Beto Patino - Yes, the Lee die sets give the highest value, bar none. The first time Lee came out with carbide die sets at the price they were selling them, it was astounding. Carbide dies commanded premium pricing until Lee came along and blew them all out of the water. That was a fur yarn back, Good reloadin' to ya, Steve
I have to admit that I love LEE dies. I have never had a problem with my dies at all. I really don’t think that you can beat the value for what you get.
I have been reloading since I was 19, I am now 73. I have dies for 23 calibers. Lyman, Hornady, RCBS, Redding, and Lee. My first dies were Lee. I believe Lee makes a quality product at a very good price. Lee also seems to beat everyone to the market with dies for new calibers, like .350 Legend and .360 Buckhammer. When I am looking for an old or odd caliber, Lee has them. Great company.
Two and a half years ago I watched this video while considering getting into reloading. Thank you for your well presented information. I got Lee dies partly price, partly availability in 2020. I've been fully satisfied with the ammo I've made. I've also purchased Lee bulge buster and Lee decapping die. I've recouped my equipment and material costs in less than three years. Thank you for helping me get started.
I’ve been using Lee dies since I was 16 years old. That’s 51 years now. Excellent dies for my use. Not once has a machine mark or not so shiny finish affected my ability to load. Thanks for the comparison. Excellent video.
Another great video sir. Thank you for taking your time to help inform those of us without the ability to experiment with our equipment, your insight is greatly valued. Nice shirt by the way.
Great video, but I wish you had mentioned the LEE shell holder, powder dipper and load data - the others don't supply them with the dies and then charge you for all of these! I presently load 5 calibers and have LEE for all, and only one other set for another caliber (given to me for free). Your videos are always informative and useful especially to new reloaders. Thanks!
I started out using RCBS dies , but after having the decaping pin come out all the time I switched to LEE dies and never looked back. I use them on my new Lyman 8 station press and they are excellent. They come with everything you need right out of the box.
Thanks for the explanation on dies, always worried me about the locking nut but most times once you lock them into the turret, you never have to pull out except to clean....Could you do a video on proper die maintenance? Thanks and great work Tony
After using Hornady dies a lot and recently buying another new set of Lee dies, I quickly remembered how smooth and high quality Lee dies are. They're my go to from here on out!
I have RCBS and Lee dies, and a couple rifle body dies made by Redding. I've heard many good things about the Lyman M dies, but had not seen the stem until now. Thank you for showing that, and for the many great videos!
For the dies with the Set Screw to lock the die in place, I put a lead shot pellet in there to be Absolutely Sure that no thread damage is possible and it works great. All of My RCBS dies are in the Green Box and do not have the good looking Brass Lock Nuts. Being the Cheap Skate Penny Pincher that I am, Since Lee started making dies, I have been an Fan and Repeated Buyer. Lee has many features that I really like. I have a set or 2 of Herters dies. They seem to be of high quality and work well since I have owned them (50+ years). Somewhere I have a Herters reloading manual. Guess these are both antiques.
archersfriend - I looked into my new RCBS Cowboy Dies and was surprised that no lead spacer was in the rings - tightening the ring up will result in thread damage on the die body... A piece of lead shot is going to go in there pronto....One of the very first die sets I had was a Herter's set in 38 Special. But the decapping pin broke and I also was stupid rough on those dies using pliers and all to tighten and untighten. The dies are really not presentable or I would put 'em on in a video, might still do that and call it Die Abuse. . Best Regards, FC
Great review of the different dies.I have all lee dies for all of the calibers I own.I also have rcbs in a few caliber's,I like rcbs but I find myself using the lee dies the most.
Brian248 noel - You could easily have done the same video - and you still can, especially if you have the special Brian angle and perspective on these die sets - Have a great day, FC
Thanks for the video, still going strong in 2021. Reloading stock is just coming back in Feb. I have been looking since mid 2020. Kits were either out of stock or too expensive. I just came across my 1st die set. A Lyman 308 at some old out of the way sports shop that sell guns for $49. I had no idea the going price until I looked it up. Those sets are going for closer to $120 at this time. I still don't see many components available so just gathering as much as I can for now.
In my opinion there is only one major difference....."THE COST".......LEE produces outstanding reloading equipment........PERIOD!!!!. As Forest Gump would say, "That's all I got to say about that".
Eric Dee - Amen to all that, bro... But I do enjoy using other reloading company stuff also - adds to the fun. I do have a lot of Lee stuff though and 99% of it is great..!! Best to ya, FC
I really enjoy you "every man" videos regardless of subject matter and this one was right up there among the best! I started reloading the FIRST time with an RCBS "kit" back in the early 1970s for 30-30 and .38/357 firearms. I liked the (single stage) press but was not pleased with how lead bullets were treated by the dies. And then I drifted away from reloading for several years before giving it another shot in the late 1980s using Lyman equipment. For a number of reasons, including price, I threw up my hands and swore I would never purchase or use another Lyman reloading product in this life time. Believe it or not it was AGAIN how lead bullets ended up looking and their miserable accuracy on the range that soured me on Lyman reloading tools. And then I discovered Lee. I've used Lee products since the late 1980s, following my unpleasant experience with Lyman, though I have drifted in and out of reloading since that time and only fairly recently got back, seriously, into the hobby. As I type, the ONLY reloading equipment I own and use comes from Lee. For reasons that I, as a non machinist or engineer, cannot explain Lee dies seem to treat lead bullets and jacketed spire/soft points like they should be treated in the seating and crimping stages than any other brand of dies I have tried to include Lyman, RCBS and some rather pricy models that I have since sold or traded off. I'm not condemning RCBS or Lyman dies/equipment across the board but it has been my experience, limited though it may be compared to yours for example, but dollar for dollar Lee dies and equipment work as well, and very often better, than the "high priced spread" if you know what I mean.
I learned early on that every manufacturer can put out a bad product. I bought a Redding 40S&W die set because I’d heard so much about their quality. Yet I couldn’t load a single round. I was too new at the game to question to equipment, so I figured it had to be something I was doing wrong. The Redding GRx die that I was advised to pickup to resolve my case issues cost more than the die set, and did nothing more than consume hours of my time. Redding customer service had me explore every other avenue of press and case setup before directing me to send the die set and sample bullets and brass...whereupon they discovered that the sizing die had the wrong sizing ring...it was not sizing my 40 S&W cases at all. Now it will resize my brass, but only to a point. When they installed the proper sizing ring they set it too far inside the die body, so the die body hits the shell holder before the entire case has been resized. The result...I elected to buy a Hornady die set for my 40 S&W, and I’ve never bought another Redding product.
When I bought my 40 cal a used die set came with it but no powder funnel neck expander so I use a 9mm and it works a treat . Great video as usual looking forward to the video on the 40 cal.
Stephen Riddick - Sounds like the former owner had that powder through die attached to some powder measure and forgot about it... We'll see about that video though...I already have a video planned on the 10mm / 40 cal, but that is waiting for me to acquire an after market barrel for my Glock, and that is lower on the priority list at this time... glad that you are having success loading for the 40... Best Regards, FC
FC45LC I agree with you on the quality of die sets, I have Lyman, Hornady, RCBS, C&H, and some Dillon Dies. I do agree that they all have their Pros and Cons. I do like that Lee gives you the shell holder, but like you I do like the locking ring that has a set screw in them. I also have bought some locking rings to use on my Lee dies. Great Video as always.
The only dies I ever got were LEE, and I never noticed the blemishes until you pointed them out. I'm still not concerned as I never had an issue that I did not cause. I like the shell holder and the extra powder scoop as I already have the yellow and red sets, so I use the extra ones for my black powder pistols. I'm still collecting die sets for some of the less expensive calibers I shoot like 9mm and 45 ACP, but the 45 Raptor, 45 Colt and 300 BLK, I already have.
Nice....for me hands down Lee. 1) decaping pin clutch 2) price 3) I am use to them...and ease of set up 4) factory crimp 5) powder thru die 6) complete package ready to go 7) great replacement policy 8) made right here in Wisconsin nice cylinder off to the side....and that is one wild shirt you are wearing!
gman77gas - 8 very fine points of advantage. -- In Hartford, no less...!! I do believe that it is 300 miles from Green Bay... Have a fine day, Gary -- FC Steve
"You" might get in but they wont let the general public in....I can see you now hanging onto their window frame from the outside drooling shouting "LET ME IN" !
Thanks for this. I expected to see a restatement of what I already knew. Looks like Lyman and RCBS are starting to catch up to Lee. However those terrible RCBS decapping pins have to go. I HATE how often those will drop or break the pins. It seems with mine, I just can't tighten the collet down enough that it won't lose a pin to a tight flash hole about one in 200 shells. For progressive reloading, I consider that to be unacceptable when there is a valid alternative for less money. Lee even gives you a visual indicator if an obstruction pushes the decapping stem up.
Granted the stock replicable deprime pins are subpar. Yet - the feature allows me to swap in hardened clockmakers tapered cross pins that get the job done.
I prefer the Clamp Style Rings ( cross screw ) over the set screw die rings. I've had RCBS brass set screws strip on me , and damage my threads. I replaced them with Hornady Sure-Loc locking rings (cross screw die rings). Nice video , thanks for sharing. JT
tdrnkr - That's just the way it was until Lee came along. We'd buy our RCBS, Lyman, or Herter's or CH or Pacific die set and also buy the shell holder to go with it... Lee shook up the reloading world with their inexpensive carbide inserts and included shellholders and powder dipper (with data included). Best to ya, FC
It is an effort to reduce costs by avoiding duplication. Many common cartridges use the same shell holder. Depending on what you are reloading, you may have to buy only one shell holder. I like having them included with the dies. It's easier.
If you have a Coax, you don't need a shell holder... S jaws hold almost anything. L jaws for 45 70 and whatever else. But I hear you, such a small piece might be nice to be included. But then if you got a few sets you'd wind up with a bunch of duplicates. 🤷🏻♀️
Been using Lee and RCBS but now you got me very interested in the Lyman... Sigh...seems there's always something else to buy.....oh well...I love my hobby...life is short... Enjoy!
My RCBS die set for .38 included two bullet seating posts. One for round nose bullets and one for wad cutters. The set you have only included one but some of the sets include both. Also my set included a spacer ring for .357 cartridges. So I don't have to adjust the lock nuts when I change from .38 to .357. I only have to put the spacer between the lock nut and the press.
I own a LEE die set for all of the common pistol rounds: .380, 9mm, 45acp, 38/.357, .32, .44, even 30 Mauser (for the Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" pistol). And I mostly use the LEE dies. For 9mm I use all LEE dies with the exception of the decapping die, which I have replaced with the Hornady model. This because the LEE decapping die always seemed a bit frail. I've often wondered why reloaders would not use LEE, at least for pistol reloading. I have a free-standing powder station which is the Lyman Brass Smith Powder Measure (it is far more substantial than the LEE versions). And among my press collection I have the LEE classic Turret, two LEE single stages, and the LEE Precision Breech Lock Challenger. However, I also have an RCBS Rock Chucker IV single stage--it is way more substantial than the LEE presses. I sure learn a lot from FortuneCookie45LC. And I am grateful for the content he provides, always helpful, always accurate and informative.
I bought a few extra 1/2x20 locknuts to make it easier for the RCBS and Lyman die sets. I have a hex tool that works pretty well. It was designed to work with Lyman, I believe. Don't know where or when I picked it up.
I'm quite pleased with Lee dies, I was a big fan of Lyman ever since I got into reloading 20-some years ago but I recently got a Lee Pro 6000 six pack which included three Lee dies, a resizer, powder measure/case flare and a seating die, and I also got the factory crimp die as well, and hot dang do they do a great job! Not having to lube the cases for resizing is friggin awesome, carbide dies are a game changer. I'm going to get their bullet feeder as well soon, I am super pleased with Lee products now.
Nick L - Lees are great dies that focus on quality performance - if they were finished perfectly and made with more steel - the cost would simply be higher lowering the value...I'll take the tool marks where they don't matter to get the performance and high value without a second thought... Hornady has been the only manufacturer that has come out with similar to compete with Lee on that concept. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
I use mostly Lee dies and they have proven durable and accurate. True, they aren't as beautiful in machining quality, but they're value priced. And when I've needed customer service -- maybe two or three times in three decades -- Lee has gotten an A+ from me for customer service follow-through.
The Lyman M-Die expander is better than others. The 2 seating stems also are very nice. I prefer crimping separately from seating because I don’t want the bullet moving during the crimping operation. RCBS makes an excellent roll crimp. For rifle cartridges, the Forster Bench Rest seating die is a better mousetrap. Inside there’s a sleeve that mimics the chamber, keeping the case, bullet, and seating stem all in perfect alignment. I bought a couple of Lee dies. The inferior fit and finish extend to the working surfaces inside the dies. You get what you pay for.
I just finished reloading my first 60 rounds on my new Lee dies. The resizing seemed stiff to me but it may be the fact that I was resizing 44 mag while I am used to 38 special and 45lc. I wasn't super impressed with the neck expander, it kept sticking on the down stroke, while my rcbs dies are slick. I am in love with the seater die, set up and use were easy. Made for enjoyable reloading. Overall their good dies for the price paid, I believe if I keep using them they'll wear in and function smoothly. I'd definitely buy them again.
It's my understanding that the expander die purposely catches on the downstroke so it shakes out any powder that may have gotten caught up in the die. I believe the directions note this.
After owning these dies for a couple years now I will be buying exclusively lee dies, the issue with the expander only happens with once fired brass and has stopped for the most part, I would consider them equal to the rcbs as far as use but at a better deal
I flip the LEE lock ring upside down and screw the die in until the lock ring is close (like a 1/16 of an inch) and finger tighten the die, never ever had a problem with them that way, its more consistent then normal use of there lock rings and I have no worries of accidental movement of the lock ring. I am a big fan of LEE reloading dies and have decided there is no substitute to these dies, they are easy and simple to use and set up. I also love the cost of these dies and how accurate they are.
Kaiyler Harrington - Thanks for posting. That's just too simple a solution that we all seem to have ignored - taking the rubber O ring out is another solution in the same veing...I really do need to flip those around at the first opportunity....a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season to ya, FC Steve
I went both ends of the spectrum. I'm just getting into reloading and my die set for my 45 carbine is Lee and my rifle die sets are Redding. They were all I could find. I wanted to get them all in Lee so I wouldn't have to spend so much but I like the look and feel of the Redding dies.
Really good video FC. I have just purchased my first set of lee 4 die 44 magnum dies but changed out the lockrings for the Forster ones which in my opinion are the best lockrings, as is the Forster press
The Lee powder-expander die can also accept a funnel if you weigh each load of powder by hand or machine. All you need to do is empty the powder cup into the funnel to charge your case. I've used mostly Lee dies over my 40 or so years of reloading. I have no complaints with them at all. I've used a few Lyman dies and 2 sets of small base RCBS rifle dies that are good as well. I have had issues with 2 sets of Hornady dies which lead me to sell them off and replace them with a Lee set and a Lyman set. Both sets of Hornady dies left a pile of brass shavings on the press from the sizing die. I use Hornady powder-espander dies on my 2 Loadmaster presses. I have pretty much one die for each turret and half a dozen Hornady powder measures and two RCBS powder measures to go with them using the Hornady operators on each. Of the hundreds of thousands of rounds I've reloaded, including many crimped primers and the few berdan primed cases that snuck through, I've never broken a Lee deprimer pin. I cannot say that about the RCBS dies. Deprime pins bend and break. The new cog wheel lock rings Lee has work nice with the little wrench. The outside appearance of the dies doesn't matter. It is what is inside that counts.
Do you have any Dillon dies for the next in the die review video series? My die collection was mostly composed of whatever brand was on sale at whatever time i needed a set of dies. But as of late, I have been slowly switching over to Dillon dies for all of my progressive reloading projects. The extra features really come in handy when used with a progressive press.
Which features are you referring to? The last time I looked over Dillon dies, they were long which made them easy to reach, but were overall clumsier to adjust. -- Genuinely curious. Frankly the Lee dies seem nicer to me, and it really seems like Dillon dies are outrageously priced. The surface finish on the interior features is very good though which does help with press feel.
My favorite feature is probably the spring loaded decapping pin in the sizing die, it forcibly throws the spent primer off the end of the pin when sizing. This prevents the occasional primer from getting stuck on the end of the pin and potentially being partially pulled back into the primer pocket. That's not a big deal when loading single stage (you can just run it into the die again, can't do that with a progressive press or you will double charge powder). On a progressive press it can jam up the auto advance feature or cause you to finish loading the round with the spent primer still installed. Second favorite is the quick detach seater plug that can be removed, cleaned, and reinstalled into the die without removing the die from the press or losing the adjustment. Great when you are loading a large number of lubed bullets and the lube is started to gum up the seater plug. And the bullet seating and crimp dies are heavily flared to easily guide the bullets up into the die. You really only notice/need this feature on a progressive press. Sometimes the shell plate is just slightly misaligned when you raise the ram and with regular dies the necks of the cases will hang up on the bottom of the dies, but the Dillon dies guide them right into position. The fit and finish is excellent if you care about that sort of thing. Oh and they give you spare decapping pins right in the box with the dies, nice touch I thought.
I have always Liked Lyman, they are the old school toolmakers mindset and founded everything they did on quality even their molds are made with leaded steel bar stock so as to be able to machine a fantastic finish. I think Lee is a great product too for the money...dollar for dollar Lee is hard to beat in value. RCBS is a good die set but for plain vanilla features I always thought they were approaching being over priced when compared to Lyman. Even Lymans gas checks are the best in the business, gilding metal for less "wash" in the barrel...while expensive they are still better than Hornadys plain old pure copper 110 element. Yes Its true Hornandy now makes Lymans gas checks, it is still to Lymans specs and not simply Hornandy banging them out on a press to whatever they want to spec them too. If shopping for dies I personally go like this: 1. Lyman, 2. Lee 3. RCBS 4. Why bother if I cant find 1 or 2 and groan now I have to get #3
Hey FC, tried to use those locking die rings on some of my Lee dies but unfortunately could get them to work. It seems my Lee Loadmaster 5 station press is not big enough around and they rub against the other lock down rings and I'm unable to screw them down all the way on the die !!!!!!!! Thanks for the video :-)
I use Lee dies almost exclusively. I use a Forster CoAx single stage press and have replaced all of the Lee locking rings (which I DO NOT like) with the Forster rings. I have not had a problem at all with the Lee dies! Also the Lee Factory Crimp dies are the best in my opinion (especially the collet dies)!
I just got the lyman 6.8spc die set in the mail, I am going to put a piece of lead shot I think in the lock ring screw to prevent any marring of threads, think that might be a good idea? Or do you see a potential oversight I might be missing by doing that?
9:15 I missed those days when you could get a Lee Deluxe Carbide 4-Die Set for $40ish… Scrap that: I miss the time when you could find them in stock at all!!
95%of my dies are Lee. I have a few very select dies from RCBS, Redding. I had a few issues with the 45 ACP flare die that needed Lee fixing and also the 9mm was off a smidge. but i run 380, 38, 40, 44spc, 44mag, 45, 9mm. 44 i have more specialized dies.
I have been hearing about people having problems with dies galling and scratching their brass. Even some have said it does it on carbide dies as well. I read that sometimes the brass is too clean from wet tumbling and soft metals will gall harder metals. Lube would solve this?
Aaron Bush - Anytime a softer metal rubs with pressure against a harder metal, the softer metal can, but depending on the metals - does not always, leave metal behind onto the harder. That is galling. In reloading, galling can happen whenever aluminum is used - 1) so that our aluminum bullet molds can gall against the steel parts - causes the need to lubricate Lee molds; but 2) also can happen when we size cast lead bullets in our Lee push through sizing dies without use of lube on the bullets. Note that 3) when leading happens with out gun barrels, that is a form of galling and lube on bullets is one of the ways that we offset that. Galling when we run brass into our reloading dies is not the problem we encounter - if we do not lube our cases using steel dies, the cases will get stuck in the die. It's a good thing that brass and steel do not have galling problems as if so, we would get galling every time we fired a brass case in any of our gun chambers. 1)and 2) above, galling is not something we reloaders are concerned with. 3) is something all cast bullet shooters are concerned with, but we call it barrel leading and galling is not on our mind. We have great ways to prevent 3). However, scratching of brass is something we all need to guard against. Scratching of our brass happens A) from range damage B) from dirty brass run through reloading dies - the grit scratches the brass and our steel dies as well - and C) from being run into scratched dies. The scratched die transfers the scratches to every brass run through subsequently. If we run dirty brass through our steel resizing dies we will get both B) and C). And once scratched, that resizing die is really doomed. Carbide dies are too hard to scratch, but can still scratch cases from B). Best policy is to clean our brass before reloading. There is no such thing as brass being too clean...brass is either clean or not, and clean is good. Contrary to popular belief, dry tumbled brass with dust of the dry media still on the cases is not clean - there is lead and primer residue in the dust. Wet tumbling is like reloading factory new brass. Dry tumbling will contaminate you and your reloading bench with lead over time. I have never seen galling from brass being run through reloading dies - and I guard against die and brass scratching by cleaning my brass. I used to do it with used gun cleaning rags before the first dry vibratory tumblers came along. Then used the dry vibe tumblers for many years. When wet tumbling became available, switched to wet tumbling and would never go back to the dry - ever. Definite yes on lube of brass going into steel dies. No to brass going into carbide dies - although you can use it if you really desire. Good reloadin' to ya, FC
I love my Lee dies...cosmetics aren't important to me...functionality and value is...I have both Lee and RCBS dies...Insee no difference between the two...
Lee Carbide 9mm sizing dies are superior to Dillon and others because they don't undersize the neck to create a bulge or "ledge" in the case. I stopped using my Dillon 9mm sizing die in my RL-550B because my loaded rounds looked like crap although they functioned and cycled ok.
I have a dumb question are Lee dies interchangeable with RCBS can you switch dies between press manufacturers, I have a Lee classic turret and I love it
I have a question for you: when I use the Lee expander die (9mm) some cases sometimes get a little stuck inside the expander die from comming out again. I always prime the cases on the downstruck from expanding so when it happens the primer almost always flyes away from the primerholder........ which is a pain in the butt (now when I feel its happening I just hold my finger over the primer so it doesnt fly away). Im not so experienced in reloading 9mm so I use a Hornady single stage press to keep track of everything. Do you have any idea why this happens?? its not every case - sometimes I can expan 6-7 cases without any problem and then 1-3 suddenly stuck like that a little.
The Lee die sets in non-carbide dies have a much better internal finish than RCBS and Lyman which have rough machining in comparison. Though I think I need the Lyman M die expander because I hate the floppy unsupported nature of bell mouthed cases. The sizing expander on the RCBS is a less desirable design especially in rifle dies, the elliptical Hornady expander is so fluid and effortless where as you can feel the knurling drag when using the RCBS expander.
I'm considering getting into reloading and just watched this to get a better view of which system is best for a beginner and also for the price. Lee kinda worries me though with the aluminum parts. Comments welcome about experiences with Lee die sets.
The aluminum parts are not high stress parts. Lee is very highly engineered products with good value for the money. It does exactly what the other dies do at half the cost. Plus you get a shell holder, dipper, and load data.
@@pauldeahl3980 I can't find Lee presses or press kits anywhere. They did away with the 60th Anniversary kit. I kinda like the idea of a single stage until I get the experience of what needs to happen, but I'm also curious about a turret press having all stages already set up to complete a round.
The issue with RCBS with the bullet seater, have the same issue with my 9mm Redding, leaves a big ring around the round nose and no option for round nose seater either. they said i'd need to use some resin in there to make a bullet mold. so now use my Lee for round nose and and Redding for flat point only. disappointing considering the price i paid for quality Redding.
I have a Lee 4 die set for 45 Colt and like it except for the expander die. What expander die would you consider an improvement over the Lee for loading .452 lead or powder coated bullets?
Jakeway Rewa - The easy answer to your question is the Lyman M die for the 45 Colt. It is Lyman's expander and mouth flare die...and well recognized as the best for cast bullets. When you put the bullet into the case after the M die has done its thing, the bullet sits squarely in the case ready for seating. The Lee die is adequate though - you just have to manually square the bullet up for seating with the Lee die - plus the Lee dies allow the use of the Lee Auto Drum Powder Measures or other Lee measures. RCBS cowboy dies (intended for cast bullets) also provide good squareness of the mouth flare - their expander / flare dies are take offs on the Lyman M die. Good reloadin' to ya, FC Steve
larry munninghoff - Lee does not make an equivalent of the Lyman M die (RCBS does though). Lee uses the bell or blunderbuss mouth expander. And yes, we all have to deal with those sticking issues that are more pronounced at times than others. But the Lees do work as long as one takes a little extra care to center the bullets. Best to ya, FC
Lyman has a niche’ with their neck sizing dies, Hornady is nice with their bullet seater sleeve...but I stopped loading Hornady after I bought my Frankford Arsenal universal seating die with that die having a sliding bullet sleeve also.
Hey Cookie New subscriber...really like your vids. For now I only reload .38/.357 and .44spc./.44mag. I'm a wheelie gun guy. I started with the LEE hand loaders ($30 kit) but now I have moved up to a LEE Classic Cast single stage press with two LEE 4-die sets. I'm glad I got that fourth die. I don't mess with the second die because I use the LEE powder measure to fill the cases and the boolits are copper plated (and beveled) so I don't have to flare the neck. So far that worx out great. I don't do enuf reloading to have a turret or progressive, and my slower single stage helps me fill up time. I really like the LEE products and your vids are so informative. BTW, I use Hodgdon Titegroup. Any experience and/or thoughts on that powder? Keep up the good work.
Congratulations on the new Lee setup. A great value all the way around. Titegroup is a terrific powder for pistol applications, and my go-to powder for .38 Special and .45 Colt in light loads. Just loaded up 100 rounds of powder puff target .38 Special rounds with cast 148 grain wadcutter bullets for the wife, using Titegroup. I'm glad you are enjoying the hobby. FortuneCookie45LC is an outstanding source for practical reloading and general gun knowledge. I refer to his videos often for refreshers or to rethink ideas. Good shooting to you!
Steve Scheel - Hodgdon TiteGroup powder is a favorite of many reloaders. It's a great powder as it is not position sensitive in the case...Good shootin' to ya, FC
Thanx for your reply. You mentioned that TiteGroup was not "position sensitive" in the case. I never heard that term before. What does that mean? Any examples? BTW, I broke down a bought a LEE Classic Cast Press. Just got it so it's not set up yet. Any tips that might be helpful? Love your vids and thanx again.
The lock ring is actually the feature I like the best on the Lee dies. I positively HATE the set screw type that hold to the threads. HATE those things. The cross bolt type are fine though. They hold tight and the die doesn't move. But that Lee ring is just so simple and effective.
I like them as well. About the only issue I have found is that with the Hornady bushing system sometimes when you are taking the dies out of the press it loosens the lock ring instead of the bushing.Not a deal breaker by any means.
Don Eime - They do work fine - those that hate the Lee rings don't like the aluminum. But the Lee rings have durability, and they also work in the Co-Ax press... Have a great day, FC
Yes, if you tighten it with wrench then they hold. But if you have to change dies on single stage or you don't have another toolhead/bushings for progressive, it's pain in the ass to set dies each time as you want. Set screw, tight and done, same setting each time.
mobow72 - Sorry for the late reply (funny, I thought I answered this one - did Google lose it?) The Lee rings actually work fine - gotta get past the aluminum and rubber O-rings that seems to offend the sensibilities of many reloaders though. - It's all OK, of course, we can all use the rings we prefer. Even Forster makes aluminum rings. Others, like yourself, really like those cross bolt rings. And I also do not like the set screw type rings - damages the threads on the die bodies unless we put a lead shot in there. Best to ya, FC
Mobow72 I agree with you , sometimes if a die I use isn't lee, the lock ring sticks in the press threads and I can't loosen it! So I have to tap it with a piece of wood and a hammer. I hate lock rings other than Lee. Funny how we all have different views on this issue.
yes you can. this is the press I started with, loaded a lot of 30-06 cartridges on it that I hunted with. but let me give you a tip, stay with the lee pacesetter dies(for rifle) and lee carbide dies(for handgun) and use the lee factory crimp die. don't waste money on overpriced rcbs dies, with the challenger you won't get out the potential anyway. but don't stress, it makes perfect hunting ammo, just not for benchrest :)
Fortune cookie 🥠 I like to ask you a question on a smith & Wesson 10-8 revolver snub nose made in 1977 my question is if I can shoot plus-p rounds thru it is it safe
fortuneCookie45LC - You forgot to mention at least with the Lee Dies the quick change 1/4 turn for install or uninstall thread pattern on all dies. Makes it so much easier to add or remove die with just 1/4 turn.
JustDanO - Thanks for your comment. That would be the Lee Breech Lock system - but Hornady also has their LockNLoad bushing system also... No those weren't mentioned because any dies can be threaded into those sleeves so no particular advantage to die sets... Have a great day, FC
Rcbs hands down. Lee tends to rust. Especially if you are reloading 223 in a single stage like me rcbs is 2 dies sizer and seater/taper die kill two birds with one stone. Plus taper is best on caniluar bullets. O and it's a short base die so overall I will always spend the extra 20$ and buy rcbs
Cookie45LC: I appreciate this video comparing the reloading die sets from various die manufacturers. I am in the market for a set of 38 special/357mag reloading dies. After watching your video, I am strongly considering Lyman. Have the Lyman dies continue to work well for you?
riley cat - Absolutely - Lyman is our oldest reloading company. Sure Lee is less costly, but if you simply like the feel of heft and quality - Lyman will give you that satisfaction...it's an intangible, but very valid. The Lyman M die is the industry standard for a neck expansion, mouth flare die - dos the nice square and sure bullet placement. This is all in the video, of course... Have a great day, FC
John Bagwell - I have used equipment from every company including Lachmiller and Forster. But have never used any Redding equipment. The hallmark of reloading companies is their presses and their dies. The pricepoint of Redding presses and dies never tempted me to give them a try. Best Regards to ya, FC Steve
FortuneCookie45LC Thanks for that explanation. I wondered if I had missed a design aspect. About twenty years I began using mostly Redding dies and the results we’re outstanding. Because of your article I’ve ordered a Lyman expander die that I’ll try out Thursday. Thanks for your technical insight.
John Bagwell - I gave the subject more thought... I started reloading with a set of Herter's 38 Spl dies...They worked very well for me, and I graduated to RCBS dies. Perhaps if the gun store I frequented back in the 70s carried equipment like Redding or Star (sizer lubricator), I would have gone that way. The virtual path for me led me to Lyman and Lee products also carried by that store. There were no internet sales back then. By the time I discovered Redding, the other brands were already intrenched on my loading bench. Have a great day, FC Steve
Shame you did not have Dillon or Redding in the mix. You never seem to mention those manufacturers. Keep making those videos. I’m a big viewer and appreciate the information.
John Kennedy - Thanks for the kind remarks. I have two Dillon 550Bs - one set up for small primers and the other large primers - and they don't gather dust...but progressive reloading is for making a lot of ammo...lately, all the videos have been about load development best done on single stage presses... Have a great day, FC Steve
I have Dillon, RCBS, Redding and Lee dies and like them all. I use them combined for special or unique features often when reloading. Someone does something better at this or that particular task so you end up with a mixed and matched Frankenstein die set that works awesome producing superior reloads for that given caliber. As of this writing reloading supplies are starting to come back in stock for all us REAL reloading guys once again. All the "nOObs"..."preppers"...."scalpers" etc etc have stopped hoarding and buying up all the equipment finally since they can't get any components. Most of these people will never use any of this equipment they purchased during Covid-19. They just bought it "because" someone told them they needed it or they thought they did. I've been reloading my own ammo and casting my own bullets for over 30 years. Is it inappropriate to say "be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it!" I visualize these people blowing up their guns and not being able to make anything reliable or prints worth a damn.
Cmax Arms - They are great dies - like Cadillacs in quality, but there is no gain in performance. If I want precision rifle ammo, I'll go to Forster, but interestingly, the Lee Neck Size Collet Dies really do provide low run out for a fraction of the cost. I keep looking at Redding equipment, but then I don't see enough value to make the purchase. This does not mean that they aren't good - some fine reloaders swear by them. You can't tell the ammo loaded from one brand to another for 95% of shooting. Great question, and keep up the good work over there on your channel..!! FC
