Lee Loader

[rbstern]

Many of you guys seem to be old hands at reloading, having started with a Lee Loader kit. I had a couple of kits (30-30, 357) sitting on the shelf, and decided to try them out, just to see what it is like to make ammo with them. The 30-30 kit was particulary intriguing because it has a hand priming tool that seems to work pretty well.

Using those kits was fun! Slow, but I was impressed with how uniform the rounds came out, and how well the tool did what it was supposed to do.

Now, to go shoot those rounds. I have a high degree of confidence that they will function well based on the way they went together.

[Ranch Dog]

I have a kit for every caliber of gun I own. Some took some finding to obtain. Even have one in 450 Marlin! This one would have been custom made right before Lee stopped doing the custom made kits.

You have to have a method of flaring the case mouth to use cast bullets with these kits.

[rbstern]

You have to have a method of flaring the case mouth to use cast bullets with these kits.

Both my 30/30 and my 357 kit have a flaring tool, and the 30/30 flaring tool has a crimper on the other end. Perhaps because these are older kits?

[Dale53]

Lee used to make MATCH hand die kits. One feller set a National Bench Rest Record (modern) while using one of these sets.

Many years ago, Richard Lee made me custom sets for my .222 Remington and also my .257 Roberts. The amount charged was absolutely a "Piddling amount". This was probably thirty years ago. I have been a fan of LEE's ever since.

Dale53

[Turkeyfeather]

I can comment on the use of the early Lee hand tools as well. Some 30 years or so ago I loaded all of my 12 ga trap shells with a hand tool. While it took considerably longer than a regular press, it was just fine and my investment was certainly minimal. As I got older and saved a few dollars I upscaled my press but kept the old Lee as a backup. Even now, I'll load a box or two of duck loads using the old hand press.

Regarding the Lee Precision company, I can't say enough about them. I live in a small town about 17 miles from the Lee plant. I trap shoot in the summer with two of Richard's sons and they are fine people. What I particularly enjoy is they are ordinary people trying to bring cost effective products to the market. They understand they can be charging more for many of their products but they are happy with what they do. I can't say I know Richard personally but the sons have always been good with me.

Their warranty is second to none. I broke the decapping pin on a RCBS die and I had to buy replacement pins. With Lee, it only happened once, and they just sent it out in the mail, no charge. I like to buy Lee whenever I can. I don't get any special factory pricing but typically the going price is less anyways.

[Junior1942]

I've been a Lee fan since the day 30 or so years ago when I called with a question. The girl who answered the phone said, "Just a minute." Then a fellow said, "This is Dick Lee. How can I help you?"

Bruce Hodgdon did the same thing.

[Pystis]

Are those older Loaders significantly different when comparing to those recent models?

[Ranch Dog]

The only real difference in the early kits is the powder dipper. The early kits use a dipper calibrated in cubic inches and the current kits have a dipper calibrated in cubic centimeters.

I wonder how many of those kits they have sold?

[drinks]

My Lee Engineering, not Lee Precision, 20ga and .30-30 loaders have the original dippers that were just given an arbitrary number, some where I have a Lee dipper set from Lee Engineering, too.
Used the .30-30 on .30-30, .303 Savage, 30-06 and .30-40 until I finally had room for a press.

[steveb]

Though I use a Lee turrent press I also have Lee loaders for every caliber I reload for(357Mag, 44Mag, 30/30). They are fine tools and are a very economical way to get introduced into reloading your own.

[Jetwrench]

I have one, for the 38 spcl. Got it after I started reloading. That kit is a fine primer (middle English) in itself, and handy I spend alot of time in motel rooms with work. It keeps me out of trouble. JETWRENCH

[trooperdan]

Wasn't it the target model hand kit that included a neck reamer? The early target models are much sought after for that feature I've heard. You can load some fine ammo with a Lee hand loader, it certainly is a straight line seater. My first reloading was done for .30 Carbine using a Lee kit.

I also credit Lee with bringing the cost of reloading down, dies in particular. It was interesting how quickly die prices came down once Lee started making them so cheaply.

[fireflyfather]

Called Lee this afternoon with a question on lubing a (tumble lube design) bullet mold (can't get ahold of Lee...or any other stick lube locally, and don't want to wait until a new order arrives in the mail to use the mold). They picked up on the second ring, and in less than 5 minutes I had an answer to my question. They recommended beeswax or never-seez lubricant until I could get Lee stick-type bullet lube. A lot of places would have just said "buy our lube, and wait till it gets there". These guys are first class, and I will buy from them again.

[mike in co]

if i counted right i have 23 lee hand loaders,,,,encluding an 8mm and a 30'06 lee target. i also have a 7.62x54 that has an out of spec neck sizing section. 310 bullet or smaller fall in the case, but its excellent for cast ! i like one for each rifle if its a low volume fun gun.

[Scrounger]

I have .222 Remington and .30-06 loaders looking for a home.

[725]

Scrounger, Have sent you a PM. 725

[Bret4207]

I can't even begin to say how many rounds of 32-20 I loaded with a Lee loader. Slower than death, weren't all that pretty and I ruined a lot of cases being young and very impatient. But I have no qualms about using them even today. They work, period. They aren't perfect, but they work.

[Ranch Dog]

In 1978 I loaded 1000 rounds of ammo for my dad's M94 (30-30 Win). I heard him shooting up on the range while I was working in my reloading room so walked out there and asked him why he was busting caps. He said my mom dropped his rifle as he handed it down from the tower blind when she picked him up the previous night and he wanted to make sure the gun was still on. I asked him how many cartridges he had left and he said "eight". I asked if he wanted me to go ahead and load some more up for him and he said "no", he'd just borrow "that Lee Loader and knock some out".

As I write this I realize how lucky I am to have my dad out on the ranch with me. Think about it, he is 78 years old and my mom is 77. He is out in the back pasture hunting from a "Texas Tower" 15' high! My mom is driving him out there and picking him up in the dark with my PUG (looks like a mule). I couldn't take him out as I was in Victoria but he went anyway!

He has had that Bushnell Banner 4X on his rifle since he bought a new M94 in 1968 (B-Square Side Mount). It's not the first time the scope has taken a lick. We have not changed the zero since the rifle was originally sighted in! In the 38 years he has hunted with the rifle (this is the 39th year) he has taken several hundred big game animals. Whitetails, antelope, feral hogs and javelina.

[EMC45]

Just got 2 sets of the 20 and 12 ga Lee loaders. Very cool. A guy on another site GAVE them to me! Wow that was really cool. I loaded 14 rds of 1 1/8 oz 12 ga last night with it. Gonna shoot them when I get home from work!

[725]

Got a question. I've got a couple Lee Loader shotshell jobs and in the instructions it refers to a "crimp starter". I haven't used them yet and was wondering if there was any problems loading without that tool. Back when the set was new, the info sheet refers to a $.95 crimp starter that should be used with the Lee Loader set. An email message to Lee was less than satisfying. Anyway, I was wonder what others do. 725

[floodgate]

725:

What gauge(s) are you loading; and do the shells have six- or eight-point crimps? One of our friends here recently sent me a double handful of old shotgun tool accessories, including a number of Lee and other crimp starters. One of them was just right to fill the 8-point 20 ga. gap in a Lee Loader I got off eBay that was otherwise totally complete. Lemme know via PM - with an address - what you need, and I'll see if I have it and will send it off. No charge: "What goes around, cones around." And I've had more than my share of good ones.

floodgate

[EMC45]

I have a 6 and 8 point crimp starter for the 12 and a 6 for the 20. I loaded the 14 12 ga shells without using the starter at all. When you use the die at the second to last stage it starts a reallly nice crimp and then you finish up with the ram to complete the crimp. I only shot one last night and it went bang. Worked like a charm.

[TasunkaWitko]

another fan of the lee loader here!

i've got one for each chambering (.308, .30/30, .7x57 and .280). wouldn't be caught dead without one and wouldn't have a rifle that doesn't have a corresponding lee loader!

[Slowpoke]

I bought one in 308 Win when I was twelve years old, killed my first legal Javelina,deer and elk with ammo I loaded with it, I retired it when I was fifteen, I still have it.

I still have my original home made hammer built just for the Lee loader. It was made by a old Hermit I met one day out it the hill's and became good friends with, ED Whetstone was his name I called him Flintstone, he was from Wisconsin had marital problems told the judge and his ex- wife good luck with collecting any alimony from him and disappeared into S. AZ and became a prospector, hard rock miner, and mechanic second to none, he made my hammer out of solid brass both handle and head, knurled the handle and inscribed the head.

A few years later I came real close to killing him one night about two in the morning. He had a Zinc mine on the SW end of the Hauchuca MTNS, he would work there all week then on Friday I would come up and relieve him while he went to town for the weekend, I had a old hound named Dooley he would go with me, so this one Friday I met Flintstone on the road and he said to be careful at night because a bear had been coming around the shack , so on Saturday night about two in the morning old Dooley woke me up and he was baying and growling under the shanty and about that time I heard crunch crunch out side in the leaves, this shanty had four steps up to the front door with a small landing at the top, I kept a old gold pan there to feed Dooley in, the door didn't have a lock so I propped a chair up against it at night, anyway the crunch crunch led right up to and on the step's and then I heard the gold pan go tumbling off the landing well by this time I was out of bed and had the 44 in my hand leveled at the door, hammer back and about that time the door came flying in off the hinges and then a gun went off but it wasn't mine and in the muzzle flash I made out the silhouette of Flintstone, he had kicked the door in and fired a shot from his 45 into the ceiling at the same time, he was drunk had a couple of bar queens in his truck that was stuck down the canyon and had hiked up and decided to scare me in the process. I was sixteen at the time.

MEMORIES

GOOD LUCK

[Lucky Joe]

I have a number of the old Lee Loaders. I generally use one of the presses, however just to relax I'll dig out a Lee and leap light years back in time. They are worth every penny and so is Lee Precision.

[TNsailorman]

I was once a big fan of Lee equipment but the last two times I have dealt with them left me deciding not to do business with them again. First I was told to read the instructions and I would find that the Lee Collet die was not to be used with a cam over press. My Collet dies must be old ones because I have read and re-read the instructions and no where does the instructions even mention cam over presses. But the young man did tell me what to do to get then dies operating again. It just took taking them apart and filing the ridge off the top of the mandrel where it had been peened. The second time I ask about some primer punches that had broken and the lady got kind of ill with me, informing me that the punches in question were from old sets(true) and that they were from a "different" Lee company. Evidently Lee has at some time undergone some sort of corporate change and my lifetime guarantee is no longer good. She did offer to sell me replacements at retail prices. I could buy them locally at Widener's for about 2/3rds what she quoted me. I have never had a problem with either RCBS or Redding or Lyman or C-H. Even when I loose pieces or break them, RCBS has never let me pay for them even though I explained the problems were my fault. I do like some of Lee's products, just not the attitude I ran into.

[Larry Gibson]

I bought a 30-30 Lee Loader at Foster's Sproting Goods in Dallas, Oregon with part of $20 my Grand Mother gave me for my 15th birthday. Learned to reload with it on the tailgait of a PU parked on Main Street in front of the store (Polk County Courthouse is accross the street) with the help of a very fine old gentlemean. He showed me how to flair the case mouth with a tapered punch and gave me a dipper made from a steel 9mm case. The dipper was for Unique powder to load under the 118 gr 32-20 bullets he gave me (a coffee can full!). I was a confirmed reloader then.

I've got several Lee Loaders including a couple Target Loaders (.308 and .223). I actually use them a lot even with the single stage press there along side of two Dillons. They are handy at the range and I've sat in many a camp and reloaded.

Larry Gibson

[floodgate]

TNsailorman:

Yes, there was a big upheaval at Lee many years ago. They started as Lee Custom Engineering (first ads in the 1962 First Edition of "Handloader's Digest" for the little shotshell loader - of which Herter's also offered a clone); then, around 1980, Lee-like shotshell and metallic loading products began appearing under the MRC ("Mequon Reloading Corp") logo. A few years later, the same "MRC" tools showed up made by Lee Precision Corp., as still used at the present day. I'm sure there is a LOT more to the saga - if anyone has more details, please share them with us.

floodgate

[TNsailorman]

Thanks for the information floodgate. I knew that something had to be going on in Lee land. I still have quite a bit of the old Lee stuff including a couple of the Target Loaders in 30/06 and 8x57mm. I would not trade them for gold. I also have several of the old regular hand loaders and still use them on occassion. I still like some of their equipment but I do wish they would learn some people skills. You don't attract customers by talking down to them. I'm not the only one who has run into this problem. I frequent several reloading sites and I have heard from more than a few people who ran into the same kind of treatment with Lee's customer representatives. Lets just hope that things change for them as they do offer some fine tools at good prices.

[JIMinPHX]

The only complaint that I had about the Lee Loader was that every once in a while I’d set off a primer while seating it. It would happen if I was careless & let the punch bounce up between hammer blows. If I hit that punch while it was up off the bottom of the case, then the primer would sometimes goes off. If I kept the punch down against the brass, then this did not happen.

Lee loaders have allowed me to start reloading calibers that I could otherwise not afforded to add to my collection at the time. They were always a welcomed addition to my toolbench. Over the years I have given away all my Lee Loaders to help friends get started in reloading. I do miss them sometimes.

I’ve always had good luck with Lee over the twenty some odd years that I’ve been using their stuff. The last ting that I got from them was a custom size boolit sizing kit. They delivered before the promised date & the price was reasonable. The Tech person that I spoke with on the phone knew what he was talking about, which is a lot more than I can say for the people in India that I get when I call Norton for computer tech support these days.

[Lee_Loader_Man]

Hello
See some one has a Old 7.62 x 57r for the .311 cast bullet
borrow a Lee loader for the 303 British and try that sizer
should work for .308 Bullets - John

[Tracy]

I have several Lee Loaders. First one I ever got was .45/70; latest metallic cartridge one I got was a .22 Hornet. But I was recently given one I had been looking for, for awhile: .410 shotshell! Now if I could just find a crimp starter...

[725]

I've run into the service personnel's attitude a few times, too. When asking about older Lee Products, I've gotten a very dissatisfing and abrupt brush off. I know there may be some legaleaze crap that separates the two entities, but I don't really care. It's the same company. They say they have been in the business for so many years, blah, blah, blah. Seems it suits them to claim a heritage on one hand and deny it when it the rubber meets the road. I love my Lee products and especially the hand loaders. I just hate it when a stearling company lets either pencil pushers or corporate wiz kids take over and make it just another business. Slows down my patronage as I just reel against that kind of attitude.

[jonk]

I just sold my last 2; they worked well but having not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but SIX presses (sicko) I really don't need them anymore. ;-)

[Old Ironsights]

Got a question. I've got a couple Lee Loader shotshell jobs and in the instructions it refers to a "crimp starter". I haven't used them yet and was wondering if there was any problems loading without that tool. Back when the set was new, the info sheet refers to a $.95 crimp starter that should be used with the Lee Loader set. An email message to Lee was less than satisfying. Anyway, I was wonder what others do. 725

No - not if you are using once-fired hulls. You really only need the starter for NIB/unfired hulls.

I have a Lee Loader in every caliber I shoot, and a few I don't. (Still gotta get one for 20ga though)

I reload my .45-70 solely on a lee loader - and I'm very nearly as fast as using a turret press (sans-powder feed).

As for Customer Service: I just emailed them asking for a product they don't stock... a .45-70 Case Mouth Flaring Tool (like the one with the .357 kit).

They are making me one for $12. ($8 + $4 shipping) Tough to beat.

The only complaint that I had about the Lee Loader was that every once in a while I’d set off a primer while seating it.

That's why, for GP, I use a Lee Hand Prime. I don't take it to the field with the kit, but at home I pre-prime all my cases with the hand prime.

[KCSO]

What is interesting is that the LEE LOADER was nothing new when it came out. Ideal had been selling a hammer in hammer out die set for years and the earliest set i saw was a military kit dating from the 1880's. I had occasion to see and copy a kit somewhat like the Lee Loader that was made for Buffalo Hunters in the 1870's. Lee's improvments included the combination primer seater and bullet seater and his packaging and promotion. Lee took up just about the time that Lyman dropped their hammer in dies and he caught a whole new generation of reloaders. Although I had a Lee loader or two back in the late 60's I actually prefered the 310 tool and used the hammer in Lyman Die for F/L resizing. The Lyman dies were harder to use as they were F/L sizers and Ideal and Later Lyman recommended using a vise to squeeze in the cases if possible.

[chris112]

Have several Lee Loaders, started with a 7X57. I do wish that Lee would have a place on their site where you could download the charge cards.

The first rifle with scope that I bought while a cousin was helping me sight it in he fired a group that you could cover with a dime; just figured it out, group measured .294" or smaller. Not bad for a regular (not Target) model Lee Loader useing Hornady bullets. One of these days I am going to have to see about getting a Lee Target model in .308 and try to find out what that rifle can really do.

[Scrounger]

The loads made with Lee Loaders using the plastic dippers were accurate because the load was way under max pressure. Try that on your regular press, just drop the powder about 6 grains under maximum.

[Old Ironsights]

Have several Lee Loaders, started with a 7X57. I do wish that Lee would have a place on their site where you could download the charge cards. ...
Just call/email them and ask for one. They will probably oblige.

[Old Ironsights]

I've messed up FAR more cases on a progressive than I EVER have on a Lee Loader.

I use my LL exclusively for .45-70 and can whack out around 100 rounds an hour.

That may not be practical for handgun/autoloader loads but it's far more than sufficient for low to intermediate volume rifle shooting.

[AZMark]

I have a Lee Loader for .38 special, and I like it fine. I'm going to get a .45 ACP, and wondered how they work for that caliber.

[Ranch Dog]

I just bought one for my 219 Zipper! That completes one for every rifle caliber I shoot... a bunch of them.

[Southern Son]

One of the properties I used to hunt on in southern NSW was owned by a drinking buddy of my dad. He would let me go down there whenever I wanted. I would go down there with his son and we would shoot foxes (up to 20 a night after the skins were worth nothing). Cause the skins were worthless, we would use whatever tickled our fancy. He mainly used a 6.5x55 Mauser that had been sporterized. At night we would sit in the shed (there was no house on the property) and he would reload with one of those kits. It always had me stuffed how hitting a bullet with a hammer could make ammo as accurate as what he made. The don't turn up often in Oz, but I have picked up a 12ga and a 45/70. I mainly use the 45/70 to decap my black powder brass on the range before dropping the brass in the water.

[7 MM]

I started with Lee Loaders in the 60's and still use them today.
If anyone has a 410 lee loader for sale please let me know as it is the only one I am missing.
They came in 3inch and 2 1/2 inch and I will take either or both.
E-mail me at rodmkr@yahoo.com

[Lucky Joe]

I've been a Lee fan since the day 30 or so years ago when I called with a question. The girl who answered the phone said, "Just a minute." Then a fellow said, "This is Dick Lee. How can I help you?"

Bruce Hodgdon did the same thing.

I called Lee one day and I got the same thing "This is Dick Lee. How can I help you?"
I replied "Mr. Lee the owner" he chuckled and said "yes it is" I asked " how come you are answering the phone" he said "everybody is out to lunch and I'm the only one here". I'll never forget it, and the Lee company and products have always treated me fine.

Glad to hear about the boys being regular guys. I have a variety of dies, only the Lee dies did I pay for the rest were given to me or came in a garage sale box of stuff, etc.
I think Hornady makes pretty good stuff too.

[fiberoptik]

I've got a 30-30, 30-40, .308, 30-06, 7.5x55 & 7.62x54r. I've got a 30-30 Lee Loader, & the 06 cases are much too big to fit. As I see the case sizes, I'd be able to get the Russkie one to fit all but the Swiss, which is a bit bigger in the case by the shoulder. Now if only I could find one in 7.5x55 size........
Any Ideas??

[missionary5155]

In 1968 I bought a Marlin 336 in .32 Win. Speacial. A month later I bought a Lee Loader for the same caliber. I still load my 12 gauge Crow loads (Illinois) and al my 12 down here with the Lee Loader. My Loader here has the old adjustable shot dipper.

[fiberoptik]

Now if only I could find one cheap or donated in 6.5x55, 7x57, 7.62x54R or maybe .303 if it'd fit, .30 Carb. & .38....
I need to sell cars to buy reloading stuff!!:(

[mike in co]

Now if only I could find one cheap or donated in 6.5x55, 7x57, 7.62x54R or maybe .303 if it'd fit, .30 Carb. & .38....
I need to sell cars to buy reloading stuff!!:(

i believe 38, 303 , 7.62x54r and 6.5x55 are all still production items..available from midway.

7x57 is a different story.

[big dale]

I have several of them that I have been using since the 1960's. The best example of their accuracy that I have is than I once bought a used Remington 788 in 22-250 that came with a 2 to7 power scope and a Lee Loader with part of a box of bullets. The guy even included part of a can of powder and said it did real good. I took the stuff to the range and loaded five of his cases on the bench at the range, and the first five shots grouped in 3/8 of an inch from the sandbags. That was about 20 years ago and that rifle is still not for sale.

I always prefer to use their hand priming tool as i don't think anyone as clumsy as me should be seating primers with a hammer.

Big Dale

[725]

AZMark - The .45 work just fine. Hard to get any easier.

[bohokii]

they really make you feel like you are in the past

i would not reccomend them for autoloaders though i have one in 30 carbine and its measure doesnt give me a load with enough power to cycle the action

357 magnum 44 magnum are perfect 30-30 also great when using them for bolt guns,revolvers,levers its like magic

[mikenbarb]

I currently own 13 complete Lee Loader sets (And always looking for more) and a few parts kits and I love to break them out once in a while to go back in time a little. I have 4 sets of the Zerro Error(Target model) and 3 sets of the "Improved" that are great because they have a hand priming tool, neck flaring tool, primer pocket cleaner and a nice fine threaded micrometer type seating body plus all the other parts needed to load a cartridge. I think my first experience with one was about 20+ years ago and I have been a fan of them ever since. The great thing about them is that their a easy to use innexpensive reloading tool for the beginner reloader or a fun tool to use once in a while for the seasoned one. I have found that my Zero-Error kits will make as good or better reloads than my press setup if you take the time to use them correctly. There were many manufacturers that have tried to copy the Lee Loader in the past but I found that none are as good as the Lee's. The only disadvantage is that their slowwwww.
Now that im thinking about it, I got a few 30-30's I gotta load up today and im gonna break out the ol' Lee Loader and have some fun. tap,tap,tap,tap.:smile: