Lee Classic Loader

[LilNewt]

I know that there are a lot of opinions out there, but I am looking for those who have had direct experience with this product.  Is it true that the classic loader will also put a crimp on the bullet after seating when it is flipped around?  Some reviews I have read say that it doesn't provide a crimp, but others talk about it crimping, but you have to turn the main body over and give it a couple taps.  I could not find anything on Lee's website to confirm or deny this.  I am talking about rifle rounds also, I read a very concise review on the classic loader for the 45 colt and it did show that the main body of the loader will crimp when turned around.  Thanks for the info guys!

[kynardsj]

I owned on Classic loader in my life and I believe it was for a 20 guage. I was much less than impressed. If saving money and tight space is your problem go with the Lee Hand Press. I love mine.

[shot1]

I started out loading with a 30-06 classic Lee loader well over 30 years ago. Yes the loader I had would apply a crimp on loaded rounds if you had a crimp groove on the bullet when you flipped the die over and gave it a couple taps. When I got a powder scale and started weighing the Lee dippers full of powder it scared me to death. Man there is a lot of variation in each dip even if you do your best to try to do it the same every time. These dies only neck size a case so if you try to load a case that was not shot in your rifle you will run into problems. 

[ButlerFord45]

Yes, it will crimp by reversing.  There is nothing wrong with the Lee Classics if you use them properly.

[stimpylu32]

Some guys swear that there's no place in reloading for a Hammer , however , think back to how the first metal cartridges were re-loaded , It was either a tong tool like the 310 Lyman or they pounded them together .

Check E-bay sometime for old loading tools , you will find many things that in todays world would be looked at as DANGEROUS -- But worked VERY well ! 

As for the Lee Loader , I just picked up one in 270 to see if the neck sized cases would work better in my new rifle . If they do , I'll pick up a set of neck dies but why spend $50 + till I find out ? The loaded was FREE from our PIF Forum .   

stimpy

[LilNewt]

I am rather meticulous with most things I do, and I bet this will be one also.  So doing it correctly and slow is going to be the way I go anyways, no matter if I had a press that you pulled the lever and out came a round of ammo. 

When I first started looking into hand loading I saw these and thought the same thing about a hammer and such.  But the more I looked, the more I was drawn back to the simplicity of it.  To each his own, but I really cant find much wrong except for the speed of them.  The only thing that might have held me back was the crimp issue.  I will be reloading for .243, 30-30, and 30-06 for now, and the 30-30 is a tube feed and I know I will need a crimp on the rounds.

I haven't purchased a thing yet for the hand loading adventure, maybe I can find some stuff for free too.  lol.

[Doublebass73]

I bought one for .45 Colt this past year as a way to see if I would like reloading or not. It was minimal investment. It turns out I enjoy it so I will purchase some better stuff when funds allow but for now I can reload some pretty accurate ammo at low cost. The $20 bucks I spent was well worth it to see if I liked reloading or not. I ended up getting a scale and a Lee Autoprime tool and came up with some pretty accurate loads for hunting.

[c1skout]

 If you haven't bought anything yet I'd say the first thing to get is a loading manual. The Lyman or Modern reloading by Richard Lee are both good books with lots of info for a newbie. If you're going to load for a few different calibers you may want to just step up to a whole loading kit. You can get the Lee anniversary kit for about $100 and it has everything you need but the dies. If you decide you don't want to bother with reloading you haven't spent as much just to try.
  I use the Lee loader to load 45/70 and it works just fine. I haven't tried a crimp with it but the instructions show you how to do it.

[LilNewt]

Loading manual will be one of the firsts.  Although its tuff to see what I would find in them that I have not already or can find on here or the web in general.  But I am NOT saying that they are useless at all.

As far as loading for more than one caliber, I cant see how a press kit is going to benefit me that much more unless I am looking for speed.  I mean how easy/simple can it be to decide to load for one caliber one night and pull a box off the shelf and have all the die's and equipment laying in the box, no screwing or unscrewing dies on and off a press, so on and so forth.

I am by all means not knocking presses at all.  I just think for my needs, and desire to get into the hobby, simple, yet proven tools are a way to go.  Especially when they are at very low prices with good reputations for effectiveness albeit not so much for speed and ease.

[BCall]

I use some Lee loaders at times to neck size and seat bullets occassionally, but I don't use a hammer. I have a cheap arbor press from Harbor Freight, and I press them in and out with it. Billy

[SteveHawaii]

I've been using the Lee Loader for about a year now in .243 and 30-06.  I find it handy for knocking out primers and neck sizing.  I do both of them in my hand utilizing the little hammer that comes with the kit, which is also used as the primer and bullet seater.  I only reload about 20 cases at a time so my hand doesn't get too soar.  I picked up a Lee Auto Primer for setting the primers.  This works much better than pounding them in.  With the Auto Primer you can feel the primer seating.  I like that.  I also picked up a Lee hand press.  With this press you don't need a bench, just two strong arms.  I use that for case sizing and seating the bullet.  Sizing for the 30-06 is a bit much for the hand loader, but the .243 is fine  However, the whole process can be done with the Lee Loader, as long as the case doesn't need to be trimmed or sized.  

I like using the Lee dipper.  As long as you scrape the excess powder from the top of the scoop, you'll get accurate powder charges.  Using a calling card works great, or the loading chart that comes with the Lee Loader.  I've weighed them with a scale after using this method and the measurements are quite accurate.  It's faster than using a scale, as long as you are happy with 35 grains in .243 for instance.

I also like to use a powder funnel rather than trying to use the Lee Loader body.  The body works, but I tend to spill powder all over the place since the hole is kind of small.

I'll never get rid of my Lee Loaders even as I progress to other more advanced tools.  One never knows when it will come in handy.

Steve

[Larry Gibson]

Excellent way to start reloading, I started that way myself in the early ‘60s. 

A couple tips;

Get;
One of the larger MTM storage boxes, one with an internal tray, as it will hold all your reloading stuff.

A plastic headed mallet. These are available at most hardware/lumber yards.

Some 0000 steel wool to clean the outside of the neck. A small tuft wrapped around the neck and twisted does a quick job. May also be used with discretion to clean the outside of the cases.

A clean .30 cal bore brush on a small pistol rod to clean the inside of the necks. Push it straight in and slightly twist pulling it out. Usually one pass cleans the carbon and debris out pretty well.

A small screw driver to clean the primer pocket but the Lee primer pocket cleaner is inexpensive and works well.

A Lee chamfer tool for chamfering the inside of the case mouth and the outside if necessary. A small knife blade will do also for the inside.

The Lee hand priming tool is almost a must unless you want the be-jesus scared out of you when a primer pops tapping them in. 

A Lee powder funnel, works much better than pouring through the sizer.

A tapered punch can be used to flair the case mouth if you are loaing cast bullets.

A loading block to hold the cases that you’ve put powder into.

Nice, or next to have;

Lee’s powder dippers.
A good powder scale.
A powder trickler.
At least one good reloading manual.
A dial caliper.

All the above will fit into the MTM box.

Most of the above will also be required when you advance to a single or progressive press.
 
Larry Gibson

[c1skout]

I use some Lee loaders at times to neck size and seat bullets occassionally, but I don't use a hammer. I have a cheap arbor press from Harbor Freight, and I press them in and out with it. Billy

  I've been looking (when I go to H.F.) for a cheap arbor press to use like this, but I haven't found one big enough for my classic loader. The bigger ones seem to cost more than a used loading press would. Do you have a link to the one you bought?

[BCall]

I guess cheap is a relative term. I use this one-
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3552

but I didn't originally buy it to use for reloading. Since I already had it, it is cheap to me I suppose. I would think if one had a decent drill press, the same thing could be accomplished, never tried it, so I can't say for sure. It is a little short at 5 1/2" sometimes, so I mounted it to a bench, removed the press plate and pressed against The bench top. Works for me anyway. A used reloading press may be a better option if you weren't using it for anthing else. Billy

[c1skout]

 Thanks for the link. If I could think of some other uses for one I'd pick one up.