Anybody use Lee Classic Loader???

That's how I started about 30 years ago. If I remember right back then there was a seperate .38 kit and a .357 kit

I would clean it as best you can if you don't have a tumbler. How much do those loaders cost now?

They list two different ones for .38 Spl & .357.

But, if you look at the parts lists for both of them, I think the only differance is the powder charge tables, and the powder dippers.

If I'm right, you can get one kit and order the dipper & chart for the other one as "parts".

Compare the parts lists and see for sure though.

rc

A guy on another forum posted with a Centech he was getting +-.2 grains. He posted a pic and it looks like that one. Don't waste your money. If those things were worth using there would be plenty of people recommending them. Compared to a balance scale like most of us use the electronic one would be nice because it is faster. Reloading is a fairly exacting process and a cheap and inaccurate scale is the last thing you need.

I started with one in 30-30. You can use 000 steel wool to clean the brass.

The Lee is definitely a better choice. As for cleaning brass I just wiped it all off when I started and had zero problems. I am still lazy when it comes to cleaning and only clean after a few firings not every time like some others do. You'll be fine with a rag.

Just call the folks at Lee about the 38/357 question, or email them, (but be prepared to wait a couple days for an answer if you email). They're nice to talk to and will tell you what you need to know about the loader.

A whole bunch of people have used the Lee Loader to get started. They work well, if a bit slow, and are safe if you follow the instructions.

what about the Lee Safety powder scale? I read reviews on cabelas website and alot of people seemed pleased with them

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It's a good scale. I've had one for years. Some people don't like them because they operate a little different than other scales. They are accurate. My Lee scale is more sensitive than my much more expensive Redding.

A guy on another forum posted with a Centech he was getting +-.2 grains. Don't waste your money. If those things were worth using there would be plenty of people recommending them. Compared to a balance scale like most of us use the electronic one would be nice because it is faster. Reloading is a fairly exacting process and a cheap scale and inaccurate is the last thing you need.

I use one for 7.62x54r - I just put the shell in the holder, and in my cordless screwdriver and clean them with 000

Not a fast process, but this is not why I bought it. I can reload anywhere, most anytime. A good hunting camp, or camping activity.

Leroy

You know how it says significant force is required to size certain handgun calibers? How much force is that? (For .44 special and .45 ACP.) More force than could be imparted by someone who is 6'0", 185 lbs., and lean?

well i emailed Lee Precision last night and got an answer. the .357 and .38 loaders are not interchangeable.

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Well, of course they are going to tell you that.
They want to sell kits, not parts.

I just printed out and compared the two parts lists side by side like I suggested you do yesterday.

The only different replacement part #'s between the two kits is:
.38 Spl. Charge table: #CH1654
.357 Charge table: # CH1655

.38 Spl. 0.5 Powder measure: # PM1401
.357 0.7 Powder Measure: # PM1402

rc

The Lee Loader was the first thing I started with. It was fun and for less than ~200 rounds a month is a great tool. Any more than that, especially for pistol, it might be worthwhile to consider a progressive...

A single stage isn't much faster than a whack-a-mole kit, but it is quieter and allows you to FL size rifle rounds (if...when you ever get into that sort of thing). I found that I could move pretty quickly with the lee loader if I prepared things in the 'block format' - deprime 50, size/prime 50, and then charge/seat bullet. Make sure to use a hard rubber or plastic mallet, NOT a regular hammer.

And I don't know about the Lee safety scale but I do recommend using a scale of some sort and not limiting yourself to the powder dipper.

If the Lee Loader is going to be your first experience in reloading...be very careful. I thought I could stay away from the siren call of the reloading section...and yet here I am 6 months later with a press, powder measure, 2 scales, a few thousand primers and several lbs of powder...all told, greater than $2000. So much for that $20 start up charge of the Lee Loader.

Do you mean the cannelure?

do i seat the bullet to the line(unsure of the proper term) on the bullet?

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Bullet seating depth is often determined by the loaded cartridge's Over All Length (AOL or COAL) in loading data, this is usually a basic rule as many loadings are customized for a particular firearm.

Most times seating to the cannelure 'line' is inline with published loading data, but for inexperienced loaders, I suggest the 'cartridge Over All Length' is more important than seating in the cannelure, unless it's a heavy recoiling or tubemag firearm, that requires a heavy crimp, stick to OAL data for your seating depth.

The reason the cannelure 'line' is there is mainly for crimping purposes, as well as less importantly locking a copper jacket to the bullets lead core.

Make sure to pick up a couple of reloading manuals while your at it as well as ABCs of Reloading or Lyman #49.

Is the over all length gonna be the same on all .357 loads????

or does it depend on what the bullet weight is?

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No, or maybe. It depends a lot on the bullet shape. Two bullets of the same weight can be different lengths because of the shape of the nose of the bullet. How much of the bullet, for a given weight, is inside the case has much to do with case pressure. Seating a long bullet too deep puts the base of the bullet closer to the powder charge. That takes up space, which can have a similar result to adding more powder.

A reloading manual will do a better job of explaining this, and it will tell you what length to use for certain bullets. Lyman is one of the best, IMO.

The chart that comes with the Lee Loader may have cartridge overall length figures too. Not sure about that.