Lee reloading gear

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Lee reloading gear

Post by headspace » 23 Dec 2013, 8:24 pm

I'm getting back into shooting and want to reload.

I am seriously considering One of the Lee Breechlock kits because they look like great value for money. I don't mind spending bigger dollars but to spend twice the price I'd better be getting the same ratio in performance.

Lee are very well regarded by a lot of blokes in the US, and their dies are said to be as good as any and better than some others. Point is, it will do the job and any component I don't like can be replaced at a later date.

Any suggestions?

John
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Hercl » 24 Dec 2013, 6:20 am

headspace wrote:I am seriously considering One of the Lee Breechlock kits because they look like great value for money. I don't mind spending bigger dollars but to spend twice the price I'd better be getting the same ratio in performance.


They are mate.

Strong single stage press will seat accurate rounds, balance beam scales pretty self explanatory, as long as your powder thrower drops consistent charges it's all good. The rest is just plastic funnels and trays etc. that are of no real importance.

There isn't much in them to replace unless you want to go up to something like a digtal scale/powder dispenser combo or a faster priming tool.

I'd say go for it.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by headspace » 24 Dec 2013, 8:36 am

Thanks mate, things have changed in the years since I was active in shooting. There's a lot more gear available for starters, and that means being spoilt for choice. Lee have always had a good name in the reloading business, and I'm fine with a single stage press. I'll be loading 223Rem and 308Win.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Zilla » 24 Dec 2013, 8:43 am

headspace wrote:things have changed in the years since I was active in shooting. There's a lot more gear available for starters, and that means being spoilt for choice. Lee have always had a good name in the reloading business, and I'm fine with a single stage press.


Pretty tough to fault a decent single stage press. Lee, Hornady, RCBS, whatever... It's all good.

A good set of dies and you'll have no worries with the kit.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Davies » 24 Dec 2013, 8:53 am

Zilla wrote:Pretty tough to fault a decent single stage press. Lee, Hornady, RCBS, whatever... It's all good.

A good set of dies and you'll have no worries with the kit.


Good advice.

People get in such a huff over which brand is "best" :roll:

For a single stage press though, rod goes up, rod goes down. How amazing does your press need to be to accomplish that :lol:
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by headspace » 24 Dec 2013, 8:37 pm

Davies wrote:
Zilla wrote:Pretty tough to fault a decent single stage press. Lee, Hornady, RCBS, whatever... It's all good.

A good set of dies and you'll have no worries with the kit.


Good advice.

People get in such a huff over which brand is "best" :roll:

For a single stage press though, rod goes up, rod goes down. How amazing does your press need to be to accomplish that :lol:

That's my thoughts exactly, we used to turn out good loads on old turret presses back in the day. I sometimes think we get too hung up on how much you pay for something rather than the end result.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Triang » 26 Dec 2013, 8:35 pm

headspace wrote:That's my thoughts exactly, we used to turn out good loads on old turret presses back in the day. I sometimes think we get too hung up on how much you pay for something rather than the end result.


Tell me about it. I was talking cars with a mate of mine who is a real estate agent so needs to look a little flash for work.

He's looking at leasing a BMW X5, they're apparently $150,000 for one! What the hell...

He likes getting out into the outback a little too for fishing and stuff, hence the 4WD.

I like Subaru myself. I told him he could buy a WRX for the city, and a Forester for the trails, and still have $50k left over.

What the hell would you ever buy a BMW for that much for...
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by BRNOmod2 » 27 Dec 2013, 5:29 am

Purchased a Lee Breachlock kit several years ago, plus a powder trickler and some loading blocks and some Lee dies. Have since replaced the lee scale with a basic RCBS unit, and dies with Redding units. Have loaded thousands of .308 match loads for Fullbore and some smaller numbers of .223 for hunting and .303 for service rifle comp. All in all the Lee has been great, although i was suspect of scales after testing against digital scale so replaced them and the powder thrower is not all that consistantant with throws but i weigh every charge so i live with it.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Norton » 27 Dec 2013, 2:29 pm

BRNOmod2 wrote:...and the powder thrower is not all that consistent with throws but I weigh every charge so I live with it.


Basic powder throwers aren't much good IMO either.

Any decent single stage press is fine, but a little extra for a better powder thrower is good.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by headspace » 28 Dec 2013, 4:55 pm

Thanks for the input blokes, and on the subject of the real estate bloke and his BMW x5, I used to be a road tester for a 4wd mag before I retired and if he takes the Beemer into the outback, he had better take a trailer full of tyres and fuel.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Baldrick314 » 28 Dec 2013, 5:41 pm

Triang wrote:
headspace wrote:That's my thoughts exactly, we used to turn out good loads on old turret presses back in the day. I sometimes think we get too hung up on how much you pay for something rather than the end result.


Tell me about it. I was talking cars with a mate of mine who is a real estate agent so needs to look a little flash for work.

He's looking at leasing a BMW X5, they're apparently $150,000 for one! What the hell...

He likes getting out into the outback a little too for fishing and stuff, hence the 4WD.

I like Subaru myself. I told him he could buy a WRX for the city, and a Forester for the trails, and still have $50k left over.

What the hell would you ever buy a BMW for that much for...


Why would you take a car worth that much in the bush :shock:

Lee dies are awesome for how cheap they are. I've never used their single stage presses but I've heard they're as good as units twice their price. And their progressive presses are excellent as well
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Triang » 28 Dec 2013, 5:49 pm

Baldrick314 wrote:Why would you take a car worth that much in the bush :shock:


I didn't mean to over state that. Maybe I did a bit :lol:

He goes "off road" but it's only onto reasonably tame dirt roads and stuff.

Still flat-ish stuff like semi used fire trails or what kind of thing.

Never truly off road.
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Noisydad » 29 Dec 2013, 7:10 am

Davies wrote:
Zilla wrote:Pretty tough to fault a decent single stage press. Lee, Hornady, RCBS, whatever... It's all good.

A good set of dies and you'll have no worries with the kit.


Good advice.

People get in such a huff over which brand is "best" :roll:

For a single stage press though, rod goes up, rod goes down. How amazing does your press need to be to accomplish that :lol:
....and that's it in a nutshell!
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Re: Lee reloading gear

Post by Hatter » 29 Dec 2013, 8:15 am

Noisydad wrote:
Davies wrote:For a single stage press though, rod goes up, rod goes down. How amazing does your press need to be to accomplish that :lol:
....and that's it in a nutshell!


Go the home made press ;)
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