The bairn and the Lee Loader

[62chevy]

Loved my Classic Loader the Wife not so much. The noise did get me the Classic Turret.

you might want to rephrase that first sentence before "the Wife" reads it and gets the wrong impression

When she was complaining about th noise I wasn't to happy with her but understood.

[mr surveyor]

Now makes me want the loaders for everything I load for, and may load for in the future.

Unfortunately their range is very limited. Packing one LEE loader for every caliber won't need that mach space, and you would still be prepared. I mean for every gun that might cross your path and wanted to be taken home to a warm shelter.

for now, I would be satisfied to add .44 spl/mag, .45 acp and .30-30 loaders to the "emergency kit".

Oddly enough, the Lee loaders in the cases are no different in bulk than a comparable set of press dies. And a Lee Hand Press (with a ram prime kit) doesn't take up much more space than the plastic faced mallet (although which could be replaced with a wooden "club" fashioned in the woods). The Hand Press was going to be my "mandatory self imposed" full second year of reloading experience before moving to bench mounted presses. Now, well into three years (and five die sets) of what was only going to be a one year step in the overall learning process with the Hand Press, I can't seem to see the need to move to a dedicated "bench". As long as I don't load anything tougher than .44 mag or .30-30, the hand press does any single stage process I need to do, and often much more comfortably. So, all of my necessary reloading tools fit into a fairly small package. The components would be the major bulk/weight.

[beekeeper]

60 plus years ago when I started to do my own reloads my Dad insisted I learn using a Lee loader.
Started with a 7X57 MM set and still have it.
I still load 1 round at a time (beginning to end) just like I did when I used the Lee Loader.
I now have one for every caliber I shoot and a couple for rifles I don't have.

Still wish I had bought more of them and am still looking for a 30/06 match loader and a 410 shotgun one to complete the my needs.



beekeeper

[mikld]

for now, I would be satisfied to add .44 spl/mag, .45 acp and .30-30 loaders to the "emergency kit".

Oddly enough, the Lee loaders in the cases are no different in bulk than a comparable set of press dies. And a Lee Hand Press (with a ram prime kit) doesn't take up much more space than the plastic faced mallet (although which could be replaced with a wooden "club" fashioned in the woods). The Hand Press was going to be my "mandatory self imposed" full second year of reloading experience before moving to bench mounted presses. Now, well into three years (and five die sets) of what was only going to be a one year step in the overall learning process with the Hand Press, I can't seem to see the need to move to a dedicated "bench". As long as I don't load anything tougher than .44 mag or .30-30, the hand press does any single stage process I need to do, and often much more comfortably. So, all of my necessary reloading tools fit into a fairly small package. The components would be the major bulk/weight.[/quote]

FWIW, before I had a dedicated "reloading room" I used a Lee Hand Loader to reload. I was able to keep a set of dies, a few sleeves of primers, press, a couple hundred bullets, and a few other small reloading tools in a plastic shoe box. I had the bulk of my primers and powder in my closet. When I started casting bullets, outside, I was able to use my Lee Hand Press to size my bullets. Worked quite well...

[Maximumbob54]

That was a really neat pictorial showing the Lee Loader in use. I keep saying I'm going to buy one but I would use an ahrbor press because I'm lothe to use a hammer on anything I don't want to break. I'm just a big chicken like that.

[mikld]

Some things are designed to be hit with a hammer, chisels, punches, etc., and some aren't; fingers, toes, glasses, etc..

But for a Lee Loader, it was deigned to be hit with a mallet; plastic, lead, or a deadblow hammer. Actually all mine work quite well with an 8 ounce plastic mallet. Get one, use the right hammer/mallet and you're good to go. They're cheap and tons o' fun...

[Patriot007]

Nice and effective, a no brainer. I'm still scratchen my head my head on my loadmaster. Some times. LOL.
Thank you for the info.

[larryw]

Great post, I have seen it somewhere before. I started in the 60's with a 38 Special Lee Loader,
Don't know how many thousands of rounds I loaded on that thing, I know we were shooting
a bunch, almost every day in the desert. Recently got another one, same as my old one
box & all. I might be mistaken, but it seems to me that most handloaders I know
started with the little Lee Loader....

[daboone]

I had to look up Bairn to figure out who the sweet lass was. I figure right off it wasn't you as I'd seen a picture of you over on cast boolits and you ain't that good looking. LOL
GLAD to see you POSTING here as I have Learned a lot from your post over there and enjoyed your own site as well.