Lee Shotshell

[lizziedog1]

I am thinking of getting some cheap reloader for shotshells. I do not shoot enough to justify some expensive machine. But I am starting to accumulate hulls and I thought it would be fun to put them back together.

I see that Lee makes shtoshell reloaders that are inexpensive. I want to get their 20 gauge machine.

Does, or has anyone here used one?

Please repond only if you have direct, actual, real experience here.

 

[Galil5.56]

I got a Load-All back in 1979, and used it enough to fill 3-4 old school (real) 3lb coffee cans worth of spent primers. How many that is exactly, I have no idea, but it's many thousands, and the machine never failed to work well or broke any parts. It produced ammo with a very nice crimp, and aside from the inconvenient sizing procedure, and kinda slow/tedious emptying of the hoppers and bushing changes, worked well enough.

Although you can use the supplied bushing chart to load with in complete safety, I used a scale to verify and tailor charges to what manuals prescribed... As I recall, the bushing always threw light, and verifying this with a scale makes for better loads. One little trick I did was to lube the top of the press base with silicone spray (dried) where the starter crimp is, to help allow the bottom of the hull pivot easily during pre-crimp. FWIW, I now use a MEC Size-Master, but the Lee made/makes ammo every bit as good, and I almost like the final crimp the Lee produces better. Good luck.

 

[Uniquedot]

I have several of them and use mec as well. As mentioned it is slower than a mec because the resizer is separate, but as far as emptying the hoppers, they spring free quicker than you can remove the bottles on a mec, but you have to hold your hand over one while emptying the other. I use the load alls and load all II's more often than i do my mec so i can assure you that they indeed load good shells.

They load new hulls better than a mec, but you can't set crimp depth like you can on a mec and to get a proper taper you need a load that fills the hulls perfectly whereas the mec isn't so picky. You also have to position used hulls with an inward fold of the crimp facing you (although i have one that is opposite) in order to align the crimp and starter and on the mec you don't have to worry about it because it self aligns, but that really doesn't slow you down after you get used to it.

 

[rfwobbly]

I am thinking of getting some cheap reloader for shotshells. I do not shoot enough to justify some expensive machine. But I am starting to accumulate hulls and I thought it would be fun to put them back together.

No all shot shells are reloadable. Check a shot shell reloading chart before you plunk down any money.

 

[oldreloader]

+1 to rfwobbly. I had a Lee Load All several years ago. It will work fine. I have a Mec 600 JR now and like it even better.

 

[Uniquedot]

No all shot shells are reloadable. Check a shot shell reloading chart before you plunk down any money.

Did you mean to say "not all hulls are reloadable?" If so it doesn't matter whether or not they were designed for reloading as you can still load them a time or two or three, but they just don't look as good or perform as well as those designed for reloading. I have never run across a hull that couldn't be reloaded at least once though, but must admit i usually don't waste my time with the garbage hulls anymore.

 

[NCsmitty]

you can still load them a time or two or three

I believe rfwobbly was attempting to say that not all hulls will work with the same components. It's important to inspect oddball hulls for the type of base wad that they have. Often the base wad will will determine the type of shot wad and other components that will work to give you the proper shot column for a tight consistent crimp with acceptable pressures.
Pressure differentials can occur when using the wrong components in unidentified hulls. That is one thing that all shotgun load manuals stress in their instructions.

I also have a couple Lee Loadall presses in 20ga, and they will produce great looking and consistent shooting loads, just a bit slower than a Mec 600 JR Mark V.
$20 each on ebay.


NCsmitty