Page 1 of 7 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 63

Thread: Is it just me or is Lee underappreciated?

  1. #1
    Site Supporter KevH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Contra Costa County, CA

    Is it just me or is Lee underappreciated?

    I've been reloading for twenty years and I always ignored Lee stuff as "cheap" or lesser quality than other companies like RCBS, Lyman and Dillon.

    I've recently started using Lee products and I'm incredibly impressed with their value and the thought put into them. They often seems to feel more "plasticky" and not as finished as some others, but I'll be damned if they don't work really well.

    Am I missing anything here?

  2. #2
    I agree. And beyond the "value proposition" that Lee so clearly targets, they also innovate in a number of different areas. I'm not aware of anyone who makes anything comparable to their Factory Crimp Die, for instance.

    I'm glad we've got the upper-tier companies in the business. But I'm also very glad we have Lee.

  3. #3
    They used to be kinda crappy but have really upped their game. Leupold needs to pay closer attention to how they do things.


    Okie John
    “The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
    "Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's

  4. #4
    Modding this sack of shit BehindBlueI's's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Midwest
    I've never loaded on anything else.
    Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.

  5. #5
    If you have appropriate expectations depending on what you bought from them, their stuff is fantastic. I’ve never had a problem with their dies. I don’t expect their Lee App to be without issues that need to be adjusted through, but show me a competitor.
    #RESIST

  6. #6
    Site Supporter farscott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Dunedin, FL, USA
    I am a reloading snob and really like Redding products but I have and use quite a bit of Lee's tools and dies. The aforementioned Factory Crimp Die and the Lee Auto Prime are great.

  7. #7
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    In the desert, looking for water.
    My first reloading gear was a Lee Loader for .38 Special. It was kind of novel and fun to use, but super slow and it got old. A Lee single stage C shaped press was my first bench mounted press. It’s the one you used to be able to get in a kit with the loading manual. It loaded a ton of .38 and .357 and 9mm in carbide dies, but eventually died in a horrible catastrophic reloading accident (I was learning to load bottleneck rifle cartridges and didn’t use enough sizing lube one day - the frame shattered under the pressure).

    Factory crimp dies, the regular carbide pistol dies, the balance scale, everything I’ve tried works. And the dies all work just fine in my Redding T7, so there’s that.
    Last edited by Duelist; 02-09-2021 at 08:47 PM.

  8. #8
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Northern Virginia
    I've been a reloader for 22 years now, loading everything I shoot except 9mm and 223, and have almost always used Lee products. The few times I've deviated, mainly with dies, I've been disappointed. The last time was a set of RCBS 35 Whelen dies. I replaced them with Lee the first opportunity I got (the Lee versions were unobtanium when I first got started with that caliber).

    Chris

  9. #9
    I agree. I really like the dies.

    The presses are a good deal.

    The Breach Lock Spline things are sweet. ETA: I converted my Rock Chucker.

    The APP is awsome, I ended up with two of them.

  10. #10
    Member Sal Picante's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    SunCoast
    The sizing die and the FCD are awesome...

    I loaded my 44 mag stuff on Lee dies (on a Dillon press, tho)

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •