[nulfisin]

:rolleyes:Forgive me if you've discussed this too many times. I want to pick up reloading again, but probably only for my .44 mag. Will this inexpensive hand tool put together good loads? Is it safe to use?

I gave my conventional press and dies away to family and friends years ago and would prefer not to clutter up my tool room with new ones. If that's the only safe way to reload, though, that's what I'll do. Thanks.

[rcmodel]

Loading with a Lee Loader is perfectly safe, if you don't mind a primer going off occasionally when you pound them in with a hammer.

If you load full-charge .44 Mag, the Lee Loader will not full-length size the cases without a lot of effort.

They also will not apply a consistent roll crimp to keep the bullets in the cases under recoil.

If neck-sized plinking loads are all you want, the Lee Loader will do it safely.

rc

[Vacek]

One misconception is that the Lee Loader only neck sizes. That is for bottleneck cases. For straight wall pistol cases it does full length resize, but as RCModel says it takes some effort. Back in the 80's I worked summers on a remote ranch in Western Colorado. I had a 357 Mag and my partner a 44 Mag Blackhawk. We reloaded almost nightly on our ole Whackamos. Both worked easier with some case lube and since we were largely shooting cast we crimped on the groove/cannulure. We added powder (we used Bullseye back then) with the Little RCBS Little Dandy. We batched our loading. My partner sized and primed his cases while I sized and primed mine. Then I added my powder, we changed out the turret (whatever the piece was called) and then he charged his cases. We seat, crimped and shot/missed varmits the next day. Never once a problem.

[FROGO207]

The other option is to get a set of carbide dies and the Lee hand press kit. You get the regular die quality but you do not need a bench press. Also helps improve your grip!

[mgregg85]

You would be better off spending the extra cash and getting at least a hand press kit or even a lee single stage press. They aren't far apart in price and the single stage press will be much easier on your hands.

Its $20 for the lee loader w/dies.

The lee hand press is $36 w/o dies.

The most basic lee single stage press is only $28 w/o dies.

Prices were taken from midwayusa.com

[armchairQB]

You would be better off spending the extra cash and getting at least a hand press kit or even a lee single stage press.

Though I tend to agree I really do like my Whackamo (thanks for that one Vacek) in 38 Special. Yes it is slow and probably not ideal but I do like the deprime method used. I find that to be dang near as fast as a single stage and I find myself depriming cases with the hammer on my coffee table as I watch old episodes of Seinfeld.

[fireflyfather]

There are two ways to avoid primers going off in the LL with straight-walled cartridges. Most of the time the problem is the excessive friction along the bearing surface of the die against the outside of the case, so it's hard to tap the primer in gently. It becomes an almost all-or-nothing affair, and that sometimes generates too much *sudden* momentum, and blows out the primer.

Option #1: Tap the cartridge SLIGHTLY out of the case (maybe 1/16" or 1/32") and then tap in the primer, being SURE to center it into the primer pocket by feel first. This eliminates the sudden jump out of the die, but you could conceivably set off the primer by sandwiching it between the face of the cartridge and the primer seating cup (I've NEVER had that happen, but I suppose it could).

Option #2: Get a handheld priming device with an appropriate shell holder (this is the method I currently use).

For plinking ammo, the LL is perfectly fine as is. If you want a little more versatility, you need a scale, bullet puller, hand primer, and some case prep equipment (trimmer, deburrer, etc).

[nulfisin]

Solid information. I think I'll go with the hand press.

[Vacek]

One misconception is that the Lee Loader only neck sizes. That is for bottleneck cases. For straight wall pistol cases it does full length resize, but as RCModel says it takes some effort.
I need to recant on the above statement I made last month. Apparently the 9mm Lee Load doesn't full Length resize. I found this out becuase I tried it out on a 9mm Lee Loader and the case wouldn't fully drop into a Wilson Cartridge Gage. I emailed Lee regarding this and they confirmed that indeed it did not full length resize. The answer was forget the Wilson gauge and see if the cartridge will fit in the barrel. If so, good to go, if not then a regular resizing die would be needed. You learn something new all of the time. Regardless, RC Model was right.

[fireflyfather]

just add the word "most" between "for" and "straight". Then you're good to go.

[JMusic]

I think Lee makes pretty good dies and there loaders suck. I have a RCBS single stage and purchased a lee progressive. Go Dillion if you need a progressive.



Jim