Lee Loader for loading noob?

[DeaconBlues]

I have never reloaded anything. I have a Winchester 94 in 357, and I just bought a Winchester (Miroku) 1873 in 357. Seems like a good time to start a bit of reloading. I don't want to invest a ton of money in loading equipment, but these Lee Loaders look inexpensive, fun and easy.

 

Would this be a good choice? I was thinking I could get a 38 Special powder measure and make my own 357 cowboy loads. The Lee site says their loader neck-sizes only, so they don't recommend it for levers. I have no idea what that means but I see a lot of people using it for their lever guns anyway.

[Sleepy Floyd]

I have a Lee turret. So far so good.

 

S. Floyd

[Rio Brazos Kid]

Looks like you bought a 1st class rifle. Very good choice.

 

Lee loader?? Anything less than a Loadmaster progressive press, or the Pro 1000 progressive press, and you have made a bad mistake. These presses along with the appropriate accessories will serve you well. Anything less would be going primitive.

 

RBK

[Ace_of_Hearts]

You will find that a Lee Loader is NOT what you are looking for in a reloading tool for Cowboy Action Shooting no matter what size mallet you buy to use with it.

 

Even a single stage reloading press is hampering yourself when it comes to reloading the 120 rounds+ per day you will be shooting in cowboy matches.

If you have no or little experience with reloading I would recommend any of the turret presses from most any manufacturer (Including Lee which has an auto rotation feature). Mate this with a good experienced cowboy mentor to show you the basics and you will be well on your way to saving money AND having fun doing it.

[Warden Callaway]

Go for it. The Lee hand loading box kits are inexpensive and a good way to get down the basics of reloading. Investment wise, they will pay for themselves in the first couple hundred you load.

 

I still have about a dozen sets of these reloading tools from years ago when I'd buy one to load for a gun I'd just bought.

 

Neck sizing. That is generally talking about bottleneck cases like 30-30, not typical handgun cases like 38, 44, etc. I don't think you would have a problem with low pressure 38 cowboy loads in your Winchester.

 

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

A Lee Classic Turret press is a great investment.

 

http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/814175/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Reloading+-+Metallic+Reloading+Presses-_-Lee-_-814175&gclid=Cj0KEQiAjMC2BRC34oGKqY27jtkBEiQAwSXzfr5po9Nq6iUozRaHVh0FNCicUZUQ1NWp_J8e6KFkwmQaAjBA8P8HAQ

 

Even if you move up to a dillon sometime later, you will still use your Lee.

 

I have 2 Dillon 550s, and I still use mind.

 

It makes quality ammo, and is not very expensive to buy.

 

A Classic and a set of Lee 38/357 dies will not set you back a fortune, and you will load thousands or rounds of ammo that will work great in your rifles and pistols. Get the cast iron classic -- it's worth the extra $20 over the cheaper model.

--Dawg

[Tom Bullweed]

Ibhave ben loading on Lee single-stage presses since 1986, including nearly twenty years of IPSC, bullseye and cowboy shooting. In a cartridge like a .357, I expect to load 100-120 rounds per hour. Progressive set ups will be much faster, probably around 300 per hour or more. I enjoy loadin and the simplicity of the set up for single stage presses.

You have to decide what is right for you.

The Lee Loader kit might be useful for the occasional loader shooting 10 rounds a month or soemone who needs to load in the field. A good option for a new reloader is a Lee Anniversary kit. They come with press, powder thrower, spoons, scale, a hand trimmer and the Lee manual.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

Also, I can recommend the 6th edition of the ABCs of reloading by C. Rodney James.

The one with the Lee loading press on the cover

You can get them used off amazon for under $10 shipped

It's great for a beginning reloader, and takes you step-by-step through the process.

Don't get the older ones by Dean Grennel -- they do not help the newbie much.

 

--Dawg

[Warden Callaway]

Also I recommend starting with a bulky powder that's impossible to double charge and not as critical on precise measure.

[Deputy Spenser Hawk]

Buy once, cry once. I am using a dillon 550b. Very happy. My son in law is using a lee pro 1000. He is very pleased. U will shoot more so to have to reload more.

[Carolina Gunslinger]

Buy a Dillon reloading machine and get the ammunition ahead of the demand of the rifle. Your rifle will out consume the ability of a Lee loader to make ammo.

[Sparky Nelson]

For cowboy shooting, plinking, or some other form of shooting that uses a lot of ammo in a hurry, I think you'd get tired of whacking a Lee Loader enough to keep up with the demand. (The whole point of reloading isn't to save money, it's to be able to SHOOT MORE for the same price.) The Lee Loader would be fine if you just wanted to develop a custom load for a hunting rifle, or something else you'd shoot only a couple dozen rounds a month.

 

I started with a Lee turret press and quickly moved up to a Lee Loadmaster progressive press. On the turret press it takes 4 pulls on the lever to make one round of ammunition; on the progressive press it takes one pull per round. If you're going to be shooting multiple hundreds of rounds per month a progressive press is the way to go. If a hundred or so rounds per month is more likely then a turret press will do that on a Sunday afternoon with time to spare.

 

I use my progressive press for my bulk cowboy ammo (.45 Colt) and practice ammo for my semi-autos. I use the turret press for lower volume stuff like .45-70 rifle ammo. (I don't have the shoulders to shoot 100 rounds of THAT stuff in a month!)

 

All that aside, I've found Lee equipment to be a little fussy to set up and keep running well. I know Dillon progressive presses are very popular around here. If you've got the means, you might consider just going for that instead of nickel-and-diming yourself every few months as you build up in half steps toward a working system. That's not to say Lee gear -won't- work, it's just that you'll have to learn way more about machinery than maybe you intended. If you enjoy that (and I do) Lee is fine. But if all you want is maximum ammo with minimum fuss, another brand of loader may be in order.

[Jess Money]

Ibhave ben loading on Lee single-stage presses since 1986, including nearly twenty years of IPSC, bullseye and cowboy shooting. In a cartridge like a .357, I expect to load 100-120 rounds per hour. Progressive set ups will be much faster, probably around 300 per hour or more. I enjoy loadin and the simplicity of the set up for single stage presses.

You have to decide what is right for you.

The Lee Loader kit might be useful for the occasional loader shooting 10 rounds a month or soemone who needs to load in the field. A good option for a new reloader is a Lee Anniversary kit. They come with press, powder thrower, spoons, scale, a hand trimmer and the Lee manual.

 

I've the same experience with my Lee single stage but admittedly, not for that many years. I'm comfortable with the press and it certainly isn't complicated. I'm set up to load .38's and I can knock out 120 rounds in under an hour. Initial cost was very reasonable and it's paid for itself

many times over.

[Your Nemesis]

The lee anniversary kit is an inexpensive way to get into loading. My son in law loaded on one for several years and he shot idpa at least once a week. Then he married my daughter and she also shoots so bought a hornady progressive. ( the added expense of getting married ya gotta love it)

[Griff]

I have a Lee Loader. Got along with the purchase of a rifle too many years ago to count. It's NEVER been used, even by the guy I got it from, for good reason. I keep it simply as reminder as to how primitive it can get! Neck sizing means basically, the only part of the case that's being resized is that portion where the bullet goes. Necessary for bullet retention in the case. In levers or autoloaders you have very little control over how a cartridge enters the chamber, (with bolt actions or revolvers you can manually insert the cartridge, orienting it the same every time).

 

If you're looking to save money, shop on one of the used/ad sites (Ebay/Craigslist among others), for deals. Often times you might find old/new stock that have all the instructions still in their original packaging. Can't hurt to shop awhile.

[Hollywood]

I just went through this exact decision process. I had never reloaded anything in the past but I knew that my wife and I would be burning through lots of 38 Special now that we've started Cowboy Action Shooting this year. And during the orientation session prior to our first match, our instructor let us try his home-brew light loads, and I was amazed at how much faster they could be shot with the revolver as compared to the factory loads we had planned to use.

 

I never even thought about a single stage press, though. Even though some said start with one and then work your way to a progressive, I chose to go immediately to the progressive. After much deliberation I wound up buying a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP.

 

I knew that it would be a little daunting at first - what were the necessary parts and accessories to buy with the press and how to set it up. I had a few little delays (dang, I wish someone had told me I also needed to buy a specific shell plate along with the necessary dies), but soon all necessary parts were in hand. Now how to set up the dies (cue "deer in the headlights" look).

 

Well even they weren't too bad. I ended up going with all Hornady products for the press, and the instructions were very reasonable for starting points for a novice. Unfortunately my starting point for the sizer/decapper was not right and I ended up breaking a pawl during set-up, but Hornady had seen fit to include 1 extra one with the press, so I could continue.

 

Looking at reloading handbooks and internet resources, and measuring factory ammo, I was able to come up with load data I wanted, and start producing usable ammo. That first range trip with my initial batch of 50 reloads was tentative - Even though I was using a Powder Cop die to ensure correct powder drops, I was still very worried that ammo I had made in my shed would work, without squibs or other issues. But surprise, surprise - It all shot perfectly. Happy camper (cowboy)!

 

To date I have only loaded ammo to use in our revolvers as the OAL of the cartridges I am making might be too short to function in the lever action rifles. I haven't even had the chance to check this yet, but my plan was to shoot our factory LRN in the rifles, and custom load for the pistols (until the stock of factory stuff is gone).

 

I will have to say that I am really glad to have finally started reloading (after a whole bunch of fellow shooters worked on me for a while to start). I still have that new reloader's giddiness as I am walking in from the shed, carrying a couple hundred new rounds, and thinking "I made this ammo!"

 

I like my Hornady press, and I am sure that I would have liked an equivalent Dillon if I had chosen to go that route. But the Hornady seemed like the better choice economically for me. Albeit that might be false economy as I then purchased the automatic case feeder, and I think that took me to about the same price as the Dillon. But buy once, cry once is most likely the best economical way to go.

 

I think that I personally would be frustrated using a single stage press. Yes, there is a lot going on for a new reloader to set up and watch on a progressive press, but it is not unmanageable. And once you get things dialed in, you can crank out some pretty good amounts of ammo in a session.

 

So even as a noob, don't limit yourself to a press you might outgrow quickly. The Lock-N-Load AP is a quite reasonably priced progressive press which will grow with your needs, and while a little more expensive, a Dillon would also do the same. Maybe also look at the Dillon Square Deal B?

[Hoss]

I use a Loadmaster for 38sp, can load 300 rounds an hour or so. For 45-70, 45 Schofeild, 32 SW, 38SW, I use a Lee turrent press. can do 100-150/hr on it. their turrents are progressive as well, but it does take 4 pulls of the handle to make a bullet. suggest, if you go turrent, get the classic cast model. aabout $20 more than the "value model" but worth it

 

Check out Titan reloading for the best process I have found on Lee products. http://www.titanreloading.com/index.php?route=common/home

 

A lot of folks brag on Dillon presses, and I'm sure they are very good, but the Loadmaster will make just as good ammo, for 1/3 the cost. Some say they are too finicky, and hard to adjust. It took me about 1000 rounds to get all the bugs worked out. since then no real problems. I usually pull it apart for a good cleaning about every 3000 rounds.

 

Whatever press you use, your loading practices will dictate the quality of your ammo. Establish a routine, then stick to it. You can't watch TV, talk on the phone, eat, drink, watch the kids etc and make good ammo. (At least I can't!)

 

Reloading can be an enjoyable pastime. I'll admit I enjoy unloading them more, but I have found I rather enjoy the solitude of my loading bench, and I sure like the money I've saved!

[Sparky Nelson]

If you're looking to save money, shop on one of the used/ad sites (Ebay/Craigslist among others), for deals. Often times you might find old/new stock that have all the instructions still in their original packaging. Can't hurt to shop awhile.

 

I'd advise caution there. I bought a "complete" Loadmaster kit that somebody had helpfully removed the dies from. (It was advertised as having a set of .357 Mag dies.) I reported it to the seller and he said he'd give me a refund if I'd ship it back to him. Fair enough, but the cost of shipping was the same as buying a set of dies so I just kept it. (In fairness to the seller, the kit was given to him by a friend and he didn't inventory it before offering it to sell. The box was taped shut so he assumed it was still complete.)

 

Buying individual parts on eBay is fine, or if you know what should be included in a kit and can ask the seller if it's there, but for a beginner I'd suggest going to a reputable retailer or the manufacturer if they do direct sales.

[Knarley Bob]

Back in the day, I started with the "Mallet Press" that LEE makes. It did the job, but it is slow going. It's a good way to learn reloading, but it's gonna get real old, real fast.

My Dad bought me a used LEE 3 hole turret press, twenty some years ago, it's still my most used press.

In the loading room I have 2 load -pro 1000's, the turret, a single stage and 3 MEC shot shell presses.

 

The load Pros can be a pain if they wake up cranky. But at this time they are just singin'. Have one for .357 & one for .45 Colt.

 

The turret on the other hand serves to load every other caliber I have ( which is quite a few from .223 to 45-70)

I use it to compress Black Powder for long range, de-capping/resizing, and push thru sizing bullets. It can be used as a single stage press by removing the twisted rod that spins the turret,(not hard to do & completely, reversible). To doing two functions, de-capping/resizing & belling the mouth by manually turning the turret by hand. The press is solid, and simple to use, the only adjusting is the height of the dies. I have mine set up so changing calibers is as simple as changing "Turret Pucks" and shell holder. To give you an idea, it took me longer to type changing the "pucks" than it takes to change them.

 

 

The load pros are a different beast altogether. When they are working right, they are a pleasure to run. When they are being a poop, not so much. There is a lot going on, all at one time, and you have to keep an eye on every thing at once. And they are more on the line of a dedicated caliber press. Yes you can change them, I've had mine for 6 years or so and have never changed them. But is kind of complicated, and one would have to re-time the beast.

 

BUT, first things first, get a good loading manual or three. MAKE SURE YOU READ IT, MORE THAN ONCE!!! I have 6 that I have acquired over the years, and I use them all. You shouldn't load any thing with out the manual.

A good scale, one that has a damper. The dippers are, OK, but a scale is a no-brainer. A powder trickler is a good thing, so would be a powder drop measure. (But that can wait, but it does speed things up)

LEE has a number of "starter" kits, they deserve a hard look, well worth the price.

 

I know I sound like a "LEE" rep. I assure you I'm not, even tho all my presses are red. I bought those two Load-Pro's for what I'd of paid for ONE Blue one, and had change left over.

 

I hope this helps, I know it's kind of over whelming at first.....IT DOES GET BETTER.

 

Knarley

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

I would advise you to buy a new press.

Since you are just starting out, you need to learn how to reload, and complicating the issue with broken/missing/out of adjustment presses and press parts is just what you don't need.

I didn't have shooting buddies to show me how to do everything.

I had to figure it all out myself.

--Dawg

[Ranger Clayton Conagher #43872]

The lee anniversary kit is an inexpensive way to get into loading. My son in law loaded on one for several years and he shot idpa at least once a week. Then he married my daughter and she also shoots so bought a hornady progressive. ( the added expense of getting married ya gotta love it)

 

I bought the anniversary kit when I got started 14 years ago and it has served me well all these years. If you attend only one maybe two matches per month and you are in no hurry it is awesome. Over the winter I will go through and de-prime all my brass and then re-prime while I watch TV. Then come spring I have a bucket full of brass ready to go. I can put together 100 shells in less than hour.

[John Boy]

Deacon - buy the Lee load Master for the 38 Spl and don't look back ...

http://www.titanreloading.com/presses/lee-load-master/lee-load-master-pistol-calibers/38-special-357-magnum-lee-load-master-

It comes complete - all you need are brass - primers - powder and bullets

And here's the instructions with a video for operation ...

http://www.titanreloading.com/presses/lee-load-master

[Bad Jeemes Kelly]

The Lee Loader kit might be useful for the occasional loader shooting 10 rounds a month or soemone who needs to load in the field. A good option for a new reloader is a Lee Anniversary kit. They come with press, powder thrower, spoons, scale, a hand trimmer and the Lee manual.

That's what I'd say. A Lee single stage is the dead minimum to start with. I reloaded some on a Lee Loader, a long time ago, and it's only practical ... maybe ... if you want to take it to the range and experiment with loads while shooting them. Even for that, I'd mount a single-stage on a board.

 

I started with the Lee Anniversary kit, too. It's a simple way to get started reloading and all of the stuff that comes with it will remain useful. I still use it for rifle ammo, like .223.

[Sparky Nelson]

I didn't have shooting buddies to show me how to do everything.

I had to figure it all out myself.

 

Me too, although the Wire here provided lots of good advice. A little too much sometimes. (grin) And in spite of what some people may say, Youtube is your friend.

 

For anyone wrangling a Lee Loadmaster, this site here is almost essential: http://loadmastervideos.com/

[Warden Callaway]

I think it comes down to the level of commitment and the volume you think will sustain your needs. The Lee box kit will get your feet wet. A single station press with array of scales and measures is the shallow end. Getting a progressive press is somewhere between deep end and white water rafting.

 

Also, you're budget. I haven't totaled it up but unbox a Dillon 550B with dies, shell plate, other necessary equipment, powder, primers, bullets, etc is probably going to be around a grand before you make a single reload.

[Noz]

I've bee using Lee presses and dies for over 20 years and see no reason to change. I would not recommend starting with the Lee Loader though. Way too slow.

I can go out in the back yard and burn 100 rounds of pistol, 100 rounds of rifle and 50 shotgun in a quick informal practice session. I do try to keep my rifle and pistol shooting the same load.

[Rex M Rugers #6621]

I am coming into this discussion late , but will relay my experience with the Lee Loader. It was the first reloading tool that I had , for 44 Magnum , and was an absolute PITA. Of course , I didn't know that at the time , after my first box of reloads , I thought I was set for life. About the second time I loaded the brass , it wouldn't all chamber. AGGRAVATION. Then a bit later I got an RCBS Jr. and a set of RCBS dies and it was like the clouds parting and sun shining in. Never looked back after that , and that was many thousands of rounds ago , and about 45 years.

Short version ; get at LEAST a good single station press , after that let your depth of pocket decide.

Been there , won't go back on purpose. Rex

[Reckless Roy]

A lot of people look down on Lee equipment, but I have found it to be very reliable. For high volume pistol reloading, I would advise starting with the Classic Turret kit. It has everything you need other than dies, I think. The auto disk powder measure has always worked well for me loading pistol ammo. Once you get used to it you will be able to load close to 200 rounds per hour safely. The Loadmaster is an able press as well. I typically advise against starting with a progressive press, as they are complex and provide many opportunities for a new loader to make mistakes. If you are mechanically inclined and prepared to be very cautious, the Loadmaster will give you greatly expanded production capacity. I have a Dillon Square Deal B, and I find I don't use it that much because I can produce an ample supply ammo for my non-cowboy calibers in a very short time. I still use my Classic Cast a lot, as it is much easier to change calibers, and more practical for making small runs.

[DeaconBlues]

Excellent information, thank you to everyone for your counsel! So, the Lee Loader is out. Two options I like right now are the Lee Turret press, because it seems less intimidating and easier to keep track of what is going on, or possibly the Pro 1000, which from here seems a lot like jumping straight into the deep end.

 

I'm going to be hitting YouTube this weekend and checking out most of the suggested presses. Looks like I have a couple books I need to order as well.

[Warden Callaway]

I don't see this in every gunshops but Grafs retail has about every loading station set up and the staff are all shooters and reloaders. They present an opportunity to compare one model with another.

[Russ T. Sites]

Excellent information, thank you to everyone for your counsel! So, the Lee Loader is out. Two options I like right now are the Lee Turret press, because it seems less intimidating and easier to keep track of what is going on, or possibly the Pro 1000, which from here seems a lot like jumping straight into the deep end.

I'm going to be hitting YouTube this weekend and checking out most of the suggested presses. Looks like I have a couple books I need to order as well.

I like my lee turret, I can change calibers real fast and it can turn out rounds fast enough for me

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

If you have looked at the Lee website, I'm sure you have seen the phrase, "match your loading equipment to your needs." How many rounds a year do you plan to reload a year? I load about 2,500-3,000 of .38 special a year, half for pistol, half for the rifle. I use a Lee 4 hole Turret press . Never had a problem with any of it.

[Slim Jim Hamilton]

I have had a Miroku 73 for 2 years now in 357 Mine will not feed 38' s I tried every oal you can try it still fails. but it feeds even the sloppiest 357 oal After playing around with quite a few sizes I found it like Missouri bullet's in the 125 TCFP favor the best on top of a starline 357 case.

Also I use a Lee hand press and load with a little prep time about 90 to 100 per hour if I set my mind to it. I load 38's 357 45acp 45 colts 38 supers. And 223's all with a cheap lee hand press (the right lee dies) I have a very small work area ( workmate ) and I see no reason to every up grade to a full press and yes I shoot a lot I also use a lee load all 2 for my shot shells

[DeaconBlues]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Dillon Square Deal 'B'? This looks like a pretty good starter.

[Phiren Smoke GUNFIGHTER]

Excellent information, thank you to everyone for your counsel! So, the Lee Loader is out. Two options I like right now are the Lee Turret press, because it seems less intimidating and easier to keep track of what is going on, or possibly the Pro 1000, which from here seems a lot like jumping straight into the deep end.

 

I'm going to be hitting YouTube this weekend and checking out most of the suggested presses. Looks like I have a couple books I need to order as well.

Either of those loaders will serve you for the couple of hundred rounds/week you might use for cowboy matches. Once you get used to it the Pro 1000 would be a faster and believe it or not easier

 

A possible compromise could be to purchase the pro 1000, and start off by manually feeding one shell let it move through the three stages. When a loaded round comes out feed the next empty case and repeat until you are comfortable. I would bet before you load a full box of ammo you will be confidently using it as a full progressive.

 

Just a couple of tips, try not to force the press some resistance is normal, but if it hangs up find the problem. When installing the press make sure it is level. If you need to adding washers under the mounting holes will level it up nicely.

 

Good luck in your quest,

 

Smoke