Reloading Kit

[blueheckle]

Hi guys going to get into reloading for my .223 Rem 700 , so on the look out for kit or full kit WHY thanks for looking

[bhodge]

Hi mate, if you're only going to be reloading for the single calibre then consider the Lee Loader...
Some may scoff, but you can reload a round in about a minute, and you'll have almost everything you need in one small plastic box for about £40. Worth a look anyway - check out the vid's on YouTube.

[223AI]

Hi mate, if you're only going to be reloading for the single calibre then consider the Lee Loader...
Some may scoff, but you can reload a round in about a minute, and you'll have almost everything you need in one small plastic box for about £40. Worth a look anyway - check out the vid's on YouTube.

I'd choose a hand press and dies over the lee loader, you can only neck size a case so many times.

Personally the lee anniversary kit would be a good shout for trying out one calibre - everything you need bar dies, you'll probably end up upgrading the scales but that's not the end of the world. I bought secondhand one for £100.00 posted, sold the scale for £15.00 and bought a secondhand set of RCBS 505s for £50.00 instead. I've loaded 1000's of rounds in various calibres over the last 4 years and the kit is still going strong.

[blueheckle]

I'd choose a hand press and dies over the lee loader, you can only neck size a case so many times.

Personally the lee anniversary kit would be a good shout for trying out one calibre - everything you need bar dies, you'll probably end up upgrading the scales but that's not the end of the world. I bought secondhand one for £100.00 posted, sold the scale for £15.00 and bought a secondhand set of RCBS 505s for £50.00 instead. I've loaded 1000's of rounds in various calibres over the last 4 years and the kit is still going strong.

Yea thats what I was thinking dont know about the turret 4 hole press but was hoping someone giving up and get a full kit

[223AI]

Yea thats what I was thinking dont know about the turret 4 hole press but was hoping someone giving up and get a full kit

You can get them for around £150 new so not silly money and cheaper than the alternative kits out there

[boar & deer]

I'd go for the Lee breech lock kit same money as the annvesry kit but comes with a hand primer which I feel is better then loading on the press and comes with the speed trim the all you need is dies which are around £40

[blueheckle]

Think if i was going the 4 turret way I would prefer the the classic one

[223AI]

Think if i was going the 4 turret way I would prefer the the classic one

I seriously wouldn't bother with a turret press. Unless your churning out hundreds of rounds you don't need it plus you'll be wanting to weigh each load to start off with.

[blueheckle]

I seriously wouldn't bother with a turret press. Unless your churning out hundreds of rounds you don't need it plus you'll be wanting to weigh each load to start off with.

yea I have had second thought going with the classic cast breech lock single press tks

[aquarius11]

i bought a second hand Lee progressive 1000 press, its an older model with only 3 holes in it but i have 3 of the mounting plates, one is fitted with the decap/resize die (as i prefer to decap then polish) and the other 2 with .38 & 357 dies and powder measures, i bought a s/h lee classic cast to reload .308/7.62 again the only thing i bought new was the case trimmer.
So far i think the Lee products are great for what they are, if you want to go down the precision reloading/shooting shooting then the sky's the limit.
Good luck and as always just ask on here as the guys are great and helped me loads (no pun intended) when i first started.
aquarius11

[blueheckle]

i bought a second hand Lee progressive 1000 press, its an older model with only 3 holes in it but i have 3 of the mounting plates, one is fitted with the decap/resize die (as i prefer to decap then polish) and the other 2 with .38 & 357 dies and powder measures, i bought a s/h lee classic cast to reload .308/7.62 again the only thing i bought new was the case trimmer.
So far i think the Lee products are great for what they are, if you want to go down the precision reloading/shooting shooting then the sky's the limit.
Good luck and as always just ask on here as the guys are great and helped me loads (no pun intended) when i first started.
aquarius11

thanks for the info its the lee classic cast bushing one iam thinking of getting

[aquarius11]

Dont think you could go far wrong with it. Have a look at the link, just add dies, CDSG ltd are good people as well if you want new. atb
https://www./itm/Lee-50th-Aniversary...UAAOSwfoNaay9E

[Parabuteo]

I have never used a Lee press, reports vary but by and large they seem to do a good job.

What I would say is to stick with a normal single stage press and a hand primer. I load rounds by the hundred for CSR and still use a single stage Forster press. Sure it takes a bit longer but I handle each case and I KNOW it is properly aligned. Each round is handled and any nasties spotted.

I know people operating multi stage and automated presses such as the Dillon series and they need a lot of setting up.

[blueheckle]

I have never used a Lee press, reports vary but by and large they seem to do a good job.

What I would say is to stick with a normal single stage press and a hand primer. I load rounds by the hundred for CSR and still use a single stage Forster press. Sure it takes a bit longer but I handle each case and I KNOW it is properly aligned. Each round is handled and any nasties spotted.

I know people operating multi stage and automated presses such as the Dillon series and they need a lot of setting up.

Yip just going to take my time once I start not trying to break any records more interested in safety than amounts lol

[Parabuteo]

Yip just going to take my time once I start not trying to break any records more interested in safety than amounts lol

Funilly enough a lot of reloading errors are spotted by feel which is much easier with a single stage hand operated press. I did 100 5.56x45 last night which with each charge weighed, primers, seating, crimping and colour coding the anulus (I use a slightly better bullet past 300) took 1.5Hrs.

"Bimey that bullet/primer seated easilly" etc etc. Wrong bullet, split neck, primer pocket shagged, primer in back to front. Oh look, there's a funny bright ring near the case head....might be time to check your die headspace/bump settings

The real buggers are only have one powder out at a time so you cant balls that up (We had a lad blow an F class rifle up a while back, the liklihood was that chap who reloaded used to do it on the counter in a shop with all sorts and as likley used pistol powder by mistake, typically for the NRA old boys net it got brushed under a carpet and the bloke had minor burns, a few splinters and soiled armour). I only use N140/RS52 so if I substituted either the load would not be massively different.

Always check your primers are the right way round (I have seen this done and yes it still fired, but destroyed the firing pin and bolt face needing a new bolt, in a Barnard).

Always (always) check the case is filled BEFORE you seat a bullet in it. If in doubt, weigh a known loaded round as a reference. One big cause of blown up rifles is a squib round shoving a bullet into the leades and the next round chambering and firing. I had this done to me as a safety supervisor on a recent ADVANCED CSR skills course. Thankfully the shooter could not chamber another round or I would have copped the lot.

Oh yea, another good trick is to keep good records and stick some old carpet under the bench. It is hard to set a round off by dropping it, but it is less so to set a primer off by crunching it on a concrete floow and easier to find on a dark soft surface...we all know how far he little bastards bounce dont we kids?

Most of all enjoy it, the results can be both fascinating and rewarding...or frustrating.