Lee or RCBS?

[LumberZach]

Hey all,

I am looking at getting into reloading, doing my homework and reading everything I can get a hold of. Now the question really comes down to: can I get away with buying the single stage Lee kit, or should I really be spending almost 3x as much and get the RCBS kit, or is there another kit that I have neglected?

I probably ask more questions than I answer, but I really appreciate the responses.
Thanks.

[dragonb8]

I have 5 presses and started out with the lee anniversary kit. I reloaded about 4000 .223 with it and still use it for prep work.
You will always have a use for a single stage press.
It is a cheap way to tell if you want to get into reloading.

[bensdad]

I have 5 presses and started out with the lee anniversary kit. I reloaded about 4000 .223 with it and still use it for prep work.
You will always have a use for a single stage press.
It is a cheap way to tell if you want to get into reloading.

QFT

[DonT]

I have used a lee (both dies and presses) for almost 20 years. I have also used RCBS, Pacific, Lyman and Dillion over the years. I would not hesitate suggesting someone buy a lee. Only thing I might suggest is to get their Turret press, then remove the auto advance (a rod and clip) so you advance by hand. This makes changing calibers a snap. I recently moved my 10 year old 3 hole turret to the backup position and bought their 4 hole case press and like it as much as the old one.

I am in the northern burbs if you wanted to swing by sometime for a looksee... Just drop me a note.

DonT

[LarryFlew]

plus 1 for the turret. No die changing for each stage and can be run as single stage or indexed turret

[rugersol]

Only thing I might suggest is to get their Turret press

+∞³

I started on a Lee Turret ... I now own a Redding T-7 ... and a couple Hornady LNL-AP's!

The Lee Turret ... vs. the latter two ... seems like a rattling old POS ... but, it never broke ... and I loaded over 10,000rd on it ... all good ammo! As I've said elsewhere, the priming on the Lee Turret can be somewhat of a pain ... at which, if ya remove the auto-index rod, and decap a batch of 100 - 200 cases ... and then prime them with a hand-primer ... put the auto-index rod back in, and ya can really make some rounds, in a hurry! Fer this reason, I actually preferred my 3-hole Lee! That said, I didn't run an extra crimp die on that press ... if I had to do it again, I'd probly go with the 4-hole ... not necessarily to seat/crimp on two dies ... but the Lee FCD (included in any Lee 4-die pistol set) makes a very nice on-press chamber-checker!

That said, if ya got the money to afford 3x the Lee Challenger kit, I'd take a very hard look at the Hornady LNL-AP ... very solid ... excellent priming on the press ... high-quality case-activated powder-measure ... very solid, smooth machine!

[Duff-Man]

I recently got a Hornady single stage kit.

Yes, some of the stuff will eventually get replaced (if I keep reloading) and there may be some additions.

But it is working great so far and I really like the lock-n-load bushings.

I think the important question to ask is your volume goal, I only plan on doing small batches at a time so the single stage works fine.

[JFettig]

Lee dies over rcbs for sure! Never had very good luck with rcbs dies or powder measures.

[CarRacer]

I like my rock crusher but I made one addition to it that makes it a game changer. RCBS used to make something called a "Case Kicker" for the old model rock crusher. It's discontinued but I picked up a NIB one from gunbroker and it tripped my production on the press.

If the Lee turret dumps the case into a bin, get that. It'll speed things up a ton once you feel comfortable going faster.

[bensdad]

Lee dies over rcbs for sure! Never had very good luck with rcbs dies or powder measures.

This post vs. my opinion proves the point that none of the players in the reloading game make bad stuff. I prefer RCBS dies over lee, and I've loved my RCBS powder dispenser since day-1 for everything but Trail Boss. You really can't go wrong. The equipment is a distant second to the passion. You either get into it or you don't.

[Hoot]

Like dragonb8, I started with a Lee Anniversary kit. I then got a Lee Classic Cast press which can hold it's own with the 3rd press I got which is a Rock Chucker. The latter two sit side by side on my bench. I prefer the Classic Cast's method of capturing the extracted primers, to the RC. That part performs like they got ready to go to production and someone remembered that they needed something to catch the primers, so they kludged something up. If you can get a Lee Classic Cast kit at an attractive price, go for it. Otherwise, the RC is a good choice and I believe it also can be had as kit. IMHO, the balance scale that RCBS ships with it's kit is little better than Lee's. I still love and use my Lee Safety Primer.

As for Dies, I prefer my Forsters to my Hornadys to my (close 3rd) RCBS to my Lees. Until you get into precision reloading, IMHO, all four brands are a horse apiece.

Hoot

[rugersol]

loved my RCBS powder dispenser since day-1 for everything but Trail Boss.

...driving the point home, I've run trail boss thru a RCBS measure fer about 6yr, now...the few times I've checked it, it was always within 0.05 grain!

...FWIW, my Hornady measures perform equally as well!

[LumberZach]

Thanks for all the feed back guys!

I have been looking for a while and I think I just want to start on a single stage press and take my time with it starting out. I really like the way the Lee kit looks, and I am happy to hear that people agree that it is good. For the money, I think it would be an excellent start and looks like a lot of fun. Can't wait to start working up loads. I figure that I will be adding onto these kits plenty in the future.

Thanks for the help guys!

[LarryFlew]

........... and I think I just want to start on a single stage press and take my time with it starting out.

Still suggest going for the turret and don't use the index function, then it works like a single stage without the PITA of changing dies. I still do my rifle reloading like that. First decap a bunch, turn the turret, powder a bunch, turn the turret, seat bullets, turn the turret and do factory crimp. If and when you decide to step up just put the indexer in and it will turn the turret for you. Only difference at that point between a progressive and turret is having to pull the handle multiple times for each round. I never use mine indexed, just like a single stage but have 4 heads with the dies I use. Short turn and lift to change the heads for the other dies. With true single you are going to have to change individual dies and do set up etc.

If you do go with single get some set screw rings to replace the Lee rings so you don't have as much set up time when changing dies.

[bensdad]

Is there someone geographically close to you who might help you get started? I'm down in Dundas. No expert here, but any experienced hand might prove useful in the beginning.