Thread: Lee aniversary kit

Just starting out and am looking at kicking off with one of these kits, for those that have been in the same boat how have you found it? Is there other stuff I should be buying at the same time as an improvement over something in the kit or should I spend more and go rcbs?

I started out reloading with a Lee Anniversary Kit in 2014, reloading for a .223.

It did the job, had what I needed.

Overtime I've upgraded most items, still using the press, loading 2500 - 4000 .308 per year.

I use one and am more than happy with it.
The powder thrower can be a tad inaccurate so I manually trickle individual grains of powder into the scale to get as accurate and consistent measure as possible every time.
If I was reloading as much as Cyclops I'd probably get an electronic powder scale/trickle thingy

I started with one, I have upgraded everything. I found the Lee press was too flexible and lead to under sizing and really struggling on some calibres (7.5x55 was the worst for some reason) and lead to considerable variation and inconsistently in projectile seating depth.
The lee scale is accurate but annoyingly slow. The hand priming thing was worse than useless as it constantly jammed (apparently the older ones were really good, current ones in my experience are hopeless).
The powder thrower I had was so stiff in adjustment I broke it trying to adjust. It looked like the thread was cut non-concentrically and it bound up every half turn, I brought another though as when they are running they are quite good for getting within .5 of a grain and trickling up.

Replaced the press with RCBS Rock Chucker II.
Hand primer with Frankford arsenal hand primer which is night and day better.
Use lee scales occasionally to verify a Hornady digital scale and haven't had any issues with the Hornady scales for accuracy (but naturally suspicious of cheaper digital scales so will always double check occasionally).
Lyman deburring tools.
Hornady cam lock case trimmer.

If you are loading for just hunting rounds the Lee kit will be fine and produce adequately accurate ammunition that's probably better than factory (although I'd throw the hand primer away immediately after smashing it with a hammer such is my hate for the thing - I'd rather prime individually on the press than use that thing again. Garbage).

Would I do it differently if I did it again? No. I was testing the waters of my interest. Turned out I found it very interesting and spent more time and money on reloading as a hobby. If it was going to be just filling the ammo box up for just hunting I'd have stuck with Lee stuff (except the hand primer, did I mention how I hate their hand primer?).

Originally Posted by imaca

I use one and am more than happy with it.
The powder thrower can be a tad inaccurate so I manually trickle individual grains of powder into the scale to get as accurate and consistent measure as possible every time.
If I was reloading as much as Cyclops I'd probably get an electronic powder scale/trickle thingy

I went to a Chargemaster then to a Autotrickler for powder measuring.

The Lee beam scale was okay, but incredibly slow.
Chargemaster better, Autotrickler best but most expensive.

Autotrickler is consistently +/- 1 kernel of powder, with it I can pour and seat about 200 rounds/hour.

Start with a kit and upgrade as you need to or can afford to.
That was the advice I was given and it is still good advice.

Thanks for the info guys much appreciated, looking forward to trying the hand primer.

The scale is vastly improved by adding a couple or three disc magnets the size of the old 50c coin. They will click onto the offside of the end where the pointer is and vastly improve the magnetic dampening which sucks ex factory and is what makes it so slow to get a reading. It as accurate as any beam scale and more so than any $100 electronic scale. Get magnets from Mitre10

Like many I started with this kit and loaded thousands of rounds with it.
The press was good
Found the scale accurate but plastic pins on the slide wore off as did the numbers. the measure was ok.
Have upgraded everything since.
If I was starting again on a budget I would buy a good balance scale and press and go from there.
Dies are cheap and you can get by without a powder measure.
You will gather more than enough stuff as you progress

Just... No... I bought the anniversary kit... and a box of brand new 308 Lapua cases, primers etc...

Found that the centre line was not milled correctly, ended up tearing or mauling the case rims either off or deformed on one side.

I chucked that away and bought the RCBS rockchucker... never looked back.

Oh,. Dont use the Lee cases sizing lube - its crap too.

Find something lanolin based (( Hornady Unique, for example ) others will input here Im sure)

Originally Posted by Nasty Factory Trigger

Just... No... I bought the anniversary kit... and a box of brand new 308 Lapua cases, primers etc...

Found that the centre line was not milled correctly, ended up tearing or mauling the case rims either off or deformed on one side.

I chucked that away and bought the RCBS rockchucker... never looked back.

Oh,. Dont use the Lee cases sizing lube - its crap too.

Find something lanolin based (( Hornady Unique, for example ) others will input here Im sure)

Well I'm going to disagree on the lube bit. I've used just about everything else commercially available in NZ. I've had issues with all of them no doubt in some instances thru user ineptitude but I can tell you the Lee stuff is fantastic for rifle calibres applied with the fingers. YouTube is your friend re how much and technique. However for Pistol brass I use the Dillon Lanolin based spray, a couple of squirts into the bottom of an old ice cream container, drop your brass in, lid on, shake it all around and away you go. Do that with rifle brass and see if you can count the dimples in the case shoulders.

Originally Posted by Scotts

Thanks for the info guys much appreciated, looking forward to trying the hand primer.

you will love them.....LOL.... I really rate LEE gear,the only thing I detest is the gritty sticky toothpaste like crap that poses as lube...chuck it far far away and use the likes of vasoline on case bodies and powdered graphite on the necks...

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

you will love them.....LOL.... I really rate LEE gear,the only thing I detest is the gritty sticky toothpaste like crap that poses as lube...chuck it far far away and use the likes of vasoline on case bodies and powdered graphite on the necks...

Bahaaa isn't it interesting how some like something, others hate it. I guess in the end you need to try them and see what works for you. If I didn't have enough tubes of the Lee lube to last me longer than I'm likely to live I'd tell @mickyduck to just throw it my way- his loss, my gain lol

But I have to say Micky, I dunno what was in your tube but nothing gritty in mine.

I'm thinking at the end of the day for basically 300 bucks im reloading, if I was to buy a better press and other components individually what sort of investment to get me going am I looking at? I have over the last couple of months been buying the dies I need for the calibers I have and have some powders, brass and primers

Originally Posted by Nasty Factory Trigger

Just... No... I bought the anniversary kit... and a box of brand new 308 Lapua cases, primers etc...

Found that the centre line was not milled correctly, ended up tearing or mauling the case rims either off or deformed on one side.

I chucked that away and bought the RCBS rockchucker... never looked back.

Oh,. Dont use the Lee cases sizing lube - its crap too.

Find something lanolin based (( Hornady Unique, for example ) others will input here Im sure)

Poor workman who blames his tools.

If any piece of Lee gear is defective, they will replace it.

Originally Posted by Jhon

Well I'm going to disagree on the lube bit. I've used just about everything else commercially available in NZ. I've had issues with all of them no doubt in some instances thru user ineptitude but I can tell you the Lee stuff is fantastic for rifle calibres applied with the fingers. YouTube is your friend re how much and technique. However for Pistol brass I use the Dillon Lanolin based spray, a couple of squirts into the bottom of an old ice cream container, drop your brass in, lid on, shake it all around and away you go. Do that with rifle brass and see if you can count the dimples in the case shoulders.

I bought the anniversary kit a few years ago and am still using all of it, yes the lube as well. Good priced kits and they will do the job. Maybe I only reload 1 to 2 thousand rounds per year but it works for me. I've found the powder thrower to be pretty accurate depending on the powder.