new reloading kit for beginner

[theduke]

I am thinking of getting a lock-n-load classic kit for reloading.  Is this good kit and can you use it with rcbs and lee dies.   Other kit considering is rcbs rock chucker supreme and lee breech lock challenger kit.  I think for money and nicest kit for beginner is hornady lock-n-load.  Is this good choice to make.  thanks

[huntducks]

Good as any better then most.

Hornady makes quailty products but so does RCBS and yes all the dies inter change.

[Dances with Geoducks]

I dont like kits, and I dont like Lee.

I bought the Lee powder measure and sale to try them out.

I wore the powder measure bar out in 6 months, and the scale does not lock at weight.

Im using 1950-60s stuff, that still works as good as the day it was made.

Most of my stuff is RCBS or Redding.

Got it at gun shows cheap, and some are my Ole Mans and other old guys who have retired from shooting.

[Kurt L]

Good as any better then most.

Hornady makes quailty products but so does RCBS and yes all the dies inter change.

I also agree that would be a fine kit.
my hornady powder measure works fine but does better with a baffle.
my hornady scale is a beam not electronic and always worked fine
and I am sure the electronic would be fine also,BUT I would buy a scale check kit to keep an eye on it (better safe than sorry)
welcome to the world of reloading and best of luck.

[Dand]

+1 what the above said, if a few more positive comments gives you confidence. I like my Hornady beam scale. Hope they are still giving bullets away as part of the deal.

[fastchicken]

I also just went throught the same dilema when considering what equipment to get to get started. For the amount I shoot now, and volume I plan to reload, I could not justify spending the $ on the more expensive kits so I got the Lee Challenger kit, and no matter what brand, when you add the items up seperatly, the kits are more cost effective.
With the $ I saved by getting the Lee, I was able to get 3 sets of dies, 2 manuals, a tumbler, calipers, case blocks and several other items I would need anyway, and all for the same cost of just the kit of the more expensive brands.
I have never reloaded, nor know anyone who does so I had spent hours upon hours researching before deciding what to buy. I'll have to admit I was a little skeptical of the quality of the Lee products I was about to receive due to some negative remarks/experiances I read, but I still could not convice myself I needed to spend more. Especially if I end up not reloading that much or don't like it as much as I think I will, than at least I won't have as much $ tied up in the equipment.
 However, after all my toys arrived I was pleased with the quality of the Lee stuff, at least initally, since I don't have anything to compare it to and haven't actually put it to use yet, but everything appears to be more than I anticipated, for the amount of reloading I'm going to do.
 I did play with the scale, and even without reading the instructions, only took a minute or two to figure out. It may be slow, but it is easy and accurate.
 Lee must have updated their press because it did not have any cast "pot metal" I had read about on the linkage, the linkage is a 1 piece steel bracket. The only quality issue with the Lee stuff I had so far was the scale base was apparently supposed to have 3 "feet" [if you can call them that, about 1/16 tabs] cast into the base but mine only had one. A few minutes with a file and problem solved.
 I'm sure some are thinking that's bad quality control, and not to buy Lee, but I dont' think too many would argue that Lyman is a good brand and puts out quality equipment, but the Lyman tumbler I got had the threaded rod bent to the point that the bowl was difficult to remove [after nearly tearing the bottom rubber insulator just trying to unscrew it because it was on so tight]. I removed the rod and straightend it, [mabey it was supposed to be bent!].
   I'm not wanting to be a commercial for Lee, or tell you to buy Lee, just because I'm satisfied with it, but I'm also not going to tell you not to buy Lyman because something got past their QC and I had to fix it.
   As luck would have it, the day after my shipment was sent I sold my other truck and had a fist full of cash. Money that a few days earlier could have gone towards a more expensive set-up, but after getting all my stuff, I still would have got the Lee kit. Who knows, I may have a completely different opinion after I get into it more but for now, I feel my money was well spent.
 And BEWARE, everyone who says reloading doesn't save money is correct! I'm already planning on more crap to buy and have yet to crank out my first round!

[Lloyd Smale]

i used to recomend the lee kits for starters but after the last one i saw i wont do it again. the press was so rough it was about unsuable. the handle wouldnt even fall on its own weight. the plastic powder measure and the scale were a joke. It was my buddys stuff and i threw both of them in the trash and gave him rcbs extras i had. I am realitively new to hornady gear but do have a new single stage lock and load and its become my favorite single stage press and i think the powder measures are great too. I think for the most part guys that brag on the lee stuff just havent been exposed to quality gear.

[Freezer]

    I'm with Fastchicken!  I can't count the thousands of rounds I've loaded with my Aniversary Kit.  Lee makes a Volkswagon not a Porshe.  Thier equipment works.  I tought my son to load on Lee equipment.  He is now target shooter and has graduated to RCBS but I still use the Lee.  RCBS has the "Piggy Back" you can put on their press to convert it to a progressive press when your ready for volume shooting.  The money I saved is what I used to buy all the extras I needed.

[jager247]

 bought the Lee 4 hole turret press as my first press about 2 weeks ago. I got it from Kempf guns shop as a kit. It came with everything needs to load a .308. I've had a blast reloading sofar with it. I have had no problems with it. I bought a s&w 9mm last week just so I could have something else to reload my dies should be here in a few days for it.   I was worried I made the wrong choice until it got here now I am glad I saved a ton of money buy going with lee.  I am haring to a gun show today to buy another gun so I hce even more cal. To reload.   I think I got the reloading bug

[Freezer]

    Your hooked!  You won't save money reloading, you'll just shhot more

[Empty Quiver]

I bought the RCBS supreme kit. Since this purchase I have added case trimmers from lee for each cartridge and a tumbler. I really ought to be getting a length guage I suppose, I have been comparing to a factory round so far but understand this is by no means optimum. The hand primer is the one thing I didn't expect to be so useful. I don't even want to know how I'm supposed to use the attachment for the press.

I'm not sure why a trimmer and some sort of length tool aren't included in the kit but they aren't and I think that ought to go home with you the same day.

[nova71]

I use LEE for all but one of my calibers and I see no difference in quality of reloaded ammo. I like being able to just change the turret and not need to reset everything. except for the 9mm and 380 dies all my stuff was bought in the early 80's or late 70's and is still going strong...... Larry

[DannoBoone]

i used to recomend the lee kits for starters but after the last one i saw i wont do it again. the press was so rough it was about unsuable. the handle wouldnt even fall on its own weight. the plastic powder measure and the scale were a joke. It was my buddys stuff and i threw both of them in the trash and gave him rcbs extras i had.

Perhaps Lee QC was on break when that one went by.    I have both with no problems with either.

I think for the most part guys that brag on the lee stuff just havent been exposed to quality gear.

Ohhh, really!?!  I've had the Hornady single stage press. I still have a Herter's Rifleman press and a Lee
Challenger press. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that, for the most part, a press is just a press.
For as long as it just helps keep a cartridge straight up through the dies, it's gonna work. The die set is
what one does not want to skimp on. Most of my reloading now is done with the cheapy Lee Hand press, but with
quality Forster dies. Groups out of my rifles do not seem to care the rounds were made with such a cheap press.
This inexpensive press is nice and portable.......one is not stuck in one place at the bench when using it.

No press or die outfit is going to compensate for skipping brass prep. Brass needs to be trimmed to length,
flash holes deburred, primer cups uniformed, case mouth prep. Lee has very accurate brass prep tools that
won't break the bank. They just do not have a VLD case mouth chamferring tool, which everyone should use,
ESPECIALLY if one plans to shoot boat tail bullets.

So go ahead, pay hundreds for a press, just DO NOT skimp on the dies and brass prep tools.

[Lloyd Smale]

never said to skrimp on prep as a matter of fact i dont believe in skrimping on anything. unlike some here load and shooting is my life. I shoot and load daily and will not put up with anyting but good equiptment. If this is some hobby of yours that is forth or fift behind motorcyles skiing boating snowmobiles ect and you arent that much into it the cheap stuff will get you by and will actually make good ammo. I to have load more ammo then most people have loaded in there life on a lee hand press. Would i want it for an only press? Absolutely not! Someone who is loading few boxes of ammo for hunting season or occasional plinking can get by with lee stuff. thats why there still in bussiness. Its the same group of people that buy tasco scopes or buy tools out of the bargin bin at menards. People that want to play but dont want to pay. Nothing wrong with it if thats what floats your boat but ive allways been the type that when i buy something i like to buy it once. Anyone here who can honestly say that theyve operated both a lee press and a rockchucker and can say they were equal in quality is either lieing or doesnt know the first thing about anything mechanical. Ive been through the lee thing myself when i was first into loading. I had a couple single stages one turent a pro 1000 and a loadmaster and didnt have a good thing to say about any of them especially the progressives. there junk! the turent isnt bad if you stick to the manual one but thats about it. I busted a challenger loading 300 weatherby one day and that was the last lee press that i had left and id never have another other then i will allways keep a hand press around though i seldom use it anymore. It may piss off some guys here but i could care less. The only reason to buy a lee setup is there cheap period! This aint my first rodeo and i know i load as much ammo in a year as most 10 guys on here and if you like lee stuff i can probably find an old used yugo to sell you as they were cheap and would get you to the store too but there not what i would drive! All lee stuff is not junk. I actuallly prefer there dies to most brands and will allways have a couple lee priming tools on the bench but not there presses or God forbid those cheap plastic powder measures and scales.

[cybin]

I agree and don't agree with what has been said here about Lee equipment. It all depends on your circumstances--one--how much are you going to use it?  What your going to reload with it. How old are  you? The reason I say how old are you is becouse a man in his 50's or 60's isn't going to  get his moneys worth out of the equipment as a younger man who has many years left to use it.

Now that said--a young man should buy the best that he can afford--and I would recomend RCBS presses for him--even if he only shoots and reloads a little--over many years he will get his moneys worth out of it.  For the person who is just getting into it and really doesn't know if it is for them--a Lee press is ok--and if later you find that you are using it a lot more than you thought that you would--heck buy a RCBS then and use the Lee for odds and ends, who can't use an extra press once in a while--or else sell it here on the reloading equipment for sale or trade board.

And finally, if all your going to reload is pistol cartridges, and I know a few people who only reload for pistols, the Lee turret press works great. The Lyman turret press works great for pistols as well--that is what I use for pistol cartridges-the Lyman turret press doesn't work well for full length resizing of .30-06 brass---what works for the person who reloads almost every day--may not be justified for the guy who reloads only a couple of tiimes a year.

cybin

[P.A. Myers]

I'v had RCBS, Dillion, Lyman. I settled on this Lok-N-Load, flanked by two Spartans. Works good. Fast enough, quality control is easy.

[theduke]

Well I was going to get hornady cause you got 500 free bullets.  You could only pick one bullet and not much choices.  I ended up buying rock chucker kit from natchez for $279.  I think that will make a great reloading start for me for years to come.  thanks

[briannmilewis]

Ditto to cybin...I am one of those older folks who started reloading in late 2008, my budget and positive reviews led me to the Lee Breach Lock and associated gear. Had to sell it all in 2009 due to financials. Recently had the money to start over, I picked up a new Lee Breach Lock Anniversary kit for $54. The Lee gear is just fine for me, which will be a few thousand reloads a year.