Taking the Plunge

[Palmach]

I have been thinking about and researching the reloading option for some time. Well, I am finally taking the plunge.

I just purchased a used Lee Loadmaster, which should arrive some time next week while I am away. We have a friend staying at the house, so he can receive the shipment. I will not know exactly what it is set up for or what dies come with, as it was such a good deal, I did not care. Anything I need to add to it will still be a bargain..

I am really looking forward to starting out with .223 reloading and then moving on to 7.62 x 39. My buddy has a Dillon Square B that we need to pull out of mothballs and we will be using that for 9mm and .45ACP

You can expect that I will be asking lots of questions, and this will be a very active forum in the next few months. I look forward to the expertise of all you long time reloaders.

Regards,

Palmach

[GSPKurt]

Well, you're in luck. I use a Lee Loadmaster! There is a great forum for questions about set-up. It is

http://forums.loadmastervideos.com/forums/index.php

Here is the Lee page

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1178638025.3306=/html/catalog/ldmas.html

There are a few spares you will want to keep on hand when you figure out what you want to load. I'll give you my list when you get to that point.

Kurt

[Baldy]

Be glad to help you if we can. Just give me a shout. :D

[Palmach]

Appreciate the offer of help. and Kurt, I found that site earlier today and was looking at the videos.

I am both mechanically inclined and fond of tinkering, so I am not too concerned about the naysayers.

Any and all help will be taken.

I am definitely planning on starting with .223, as I have 2000pcs of brass. I will be going on vacation from the 8th - 20th, and then plan on going to the Orlando Show on the 30th to visit Space Coast. I will need primers, powder, bullets, and whatever else you guys think I need to pick up.

Thanks again.

[Andy]

I switched to Lee when I found a Lee Pro1000 with enough primers, bullets, powder and a reloading manual to cover the $70 that I had paid for the lot.

I loaded a lot of .38 Specials on it until the press was finally trashed in my move to Florida but I did a comparison with a friend who swore that the Dillon 550 was faster and he lost.

[Palmach]

I switched to Lee when I found a Lee Pro1000 with enough primers, bullets, powder and a reloading manual to cover the $70 that I had paid for the lot.

I loaded a lot of .38 Specials on it until the press was finally trashed in my move to Florida but I did a comparison with a friend who swore that the Dillon 550 was faster and he lost.

I was originally bidding on a Pro 1000, but stumbled on the Loadmaster at a great price like you got.

I was going to work with my buddies Dillon, until I realized it was only for reloading handgun ammo.

I have heard a lot of people speak negatively about some of the Lee products, but I chalk it up to the fact that not everyone that owns firearms educate themselves. We live in a society where people just want things to work out of the box.

An example would be the CZ Rami I got for my wife. We picked it up used from someone we know at the shows, and we got a great deal. First time at the range every mag had FTF issues. I took the gun home, ordered new springs, changed them out and it is like new. I guarantee you the previous owner got rid of it, because he got tired of dealing with it, and could not figure out the fix or take the time to research.

This is the same problem I see with most people who reload, but complain about presses that require some adjustments and tinkering.

[Andy]

You got that pretty much right, the Lees need some tinkering but they work. I also have RCBS presses and used Dillon's equipment and while those are better made and easier to use, Lee presses will let you reload on a budget and have some really innovative features. Their turret press is what I am using for calibres that I do not need to make large quantities of, changing calibre is a matter of less than a minute and the die holders are really cheap.

I never ran into a problem with my Lee presses that I could not easily adjust or fix but then I repair my guns alone, too 8) .

[Palmach]

I never ran into a problem with my Lee presses that I could not easily adjust or fix but then I repair my guns alone, too 8) .

That is exactly why most of us are into this hobby. It is not just about punching holes in paper.

[Andy]

Yeah, I almost developed tennis elbow from reloading. The roller handle of the Dillon is a bit easier on the joints but I am too stubborn to switch over, yet.

My real rifle rounds are still loaded on a rock chucker. But where should I shoot a lot of real rifle in SE Florida anyway?!

[Palmach]

Yeah, I almost developed tennis elbow from reloading. The roller handle of the Dillon is a bit easier on the joints but I am too stubborn to switch over, yet.

My real rifle rounds are still loaded on a rock chucker. But where should I shoot a lot of real rifle in SE Florida anyway?!

I am lucky that way. My buddy has 11 acres out in the boonies, and another friend has a private range. As long as the neighbors don't complain we are in good shape.