Lee Loader Feeedback

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I have a Lee Loader on the way to help curb the high cost of rifle ammo. For only $25, sure seems like a way to get away from 1 buck a round for plinking with the 30/30 and 30.06.

Does anybody have any experience with bottle neck rounds (30.06, 308, 223) reloaded with the Less Loader when used in either auto feed or pump action guns? It seems the Loader does not put a crimp at the bullet to case interface, which can lead to hang ups when cycling the action. From what I have heard, its best to use the Lee Loader with either virgin brass or used bras that was fired out of the gun you were reloading - something about the resizing of the case.
 
I have a 308 Lee Loader. It actually makes very good ammo, but it is very slow. I can't remember if mine crimps. I think the ammo I loaded with it worked in a semi-auto since that is all I had when I used it.

You will need a big rubber or plastic mallet, and a piece of wood.
 
I got started on reloading ages ago using a Lee Loader. It is a very simple tool that only partially sizes cases. You will need to purchase a rubber/plastic tipped hammer and some case sizing lube to go with it. You will also need to select a suitable powder by examining your choices on the enclosed load chart and some bullets of the proper weight to be used with the powder. Stick with bullets with a cannelure to make sure you don't exceed overall length of the cartridge.

The kit is composed of a plastic carrying case, a decapping rod (for removal of the primer), base with opening for depriming, die for partial sizing and steel ram rod for removal of the case from the die, bullet seater/priming base, a dipper for throwing powder charges and a chart with formulae as to the quantity of powder and bullet weight that can be used with the charge.

If memory serves me correctly, you sparingly lube the case to aid removal once it is partially sized, use the hammer to drive the case in the and the rod to remove it. With the case resting on the seater primer, you put a primer in the indentation and seat the case on top and tap the case with the hammer to seat the primer. Use the scoop to throw the charge and then seat the bullet.

As somebody pointed out is a slow labor intensive process and only useful for loading small quantities of ammunition with limited powder selection. Also because it only partially sizes ammunition, the ammunition will only be useful to the single gun you are loading for due to differences in manufacturing tolerances.

If you decide you seriously want to reload ammunition you will abandon the use of the Lee Loader in very short order.
 
Buy some Imperial Die wax. It will make this process much easier, although it's still going to be tough for the large .308 cases, especially if you want to load with the slightly thicker military cases.

If you shoot a lot, you are not going to be happy with the Lee Loader. The single stage press makes life SO much easier. Pounding cases into the Lee Loader dies gets old real fast. Check out the Lee Anniversary kits once you get tired of the hand loader.

Oh yeah - I wouldn't recommend using the Lee Loader for seating primers. It's worth the $10-$15 to get a Lee or RCBS priming tool. Pounding primers in with a hammer is a bit nerve racking for me!
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I started with a Lee loader for my 22-250 back in the early 70's. They will load quite nice ammunition. I added an inexpensive powder scale and the Lee hand priming tool. I didn't trust the scoop and as was mentioned, the primer seating is not the best as it comes.

The Lee loader only neck sizes. No lube is required. I wouldn't suggest one for an auto-loader. As you heard, virgin brass would be fine. As the case is fully expanded and not resized at all there could be extraction/chambering issues with an auto-loader. Special under size full length resizing dies are often used for auto-loaders. Neck sizing only is never recommended.

Ed
 
I've had my lee loader about a week and I highly recommend it.

It is simple to use and gives very good results (pump 30.06 is what I'm using it for). Takes about a minute to prep and load a round.

For those who do not like the high cost of ammo but think reloading is too expensive, complicated and time consuming, you need to look into this option. I'm now paying about 20 cents a round for 30-06.
 
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