Author Topic: LEE LOAD ALL (Read 3085 times)

steg · « **on:** June 17, 2010, 10:30:08 PM »

Anyone using this tool out there? Thinking of buying one in 12Ga with a .410 conversion kit, I had a Mec 600 years ago, but it was a pita to change dies, and I only have room for one machine, using the Lee handloaders now Kinda slow but they do get the job done, I would appreciate any info anyone has on this machine, thanks...................steg

bobg · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2010, 02:30:36 AM »

I had a Load All in 20 ga. Years ago. The cases were not folded as good as my Mec did but they did work. I was happy with it. Loaded a lot of ammo with it. For the price i think they are great.

steg · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2010, 05:55:40 PM »

Thanks bobg, I'm going to go with it, actually I couldn't get 20 Ga to crimp well in my MEC, go figure!.........steg

copdills · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2010, 12:00:15 AM »

good little press for the money they will make shotshells, , I got alot better crimp on my Mecs also but I loaded about a thousand 12 ga 71/2 shot 2 3/4 shells with the one I had , they all went Boom when I pulled the trigger

steg · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2010, 02:29:41 AM »

copdills I had great luck with 12 Ga on my Mec also, A friend talked me out of it a while back when I gave up on small game hunting in my area, got to the point where you were just taking the gun out for a walk, and now everythings posted, but my Son and I are getting into clays and such and I figgure it's about time I started loading again, but I still remember changing those dies on the Mec, a real pita, but some of the most fun i've had shooting is with my Son, and with any luck in a few years my Grandsons...................steg

JamesIII · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2010, 03:02:30 AM »

I have 1 Lee Load-all and 2 Mec Jr's. They all make good shells if you use them right. The Load-all is basically run by feel. I was not aware that Lee made a conversion kit for .410. Good luck, JamesIII

steg · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2010, 07:37:24 AM »

JamesIII, I just got finished reading the sizing offers on the loader, your right 12,16,20 Ga only, not sure if I'm going to get it now, I may just do the Mec thing again, or just stick to the handloaders that I allready have........steg

powderman · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2010, 06:19:54 PM »

I've used my 12 ga loadall over 30 years, 20 ga 25+ years. Great tool for the money. The case must be turned in the starter die til you feel the right spot, then press. POWDERMAN.

steg · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2010, 07:04:35 PM »

good info powderman, I would have done alot of cussin before I figured that one out, thanks, I did order the loadall should have it this wednesday..........steg

powderman · « **Reply #9 on:** June 26, 2010, 06:17:30 PM »

STEG. Put the case under the starter die and pull the handle down til you feel it contact the case, then turn the case til you feel it in the right spot, then pull it down. When you final crimp I like to do it in several motions instead of 1 hard pull. You can press too hard and buckle the case, so do it carefully. After a few rounds you will get to know the feel for the right crimp. A word of caution. This rarely happens but is possible. When you seat the primer make sure there is not any foreign object, like a piece of shot, down in that little hole you put your primer in. Personally I usually press the the primer partly into the case then seat it. POWDERMAN.

steg · « **Reply #10 on:** June 27, 2010, 05:00:38 AM »

powderman something like that happening wouldn't be too good, I prime the same way that you do, I think that's the best way to go. And as far as getting the feel of the tool to make it work right is more appealing to me than something that works perfectly out of the box, I kind of like the challenge that it offers, I'm really looking foreward to playing with the thing............steg

powderman · « **Reply #11 on:** June 27, 2010, 05:49:56 PM »

STEG. Have you chosen a powder yet??? POWDERMAN.

jlchucker · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2010, 04:29:48 AM »

I started with a 12 ga Lee Load-All, and it worked fine for me as long as I used the old-style Winchester AA's and wads. Then Winchester messed with the hull design, and that ended that. I ended up going to a Mec 600, which has adjustments that can be used with pretty much any combination of components. I had a 16 ga Load-All for a while as well and it never did work well. Whether I got a bad one or not I don't really know--I didn't keep it that long. In the end, if you want to reload shotshells, my advice would be to get a Mec 600. They are well made, versatile tools. Adjustment can be tricky but when you get it set, the press will work great.

steg · « **Reply #13 on:** June 28, 2010, 07:52:36 AM »

powderman as far as powder goes I'll be using red dot with shot, as far as slugs, and buckshot I haven't come up with a powder yet, using the Lee 1 Oz key slug, and .311 buck shot...........steg

jlchucker, I had the Mec and more or less gave it to a buddy. That was 15 years ago and I thought I was done reloading, yes it worked great, but now that I'm retired it's out of my price range, that's why I'm going with the Lee.....steg

McDerry · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2010, 10:59:55 AM »

I use a load all for my 12 gauge munitions. The trick for the starter crimpers is to put one of the inner folds facing front. Getting the 'feel' down isn't to hard, especially on once fired hulls as you just push down till you get a change in resistance, as the shells have a memory to them.

I use the .144 bushing with red dot for my light field loads (1 oz of #6's), 9 pellet buckshot (.311 balls), 7/8 and 1 oz lee slugs. All chrono at 1200 fps except the 7/8 slug that moves along at 1310 fps.

I also load steel shot loads out of the load all.

All in all I'm pleased with the loader, especial for the price point. More so relative to the price of over the shelf 12 gauge versus the reloads, the recoop time on the loader was achieved quicker.

Mind you i have two MEC's mounted to the bench aswell for the .410 and the 10 gauge I use. They are realy nice for 3 times the price, but at the price of .410 and 10 gauge ammo they pay for themselves much faster. I'd be years paying for a 12 gauge MEC.

steg · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2010, 05:54:05 AM »

I've got the Load All up and running, so far all I've been doing is taking those Wally World cheapies apart, Opening them up and dumping out the shot, refilling with .311 Buck and re crimping them, I've tried every brand they had, and the Remingtons performed best on the crimping side, most of them were perfect, the other brands I'll be trying a roll crimp on after their once fired, both with the buck and the 1 Oz key lock, I was planning to use the 155 bushing at 18 grains of red dot, but I'm going to follow McDerry's advice and go with the 144 bushing, better to follow advise on something that works, than to guess IMO, the .311 buck is a blast to shoot, and if you miss with the slugs, you can blame it on them, LOL...............steg

McDerry · « **Reply #16 on:** July 19, 2010, 07:54:50 AM »

I'm using the .144 bushing only because its for a mild trap load, little less recoil/lower pressure.

In these loads I'm using the WAA12 wads. Using both Rem hulls and the promotional winchesters (the wally world 100 round value pack)

When assembling Im using light wad pressure, just enough to seat the wad on the powder, but not compressing it.

.311 balls should be in the ballpark of 45 grains each, so 9 puts you at 405 grains which is less then 1 ounce by about 25 grains. They will stack 3 to a layer 3 layers deep inside the WAA12 wad. The wad makes them group tighter then regular buckshot loads.

steg · « **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2010, 08:00:31 AM »

Mcderry, are you sure about the number 144? I was searching through my bushings and couldn't find one, then I checked the list, they go from 141, 148, 155, now mine is new and they may have stopped includng the No 144, but the 148 is supposed to drop 18 grains of red dot, and that sounds about right to me, although I'll be using a powder measure to charge the shells.

I tried all the promo shells at Wally World, winchester, federal, and remington, I tried the remington last because I remembered that hot plug crimp that when reloaded turned into a salt shaker with the hole, these aren't like that and everyone that I reloaded (opened up the shell and dumped out the shot, and replaced it with 9 .311 balls of buck) they crimped perfectally, all the others are so so at best, they will be my go to shell at Wally World for as long as they sell them. I do plan on reloading the empty shells, as soon as I get all my ducks in a row...............steg

Maritime Storm · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2010, 05:11:44 AM »

Steg according to my list from Lee & Aliant's reloaders guide .155 drops 18.0 Grains of Red Dot.Weighs your drops to verify. My old Lee Load All didn't come with a .144 bushing either, nor do any of my reloading books list one.

Dakoma · « **Reply #19 on:** July 25, 2010, 07:17:08 PM »

Dont know why Lee dont make parts to change over to the 410ga shells but know a machinist that claims he can build parts needed to go to 410ga 3" and might be interesting,I called Lee and asked when or if they would ever make their Lee Loader or Lee Clasic in 410 and was told over the phone that they never made one.Since then the price for one has kind of went up and located a 410ga. Loader made by Mequon for loading the little shells and one of the dippers for shot said Lee on it so was thinking maybe they were made by Mequon and Lee just put them in their box,either way I got a loader but shure hope this machinist can get er done shure would speed things up.

McDerry · « **Reply #20 on:** July 25, 2010, 09:33:50 PM »

I stand corrected Steg, it is the .141 bushing. The .144 may have been the Load-Fast bushing. I also use the .163 bushing as well on the federal paper base hulls. I verify the drops on a scale to be sure over a ten drop average.

steg · « **Reply #21 on:** July 26, 2010, 11:52:50 AM »

McDerry, no prob, At our age, mine any way, I do that kind of stuff all the time.

I have the loader up and running, and following the advise of the members, it's producing good crimps with ALL the cheapie shells at Wally World, at first I was favoring the remington over all, but I was comparing those crimps to to the others that I crimped using the Lee Hand Loader, if I do my part the lee Load All does it's part........steg

McDerry · « **Reply #22 on:** July 26, 2010, 04:21:49 PM »

I use the remington hulls in my pump guns. The one piece hull eliminates the possibility of a base wad seperation, which while highly uncommon, can create a deadly scenario in a gun where you can't verify the bores clear between shots. Mind you you can verify that the basewad is still in the shell, but thats more time consuming when there being used for hunting. On all of the crack barrels I'll use two piece wads as I can verify that the bore is clear.

rifleman · « **Reply #23 on:** August 01, 2010, 10:51:29 AM »

steg,

I started out reloading 12 ga with a Mec Jr, (very satisfied with the Mec). Then when I wanted to start doing 20 ga (very low volume) I decided to try a Lee Loadall. I got one cheap ($15) from a fellow trap shooter, and after a little getting used to it, I loaded with it for a couple of years.

I recently found a 20 ga Mec Jr at a very good price so I jumped on it. Not so much because I was dissatisfied with the Lee, but I just wanted a Mec.

rifleman

rickyp · « **Reply #24 on:** September 05, 2010, 10:33:57 AM »

I just got a 20 ga lee load all II a few weeks ago. paid $45 for it from bass pro.

I have loaded about 100 rounds in it so far. I found the bushings not to be accurate to the charts and a pain to change them out when the hoppers have anything in them.

What I am not doing is using the press like I would a reloading die, then use my posder mesure to drop the right charge in the hull, then use the press to seat a wad, then I use a shot scoop to load the shot. then I use the crimping stations. it is a little slower but it works and I know the powder load is right and that sht shot has not cloged up the tube and I get the full load

I do the same with my MEC JR in 410