My experiences with the Lee Classic loader.

[Bazoo]

A member sent me a lee classic loader in 30 wcf a while back to help me get started again after i lost all my loading stuff in a house fire.

I'd never used such a kit before, but figured it'd be better than nothing. I liked the idea of being able to cut out a lot of the unnecessary steps and equipment from the loading process and get down to bare bones.

So, I read the instructions, and being familiar already with the lee dippers, i figured it wouldnt be too difficult. I found some powder, w748 at the local gun store, a classic for the caliber. I bought a box of 150 grain jacketed bullets and a couple flats of primers. I loaded 10 rounds. ... Misfires, about half of them. But it always worked fine with factory ammo. Except for one misfire, which i have chocked up to coincidence.

I thought, it had to be me being new to the kit. But i did seat the primers far enough in. So, i did some research on my gun. Winchester post 64, angle eject. Ah it is notorious for misfires due to light primer strikes. Seems that it has a problem if its not kept clean, and doesnt like the hardest of primers, cci. And of course, cci is whats available in my area.

So i took the rifle stock off, and yep, rust on the hammer strut. I disassembled the assembly and cleaned it thoroughly. Then i shortened the lower forks of the strut so the hammer doesnt have as far to fly under the power of inertia alone.

I loaded 5 primers only into casings, and fired those, as it was nighttime. No misfires. Primers looked to have good strikes. So i loaded about 2 boxes of cartridges.

I had a primer detonate while i was loading it. It didnt scare me much, as i had just reminded myself, and my wife, that it was a possibility. Im not sure what caused the detonation, there wasnt any grit or anything in the primer seating cup and my work area was clean. The only concern i had, is i had a cup with open powder setting close by as i had loaded some previously. So from there on out, i set the powder aside as i primed more casings.

Then yesterday i shot some of the rounds I had loaded, All that were fired went off without a hitch. Accuracy has not been tested yet, but they were good enough to hit the potato salad tub i aimed at.

All in all, i like the little kit. It is easy, fun and relaxing to load with it. It wont take the place of a full loading setup for everything, but it is a nice way to break the monotony.

[Garyshome]

"primer detonate while i was loading it" that has never happened to me, but can't ever be too careful.

[joesig]

I sent a friend a loader in 30-06 and he detonated a primer too. What hammer weight did you use? I have a feeling mt friend thought he was sinking some 10 penny nails, not seating a primer.

[Michael J. Spangler]

I love the lee loaders.
I have made plenty of ammo with them. I had found a couple locally and snagged them for about $12 a piece. I used them when I was waiting for my dies to come in when I bought a gun in a new cartridge I didn't load for yet. A little slow compared to a Dillon 550 but really enjoyable.

I too have set off a primer. I was moving a little fast and the primer was not seated flat and lined up with the pocket properly. One whack and off it went. A little scary but not a big deal.

I think I need more lee loaders.

[mdi]

I started with a Lee Loader in 1969. I now have 6 kits and use them when I feel "retro", or just because. I have 4 presses, and all the assorted equipment to reload 12 calibers rifle and/or handguns, but my Lee Loaders ain't goin' nowhere!

Of my six loaders only two will pop primers; my .44 Magnum and .38 Special loaders, mebbe one out of 100 primers inserted. The others have not been a problem. I like to use a heavy mallet to give more of a push rather than a tap, tap, tap. My last session I reloaded mebbe 80 .38 Specials and used my arbor press, just for fun, and it was effortless...

[Bazoo]

I was using a piece of a cherry limb. I wasnt whacking too hard, it was seating the primers pretty easily. I must have gotten the primer crooked as it was on the first whack. I was going faster.

[Bazoo]

I do really enjoy the process of using the lee loader. Its a real nice change from the loading bench i was used to.

For a powder funnel, i got one of those black things the doctor uses on his instrument to look in your ear. I trimmed the end to be more open, and it works great. The large end fits good on the dipper. I put the funnel in the casing, and set that upside down on the dipper, then flip the whole assembly to transfer the powder. And the funnel fits in the kit.

[starmac]

Lots of folks got their start in this game cuz of them lee loaders. No telling the amount of dollars folks have spent cuz they got a lee loader to make cheap ammo. It seems like I paid 10 bucks new when I bought my first one. lol

[myg30]

$16.95 I think in 1985. You must be older than me. Lol lee loaders are fun to use and you really get a good grasp on the reloading process. Starmac is correct that lee loader started the loading craze fer most that reload today, or at least us old guys !

Be safe, Mike

[Bazoo]

Does anyone know when the lee loader cam out?

[wingspar]

I got started reloading after watching a guy on YouTube use a Lee Loader. Asked some questions about them, bought one and started loading .308. I wore reading glasses with safety glasses over them when seating primers. Made me nervous. Probably less than 3 weeks later I had my first press on order. That was only 5 months ago. Them little Lee Loaders cost $39 now, and I considered that pretty dang cheap. I’m self taught from questions on forums and watching YouTube videos, and I think starting with that little Lee Loader was probably the best thing I could have done to kick start my reloading career.

[mdi]

I got started reloading after watching a guy on YouTube use a Lee Loader. Asked some questions about them, bought one and started loading .308. I wore reading glasses with safety glasses over them when seating primers. Made me nervous. Probably less than 3 weeks later I had my first press on order. That was only 5 months ago. Them little Lee Loaders cost $39 now, and I considered that pretty dang cheap. I’m self taught from questions on forums and watching YouTube videos, and I think starting with that little Lee Loader was probably the best thing I could have done to kick start my reloading career.
I agree. With a Lee Loader you are learning the basics; how and why each step is done. With some presses, you are learning how to operate a machine that produces a loaded round...

[pcolapaddler]

I have used the classic loader for 38/357. I loaded a hundred or so and it worked well. I did have a couple of primers pop off.

It was a bit startling. I became a bit worried about it, so I decided to start using the Lee primer tool.

[gwpercle]

Back in the 1960's even a kid in high school could scrounge up the $9.99 for a Lee Loader, I would love to know how many of use got started with a Classic Loader. And then Lee's Bullet Moulds at $8.98, they were affordable and started me casting. People like to bad mouth Lee , but I'm grateful for having products I could afford to own.
Lee Classic Loaders are still cool in my book. Not a bad way for a beginner to learn either.

Gary

[Gofaaast]

The old timers I grew up around at the gun shop called them hammer dies. The owner of the establishment despised all things Lee except the priming tool, so I had to visit one of the regulars just to see what they were always talking about. I have a couple sets of the target model and a traditional set I got in a auction a few years back that were with some other items I wanted. I have never used them myself, but maybe this winter when the snow is knee deep and there is not much to do I will get them out and load a few rounds. None of the sets I have are for cartridges I frequently reload or I would have used them already.

[CastingFool]

I started reloading back in 1981, with a Lee loader I bought for $5, at a neighbor's garage sale. got a Speer manual, too, for $3. Loaded quite a few rounds with the Lee loader. I still have it, and the manual, too. Neighbor told me he used to run his dogs on a big field behind his house. School is there now. He passed away a few years ago, but I think of him every time I see the Lee loader on my shelf.

[Bazoo]

Thats a great story. There is something magical about those lee loaders i reckon.

[mdi]

An interesting poll would be "How many got started reloading using a Lee Loader (Whack-a-mole)?"

My 'puter is acting up so mebbe someone else could start a poll?

[Clemsum]

I got started reloading while in High School about '68 with a used 12 gauge shot shell loader. I had to think about it for a while before I seated the first primer with a hammer. Also bought a set of the Lee black dippers (ci instead of cc) and still have both although I seldom use them. I learned a lot about reloading using them.

[Bazoo]

I was unaware that they made the lee loader in shot shell version.

[Wayne Smith]

I got started with two of them, a 30-30 for my Dad's and my brother's rifles, and a 16ga for my shotgun.

[starmac]

If Iiic I spent a whole 30 bucks for everything needed to make ammo for my 300 savage. That was everything except brass, when I got my first whack a mole. I never had a lot of brass back then, even tried using a friends brass, but it wouldn't chamber in my rifle. Because of the small amounts of brass I usually had, I loaded quite a bit on the back bumper of my old international pickup. lol

[Bazoo]

I've been loading on just 2 boxes of brass. I do have more, but for some reason like the small batches better.

Anyone know about how many loadings i'll get before i'll need to trim the brass using the lee loader?