Incredible video! I love loading 45 colt. Especially simpler ways. Plus black powder 45 colt is almost therapeutic to shoot at the range. Thanks for sharing. I do some 45 colt ballistics tests and ammo reviews on my channel. I even mess around with roundball 45 colt from my open top conversions. Just subscribed to your channel.
great video. only two things I would do differently, would be to fill the "gap" which is the space between the back of bullet and powder itself, with a, wad, cream of wheat, or corn meal. try keeping a compression on black powders. Second thing I do, would be, try expanding the case mouth just a little Pryor to seating the bullet. And remember, too much case lube, can actually wrinkle your brass. takes just a tab. your video makes me want one of these again, takeing it slow, and enjoying the reloading process.
Man, this brings back memories. I started in handloading 40 years ago with a Lee set like yours in .38 special. One day I was seating a primer with that rod, and the primer went off shooting the rod right out of my hand. I'm also reminded of how much more convenient it was when I went to a simple single stage press. No hammering is good! Many thanks.
We started out the same way but loaded up the 30-06 and when I primed the same way, it to went off. I had a dark ring on my hand, the rod went straight up and landed in a open container of powder.
I started out this way over 46 years ago. If you add a simple balance beam ot electronic powder scale you can tailor your loads using modern smokless powder, just use a good reloading manual. As was mentioned before slightly flare those case mouths, just enough so that the bullet can barely enter the case then load the bullet....crimp and done. Just don't over due that flare, it will over work the brass case.
Thanks Jack, nice video! I like these Lee Loaders because they help me to take my time and do each bullet right. Very relaxing way to spend a few hours. I never have had blow up problems like I hear happen. Must be lucky or something.
I hear you are supposed to use black powder lube on your bullet, and that they actually make black powder bullets with extra deep channels for the lube to sit in. Apparently without the extra black powder lube a few shots bakes crud into the rifling of your barrel that is very hard to clean out. Very good info on how to use a simple single casing loading tool though!
Nice work! Very informative. I have wanted to start reloading but the initial cost was too steep. After watching your video I looked up the Lee classic reloader for 45 colt. The price is right and your demonstration convinced me I can do it. Thank you.
Great video, but I have 2 questions. 1) do you need a flaring tool before seating the bullet, and 2) is this loader suitable for lever action rifles?? Some say it is not. Thanks
He forgot the flaring tool. He would not need to hit it that hard if he had used the flaring tool. It`s all good in the cowboy world. We are kind to all.Have a great day.
First- Always wear a glove on your left hand while setting the primer (sometimes the primer goes off and it can burn your hand), Second- Flare the case mouth before seating your bullet (you can easily destroy the mouth of the case if you don't!), Third -When sizing the case, turn the head down on the hard surface and tap the die using that soft hammer. this will prevent mutilated cases) I learned these things by experience using the Classic Lee Loader
Is there no provision with your loader for expanding/belling the case mouth prior to bullet seating? Not sure, but I thought I heard you say the bullet was 250 "grams" -- it's actually "grains".
A new Lee Classic Loader for 45 Colt should come with a case lip flaring tool to use before seating the bullet but, I didn't see it being used in the video.
JackWould work better with a lead bullet properly lubed for black or black substitute. Without lube terrible fouling after one or two shots. Also make sure no air gap between powder and bottom of bullet.
Looks good to me. I just started this year also. 38special and 45 colt. Great way to spend a rainy day! Will eventually try black powder loads. Good luck and enjoy. BTW I use chap stick as a case lube when resizing.
Wow I never knew it was just this easy… I always thought you needed like a bunch of tools and a special machine to do this but I guess that’s just for the fancy pants guys haha 😂
Hope you can help me. I purchased a Lee Loader (.45 Colt) and upon opening it, I noticed the Main Body is stamped "LEE - 45 ACP - D2" The kit came with the flaring tool which indicates it is for the 45 colt. Did I receive the wrong Main Body in the kit?
Was there a step missed to flair the cartridge mouth before the powder charge and setting the bullet? The short rod maybe??? It would have made it easier to start the bullet into the top of the cartridge, I think.🤔
Glad you love it I got hooked too I jumped right in with Lyman’s brass smith 8 turret press kit never reloaded before but glad I got what I got I’ve done 400 rounds of 30 30 so far picked up a 1851 colt navy in 44 and am now thinking of 1860 colt army with a conversion cylinder and the will start reloading black powder like you get the Lyman gear or something similar it’s an investment for the rest of your life you will be waking up at 2am and going to the reloading bench like me
My "anvil" is a 6 inch by 1 inch thick piece of steel. I set it on a piece of dense foam rubber, then cover the steel with a piece of leather. It keeps down the noise greatly. I started using this method back in the early 70s in my barracks to keep from disturbing everyone else. I use Trailboss powder in my 45 Uberti. It measures easily and doesn't build up excessively high pressures.
Deburr the case neck, will ease bullet seat and let the crimp collapse a little more. Fingernail polish will seal the primer from the outside. Nice video, thanks a lot!
Good job,just ordered the Lee precision 90254 Classic loader 9mm luger,going to try my hand at this,never reloaded a bullet in my life.Now to figure out which powder,which bullet,which primer????? I would like to cast my own bullets one day also,that's probably a whole nother story in this reloading scheme of things.
I reload .45 Colt this way using Unique, Trail Boss, or Pyrodex. Press your primers in with an arbor press. No pops. Just learned to reload .45 acp with Unique, a little trickier to do. Case mouth tension has to be just right or bullet setback can happen, increasing pressure.
35gr of BP is a good cowboy load. Depends on what gun your using. If it's for a BP revolver you need to use a cardboard and a lubed wad and another wad on top four your lubed one. Like a sandwich. If it's for a modern 45 your good with just the cased bullet. ALWAYS REMEMBER: A BP load should never have an air gap. Your not using true black powder so I'm not sure but a gap in a BP load = pipe bomb. It's an explosive and not a propellant! That's all they had until 1873. That's when smokeless powder was introduced. Always be careful. I would finish filling your case with cream of wheat or a product called Pufflon. Compress BP. Hate to see ya get hurt.
You need a black powder type lube for *any* revolver used with black powder loads. Doesn't need to be fancy -- a lube sandwich is good, but a cast bullet with a good size lube groove filled with 50:50 mix of lard and beeswax will work pretty well. Even smearing some lube in the open end of the chambers, like with a cap and ball revolver, will work (and will work with jacketed bullets like those in this video). The lube prevents leading and keeps the fouling soft. Same applies with Pyrodex -- it's got sulfur in it, so you need natural lube, and you certainly need lube to keep the fouling manageable. Also same rule for air space -- air space in the load is bad. Won't always cause explosion, but it's a bad habit to get into.
how well does it seat on the powder? everyone knows (that shoots BP) there isn't suppose to be space or its in effect, a pipe bomb. what's used as fill?
That Guy when using Black powder or subs u have to make sure it fills the case up to where the bullet seats. some folks use felt wads to take up space. Nothing like shooting bp out of a 1873 pattern revovler!!
On the 45 colt the powder can fill the entire case or you can use a fill or a wad, but it’s perfectly fine to use 35-40 grains of 3f and depending on bullet weight one of those will fill the whole case with powder.
It seemed that when you were seating the bullet there were several taps that didn't move the bullet. Then the bullet dropped quickly into place. I wonder if you would find it easier if you flared the mouth of the casing first. I think the Lee classic loader for revolver calibers should have a mouth flaring tool included. Mine for .38 sp does.
.45 colt should not have the case flared.If the case is supposed to be flared prior to bullet insertion Lee includes a flaring tool in the classic loader kit.
Another pretty good video. My kit never came with a flaring tool, so I just use an inverted bullet (which is designated as my flaring tool and never loaded into a casing). I then use a bullet puller to dislodge the bullet. Voila, the casing is ready to accept a new bullet. :)
Well if you do things right, you can reload for as cheap as it costs to get/make powder and new primers/ingredients for diy priming compound.. Melt down lead to Mould your own bullets, buy or make gunpowder, get new/or recycled primers, and a few hours to kill, you can stock up on a pretty supply of full power Black Powder cartridges for a fraction of the cost/time of working to buy new underpowered factory 'cowboy" plinkers... ^.-.^
There are instructions with loads in the kit using various powders. There also is a Lee dipper included if your loading by volume which for all the powders listed is .7cc. There are no loads listed for BP or BP substitutes. You will need a reloading manual for BP for that. Lyman makes an excellent BP reloading manual. Spend the few dollars on a manual. Use only published data when reloading. Not something someone posted online.
Depends on how you get your gun powder, primers and bullets really. If you buy new premade bullets, gun powder, and primers, you could cut your ammo costs in half or more. If you make your own bullets from lead/lead-alloy could cut that price in half or more again. If you make your own gunpowder, even more savings. Recycle old primer cups and anvils and make your own priming compound from base ingredients, you can shave your cost to near zero. You can spend several days moulding bullets, mixing up gunpowder and primers (carefully on that last part) and reload hundreds if not thousands of your own full power Cowboy cartridges. Or, you can spend time working a job, and spend your hard earned money on a fraction of factory made, underpowered 'cowboy action" plinkers.. You can do it yourself and save loads of dosh, all it takes is time, a little Cowboy Chemistry and a willingness to do it yourself. ^.-.^
