[rfstar]

Okay Guy's,

I've been wanting to get into reloading for awhile, I want to reload 9mm luger and .40S&W, I would like to get a progressive press to start with, but Dillon and RCBS presses are alittle out of my price range, how do you guy's feel about a Lee's Press

looking to do about
500rds a month

Thanks in Advance

-------------------------------------------------
Springfield XD-9
Walther P99 .40S&W

 

[WyoBob]

Check out the Hornady lock N Load AP at Cabela's. $300.00 plus a $50 Cabela's Bucks rebate. Net=$250. (Does not come with shell plates).

I just got one and it looks like a first class piece of equipment that wil last a long time. I've only loaded 100 rounds of 40 so far but no problems. I've got to go shoot a lot so I have some brass to reload

WyoBob

 

[ScottQ]

You can get an entry level Dillon for $289. I haven't used it personally, but I've never met anyone that didn't love their Dillon press.

Scott

 

[WyoBob]

I based part of my decision to go with Hornady over Dillon after reading this article: http://www.cs.odu.edu/~rtompkin/hornady/blue.php aslo known as "Don't Drink the Blue Cool Aid". I know a lot of folks like Dillon but Dillon does have a cult following. It's like the, "I spent a lot of money on this Cadillac and, therefore, it's the best" thing.

I spent a lot of time researching on the net and got a lot of the "Blue-enough said" kind of coments in regards to questions about progressive loaders. No reasons why Dillon's the best. It's just the best because everyone knows it's the best. After all, it costs the most.

Anyway, I'm happy so far with the LNL. And, if it doesn't work as it's supposed to, Cabela's has a great return policy.

WyoBob

 

[backstay]

I own a Lee turret press. I started with a single stage RCBS so the turret is a big jump in production. Mine feels a little loose, but it loads the ammo just fine. The dies are very reasonable. For the price you can’t go wrong. In the end it's all about the "bang". Reloading for pistol shooting is usually a high count reloading unlike rife bench rest shooters who go for ultraprecession.

 

[mullanman]

Dilllon Square Deal B's are not that expensive.

Dillons have lifetime warranties, the others do not. Dillon will rebuild your press and upgrade it, free, the others do not.

Dillons do not have cheap plastic parts that will break or cause a primer jams.

I have not had a Lee press yet that will consistently punch out 300-500 rounds at one sitting. I've had more wasted rounds with lees than enything else. I figure i waste 10 rounds per 100 with the Lee. I've had both the pro 1000 and Loadmaster.

With my current Dillons, i might waste 1 per 500 at the most. That is generally after i had made an adjustment to the powder charge for different loads.

Dilllons, while a little more, save you money in the long run as they do not constant adjustment, do not generally break, and cost younothing but shipping to repair.

 

[backstay]

Dillons do not have cheap plastic parts that will break or cause a primer jams.

I have not had a Lee press yet that will consistently punch out 300-500 rounds at one sitting. I've had more wasted rounds with lees than enything else. I figure i waste 10 rounds per 100 with the Lee. I've had both the pro 1000 and Loadmaster.
.

None of my Lee parts have broke, I "punch" 300 rounds with mine, and if 10 percent of your rounds are bad you should buy ammo. I think my bad round ratio is more like 6000 rounds good to 1 bad.

[/quote]

 

[mullanman]

My Dillons do not screw up. I have a 550 and a 650.

I shoot 2K of ammo a month, don't think i'll be 'buying' any anytime soon.

IMO, Lee's quality is just not there. The ram is of poor quality, the shell plate gets out of adjustment easily, case feeding is unreliable. Priming system is subpar. And this is my experience with the Load master.

If you need 500 rounds a month, I think its fine. If you need more than that, look at a Dillon.

I just loaded 2K rounds of .40 for my STI edge. this was done on my 650. I loaded these in one evening, a little over 2 1/2 hours. Not one problem. I couldn't even begin to think about doing that type of quantity on a Lee.

 

[mullanman]

Dillons do not have cheap plastic parts that will break or cause a primer jams.

I have not had a Lee press yet that will consistently punch out 300-500 rounds at one sitting. I've had more wasted rounds with lees than enything else. I figure i waste 10 rounds per 100 with the Lee. I've had both the pro 1000 and Loadmaster.
.

None of my Lee parts have broke, I "punch" 300 rounds with mine, and if 10 percent of your rounds are bad you should buy ammo. I think my bad round ratio is more like 6000 rounds good to 1 bad.

[/quote]


By 'bad' rounds, primer did not seat properly, seated in edgwise, or didn't prime at all.


Lee dies however, are the best there are. I use them on my Dillons.

 

[BubbainHouston]

I have a Pro 1000 and have loaded a few thousand .44 mags on it, but recently it has done nothing but cuase me hell. Now I also own two of their single stage press and they have been wonderful for atleast 10,000 rnds. Now it has been my experience to find out with the Pro 1000 that it wasn't the most accurite with alot of powders it would vary by half case in some cases and would i remove one to varify on my scales it was very rarely right on most of the time one would be under and next over and the primer feeder was nothing but trouble. But now I load only with the 2 single stage presses on my bench I also use lyman powder messure and measure every third rnd and when I am loading I pickatleast 10 or more at random to measure for lenght. I also use the 4 die set for the factory crimp it makes the brass last longer and will not buckle the case. I load .40s&w, .45acp, .44mag, .223rem. 30.06springfeld. And I load between 500 and 1000 rounds a week. The reason I am telling you this I like to use a single stage because I will not get an hurry and I can inspect
every round to make sure it well with in specs. With loading the .40s&w you have to be real careful with OAL and I like precision and to know every step was done the same everytime. I also like lee dies and I think if your are on budget you might look at lees aniversery kit with the single stage press, drum powder measure and scale plus their reloading guide and even has a hand prime , it shouldnt cost you more than 75 dollars.

 

[backstay]

The thread was about price. I think if he is going to reload 2000 rounds a month he woundn't be asking about the press price.

 

[R/T Performance]

You can get an entry level Dillon for $289. I haven't used it personally, but I've never met anyone that didn't love their Dillon press.

Scott

I have one got it a month ago. made 300 awsome rounds on it without any problems .I Love IT as much as both my xd's 8) .
If you read the feed back on lee 1000 you will find even on their website that one grain of powder will screw up the primer feed and you will have powder every where.I get frustrated pissing with stuff.
www.brianenos.com
He is great and I believe this is an aw some value and the best for straight walled pistol.312 dollars to my door with speer manual.
I can easly crank out 50 rounds in 10 minutes 8) With no problems