Lee Loaders or Lee Handpress?

[mike_kaleigh]

About bugging out. There's no place to go. Hordes from cities will swarm into rural areas.

I have thought about this exact thing before, i live in cincinnati ohio, and i am not sure i could even leave the area if shtf really happened. Highways backed up ect,

[openbook]

I would pick the Lee Loader for on the go loading. I have and enjoy using both. A Lee hand press was my first reloading tool, and it let me get started without a huge investment in money or space. I was loading several calibers before I bought a bench-mounted press, and built a reloading bench. I now have the bench press, hand press, and I have a Lee Loader for one caliber.

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!

This is what I do for FL sizing 45-70.

When it comes to pistols, I can't even remember how many rounds I could make. I doubt I could do more than 25 an hour. It isn't like the handpress where you could stage as many cases as you want. You kind of have to load one at a time fully with a lee kit, and it is very slow.

For volume the Lee Loader won't be your ticket. Still I'd bet it's about as fast as the hand press. Where the Lee Loader really shines is in banging out a small run of cartridges of whatever specification you want. Let's say you want to try out a different boolit, but you don't want to disturb your beautifully locked-in-to-the-nearest-thousandth seating and crimping die...the Lee Loader is your friend. Or you want to do a run of ten cartridges with different headspace bullet jump for accuracy testing. Or you just want half a dozen plinkers, to shoot some beer cans, when your press isn't set up for that caliber...the Lee Loader is your friend.

The beauty of the Lee Loader is that it does every reloading operation with only one adjustment. Everything but the seating depth is controlled by how much and how hard you whack it with the mallet. And when you're on the go, it's nice not to mess around with case lube...and with the Lee Loader, you don't have to.

[Recycled bullet]

I would pick the Lee Loader for on the go loading. I have and enjoy using both. A Lee hand press was my first reloading tool, and it let me get started without a huge investment in money or space. I was loading several calibers before I bought a bench-mounted press, and built a reloading bench. I now have the bench press, hand press, and I have a Lee Loader for one caliber.


This is what I do for FL sizing 45-70.


For volume the Lee Loader won't be your ticket. Still I'd bet it's about as fast as the hand press. Where the Lee Loader really shines is in banging out a small run of cartridges of whatever specification you want. Let's say you want to try out a different boolit, but you don't want to disturb your beautifully locked-in-to-the-nearest-thousandth seating and crimping die...the Lee Loader is your friend. Or you want to do a run of ten cartridges with different headspace for accuracy testing. Or you just want half a dozen plinkers, to shoot some beer cans, when your press isn't set up for that caliber...the Lee Loader is your friend.

The beauty of the Lee Loader is that it does every reloading operation with only one adjustment. Everything but the seating depth is controlled by how much and how hard you whack it with the mallet. And when you're on the go, it's nice not to mess around with case lube...and with the Lee Loader, you don't have to.

That is terrible advice.

Lee loaders don't have any adjustment besides seating depth so how can you make adjustments to amount to the differences between rifles?

"run of ten cartridges with different headspace for accuracy testing” What does this mean?

[racepres]

^^ Oh... I don't think terrible.. I think the Concept of knocking out a Handful of rounds that are only neck sized, is sound... certainly for different Boolits, charges, (requires a cheap digital scale), and Seating Depths.. Variable Headspace is the only thing that the Lee Loader cannot do...as they do not push the shoulder back...That I know of. Since I only push shoulders back on rounds that wont chamber.. the Lee Loader Suits for very small runs... More than a Handful??? I'm prolly gonna bust out the Redding Turrett! (I have multiple Turrets, Loaded) Tho with that New twist lock die "stuff"... the Hand Press, or the little Lee "C" Press, may be as fast..
The key is the ease of "a Few, Fast"

[psweigle]

I'm most likely an odd ball in that I STILL use my Lee loaders. I have a hand press, and dies of course, but going to a cabin, or on the go as it were, I grab the Lee loaders. The only other thing you really need is a striking device. I do carry a pocket scale and calipers but even those aren't really necessary.

[hoodat]

I just set my grandson up with a basic reloading kit. I had an extra RCBS JR or Special press, 38 Spec. dies, Lyman manual,---
For powder I gave him a pretty good electronic scale and a full Lee Powder Scoop kit. I also included a bunch of my home-made scoops made from empty cartridges. One of these scoops was right for the load I started him with.

As we started loading, I had him using the scoop and tossing loads on the scale before filling the case. It's satisfying to see that the vast majority of charges were accurate to the 1/10th grain right from the scoop. Also that there is no way for him to over charge when using the right scoop. jd

[openbook]

Lee loaders don't have any adjustment besides seating depth so how can you make adjustments to amount to the differences between rifles?

More that the Lee Loaders have quite a few "adjustable parameters," but only one adjustment to the loader—the screw adjustment for seating depth. Other adjustments are made with the mallet.

As to the differences between rifles - I don't usually take multiple rifles of the same caliber to the range. But if I did, I wouldn't have an issue reloading the brass fired in one, for one, and the brass fired in the other, for the other. Maybe you meant different calibers? For different calibers no doubt you need a different Lee Loader for each. On the other hand, they're about the same price as a Lee 3-die set ($40), and even more packable.

"run of ten cartridges with different headspace for accuracy testing” What does this mean?

Variable Headspace is the only thing that the Lee Loader cannot do...as they do not push the shoulder back...That I know of.

Both right. I meant bullet jump and not headspace. Edit complete to my post above.

I'm most likely an odd ball in that I STILL use my Lee loaders. I have a hand press, and dies of course, but going to a cabin, or on the go as it were, I grab the Lee loaders.

I still haven't wrapped my head around the severe dislike some have for the Lee Loaders.

The key is the ease of "a Few, Fast"

Exactly!

[racepres]

I just set my grandson up with a basic reloading kit. I had an extra RCBS JR or Special press, 38 Spec. dies, Lyman manual,---
For powder I gave him a pretty good electronic scale and a full Lee Powder Scoop kit. I also included a bunch of my home-made scoops made from empty cartridges. One of these scoops was right for the load I started him with.

As we started loading, I had him using the scoop and tossing loads on the scale before filling the case. It's satisfying to see that the vast majority of charges were accurate to the 1/10th grain right from the scoop. Also that there is no way for him to over charge when using the right scoop. jd

I do Not own a digital scale that is truly accurate under a tenth of a grain.. my eyes Used to be good for under a tenth on a Balance Beam...at eye level Only.. I shoot a Jillion more thrown (by Volume) charges than weighed... I weigh my "method" and maintain uniform methodology..
if ya don't trust yerself... just like with a Powder dispenser...Check from time to time... a tenth variance???? prolly as good as yer Digital scale can do anyway!!!!

All that to say... I don't/wouldn't, Carry a caliper nor a scale... Scoops are just fine for My Use...

[hoodat]

I've gotta log another vote for the Hand Press I guess. This afternoon, I found 200 218 Bee brass in a bag with my own note saying they were FL sized, trimmed to length, primed with Win SR primers and ready to reload. I set up my powder measure and filled them all with 13 gr.. of IMR 4227, and grabbed the Lee Hand Press. Set my seating die in about two minutes, and sat down in the living room and watched/listened to a western while seating 35 gr. V-max's in every case. The hand press was as quick and accurate as my other press's would have been, and I sat on the couch while doing it.

I never buy 218 factory stuff, but I believe they're about 2 bucks a pop -- if you can find them. A rather productive Sunday afternoon (or about an hour) on the couch. jd

[Recycled bullet]

"As to the differences between rifles - I don't usually take multiple rifles of the same caliber to the range. But if I did, I wouldn't have an issue reloading the brass fired in one, for one, and the brass fired in the other, for the other. Maybe you meant different calibers? For different calibers no doubt you need a different Lee Loader for each. On the other hand, they're about the same price as a Lee 3-die set ($40), and even more packable. "

I like to at least partially full length size to guarantee function in multiple guns of identical chambering.

The Lee loader only neck sizes so reloading the brass from multiple different guns and expecting them to work interchangeably probably isn't going to work well and I think may be problematic like hard to close bolt etc.


My lee Enfield visibly blows the shoulder on new brass forward. Head space is the rim thickness.

Periodic Partial full length sizing and a regular use of a collet neck sizer has made the brass last significantly longer.

I only went to the effort in learning and applying all that from the difficulty locating prvi partizan 303 in 2015. That was about an impossible task haha!

I learned reloading with lee loaders in 38 special and 303 British for an untastefully sporterized no.4 mk1 recycling new cartridges fired in those guns.
I still got eight reload cycles before I ran into the wall and had to source a full length sizer.

How much unnecessary hardship and pain would I have experienced trying to reload machine gun fired 7.62 or 308 back then, with lee loaders, not knowing what I know now??

By the way the Lee hand press eats all my brass, tens of thousands of hand loads, all in my hands.

9mm, 38s, 308s 303s, other rifles. Everything I load passes through the hand press.

I love my lee hand press.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Gosh, Personally I would go for this one. VVV I might be just a little biased, but since I was holding a Lee Hand Press when I designed mine I took care of all the little short comings of Lee's design. This one is better, buti t also costs more.

However if I was only loading one caliber I would be doing it with a Lee Classic Loader. It is the simplest way to reload brass cartridges there is. I got my first one in 1971 and still have it.

You can fit an entire reloading kit with everything necessary including powder, primers and bullets and of course the Plastic Mallet in to a small tool bag. Add a few other little tools like a Small Digital Powder Scale, Case Deburring Tool and Primer Pocket Cleaner and maybe a Hand Priming Tool and you are good to go.

This whole set up would weigh less than 5 lbs. and take up very little space and you could reload your ammo anywhere. What's better than that?

Randy

[Chena]

With limited space or if moving frequently I would choose the Lee hand press, Lee Pacesetter dies, Lee case trimmer, case lube and a powder funnel. Nothing else. Used consistently the powder measure will give adequate repeat accuracy. With a hundred cases, a pound of powder and 250 primers the entire set would fit in a medium size tool box.

[racepres]

Gosh, Personally I would go for this one. VVV I might be just a little biased, but since I was holding a Lee Hand Press when I designed mine I took care of all the little short comings of Lee's design. Randy

The sincerest form of Flattery..and saves engineering costs..

[rintinglen]

I started with the wack-a-mole, but I would never go back to that. I have both the Buchanan and the Lee Hand Press, now. I take the Buchanan if I want to ladder test at the range. I size and prime the cases at home, then dispense powder at the range from a RCBS Uniflo Powder measure and seat (and crimp, if loading for a lever action) on the Buchanan. The Lee I use now for decapping before cleaning while listening to old radio programs, but for about a year, everything I loaded was done with the Lee. For throw-in-a-bugout-bag use, I have a Lyman 310 that will let me sit around the campfire and make ammo.

[Green Frog]

Yep, going back to the original question, there were insufficient fences around it and we each took flights of fancy, each according to his personal bias. If one wants to know which to choose, Lee Loader or Lee Hand Press, he has to set his parameters… how and why (not to mention where) it will be used if loading different cartridges at home, assuming the lack of a bench, the Hand Press will shine. If one wants to load a few rounds of one or two calibers in the kitchen or cabin, my choice would be the Lee Loader. As an aside, bench resters a half century ago showed this could be effective on their bench at the range using their Lee Target Loaders, “Zero Error”.

Since the thread has devolved into a wider study, I agree that for hand press users, the press from Randy B beats the Lee, and for most “non-press” apps, I prefer the Lyman 310 tool unless doing precise target loading, then I’d go with the Lee Target Loader. As with all things, YMMV!

Froggie

[W.R.Buchanan]

The sincerest form of Flattery..and saves engineering costs..

Oh there was plenty of Engineering as I increased the Mechanical Advantage of the tool by about 40% along with strait line pressure on the Ram, Primer cup, LNL feature, and all CNC Machined Parts.

Also mine will stand up by itself as opposed to the Lee tool which needs help.

Randy

[Recycled bullet]

Oh there was plenty of Engineering as I increased the Mechanical Advantage of the tool by about 40% along with strait line pressure on the Ram, Primer cup, LNL feature, and all CNC Machined Parts.

Also mine will stand up by itself as opposed to the Lee tool which needs help.

Randy

What is your solution to the spent primer handling problem?

The Lee uses a small machined area inside the ram to store popped out primers during the resizing operation.

It required frequent evacuation during my last batch of 1K 9mm I prepared for the wet tumbler operation.