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Single Stage Press

7.62x39Lover7.62x39Lover Member Posts: 3,939 ✭✭✭
edited March 2013 in Ask the Experts
I want an inexpensive single stage press for reloading rifle rounds. I want to start off with .223 rounds. Which Lee press should I buy?

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    golferboy426golferboy426 Member Posts: 969 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    None RCBS rock chucker
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    the middlethe middle Member Posts: 3,089
    edited November -1
    Lee is fine...they are every bit as good has anybody else at half the price or better. Pretty hard to screw up a single stage press.

    Now progressive....Dillon and none other, but thats a whole other arguement!
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    With the crazyness affecting all the on-line retailers. I would just buy the basic model, Lee "C" press off Amazon.

    They also carry the other Lee press's in kit form. If you want or need the other stuff that required, besides the bare bones press.

    Nowadays with the crazyness, it might be problematic getting the required components for reloading a popular cartridge like .223. Such as brass, bullets and primers. The press would be the easy part.
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    lcdrdanrlcdrdanr Member Posts: 439 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Presses seem to be readily available, dies for .223 are selling for about twice what they were a couple of months ago on Flea bay; most retailers are back ordered.

    Even the lee loaders in .223 are selling for twice what their new price was 3 months ago.

    That being said, I would recommend a Lee Cee press and some Lee dies, I think their green case dies are selling on E-Bay for around $40.00 (ouch) but thats the cheapest game in town.

    You might check on availability of componenets, particularly primers, before investing in a one caliber one shot reloading set up. Primers seem to be as hard to come by as loaded rounds !

    Dan R
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    coledigger4coledigger4 Member Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have and use two RCBS presses and have loaded thousands of rounds with absolutely no problems. My vote goes for RCBS.
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    tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you intend to get further into reloading, and up in caliber, then golferboy426 has it correct. If you buy a Lee ANYTHING, you will be pissing your hard earned money into the wind. Should you decide to upgrade to something bigger down the road, the Lee will not have any resale value.

    Best

    EDIT 1

    quote:Neither does anything else save Dillon! Besides, Lee is so low cost (not cheap...say what you want, their stuff works)why would you even want to sell it? One other thing about Lee lately as well, their dies are some of the best going....and the "perfect powerd measure" is the only one that Ive found that will meter large grain powder with any kind of consistancy, Ive tried just about all the others, they fail!

    Dont believe the snobs....all Lee's stuff (execpt the Pro 1000.....its primer system is plain junk, avoid it)will funtion, and make just as good has ammo as any of the others, and wont cost you a arm or a leg (like Dillon)....and if it breaks, sometimes they will replace it...and if they dont, it doesnt cost a lot to replace it....

    I got started on Lee....used it for years with great results. Ive since moved on to Dillon, which is great stuff, but its cost 5 times more than Lee....and yes, it all comes with a life time "no BS" warrenty....yet I wonder....I can replace it all many times over with Lee for the same cost, and Ive only ever broke a handful of Lee items (and they were all my own fault)so was it really worth the extra cost?

    Is that not amazing, you actually get the quality you pay for. Believe it or not, that holds true for 100% of the time. Yes, you might get something that "will do", or will somewhat accomplish the job, for less, but it really does not do what you wished it would.

    I could also tell the original poster, to ignore those who have no clue of what they are talking about. If you spend the extra money now, you won't have to spend it later.


    I wouldn't want to sell the Lee, as I would never buy it in the first place.

    That said, I would NEVER but a turret, or "C" framed press...NEVER. Once they are sprung, they are junk, and mostly they are JUNK by design to start with.

    So, please do tell me, just how many Lee presses, do you see in the Bench Rest shooter's cabinet of goodies? Big goose egg there, huh? They are mostly worked over RockChucker's, or REDDING presses.

    Best

    So, exactly please tell me, if your Lee is so great, why did you ever go to a Dillon? Hmmmm...and the powder measure...why did you try all the other's before Lee?

    You just keep talking conflicting circles around yourself, prooving the cluelessness.
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    bartman45bartman45 Member Posts: 3,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have the Redding Boss, and it is made very well. Price came in about $40 less the the Rockhucker.
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    fordsixfordsix Member Posts: 8,722
    edited November -1
    i have lee stuff ,have loaded thousands of rounds useing the pro 1000 and the the standard turret press ..resale who cares does everything i want to do,,without a major outlay of $$..depends on what color you like ..red-lee green-rcbs blue-dillon orange-lyman ect[^]
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    the middlethe middle Member Posts: 3,089
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tsr1965
    If you intend to get further into reloading, and up in caliber, then golferboy426 has it correct. If you buy a Lee ANYTHING, you will be pissing your hard earned money into the wind. Should you decide to upgrade to something bigger down the road, the Lee will not have any resale value.

    Best


    Neither does anything else save Dillon! Besides, Lee is so low cost (not cheap...say what you want, their stuff works)why would you even want to sell it? One other thing about Lee lately as well, their dies are some of the best going....and the "perfect powerd measure" is the only one that Ive found that will meter large grain powder with any kind of consistancy, Ive tried just about all the others, they fail!

    Dont believe the snobs....all Lee's stuff (execpt the Pro 1000.....its primer system is plain junk, avoid it)will funtion, and make just as good has ammo as any of the others, and wont cost you a arm or a leg (like Dillon)....and if it breaks, sometimes they will replace it...and if they dont, it doesnt cost a lot to replace it....

    I got started on Lee....used it for years with great results. Ive since moved on to Dillon, which is great stuff, but its cost 5 times more than Lee....and yes, it all comes with a life time "no BS" warrenty....yet I wonder....I can replace it all many times over with Lee for the same cost, and Ive only ever broke a handful of Lee items (and they were all my own fault)so was it really worth the extra cost?


    EDIT

    (Is that not amazing, you actually get the quality you pay for. Believe it or not, that holds true for 100% of the time. Yes, you might get something that "will do", or will somewhat accomplish the job, for less, but it really does not do what you wished it would.

    I could also tell the original poster, to ignore those who have no clue of what they are talking about. If you spend the extra money now, you won't have to spend it later.


    I wouldn't want to sell the Lee, as I would never buy it in the first place.

    That said, I would NEVER but a turret, or "C" framed press...NEVER. Once they are sprung, they are junk, and mostly they are JUNK by design to start with.

    So, please do tell me, just how many Lee presses, do you see in the Bench Rest shooter's cabinet of goodies? Big goose egg there, huh? They are mostly worked over RockChucker's, or REDDING presses.

    Best)


    You have to be a complete moron to "spring" any press....if you have...well, I'll let that speak for itself....

    I have never heard of, or seen anybody ever posting here, a Lee single stage press being "sprung"....rare, if ever....

    Lee's turret press's are just fine too...again, if they break, its becasue YOU did something very, very wrong!!!

    It one thing to spend the extra cash if you got it....I cant say Dillon aint a pleasure to use....but if you are not made of money (I saved for years to get Dilloon stuff)and want to get into reloading sooner, rather than later, there is NOT a damn thing wrong with Lee.

    If fact...I cant tell the differance at the range of the ammo was made on my Lee turret press (I sometimes still use it) or the Dillon....both seem to make the same tight groups....go figure.

    Brench rest guys use what they can afford, or like, just like the rest of us....I dont know any to ask them....but Im pretty sure they would say "what ever will make the tighter group"...but thats just a guess on my part...

    This is one of the "snobs" I speak of....ignore him...he is the one without a clue!!!



    REEDIT

    (So, exactly please tell me, if your Lee is so great, why did you ever go to a Dillon? Hmmmm...and the powder measure...why did you try all the other's before Lee?

    You just keep talking conflicting circles around yourself, prooving the cluelessness.)

    I bought the Dillon after reading all the hype about them on these forums....I dont regret buying it, but lets say, after the hype, I was a little let down when I found that Dillon has is faults too.


    I had the Lee measure first. It was fine, but I wanted something a little faster to use and could be mounted on a progessive press, while the "perfect" can be mounted on one, its not automatic. I tried RCBS, Hornaday, and Redding....none will meter large grain powders to +/-.2 grains like the Lee does....they just dont! Ball powders work well in all, but for the big grain powders (Varget, 4064, 7828, RL25, H1000 ET) all fail, even the dillon (got into a big pissing match with them over it.....their soluiton was to tape a fish filter pump to the powder hopper....I kid you not!),the Lee just cant be beat.


    Whats next there my, snob without a clue friend?
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    hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,193 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    get the best you can afford, and as to the resale of the Lee, yes it may be a little harder to sell or you may loose a little $$, but remember there is allways someone else out there just starting out looking for the inexpensive loader....

    whatever you do buy, please get a few reloading books and read, read and read again, don't be afraid to ask questions of those who reload in you're area, or on this site. just be careful, and have fun.
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    OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,519 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    RCBS rock chucker press[;)] You will have it for a lifetime.
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    AmbroseAmbrose Member Posts: 3,164 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a Rockchucker, a RCBS Jr., a Pacific "O" press, a CH, and, I think, a couple others. I started with Herters and since gave it and related stuff away and moved on to RCBS. Any of the above work fine for ordinary reloading. I bought an old Pacific "C" press at a gun show 6 mos. or so ago for $10. I bought it with the idea of giving it to some one just starting out--I'd give it to you if it didn't cost so much to ship it. Don't know if press still sell like that at gun shows now, but it might be worth a try.
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