Lee Loaders or Lee Handpress?

[deces]

Between the Lee Loader & the Lee Hand press, what would you rather have with your or for on the move? Each has their merits and their downfalls.

I have never loaded with the Lee Loader, but I did pick up a .303B and made it into a Custom 7.62x39. I still need to test it out.
I can see myself getting into other calibers.

I also have the Lee Hand press, I have used it over the years mainly for processing brass when away from the bench, I like it.

[Bazoo]

I'm a hand press fan. I sold mine a while back but am looking for another. It's a fun tool to take out and work off a stump in the woods. The main issue I have with the Lee loader, is that it does not full length size. I prefer full length sizing for sure functioning. Having resistance or having to slam the lever closed on a levergun to get fat brass to chamber is not my cup of tea.

[rbuck351]

The hand press is much faster than a whack a mole and will FL size. It doesn't takeup anymore room than a whack a mole with a club to use it. I have some of both but rarely use any of the whack a mole loaders.

[hoodat]

Hand press by far. jd

[GhostHawk]

I started out loading with a Lee Loader. Still have a couple.

But my main press is a Lee Hand press. I have somewhere around 15 sets of dies for it, plus the expander and the depriming die and a die for hollow pointing .22lr (which incidentally bumps the size up a couple of thousands)

If I am resizing large bottleneck rifle brass I may switch to a larger bench mounted press.

Everything else is done with the hand press.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I would add Lee BREECHLOCK Hand Press, changing dies is much easier and if something is 'missed' or 'needs fixed' it is much quicker. Die setup is also more consistent for me.

[TNsailorman]

Never owned or wanted a Lee hand press. Never had a real need for one. I still have 2 bench presses; one is a RCBS Rockchcker and the other is an old Lyman All American. I have owned and used several Dillon 450's and 550's in the past when I was younger and shooting competition. But I have and use Lee Loaders occassionally. I am retired and have lots of time, so there is no hurry. I can understand people who use the Hand press at the range. I don't understand why/if they use it for all their reloading. A bench press being much better and simple to use than a hand press. To me reloading is more of a hobby these days and less of a chore. But in the end, this all comes down to preference of the individual reloader and I say use what you like and prefer. Taht is the reason I did not vote, its a personal thing. After all, you are the one doing the work/reloading, james

[mdi]

For me, using a hand press is wobbly/clumsy. When I first got one I was a healthy 50 year old fairly strong HD mechanic, and could FL size 30-06 Garand brass, although just no more than 10-12 per session. I also have a Lee Loader in 30-06 and with the addition of weighing each charge on my beam scale, it is faster and easier than the hand press. I found the hand press to be slower than my Lee Loaders (handgun and rifle cartridges), and quality of handloads was probably even...

BTW; My current press is a Forster Co-Ax, great press!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Bought the Handpress as my first press. Loaded thousands of rounds on it. For FL sizing 30-06 brass or sizing a tough boolit, I place one handle against my chest and squeeze with both hands. Good workout! I use a Turret press now for my loading, but still use the hand press to size boolits while watching TV.

Picked up a used 357 Lee Loader just to try. Dry brass was about impossible to size. Felt like I was going to iron out the head stamp. Haven’t tried it again since picking up some liquid lanolin. I might try a rifle round someday if I come across one cheap. But as it is, the hand press and dies would travel nicely if needed.

[MarkP]

Hand Press for sure.

[Mk42gunner]

I started my reloading career using a Lee Loader for 3" .410 shells, followed a year later by one for a 2 3/4" 20 gauge. I have never loaded metallic cartridges with a Lee Loader. I have bought and passed on a few.

For neck sizing hand tool loading, I prefer the Lyman 310 tong tool, it is not my favorite way of loading, but it beats using a hammer.

When I was thinking about getting a Lee hand press for those portable moments, I found a Lyman Accu Press at a gun show for $15. It works as either handheld or bench mounted. I don't like the lack of spent primer control, but if you use it outside, it doesn't really matter.

I primarily use it mounted upside down for push through boolit sizing.

Robert

[megasupermagnum]

It's not even close for me. One of the first metallic cartridges I loaded was 41 magnum with a Lee loader kit. I later got a few more calibers, and even had a full deluxe shotgun 12 gauge kit.

Today, I do not own a single Lee loader kit, and don't miss them at all. Not even nostalgia has made me miss them. They aren't bad, they loaded ammo, but at the same time, for what they cost today, you would not be making a good choice using them. The exception is unless you get them cheap or free as I did. Even just two calibers, and you are money ahead with a hand press. I still regularly use my Lee hand press, despite having a single stage, APP, and progressive presses. For a huge number of people such as anyone in an apartment, house without a garage, little room, or whatever, a case could be made that Randy's hand press is the ultimate press, but the Lee works pretty well. Not that the Lee hand press is bad, it's a smoking deal for what they cost, and handier than anything else out there. I would never recommend a Lee loader kit for an apartment, way too much noise. The Lee hand press can not be beat for odd jobs either. I never had success loading on the range, but I also do load ammo with mine when away from the house. Between a kit or the hand press, the press is better in every way. The only justification I can think of for a Lee kit would be if you get one cheap, you are dirt poor, and have a single caliber, say 30-06 to load. It will do that job for you. I still think a used Lee hand press and some dies could be found for pretty dang cheap. Those Lee kits are insanely expensive in certain calibers.

[jmorris]

Neither, I think you should see if any buddies have them and will let you try them out. I’d rather have an aluminum O press, mounted on a board and a C clamp to secure it to any flat surface.

If I couldn’t find a flat spot in the wild, I’d cut a small tree down and screw the press to the stump before I would do the same so I had something hard to set my Lee loader on to wack it with a hammer…

Single stage presses are not great when it comes to economy of motion until you compare them to the Lee loader or hand presses, then they seem much, much better.

[racepres]

Get one...or the Other... get to reloading!!! I personally prefer the Hand Press.. but have used the Lee Loader More.. Odd That.
Both are around here.. serve different purposes... Much more practical than trying to set up a 550 in the Back 40!!! Cost??

BTW, Find a really good, precision shooter, that use One Cartridge Case Only!!! Watch how they do it...

[pworley1]

I started with the Lee loader in the late sixties and bought a Lyman Spartan about 1970 and never have been tempted to use the Lee loader again. I use the Lee hand presses all the time. One for neck expanding and one for depriming and sizing pistol brass.

[Shawlerbrook]

Lee hand press unless it’s really a shtf on the run situation.

[KenH]

I didn't realize the Lee Loader was still around. I started reloading a 30-30 back in late '60s with the Lee Loader. I have no idea how many times we (wife and me) reloaded the same box of 30-30 brass. Being broke college kids there was no money for extras, so it was cast bullets. One day we struck gold - somebody had shot a full box of 30-30 and just left the brass laying on the ground! Even back then 30-30 reloads with cast bullets was cheaper than .22 LR.

Ahhhh, the "good old days"....... naw, I'll take these days as best. At 76 life is still good.

[racepres]

I didn't realize the Lee Loader was still around. I started reloading a 30-30 back in late '60s with the Lee Loader. I have no idea how many times we (wife and me) reloaded the same box of 30-30 brass. Being broke college kids there was no money for extras, so it was cast bullets. One day we struck gold - somebody had shot a full box of 30-30 and just left the brass laying on the ground! Even back then 30-30 reloads with cast bullets was cheaper than .22 LR.

Ahhhh, the "good old days"....... naw, I'll take these days as best. At 76 life is still good.

Bringing back Fond Memories... But... I think we were better off Young and Broke, than Old and Broke!!!!!

[jmorris]

Lee hand press unless it’s really a shtf on the run situation.

In what SHTF situation would it be a better idea to carry a bunch of loose bullets, primers, cases and powder? oh and reloader, hammer, hard surface?

I guess it would be funny to make the “bug out” kit fit in an ammo can, that itself could carry more loaded ammunition than components and equipment…

[Green Frog]

I had a Lee hand press until I got a HDS Compac press which was enough better the Lee got sold and the Compac got its own go bag case. There is no commonly available substitute for the Lee Loader except the regrettably discontinued Lyman 310 tool, so if I have assemble a bug out bag from scratch today, the classic Lee Loader gets the nod.