Getting into reloading?

[elkhunter11]

LEE does make some decent products, but their scale is so finicky, that a friend of mine that started out loading last year was ready to give up handloading, until he tried another scale. He has since purchased a used RCBS 505 scale, and finds reloading much more enjoyable. I myself still have the first press that I purchased over 30 years ago, a Rockchucker that I have no plans on ever replacing. On the other hand, I do know several people that started with LEE Challenger presses, and have since upgraded to better quality presses. With the RCBS kits selling for $310, and RCBS offering a $50 rebate, I don't see the value in purchasing a LEE Challenger kit that is only $100 to $150 less.

[FallAirFever]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

LEE does make some decent products, but their scale is so finicky, that a friend of mine that started out loading last year was ready to give up handloading, until he tried another scale. He has since purchased a used RCBS 505 scale, and finds reloading much more enjoyable. I myself still have the first press that I purchased over 30 years ago, a Rockchucker that I have no plans on ever replacing. On the other hand, I do know several people that started with LEE Challenger presses, and have since upgraded to better quality presses. With the RCBS kits selling for $310, and RCBS offering a $50 rebate, I don't see the value in purchasing a LEE Challenger kit that is only $100 to $150 less.

I agree about the scale, it is a head-ache to use for sure.
My 50th anniversary kit was 120 bucks on sale at Cabela's, it got me into reloading at a price a could afford and would still be happily using it today (with the exception of the scale) if I had not been given a bunch of RCBS gear. I only load a few hundred rounds a year I am sure that LEE gear would have lasted my a long long time. Dont get me wrong for the money it is impossible to beat that RCBS deal from Prophet River but if a guy is on a strict budget Lee will do the trick nicely.

[solocam3]

I just used my RCBS press last night and I know my dad was using it when I was in High school in the early 70's

[Dean2]

You know guys, we have three pages of this thread going back and forth over $100 difference between the Lee and RCBS kit. If someone is on such a strict budget it makes that worth debating, they may want to hold off getting into shooting centre fires. If you load less than a 100 rounds a year, stick to the factory ammo. Good factory ammo is very accurate once you find the load your rifle likes, and it doesn't cost any more to do that than to work up a load hand loading, especially if you have to buy the gear to start with.

Personally I have burned over a $100 worth of rimfire ammo in a weekend shooting gophers and the gas to the range and back is an easy $70 a trip. Shooting is not an inexpensive sport and the reason you get into hand loading is so you can shoot 3 to 4 times as much for the same money and or try to make more accurate ammo. Anyone that thinks they are going to save money in the long run is fooling themselves.

[260 Rem]

IMO it is possible to get good results from a "cheap" press as long as good quality dies are used when set up to make very light metal-to-metal contact between the die base and shell holder. I resize all my brass with very old and well used Lee Classic press and a Redding S type resizer die. I do use a newer RCBS press for the seating operation because I don't like changing the dies out of a single press. But, keep in mind that there a lot of other "tools" you need for measuring, and with those ....anything less than good quality may compromise everything you do.

[Kappa]

Originally Posted by CheeseBurger

If you are going to hold off from starting to reload right away, I would suggest buying a couple reloading manuals and doing some reading to get your head in the game. It might be worth it to see if someone is willing to loan/sell you some older manuals. Anyone? I would loan you some if you lived in Calgary.

Hello, do you happen to have a newer version of the Lyman book? I have the 4th Edition and would like to compare the recipes to the newer edition.

Thanks.

plee388@hotmail.com

[sns2]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

LEE does make some decent products, but their scale is so finicky, that a friend of mine that started out loading last year was ready to give up handloading, until he tried another scale. He has since purchased a used RCBS 505 scale, and finds reloading much more enjoyable. I myself still have the first press that I purchased over 30 years ago, a Rockchucker that I have no plans on ever replacing. On the other hand, I do know several people that started with LEE Challenger presses, and have since upgraded to better quality presses. With the RCBS kits selling for $310, and RCBS offering a $50 rebate, I don't see the value in purchasing a LEE Challenger kit that is only $100 to $150 less.

IMO, this is the best advice I have read on this thread.

I started out loading with a buddy who inherited his Dad's RCBS gear. It all worked like it was new out of the box. I had a bit of a falling out with the fella, and wanted my own gear. I bought the Lee Anniversary kit not because people I respect told me it works, but because I was back in university in my late 30s, had two kids and a mortgage, was working two part-time jobs, and I couldn't afford anything else. I loaded thousands of accurate rounds for myself and friends with that equipment. However, there is no other way to say it, the scale was a royal pain in the ass. Sorry if any of you have one and like it. That was the first thing I got rid of. Eventually, my situation changed and I got rid of it all bit by bit. But like Elk has said, I bought everything twice.

If Prophet River would have had the RCBS kit on back then for what they do now, I would have saved up spare change a little longer and saved myself much, much frustration with certain pieces of that kit.

Get the RCBS kit. If you do, you will enjoy your hobby. Get the Lee kit, and if you stick with reloading, you will eventually replace much, if not all of it.

Trust me on this one.

[catnthehat]

I never consider buying anything "just once" if buying tools or gear.
I buy what I need at the time, and most times end up buying twor three of the same thing eventually, using all the tools and dies.

I have never bought a kit however.

The Lee hand press is great to use at the range, and their hand dies work well too, although one has to check for shoulder bump as they neck size only.
I've never had an issue with their custom ordered dies that I have used, neither has any0ne else that I know of.

I tried one of the Lee scales however, and hated it, but I don't like using a digital scale for the most part either.

I have used their measure for black powder and found far less problems with it that the 55 as far as cleaning it goes.

Their dipping scoops work well if they are used properly being struck off with a straight edge and not shaken.
They do have to be verified with a scale however.

I think the trade off with the Lee kit is that you get a good manual , but I'm not sure if the RCBS kit comes with one.
Cat

Cat

[sns2]

It does come with a manual.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by sns2

It does come with a manual.

Which manual do they have?
I know that the lee loading manual is very in depth......

Cat

[purgatory.sv]

The speer manual what edition I do not know.
When I purchased mine it was speer #11

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by purgatory.sv

The speer manual what edition I do not know.
When I purchased mine it was speer #11

Thanks!
Cat

[CNP]

Originally Posted by purgatory.sv

The speer manual what edition I do not know.
When I purchased mine it was speer #11

Not liking the Speer manual. Bought the latest..........................LEE!

The Speer doesn't have the selection of bullets that I want. The weights I use aren't in their book..........being Speer has something to do with it I suppose. With so much else being available on line, don't think I'll invest in any more manuals.

[Hotwheels81]

.....and the debate rages on.... LOL


As to load data, I find so much data online I would need a small library if I were to buy every interesting bit of print I find...

Sierra, Vhitavouri, Winchester/Hodgdon and various others publish there data on the Internet for free... I'm not saying the purchase of loading manuals is unwarranted but rather that you can get along just fine with a few comprehensive physical books and use online data to corroborate during initial load planning....


Just don't source all your loads off of handloads.net or online forums and you shouldn't loose any fingers :-)

[a little redneck]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Which manual do they have?
I know that the lee loading manual is very in depth......

Cat

The new RCBS kit has Speer reloading manual 14. The book is good but biased towards RCBS gear and Speer bullets, with several pictures in each chapter showing all of the other goodies RCBS sells.

I do like the Lyman manual because it covers many brands of bullets for their load data. Legal went through the Speer manual which is evident through-out the chapters. The Speer manual is a good reference, but I am not interested in the bullets they offer, only the RCBS gear.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Which manual do they have?
I know that the lee loading manual is very in depth......

Cat

Iirc, the manual that came with the lee kit was more of a magazine, not a hard cover manual per se.