Looking to start reloading. Lee hand press?

[dangerzone2]

Hi All,

Looking to start reloading since the grendel is so pricy to feed. Has anyone used the Lee hand loader? I've read people just sit back in a chair with a table and can get 50-100 rounds in an hour.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NOQIFO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

For dies I'm also looking at the Lee dies on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MG7V1K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1YCI0I3EACE4G

Lastly I already have calipers at home for measuring OAL.

Is this all thats needed to start reloading? Thanks!

[howl]

I had one back when I lived in an apartment. It was good for neck sizing rifle and not too bad for straight walled revolver cartridges. Ammunition quality was as good as what I do on a single stage.

I'm not sure I would want to do volumes of full length resizing bottle necked rifle cases, but that's just me. It will do it well enough if wanted.

[pajasonc]

wondered this same thing. Main complaint seems to be that it takes a lot of muscle to resize rifle brass but you would think the shorter 6.5 round would be easier than say a 06 case?

[LRRPF52]

If you're looking to save money on a press, get a Lee Challenger.

One thing that makes me not get rid of mine is the quick-change option of it. It's too easy to have all your dies on the quick change bushings and just pull them in and out in a second.

I bought it with the intent of getting a much higher price press later, and still haven't done that due to the ease of use of the little Challenger for 6.5 Grendel, .223 Rem, etc.



I'm getting ragged holes at 100yds with 10rd groups, and sub-MOA rapid-fired groups at 1000yds with my hand-loads on this little press, so I find it hard to justify something else, at least for the little 6.5 Grendel.

[SightedIn]

I have a Lee Challenger Breech lock and love it...got it for less than $65 on Amazon. I would recommend starting there as opposed to the hand press.

[dpw4x4]

I reloaded 100rds Saturday night on a hand press with Hornady custom dies no.546292 it works great and the dies are full length by the label on them and it's not a strain to do on that press

[biodsl]

Hi All,

Looking to start reloading since the grendel is so pricy to feed. Has anyone used the Lee hand loader? I've read people just sit back in a chair with a table and can get 50-100 rounds in an hour.

My brother bought a Lee Hand Loader. He's using it to learn and experiment with .327 magnums and .32 H&R magnum loads. It works, but I will say that I glad I went with a RCBS Rock Chucker. The hand loader is just a little slow for my tastes. Plus I think a person who does any volume of shooting would out grow it pretty quickly.

With that said, it's not a huge investment and you'd always have it. If it's the press you want to get started, I say go for it.

Edit: Don't forget the Grendel reloading handbooks. Well worth the money.

http://www.ar15buildbox.com/shop/65-Grendel-Reloading-HandBooks.htm

[The Profit Joseph Sith]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE, my Forster Co-Ax very simple design, has a unique compound lifting action where the shell holders are practically universal as well automatically open and close and are spring loaded so the cartridge always automatically centers to the dies. The shell change is probably the quickest out there. And the pressure are pretty much effortless. Their not cheap though. Keep you eye open for garage sales and such. I got a full RCBS RCII with like four die sets and powder measure for like $50 i think. I was going to keep it as a spare but ended up selling it to a buddy. Ive kinda always been curious about those "Field" dies you bang with hammer/rock can't remember the what they call em. just for shtf purposes. Suoer clunky but i head they work. Somewhat :s

Good to know LRRPF52...

[1075 tech]

THere is a sticky thread about what presses and dies people are using http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...ecommendations.

[kmon]

I started reloading with the LEE Loader in 30-30 40 years ago. That is the one you use a hammer and block of wood. Actually reloaded some very good ammo with that setup, it is not fast but works. It doesn't really full length size mostly neck size.

I gave the Lee Challenger press to a friend a few years ago, it had loaded over 10k rounds and is still going for him. I now mostly use a Forrester Coax press with a Lee 50BMG and RCBS Rock Chucker sometimes.

I used the Challenger press and a Blacken Decker workmate as my loading bench for years when living in apartments. I also tried the Lee Hand press for a while and it was handy taking to the range and loading there when developing loads. The hand press works but is more exercise than the bench mounted presses.

[maximus924]

if your totally new to reloading, I would look into what I did - and get a Honrady classic press kit.
it came with a ton of stuff I didnt need to go find/buy (powder loader, scale, load manual, trickle feeder, hand-held primer install tool, a can of case lube...) and best of all it uses a "lock n load" bushing, basically once a die is setup, you drop it in the press and give it a turn and its locked in place. QUICK to exchange from resizing die to seating die. other presses use a threaded attachment thats slow to swap.

The Lee will probably work fine, but I have been happy with my Hornady single stage.

Also, you can get 500 bullets of a few different options from a rebate, great value (not 6.5, but I got some 308 projectiles that I can feed my 300 BLK)

Here is a link to the kit im talking about from Midway

[JuanC]

Both Lee and Hornday kits look like a great value. Im wanting to get into reloading aswell. Is there a print out somewhere of everything needed in reloading this caliber? Suggested parts? Thanks

[LRRPF52]

The 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks detail cartridge components, dies, shell holders, brass, and primers that you need, along with detailed reloading procedures in the back of Volume II.