Adventures with a Lee Loader

[Ric]

So, I shoot a lot of handguns and use a couple of Dillon machines for them.
223 is not a high volume caliber for me but I wanted to try a Lee Loader rather than spend more for a Dillon set of dies. Anyway.

I got my 52 Grn Hornady BTHP
N-135 and a buffalo horn bowl for dipping
Clean used brass
And got to it.
I got a feel for the primers pretty quick. Only had one go off while I was seating it.
I'm impressed with the system overall. Not fast, but as I said it's not a high volume round for me.
I have to get a feel for the whole powder dipping thing. I get everything from 18 to 22 grains when I try it. (Calls for 20.6) and adjust on the scale.
I think they came out well. I forgot to prime once and had to pull the bullet.
I can't get to the range for a couple of daysto try them out, got to work sometime you know.
I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[kcofohio]

Interesting. I once watched a Youtube vid of a fellow using one of them. He was out in the woods using one in 7.62x54R. Used a tree stump as his work table.

Hoping they shoot good for you.

 

[Ed Ames]

My dad used to take one of those, a powder scale and dribbler, and a .30-06' rifle to the range and work up loads on the bench.

They have a place.

 

[jaguarxk120]

You had only one primer go off! When I tried the wack a mole over 50 years ago, I set off two primers one right after another, then sent the whole works to the land fill! Went out and bought a proper reloading press/die set.

 

[OH_Spartan]

I have hand-loaded hundreds of 410 shells without a primer going off. I think I would follow the same path as Jaguar of one ever did. Im interested to see how they shoot.

 

[Sunray]

The only real downside, other than the speed, is they neck size only and sooner or later you'll have to FL resize. New brass and brass fired out of another rifle requires FL sizing too.
Plus the silly scoops are graduated in CC's for some daft reason(probable made on the cheap in Europe or SEA.). As in Cubic Centimeters. A metric unit of liquid volume and absolutely nothing to do with gun powder. You've noticed the other thing about 'em. They can vary the powder charge +/- a full grain.
However, when used with a scale and brass fired out of your rifle, you can load decent ammo. Match quality included.

 

[PJSprog]

There is definitely an art to using dippers correctly. I've been using them for 25 years. The secret is to develop a consistent technique. Don't "scoop" with them, you'll just be inconsistently packing them. Push the bottom down into the powder and let it fall in over the top. Tap the handle once or twice, or don't, that's up to you. I always swipe a business card over the top to make them flush. Weigh your charges every so often (5-ish) to check your consistency. Yes, you absolutely will get variations in your charges. I do, but it's rarely more than about .1gr. As long as you find a load you like that's not pushing max, there's no danger in the variation, and you probably won't notice it either, especially in a rifle round where that 1/10th grain is a relatively small percentage of the load.

To remove this variable, simply weigh each charge and trickle to what you want.

As for the volume measurement criticism ... um ... that's how most powder measures work. Drop devices are just more easily adjustable than dippers.

Cubic centimeters is a volume measurement that is not limited to just liquids, either. You may be thinking of the milliliter.

 

[Ric]

I only have one 223 (M&P 15) so the neck sizing should be all right. I was looking at a dribbler for fine tuning the dipper.
The object wasn't round count but enjoyment.
And it was, I've never tried this method before.

 

[mdi]

I think Lee Loaders are great! I have six and I first used on in '69 reloading .38 Specials. I hammered out hundreds of .38s for the first year of my reloading before I got a press and dies. Only one of my kits will pop primers and that's the .44 Magnum kit, have had to change panties more than I care to remember! Even now, with 4 reloading presses and mebbe 14 die sets, with assorted powder measures and scales, I'll still pull out one of my Lee Loaders when I feel "retro". With practice and concentration I could hold between .1-.15 grain variations in my dipping W231, when I was on a "roll". On youtube a feller (I believe it's Richard Lee) loads a bottle necked round from start to finish in less than 1 minute (40 seconds IIRC)...https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search...-8&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001&type=sbc_dial

 

[Grumulkin]

A Lee Loader was the first thing in handloading I started with for a pitted barrel Mauser in 7x57mm. The ammo was usable in a bolt gun but I wouldn't recommend it for an autoloader.

 

[243winxb]

Lee classic "hammer" Loader

I only have one 223 (M&P 15) so the neck sizing should be all right.

Autos should have Full length sized reloads. But with a light load, you may get a few loadings till you have to FL size. As the body expands, when only neck sizing, there may be a feeding problem from the magazines. http://www.vihtavuori.com/en/reloading-data/rifle-reloading/-223-remington.html Your powder charge may be to light to work the action. And looks to be below the basic starting load.

 

[Ric]

I'll have to let you know.
The 1.6 dipper is listed for 20.6 grains of n135 on the data sheet with the loader

 

[splattergun]

Don't rely on the chart for accurate reference. It is approximation only. A guideline to start your own process of refinement. It is not a replacement for a scale.

 

[Ric]

Oh, I used the scale to adjust the correct load.
I've been doing this for a while. Just not this system

 

[merrill]

I used the lee Loader for quite a while. The trick to keep from popping primers is to use a small hammer to seat the primer and tap lightly. The ammo I have loaded using the Lee Loader is as good as that I have loaded with the Lee collet neck size only dies. I use 2 different hammers. A rubber mallet for the sizing and a jeweler's hammer for seating the primers.

 

[Dframe]

I used a "Whack a Mole" for a brief time back when I first started reloading. It produced excellent ammunition but I VERY quickly deceided it was way too slow and labor intensive for me.

 

[highlander 5]

I started with the Lee whack a mole in the late 60's-early 70s and still think to myself " I was using a steel rod and a hammer to seat primers,WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING ".

 

[Ric]

Follow up......follow up
Sorry for the delay, life intervenes sometimes.

Went to the range this morning. No problems, no failures.
Top target is the Lee Loader rounds. 19 rounds
Bottom target is 50 grain American Eagle (that's where I got the brass for my reloads) just a little tighter overall, 20 rounds
Range max is 50 ft, standing supported


I'm liking these loads, I think I'll stick with them.