Relaoding 12ga with the Lee Load All

[hAkron]

I just started reloading for my 12ga with a Lee Load All 2. So far I really like this thing, it's a LOT cheaper than a MEC 600 Jr, and it includes lots of powder and shot bushings. I'm sure it's nowhere near as good as the MEC, but I'm a low volume Shotgun shooter so the Load All fit my budget. This thing is simplicity itself, it looks like it was made by the Fisher Price Toy Company, and in typical Lee fashion works better than it should. My only issue is that rather than using bottles for the powder and shot, the Lee Load All has just a divided square compartment. One side for powder, one side for shot. There isn't any easy way to drain the compartments when the reloading operation is over. It has been beaten into my head from my pistol reloading that you need to empty out your powder hopper back into the powder jug when you are done reloading because light and air will deteriorate the powder. I'm sure leaving shot in the shot hopper isn't going to hurt it. Do I really have to flip this thing upside down, catch all of the falling loose parts, put something over the shot side of the hopper and empty out the powder each time I'm done? Is there any truth to the conventional wisdom that states powder will go 'bad' if you leave it in the hopper? Even with the bottle type shotgun reloaders it looks like it would be impractical to remove the upside down bottle full of powder when you are done reloading. I'd like to hear from some shotgun reloaders about what you do with your powder when you are done reloading for the day. If any of you have experience with the Lee Load All, is there a trick to draining the hoppers?

 

[Sunray]

"...because light and air will..." Hi. Think paragraphs. Light and air won't do anything to the powder. Putting the powder back is more about humidity and safety. The safety part is more important with rifle and handgun powders. You don't want to either forget what it is or mix powders. As I'm sure you know.
"...a trick to..." The manual says to spring the aluminum handle free of the pivot
pins and slide the hopper assembly off the square column, then dump the shot first while holding your hand over the powder hopper. If you leave the shot in your hand over the shot hopper should work too.
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/LA1088.pdf

 

[rodregier]

Perhaps buy an extra top cover, cut in half. Tape it over the compartment you don't want to empty. They're $2 plus shipping.

http://leeprecision.com/xcart/LA-COVER-FOR-HOP.html

I use my Lee Loadall II for buckshot and slugs, neither of which will feed thru the shot compartment. So It's easy to empty the powder when there is nothing in the shot compartment

 

[gamestalker]

I bought one of those in the early 1980's for 20 ga. and sold it after only a couple times of using it. I already had a Mec 600 Jr. for 12 ga. so I was expecting something better. It worked, but I didn't like the plastic and the toy feeling as you described. I also remember the crimp was difficult because I always felt like I was going to break it with normal pressure.
So far as the powder is concerned, just place a small piece of card board over the shot and dump the powder into the proper canister, not too difficult to master.

 

[hAkron]

So assuming I'm not going change out the powder type, it's ok to leave powder in the hopper?

 

[cfullgraf]

If it were me, I would Return the powder to it's original container when your loading session is finished. It minimizes mistakes in the future when, not if, you start to use a second powder.

Otherwise, I would lable the hopper with the type of powder if you are determined not to return the powder to it's container.

Your choice.

 

[hAkron]

Right now I only plan on using Red Dot in my shotgun loads. With Red Dot it's pretty obvious because of the red flakes in the powder. But I do agree that when I branch out bit with my shotgun loads and begin to use various other powders I will empty the hopper each time, and I like the idea of getting a 2nd lid and either cutting it in half or maybe modifying it by drilling a big drain hole in it.

 

[Uniquedot]

It only takes a few seconds to spring the die/hopper set free like sunray said and empty the hoppers. I still use a couple of loadalls even though i changed to mec's years ago, but the little lightweight loadalls are easy to move around (i have them mounted to boards) so i grab them and clamp them to a table if i only intend to load 50 or so rounds. My mec sizemaster weighs more than three loadalls filled with shot and powder.

 

[frankge]

I started with a Load All and it wrked fine but you are matching your components to the press. I moved on the a MEC 9000 because of the volume I load. I have a used Grabber 8567 (for sale hint hint) that I used for a while it just doesnt have the automatic indexing. I changed the Load All over to 20g but now I just cant stand six motions for one shell. I just buy the walmart promos for my kid.