New press

[jimbo728]

Just ordered the Lee Pro 4000 progressive press.
Will still keep and use my RCBS rock chucker with piggy back.
Onlly want the Lee for.223 maybe .38 later.
Jim

 

[robertrwalsh]

Sounds like a perfectly reasonable decision to me.

 

[BE Mike]

Unless it was just a price consideration, I'm interested in why you picked a Lee progressive press over, say, a Dillon or Hornady progressive?

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Just ordered the Lee Pro 4000 progressive press.
Will still keep and use my RCBS rock chucker with piggy back.
Onlly want the Lee for.223 maybe .38 later.
Jim

I used my RCBS Rockchucker the other day to knock out two boxes of 357 and two boxes of 38. Always handy.

 

[cmj8591]

I've been looking at the 6000's. They seem like a lot of press for the money. I have Dillon, RCBS and a hodgepodge of other stuff. I would like to buy a Dillon progressive like the 750 but the price is just too much to justify. Plus they nickle and dime you with all the extra stuff. It would take me 100 years of shooting to make it worth while. The Lee stuff that I have, although not as well finished as the others, holds up just as well.

 

[BE Mike]

I've been looking at the 6000's. They seem like a lot of press for the money. I have Dillon, RCBS and a hodgepodge of other stuff. I would like to buy a Dillon progressive like the 750 but the price is just too much to justify. Plus they nickle and dime you with all the extra stuff. It would take me 100 years of shooting to make it worth while. The Lee stuff that I have, although not as well finished as the others, holds up just as well.

Looks like the biggest complaints of the Lee progressives are: 1. unreliable priming system and 2. plastic parts where they should be metal.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Keep all your hammers in a different room.

 

[venomballistics]

Looks like the biggest complaints of the Lee progressives are: 1. unreliable priming system and 2. plastic parts where they should be metal.

Best fix for the Lee priming system is ... use something else off press.
All my 45 has been produced on a Lee pro 1000.
I don't mind priming off press as this forces a brass inspection step.

 

[BE Mike]

Best fix for the Lee priming system is ... use something else off press.
All my 45 has been produced on a Lee pro 1000.
I don't mind priming off press as this forces a brass inspection step.

I would hate loading 500-1,000 rounds of pistol ammo at one sitting and having to use a different piece of equipment to prime the cartridges. That's why I bought a progressive press in the first place. That being said, whatever floats your boat!

 

[rockquarry]

I would hate loading 500-1,000 rounds of pistol ammo at one sitting and having to use a different piece of equipment to prime the cartridges. That's why I bought a progressive press in the first place. That being said, whatever floats your boat!

I've done it both ways; never found it inconvenient to use a hand primer for 500 or 1,000 rounds, never in one sitting, but I don't do it often. If I did it weekly, I'd get a progressive.

 

[GypsmJim]

Looks like the biggest complaints of the Lee progressives are: 1. unreliable priming system and 2. plastic parts where they should be metal.

I have been 100% Lee since 1971. I had the same thought about plastic, so I bought replacement parts right away so they wouldn't go obsolete. I really liked the function of their equipment.

Not a good plan. Years have gone by and nothing broke yet. My spare parts will probably go to waste.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Lots of "fixes" out there in the web for Lee presses.......Whereas with Hornady, Dillon and RCBS you just fill "em" and after a first adjustment just pull the handle and get a loaded cartridge.......I use a lot Lee's stuff. But I won't use their presses.

 

[H Richard]

I always loaded my long range rifle (22-250 and .243 and .223) on a single stage loader A old Texan 7 hole turret. Each case is primed individually with a Lee auto prime hand primer. Each powder load is individually loaded and trickled to exact amounts. Yes, 1000 rounds take a little time, but the less than 1/4" groups at 100 yds paid off, along with many Prairie Dogs out to 500 yards.

I'm more concerned with accuracy than speed.

 

[BSA1]

I love my Green Machine. RCBS Rockchucker. With dies for 24 different cartridges it has got a lot of use for almost 40 years.

I have a Lee Pro 1000 set up for 45 Colt. I have loaded many thousands of of rounds for it but haven't used it for quite a few years after I quit CAS. I'm giving a lot of thought converting it to 9mm and seeing how well it works. My main problem with reloading 9mm is small cases and fat fingers.

 

[rockquarry]

I always loaded my long range rifle (22-250 and .243 and .223) on a single stage loader A old Texan 7 hole turret. Each case is primed individually with a Lee auto prime hand primer. Each powder load is individually loaded and trickled to exact amounts. Yes, 1000 rounds take a little time, but the less than 1/4" groups at 100 yds paid off, along with many Prairie Dogs out to 500 yards.

I'm more concerned with accuracy than speed.

The Texan turret machines are great presses. I bought a used one more than forty years ago. I load about ten-thousand rounds of pistol ammo a year on one. I've been trying to wear it out without success. I've had four progressive machines and finally realized I didn't need any of them. The turret may not be as fast as a progressive, but the simple, quick, and cheap changeover can't be beat. I prime with a 21st Century hand tool.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm loading on 2 presses. The handgun ammo gets loaded on a Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret press. Everything else is done on my RCBS Rockchucker. I sold off my Forster Co-Ax press. Just didn't have the room lol.

 

[BE Mike]

I always loaded my long range rifle (22-250 and .243 and .223) on a single stage loader A old Texan 7 hole turret. Each case is primed individually with a Lee auto prime hand primer. Each powder load is individually loaded and trickled to exact amounts. Yes, 1000 rounds take a little time, but the less than 1/4" groups at 100 yds paid off, along with many Prairie Dogs out to 500 yards.

I'm more concerned with accuracy than speed.

That's why my reloading bench also has a single stage press, as well as, two Dillon progressives.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

So far the reviews I have read of the new Lee press are not encouraging.

 

[Cdog]

I have two 4000 presses. I leave on set up for .45ACP the other floats between 9mm and .38 Super. The newer priming system works well for me. The bullet feed has been my biggest complaint. I place the projectiles by hand. I see the new inline bullet feed system is now available, and I may try one. I have a dukes mixture of dies in use. I'll have to give up the fcd to install a die type feeder.

I too am curious about the Lee 6000 series with extra stations for the inline bullet feed, etc. It also appears to feature what seems to be a serious departure from Lee's previous primer delivery systems.

As is I have way too many presses. Until primers are again easily obtained at somewhat lower prices I don't see myself buying muchof anything in the way of hardware.

The primer situation has to be putting the whole reloading industry in dire straits.

 

[jimbo728]

My 4dl0l

My 4000 is go,ing e to be sent back. Does nothing well. nothing.
Jim