Cheap reloading

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It will do the trick. They have been around forever. I personally have never used one. However , I do know people that have. Saw a guy at the range once loading small lots of ammo there. He did have a scale right there. He was testing velocities with different powders. If I remember correctly accuracy was pretty good.
 
If I shot 38 spl in the quantities that I would load them with that tool, I would just buy factory ammunition and sell the brass to someone that reloads.
 
Just a little bit more money will get you one of their single stage presses. That would be my recommendation. You will be much better equiped for the inevitable evolution of your reloading hobby. Probably easier to use too.
 
I started reloading with a Lee Loader for 270 Win. It worked well, and I was quite satisfied. . . but I should have bought a press instead. Fast forward 6 years, and I have multiple presses, 12+ die sets, etc.

Go ahead, buy a used Lee press and dies. Your involvement in reloading is almost certain to expand once you get your foot in the door.
 
That would do the job. However, at a bare minimum, I'd go with the Lee Hand Press kit. You'll reload more in the future. At least the Lee Hand Press could come in handy at the range or sitting in your living room relax.

If you're like the rest of us, this'll be a stepping stone into something much larger. [emoji16]


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I think those are good in a crunch, or better if it's for an odd ball round which you just want to load a few of for giggles.

Doing 500rds of 38 would not be fun with that.
 
Lee Loaders work nicely.
The Hand Press kit will get you into more versatility.

If you're like the rest of us, this'll be a stepping stone into something much larger.
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jwrowland77, You mean like the multiple presses, shelves full of prepped brass and boxes of bullets, primers bought in bulk approaching the 10k per building limit, scouring the interwebs for deals, die sets scattered hither and yon, your wife asking, "Are you playing with bullets again?"; like that? :D
 
JohnMc said:
Lee Loaders work nicely.
The Hand Press kit will get you into more versatility.


jwrowland77, You mean like the multiple presses, shelves full of prepped brass and boxes of bullets, primers bought in bulk approaching the 10k per building limit, scouring the interwebs for deals, die sets scattered hither and yon, your wife asking, "Are you playing with bullets again?"; like that? :D
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There's a 10,000 per building limit on primers? :what:
I need another building. Stat!
 
JohnMc said:
primers bought in bulk approaching the 10k per building limit
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Ive never heard of a primer limit, 10k is a pretty restrictive amount. Looks like i need three or four more buildings. I know you can generally have up to 50 pounds of smokeless powder when stored in a 1" thick wood box. I only have room for one more keg of powder :rolleyes:
 
JohnMc said:
jwrowland77, You mean like the multiple presses, shelves full of prepped brass and boxes of bullets, primers bought in bulk approaching the 10k per building limit, scouring the interwebs for deals, die sets scattered hither and yon, your wife asking, "Are you playing with bullets again?"; like that? :D
Click to expand...


EXACTLY!!! LOL

I called my local fire department and asked them the limits, they did some research, and we can have a lot more than 10k per building. Which is a good thing, because I have about triple the primers. They didn't have a limit on smokeless but did have a limit on BP.

Forgot about the wife asking, "why do you need another press, you already have 3?" Lol
 
There's a 10,000 per building limit on primers?
Click to expand...

Must not be every building, I don't remember the last time I ordered primers in a quantity under 10,000 and they all arrived at the same time together.
 
Well, perhaps I'm part Neanderthal, but I started in reloading in '69 with a Lee Loader (that was waaay pre web). I learned what every step did and why it was done. I reloaded for about 18 months with my kit and all rounds were safe and accurate. In my opinion, Lee Loaders are the best thing to come along since smokeless powder (I still have 4 along with my 4 presses, 13 die sets, 4 powder measures, and 1.25 metric tons on assorted reloading tools. I still take one out whenever I feel "retro" or have my press already set up). They aren't fast, but Mr. Lee has a youtube video where he reloads a bottle necked round in 47 seconds... :D
 
I'm in an unincorporated area of our county, and the county uses the "2006 International Fire Code" for unincorporated areas. There is a newer version but they haven't adopted it yet, seems about the same for ammunition and components.

We are limited to 20 lbs of powder in original containers, 50 lbs in the 1" wood box.

Primers are limited to 10k per house, regardless of how you keep them stored. So 9,999 primers just dumped into a bucket (horribly dangerous) would be legit, but 10,001 stored in the original containers and then split between two 1" boxes in separate rooms, would be a violation. Dumb.

That code also says there is no limit on loaded ammo in DOTn approved containers, but makes no mention of ammo dumped loose into an ammo can. So the limit for that is either 0, or no limit. More dumb.

I think it's only an problem if your house burns down and the insurance company makes an issue of it.
 
AlfonsDeWolf said:
Forgive me if this has been covered here, but I have never even looked in this section before. So, if I know I only want to reload for one cartridge s.a .38 special AND I shoot little, maybe a box or less/month will this basic LEE loader be good?...and enough? Opinions please...http://leeprecision.com/lee-loader-38-spl.html

Thanks in advance
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Enough? Yes but will you want to use it next month or next year? Using a Lee Loader is tedious at best.

For very little cost you can but a simple single stage press that will make loading easier, more enjoyable and the press is more versatile.

Press for $37.99 http://www.midwayusa.com/product/807734/lee-reloader-single-stage-press

Lee Carbide 38/357 dies $32.99 http://www.midwayusa.com/product/418312/lee-carbide-3-die-set-38-special-357-magnum

For very little more than the price of a Loader you will have a much better tool that you will like using, no hammer needed.
 
I will second the suggestion of a hand press kit. No hammer needed and lots less chance of setting off a primer when using the Ram Primer that comes with the kit. I have the pre bushing hand press and use it a lot. A full sized press would be a better step but at a greater cost. The hand press and a regular press will share die sets if you desire to upgrade in the future while the Lee loader is not exchangeable. One caliber and that's it. Then you are limited to just the propellants that the scoop works with and just that particular loading unless you get a scale of some sort as well. A carbide die set, Hand press kit, and a reasonably priced balance type scale will get you loading safer, quality ammo without undue aggravation. The lee loader will load safe ammo but you will tire of loading handgun ammo rather fast I suspect. Using one to load 20 rounds of say 30-30 or 3006 a year is a completely different thing.;) This from somebody that has 12 different Lee Loaders that I will get out and demonstrate to a new reloader to show just how inexpensively you can actually start to reload. Kind of like walking 20 miles to work in the rain every day or being able to drive there IMHO.:)
 
>Forgot about the wife asking, "why do you need another press, you already have 3?" Lol

Ask her to count how many pairs of shoes she had.
 
Lees hand press is great. I find I use it more than my bench press for hand gun or small rifle cartridges where I only load 20, 40, 50 or so at a time. Big plus you can use it anywhere. I have it in a Styrlite lock top plastic container with a Lee hand primer. You can fit everything you need in it (powder, cases, bullets, primers, dies) to load a couple 100 rounds. I highly recommend it.
 
Thanks for asking our advice. Welcome to reloading

AlfonsDeWolf said:
Forgive me if this has been covered here, but I have never even looked in this section before. So, if I know I only want to reload for one cartridge s.a .38 special AND I shoot little, maybe a box or less/month will this basic LEE loader be good?...and enough? Opinions please...http://leeprecision.com/lee-loader-38-spl.html

Thanks in advance
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First, add eye protection and hearing protection. Maybe a heavy glove for the hand holding the tool. Also, use a mallet (not a hammer, steel on steel is not a good idea).

Yes, Lee Loader tool kit will do just fine.

However, you really should add a scale. Loading manuals are a good idea, too, although you can get load recipes from the internet (from the powder manufacturers, mostly).

With the addition of the recipes, you can vary the power level of your loads and, most importantly, you open up the options of other powders that may not be on the little table that comes with the tool and are able to be meted with the single dipper you have. To take advantage of the recipes, you need to measure different volumes of powder than the one dipper allows. Also, recipes from anyone other than Lee are given by weight, not dipper volume.

So, add a scale (for safety, accuracy and the options it opens), a full set of dippers and a loading block or two (for the convenience).

The Lee Loader, a mallet, a scale, a set of dippers, a wood block (use under the Lee Loader to protect your work surface) a loading block or two and and a manual takes up a bit more space than the Loader and mallet alone, but will still fit in a shoebox for sneakers. So now you are close to $90.

Consider if you decide to use a press instead.

A single stage press, dies, scale, set of dippers, loading block or two and a manual will easily fit in a shoebox for boots.

You will be much safer, versatile and still under $125. You will also be a lot quieter (even a wooden, rubber or rawhide mallet is a bit noisy), and less unnerving to anyone who might happen to see you whacking away on live ammunition.

Rather than a hand press, I used a bench-mounted press, but mounted it on a 2x6x18" board that I wedged into an end table drawer. It was a LOT more convenient than the hand press with the added benefit that I could prime on the press rather than in a separate operation with a separate priming tool.

You should add a dropcloth (cloth, not plastic). It will catch any powder or spent primer detritus that might spill and make any dropped new primers easier to find.

Welcome to reloading and thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep
 
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My Dad was a handloader and cast his own bullets. I have some of his stuff but I didn't have a press or dies in the calibers I load. It took me many years to finally get on it and make the decision to buy what I need to start handloading.

There is one thing that my Dad taught me about handloading and that is if your gonna do it, do it. For me that means getting good stuff that will last and last. I think personally I would rather scratch my eyes out with an ice pick than use one of those loaders. But that's just me. Do they work? Yes. Are they an efficient use of your time? No.

Other posters have mentioned that this hobby has a way of getting out of control (post #4-6). In my opinion, get ahead of the curve. I am not fan of Lee products as I think for a little more money you can buy a lot more quality. But if money to get started is a big issue, get a Lee classic turret press kit and you will be way happier both short and long term. I have said this many times and it's true, to get started in handloading be prepared to cough up at least $500.00. A bit more is better.
 
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Another thought

Yes, Thomas15 is correct.

In 2012 I repopulated my loading bench. I replaced everything but my scale. If I had replaced the scale, the price would have been $600.

Here is the list (from the top of my head):
Lee Classic Turret Press
6 sets of dies
6 spare turrets (to allow plug-n-play caliber swaps)
4 Auto-Disk Powder measures
Set of Lee Dippers
2 loading blocks (which I don't use often, as I usually load in continuous rather than batch mode)
Calipers
Funnel

Note also what he said about the hobby growing on you. When you find out how much fun it is to shoot more for the same or less money, you will begin shooting a lot more. Having a more efficient and convenient setup than the Lee Loader is probably in your future.

Having said all that, I do have a Lee Loader for almost every caliber I shoot. I just rarely if ever use them. But they are there if I want.

Another thought-about speed or production. I have heard testimony and seen videos of people who can load 50 rounds on the Lee Loader from freshly fired brass to boxed, ready to shoot ammunition in an hour-using a dipper to mete powder. I don't think I could do that. But I have loaded 50 rounds per hour on my single-stage press (weighing every powder charge) safely and with great quality control, not hurrying. On my Lee Classic Turret, I loaded 100 rounds in 47 minutes my first time out (using a powder measure rather than weighing each charge). Use of the scale to mete does make a difference, but the auto-indexing of the turret to facilitate continuous processing rather than batch processing is the greater source of the speed increase.

Not that speed is important to you at 50 or 100 rounds a session. If you keep that level of shooting volume.

Thanks for reading.

Lost Sheep
 
^^^right. If you buy the kit I mention, your cost will be approx. as follows:

$225.00 for the kit
$45.00 for 1 set of dies
$75.00 for a case tumbler
$25.00 for misc. case prep and other "stuff"
$30.00 case gage
$25.00 bullet puller
total $425.00

$25.00 pound of powder
$30.00 1K primers
$50.00 some bullets
free brass

So now you are over $500.00 by a hair but you can load for 1 caliber and do it right. As interest increases you can upgrade one thing at a time, for example a nice powder scale to replace the Lee that comes with the kit. You get what you pay for with this stuff, but we all understand and appreciate that getting started you want to make sure it is for you before you start throwing serious money on the counter. I think I toyed with the idea of starting this hobby for 30 years before I acted on it. And I had those feelings about the cost. But honestly I doubt I would have gotten very far in this is I could only make 1 round every minute or so. That is just too slow.

When I finally jumped in I bypassed lee all together, my rational being that I waited so long to do this I wanted better quality. I now have 5 presses of various types and one is a Lee single stage, it works but isn't nearly as nice as my others of various different makes. I picked up the lee at a yard sale for $5.00

EDIT I forgot loading blocks. Enough for 100 rounds is nice to have. I have on my bench two RCBS universal blocks and 2 MTM universal blocks and 4 that I made myself. The MTM blocks cost about $8.00 each. Digital calipers from Harbor Freight $20.00 ish.

You can obviously save some bucs if you find some used equipment . There is a guy near me that sells used handloading stuff but he is such as pain in the ass to deal with and is highly opinionated. Makes it difficult. Thing is if you go the route I mention you will have tackle that will work for many years and your not having to jury rig things to make it work. As a beginner, no matter how much you read and plan, you really don't know exactly what you personally want until your there a while.

And then there is the actual bench. I used my regular work bench for almost 2 years then built my present bench. It's small but highly functional. I have found that I do better standing while handloading. Others want to sit but you really need to figure this out for yourself. My bench is 33" high and my presses are on Ultramounts which raise them another 10". These mounts cost about $75.00 each but for me, they are worth every penny in increased comfort and function. Your bench is actually better if it has a work space of about 20" deep. I had 36"at first and that is way too deep. Good lighting and a strong bench are important. You can buy a press and bolt it to what ever you have as I did but putting some real thought into the bench cannot be overstated.
 
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To Kit or Not to Kit?

Buying a kit (if you decide to plunge deeper than the Lee Loader) will get you loading quicker than if you buy individual pieces and assemble your own kit.

But the study you do when spend the time necessary to get the knowledge required to assemble your own kit will stand you in good stead for the rest of your loading and shooting career.

Every kit has some stuff you will not need. Also will likely be missing some things you do need. And will have some things you will want to upgrade before long. So, the money you save buying a kit rather than a-la-carte may be a false economy. This is a common experience, but may not be yours.

So, whether you go with a kit or with a self-selected kit, is up to you and your personal style of learning.

Note that Kempf's Gun Shop on line has a bare-bones kit consisting of a Lee Classic Turret, primer dispenser and dies and little else. This gives you a starting core of first-class gear. Note also that very few other kits include dies. Sue Kempf is a good person to work with. She is a reloader herself.

Lost Sheep
 
Budget Beginning Bench you will never outgrow, for the novice handloader.

You can assemble a kit slowly, as you can afford it as I describe below.

Budget Beginning Bench you will never outgrow, for the novice handloader.

Bold subject line, eh? Let me qualify it down. I load for handgun only; 6 calibers, about 100-400 rounds per session and fewer than 5,000 rounds a year. I stow my gear in toolboxes when not in use. If this comes close to describing your situation, you might like to read on.

35 years after starting, I found I outgrew some gear and overbought elsewhere. So, I cleaned house. I emptied my bench and populated it with the best equipment I could find precisely fitting my loading needs. I could have saved a lot of experimentation and waste if I had known back then what I know now (about handloading and about myself).

Informed by my experience reconstituting my loading bench, I compiled a list of the barest essentials that would allow a novice loader to load well and which would still be gratifying in 30 years. (In my opinion and somewhat matching my style of shooting and loading.)

I think it makes an ideal shopping list for the handloader just starting out. I hope you do, too.

Press, scale, dies, a way to measure powder and a work surface are all you need, really. Everything else just makes it easier or faster.

These prices may be a little out of date. I last updated them 2 or 3 years ago.

$17 ABC's of Reloading. Ok, it's not really equipment, but tools without knowledge is just dead weight, right?
$10 Loading Data. The "One book/One Caliber" pamphlets are $10 each and are LOADED (get it?) with loading data.
$0 Loading manuals. They cost, but I didn't want to skew the budget; you do need at least a couple. Check the local library if money is tight.
$0 Eye protection. No cost, because you DO already have a pair of shooting glasses, DON'T YOU!?
$85 Press, Lee Classic Turret (Chosen because Lee makes the only turret presses that auto-advances at the discretion of the operator and the Classic is superior to the Deluxe for several features.)
$33 Dies, carbide. Lee because it includes a shell holder, a plastic dipper for powder and the "powder through" design.
$5 Work surface. Mount your press on a plank of scrap 2x8 and secure it to a (padded) coffee table.
$0 Dropcloth to catch any spilled powder or lost primers (dead or live). Use an old sheet. Quieter than plastic, less static and drapes better.
$150 plus shipping At this point, you can reload, but are limited in flexibility and speed.
$8 Lee Scoops/Dippers. Cheaper than any powder dispenser/measure and repeatability/cosistency is excellent.
$3 Powder funnel. Lee's funnel fits right in the their "powder through" die.
$161 plus shipping At this point, you are minimally equipped to load well. Not too convenient, but not handicapped to the point of terminal frustration, either.
$22 Lee Safety Prime. You can use your fingers, but this is so much better. Fits on the Lee Press.
$21 Scale, any brand. Lee's, at $21 is cheapest. You can do without, with the full set of Lee Dippers, but better to weigh. For peace of mind if nothing else.
$204 plus shipping At this level of investment, you are decently equipped
$33 Lee Auto-Disk powder dispenser/measure. It mounts atop Lee's "Powder through" die. With this, you may not need the funnel or dippers.
$50 Loading Bench. A folding workbench works fine for me. You can get a kit or build your own, too.
$287 plus shipping Now you are well-equipped as most reloaders, except for convenience accessories or tools you will use only occasionally.

Other stuff:
$20 Bullet puller I never used one for my first 20 years of loading.
$30 Calipers I had none for 30 years. Now that I do, I find uses.
$50 Tumbler Never had one. Got one now. My brass is prettier. Shoots the same.
$10 Loading blocks ($5, if you use, use two). For batch loading. Buy, or make with a plank and a drill.
$25 Powder Trickler - handy if you weigh each powder charge.

$34 misc accessories & tools, (e.g. chamfer tool)
$60 Difference to get a more user-friendly scale than the Lee
$0 Turret and Dies for 38/357 (included with basic setup)
$46 Turret and Dies for 45/454
$46 Turret and Dies for 44
$46 Turret and Dies for 45 ACP
$46 Turret and Dies for 9mm
$700 plus shipping To duplicate my entire current loading bench with all new stuff, misc accessories and tools and I would not be in the least inconvenienced in my loading endeavors.

There are many accessories that add convenience of functionality, but are so highly optional they do not belong on this "essentials" list, or belong down near the end. Besides, if I included them all, the list would be endless.

I chose a turret instead of a progressive because I am more comfortable with performing and monitoring one operation at a time and changing calibers is dead simple. I chose a turret instead of a single stage because it facilitates processing in a "pass-through" mode (much like a progressive) rather than the batch mode of the single stage. But I still do have the option of operating as a single stage in batch mode if I choose.

You could build this list using any mix of brands. I chose Lee's brand because the Auto-indexing is not available on any other press and the Auto-Disk powder measure is the most convenient I have seen, in combination with the Lee "Powder through the Die" design. The Auto-Disk is not convenient to adjust powder quantity, but it is light and compact.

Lost Sheep

P.S.
Thanks to Sue Kempf at Kempf's Gun Shop, and Mark and the guys at Factory Direct Sales and the technicians in Customer Support at Lee Precision.
 
....snip....Note that Kempf's Gun Shop on line has a bare-bones kit consisting of a Lee Classic Turret, primer dispenser and dies and little else. This gives you a starting core of first-class gear. Note also that very few other kits include dies. Sue Kempf is a good person to work with. She is a reloader herself.

Lost Sheep
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Let's not get carried away here. A $90.00 ammo press that works? This is true. Acceptable for a beginner? yes. First class? Um sorry....no.

You get what you pay for.

Lee does make the worlds finest high quality dippers, I will admit that. Of course no one else makes them because, why would they? A huge demand for dippers?
 
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