reloading gear

[Oldbloke]

What's the difference?

[Oldbloke]

A-ha, I just found this.

This kit (Challenger kit) features the same components as the 50th Anniversary Kit, but we have replaced the Safety Prime with the Auto-Prime XR and a set of Auto-Prime Shell Holders. This kit is for those who prefer to prime off the press.

[scoobs]

Whats usually easier/better for priming? On or off the press?

[bladeracer]

Whats usually easier/better for priming? On or off the press?

I found the Safety Prime thing to be crap, it's too flexible.
The Hand Prime is good though.

I do both, priming on the press doesn't require as much grip strength but lacks some feel. I feed the primers manually, although if I'm doing a lot with the Hand Prime I'll use the feed tray.

[juststarting]

Lee, Hornady and RCBS are much of a muchness. I find Lee dies to be a little low quality compared to RCBS and I've never used Hornady gear, so no opinion there. With benefit of hindsight, I'd get the cheapest kit from those three, RCBS dies (although, again, same, same). I would also get a Lee collet die from beginning. And GOOD digital scales (this is where you don't want to skimp). Then just have a go.

Make sure you 'have a go' on any day other than Saturday. That way, if you're missing something - you can quickly head to a gun or hardware store and pick it up

[Oldbloke]

Looks like this is the hand tool with auto primer.

https://leeprecision.com/new-auto-prime.html

I would go with that. So sounds like challenger is the go, especially if price difference is not great.

[Cooper]

I started with Lee kit with the hand priming tool. I mainly use Lee dies. But have a few RCBS and Forester dies now.
The Lee is fine for starting out. And I still do most of my stuff on the Lee press. I Also have an Rcbs rockcrusher press which I prefer to use if I am full length sizing. I just feels more solid.

I mainly use the Lee hand prime tool to do small primers (223). I also have the Rcbs hand primer that takes the shell press holders. Which I mainly use for larger primers and doing the small primers in the 6.5 Creedmoor Lapua case. The RCBS priming tool. Is a better tool in my opinion and seems to have much better feel when seating the primers.

If I had my time over again. I'd still by the Lee kit first. People like to hang s**t on it. Because it is pretty cheap. But generally I have found it pretty good.

[sungazer]

I have the Lee dies for everything I reload. I have also purchased a set of Hornady Custom to see if they were any better, they were disappointing. I Also bought a cheaper Hornady set I think expect when it arrived it was marked American Eagle much less quality than Lee. To get better than Lee in dies you need to be looking at the Redding,
Forster. All the dies I have found need the seating die, seating stem modified to really get consistent seating depths with any bullets other than round nose ones. All the pointy ones hit the end of the stem which they shouldn't.

[marksman]

use lee deluxe collet dies, you will have the most concentric rounds, you can believe the media about these collet dies
a lee starter kit with hand primer, the collet dies are made to be used with a lee press, upgrade at a later date to the heavy cast lee press
upgrade to 505 or 1010 ohaus/rcbs scales straight away, the lee scales are no good, stay away from electronic scales if you dont want dramas
steer clear of rcbs and hornady dies
a lyman trimmer is also the go, a hornady concentricity gauge to check how straight your loads are

IMO you can make very very good ammo using the lee collet dies and a wilson seater and you don't need to neck turn as you would with a bushing die

what I have written is what I have learnt over a very long time reloading, mostly the hard way

[wanneroo]

Lee is usually fine for the casual reloader. It will get you started reloading at a lower cost. I find some of their stuff is really good and some of it over the years has not gone the distance and I have replaced things with other brands.

I have a RCBS Rockchucker, powder measure and hand primer as well as some die sets. In the end I find their stuff really fiddly to set up and use. Their hand primer tool was a total waste of $60 and my time, sorry. The RC press is a pain in the butt dealing with spent primers and that stupid plastic tray. Eventually that press will get sidelined for a Redding T-7. RCBS is coy about where their stuff is made and I suspect some of it comes out of China.

Hornady I have just bought one of their progressive presses so time will tell how that works out. I never have used their dies but like their bullets for reloading.

Redding and Forster so far I have found to have excellent quality and precision. You pay more but I feel everything I bought so far is worth the money in the end.

Basically when I started I was on a budget and for whatever type of tool I needed I did my research and bought what I thought was the best tool for the job for what I could afford. And then over time when I found I could afford a better tool, especially one that automated or sped up the process more, I'd buy it. As a result I have reloading equipment from just about every manufacturer out there.

[sungazer]

Marksman you had me searching to see if there was a Lee deluxe neck collet die as well as the normal neck collet die. I buy the ultimate sets mainly just to get the neck collet die. The other dies ie the seater and the FLS I use until I have a need that requires greater precision. Then I would get the Redding competition Seater and the correct stem or mod one and either the Redding FLS or the body die and maybe the small base die.
Really the Lee dies will be great and take you a long way on both your shooting journey and as you learn more or become more fussy OCD about your ammo. You will be making upgrades to your gun probably long before you feel the need to upgrade your dies.
PS +1 on everything Marksman said

[BRNO_Bigot]

I have the Lee dies for everything I reload. I have also purchased a set of Hornady Custom to see if they were any better, they were disappointing. I Also bought a cheaper Hornady set I think expect when it arrived it was marked American Eagle much less quality than Lee. To get better than Lee in dies you need to be looking at the Redding,
Forster. All the dies I have found need the seating die, seating stem modified to really get consistent seating depths with any bullets other than round nose ones. All the pointy ones hit the end of the stem which they shouldn't.

Absolutely agree.

I have dies from Hornady, RCBS, Redding and (mostly) Lee.

While I do think the Redding dies are better, the RCBS and the Lee are on a par, with Hornady still to be used - I bought the Hornady for my 6.5 Grendel, which Winchester Australia haven't imported yet (CZ 527).

If I was reloading for F Class or something like that I probably would not use Lee, I cannot complain about them at all.

Some people will tell you Lee dies don't stay adjusted, because of the rubber lock rings instead of the rings with grub screws most manufacturers use - just screw them in and out using the lock rings rather than the die body - it's worked for me since 1986 with perfect satisfaction.

[sungazer]

Yeah there is no way they move if you do them up tight to the breech collar. Even so I just bought some of the breech collars that screw tight. Haven't fitted them yet as it is a job to get the die out of the collar its in. They do look like they may make it easier to fit as they give more Knurled area.

[scoobs]

thanks guys.

so far on my list
lee breech lockchallenger kit.
lee duluxe 3 collet die set for 308 and 22-250
reloading blocks
case lube pad
smart reloader media tumbler
media.


what do you guys think? anything else to add?

[Stix]

FWIW...since i purchased my cheap wet tumbler i havnt used my dry/media tumbler.
& the wet tumbler wasnt really much more at all...
Nice clean brass every time & in less time...no dust...
And its another tool to fuel up the OCD in you...!!!
So if buying a tumbler, id seriously consider one of the cheap wet tumblers for basically the same money...!!!

[sungazer]

Yep as Stix said get the tumbler of used guns he sells them on ebay too. I had a 3 kg one I got from China it broke and was too small get the 5kg one. For lube I would use Hornady One Shot works well and is so easy forget pads. The main place for lube is inside the neck when you FLS a pain to do each one with a cotton bud a quick light spray over the top and your done.

[bladeracer]

thanks guys.

so far on my list
lee breech lockchallenger kit.
lee duluxe 3 collet die set for 308 and 22-250
reloading blocks
case lube pad
smart reloader media tumbler
media.


what do you guys think? anything else to add?

I'm really liking the Bleacher style loading blocks.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lyman-Bleacher-Loading-Block-485-Genuine-Made-in-USA-7728086/282240492166
I don't bother tumbling my brass.
You will need a Quick Trim Die for each caliber as well to keep consistent case length, and a caliper to measure them.

[sungazer]

Good point BR,You will find that the trimmer or at least a basic one will come with the kit. I am sure you will get a few differing opinions here on what to get. I have been purchasing again the lee quick trimmer die and the handle that trims. I have tried the three way cutter not a great result I have been getting with that. The little chamfer tool lee sells is good for the small inside chamfer you need to stop taking brass off the bullets as they are seated. I am giving up on the outside chamfer I dont think it is necessary. More work than for any return.

[Oldbloke]

A vernier caliper to measure case length and coal

[scoobs]

Ah forgot the trimmer die.

As for calipers. I have a few sets of mititoyos already

[wanneroo]

Wet tumbling is my preferred way. I use a Frankford Arsenal tumbler with a bit of Lemishine(citric acid), Hornady case cleaning solution, steel pins and distilled water. Gets cases looking brand new and I don't have to deal with lead soaked dust.

[Stix]

Im not sure if others have suggested this or not, but if getting Hornady gear, see if you can get the comparitor set for measuring length to ogive & shoulder...
They can be significantly cheaper when bought in a press kit, so you can save some dollars from buying them in the near future.

[scoobs]

also, what reloading book do you guys rate the best?

[marksman]

the hornady, sierra, nosler are all good, I used to call the start of the hornady (how to reload) the bible

[Oldbloke]

For some reason I thought the challenger kit comes with a manual/book.

[BRNO_Bigot]

thanks guys.

so far on my list
lee breech lockchallenger kit.
lee duluxe 3 collet die set for 308 and 22-250
reloading blocks
case lube pad
smart reloader media tumbler
media.


what do you guys think? anything else to add?

A decent scale - I'm a Lee fan, but the Lee scale is "serviceable" but not great.

A book or two would also be good.

[wanneroo]

Eventually having a few manuals is good for cross reference. Also if you use a certain manufacturers bullets, like Speer, Hornady, Sierra, it's good to have their manual handy to get exact recipes for that particular bullet. As I recall Speer and Hornady had good sections in the front going through everything to do with reloading if you are new to it. On my shelf I have the Lee, Lyman, Speer, Hornady and Sierra manuals.

[Oldbloke]

Just google Lyman No 44 manual.pdf

[Cooper]

also, what reloading book do you guys rate the best?

I mainly use Nick Harvey and ADI and Hornady. I find Nick Harvey has the easiest to find trim lengths and they are in mm. Also generally Nick Harvey loads aren't as conservative as same. So use with some caution. I usually then double check with either the ADI or Hornady as I mainly shoot Hornady bullets.

I also own the Lee Manual, and Berger manual. I think Seirra has a new manual coming. Be so far I have found most of the Seirra stuff online. You don't need that many manuals. But I think it is good idea to compare loads from a couple of different manuals. Particularly when you are starting out. I just like reading and find Topic of reloading interesting so have bought a few manuals. I also like writing little notes in my manuals. So definaltely prefer Hard copy manuals.

[Oldbloke]

To clarify.
You need two manual types.
1. Data for reloading to give powder minimum and maximum and bullet combinations . The online ADI manual does that very well if you use their powders. Most do.

2. A manual to explain how to actually reload. Which is just resizing and assembling the cartridge. Any of the major manuals will show you how to do this. It hasn't changed for 25 years. Download a free one like I suggested, or go to the local library, or ask someone to show/teach you. Or just buy one of course.