Lee Loader Fun

[Uncle Chan]

Long time lurker here.....

Been reloading for decades. First loader purchased was a Dillon 550. Added a Lee Classic Cast Turret. Added a Lee Challenger Single Stage. Added an RCBS bench primer. Added a Dillon 600 Super Swage. Added a Lee Hand Press. Sold the Lee Classic Cast Turret. Purchased a second Dillon 550.

I've loaded more rounds than I can count on the machines listed above. All the while, as a hobby, I've been collecting Lee Loaders. At last count, I had 21. Never used any of them, I just collected them. Some are OLD OLD OLD.

Last night, I found a piece of 38spl brass and 5 pieces of 357Mag brass. I thought, what the heck! Let's give it a try. So, this morning, after the Mrs got out of bed (reloading room next to the bedroom), I tried my hand. What hoot! Followed the instructions. Took my time. Loaded the 38spl. Perfect. Grabbed my Win 94 in 38/357, chambered the round, stepped out my back door and fired it. Went boom! That was wonderful. Brought the brass back in, wiped it down, and loaded it again. Then, found my Lee Loader for the 357 and loaded the 5 357mag (and before you say it, the Lee Loaders I have are so old that they are specific to the 38 and 357). Got my wife and son to watch me. Wanted to show-off a bit. They were none too impressed (HEATHENS!). But, they also turned out perfect (the bullets, not so much the wife and son).

Anyway, long story short, what a fun thing to do. A bit noisy yes, but fun. Been reloading for decades. But the rush of doing it with the Lee Loader was more than I could have expected.

AND, they are small (the Lee Loaders, again not the wife and son). Add a couple small containers of power, primers, bullets, a small hammer, and you have a wonderful small range bag setup.

Great Saturday Fun!!!!

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

I would love to start reloading but it's very scary when you don't know a thing about it. I also am looking for a Dillon progressive. I mean if I start reloading.

 

[Uncle Chan]

I would love to start reloading but it's very scary when you don't know a thing about it. I also am looking for a Dillon progressive. I mean if I start reloading.

Books, my friend, books. Buy a couple. Read them from front to back.

My first press was a Dillon. Many seasoned loaders go into collective shock when they hear that a person new to the hobby is looking at a progressive for their first. The 550 was my first and my only regret was that I didnt get a 650!

If you take your time, buy some manuals on the subject and actually read them rather than just reference them, you'll do fine. You'll make mistakes, sure. But we all do. That is part of the learning process.

 

[Bennettjh]

I would love to start reloading but it's very scary when you don't know a thing about it. I also am looking for a Dillon progressive. I mean if I start reloading.

Books, my friend, books. Buy a couple. Read them from front to back.

My first press was a Dillon. Many seasoned loaders go into collective shock when they hear that a person new to the hobby is looking at a progressive for their first. The 550 was my first and my only regret was that I didnt get a 650!

If you take your time, buy some manuals on the subject and actually read them rather than just reference them, you'll do fine. You'll make mistakes, sure. But we all do. That is part of the learning process.

on books. Lyman 49th is a good one. I have the Hornady book as well.

I started with Reloading for handgunners. Great place to start.

 

[Mgderf]

I would love to start reloading but it's very scary when you don't know a thing about it. I also am looking for a Dillon progressive. I mean if I start reloading.

After the 2008 election I started thinking about reloading, Bad timing I know, but it is what it is.
I read on Ingo that I needed to read at least 2 different manuals, so I bought 3.
I got the Lyman's 49th, the Speer #9 I think, and the Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.

I opened the Modern Reloading manual to see a picture of a guy standing and holding onto a rifle. The man had hooks for hands, BOTH of them!
Kind of freaked me out, but I read on.
Seems he had a fireworks accident as a kid that took both hands.
He still reloads!

I read all 3 manuals, then I picked up a couple more and read them.
I was somewhat intimidated, but in this same time span I also acquired a Lee Classic Anniversary kit, a digital scale, digital calibers, trimmers...and dies to load more than a dozen different calibers.
O.K. I had assembled everything I needed to load except the components.

I had a few pieces of brass of different calibers so I started there.
I found a handful of projectiles and a few primers.
Powder. How do I decide which powder? The load manuals have listings for several different powders for the same bullet/cal.

While I'm researching this, a friend calls me. He knows I'm looking for powder. He called to say, "I'm looking at shelves stacked high with dozens of different powders. What do you want?"
I honestly didn't know, and he wants an answer now.

He stayed on the phone while I grabbed a manual.
I quickly looked up a few calibers I wanted to load and saw Red Dot was a common among most of what I was going for.
He picked me up some so that's where I started.

I loaded a few .45acp and they went bang, with no signs of problems. I loaded some more, then some .32S&W Long, then .45Colt...
I was hooked.

Yes, I was intimidated at first, and I intend to remain vigilant about safety.
Each and every round is potential for a mistake.
Then again, every time you walk across a street or drive a car on a public road you take your life (and others) in your own hands.

Learn what you're doing, then have fun,
I'll never forget the firing the first round I assembled.

 

[Broom_jm]

I would love to start reloading but it's very scary when you don't know a thing about it. I also am looking for a Dillon progressive. I mean if I start reloading.

Fear is a healthy human reaction to a lack of knowledge. Information is the cure to fear. Educate yourself on reloading until you understand the process and you will no longer find it scary.

If you understand the responsibility required to own and shoot a firearm, you are fully capable of loading your own ammunition. Reloading is FAR less "dangerous" than the process of shooting a firearm can be, but both are perfectly safe, if you know what you're doing.

I do not recommend a progressive to start with. The Lee Classic Turret is the very best press to start with because it's inexpensive and sufficient for most shooters' needs. It's a perfect way to dip your toe in the pool before going all out with a progressive.

 

[dieselrealtor]

After the 2008 election I started thinking about reloading, Bad timing I know, but it is what it is.
I read on Ingo that I needed to read at least 2 different manuals, so I bought 3.
I got the Lyman's 49th, the Speer #9 I think, and the Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.

I opened the Modern Reloading manual to see a picture of a guy standing and holding onto a rifle. The man had hooks for hands, BOTH of them!
Kind of freaked me out, but I read on.
Seems he had a fireworks accident as a kid that took both hands.
He still reloads!

I read all 3 manuals, then I picked up a couple more and read them.
I was somewhat intimidated, but in this same time span I also acquired a Lee Classic Anniversary kit, a digital scale, digital calibers, trimmers...and dies to load more than a dozen different calibers.
O.K. I had assembled everything I needed to load except the components.

I had a few pieces of brass of different calibers so I started there.
I found a handful of projectiles and a few primers.
Powder. How do I decide which powder? The load manuals have listings for several different powders for the same bullet/cal.

While I'm researching this, a friend calls me. He knows I'm looking for powder. He called to say, "I'm looking at shelves stacked high with dozens of different powders. What do you want?"
I honestly didn't know, and he wants an answer now.

He stayed on the phone while I grabbed a manual.
I quickly looked up a few calibers I wanted to load and saw Red Dot was a common among most of what I was going for.
He picked me up some so that's where I started.

I loaded a few .45acp and they went bang, with no signs of problems. I loaded some more, then some .32S&W Long, then .45Colt...
I was hooked.

Yes, I was intimidated at first, and I intend to remain vigilant about safety.
Each and every round is potential for a mistake.
Then again, every time you walk across a street or drive a car on a public road you take your life (and others) in your own hands.

Learn what you're doing, then have fun,
I'll never forget the firing the first round I assembled.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^
I bought the Lee Modern Reloading manual, read it cover to cover with exception of load data. Then watched a friend reload some & then I felt comfortable to move forward.

I kept the first round I reloaded of each caliber, I didn't shoot them. Someday I will turn them into mancave decoration.

 

[bstewrat3]

I loaded my first couple rounds of 22-250 in a Lee Loader by using a hammer and then started using a c-clamp. Much quieter. I have since moved to using an arbor press and Wilson dies for some of the special rounds.

 

[Seancass]

I have a Lee Loader in 38. I've only made a few rounds on, but i love owning it! Only downside is the priming. I do that with a hand primer or a press!

 

[spencer rifle]

I do not recommend a progressive to start with. The Lee Classic Turret is the very best press to start with because it's inexpensive and sufficient for most shooters' needs. It's a perfect way to dip your toe in the pool before going all out with a progressive.

My first and only press is the Lee Classic Turret. Thousands of rounds later, never needed or wanted anything else. Got it after reading Richard Lee's book (also have the Lymans) and it has done everything. Still have the first rounds I loaded, up on a ledge above the tools. Take your time, reinforce good habits and be thorough - the risk goes down and the fun goes up.

 

[Kart29]

I started with a Lee Loader I bought off of e-bay for $13.00. I eventually bought a powder scale so I could customize my loads to a more specific powder charge. For years I had my entire reloading kit in a medium sized tackle box - probably no bigger than a shoeshine kit. I loaded hundreds of if not more than a thousand round that way. I'm sure I enjoyed it just as much as anybody who has a whole bench full of top shelf equipment.

Just think, you can fit an entire reloading kit, including a supply of bullets, primer, and powder in a coat pocket! And it works good, too! For $13.00 for crying out loud! Is this a great country, or what?

I have a Lee Loader kit for 20 ga. shotgun I'm dying to try out also, but I haven't made up my mind to spend all the money to buy a bag full of wads, shot, powder, primers, etc. I have in mind that some day I'll make my own homemade 1 oz. slug mold and make my own wads and give it a whirl. Wouldn't it be fun to shoot a deer with one of those?

I still prefer to use the Lee Loader when I want to neck size only. I wouldn't care to load a great volume of pistol cartridges with this system. But if you enjoy reloading as the end rather than as a means to finished ammunition... there is something about that Lee Loader kit that is more fun than a barrel of monkeys! Once you get a system down, you can really turn out a finished round pretty quick.

 

[throttletony]

Is the Lee loader the whack-a-mole reloader??

Edit to add: yes, apparently it is

 

[mdemetz]

Lee Loader Rifle - Lee Precision

Lee Loader Pistol - Lee Precision

 

[jcwit]

Nothing wrong with a Lee Loader, however I do use a Lee Primer for the priming step.

One note DO NOT use a steel hammer, use brass or even better yet hard nylon. Frankly I use a old ash hammer handle. Works for me.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I have never used the Lee Loader, but I do have two of the small C presses that Lee makes and they are much better than the kits you use a hammer on. They even cost less than the hand press that they make. That thing goes for around $50 with a ram priming tool and a funnel. I have never used the hand press. A guy I knew some years back used one and thought it was great. He didn't want to clamp a press to any of his tables. What ever works for you. He kept all his loading stuff in a couple of shoe boxes.

The two little C presses that I have I screwed to a board and clamp that down to a table with a couple clamps and I am good to go. I set them up for when we travel and I have ended up using them more than the other press that I have. They are just so handy and they work well, they also have the added feature of being cheap. I think they sell for around $30. The Lee loader kit goes for about the same price.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I started with a single stage then progressed to a turret soon after. I originally planned on getting a progressive but found that the turret offered the hands-on-each-step experience that I desired that the progressive wouldn't. Sure it is considerably slower but I wanted to be in control of every stage while I learned how to reload and afterward I discovered that the deliberate process was much more relaxing and offered great stress relief after a long day with the wife. Since I don't get to shoot much I have no desire or need to mass produce ammo so in my case, a progressive would be a waste of money.

 

[mannus]

I would love to start reloading but it's very scary when you don't know a thing about it. I also am looking for a Dillon progressive. I mean if I start reloading.

I just ordered my first classic turret press from Lee. I have watched countless hours of YT videos on reloading basics and scoured various forums for hours searching for load data and powder choices. My boss was a big factor in my deciding to give reloading a try. He reloads for .380, 9mm, .38, .357, and .45 acp.

 

[Snipercop]

First press was a Dillon 650. Press was purchased set up for reloading .223/5.56. It has never failed me and I have never looked back. It has been great, changing calibers was a little bit of a task the first couple times, but now it's a breeze. I have found that having a press is like owning a pickup truck.... once everyone knows you have it - they want ammo.

 

[Cemetery-man]

First press was a Dillon 650. Press was purchased set up for reloading .223/5.56. It has never failed me and I have never looked back. It has been great, changing calibers was a little bit of a task the first couple times, but now it's a breeze. I have found that having a press is like owning a pickup truck.... once everyone knows you have it - they want ammo.

Exactly. Plus they want you to find and stock all the components, which we know is no easy task nowadays. Whenever someone wants me to sell them ammo I tell them to go get the components, bring it all over and I will be glad to reload it for them (or should I say help them reload it) at no charge.

 

[1988-4551]

Grew up on lee single stage. When I moved here from out of state my first set up was a lee loader, but as money has allowed I've picked up a single stage press, lee auto prime and even scored a lee powder scale for free from a fellow member. Will always hold onto them.