Lee load all

[emptyhead]

Any of you guys ever use one to load shotgun shells. I won't be doing alot, maybe less then a thousand a year. I was wondering if they are a good bang for the buck. I don't want to spend alot on a Mec, already have alot of money tied up in reloading and casting.

[357maximum]

Any of you guys ever use one to load shotgun shells. I won't be doing alot, maybe less then a thousand a year. I was wondering if they are a good bang for the buck. I don't want to spend alot on a Mec, already have alot of money tied up in reloading and casting.

The lee loadall II is a perfectly serviceable machine, I have a few mecs, and I still use my lees for my hunting loads....just a plain good ol tool....just make sure you verify the charges as they do not always jive with lees chart....most of the time they are under what they say it should be...but not always.

[JeffinNZ]

I have one. Works just dandy. I load only a very small number of rounds annually and general black powder. I dump the BP charge manually but the Lee handles all the rest.

You can't hardly give shotshell loading gear away here as the budget loaded rounds are cheaper than Joe Average can load.

[jjamna]

I have one for 12 and one for 20 guage. I don't do a whole lot of shotgun shooting so they are perfect for me. I think I could load 4 or 5 boxes an hour if I had to but I don't push it because of mistakes. As 357 max said I have noticed some of the loads a little lite but watch it if you go up.

[turbo1889]

The Lee is a very respectable machine which has four down sides which balance out it's low cost:

1~ Leaks powder.
2~ 3" tall shells take practice to crimp just right.
3~ Powder and shot Hoppers are hard to empty.
4~ You can't do a whole bunch of loads really fast.

So it depends on what your going to use it for -- For me I use mine to load medium size (measured in hundreds of rounds) batches of 2-3/4" shell length slug loads. I weigh the powder charge not drop it and don't have any shot or powder in the hoppers thus eliminating problems 1, 2, & 3. And since these types of loads aren't suitable to load on high volume (measured in thousands of rounds a batch) progressive press anyway problem number four isn't an issue either. If your needs are similar -- the Lee is your best deal especially if you're primarily a metallic reloader and used to the fine precision and tediousness of weighed charges and one by one assembly of each round anyway. The primarily metallic reloader will be right at home with the Lee machine -- resize, prime, weigh powder charge, load projectile(s), crimp, repeat . . .

Now if on the other hand you shoot trap and need to do up shot reloads by the thousands then pick a different loading machine namely something along the lines of the Hornady progressive loader.

As far as hunting loads in the 3" length especially if we are taking shot loads not slug or buck then the Lee machine does a respectable job provided you put out a little bit of extra to compensate for it's shortcomings. A gasket made from course construction paper and glued to the powder drop bar top and bottom with a glue stick does wonders for the leaking problem and with a little bit of practice you learn the necessary "feel" to make the crimps on the longer 3" shells. Don't bother trying 3-1/2" shells on the 12ga. model -- no dice there.

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

I must say that I am somewhat partial to the these machines as they are what got me started into reloading. My father would not let me re-load on my own until he was confident that I, and I quote, "had my head and a$$ wired together". But, eventually I was allowed to reload on my own and it was shotgun shells on a Lee Load All. I still reload all of my shotshells, except 410 ga, on a LLA II. The twenty ga Lee is the same one I began on.

Turbo 1889 - Thanks for the tip on useing construction paper gaskets. The old 20 ga. needs some tightening up.

Regards
Everett

[emptyhead]

Thanks guys

[clodhopper]

There a Lee load all mounted next to the Dillon 650 on my bench. I have three metallic cartridge presses and just the lee shot shell press.
If your gun got no rifleing then your just kidding yourself.

[turbo1889]

. . . If your gun got no rifleing then your just kidding yourself.

I'd like to take that one on -- at 50 yards range a smooth bore is more then sufficient to punch a slug through a deers chest cavity:


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The gun in question, A Smooth Bore Cylinder Bore Winchester Model-1200 in Tactical Configuration with folding stock, high-capcity mag, figer optic front sight only, etc. :






Next up is a picture of the range with the target out there at the 50yard mark (slightly above and to the left of the steel flippers at the 25yard mark) and then a close up of the target out at the 50 yard mark. The target was a cardboard box with some white paper stabled to the front and a cross hairs drawn on it with black permanent marker:






The Target after five rounds sent down range off hand:



Please note that this represents a situation where I was shooting off hand with a gun only equiped with a front sight. With a scoped unit and off the bench on sand bags groups would tighten up considerably.

[Pepe Ray]

Have you shot gunners checked out the peep sight offered on the Auction Thread?
It would look awfully nice on that pump gun.
Pepe Ray

[imashooter2]

I've made many thousands of target loads on mine. Still going strong. Not the most sophisticated tool, but perfectly serviceable.

[crowbeaner]

I'm interested in what you're using in your load. Wad? Powder and weight? fold or roll crimp? Primer? I have some of those Federal hulls with the rolled paper basewad, and nothing I've loaded so far in them would shoot that well.

[clodhopper]

Okay Turbo you got me at fifty yards. And by golly I do sometimes get a shot at fifty yards. But some times they are just a little farther out there. Rifleing helps.