Lee Pro 6000 Press

[Cowboy T]

Here's the output from a little leisurely session with the Pro 6000 today, before heading to the range.

Thumbnail (rather large, I know) is clickable.




Took just over an hour. The load is Rainier Plated 230gr round-nose (standard ball) on top of 5.3gr Bullseye, the max charge listed in Lyman's 49th and 51st, and corroborated in Lee's Modern Reloading. This is basically the standard military load, and it shoots quite nicely out of the 1911.

This is what the press can do when you get it dialed in. And I was not rushing. I could've gone faster, but reloading isn't a race.

[9mmepiphany]

Originally Posted by Cowboy T

This is what the press can do when you get it dialed in. And I was not rushing. I could've gone faster, but reloading isn't a race.

Having come from a Hornady LNL AP, I expected my transition to be slower. I was surprised at how easy the Pro-6k was to set up and get running.

The hardest transitions was the smaller die deck (not much room between dies) to install the bushings and the counter clockwise rotation of the shell plate.

The single choke point in speed of loading is placing the bullet in the case mouth at the 10 o'clock position (reaching around the support column). I can see picking up one of the Lee in-line bullet feeders/magazines when they start shipping in March

[Cowboy T]

Well, the feat mentioned above is repeatable. Here's what I did at lunchtime today. The reloading session started at 12:00 high noon, on the dot. I stopped at 1:00pm, again on the dot. Then it took me 12 more minutes to box them up like you see here.




That's 350 rounds there. There were actually 351, but one of them, I didn't fully seat the primer, so I didn't count that one.

So, total time is 1 hour and 12 minutes to get ammo made, boxed up, and ready for the range. Note that this includes the following steps during that hour.

- Four restockings of the primer feed tray
- One restocking of the bullets (plated round-nose, 230gr), and yes, I'm seating the bullets old-school, i. e. by hand
- One restocking of the powder hopper
- Several (I forgot to count) restockings of the case feeder--it was probably about 6 or so, given its capacity

Also, as with any progressive press, including my Dillon XL650, I did run into a few glitches here and there, two with the priming system of my own causing (not the press's fault), and a few cases with slightly bent rims didn't fully feed without a little help, so I had to watch that. Again, normal with any progressive press. None of these issues were difficult to deal with; I just adjusted and kept right on going. The reason for not having any actual, serious problems? It's called, "paying attention". And even with those few glitches, I got this output in one hour. Again.

This thing is worth the money. Dillon Precision had better be looking over its shoulder at this Pro 6000...especially given its price. For the cost of my .38 Special XL650 or today's XL750, you can buy *THREE* of these Pro 6000's, fully kitted out like mine is.

As Gazelle said in the movie Zootopia....

https://youtu.be/NAKZsjJa6Nw?t=27

[bigbossman]

Originally Posted by Cowboy T

That's 350 rounds there. There were actually 351, but one of them, I didn't fully seat the primer, so I didn't count that one.

350 rounds in an hour? Pffftt...... I can do that with my lowly Lee Pro 1000.

[tabascoz28]

Welcome to the world of the mostly progressive presses. I was very happy once I got my breechlock pro 4 station working smoothly, about the same as yours but I manually insert everything. I still use my turret and single stage but for the money making bulk 223 or 9mm, fugetaboutit uh?

Just one tip, reloading is not a race. I should take my own advice.... If you don't double check your first few meticulously, even though you didn't change anything you could end up with more mistakes to fix later. Just take the time and don't push the limits of the powder. I refill or top off everything with a new sleeve of primers.

[Cowboy T]

Originally Posted by bigbossman

350 rounds in an hour? Pffftt...... I can do that with my lowly Lee Pro 1000.

I've actually done 375 rounds of .38 Special on my Pro 1000. However, getting certain parts for the Pro 1000, especially the priming system, is now more difficult because Lee's trying to get everyone to move away from the traditional Auto-Prime system that the Pro 1000 always came with. One fellow emailed me and let me know that he'd called Lee Precision, just this last Monday (March 13, 2023) and was told that primer parts are no longer being sold due to Lee's current stance on the Auto-Prime.

I have to acknowledge that the Pro 6000's system really is a better system, and a safer one, than that on the Pro 1000. Not knocking the Pro 1000--I still have two of 'em--but when my Pro 1000 finally gives up the ghost (whenever *that* will happen...!), its replacement will be a Pro 6000.

Essentially, the Pro 6000 is everything that you and I both love about the Pro 1000, including the affordability, but very much "new 'n' improved". I think you'd like it.