (especially with a small base die), but i wouldn't trust my rifle rounds to anything but a single stage O frame! Just mho!

MJ

[mike in co]

so i will say it again.....

I OWN THREE LEE PRESSES......

but for volume work i use one of my two dillon 550b's


again..i say it is false economy to spend low bucks on a machine that requires you to spend TIME making it work. TIME cannot be replaced and has value to most people. in my case..i reload on my presses..i DO NOT SPEND TIME TINKERING on them.......

i understand that not everyone can afford a dillon....i started with lee hand loaders and moved up to a lee turret.
i learned from these purchases....
i own close to 100 lee handloaders...and use them for small lot loading, but for large lot i use the dillons.
if you do not value your time....wellllll do what you want.

mike in co