Classic Lee Loader .30-30????

E

Eyegor

Joined
Feb 22, 2006
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I've played around with the idea of getting one of these and some components for years but have never quite pulled the trigger. Does anyone have 1st hand experience with the Lee Loader in .30-30 or other lever gun calibers specifically? I understand neck sizing vs. full case sizing but I'm concerned about comments I've read about rounds meant for leverguns or semis should always be full length resized. The Lee Loader doesn't do this. Comments?

Different Topic. For those who include centerfire firearms in their BOB, do you include reloading components as well. More of a long term thing, but does anyone do it?
 
I've not used the basic Lee Loader but do use Lee equipment. While I'm sure the Lee Loader would work, for a little more you can get a single stage press and die set. This will make the loading much easier and faster.

Paul
 
I do. If you don't mind taking the time it takes with the Lee loader you can get some great loads with it. In my 30/30 I had great success with it. With a lever gun you won't be using really hot loads ( I hope) so the sizing probably won't be an issue. I t hasn't been for me. I actually think that by not resizing my brass it matches my chamber better and is more accurate.
One thing, get a decent scale. The little powder measures you get with the Lee loader
get you in the ballpark but not on the mound. I like to weigh every charge, it takes a while but the results are fantastic.
Since I don't know your level of experience I must remind you. Never load a pointed bullet into a 30/30 magazine! They will set each other off by recoil.
I have used pointed bullets for hunting but my lever action was used as a single shot.
Dean Grennel's book the ABCs of reloading is priceless if you are learning.
Good luck, enjoy
 
protourist said:
I do. If you don't mind taking the time it takes with the Lee loader you can get some great loads with it. In my 30/30 I had great success with it. With a lever gun you won't be using really hot loads ( I hope) so the sizing probably won't be an issue. I t hasn't been for me. I actually think that by not resizing my brass it matches my chamber better and is more accurate.
One thing, get a decent scale. The little powder measures you get with the Lee loader
get you in the ballpark but not on the mound. I like to weigh every charge, it takes a while but the results are fantastic.
Since I don't know your level of experience I must remind you. Never load a pointed bullet into a 30/30 magazine! They will set each other off by recoil.
I have used pointed bullets for hunting but my lever action was used as a single shot.
Dean Grennel's book the ABCs of reloading is priceless if you are learning.
Good luck, enjoy
Click to expand...
With pointed or roundnose bullets, you can do 2 shots. Load one into the tube, rack it into the chamber. Put one into the tube. Hornady also released it's new Lever Evolution line, which has tube magazine safe bullets that use a special flexible tip.
 
While I am truly a novice reloader I am not without some knowledge. 20 years ago I used to reload a fair bit with my dad on a single stage press. (He wouldn't let me use the progressive.:D)In additional to rifle and handgun we also reloaded for our 12 gauges which was a little bit different. Anyway, it has been awhile and I never got around to getting my own equipment. I really like the idea of a minimalist portable set up and was wondering if it was worth the minimal investment or is it just a relic? Please keep the replies coming.
 
HEY Eyegor
If you are planing on reloading on a regular basis you might want to invest in a Lee or RCBS Press with dies and a good powder scale The small Lee hand load kits your talking about work very well and will reload good ammo but it is very slow going.I like them and usually throw one in my pack if I go on a hunting trip and when i get a little board i'll reload my brass
my first kit was 30/30win I also do 45/70s & 38SPL. Another compact option from Lee is there hand press it uese standard dies from all the major makers.Its very lite and dosen't take much space in your pack



http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=410804
 
A Lee Loader is a way, laborious tho it is, to load acceptable cartridges.

That, said, however, how much is your time worth? When I was on a roll, I could load 50 rds of .45 Colt in about 90 minutes. On the Dillon 650, I can load 50 rds in less than 3 minutes, and have a better round to boot.

Different Topic. For those who include centerfire firearms in their BOB, do you include reloading components as well. More of a long term thing, but does anyone do it?
Click to expand...

It makes more sense to have more loaded rounds than it does to carry around the gear and components you'd need to reload your fired cases.

For example, you could carry 50 loaded rds of .45 acp and 500 bullets, 500 primers, loose powder and a Lee Loader (mallet sold separately!) Your intent would be to load up the fired cases as you went along, eventually getting 550 rds total, but never have more than 50 at a time. Think of the hassle that involves. You'd have to find your fired cases (good luck with that one!) and then hope you never need more than 50 rds (or less as you lose fired cases) at a time, pray you'll have the time (lots of it!) to reload your precious few found cases and then hope you did a good enough job that they'll work in your gun. You'll also have to keep your primers and powder dry.

Contrast that to carrying 550 loaded rounds. In this case, you have the extra weight of the brass, but NOT the extra weight of the reloading equipment.

For a bug out location, you can make a case for stocking reloading components, but for carrying it with you, you're far better off having loaded ammo.

.
 
it's been a long time but the basic lee loader {the one in about a 5 x 5 box, not a press} will make perfectly acceptable hand loads and for very little money. The down side to not full length sizing is the loads will work in the gun that fired them but might not chamber in another rifle. I could be wrong but i thought that the lee loader could be set to full length size, you might give them a call i'm sure they could help you out. for a basic way to reload for a caliber where time is not a problem they're hard to beat. just my .02.
 
I long ago stopped using my Lee Loader and my Lee single stage press. Once I started using my Dillon, I never looked back. Spend a bit more and you might very well never look back either. Excellent customer service, by the way.
 
If you're going to shoot any quantity at all, get at least a single stage press and do it RIGHT.

.
 
I bought a Lee Hand Press (the thing that looks like a big nut cracker and takes standard dies), and it works out really well. I don't have much room, and not enough really to set up a single stage. Initial cost is higher, but you can choose dies to either neck size or full length size, and best yet, when you upgrade to a better press, you can just use the same dies.
 
are you guys talking about the lyman hand press, the one that works like a nutcracker??
 
Cpl Punishment said:
I don't have much room, and not enough really to set up a single stage. .
Click to expand...

I thought I didn't have 'enough room' either, but I wanted to shoot. So I got two boards, drilled holes in them and mounted the press to them. I had two chairs that had enough room under the seat back to put the boards thru, so I faced the chairs to each other and cranked away. When done, back into the closet it went.

Were I to do it again, I'd use a C-clamp and mount the press on the kitchen counter for a couple hours.

You can find room !

.
 
Eyegor said:
I've played around with the idea of getting one of these and some components for years but have never quite pulled the trigger. Does anyone have 1st hand experience with the Lee Loader in .30-30 or other lever gun calibers specifically? I understand neck sizing vs. full case sizing but I'm concerned about comments I've read about rounds meant for leverguns or semis should always be full length resized. The Lee Loader doesn't do this. Comments?

Different Topic. For those who include centerfire firearms in their BOB, do you include reloading components as well. More of a long term thing, but does anyone do it?
Click to expand...

The classic laoder resizes the cases so don't worry about that but you should get a case length trimmer.

I have two lee loaders and can offer advice. They seem like a cheap way to get into loading but once get everything you should have, you realize you've spent $120 on what you thought was a $20 deal.

With the 357 mag loader and I can produce about 50 rounds in one hour. The problem I have is that the only time I have that I can do this is a few minutes before going to bed and the hammering will certainly wake my wife and kids so I can't do it too often.

I find loading the pistol cartridges easier than rifle cartridges. I read somewhere that it should be the other way!

My input is that it's not as cheap a thing to get into as you might think and definitely don't expect to be punching out a lot of rounds.

The last time I went shooting (2 weeks ago), I decided to buy ammo instead of loading it. I bought 4 boxes of 38 sp for $16 per box and shot 2 boxes. $32plus the gas there and back made for an expensive short shooting session. Reloading is cheaper but still not as cheap as shooting a 22lr. It might be wiser to just get a 22lr and spare yourself the expense of getting into reloading and the time it will take to make up the ammo.

I'm on the fence, can't say go for it and can't knock it.

I see no value in having one of these in a BOB. The weight of the kit plus components, powder, etc that you have to keep clean and dry doesn't seem practical to me. Iif you concerned with quantity then include a 22 lr in your bob because the ammo is cheap, plentiful and takes up little space. My BOB guns are a 642 in 38 sp and a CZ 452 carbine in 22 LR, 50 rounds 38 sp and 500 rounds 22 LR.
 
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My first reloading (other than my muzzleloader) was with a Lee Loader. It works. It is slow, but it will always, always work.

I have a single stage press now, but I don't regret the purchase of that Lee Loader. I was so nervous about reloading, but having been introduced in such a way that I know intimately every single step of the process, I am very confident in making my rounds now.
 
I used a Lee Loader for my 30-06 for years with no problem. I used a scale for the powder, and worked up some very accurate loads.

Slow, but never any problems.
 
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