The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

For the rifle you have don't be buying Lee dies. Get yourself a good set of Forster dies. You spend all that money on a decent rifle, then don't skimp on the reloading gear. Lee dies are fine for a lot of reloading applications but they are hardly match accuracy reloading dies.

Blu

Cast classic and Forster dies are a hard to beat combination

The Lee cast press gets good reviews I have never used one so I can not comment.
I have never used Forster dies either it depends what you are going to do with the rifle and how you see your re loading panning out. If you are just spending a couple days a month on your local ranges then keep it simple if you are looking for tiny groups at a 1000 yards then you will end up throwing money at it.
Depends what YOU are looking to get out of it. But if you get into reloading I guarantee you will end up spending as much if not more on reloading than you do shooting.

Alpha1 wrote:... if you get into reloading I guarantee you will end up spending as much if not more on reloading than you do shooting.

EEEK ! We'll go bankrupt and end up scavenging in oomans' bins for food like Mr Fox !

So when are we to see a photo of this new rifle?

Blu

meles meles wrote:What makes the cast classic better ?

Of the 'decent' heavy duty presses - like the RCBS Rockchucker - the Lee Cast Classic offers the best value for money at just over £100. Most Lee stuff is 'budget' - as is the Cast Classic - but they do make the odd decent accessory.

If you want quality, look to the Forster range - both Lee and Forster are imported by Hannam's Reloading.

The Gun Pimp wrote:

meles meles wrote:What makes the cast classic better ?

Of the 'decent' heavy duty presses - like the RCBS Rockchucker - the Lee Cast Classic offers the best value for money at just over £100. Most Lee stuff is 'budget' - as is the Cast Classic - but they do make the odd decent accessory.

If you want quality, look to the Forster range - both Lee and Forster are imported by Hannam's Reloading.

I have Dillon presses (x5!!!!!) Redding, Lee and Forster - The Forster is the one I go to first, then a Dillon if I'm knocking out lots of ammo. The Redding is for odds and ends like the 45/70 and 416 Rigby and occasional lube sizing using the Lee push through die where I cannot get a Lyman or RCBS die in the right size. The Lee sits in the corner for when I want two a couple of single stage presses side by side.
Profligate ain't I.

I've got a Lee Classic Cast which I mostly use for case preparation - decapping/sizing/trimming. It's a good robust press but there are better engineered ones on the market for not-much-more money - the Hornady Lock-n-load springs to my mind. They can both use bushings to lock the die in the press (which is the 'breach lock' bit on Lee presses) and save you lots of time re-adjusting the dies. I'd definitely have the Classic Cast over the Challenger press if I were you . . . it's much stronger which you'll need for re-sizing those big Rem Mag cases.

I've always used Lee dies and they've been fine for me: I can't comment on the merits of other types.

Triffid

I like the the Lee stuff and have to agree with Sim G in this thread of his - http://www.full-bore.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... &hilit=lee

Badger, if you get the Challenger press and later decide to get another press, just keep the challenger and make it a dedicated decapping or crimping station nothing wrong with having more than one press