Why is this so good?

[Texasflyer]

So i was at my dads house the other day knocking back a few cold ones and he gets this look and says he has something for me. He comes back with a lee classic loader for 30-06 lol. As a kid my local gunshop sold these used for like 3 or 5 bucks apeice and i had all kinds... they fascinated me, but i never actually used one.

This one came complete with susan, michael and mikes last game of what im guessing is dominoes. So its raining and im bored and have a twice fired case. So i load up a round.... and it was pretty fun, i noticed some big differences over this style and the press. First, you are actually hammering the case in the die to get it stuck, then tapping it out. Second, there is no chance of ripping the rim off, or shearing it. I set the height for seating using a made bullet and running it down. Im pretty pleased with the results. Running 48 grains of imr 3031 and 168 grain A max. But im gonna fire 20 new cases and work up a load using this vs a load using the rcbs press and see if the results compare. What got me most was it was something ive done uncountable times and it was brand new...

 

[Texasflyer]

Shot a test round and the 3031 seems a bit hot. Flattened the primer some. I have some 4831 im gonna run instead at 56 grains to start and see how that does. May work up a load around it or switch to h414...

 

[Texasflyer]

I loaded up 10 rds of the 4831 to test. Not doing a ladder test yet, just middle of the road... more testing how long it took to load up 10 rds with this thing. About 20 mins start to finish. Without annealing the cases this time. I annealed last loading.

 

[KYAggie]

I have one of those for a 20 gauge shotgun that I started reloading on when I was 10. It did pretty well. I also inherited one from my grandfather in 30/40 Krag for a rifle I also inherited. I have not loaded using it. Pretty handy tools really.

 

[mtrmn]

A 30-06 Lee Loader was my first taste of reloading. Used it to load for the US Model of 1917 my grandfather gave me. This was somewhere around 1981. The loads shot MOB at 100 yds with the military peep sight. Minute Of Beer can. I need to get it out and use it again just for old times sake.

I used IMR 4350.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

My first reloader was in 38 special. My Lee load all and I must have loaded 5000 rounds on that thing hammering cartridges in and out. An amazing awesome tool to learn the fundamentals of reloading. Sirhr

 

[Bigfatcock]

I keep one on hand for all of my calibers.

 

[Texasflyer]

A 30-06 Lee Loader was my first taste of reloading. Used it to load for the US Model of 1917 my grandfather gave me. This was somewhere around 1981. The loads shot MOB at 100 yds with the military peep sight. Minute Of Beer can. I need to get it out and use it again just for old times sake.

I used IMR 4350.

I used 4350 for the first 11 rounds i made. I have some mostly full pounds of powder left from calibers i no longer own that im playing with just for giggles. I think in gonna grab some 212 grain hornadys tomarrow for the 4831, thru the 24" barrel it should be a pretty good round. Actually shooting these thru a 1917 i just polished up a little.

 

[Mauser06]

Be real interesting if you have a concentricty gauge! It'd be funny if the sized brass and loaded ammo was dead straight!


I always wondered if they actually worked or where practical...sounds like for a guy that shoots a handful of rounds a year, it probably would work fine.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Be real interesting if you have a concentricty gauge! It'd be funny if the sized brass and loaded ammo was dead straight!


I always wondered if they actually worked or where practical...sounds like for a guy that shoots a handful of rounds a year, it probably would work fine.

They can be very good at making ammo. Never seen it myself, but heard stories of benchresters years ago making their ammo right next to their gun at the range.

Sirhr

 

[Bigfatcock]

They can be very good at making ammo. Never seen it myself, but heard stories of benchresters years ago making their ammo right next to their gun at the range.

Sirhr

Common practice using Wilson does and an arbor press.

 

[Snuby642]

Old school cool.

 

[Texasflyer]

Be real interesting if you have a concentricty gauge! It'd be funny if the sized brass and loaded ammo was dead straight!


I always wondered if they actually worked or where practical...sounds like for a guy that shoots a handful of rounds a year, it probably would work fine.

I like to load 20-50 rifle rounds at a time. Usually just 20. I can take them by my dads and chuck them up and put them on a guage and see if there is any runout, we have guages for that. Its an interesting idea. For these longer cases like 30-06 if its as accurate i may just use this style instead of a press to keep from getting stuck cases and sheared rims. Wonder if they make one for 338 lm.... everytime ive had one of those cases get tanked it hurt my feelings....

 

[Mauser06]

They can be very good at making ammo. Never seen it myself, but heard stories of benchresters years ago making their ammo right next to their gun at the range.

Sirhr

Actually still common practice. Especially short range BR. They'll tune their load for the day and conditions.

Not sure any of them use a hammer and a lee loader. Inline presses and small single stages are what I've seen.

 

[ShtrRdy]

LOL, that's cool. I've never used one of these kits but I'll bet a lot of ammo has been made with those.

 

[camocorvette]

Started with that and loaded probably 500 cases of 308. It seemed to load precise ammo for using a mallet. Still have it in the bottom of the reloading box.

 

[greentick]

Very cool. I started w a Lee hand press when I was a poor army dude and had a 10mike-mike in 1991. Reloaded the same 200pcs of brass for a few years until getting a 550B. Still use the same dies. The buddy that helped me set up had used some of those kits.