For 9 years I reloaded with these kits. I immediately made better than factory ammo. I never had a single problem. I had many many enjoyable nights as a teen loading with these wonderful kits. In time I learned to use mild loads so my brass wouldn’t stretch & flow as much. I have upgraded my gear for greater precision & accuracy. But truth be told, I don’t honestly load any faster as I spend way more time on precision case work. It’s been a rewarding enjoyable lifelong hobby & I have my Dad to thank for introducing me to it.
Its good for me to do each step by about 50 catridges at a time and and work em up like that. I love these Lee Loaders because I don't have much money to invest in a serious set up or space for it either, so these things are great!
You might mention that the resizing die only resized the case neck which means if the round was fired in a rifle with a chamber slightly larger then the rifle you plan on shooting the cartridges in, you'll need a mallet to beat on your rifle to chamber the round. In 1982 I was 10 years old and my Dad bought me a Winchester 94 trapper 30-30. I was going to go deer hunting with him for the first time. He had boxes and boxes of 30-30 brass that had been fired in my uncle's rifle. I sat and watched as he reloaded those cartridges for hours. We went to the deer woods a day early to sight my rifle in. I loaded the rifle and worked the lever to chamber a round. The bolt wouldn't close all the way. After much pounding on the lever the bolt finally closed. That rifle really kicked when I was 10. He also reloaded 243 Winchester for use in his rifle. He didn't seat the bullets deep enough so the bullets touched the rifling when he chambered a round. When he unloaded the rifle it pulled the bullet out of the case and spilled all the powder in the action. We didn't have a cleaning rod so instead of being in the woods at the break of dawn opening morning we were driving to Walmart to buy a cleaning rod. It was always something. I didn't kill my first deer until I was eighteen and old enough to hunt by myself although Dad took me every year.
I love Lee Classic Loaders. Over the years, they have made kits for pretty much every cartridge, but unless it's in common use, you need to browse the auction sites for the out of production kits. These kits neck size rifle cartridges. As such lubrication isn't required. However, I will say that lubrication is helpful, always. Since these kits are intended for "one gun only" reloaders, trimming isn't mandatory. However, trimming to proper length is always a good idea. Lee makes caliber specific trimmers for a couple of dollars. Use is straightforward and relatively easy. Lee also says "bolt guns only". Personally, I find that they are quite fine with single shots and lever actions as well. Pump action may or may not work, depending upon the amount of leverage that particular pump has. Of all the action types that will show problems with these kits, semiautomatic rifles are the ones most likely to have failures to feed. I do have some friends who say these kits work for them, but percentage wise, the odds are against it. Pistol cartridges don't seem to have any preference. Typically, most can load a box of 50 per hour. That's a bit more than a minute each. Sounds fine to me. If you stick with the powders and charges listed in the kits, the included dipper is fine. If you want to use an unlisted powder, you need a loading manual, and a complete dipper set - or you need a set of scales. Proper technique with the dipper will give + or - one tenth of a grain, which is the same level of accuracy as an electronic scale. Proper technique means pushing the base of the dipper into the powder and allowing the powder to flow over the rim to fill. Level off, and done. Using the dipper to "scoop" it full of powder will result in much more variation, and is probably why some don't like the dipper technique. My first loader was a Lee Classic. I love them.
In time you will need to re size and cut your case to proper length other wise it won't camber . Lee loaders are awesome and serve a purpose for some who just starting out, but eventually you will need other tools to get the job done . Depends on your shooting , all in all a very enjoyable hobby . Thanks for your video.
Yup, I think I I have maybe reloaded the same 30-06 casing twice. It is definitely a limited application and not meant to be a high volume reloading tool. Thanks for stopping by ;-)
Nice introduction to Lee Loaders. I had one years ago for 12 gauge shotgun, and thinking of getting one for .223. I think you could cut your time and find it more satisfying by having either a solid bench that doesn't vibrate and bounce, or get something heavy like a piece of steel or scrap of granite counter top or even a concrete paving brick to use as an anvil. Put a thin foam pad under it. That'll give you a solid surface to pound on. Less noise, vibration, less things jiggling off the bench.
Javier Fauxnom I'll pound it on my head, that's pretty hard...lol Seriously though, I have a 50 pound steel weight I could use as an anvil, just didn't have it when this video was made.
For those who want to reuse their brass, I would recommend getting a micrometer, measure the overall length of the case before you install the new primer, powder or bullet. Its important to keep the overall case length to the same length as an unfired case. If you find the case is longer, buy a case trimmer, set the trimmer to trim to the length of an unfired case, trim the case, check it with your micrometer and then begin your reload. For those who want shiny brass, a case tumbler with corn husk mead will bring them out like new.
As far as using this at the range is a very good idea especially when you forgot the rest of the ammo and only have one case but not when it costs about the same as a die set for faster reloading. I just wish they made one on 40 S&W.
Necessary tools and materials: Block of wood, rubber hammer or mallet, spent brass and loader kit. Now THAT is my kind of reloading kit. I have been looking at Lee press kits and they seem a bit overkill, and unnecessary unless you want perfect match bullet setting. They're over the top for my budget, mil-surp plinking needs.
I started with a RCBS single stage press just to learn and get comfortable with reloading. I have a Lee 4 hole turret press and it is just right for how much I shoot. I had a Lee progressive press but it was too cumbersome to use. If you are not a competitive shooter I recommend a Lee 4 hole turret press. You can use it like a single stage if you want. The turrets make changing dies so much more convenient.
Honestly it’s beyond me they want a press for 223 Remington for 300-500 dollars and the entire setup press, gunpowder, shell polisher, for like 1,100. I haven’t even seen a 30-06 press nor do I have the room/money for one. These work just as fast if you get a good rhythm
Welcome aboard shipmate😄 When I first created my account, I just wanted to use it so I could comment on other videos. Never intended to post anything myself. I tried several other handles but they were already taken and this one was the first one I tried that wasn't taken.
I have only reloaded about 50 rounds, and have not had primers go off on me, but I am sure it is probably just a matter of time. I use Reloader-7 powder with 150 grain sierra soft tips. I have had good and consistent results with that configuration. Hope that helps.
I love Lee stuff. It is a good value for the price. I did have a problem with a set of .40 cal bullet molds, but Midway exchanged it for me no problem.
Thanks. You can start out cheap witht he Lee loaders and when you decide to get more into it, you can keep the Lee loaders as backup equipment or to take to the range for experimenting.
I figured out a way to speed up depriming . I put deprimer on top of my vise that was open large enough to allow spent primer to fall out then i put a small catch pan underneath it to catch them. I can go through 50 cases pretty fast. It works really quick for shotgun too.
Thanks. I thought about buying a set of dies for it, but I don't plan on reloading a lot of 30-06, so I figures it was a good round to get a Lee Loader for.
Cool ! Thanks, I've often thought about trying a bi - pod for my rifle. I have a Vanguard in 3006 , I'm not too sure if it would be a good idea because of the recoil. That 243 with the bi- pod did real good. That wind is something else ! Good shooting ! I'm a deer hunter too , it's so much fun ! David .
When I first started reloading, I looked into this kit but the single stage press is just that much faster. I would see if you were out in the field, it would come in handy. Good vid.
I was just in a discussion with a new 308 rifle owner that said at 50 cents a round storebought he couldnt make reloading pay. I think I will send him this video link so that he can talk directly to you and the other reloaders for the specific advantages of hand reloading.
@@namelessisepic I used to not clean the brass if it was not too dirty or full of dirt if I picked them up from an outdoor range. They worked fine. Now I clean all my brass just because I have a tumbler, otherwise I would just rinse them with some water and let them dry out if they are dirty.
LOL...I forgot to put that in. $30 for 100 bullets so 30 cents there, $30 for a pound of powder and each round takes 43 gr, so about 18 cents there, a primer is about 1 cent. Total is 49 cents a round. The cheapest factory stuff I found is $17 for 20 rounds or 85 cents a round. a 42% savings!
And 7 years later, the prices have gone down on the bullets and powder! Depending on the powder type but there are dozens of good gun powders to choose from listed in the reloading manual.
I would be glad to give him any information. Hand loading is not for everyone...some people are best to buy pre-made ammo either because of time constraints, space to keep stuff, or are just not that mechanically inclined.
Quick question: how does this work with 150 gr. Cast bullets using one of the Lee molds, when seating the bullet? Does the tip get damaged or does the tool push on the ogive of the bullet instead?
I'm not sure how it does with cast bullets. The recess of the bullet setter does look like it has some curvature in it instead of just being conical, so I can only guess that it can push on the ogive depending on the shape of the bullet used.
7:02 Well just the common ones. I hear they used to be in everything from .32 ACP to 8mm Mauser but they have been condensed to the common cartridges like 5.56, 9mm, and .308 for example. Strangely, they still have kits for .303 British.
I do not reload rifle, it is the whole opportunity cost issue that involves reloading rifle. Pistol on the othter hand mak more sense to me. I just do not shoot enough rifle for me to justify it. I agree with you Salty, in a SHTF/WROL situation, it does make sense. I do have all the components and dies to reload .223 if needed, just in case.
Thanks for the reply and the link for the video . The factory ammo seems to be about right as far as trajectory at 40 yards . It looks like your reload has a little more velocity than the factory. I would think your reload round is still on the rise at 40 yards. What powder did you use ? Are those Berger bullets ? Shooting off the tree and having those groups like that ain't bad at all. I'm new to reloading , I haven't reloaded anything yet , but I do have everything I need . I'm waiting for hunting season. I'm using a RCBS partner press that I have only used to set up my dies , straighten case necks and make dummy rounds to find max lands to bolt face to make bullet jump measurements. I almost bought the Lee loader , the Lee reloads and shooting off the tree is impressive. Thanks , David
David Ray My pleasure! I think I used Reloader 7 powder. I think the bullets were Sierra 150 gr soft tips. I can't remember. I need to find a longer shooting range to put the 30-06 on paper with a more steady rest to see just how accurate the rifle is. My buddy has some property about an hour from me, maybe I can take it out to his place and try.
I can't remember how much powder I used, but primers are about one cent, bullets are anywhere from 18-25 cents each and I think I used about 17 cents worth of power. So one reloaded round costs about 36 to 43 cents each. New factory rounds cost about 85 cents to $1.25 each. pretty decent savings if you shoot a lot, but for convenience, you are probably better off buying factory ammo.
I don’t have an unloaded cartridge that hasn’t been fired to calibrate mine, but I have access to precision measuring instruments. A factory loaded round measures around .334. Could someone let me know what the unloaded neck diameter is?
RainbowCupcakez 69 There really is no standard unloaded neck size. It depends on the chamber size on the rifle it was fired out of as the neck will expand as large as the size of the chamber. Is that what you are asking?
saltyshellback not exactly. I’m reloading some cartridges and I have the neck diameter the perfect size, but the bullet is loose enough to spin , but not loose enough to come out if I pull on it.I suppose I just need crimping? If not I could set the resizing die a few thousandths smaller.
RainbowCupcakez 69 some casing wall thicknesses may be thinner than others or have thinned out over time, so the OD of the neck may be right, but the ID may be larger than nominal because of a thin neck wall. Do you know how many times those casings have been fired?
RainbowCupcakez 69 I personally would go ahead and crimp it a little more to keep the bullet in place, but I'm not a competitive shooter. I guess it depends on whether you are trying to squeeze all the accuracy out of your rifle or just want to hit a target at 100 yards with decent precision. Meaning if you need to crimp the neck smaller, a "purist" may say that the bullet jump from the neck being 0.001" too small can cause inaccuracy. However if you are hunting, it should be accurate enough up to 200 yards. I can hit an 18" target at 300 yards with the reloads I made with the Lee loader. Some of the bullets do seem a bit loose like you described. I am sure the accuracy can only be better at 200 and 100 yards.
Everybody wants to go fast.....this little reloading tool kit is designed to work up a few rounds for accuracy improvement. It is meant to be used for a more meticulous, slower type of loading to perfect a load that will improve the accuracy of your rifle or handgun. The press that he has on his bench is designed to then "crank" out or "mass" produce new cartridges. So yeah, take this kit to the deer camp or add it as an extension in your garage with your other progressive loading press but by all means slow down, relax and enjoy the process. Everybody wants to go too fast and that is a recipe for error which in the handloading/reloading game can be dangerous. Take your time and make good accurate bullets. With today's ammo prices and shortages, you can once again SAVE a good deal of money by reloading. I enjoy using my lee kit in the 243 Winchester. It makes good ammo that is safe so long as you follow directions, pay attention, and take it slow.
The chances of setting off a primer is low unless you either misfeed the primer pocket and really pound on the casing. Also (less likely) if you use the de-capping tool to try to set the primer. I might do a "worse case" video to show what , if anything, will happen if a primer gets set off by doing it wrong.
@John Beige I have only used tis set about 50 times and never had any issues. I don't reload 30-06 much. I do know people who have used these kits more and have never had any issues either. Check out logcanimlooms channel. He has a few videos using these kits.
I bought the Lee hand press.? Must more easier to reload with. No hammer needed.? The Kit is worth the $50.00 Bucks. Plus you need a set of Reloading dies.? For the Caliber you intend to load with.
So the video he mentioned of "Logcabinlooms" using the lee loader was made private or removed, however I did you one betta. Much Mo betta. Here's the inventor of the product showing his technique. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, and he's pretty damn smooth people. Link's below. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UeEl9wZyabc.html
@@saltyshellback No, thank you. I've been weighing the pros and cons of reloading for just a couple calibers and your video helped me make my decision. I appreciate the time you took to make a video on the products. I'll be picking up a classic loader kit and the powder measure kit this week. Have a great day.
I use to use a led sled to sight in and shoot for groups but I learned real quick that was not good for scopes and tight groups. The sled is too rigid for the fluid motion of recoil . Sand bags are the way to go. You probably know this already but if not , use sand most definitely. . If you make another video of the same ammo and reloads at 100 yards , I'd like to see that ! Thanks again , David
David Ray Here is my most recent day at the range. I was shooting my nephew's guns. I didn't change the reticle settings, just compensated for where the crosshairs were aiming in relation to the actual shot placement. That way, I don't mess up his shot placement. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a8Ko3CUPjqw.html
I used to get primers from my local gun store, but they have been out for years. Maybe try midway usa. You can get bullets from RMR Bullets. They have decent prices.
You need to use the yellow side of the hammer and don't hit as hard you will have much better results. Don't ever take the case out of the die to seat the primer😮😮
what's the powder that you use? i'm using IMR 4350 w/ Sierra 150gr bullets. using the Lee Classic Loader. load out is 54gr at 3.25OAL. i'm new to reloading and i'm kind of scared of pulling the trigger on the 1st reloaded round. also i've had a few primers go off on me while using the "tap in" method, this is pre-powder load. ever run into that problem? i have found that 4 medium taps generally seats the primer.
But how do you use the same dipper for different powders since they do not all occupy the same volume. Is the one dipper calibrated for a specific powder thats noted on the instruction sheet?
I don't use the dipper that came with the kit, so I am not sure what powder it is for. I have a separate powder dispenser and I meter out the weight specified for the powder I use.
what happens if I have a lot of casings that have indented case mouths? As in, maybe it was deformed during ejection or otherwise? Will this still get them back into shape? Same issue with my .223 casings?
It depends on how badly they are kinked. You should be able to reform most dents with the de-priming punch. Just work the punch into the case mouth slowly if it is a tight fit.
Yeah, I was thinking that might do just fine. I actually just checked out about 25 .223 cases in the pile and I only saw one, maybe two that I may just have to keep on the side or discard. That's really not too bad I suppose. All my .30-06 looked pretty nice though. Thanks a lot for the quick reply. I actually just ordered one for .30-06. Looking forward to using it! :)
Good deal! The Lee Loaders are fine for small quantity reloading and they help new reloaders understand the process. I have a progressive press for my higher quantity calibers like .40 and .45, but I only reload like 10 to 20 30-06 per year, so it is not practical to get something that can crank out hundreds per hour....lol
I think if you used the primer/ case brush to clean the primer home,it will go in much easier. I use to reload with my Father,all RCBS equip. When he stopped hunting it all got sold, damm I missed out on ALOT of tools.dies ,etc. I may try and buy a couple of these and see what I think. ''Hey how much would ya say it cost ya to make a box of shells ?
How many scoops for Winchester 760 gun powder? Can I just use one.... Also my Hornady 308 bullets just drop through the casing..... just bought this kit and wondering what I am missing?????????????
+Levi Tkachuk As far as powder, I have not used Winchester 760. You might try to look up the powder charge at handloads.com. I'm not sure why the bullets fall through. Could be you have some thin casings or undersized bullets, or oversized die. If you have a dial caliper (or digital caliper) you can measure the ID of the case mouth and the OD of the bullet to see if you have an interference fit. That means the ID of the case mouth is the same size or 0.001" smaller than the bullet diameter. This will also let you know of you truly have a 0.308" diameter bullet or not. Hope that helps.
Great video thanks can I load 3006 rounds for a M1 rifle or any semi auto rifle or is it just for lever guns and bolt action rifles. It seems like a strange question. But I was looking at a different channel. They stressed no semi autos. Let me know. If possible I would really appreciate it.
I have only used this Lee loader for my bolt action 30-06. I am not sure why they would not recommend it for semi-autos. All I know is that it only resizes the neck, so you should only use the reloaded cartridge on this same gun that you previously fired it our of because the case body may be a bit larger for a different chamber. other than that I am not sure why it would affect a semi-auto gun. could be that a semi auto may not have enough spring power to push the cartridge into battery if the case is a bit oversized.
One more thing. Do you trim the and debure the cases. I new to this. I have a friend who reloads for me. 7.62NATO 3006, Marlin 444 and 8mm. He's getting on in years. I purchase 5.56 and 7.62x 39. I served thirty years in the United States Army almost twenty in the Ranger Regiment.I retired in 2010. I'm disabled my kids are grown and my wife passed September 2018 at 54. I'm 57 so I do stuff to keep busy so I don't go crazy. Should I just get a press and the dies for the larger calibers. That might be the way to go. Sorry to ramble. It's not money I just want to do it right. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
Actually with 30-06, I can reload them for about 50 cents per round and they (used to) cost about $1 per round new. I agree that casting can save a little more, but for 30-06, you either need to get a gas check mold or greatly reduce your power charge and lose a lot of velocity/range.
Thank you.. very informative. This got me started. My only question is ... I am never over in length but under... are there issues with being under ? We are not talking a lot.
As far as being under, I do not know of any issues as long as the overall length (OAL) of the cartridge is within specifications. Too long and the cartridge will not chamber. Too short and there is a phenomenon called "skipping" that could cause inaccuracy, albeit most of the time negligible unless you are a competitive shooter or something. Usually after a few reloads (could be 2 times, could be 10 times), the case neck will expand due to the explosive pressure, so just keep an eye on the case length. I only have about 2 reload cycles on my 30-06 cases and they are still in good shape. Hope that helps :-)
I bought 30cal .308 dia. 175gr hpbt, SIERRA and borrow a friend 30.06 lee loader but it didn't go down enough to set on the brass, is it some thing wrong with bullet or the lee loader? Original brass from barnes. What am I missing? Do i need to get the .308 lee kits?
I want to use this for 300 aac is there any way I would be able to just using like the 308 and modify it somehow? Like a metal spacer or something to take up the space wile it still sizes the neck?
I don't know much about the 300 aac. But if the neck size is similar, they you could give it a try. These dies do not do a full case resize, so if you can get the case to go in all the way to the neck, you could use a dowel or something to push the case past the bottom of the resizing die.
H.D.Instrumental I am not sure. Sorry. Try handloads dot com. They have a lot of good load data. I usually reduce their load data by at least 10% on my first loads and check to make sure the load is not a squib load after the first shot (check the barrel to make sure the bullet made it out).
I have tried, but it depends if you have a bullet with a crimping groove or not. I have not had good luck trying to crimp on a bullet without a crimping groove. You have to be careful not to bend the shoulder of the round when trying to crimp that way. Hope that makes sense.
Yup, they are handy and a good starter setup for a beginner reloaded. I have heard that competition shooters will reload rounds with these kits during a competition to maintain consistency.
I am not sure. I looked at miswayusa and e-bay but did not find it. You may want to do a youtube search for lee classic loader 7mm mauser to see what other people came up with. Hope that helps.
not that I know of. New primers have a red shiny color inside and old primers are usually black inside....I guess I find out when I pull the trigger...lol
zed zardoz The bullets cost about 17 cents, the powder is about 5 cents and the primer is about 4 cents, so a total of about 26 cents per round to reload.
saltyshellback How are you figuring your powder charge cost? Also, are you buying those bullets by the case or something? Just seems a little low cost-wise. $23/lb powder comes out to $0.16 per 50gr charge, and a lot of quality 30cal projectiles seem to run around $0.25/ea. But, I'm not buying bulk so perhaps that's my problem lol.
