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Thread: Lee Hand Loaders

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Memory lane? Nostalgia? Ahhh....yes. As several have mentioned, Dad started me with a Lee loader in 1961. Well, it was his for 16 bore but he taught me to use it. When I bought my first loaders for 357 and 30-30, that's what I bought. I still have the one Dad bought in the late 50's, the others went down the road a long time ago. Oh, it is priced at $19.00 and some change. Evidently they bring more than that today?

    As has been said, if you're loading for one firearm, they produce perfectly adequate, ordinarily very accurate ammo.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

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  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by pcolapaddler View Post
    This is pretty accurate. Except the injury from jumping out of my shoes when the first one went off.

    The next one wasn't as startling.

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    Yeah, and sometimes a change of skivvies is called for...
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  3. #23
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    In the '30s and '40s many of not most wildcatter gunsmiths would supply dies for their creations that worked like the Lee Loader. I've use two such kits that came with .22 Lovell rifles I've bought over the years, when I load at the range. They make good, accurate ammunition when used with due care. I have myself made a couple of such dies for the ultra-rare .22-20 Hardwood Hornet.

    Do I have any genuine Lee Loaders? Certainly. Rarely use them because I have a fully equipped bench with multiple presses, but knowing I can throw a couple of Lee Loaders into a bug-out bag is reassuring.
    Cognitive Dissident

  4. #24
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    Say, uscra112-- there's a subject worth discussing. Now before someone starts yelling "hi-jack!" it is related to the subject of Lee Loaders. What I'm wondering about is so-called "bug out bags." Just how practical for such a purpose would a Lee Loader be? To be useful one would have to take along powder, bullets, and primers, plus a plastic mallet or other whacking device. Although I won't dispute the usefulness of the Lee Loader to take along to the range for a leisurely day of load development, it seems to me one would be much better served to just pack some extra loaded ammo if "bugging out." Personally, I'm not going anywhere; but the thinking in this area is interesting.

    DG

  5. #25
    Boolit Bub
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    Wow! So many have been using them for so long, I will pick some up if I can find them, but it is sounding like a press and does will be easier to find and use.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blanket View Post
    a small arbor press makes them easy to use
    That's how I use them. Poor mans Wilson hand Dies. Gp

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Acknott View Post
    Wow! So many have been using them for so long, I will pick some up if I can find them, but it is sounding like a press and does will be easier to find and use.
    A press is likely a better way to go. For the 12 ga a Lee Loadall 2 works well and doesn't use much room when when not in use(if that matters).

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Der Gebirgsjager View Post
    Say, uscra112-- there's a subject worth discussing. Now before someone starts yelling "hi-jack!" it is related to the subject of Lee Loaders. What I'm wondering about is so-called "bug out bags." Just how practical for such a purpose would a Lee Loader be? To be useful one would have to take along powder, bullets, and primers, plus a plastic mallet or other whacking device. Although I won't dispute the usefulness of the Lee Loader to take along to the range for a leisurely day of load development, it seems to me one would be much better served to just pack some extra loaded ammo if "bugging out." Personally, I'm not going anywhere; but the thinking in this area is interesting.

    DG
    A few weeks ago I watched a video about a professional hunter who lives in Siberia. His hunting area was like 75 miles or more from any settlement and 100's of miles from any road.

    There was a scene in the video of where the hunter is reloading ammo with what is his version of a Lee Loader while he was living in his remote hunting area. It appears that he must have figured that taking along reloading supplies made more sense than taking more ammo.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blanket View Post
    a small arbor press makes them easy to use
    Poor mans arbor press. A very holy one.……drill press!


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  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by fiberoptik View Post
    Poor mans arbor press. A very holy one.……drill press!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    This may be true if you already own a drill press, but an inexpensive small arbor press will cost less than just about the cheapest drill press.
    Another consideration is that you can throw a small arbor press in the trunk of about any car and do load development at the range or hunting cabin... not a possibility with your drill press!
    Froggie
    Last edited by Green Frog; 02-22-2021 at 12:50 AM. Reason: Correct Spell Check!!!
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  11. #31
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    I started reloading in 1987 with a Lee Loader for my Mosin Nagant. Worked ok except for those occaisional primer explosions, disconcerting noise in the old apartment I lived in at the time.
    Later on, by chance, I got a 310 tool in that caliber, which I think for my use is way better than the LL. And later on, Rockchucker and etc. But the LL die is still in the loading cabinet as a backup.
    Last edited by fgd135; 02-21-2021 at 06:24 PM.

  12. #32
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    As for a Lee Loader being a "Bug Out" tool, I would have to be making a permanent move. For me, it would be much easier to carry loaded ammo rather than the Lee Loader, bottle of powder, primers and bullets. I have about 1,000 rounds of 9mm SD rounds in a Bar Nuts Jar, a few hundred Garand clips full in a small nylon bag, and two bricks of 22s in my "emergency backpacks". I have a " quick out" nylon bag that holds 2, 9mm pistols, 1,000+ rounds, misc. gun tools...


    On thing often missed when talking about Lee Loaders is they are a great learning tool, Each step is done about as basically as possible, one at a time. The center of concentration is on one basic step. When I was training apprentices I found that basic, K.I.S.S. is the most lasting, easiest to remember lesson.
    Last edited by mdi; 02-21-2021 at 05:40 PM.
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  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by perotter View Post
    A few weeks ago I watched a video about a professional hunter who lives in Siberia. His hunting area was like 75 miles or more from any settlement and 100's of miles from any road.

    There was a scene in the video of where the hunter is reloading ammo with what is his version of a Lee Loader while he was living in his remote hunting area. It appears that he must have figured that taking along reloading supplies made more sense than taking more ammo.
    An interesting observation, but he wasn't "bugging out", was he. If one lives remotely then they have a place to store components and to cast bullets, and perhaps a bench to work on. But if wandering around in the mountains or forests
    just having more ammo makes better sense to me. The actual act of casting bullets kind of makes the rest of the idea of a Lee Loader for "bugging out" impractical (to me) as our modern version of cast boolits requires skill in alloy, temperature, a good mold, and lube to be very successful. The last guy I saw successfully casting bullets was Mel Gibson in "The Patriot" where he was melting down his deceased son's little lead toy soldiers into round balls.

    Maybe as long as 10 years ago I watched a movie on TV (so good that I watched it twice) perhaps sponsored by National Geographic or a similar source. It was about a man who lived a hermit-style life in Siberia. The Czar sent a mapping expedition to Siberia and they encountered this fellow and hired him as a guide and hunter. He had a Mosin Nagant rifle, as did the expedition which was military in nature and composed of an officer and several enlisted men. At the end of the season's work they gave all of their left over ammunition to the Guide. The relationship lasted several summers. Maybe someone else saw the film?

    DG

  14. #34
    Boolit Master Jim22's Avatar
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    I started loading with a Lee Loader in the early sixties. They were ten bucks then. >357 mag. and .38 special for my $87.50 Blackhawk. Had a friend who used one for 12 ga. shotshells. The only problem I ever saw with either was that with the shotshell loader you had to figure out how to allpy the right pressure to the wad before adding shot. A bathroom scale worked. The pistol and rifle loaders came with a single powder dipper. It was good for all bullet weights by using different powders. Lee's loads were well below maximum because of that. That account for the reputation for accuracy they have. I went on to get Lee Loaders for other calibers - rifles. They only neck sized the brass. My memory tells me that you could really beat up te ead of the cartridge by using steel hammers to drive the case into the sizing die. Plastic faced hammer was helpful but I couldn't afford one when I was in my teens.The arbor press idea is brilliant but I didn't have one of them either. Seating depth is adjustable. Agree about a hand primer being nice.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master

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    IMO they’re the best way to get started reloading without breaking the bank (at least that was true when I started in the 60’s). You’ll learn a lot, including patience. If you decide to advance to some form of press, the Lee kit doesn’t take up much space to store. I still do all my depriming with Lee bases and punches.

  16. #36
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    I got my first one in 1971 to load for my Sako Forester .243. Still have it along with all the bullets and brass. Sold the gun which was a mistake.

    My second one was in 1978 when I got my S&W M29, I also started casting boolits at that point and I loaded hundreds of rounds with that tool. Loaned it to a friend and it never came back. That tool was $9.95 back then.

    I immediately (following Saturday) bought a Lee Priming tool, a small Redding Powder Scale and a Case Mouth tool. Now I'm into reloading about $40.

    I finally got a Rock Chucker because I was shooting 100+ .44's every weekend and needed to load faster. Cast Boolits with a Lee mould and a lead pot on the gas stove at night.

    Lots of people start reloading with a Lee tool. It has probably gotten more people started than anything else. Hand dies were not new when Lee came out with his kits. He just figured out how to make them do all the steps necessary to reload in one small kit that most anyone could afford. They produce ammo that is as accurate as virtually any other method.

    If you were going to live off grid in a small cabin and needed to supply ammo for subsistence It would certainly be a useful tool that wouldn't break the bank. They go from $35 to 50 each now.

    I watch the shows on Discovery Channel like "Life Below Zero" and imagine that those guys could use Lee Loaders for Reloading their ammo. It would seem more cost effective than buying factory ammo, considering they are having to sell Furs or prospect for Gold to make money to buy things they can't make.

    I always recommend that people start with a Lee Classic Loader as their first Reloading Tool. It gives them the Fundamentals of Reloading, and if they decide they don't want to pursue it they can easily get their $35 back or give it to a friend. No big Loss.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
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  17. #37
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    have used an old bottle capper for a press as well

  18. #38
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    I must have been doing something wrong all those years ago, I never once set off a shotgun primer with my two Lee loaders. Come to think on it, I've never yet had a primer go off while priming with any method.

    I have not however seated Berdan primers by tapping them with a spoon, and don't think I'm going to.

    Robert

  19. #39
    Boolit Master Boogieman's Avatar
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    My Lee loader cost $9.95 , $3.75 for a can of 2400 $.79for 100 primers about $4.00 for 100 Speer boolits . That's all it took to feed my $87.50 Ruger BH. Good old days
    The 3 people a man must be able to trust completely are his gunsmith his doctor & his preacher ..,his gunsmith for his short term health ,his doctor for long term health ,and his preacher incase one of the others mess up.

  20. #40
    Boolit Master Jedman's Avatar
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    I started hand loading when I was 15 with a Lee Loader for 12 ga. shells. I noticed that if you wanted heavy 1 1/4 oz. or 2 3/4” magnum shotshells they would cost 2 to 3 times more per box than light game loads.
    Once I found out I could handload them for less than the cheapest factory target loads I was hooked.
    My Lee loader was great until I got into shooting trap and skeet weekly then I moved on to a Mec 600 but for some hunting loads the Lee loader is very versatile and makes good crimps that fed well in pump and semiauto shotguns. Low brass hulls are best and can be loaded just as heavy as any hi brass case.

    Jedman

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check