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New Lee progressive, anyone tried one


Buckshot Bob

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Even though the primers still appear to be seated on the up-stroke of the ram (not necessarily a bad thing, but the user can not feel the primer seat this way), it does appear that the primer feed system may be somewhat improved.  I had a Lee LoadMaster early on and never could get it to feed and seat primers reliably and that's why I sold it and moved to the Dillion 550B.  Anyway, it also appears that this new press does not have a removable tool head and at least for me that's a deal breaker.  Okay I guess if you intend to load a whole lot of one single round, but I load quite a variety and have separate tool heads setup for each load.  Frankly, having to change out and reset all the dies for any changeover is just not worth the effort.  Anyway this one's probably not for me, but I am a big fan of Lee products, especially their loading die sets and the factory crimp dies.  Good luck, and good loading to all.

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20 minutes ago, Bison Bud said:

Even though the primers still appear to be seated on the up-stroke of the ram (not necessarily a bad thing, but the user can not feel the primer seat this way), it does appear that the primer feed system may be somewhat improved.  I had a Lee LoadMaster early on and never could get it to feed and seat primers reliably and that's why I sold it and moved to the Dillion 550B.  Anyway, it also appears that this new press does not have a removable tool head and at least for me that's a deal breaker.  Okay I guess if you intend to load a whole lot of one single round, but I load quite a variety and have separate tool heads setup for each load.  Frankly, having to change out and reset all the dies for any changeover is just not worth the effort.  Anyway this one's probably not for me, but I am a big fan of Lee products, especially their loading die sets and the factory crimp dies.  Good luck, and good loading to all.

I’ve got a Dillon 550 and like the tool head set up , but don’t see the lee as being that bad to switch calibers. They have the quick change bushings, and if you get the locking ones or the locking rings you should be set after you’ve initially adjusted all your dies . You could even buy different powder measures for each caliber like people do for the Dillon. I’m looking at it as having a press that is automated with case and bullet feed for less money than a Dillon SDB , plus the benefit of six stations. 

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Over at The Highroad they have started a best practices thread about the six pac pro .

Hopefully it will shorten the learning curve for many of us 

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/best-practices-checklist-for-more-reliable-operation-of-six-pack-pro-pro-6000-kit.913577/

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4 hours ago, Bison Bud said:

Even though the primers still appear to be seated on the up-stroke of the ram (not necessarily a bad thing, but the user can not feel the primer seat this way), it does appear that the primer feed system may be somewhat improved.  I had a Lee LoadMaster early on and never could get it to feed and seat primers reliably and that's why I sold it and moved to the Dillion 550B.  Anyway, it also appears that this new press does not have a removable tool head and at least for me that's a deal breaker.  Okay I guess if you intend to load a whole lot of one single round, but I load quite a variety and have separate tool heads setup for each load.  Frankly, having to change out and reset all the dies for any changeover is just not worth the effort.  Anyway this one's probably not for me, but I am a big fan of Lee products, especially their loading die sets and the factory crimp dies.  Good luck, and good loading to all.

 

It seats primers on the down stroke.

 

The breech lock system makes the dies easy to change. The dies go into an adapter that locks into the tool head using interrupted threads. Takes less than 1/3 of a turn to lock lock or unlock the dies. Once set into the adapter they don't need to be reset when changing.

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  • 3 weeks later...

If you plan to try/use the new bullet feeder Lee is releasing this month this bullet sizing kit looks interesting. You can size while loading your bullet tubes. They also have a nifty set up for it on the APP press 

https://leeprecision.com/inline-bullet-sizer-magazine-filler-kit

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I got mine almost 2 weeks ago and still haven't found time to set it up. I will eventually get it mounted and give a report of my experience with it. Im really hoping to replace both my load masters with this 1 press.

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7 minutes ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I got mine almost 2 weeks ago and still haven't found time to set it up. I will eventually get it mounted and give a report of my experience with it. Im really hoping to replace both my load masters with this 1 press.

I just got a in-line fabrication mount and a DAA powder check so I’m getting closer, a couple of people in the six pac pro FB group I belong to have bought the Lee bullet feeder die and it seems to be working fine. Apparently it’s the ball bearing type. The press seems to have pretty good reviews so far, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed 

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Two of the shooters in my local club have them.  They report good results so far.  Both are using the DAA magnetic powder check.  One of them had difficulty setting it and called the company and was told there was an issue with fine pistol powder (he uses Clean Shot).  

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21 hours ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Here’s the new Lee bullet feeder due out this month 

https://leeprecision.com/inline-bullet-feed

Wonder how it would work with .428 bullets for 44-40?  I’m going to mount one on a RCBS Green Machine for Cowboy .45 Special and give it a try.

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5 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

Wonder how it would work with .428 bullets for 44-40?  I’m going to mount one on a RCBS Green Machine for Cowboy .45 Special and give it a try.

Your in between the listed sizes for .428, haven’t seen one tore apart yet to see if you could use different size ball bearings if it doesn’t work.

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/inline-bullet-feed-kit-40-cal/.  .375-.406

 

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/inline-bullet-feed-kit-45-cal/   .435-.460 

 

Luckily with Lee it won’t break the bank to experiment you can get just the die for $36

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/inline-die-only-45-cal/
 

And replacement balls are cheap :) might be able to make something work if the factory 45 won’t 

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/inline-bf-replacement-balls/
 

None of it is in stock now but is supposed to be by the end of the month 

 

 

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Maybe some 5mm balls in a 45 die if the holes in the die are small enough to retain them ? 
Seems strange to want smaller balls though. :) They are smaller but maybe they protrude more ?

Im assuming the 45 is 6mm but until we see one who knows for sure 

Qty. 3 of each:
1/8″
5/32″
3/16″
3mm
5mm
6mm

Theres 7 different die sizes listed and 6 different sized balls “you would think they would call them bearings or ball bearings” 

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  • 2 weeks later...

For anyone interested Titan reloading has the new Lee bullet feeders and extra mags in stock 

they are relatively close to the Lee factory so if you don’t want to order from them I’m sure your favorite distributor will have them soon . 
https://www.titanreloading.com/product-category/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-press-accessories/lee-inline-bullet-feed/

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And for anyone wanting to size their bullets and fill their magazines at the same time they have a set up for a single stage press and the APP press . 
https://leeprecision.com/inline-bullet-sizer-magazine-filler-kit

 

It hasn’t hit retailers yet 

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On 2/21/2023 at 8:40 AM, Bison Bud said:

it also appears that this new press does not have a removable tool head and at least for me that's a deal breaker.

Yes and no. It doesn't use a tool head which with lee presses that takes away some of the slop and gives more consistent tolerances. However they have quick change die bushings. The die locks into the bushing and the bushing locks in with a quarter turn. So you don't have to set your dies every time. Once you set them how you want them lock them in the bushing and when changing calibers you pull the bushing and die together. Easy peasy. 

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On 3/15/2023 at 7:51 AM, Yul Lose said:

Wonder how it would work with .428 bullets for 44-40?  I’m going to mount one on a RCBS Green Machine for Cowboy .45 Special and give it a try.

I have 3D printed inline bullet feeders for every caliber that I load for. So far my only complaint with the 3D ones is after about every 500 bullets with bp lube I have to take it apart and clean it out. They gum up and quit feeding. For the price of 1 Mr bullet feeder ones I bought 4 of the 3D rented ones. 

https://ablpkits.com/product/bullet-dropper-429t/

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1 hour ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I have 3D printed inline bullet feeders for every caliber that I load for. So far my only complaint with the 3D ones is after about every 500 bullets with bp lube I have to take it apart and clean it out. They gum up and quit feeding. For the price of 1 Mr bullet feeder ones I bought 4 of the 3D rented ones. 

https://ablpkits.com/product/bullet-dropper-429t/

The Mr bullet feeder are expensive, the new Lee kit that comes with one die and a magazine is only $51 at Titan. Not sure what other retailers will be selling it for. Their mags are supposed to hold about 100 bullets in the 35cal size. 

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I just finished mounting and setting mine up. So far so good after 50 rounds of 44wcf. 

 

I did learn that the bushings they send are not the locking kind. With the lock rings that come on the dies it is extremely difficult to lock them down if you have other dies installed. It's even a little troublesome to change dies because of the lack of space. They rub as you're trying to turn the bushing in to lock them in. The easy solution is to get the locking bushings they offer rather than the standard ones and remove the dies lock ring. I think they're about $1 more per set but completely worth it to avoid the aggravation when swapping die sets or setting up dies. 

 

My next issue is with the primer setup. Overall I really like it. However in the event of a mishap theres nowhere for the primer to drop out of the way. Example: a primer tips but doesn't seat and it falls back onto the post after after the primer feeder has retracted (my fault I short stroked on the primer seating. Not used to priming on the down stroke anymore) the next primer pushes against it just binding everything up.  

 

My last complaint on it is in fact the lack of a tool head. Which is a double edged sword. I like no tool head because it keeps tolerances tighter but I miss the convenience of it when it comes to storing die sets that aren't in use. I like having powder hoppers and bullet feeders for each caliber so either I have to remove them from the die to put the dies back in the box and store the hoppers/feeders alone until I figure out something else.

 

Overall I'm impressed with this press. It really seems like they took the best aspect of all their progressives and put them into this 1 machine. I'm going to load at least 1k of each caliber before making any permanent decisions but I'm thinking I'll be able to pull both my loadmasters off the bench and pass them on to someone else. Which is what I was hoping for.

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Ever since I got a APP press, thanks to the review by Warden Callaway. I size and/or deprime on the APP then wet tumble. Then I have a hand primer I like, I’ve found this to be a more satisfactory way for myself while using my Dillion 550 or Rock Chucker. The priming system on both work fairly well but I’ve never been in love with either. I highly doubt I will ever use the priming function on the six pack but you never know. 
The cost of the APP press is really in the accessories. I’ve found it works great for de priming, swaging primer pockets and sizing bullets, I haven’t used for it yet but I did get the bulge buster kit for it also . I may well start using it also for processing 9mm/40s&w brass just to get rid of any oversized area the die can’t get to. 

I did purchase a couple sets of the locking bushings. I also think they are the way to go with this press. Using a spanner wrench I find they swap quite easily. I like the spanner much better than the wrench Lee provides. 
So far I’ve only messed with some dummy rounds but hopefully I’ll have it running soon, my bullet feeder should be here next week. 

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So after leaving my thoughts on this press I ran a few more calibers through it. Im extremely pleased with the overall function of it. One additional note for those who are going to prime on it like myself. Be sure to keep loading until it stops feeding primers if you're switching primer sizes. To remove unused primers is kind of awkward and the fewer you have to deal with the better. 

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On the bullet feeder that they show with their magazine setup, does it drop the bullet and then it moves to another position for seating and crimp?

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45 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

On the bullet feeder that they show with their magazine setup, does it drop the bullet and then it moves to another position for seating and crimp?

Yes , you can seat/crimp In station 5 or just seat then use the carbide factory crimp die in station 6 . 
This is the way I have seen most set up so far but obviously setups will vari with user 

1 size decapp

2 prime , flare case, powder drop 

3 you preferred powder check die 

4 bullet feeder 

5 seat bullet 

6 factory crimp die 

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Also a guy in the six pac pro FB group I joined has one of these, for the person that hates the bottle on the auto drum powder measure or any Lee powder measure. Looking at people’s results on YouTube it’s surprising how accurate these inexpensive powder measures are . One video the guy threw over 100 charges and put them in a spreadsheet to compare. He did get heavier charges when the bottle was full than nearly mt. This powder hopper is made of Pyrex and has a baffle in it, which would hopefully help with the charge variance vs bottle fill level, plus will hold a pound of powder. The only drawback is the hopper costs more than the powder measure .

https://dramworx.com/lee/

He also makes one for the RCBS charge master. I know some people complain of static buildup and he claims this helps getting rid of the plastic hopper 

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1 hour ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

So after leaving my thoughts on this press I ran a few more calibers through it. Im extremely pleased with the overall function of it. One additional note for those who are going to prime on it like myself. Be sure to keep loading until it stops feeding primers if you're switching primer sizes. To remove unused primers is kind of awkward and the fewer you have to deal with the better. 

Have you done any measurements of how consistent oal is ? 

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2 hours ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Have you done any measurements of how consistent oal is ? 

Yes I have but I've only loaded 50- 100 rounds each of 44wcf, 45acp, 45 colt, 357, 38spl, and 9mm. OAL variation has been within + .011 and - .008 from what I've been set at. Those are the extremes and possibly 1 or 2 out of 50. Most are within +/- .003 . The excessive ones could be because I don't sort brass by brand or trim pistol brass. I didnt think to check headstamps at the time. 

 

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23 hours ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Have you done any measurements of how consistent oal is ? 

 

20 hours ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

Yes I have but I've only loaded 50- 100 rounds each of 44wcf, 45acp, 45 colt, 357, 38spl, and 9mm. OAL variation has been within + .011 and - .008 from what I've been set at. Those are the extremes and possibly 1 or 2 out of 50. Most are within +/- .003 . The excessive ones could be because I don't sort brass by brand or trim pistol brass. I didnt think to check headstamps at the time. 

 

 

With cast bullets expecting OAL to not have a lot of variation is a road to disappointment. The only way to test OAL accuracy is with FMJ bullets.  

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40 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

 

With cast bullets expecting OAL to not have a lot of variation is a road to disappointment. The only way to test OAL accuracy is with FMJ bullets.  

Sometimes it can be a disappointment with jacketed bullets also. I usually start by measuring the bullets to see what I can expect. I’ve measured some bullets from some pretty reputable manufacturers that weren’t that consistent base to ogive. And there’s quite a few that have varying measurements from ogive to tip. I get your point on tempering your expectations based on your components. They usually have as much or more to do with consistency as your equipment. I’ve seen bench rest shooters shoot some pretty tiny groups loading right there at their bench with a hand press . 
It was nice to see TFJ got what I would consider pretty good results for handgun ammo on a progressive press . I never have been able to get the consistency out of my Dillon that I can out of my rock chucker which has always led me to believe a rigid setup is better. But there’s an awful lot of people that love the Forester press where the die floats, so who knows. 

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4 hours ago, Buckshot Bob said:

It was nice to see TFJ got what I would consider pretty good results for handgun ammo on a progressive

I was really impressed with the results. My loadmasters are up to +/- .2 on average. I really think the lack of a tool head helps with consistency. I don't bother measuring and weighing projectiles except for precision ammo. I only load plinking/cowboy ammo on my progressive presses. All my long range rifle ammo is done on my O frame single stage Lee press. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/15/2023 at 7:51 AM, Yul Lose said:

Wonder how it would work with .428 bullets for 44-40?  I’m going to mount one on a RCBS Green Machine for Cowboy .45 Special and give it a try.

They just released this die, I would expect it to be at dealers soon at a much lower price 

https://leeprecision.com/inline-die-only-44-cal

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4 hours ago, Buckshot Bob said:

They just released this die, I would expect it to be at dealers soon at a much lower price 

https://leeprecision.com/inline-die-only-44-cal

Yep supposed to be available in 2 weeks. I'm considering getting one to try just to see if it functions any better than my 3D printed one with bp lubed bullets. 

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Just a FYI, if you plan to use the new Lee bullet feeding die and magazine the set up. They also have a set up to size your bullets and load the magazines at the same time. 
You can do it on a single stage press or the APP press but you will need the inverted adapter. 
Midway just got them in and have free shipping right now, no coupon it just pops up in the cart, they were actually cheaper than Titan. 
https://leeprecision.com/inline-bullet-sizer-magazine-filler-kit
 

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102607984?pid=513437&utm_medium=email&utm_source=service&utm_campaign=product-arrival-notification&utm_content=product-description-link

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1026079999?pid=498171&utm_medium=email&utm_source=service&utm_campaign=product-arrival-notification&utm_content=product-description-link

 

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On 3/15/2023 at 7:51 AM, Yul Lose said:

Wonder how it would work with .428 bullets for 44-40?  I’m going to mount one on a RCBS Green Machine for Cowboy .45 Special and give it a try.

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/lee-inline-die-only-44-cal/

 

https://www.titanreloading.com/product/inline-bullet-feed-kit-44-cal/
 

 

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