LEE vs RCBS Dies | Watch Before You Buy | Part 1 

I am definitely not team green only, but for value cost, and quality, they have proven to be a great mix. They are also the most readily available product in my area. They have never let me down, and I have always had great success with RCBS. I generally prep hundreds of brass at a time for future loading, so for my general practices, the powder through die doesn’t fit my needs or practices and has no benefit. I can still see it’s merit and I bet it is a great if that fits yours and other reloading styles. I have heard great things about the crimping dies from Lee. This wasn’t a review on them though, and I was trying to compare like items. That would be a great video for the future, but I will need to pick one up first. The standard roll crimp has worked for me very well, so it’s hard to justify adding extra cost to my budget for a product that duplicates what my equipment already does effectively. I’m open to it, but that will have to be in the distant future. I have the same problem with testing out the Hornady and Redding dies. I don’t need any new dies yet, and can’t yet justify it. I have heard great things about both, especially the Hornady shell holders that come with the die sets. You must have missed the part where I explained that I don’t need 44 Mag dies. I wasn’t going to invest more than I was willing to loose. I had a budget I was sticking to, and the Lee dies fit that budget. So did the RCBS dies. But the 4 die set from Lee did not. I was not willing to spend any more money than what I did. I guess I’m a cheep skate for that. What I found with Lee dies was that it was a budget die set that worked effectively, without issues, and gave me the results I needed, but there wasn’t enough cost savings to justify the step down in overall quality. Why not spend $5-$7 more dollars and get a significantly better machined and made die set from Hornady or RCBS. You also get much better instructions. More in-depth, easier to use, faster to reference, and longer lasting. You confirmed my point, the Lee has less polish, but it works. In the long run, it goes beyond simply polish though, it also is made of less durable materials. I did not like the locking ring system with the hokey rubber o-rings or aluminum being used in place of steel. I really wanted to find out that this was a great die set, that costs less than the other entry level reloading supplies. What I found was a good die set that wasn’t quite as good of a value in the end, and the concessions outweighed the minimal $avings. The only benefit would be if you were filling the powder at the same time you were expanding. But that is only if that fits your style of reloading. Thanks for the discussion and I do appreciate your time viewing my video.

@@oddballschtuff I have both in 38/357. I didn't want to play the silly game of setting up my dies everytime. I loaded a box of 38s, 25 each. The RCBS squeezed the brass smaller by .0015-.002ish. Exact same load with no discernable difference in POI. It did change the length of the brass so now I have to resize those 25 on the RCBS die. The brass is worked less and a smaller bullet bulge when the bullet is seated by the Lee resizer. I totally understand a budget. The cost of the Lee is a better value. It has everything you need. How much was the Lee over compared to the RCBS and a shell holder? Hornady dies rust like crazy. I live in a low humidity area and a buddy bought some and they rusted over in a couple weeks. Try the factory crimp die, you will gladly do the extra step. Especially for 223/5.56. I mass load on a single stage also, 100 to 200 and work in batches. I have an ammo can with sized and trimmed brass ready to go. I look for the efficiency gains in my process. Give the powder thru a try. Bell and powder at the same time. I've been thinking about getting one for when I do 357 with the RCBS. The powder dipper could be removed and lower the cost by 5cents, that would be fine. The only good use for it would be the zombie apocalypse and no power. RCBS is a more refined machined die set. True. In straight wall pistol 99.99999% will never see a POI difference between the two. Plinking rifle buy Lee. Precision rifle buy a higher quality die set. Rifle bottle neck is a completely different game.

👍🏼Glad to hear they are working well for you. Check out @stewart county ballistics, he does awesome work, and a lot is with Lee products. He’s a great resource for reloading questions, tips, and solutions. Thanks for watching.

When I purchased this 3 die .44 set, there was a lot less difference at that store at that moment. I don’t recall if they had a sale going on with RCBS at that store or what? Currently, there is a greater difference in price as you have noted. I had no reason to question the difference until everyone was so upset with my valuation. I checked it out and can’t find those RCBS dies again for anywhere near what I found them for that day. Looking back, I missed a chance to get the RCBS dies at a steal of a price, but didn’t realize it at the time. But, I still ended up with a good die set and got to test out the LEE dies. They both work great and ultimately the value of the dollar will be different for everyone. For me, the RCBS is worth the small amount of added $. Let’s be honest, standard RCBS dies are also entry level budget dies. Some day, I’ll pick up the factory crimp die from LEE and find out what the excitement is all about. It must be spectacular because everyone raves about them. In the end, I was able to get the bullets loaded, have a good time, and test something new out. It was not a loss and I am not upset with my purchase at all, but there are notable differences. And depending on loading practices, the LEE may be a better setup than the RCBS. Now if I just needed another set of dies, I would try the Hornady and see how they do. I’ve heard the seating die is smooth as butter for rifle cartridges. Looks to me like this RCBS/LEE thing is more polarizing than I initially thought.

Thanks for not lashing back at me. I apreciate that and you get a subscribe out of me!

Your welcome. The truth is the humor side of that video is subtle, but in my own head it seamed obvious when I made it. I’ve been working on a follow up on this video that has less snarkiness and just shows the dies all on their own. I hope to get it out soon. Thanks for watching and the subscription. Hopefully you can enjoy some of my goofball videos. My goal is a little learning, and hopefully try make someone laugh now and then.

You win a prize! First to catch that. No wonder I had so many problems getting these to work.

Thanks for the excellent comment!

Sounds good. We all have our own perspectives.

Infantry? 1st Platoon? Or am I reading that wrong. If I’m right, thanks for your service.

@@oddballschtuff 11 = infantry, C = Mortars, 1 = Jr. Enlisted (E1-E4), P = Parachutist qualified, i.e. jump school.

That is a steal. I would take that deal all day.

I have not, most of my powders haven’t metered well in the past, so I haven’t really pursed it too much. I have a thrower, but it’s in the cupboard.

Memorial Day weekend is coming soon, and I can’t wait. You have a great day and enjoy some relaxation if you can! I redid this video a while back because the snarky humor was lost on a few people. That video puts me to sleep though 😂

I never said these would not work to reload ammo with. The question is is the quality comparable? Which die set is better quality? Thank you for at least watching a few minutes I do appreciate your time.

I would love to get my hands on a Dillon set of dies or Lyman. I’ve heard really good things about Redding as well. The Hornady custom dies, I am not 100% sold on, I purchased a set but have not got to use it yet. The standard hornady dies have a really nice fit and finish though. I was going to buy a Lee set of dies a few months back, but then by the time I bought different lock rings and such, it was the same cost as the Hornady custom dies, or very similar. Looking back I think I would’ve rather bought the Lee dies.

LEE vs RCBS - Know the difference before you buy ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2nMUuUhuPuM.html This one might? If not let me know what specifically would be helpful and I can make a video. Nowadays, there is a much greater cost between the brands. I think I would prefer the RCBS but I’d buy the Lee.

I had a different approach to videos back then, I appologize.

@@oddballschtuff at least you were upfront and explained your opinions, valid points to consider, back to what a bullet was used for, I can understand it it was to doublecheck case flare for seating, the RCBS definitely had more gradual flare, the Lee is so short and abrupt that if cases aren't very close in length can get different amount of flare

Yep, I just double check the case flare. The RCBS has more adjustment and a better finish, but they both are sensitive to case length. With costs of reloading dies now, I think my next set will be another Lee. I like the RCBS quality better, but the cost difference is so much higher now, that it doesn’t make sense to me anymore. I’ve loaded a few hundred 44 mags now and it does great. I need a 380 die set and it will be a Lee set from Midway.

You sure can.

I’ve always wanted to try the Redding Dies.

@@oddballschtuff there good worth every penny in my opinion

Check out what Stewart County Ballistics does with Lee dies. It’s very impressive. In the end, I am happy you have a great experience with Lee dies. But as for your comment, there is much more than the box that’s different. The RCBS dies are overall a better quality. Do you disagree with that? For the two budget brands of dies on the market, I believe you get more for your money with RCBS. Thanks for watching and keep on enjoying the wonderful world of reloading.

You are correct. It doesn’t quite fit into my reloading patterns, but in the right set up, that is a great feature.

That sucks on your 350 Legend dies. I haven’t had to replace my 44 dies luckily.

I have had great luck with RCBS, the Lee dies are a good value and they do work very well, but I think the RCBS does have better quality of overall.

Yeah, I was a little harsh on Lee. Check out what Stewart County Ballistics can do with the the Lee dies. He can shoot the wings off a gnat with his rounds loaded with Lee. I may not be the biggest fan of Lee dies, and the RCBS are built with a better finish and stronger materials overall, but I can fully appreciate them.

Great reply! I agree with everything you said. I may have exaggerated my distaste just a little, but I hope you could see that. I would love to try Redding dies, but I don’t have any new rifle calibers to load for. Thanks for watching. Have a great day

That’s too bad they aren’t what they used to be. My 1989 ones luckily are still going strong. That’s unfortunate on your dies. I just loaded up a bunch of 44 mag and my Lee’s did great as usual. I would love to try Hornady and Redding dies, to try them, but I don’t have any calibers that need new dies. Thanks for sharing your experience, it’s good to have other points of views.

Are you suggesting they are the same quality and that there is not a significant difference between the two die sets?

True dat. But that video to the whole lot more boring. In fact, I have a very boring video I made without all the disdain. It puts me to sleep when I watch it.

You’re the first one that noticed that good on you

I actually like it, it made me laugh. It's like the saying of killing 2 rocks with 1 bird. It being wrong is funny

Then that would make perfect sense. Why watch a review on something you already know.

@@oddballschtuff - My apologies. I did not intend to be rude. I’m in the midst of a lengthy 2000 round loading session. Both RCBS and Lee have provided wonderful tools. The RCBS bench mounted primer pocket swager and Lee’s factory crimp dies have been very helpful moving this project along. I’ve been a life-long RCBS guy but recently got into Lee’s innovative and efficient products. When I needed parts to do a conversion to one of their dies, Lee sent them at no charge. I’m more than happy with both companies and assumed one of them could get criticized unnecessarily. I wrote without thinking. Lesson learned.

@@rascal0175 no worries. I appreciate the response. That is quite a large amount of cartridges to do in one round, at least for me. In the right setup, I can see where the powder through the expanding die would prove a better system. For me it’s not much help, but I run a single stage press. That is good to hear about them helping with the conversion parts. Have you ever checked out @stewart county ballistics? He does some great work using mostly Lee dies. As you can tell, I like the extra attention to detail and finishing of the RCBS, but in the end, I have to admit I was overly harsh on Lee. Good luck with your reloading! Have a great night.

I use Lee for my 44 loads. It does the job. Many of the features I don’t need, but others use them a lot with great results. I was overly hard on the Lee dies, I admit. You make some great points.

I hope your reloading adventures turn out well. It is one of my favorite hobbies.

I am

I’m okay with that opinion, but I do have one question. What do you mean? You wrote one word and didn’t explain how you came to that conclusion and I am not sure what you mean? I tried to watch a video that you have made comparing the quality of these two dies and noticed you didn’t have any? Do you mean that what I shared was incorrect and The green die set would have come out ahead no matter what? Do you mean that I was correct but unduly critical to the red set? Were you offended because you prefer the red? Were you offended because you only have experience with one brand personally? Were you offended because you’ve done the same comparison personally and came to the opposite conclusion? Some people have made qualified and meaningful comments on this video, some have not. I do like to have an open discussion, but we must have good information to start with. I truly am curious where your coming from on this? I can respect a difference of opinion, but to simply say biased, I’m confused. It could go so many ways. I would welcome some further explanation if you don’t mind. I also am very curious on if you had a different experience with these two die manufacturers. My experience has shown one set to have a higher level of finish and higher quality materials used. Is that bias or is that stating the facts. Did I take liberty to make fun of the lower quality die set, yes. Otherwise it would be a boring video. I would not say the video was biased as much as I would say it was snarky. If you want a boring and non snarky comparison video, I remade it a while back and it is more boring the reading the phone book. Same conclusion though in the end. Sadly, it’s not a fair comparison, they really aren’t in the same class. Ones a budget die set and one is not. A more even comparison would be RCBS and Hornady, right? But these are often pitted against each other in the real world, so that’s why we compared them. It’s like comparing a Colorado with an F150. They both are trucks, but they aren’t in the same class. Well, that was the most exhausting way To simply say “what do you mean and where are you coming from.”

​@@oddballschtuff You seem to genuinely want to know so I'll tell you, because I have the same opinion as philip. I'm halfway through the video right now, clicked because I genuinely wanted to know if/why one was better than the other (seemed like what I was going to learn based on the title), and all I've got so far is that you like the box better on one (who cares?), don't like an inconsequential free dipper (don't use it?), have complained about perceived finish without mentioning if it changed performance at all, seemingly got a case stuck by not using lube (duh?), don't like the pour through die (a feature you're under no obligation to use)...and it seems like all similarly petty and inane stuff that your opinion is based on. Nothing of value or substance that has actually helped me learn anything useful. I feel like I've learned nothing of value and nothing that the title implied, except for a bunch of personal idiosyncrasies of a random youtuber that I have no reason to care about, and have wasted my time. Feels like the title is a lie, and I'm only going to waste more time if I bother finishing the other half, which I don't intend to do. Not even sure why I'm bothering to spend time writing this except insofar as it gives me a moment to vent about being excited to see a real valuable comparison and actually learn something about the dies and then being let down. I think I understand that you're attempting humor but it actually just comes across as petty bias because your opinion seems to be based on nothing, and then the humor based solely on bashing via that nothing-based opinion. So it's not really funny. It just adds annoyance that we haven't learned anything that the title promised yet. That's why the vid has more downvotes than upvotes on an educational video type where that is not common at all. Again, you seem to actually want to know, so that's why I'm saying it. So hopefully you do something valuable with that info.

@@1BeGehere is a link to the boring version. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2nMUuUhuPuM.html I don’t expect you to watch and that’s okay, where you feel you wasted your time on the prior video. RCBS are better quality dies, but you end result is not drastically different and the ammo shoots the same. After belling out necks on straight walled cases, the Lee will stick, and the RCBS smoothly releases. I own and use both. Just buy which ever you want, you’ll be okay. Neither is perfect. Thanks for your time tonight and I hope you have a great day tomorrow. I make the videos for fun as a hobby and sometimes I miss the mark. I regret that it didn’t give you what you were looking for. I did enjoy making it personally.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣a little sensitive you may be. Thanks for watching anyway.