Which press to go with

[1magi]

Hey Doug, you might want to confirm availability and delivery time. I ordered The kit from Lee factory outlet and they said two to three weeks delivery; then they only received a partial shipment and it became four to five weeks with no guarantee of what items would be in the next shipment. I finally canceled the order and went to Bimart and bought an RCBS kit.Whoever you order from get a solid commitment on shipping time and preferably they have the items in stock.Just a thought...1magi

 

[DougE]

Thanks 1magi ........ I was just going over my order and making a few last minute changes. I'll email them before I place it to see if the items are in stock and when they will deliver.

 

[shovelwrench]

You gotta watch those adjustable charge bars, under 5gr and they tend to bridge, depending on the powder. (but only in the Pro, not the regular Auto-Disk)

 

[Arkieron]

Is the perfect powder measure more consistant thatn the pro auto disk? Would a brand (Like lyman) other than lee be a better route if you are just buying components?

Thanks, Ron

 

[Cary]

There are several variables to consider when using a powder measure to drop consistent charges. The powder measure itself is a variable and the many different ones that are being manufactured. The powder being used also has a direct affect on consistent powder charges. The method you are using to drop powder charges say a press mounted powder measure or a bench mounted powder measure. I'm not sure if there is a powder measure manufactured that will so to say do it all. To my knowledge it seems that each powder measure excels with certain powders and methods while the same measure may perform mediocre or even bad with other powders and methods of powder charging. That is the reason I now have three different powder measures to use. I am kind of a stickler for precise powder charges and I have found that certain powders do not perform well to my standards in the Lee Auto-Disk Powder measure. I then purchased the Lee Perfect Powder measure to use with certain powders and it has performed well except for Hodgdon H110 powder. The RCBS Quick Change Powder measure was my last purchase and it handles H110 like a dream. The charges are very consistent and there is no leakage of the powder. Now as to method of using your powder measure (press or bench mounted) you are limited as well. Both of the Lee powder measures I own will mount on my Lee Turret Press but because of the physical size of the RCBS unit I have it is strictly a bench unit for me. It is a large unit. So after saying all this Arkieron your usage should be considered seriously before you purchase a powder measure. Do you want a press or bench mounted unit? Are you going to load pistol and rifle rounds with it? How many cartridges per month are you going to reload? Do you have any idea what powders you will be using? These are just some questions I have thrown at you to stimulate your thinking and help you make a wise choice in what powder measure you will purchase. It is a good idea to read reviews and do some research before you choose. Midway USA has customer reviews on a lot of their products as well as Cabela's. Take a look at them and see what the customers are saying about them Feel free to ask more questions as they arise. There are others on this forum that can chime in to help you out also.
Cary

 

[Arkieron]

Cary,

Thanks for your information. I am not crowed for space. I want to load 9mm and .357/38 sp. for now. If I ever load rifle, it will most likely be .308. My volume will be low, probably less than 400 shells per month. I am definately more interested in quality than high volume. I have been reading the raves on the cast Lee turret, but seem to see less enthusiasm for their disc measures.

 

[Cary]

Originally posted by Arkieron:
Cary,

Thanks for your information. I am not crowed for space. I want to load 9mm and .357/38 sp. for now. If I ever load rifle, it will most likely be .308. My volume will be low, probably less than 400 shells per month. I am definately more interested in quality than high volume. I have been reading the raves on the cast Lee turret, but seem to see less enthusiasm for their disc measures.

The Lee Perfect Powder Measure is not a bad measure and can be installed on the Turret Press but you will have to actuate it manually. It is not designed for auto operation on the Lee Turret Presses. It can be used in auto operation on the Lee Pro 1000 press but not the Lee Classic Turret or the original Lee Turret Presses. Of course if you go with a bench mounted measure you can select from several of the manufactures. I am a low volume reloader myself and have used a bench mounted measure for all my reloading for several years now. I also take my time and enjoy myself as I reload. The RCBS Uniflow and Quick Change Powder Measures are both great units. A lot of people use these and like them.
Cary.

 

[Careby]

Originally posted by Cary:
The Lee Perfect Powder Measure is not a bad measure and can be installed on the Turret Press but you will have to actuate it manually. It is not designed for auto operation on the Lee Turret Presses. It can be used in auto operation on the Lee Pro 1000 press but not the Lee Classic Turret or the original Lee Turret Presses.

Not to hijack the thread, but why is that? I have the cast turret press and perfect powder measure and have purchased the universal charging die with the intention of using all of them together. I haven't installed the die yet and wonder what kind of trouble I'll run into, besides having to swap it from turret to turret when changing calibers.

 

[Cary]

I also purchased the Lee Universal Charging Die intending to use it on my Lee Turret Press. The problem is that the Perfect Powder Measure does not operate with a return spring as the Auto-Disk Powder Measures are set up to do. Once the Auto-Disk Powder Measures actuate they are returned back to the re-charge position by a return spring so the powder disk can refill with powder and be ready for the next charging operation on the next case. The Perfect Powder measure is activated by the small lever on the universal charge die and then is moved back to the recharge position by the chain that comes with the Universal Charging Die. The designs of the Lee Pro1000 and the Lee Load-Master have the shell plate rotating and not the turret that contains the dies. If you look at pictures of the two above Lee presses you will notice they use a chain to move the powder measure back to the re-charge position. With the use of the chain the turret can not rotate or the chain would be entangled. The end of the chain is anchored to an area on the ram that moves up and down in the vertical axis only. Take a look at pictures of both of the above presses on Lee's web site and you will see how the chain is used on these presses. As you, I made the mistake of buying the Universal Charging Die and then found out it will only work when used with the Lee Pro1000 or Lee Load-Master press. Here is a link to their web site if you want to look.
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1234.../catalog/lp1000.html
Cary

 

[Arkieron]

I am going to do some homework on benchtop measures. I believe that is the way I want to go. Thanks for all the information

Ron Hall

 

[DougE]

Guess I'm on my way ......... just won a set of rcbs .38/.357 dies on fleabay for $16.50 + shipping. I already have all the other dies I need ordered with my press.
Shotshells are simple to reload compared to metallic cartridges but I'm sure I'll get the hang of reloading them in short order.