Some thoughts on Lee Precision

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:31 pm

I have never been a fan of Lee Precision equipment due to the quality of the goods. I do realize there is a price to pay in terms of quality when you price your goods as they do.

I am an "old time" reloader who dotes on his RCBS A2 press, Hollywood powder measures and RCBS and Redding dies. Lee stuff won't hold a candle to this quality old stuff.

That said, I must give a strong tip of my hat to Lee Precision because'

1) Their pricing has brought many new folks into handloading who might otherwise not have taken up the cult of the handload.

2) Some of their products display creative and cutting edge thinking and technology. Their factory crimp dies, and collet neck sizing dies are examples where they lead the industry with out of the box thinking. These products are clearly superior.

3) Lee Precision's customer service is fully on par with the RCBS. If it breaks or malfuctions, Lee will fix it right now!

I have made three large orders of custom bullet molds with them and I they have bent over backward to work with me. They get some criticism from others who have done this, but they have been straight up with me. Last total, I have sent them about $8,000.00 in custom mold orders over the years.

This weekend I knocked about two thousand bullets from a custom Lee six banger and a custom NEI four banger, and there is no comparison as to quality and easy of use. The NEI wins hands down! But, in spite of the hastle and mid-course repairs I do have one thousand good bullets from the Lee 311407 Mod.

I still use my vintage equipment and would not have a Lee press, power measure or scale on my bench, but I must admit they have been a very postive force in American reloading. More power to them!!!

WinM71 · Post by **WinM71** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:37 pm

The only Lee items I own are a couple of the factory crimp dies. That die makes loading for the .348 a much easier operation, you just can't get a satisfactory crimp in the classic seating/roll-crimping type of die.

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:44 pm

I have loaded hundreds and hundreds 44-40 and 32-20 with Lee dies and cant see a darn thing wrong with them and would buy them again.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:37 pm

I'm also a fan of RCBS, Lyman, Forster, Bonanza and other old line tools.

When it comes to Lee I'm very picky about what I buy. I have one set of Lee dies, a Deluxe 4 Die .45 Colt set that has surprised me. The only complaint I have is the bullet seater is for round nose bullets. I rarely use that kind.

I'm really don't see any use for the Lee FCD's, in my opinion they don't do anything the crimpers in the other seating dies will do. But I have two of them.

The Lee tool I really like to the exclusion of others is their Auto Prime tool. I have two. One which I've been using for almost 20 years. Another used one I bought off a forum classifieds add and refurbished.
They fit my hands much better than the RCBS ones do. So far, so good.

And that nifty push through bullet sizer that fits on top the press is a dandy tool. Got one of them too.

I agree with Charles though, I won't buy one of their presses. They look hokey and cheep. They may not be, but looks do count and I hate aluminum.

Joe

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:03 pm

They have several cast presses too. I think the aluminum ones are good like Charles said, to get folks started.
I'm cheap. I can be spontaneous sometimes with guns but even them I'm cheap. I probably never would have started if not for the Lee Aniversery kit. $80 & a set of dies & off I went. I still use that aluminum press on every round but I have a Lee Classic cast too I use in conjunction with it.
The little one torques pretty bad if I'm forming cases, otherwise its fine.
Dont have much else to go by since I started on Lee & most of my dies are Lee but they seem about equal to he RCBS & Lyman dies I have. They look & feel cheaper with alluminum parts but generally work great.
Sometimes they cut corners tho. My 38/55 dies came with a .375 Win expander & wouldn't work with my .381 bullets well at all.
RCBS cowboy dies work much better for lead.

I ended up with a Hornady scale too but still use the Lee measure. It works great I think, but again I cant compare it to others. I can just say once its set its very consistant with most powders I'v run thru it.

All in all I like their stuff. I'v found its definately more of a no frills line than the others to keep the price down but think they deserve more credit than they usually get.

They have a place & serve a purpose, what more can you ask for?

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:15 pm

Their customer service is pretty good. I broke the lever on my auto prime tool three times and each time they've sent me new parts N/C. I did finally retire it after the third time it broke and bought an RCBS which I haven't had a single problem with.

Also a big fan of Hollywood Gun shop. I have the press and powder measure that my Grandfather bought a very long time ago. Talk about heavy duty stuff!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:37 pm

I started with the lee 'classic loader' for a .44 Mag and a target version of the same (with micrometer seating, inside neck reamer, etc.) for a 6mm Remington.

I've used RCBS and Dillon and Lyman and Redding and some other misc. stuff since then, but the Lee dies, case trimmer, and priming systems are my first choice. I haven't done nearly the volume some other folks here have, so maybe I've yet to find all the problems.

I kind of feel the same about scopes; some folks won't touch anything but Leupold, but I've got some BSC's and Barska's that work just fine. If I ever have to go into 'combat' or save up $20,000 and a month off for an African safari, sure, I'll fork over for a Leupold, but none of my shooting has proven that 'critical' and none of those cheap scopes has let me down - yet.

Same for reloading tools.

Besides, sometimes I'm just too cheap to buy 'the best' unless I'm personally convinced it IS the best...

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:39 pm

I swear by Lee, got a RCBS and a Dillon, only use my Lee's now. Use the single stage for de-capping and the Classic Turret for load'n. Takes me all of a second and a half to change calibers. Maybe not the prettiest toad on the stool, but works like a mule and gets the job done.

I am cheap and proud of it too!

El Chivo · Post by **El Chivo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:34 pm

The only complaint I have is the bullet seater is for round nose bullets. I rarely use that kind.

Lee will custom grind your bullet seater for $4.00 to fit your favorite bullet.

I went with Lee stuff because I liked their attitude when I read about reloading in their reloading manual. I got their classic cast turret press because I have a small amount of space. It works great. Lifting out a turret to change calibers is super easy.

I got a couple reloading items from other companies but the stuff that really works for me is the Lee. Things like their hand press work great and fill a niche and show creativity as well.

I had some neck expanding to do, so I bought some Lyman M dies. I ruined several cases because if it's not in perfect alignment as it goes in, the mouth gets crushed. The Lee version, the Universal Expanding Die, floats in the die and seats itself, no crushed cases. I'm still using the M dies, because they flare the length of the neck, but only carefully on the hand press. The mouth expanding part I do with the Lee.

I'm sure there are other examples, too, but in general I am glad Lee is around.

.45colt · Post by **.45colt** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:40 pm

LEE, may not be the most popular or the best but All I want is $1.00 back for every round I have loaded on my turret press since the mid '80's.
And Now The Movie Folks.....Jim.

cas · Post by **cas** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:51 pm

I've often speculated the LEE is to reloading, what CVA is to muzzle loading.

That they've probably introduced more people to the activity than anyone else. And that they've probably turned more people off to the activity than anyone else.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:00 pm

I started with a Lee Turret press almost 30 years ago, and almost all my stuff is Lee Precision. I have been thoroughly pleased with their stuff and will continue to patronize them!

DerekR · Post by **DerekR** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:25 pm

I needed some bullet mould handles. The local pusher had some Lee six-hole mould handles for $14.99. They are a little less refined than the RCBS handles I have, but I can almost buy three of the Lee for what the RCBS cost. I drilled the Lee to fit my Saeco dies. What a deal!

leverhunter · Post by **leverhunter** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:07 am

This is an interesting thread as I am getting ready to purchase my first reloading set-up in the next month or so. I have been leaning towards a Lee Kit and then buy the dies I will need for other calibers. I have looked at a few RCBS items as well including kits.

I do not anticipate loading huge quantities of ammo and will only be loading for 44 mag (rifle loads), 30/30, 35 Whelen and maybe 270 WSM. I am just going to loading for hunting, quick set up as I have minimal space available. Likely the most ammo loaded would be 44 mag as I have two rifles in that caliber, and it is my favourite plinking round. Probably several hundred/year.

My biggest question I guess is, are the Lee Dippers as accurate as advertised? At first glance, it would seem like a good idea, scoop and go. I assume it would be advisable to periodically weigh loads as well just to be sure.

Thanks

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:33 am

I wouldn't "dip" smokeless loads at all. I don't feel it provides the necessary consistency for accurate loads, let alone safe ones as one approaches the upper pressure levels. While I may not weigh each and every charge, I have done enough testing of my powder measure to have confidence in its ability to throw consistent charges. However, even so, I'll weigh every charge when loading at what I feel will be maximum velocities/pressures.

When load BP, that's a different story, most loads are "by volume" and minute amounts of variance don't have the potential for harm that is present with smokeless powders.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:51 am

leverhunter wrote: My biggest question I guess is, are the Lee Dippers as accurate as advertised? At first glance, it would seem like a good idea, scoop and go. I assume it would be advisable to periodically weigh loads as well just to be sure.
Thanks

I've weighed 'thrown' charges from my powder measure(s) and from the Lee dippers, and the dippers are just as accurate IF you are consistent - just like the regular powder measures (of all brands). With the dippers, you need to scoop, tap, and I have an 'edge' I pull them under, scraping the top flat. A small cookie tray catches the grains pushed off.

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:32 am

I have a verity of calibers and lee makes it affordable to load all of them. That said I don't shoot large quanities of ammo . So lee works fine.

I use the dippers for plinking loads. Large flake powders like Unique are a little harder to get consistant scoops. Rifle I wieght the charge.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:38 am

If had a dollar for every round I've loaded from a simple little Lee Loader I could take that African Hunt. I like the little hand press they make as well.

When I was looking for a .44 bullet with a large metplat a fw years ago it was Lee to the rescue. the problem was I wanted one without the gascheck. It wasn't a catalog item but someone else had already paid to have the cherry made so all it cost me was something like a $20 custom charge, or whatever they called it on top of the price of the mould. I was as happy as a dead pig in the sun.

I had a friend of mine that broke a decapper in a Lee die once. He called the number listed and a voice on the other end said "hello." He thought he had a wrong number. He said is this the Lee reloading company? The voice on the other end with a heavy Swedish sounding accent said, "Ya dis is Mr. Lee, can I elp you?"

There might be better stuff out there but Lee is good enough for me.

Oh and by the way, Mr. Lee sent my friend his part and didn't charge a thing for it.

TomF · Post by **TomF** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:21 am

I own LEE, RCBS, and Lyman reloading dies. I have had quality problems with Lyman and RCBS. LEE dies work every time for me. I use an RCBS press but do have a LEE should I want or need to use a second or set up a remote loading center. I was skeptical of LEE products because of the price but I continue to buy LEE dies when I get a caliber. They work well!!
As for casting, I bought LEE as entry level products. I will continue to use LEE melters but now have molds other than LEE.

I like LEE

TomF

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:25 am

It's been my experience that the Lee dippers throw charges that're a little light, according to the chart that comes with the set........for example, with IMR-4227, a 1.3cc dipper is supposed to throw 18.2grs, but I get 17.0 when the powder is leveled off. I've seen this with flake powders, too. I like Lee stuff, especially that Deluxe 4-die .45 Colt set that Joe Miller recommended to me. They repaired my 4-hole turret press for me, no charge & got it back to me so fast my head was spinning. Course, they're only about 75 miles from me. I might take a tour of their facility this spring, if they do that sort of thing. jd45

Buffboy · Post by **Buffboy** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:34 am

.45colt wrote:LEE, may not be the most popular or the best but All I want is $1.00 back for every round I have loaded on my turret press since the mid '80's.
And Now The Movie Folks.....Jim.

+1, but I'm not so greedy, I'll take take $.50, $.25, $.10 or even a penny.

Mine is almost 30 (IIRC it was purchased in 1979). 100k rounds loaded that I could probably document (+lots I didn't put in any log, I never logged 223fmj unless I was working up a load and there's been more than a few thousand of those put together). It's the only press still bolted to the bench. It has had no parts replaced and still works great. As for dies, I actually prefer the Lee dies, I have other brands and they work well too, but if I'm ordering, I'll usually get Lee. Their customer service has always been excellent. I have had to use it but then I've used RCBS too(also excellent).
I've broken parts on the lee priming tool too until I did something strange, I took them(2) apart, put a little teflon grease on the pivot points every couple months, and they quit breaking(still keep enough parts to fix any problem on hand). I haven't broke one in 15 years, imagine that. I know a guy thats way ahead of me there on numbers too. He's primed millions of cases with the Lee primer tool. He's still using them for everything that he doesn't run through one of his Dillons.

I never use any other trimming tool unless Lee doesn't make it. They are simple, inexpensive, and consistent. I've never worn out a cutter yet. That's something I can't say about my RCBS trimmer. I've had the cutters on those dull in 200 rounds.

Overall, I'm well pleased with the service I've gotten out of the Lee products.

txpete · Post by **txpete** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:46 am

the lee factory crimp die is a MUST if your a 44/40 reloader.
I also like them for 45 acp and 9mm loads.
pete

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:24 am

As you can see by the photo, I've got Lee and RCBS equipment.

You can see my Lee Hand Press on the first shelf. I like it so much that I use it for 75% of my reloading. I use an RCBS Powder Trickler, a RCBS Electronic Powder Scale, a RCBS 505 Magnetic Beam Scale and a mix of Lee equipment with the RCBS equipment. I have a set of .444 Marlin RCBS dies and a set of .444 Marlin Lee dies. I put both sets of dies in Lee 4-die boxes so that I could put a Lee Factor Crimp Die in each box. Anyway, I load just as good ammunition with the Lee Dies as I can with the RCBS dies. As far as I can tell, there is no difference between the ammo I reload with the LEE or RCBS Dies.

I really like that Lee Hand Press. It gives me a better feel when loading ammo with it especially when seating primers with the Lee Ram Prime. You can see on the first shelf in the corner that I have a LEE Auto Prime Primers Tool but I haven't had a need to use it as the LEE Ram Prime does such a great job.

I'm very happy with my LEE equipment and wouldn't hesitate to buy more in the future.

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:44 am

I have a good mix of many brands of reloading tools and my currently most used press is a RCBS Rockchucker but right next to it is my LEE Turret, and on shelf above is my ever reliable LEE handpress which was my reloading press of choice while living on Maui several years with no place to mount my RCBS press. I have a good mix of reloading dies but the majority are made by LEE and I have not complaints. I gave away my LEE powder scale to my nephew since I have 2 RCBS 505s but that scale worked fine. LEE may not be the Rolls Royce of reloading tools but I'm fine with my Chevy of reloading tools.

Post by **Old Savage** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:59 am

The only thing I use from Lee are the collet dies but they are all I use for the various bolt rifles I load for.

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:06 pm

All I ever buy is LEE DIES, to me they are user friendly and hassle free. I've only had one other brand die set (9mm rcbs) wich would load bullets crooked no matter what I did.
LEE ARE THE ONLY DIES FOR ME, I ONLY LOAD FOR 9 DIFFERENT CALIBERS,BUT THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR THIS PAPER PUNCHER!

mac45 · Post by **mac45** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:38 pm

Lee is a lotta bang for the buck, (no pun intended)
I've got a Dillon 550 that I wouldn't trade for the world, but I like loading .38-55 on my Lee turret better.
Like their molds too.

Swampman · Post by **Swampman** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:45 pm

I think almost all modern reloading equipment will produce excellent reloads. I like RCBS, but I think Lee produces equally good ammo. Even the Lee Loader is a pretty good piece of equipment to have.

Mtn Hawk · Post by **Mtn Hawk** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:58 pm

J Miller wrote:I agree with Charles though, I won't buy one of their presses. They look hokey and cheep. They may not be, but looks do count and I hate aluminum.

I don't know about the aluminum presses but I have the Lee Classic Cast Press. There's nothing hokey or cheap about it. It's one of the best designed and sturdiest presses I've seen, for a very reasonable price.

Charles wrote:2)Some of their products display creative and cutting edge thinking and technology. Their factory crimp dies, and collet neck sizing dies are examples where they lead the industry with out of the box thinking. These products are clearly superior.

Well said and I totally agree. I use both of these products and think they're great. Also, the Lee case trimming tools are amazing. I've used trimmers that cost many times more than the Lee tools, and don't work nearly as well or as fast. Their Hand Press is convenient for steps that don't require much force, such as flaring handgun cases.

leverhunter--

I would only use the dippers for light target and plinking loads that are nowhere near maximum. The dippers are not meant to be used for smokeless powder charges at or approaching maximum, and say so in the instructions. These loads must be measured by weight, not volume. Since you will be loading for hunting I'd suggest getting a good quality scale. An accurate powder measure makes reloading easier and quicker, but every charge at or near max. should still be weighed.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:48 pm

I have a Lee Loader for every caliber I own... and a few I don't.

I reload my .357 on a Lee 1000 progressive, and have a Hand Loader and Classic Press as well.

The Lee 1000 takes a little getting used to, but it makes dandy ammo.

spurgon · Post by **spurgon** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:29 pm

Thanks for this post.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:44 pm

With the 'bare bones' presses themselves getting less expensive, I'm surprised folks who have the space don't just set up a press for each of their 'main' cartridges, and avoid all the interchanging of dies, or purchase of 'die holders' and so on.

leverhunter · Post by **leverhunter** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:24 am

Thanks all for your input ref Lee dippers. I have an RCBS 10-10 Scale that was given to me so weighing charges isn't a problem. It looks like a good piece of equipment.

One last inquiry for you folks using the Lee Hand Press. I have read that it isn't great for loading 44 mag due to requiring significant force to crimp the round. I believe that is the step being referred to. Any truth to this or just someones bad experiences? Had also considered the Lee Loader but Lee indicates that it requires extra force to load 44 mag. Thanks.

2row · Post by **2row** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:18 am

II use Lee dies and a lee press I also own rcbs presses but use the Lee more some of theLee stuff is junk But there dies are the best I have 44 mag dies that have been in use sence they started makeing them an never a hic up if you don't like my advice you are not out anything as it is free cheeers

Scott64A · Post by **Scott64A** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:55 pm

I'll chime in on behalf of Lee products, too.

Most of my reloading equipment has been hand-me-down stuff I got along the way. My dad gave me a Lyman single stage press and it works fine. Wife's uncle gave me a powder scale and an RCBS case trimmer both work fine. I bought a used set of RCBS .30-30 dies at the store where I got my .30-30 and they still work fine. Funny thing is I bought a Lee factory crimp die later for that round.

Fast forward to me reloading for the .357, and I picked up a Lee powder measure, (which is cheaper than RCBS, but still throws an accurate charge,) a set of three Lee dies for it, and a Lee auto-prime tool.

All of them work well and cost less than the other stuff.

I say get whatever you need to reload and cut your costs. It is part of the reason I reload -there is no way I'm going to pay $18.99 for 50 .357 rounds made in Brazil when I can load the same amount for much less than that and have them any time I want.

Lee products are great!

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:11 pm

Gotta admit though, that $18 Magtech ammo leaves behind mighty fine brass for reloading... and it's nice to keep some Factory ammo around.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:19 pm

I have a Lee Aniversary set a RCBS Rock Chucker. Dies from Lee, RCBS, and Lyman. I really love the Lee Perfect Measure and the Auto Prime tool. I have a set of their neck size only dies for .303brit that work wonderfuly. Their stuff may not be top of the line but their stuff works well and cant be beat for the money.

Boreman · Post by **Boreman** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:25 pm

My 2 cents. I like Lee dies and have never had a bit of trouble with them. I don't think you can beat there crimp dies. I have a mixed bag of dies with Lyman, RCBS,Pacific,Herter,Redding,Hornady and Lee and all have preformed well. I really like Lee hand primer tool,also.........

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:32 pm

I'm a fan and their catalog is usually the first place I look when I need a new tool.

I started out with the Lee 3-hole turret with auto index and a set of 45 Colt dies. Several thousand rounds later I've only had one breakage and that one was my fault.

I'm not impressed with the original "O" Press - a bit on the light side for the Lee neck size dies. It's been replaced with a Midway press.

I've had zero problems with the Lee dies that I have. I also have a Hornady die set that I really like and 2 RCBS sets that I don't care for at all.

I have Lee, RCBS and Hornady in my collection and each Mfg. has some fantastic products but just like any other tool Mfg., some of their products aren't as good as others. YMMV.

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:29 pm

Old Ironsights wrote:I reload my .357 on a Lee 1000 progressive, and... The Lee 1000 takes a little getting used to, but it makes dandy ammo.

I bought a Pro1000 when I started shooting CAS. Before that I used a single stage RCBS. At the time my thinking was that I'd 'step up' to a nicer set up when the $$ became available. When the $$ was available, I bought another Pro1000. Now I have one for .357 and another for .44 special. The complete cost from Midway is still about $150 and it includes press, dies, primer feed, measure, etc. I do still use my RCBS scale to check when throwing the first charge of the day. Each of the presses has loaded 10's of thousands of rounds and still keeps going.

In my experience the Pro 1000 serves its intended purpose well, is reliable, and a good value. Like a good wrist watch tells time; sure, I could buy a $2000 version but does it tell time any better? My Lee-loaded ammo can earn a win in competition as well as any other.

stretch · Post by **stretch** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:40 pm

Like many of the other posters, I have stuff from LYMAN, LEE, RCBS,
and Dillon. My Pro1000 loads dandy ammo. I don't like the primer feed,
but the powder measure is better than the Dillon Square Deal's - at least
the one that I have. Their Classic Cast Press (the iron one), is the
equal of my Lyman Orange Crusher. Their dies work fine for me, and
the reloading manual is first-rate. Their cheap little cast press is just that -
I leave mine set up with a decapping die. It works great for that purpose.
I think mine is bored a little bit not square, and it flexes just a wee bit, too. I got it free with the reloading manual, so how can I really complain?

Customer service? I've only had to use Dillon's (knock on wood!), and it
was absolutely, positively first class. I wish carmakers stood behind their products like Dillon stands behind theirs. Not the cheapest stuff on the market, but the warranty is part of what one pays for.

I like Lee stuff, and keep thinking about another Pro 1000. If gas and
food ever go back down, maybe I'll be able to afford it!

Lobo · Post by **Lobo** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:47 pm

I have a buddy who uses the Lee Pro 1000 progressive to load his .45 ACPs. The press is set up in the back of the gunshop he manages, and he loads a couple times a week, keeping a log of loads he's done over the years. He and his wife both shoot 50 rounds a day at the store's indoor pistol range. Over a period of ~20 years, he's reloaded over 700,000 rounds of 45 ACP.

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:41 pm

2row wrote:II use Lee dies and a lee press I also own rcbs presses but use the Lee more some of theLee stuff is junk But there dies are the best I have 44 mag dies that have been in use sence they started makeing them an never a hic up if you don't like my advice you are not o
ut anything as it is free cheeers

Question................who are you? Just curious, jd45

jd45 · Post by **jd45** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:46 pm

Sorry 2row, I missed your screen name. jd45

JP_TX · Post by **JP_TX** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:09 am

I can't compare Lee with any others as I've only used Lee. When I bought my 444 I needed to buy reloading stuff to make rounds I couldn't buy. I bought the Lee Challanger Breech lock press and I love it. I have bushings for all the 444 dies incl the crimp die and never have to adjust anything except the bullet seating depth.

As I add rifles, I added more Lee dies and bushings as well. Now I can change calibers in seconds with no set up except for the powder change.

I can' t say enough about it. I had problems getting the Perfect Powder measure to measure perfectly but after about a hundred rounds it settled down and now I'm beginning to trust it enough to only weigh every 5th or 6ths round. I wouldn't worry about that except I load so close to Max charge. Still it works pretty darn good now.

I load for 4 rifles now , 444, 35 whelen, 280 Rem and 30-06. With the excepton of the Hornady 35 cal neck sizer, it's all Lee and I'm happy with it.

I know you can spend more but this setup suits me, so why bother. It's better now to save for some hunting trips.

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:55 am

jd45 wrote:
2row wrote:II use Lee dies and a lee press I also own rcbs presses but use the Lee more some of theLee stuff is junk But there dies are the best I have 44 mag dies that have been in use sence they started makeing them an never a hic up if you don't like my advice you are not o
ut anything as it is free cheeers
Question................who are you? Just curious, jd45

It's Robert. I've met him a couple of times and he's a pretty durn good guy. He's been around awhile - just doesn't post often.

Wolfy · Post by **Wolfy** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:15 pm

The innovations this company has introduced over the years have amounted to nothing less than a phenomenon in reloading. Their tools have been copied over and over.

I started with George Leonard Herter's Model 3 Model Perfect C-press back upon graduation from high school in 1966, went to RCBS rockchuckers and RCBS scales and dies. Back to Lee handpresses, dies, handprimers, moulds, etc. Their new "Classic Cast" iron presses, etc. are, in my opinion, going to drive the old school businesses out. They are innovative and on the cusp of producing equipment with computer-generated machinery. They hire the best of the best that are schooled in the new technology and are unsurpassed when it comes to customer satisfaction. They replace tools that you ruin because you didn't read the easily-understood instructions that they include with each tool and have instructional videos that show how to operate everything they make online.

Just follow Lee's directions included with each of their tools. I think that is the main reason many people become dissatisfied with their tools...we're all old "experienced" reloaders that figure we know everything there is to know about every tool. Instruction manuals seem to be the first things chucked into the garbage, upon recieving a new piece of equipment....BIG mistake.

Custom bullet moulds, dies, re-sizing dies for lead bullets, custom nose-punches....they're there for us boys....USE 'em.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:18 pm

jd45 wrote:Sorry 2row, I missed your screen name. jd45

2rows that guy with the fancy 94 big bore .444.

I have 4 Lee presses. I have cranked out thousands of rounds for .223 with the turret press. I cant imagine using a single stage for quantity. I have a Pro 1000, but it only has 3 die stations and all my high volume stuff uses 4 dies. I have the hand press and I've full length resized 300winmag with it.

As for dippers, most of my 45-70 loads are from dippers. Malemute showed me how to dip correctly a few years back. When I chronoed the loads over Linebaughs shot up rig they had max deviation of 10fps.

LeverBob · Post by **LeverBob** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:28 am

Howdy boys!

Count me in with the LEE crowd. My family has been in the shooting & reloading game all the way back to Old' Roger Barlows days before 1900 AD. We've used just about everything ever offered by almost all the companies. I have my great grandfathers shotshell loading tools...the kit still puts out good ammo. (All hand & hammer stuff with roll crimps). And I still use gear from about all the makers.

Still, I use mostly LEE tools the most (and MEC for my shotguns). Sure, I have broken their primer seater, because I was ham-handed. Sent it back & they sent it reconditioned (about 1974). No charge!

I believe ALL the companies are making top flight gear, we can't go wrong with any of it. Turn around & look in any direction & you find first class tools. We are soooo blessed, it is amazing to be an American.

Horses fer' courses....

LeverBob

Wolfy · Post by **Wolfy** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:19 pm

OK....I've been waitin' fer' two years & no reponse......

How 'bout Lee in these days of savin' "bucks"..........

They are still there and on the "cusp" of providing custom services (servicios, for the invaders) to those of us that want more, but expect less

Point be'ng.........they're STILL THERE and they produce what is asked of them..........
more than the most of the others out there......don't ya' think. The other BRANDS will,but with OUTRAGEOUS fees and "custom prices". I ain't "elite" enough to take advantage of that, anymo".

So,........that leaves Lee, to take up the slacque. Which they do, with aplomb and grace

Some thoughts on Lee Precision

Some thoughts on Lee Precision

Re: Some thoughts on Lee Precision