Lee Loader

[Art]

For years I had a friend who let me use his reloading set up which was a heck of a sweetheart deal. Well my friend now has dementia and when I visit I don't figure I'll be sitting in the back making cartridges.

I don't re load a lot so I was thinking about buying a couple of Lee Loaders. Has anybody used these and if so what do you think of them??

[Allen]

Watch some YouTube videos. You will need a lot of time using a Lee loader. They come with a scoop powder measure so real accurate loads aren't going to happen. Considering this you may as well just buy loaded factory stuff.

If you have room and a heavy bench buy a press, dies and a scale. It doesn't have to be an expensive one. If you don't have such another option would be the Lee hand press with a set of dies. Since you re-load so seldom I assume you would only be loading for a couple of calibers or so.

You have recently stated you have limited muscle control so I would just buy a press kit from RCBS or Lee. Maybe your friends wife would sell you his set-up? That would be one less thing for her to have to contend with when his time comes. Not to sound cruel but someone with dementia doesn't need to be loading ammo anyway.

[Art]

Thanks Allen.

My muscle control problems were (and are) limited to my lower body. That has actually improved lately so that shouldn't be a problem.

I discovered checking my stuff that I have about 50 re sized and de-capped 30-06 Hornady once fired .30-06 cases and 20 resized and primed Lake City cases. I also have several hundred primers and bullets combined in .30-06 and .303 British that I don't want to just sit there. There are also hundreds of once fired cases in the previously mentioned calibers.

When I reloaded at my buddy's house I used a Rockchucker and trickled up every charge so it wasn't exactly a high speed operation even then. I know using a Lee Loader will be even slower, but I don't plan on re loading a bunch at a time anyhow. Buying his set up would be an option but there is one fly in the buttermilk. My sweet wife has never given me a problem with any of my hobbies with one and just one exception. No reloading bench in the house...full stop, and that includes the garage. She did say ok to the Lee Loader idea though.

I understand the quality control problem with Lee Loaders so I'm thinking of a hybrid set up where I would use a scale to actually measure the charges, I found a popular price mechanical scale with a limit of 100 gr. which should fit my needs.

[Allen]

Obviously I didn't know about the forbidden bench.

Here's a video on the Lee loader and one with the hand press. The hand press would need dies as well. Many videos follow if interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-tzaULt1rs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kHgzkWoS64

[barretcreek]

Have used LL for .357 and .264. They are capable of making very good ammo; heard of bench rest shooters using them.

My problem is they don't FL size, so if the Handpress is allowed, go with that. HP plus a few sets of Lee dies is le$$ than four or five LL.

Remember to trim your cases.

[Ned Butts]

Have used LL for .357 and .264. They are capable of making very good ammo; heard of bench rest shooters using them.

My problem is they don't FL size, so if the Handpress is allowed, go with that. HP plus a few sets of Lee dies is le$$ than four or five LL.

Remember to trim your cases.

Good advice!

[Art]

Ok, I shot my first reloads with the Lee Loader. My first attempt was .30-06 The brass was L.C. the primers were CCI 200s, powder charge 46.5 gr of IMR 4064 behind a Hornady 168 gr. ELD Match Bullet. It was my first try with these bullets, my load was worked up with 168 Gr Sierra Match Kings. The rifle was my 1943 mfg. Remington M1903A3. Its the most consistently accurate milsurp rifle I own. I put 5 shots into two inches at 100 yards. I have shot the Match Kings better, 1 1/2" - 1 3/4" at 100 yards but I'll withhold judgement until I shoot some more of these. There was a fellow on the range shooting little tiny groups, .5" - .75" with a tricked out scoped AR platform rifle .308 Winchester. He said he'd never had good luck with ELDs but that's a different rifle. We'll see after my next trip to the range with these. My next trip I'll stretch it out to 200 yards.

[lyman]

late to this party,

however, if the LL does not work out, I have known folks that mounted presses to a piece of wood, like a section of 2x6, and then clamped those to whatever surface was available, including back deck rails,

when done, all taken down and stored in a tub in the garage,

Lee at one time may a pedestal base but I would imagine it was not that sturdy

[mtnboomer]

Yes, the list of Lee Loaders made today are limited - and rather expensive for what they are.

A Lee Hand Press and a set of their steel dies would likely be as cheap, or cheaper, than a Loader. And have the flexibility of changing calibers.

[fguffey]

They come with a scoop powder measure so real accurate loads aren't going to happen

I have the yellow set, black set, red set and another set of scoops, I also have R. Lees books on Modern reloading and I read the books, because I read the books I dug out a straight edge for leveling scoops. I did not use one scoop for my application. Because no one read the book, reloaders thought the scoop was to be full and level to the top- and that was it; not so, full and level was safe and a heaping scoop full was the maximum. One grain too much would roll off.

F. Guffey

[Phloating Phlasher]

The scoops can be very accurate & consistent!

I suggest getting a set of the scoops with the "Whack-a-mole", it vastly expands the range of available powders you can use & includes a load table for a bunch of them.
To use them there is a technique though, you can't just Have At It.

You pour some powder into a wide mouth container that's not too deep. (Small Chinese restaurant take out soup containers are perfect". now you do the "D" Dip. Open end down slide into the powder till covered completely, now rotate to open end up a you pass through the powder & lift out with the open end UP vertically. Tap gently to dump excess & level to the top of the cavity.
Done.
You can practice at first with something like sugar if you feel its needed.

For a single caliber I like the "Whack-a-mole" but the tongs & dies are a better deal with multiple calibers.