RCBS compared to LEE

[r3dn3ck]

I have both. The lee kit is lighter duty. If it's in your budget, start with the lee kit. Mine has given 15 years of service and still goes strong. Someday when you decide you want a 2nd press, get the rock chucker. The RCBS seems easier for me with large rifle cases and it's easie to bolt down securely. The lee kit isn't bad, it's just lighter duty.

My primary press now is my rock chucker but most of my other gear is lee gear.

[Clownpuncher]

I have the Lee Anniversary kit. I've loaded 1000's of rounds with it and still use it for my rifle rounds. I started out with nothing but Lee stuff and with the exception of the safety scale, which I traded out for a frankford arsenal digital, it is all great stuff.
Not to knock RCBS, I now have a few of their items as well and they make good gear. I think the reason you don't see as much RCBS talk on here is that they are a victim of pricing. They aren't cheap enough to really compete with Lee on single stage stuff and there are better options in the single stage arena when you get to their price point. When you get into the progressive area, Dillon and Hornady rule the roost as far as price point, selection and performance.
Get the Lee kit, you won't be sorry. Put away the money you save for the progressive that you will eventually want.

[Javi]

Javi - it took until post #8, but if your just starting out, then I would consider the Lee Classic Turret kit for a total of $200 from FSreloading.com or even FMreloading.com. These kits contain everything the Anniversary kit contains, and you'll be happier with the turret press.

I bought the anniversary kit as my first reloading press and was pleased to death with it. A month later I bought the Lee turret because my volume needs outpaced the ability of the single stage press. The turret can be run as a single stage to learn exactly what each step does, and when you gain proficiency, run it as a turret. The Lee classic turret may very well be the last and only press you'll ever need.

I was thinking about that kit too. I don't have an amount I want to finish in an hour in mind right now. I'll see if my Lyman manual recommends anything between a single stage and a turret.

[Dark Mod]

I was thinking about that kit too. I don't have an amount I want to finish in an hour in mind right now. I'll see if my Lyman manual recommends anything between a single stage and a turret.

You wont be dissapointed with a simple single stage press. I loaded on a lee challenger kit for a while, then i upgraded to the turret press. I found that i ended up using the turret press as a single stage anyway. The Turret press ended up being banished to a corner where it sits to this day unused.

It made more sense for me to resize 100 cases, prime 100 cases, charge 100 cases, and seat 100 bullets, instead of doing all 4 operations 1 round at a time. For one thing it didnt really seem to speed things up, but most importantly i cut down on alot of mistakes i was making.

I can visually inspect 100 charged cases sitting upright in an ammo tray in seconds before i even start seating bullets. I had a couple squibs, upside down primers etc.. when using the turret press, and when i went back to the single stage method all the problems dissappeared

[Clownpuncher]

You wont be dissapointed with a simple single stage press.

It made more sense for me to resize 100 cases, prime 100 cases, charge 100 cases, and seat 100 bullets, instead of doing all 4 operations 1 round at a time. For one thing it didnt really seem to speed things up, but most importantly i cut down on alot of mistakes i was making.

I can visually inspect 100 charged cases sitting upright in an ammo tray in seconds before i even start seating bullets. I had a couple squibs, upside down primers etc.. when using the turret press, and when i went back to the single stage method all the problems dissappeared

^^ This. I used to do all my bullets in batches. I'd clean a boatload of brass then when I had some spare time I'd boom through decapping and resizing ( I could decap and size 300-400 an hour. Another day I'd bell and prime where I could do 200-300 an hour or so. Then when I needed bullets I'd always have cases ready to drop powder in and place bullets. It worked quite well for me. I'd always have a ton of brass in various stages that I kept marked in separate containers. I could load about 150 an hour with relative ease out of my belled and primed pile. That included set up and put away of all my equipment.
I still use my single stage to decap and size even though I have a progressive. I also use it to run my 40's and 45's through a bulge buster. Then I clean it and run it on the progressive. I know alot of guys on here will say it's unnecessary to do it that way but I have better luck with clean (er) primer pockets and the bulge buster gives me an added sense of security.
I also still use my single stage for my low round count rifles where I want accuracy. So, even though I have a progressive, I still use my single stage regularly.

[bumpo628]

I agree that you should take a good look at the Lee classic turret. You can mount all of your dies in a turret and never have to remove them. Just get another turret with each new caliber. Lee's powder measures are so inexpensive you can get one for each turret.

I don't know about buying the kit, though. The Lee safety scale is pretty bad, so I would go straight to the Dillon Eliminator. I have had both and there are worlds of difference.

Lee rifle brass prep tools are not too hot either. I would go with Possum Hollow, RCBS, and Hornady for that sort of thing.

Other than the scale and rifle prep tools, Lee make some great stuff for a really affordable price.

[Javi]

You wont be dissapointed with a simple single stage press. I loaded on a lee challenger kit for a while, then i upgraded to the turret press. I found that i ended up using the turret press as a single stage anyway. The Turret press ended up being banished to a corner where it sits to this day unused.

It made more sense for me to resize 100 cases, prime 100 cases, charge 100 cases, and seat 100 bullets, instead of doing all 4 operations 1 round at a time. For one thing it didnt really seem to speed things up, but most importantly i cut down on alot of mistakes i was making.

I can visually inspect 100 charged cases sitting upright in an ammo tray in seconds before i even start seating bullets. I had a couple squibs, upside down primers etc.. when using the turret press, and when i went back to the single stage method all the problems dissappeared

Great point and thanks for your input, Mark. That makes sense to me, I'd most likely get a single stage. I'll have to youtube someone making some rounds with a turret as I've never really seen it.

I agree that you should take a good look at the Lee classic turret. You can mount all of your dies in a turret and never have to remove them. Just get another turret with each new caliber. Lee's powder measures are so inexpensive you can get one for each turret.

I don't know about buying the kit, though. The Lee safety scale is pretty bad, so I would go straight to the Dillon Eliminator. I have had both and there are worlds of difference.

Lee rifle brass prep tools are not too hot either. I would go with Possum Hollow, RCBS, and Hornady for that sort of thing.

Other than the scale and rifle prep tools, Lee make some great stuff for a really affordable price.

I like everything in the kit but would most likely replace the scale with the 'eliminator' just because I really like the more simplistic look of it. With the rifle prep tools, are you talking about the chamfer & deburring tools? Or do you mean a trimmer? I'm not sure what case trimmer I would get yet.

[bumpo628]

I like everything in the kit but would most likely replace the scale with the 'eliminator' just because I really like the more simplistic look of it. With the rifle prep tools, are you talking about the chamfer & deburring tools? Or do you mean a trimmer? I'm not sure what case trimmer I would get yet.

Here are a few tools that are better than their Lee counterparts. Granted, the Lee tools are cheaper but I think these are worth the extra $.

$25 - Possum Hollow Kwick Case Trimmer 308 Winchester (indexes off the shoulder)

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=155172

$10 - Possum Hollow Power Adapter (can be used with case trimmer or deburring tool)

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=295771

$18 - RCBS Chamfer and Deburring Tool 17 to 45 Caliber (does inside and outside the case mouth)

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=143728

$10 - Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer Tool Large (to remove crimp)

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=176759