Lee, Redding, RCBS, or other reloaders

[bill k]

Just courious why recommendations are made between each manufacuror. I understand price being one factor. What about quality vrs price, vrs warrenty.

For me; it was the type I was taught on and the ease of warrenty repair. The manufacturor is nearby.

Notice, I'm not saying which I use. Just courious about the brands I don't use.

 

[Loader9]

I'm not sure what the question is. I use Lee pistol dies because they are far easier to change and I actually like the locking ring better than any of the others. The bullet seat die is just too easy to set to use anything else. For rifle dies, I use RCBS mostly because that's what I started with. I have Hornaday dies for big cases and don't like them at all. You can't load any cast bullets with their bullet seat. It has a sliding sleeve that is tight on jacketed bullets. Get a cast bullet .002 larger and it won't go in the sleeve. I've had Redding match target dies and threw them in the garbage. They are a real wreck waiting to happen. I haven't tried any Lee rifle dies and probably won't considering I have a three drawer file cabinet full of dies. I have one set of C-H dies and they are a dandy but the preferred dies for rifle is RCBS. Does this answer the question?

 

[Scope Bite]

I use RCBS dies because of the experiences I have had with warranty issues from other companies, as well as the fair pricing. (Redding, I do consider a step up from RCBS, but you pay for it.)

My reloading bench is multi-colored. When it comes to all-around reloading tools, I use what I have found to be the best (or I prefer it) over other similar products. Hornady, Dillon, Redding, Lyman, RCBS... they all have their strong points, and usually quite a few of them. But, experience teaches you what works best for you, and what brand might fail more often. (Or, what brand might take the longest to get you a replacement part.... if they get you a replacement part.)

I like the Redding Boss(?) single stage press, but own a Rock Chucker IV. The RCBS was cheaper, and came with better accessories. They're both stronger than most people will ever need, and will last longer than I. Price won that battle. Hornady was a runner up, but the accessories sucked.


Lee.... well.... I have had too many bad experiences with Lee. Dies that weren't finish reamed, dies that had oil dried to into an impenetrable varnish, shell holders with tolerances so rediculously loose that shells can slide so far to one side they fall over, a scale that was off by +7%... the list goes on. Sure, they were under warranty, but why should I believe they will send me a quality product if the first one made it through quality control in such deplorable shape?


You get what you pay for, and I'm happy being a middle-of-the-road guy.

 

[Perajio]

LEE for me.

I use LEE products because of simplicity and familiarity.
The product warranty is a plus, but I've only needed it once back in 1996.

 

[DEDON45]

Well, there is some "Ford vs Chevy" type sentiment expressed, obviously... I mean all these manufacturers have their strong points and weak points. For me, I recommend something that I believe has the strong points in all the right places, and that has weak points that are minor or don't really matter. I have no problem admitting other stuff that I don't recommend has it's value too.

As to the Ford vs Chevy argument... I like Ford, but recognize, at the end of the day, that Chevy and Ford are roughly equivalent in the quality dept. When it comes to progressive presses, it's the same way I rate Hornady vs Dillon... Dillon makes a fine machine, but Hornady makes one for less, and has some simplifications that I like. Can't go wrong with either. RCBS, by all accounts, is great too. Single stage / turret presses, hard to go wrong with any of them (some are nicer than others)... and on and on....

 

[wncchester]

Disregarding the external finish, dies and presses differ minutely. Some folks like one design feature, while some hate it and perfer another design. Both groups highly reccommend their preference, often with no more foundation than personal taste or limited experience with anything else. Some designs have a learning curve and those who have little mechanical ability should stay away from them, tools like Lee's Collet Neck Sizer and Factory Crimp Dies that need understanding rather that a simplistic "turn this part one sixteenth of a turn passed" some mystical point.

Fact is, ALL of our reloading tools are well made and give great performance for their intended market. No honest loader would argue that their favorite tools brand will automatically either increase nor their least favorite brand decrease the accuracy of the finished ammo. The "quality" of the loader himself far out weighs any small differences in any press or die or powder scale or case trimmer or .... etc. A good loader can do good work with anything, a poor loader can't do good work with anything.

So far as I know, they all give good warranty support for reasonable problems. Even the vaunted RCBS/Dillon "no BS" warranties won't cover some damages and some things after the normal guarantee period. And you pay for their "free replacement" parts up front, wheither you will ever need them or not.

You can buy your loading tools in confidence, regardless of price. The old adage that "you get what you pay for" can be misleading. You surely won't get more than you pay for, but you can surely pay too much for what you get.

 

[aerod1]

Lee has worked well for me. Simple, low cost, makes good ammo, durable, what's not to like?

 

[wild willy]

I use just about all brands and and I use and like some Lee stuff but over the years I have had more problems with Lee than all the rest put together

 

[totalloser]

I have had pretty good luck with Lee, and really love their decap pins. Especially after using other types. I have had a run of bad luck with RCBS. A .357 sig die that set the headspace too long, a pull collet with the last machining op not performed, and I have had too many stuck cases with their x dies. Oh and their decap pins truly suck. The only goof I have had with lee has been my .308 sizing die was a little rough (cleaned up with emery cloth). I still am fond of the RCBS seating die in my pistol ammo, as it came with two plugs. One for round nose and one for TC.

'Course RCBS carries goodies that no one else does, and their lube dies are IMO a must for any progressive press. I modded all mine for the Lee decap system, though. (Lathe drill and tap for 1/8" npt)

No problems with Dillon so far, but I made a better motor assly for their size trim setup. (It's posted somewhere on this site...)

Oh, I guess some of Lee's plastic parts have needed attention, notably the casting slag on the primer pusher, and the "wings" on the double disc are a touch too fat. Gotta crank down the screws to make the teflon wiper do it's thing.

 

[WESHOOT2]

just tools

I use different brands of dies (and other equipment including presses) because I have different work to do.

All have their place.