10,000

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Griz44

Member
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
613
Location
REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, DISTRICT OF ROUND ROCK
Today I reached a major milestone with my LEE LOADMASTER.
I dropped round #10,000 of 45 acp in the tray.
Mind you, I have not shot all of them, and about 3,000 of them were for friends and range buddies. I have put 4,000 of them in my rotating stock pile, my goal being 5,000 in stock. I guess the other 3,000 have been shot, since they are not here. I know I shot 800 of them last weekend in one session. Round #10,000 is sitting in a CCI case, WLP primer, 4.8g of Titegroup (my favorite) and crowned off with my own cast baby - a 230 grain TL-45-230-2OG lubricated with LLA.
I have had the press set up 58 days. I like the press and the ease of its use and maintenance. The equipment investment was marginal for me, and was a big chunk of family income that is drastically limited since my wife's surgery and she has not been able to work at all for the last 16 months. Friends and range buddies sharing the cost of reloading supplies and kicking in a little extra for additional supplies has helped a lot. Everyone needs friends like these, God bless them every one! The reloading will slow down a lot when I get the 5,000 in stock, only loading to replace what is being consumed by me and friends that also enjoy the savings and quality that come with hand loaded beauties. Our local range has been great, allowing me (us) to pick up a lot of brass that I know was not ours. That alone allows me to be able to go a lot more often that I would otherwise be able to.
 

Attachments

  • 012-S.JPG
    012-S.JPG
    6.2 KB · Views: 31
I recently got a flyer in a LEE order (I bought some spare parts) that had a complete LOADMASTER including all the trimmings (Dies, case feeder, pro-disk measure, case catcher, for $170.00 plus freight. All freight from Lee is 4 bucks, no matter what you order. Heck of a deal.
 

Attachments

  • LEE 01.jpg
    LEE 01.jpg
    157.7 KB · Views: 28
  • LEE 02.jpg
    LEE 02.jpg
    152.7 KB · Views: 26
Oh come on... everybody know that unless you buy the most expensive machine you will never....
It's good to hear stories from real people that don't just throw money at a hobby
 
Well worth the cost and nearly vertical learning curve
Click to expand...

LOL, I had a good headstart on the learning curve. I downloaded all the video material from the Loadmaster site and from the Lee website. I did all the fine tuning and smoothing of the rough factory nylon primer parts before I ever started loading. I still managed to mangle two sliders by not watching the stroke length. Lee replaced them free, even though it was my error. The press runs smooth as silk now, and I have not had a primer misfeed in 5,000+ rounds. Someday I will probably look seriously at a LNL or a 650 for big rifle cases or other larger rounds, but for now, this fits me and my ways.
 
i too am very happy with my loadmaster.

i got advice on what to get for a few weeks before my purchase, and went against what most said. and got the lm.

i got with the dies for 223, and it came with the perfect powder measure. at first the ppm leaked a little with very fine powders like h335, but has stopped leaking almost completly with h335, and does not , has never leaked a single grain of varget.

i then got the 45acp carbibe die set with the powder through expander, and the autodisc kit (not the pro)
the autodisc leaks absolutlely zero powder, even with small powders like hp38 and titegroup.

the perfect powder measure is never out more than .2g, and the disc is deadnuts on every throw.

ive only had it for a couple of months and have since had the best 100yd rifle day of my life. it was with hornady 68g bthp match bullets, and h335 powder, fired through a 16" heavy barreled bushmaster.

all groups were 3 shots, fired at a layedback pace. most were quarter sized with quite a few that i was able to completely cover with little white stickers that are 5/8th inches square (garage sale price stickers)

this is by far the best day ive ever had.

for me the loadmaster is perfect. it makes great ammo, and will do them fast and consistently.

it has really gotten smooth as well.

im like you and may decide to get a higher end model like a 1050 or 650 dillon someday, but for right now i couldnt be happier.
 
Griz44,

God Bless you and your family and friends, Mate. It sounds like you guys have got it together and perhaps your wife could be rounding the corner to recovery sooner than you think. She'll be in our family prayers tonight, Mate.

Also, you should make a small display case for that and then may be put the 10,000th bullet cast you make in it, and the 20,000 round and bullet cast and so on...

Cheers, Griz...
 
That is very much appreciated LGB. I thank God everyday for friends and folks like you. The idea of the case is good. I am going to start on that tomorrow! I have a very old COLT auto and have been threatening to retire and put in a case as well.
 
Griz44 said:
Someday I will probably look seriously at a LNL or a 650 for big rifle cases or other larger rounds, but for now, this fits me and my ways.
Click to expand...

My first press was--and still is--a Lee Pro1000. I've got over 100,000 rounds reloaded on it in the past twenty something years; mainly .38 special and 9mm.

Several years after I bought the Pro1000, I bought a brand spanking new 550B from Dillon. I have hated this press from day one. No question that it's a fine piece of machinery or that Dillon's customer service is as top-shelf as you'll find anywhere.

It's just that me and this press have never gotten along. I was coming real close to selling it back and moving up to a 650--primarily for .223 and 7.62x39. However, I don't shoot all that much in either of those calibers.

I use a Lee single stage Challenger for my 45, .44 Special target loads, and all handgun magnum rounds. There have been times when I'd like to load a few more 45 a bit faster than I normally can on the single stage, but not to the tune of a thousand an hour.

Seriously considering the Classic Turret. I can up production of my 45 loads, as well as my .223 and 7.62x39, and still use it as a single stage for my target loads and magnum loads.

There's a disabled vet coming home from one of the VA hospitals who loves to shoot and is wanting to learn to reload. Problem is, he's going to be in a wheelchair for many months to come while he undergoes a series of surgeries. He and his wife aren't exactly flush with money.

So I'm thinking that I'm going to donate the 550B to him, along with a pile of primers, brass, cast boolits and a keg of powder while me and another vet who volunteers at the VA hospital teach him how to reload.

I'll probably get the Classic Turret, keep the Challenger and use it for decapping, sizing the cast boolits, bullet-pulling, etc. It's a heckuva good press that has served me extremely well.

Griz, nothing wrong whatsoever with the press you already have. I've yet to meet the target, steel popper or deer/hog/game animal that wanted to know if they'd been shot with a bullet that came from a Lee, RCBS, Dillon, Lyman or Hornady.

I figure if they don't care, why should I?

Jeff
 
Griz, nothing wrong whatsoever with the press you already have. I've yet to meet the target, steel popper or deer/hog/game animal that wanted to know if they'd been shot with a bullet that came from a Lee, RCBS, Dillon, Lyman or Hornady.
Click to expand...

And that's the bottom line, Mate
 
hey texas, thats an awesome thing to do for your buddy.

reloading will be a great way for him to pass the time while having to deal with the diffculties that come with medical probs.

i crushed my leg in 01 and didnt walk for about a year and understand what it does to your mind.

i would even have dreams at night about walking in places i hadnt seen since i was a little kid.

i got into fish aquariums while i was down, but knowing what i know now about reloading, it would have been much better.

when your confined to a wheelchair, an idle mind is the devils workshop for sure.

thats an awesome thing to do for someone, it will be very therapuetic.

ps. griz, good luck with your wifey too. and go load 10,000 more, lol.
 
Griz,

Congratulations on your milestone. Lee presses irritate the hell out of me, but if no one liked them they wouldn't have remained in business this long...

I'm still a dillon fan though, as 10K rounds would be a long days work on a 1050 :neener:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top