Lee Die Set Red vs Grey?

[Heydeck52]

I'm new to reloading but have started the process in getting my set up. I've purchased the Lee 50th Anniversary kit so far just to get my foot in the door. I also have a beginners guide and a reloading manual. My next purchase is going to be a die set.

I'm going to be reloading for .308 to start off with and was curious what the difference is between the lee "grey" set and "red" set. This is going to be for a bolt action if that makes a difference. I want to make match rounds vs just plain plinking rounds.

Any other helpful info will be appreciated too. I know there are some upgrades to the kit that I purchased, but for now I want to get the basics down and upgrade where I seem room for improvement. Thanks for your help guys!

[kcstott]

I'm new to reloading but have started the process in getting my set up. I've purchased the Lee 50th Anniversary kit so far just to get my foot in the door. I also have a beginners guide and a reloading manual. My next purchase is going to be a die set.

I'm going to be reloading for .308 to start off with and was curious what the difference is between the lee "grey" set and "red" set. This is going to be for a bolt action if that makes a difference. I want to make match rounds vs just plain plinking rounds.

Any other helpful info will be appreciated too. I know there are some upgrades to the kit that I purchased, but for now I want to get the basics down and upgrade where I seem room for improvement. Thanks for your help guys!

Well i would tell you to buy the other red brand of dies for match grade. but since you're so new, yeah just use the lee red box dies, and i don't mean Hornady although they do make a great product.

Once you get the confidence and skill down then i'd upgrade to Forster dies for match grade or a redding bushing die for neck sizing. But you need to learn to crawl before you can learn to fly. and yeah i left some steps out in between. but that's the process.

FYI the gray box comes with a collet neck sizer which I don't like. stick with the pacesetter dies or don't bother with them at all and buy a forester benchrest two die set. or a redding set with a bushing die. that's what you will buy anyway if you are serious about match grade.

[dwalker]

I will go along with what KCStott said. Lee dies will make solid ammo. Once you get some time under you and want more, Forster, Redding, RCBS Competition, and Whidden dies are where to look.

[Heydeck52]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll be coming back here often for words or wisdom and advice.

[kcstott]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll be coming back here often for words or wisdom and advice.

biggest piece of advice. Don't think you can spend your way to better ammo overnight.

This stuff takes time to learn, you're going to make mistakes, use decent gear and build decent ammo and don't cut corners. When you get to the point of justifying Berger bullets, Lapua brass, and benchrest primers. Buying powder 16 to 32 pounds at a time to keep you in supply. by that time you should already have a better press and dies.

Don't look at a progressive as a faster way to make match ammo.

I have two progressives one set up for large primers and one for small, they are production machines. they load my plinking ammo and bulk large volume stuff. 5.56, 45 ACP, 9mm 40S&W stuff like that. I load all my match stuff on a single stage RCBS using redding, forster dies, or custom dies.

[Heydeck52]

Yeah I don't have the highest expectations my first time through. Wanted to load semi quality ammo with out paying the factory prices. I have saved some of the brass that I've fired so far but was going to pick up some winchester brass, cci or winchester primers, 168gr SMK bullets, and a couple of 1/2 lb jugs of powder to see how it performs.

I think thats a good starting off point. I'm only going to shoot 100 yards with a 20" heavy barrel howa. Push it out a little farther when I make it out to NV to some blm land.