is this a good starter kit?

[paintman]

Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Press Deluxe Kit

i am thinking about getting into reloading. plan on doing 9mm, 223, and 308. opinions????

 

[Ruffnek]

You're the same as me. I'll be back with links.

 

[Thegeek]

I did a lot of research, and was very interested in that kit. Long story short, I went with something else.

 

[MCgrease08]

Definitely a good value for the money. It's also faster than a single stage, but less intimidating than a progressive.

I say this as someone whose owned this kit for more than a year, but still hasn't set it up yet. So take it for what it's worth.

 

[Ruffnek]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ammunition-reloading/401519-question-about-presses.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ammunition-reloading/402001-brass-cleaning.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ammunition-reloading/402096-noob-powder-question.html

These are my threads on reloading, hopefully you'll find some good info. I think I'm gonna try to go with the Lee Classic Turret.

 

[Ruffnek]

I did a lot of research, and was very interested in that kit. Long story short, I went with something else.

Can I ask what and why?

 

[Bennettjh]

I received a Hornady LNL single stage for my birthday and I love it. Solidly built unit. I've never used a Lee but I've seen one in use. I would still pick Hornady.

 

[jcwit]

Been reloading since the 1960's, maybe latter 1950's. IMO, yes it is, but get started using it as a single stage till you REALLY know what you're doing.

Reloading can be as enjoyable a hobby as shooting, with speed not being an issue at all. After all why do you want to get into reloading? Save money? Better ammo?

It's highly unlikely a person could ever wear any of the presses available out there, regardless of brand.

 

[paintman]

Graf & Sons - DILLON RL550B PRESS w/o DIES OR CAL. CONVERSION
this was my other thought. but at the same time i want to do another sbr soon and buying this at the same time will make the wife a little mad. trying to be as conservitive as possible while getting a setup that will last and do a good job.
i guess my reasoning to get into it would be to allow myself to be able to shoot more. im sure any thing i save will be spent shooting more often.

 

[jcwit]

One thing a new reloader doesn't need is a progressive press. JMO

 

[Ruffnek]

i guess my reasoning to get into it would be to allow myself to be able to shoot more. im sure any thing i save will be spent shooting more often.

This seems to be an accurate statement. Form everything I've learned, reloading won't save you any money, it'll just allow you to shoot more for the same money.

 

[dieselrealtor]

I started off with the press in post #1, used.
I wasn't sure if I would like reloading & didn't want to have a lot invested if I decided it wasn't for me.

After loading several thousand rounds, I learned a lot & decided that reloading had a place in my hobby list & moved on to Dillon products. I was thinking about keeping the lee but will probably get rid of it as I have 2 other single state presses & don't see the Lee ever being used again by me.

 

[Thegeek]

It's not a progressive. A good single stage with quick change adapters is actually faster and more versatile over multiple calibers. The quality of the Lee is secondary to some others at the same price point. Included in that kit are some things you just won't be happy with. The powder measure has a lot of bad reviews, and some of the other parts you'll want to replace quickly. If anything, just buy the press and do a lot of homework on other stuff.

I use Lee dies, Hornady lock n' load adapters and an RCBS Rock Chucker. I also got the RCBS quick change powder measure and a digital jeweler's scale from ebay. I have Lyman case prep tools and go/no go gauges with the exception of the case trimmer and primer pocket swager which are both RCBS. I also have the RCBS deluxe hand priming tool (incredible tool for the money!). IMHO, you can reload a couple hundred a weekend with a single, or a couple hundred a day with a progressive. Your throughput is the deciding factor. I can put 300 9mm together in about 2 hours with my setup. Charging with a good measure will let you go pretty fast.

 

[Gluemanz28]

Graf & Sons - DILLON RL550B PRESS w/o DIES OR CAL. CONVERSION
this was my other thought. but at the same time i want to do another sbr soon and buying this at the same time will make the wife a little mad. trying to be as conservitive as possible while getting a setup that will last and do a good job.
i guess my reasoning to get into it would be to allow myself to be able to shoot more. im sure any thing i save will be spent shooting more often.

Go with the 550. I had a Lee Turret press and outgrew it very fast and bought a Dillon 650. Pulling the handle four times to make one round was not the route I intended to stick with. I bought it used so it was pretty easy to get my money back out of it.

If your not going to go the progressive route then I would suggest getting a Hornady or RCBS single stage press. You will use it for loading up precision rounds or to deprime cartridges.

 

[451_Detonics]

Despite there being 2 Dillons on my reloading bench there is still a Lee Turret press on there as well. I don't use it for volume loading but for my medium (375+) and large (458) bore rifle I like it.

I do load a variety of calibers...

 

[DRob]

One thing a new reloader doesn't need is a progressive press. JMO

Agreed. There is so much to learn and so many ways to screw up dangerously. Reading a couple of good reloading manuals is far more important than the choice of equipment to start with.

I started with a RCBS Rock Chucker kit. Ran it until I felt like I knew enough to move on then went to a Dillon 550B. After several years of trying to figure out what works best for me, I settled on using the RCBS press to size and decap then prime by hand and load primed brass on the Dillon.

 

[CampingJosh]

Lee is the Harbor Freight of reloading. The stuff works, and it's inexpensive. But the materials used and build quality are not as good as other manufacturers.

There are some pieces of Lee equipment on my bench, so don't take me as a brand basher. I'm just trying to be straightforward. I wouldn't buy all my tools from HF, but there are some things that are OK for the savings gained.

 

[PistolBob]

I have a single stage Lee Challenger I bought in 1983...it still cranks it out. I use it for pistol only. 9mm, 38 spl, 357 mag, and .40 - I find it to be very therapeutic...I don't mind changing dies and weighing out the charge. I have a go-nogo gauge I check every round with...I have docs on every reload session I have ever done in a 3 ring binder. I almost enjoy making the rounds more than I enjoy shooting them. I also like hand priming the cases.

 

[Ruffnek]

Lee is the Harbor Freight of reloading. The stuff works, and it's inexpensive. But the materials used and build quality are not as good as other manufacturers.

There are some pieces of Lee equipment on my bench, so don't take me as a brand basher. I'm just trying to be straightforward. I wouldn't buy all my tools from HF, but there are some things that are OK for the savings gained.

So would you say the Classic Turret is good for a beginner or is there something in the same ballpark, features-wise, that isn't gonna break the bank for a new reloader?

 

[71silverbullet]

Get at least 2 reloading manuals and read them. Start off with a single stage press even if it's just for a couple months. If you decide that reloading is for you then spend the money on a Dillon 550. But keep the single stage, the dies will interchange and you will still likely use it from time to time.