Lee Loader

So here it is for January !
A multi part question .
Are you a 1-3 cartridge reloader for volume or a 10+ cartridge hand loader ?
How diverse are the cartridges you load ?



I load a bunch of different things that range from the still in exploritory stages 1866 Chessipot , a needle fire breach loaded 11mm paper cartridge , to a barrel eating Winchester Mag .
I've dabbled in making BP and caps for cap and ball revolvers , definitely an aquired taste for long winter nights to combat cabin fever and boredom .

Of course I load for the not nearly as obscure as I thought cartridges too .

I load 18 different cartridges ranging from 22 hornet to 45-70. I load 223, 9mm, 38 sp, and 308 in large quantities. The rest in just fun to shoot a few or hunting quantities. I cast for all of them. I also load jacketed in some. Sometimes I load for hours, sometimes I will leave everything set up and work on one stage for an hour or so on something like case trimming each day. When casting I will not work less than 2 hours at a time, and usually 4 or more.

hey Rich -
Adam Lee here (aka alphalimafoxtrot for those on the military vocabulary end of the spectrum) and I don't think you are late at all to the question of the month even though it's almost over!!!

Here go my responses. Hope you know, I am still on the mend of shoulder #2 and my disability leave has been extended two weeks into February. I am going bughouse crazy with being restricted from doing stuff I usually take for granted, like shooting AND working on reloading!!

1. Are you a 1-3 cartridge reloader for volume or a 10+ cartridge hand loader ?

I am a baby reloader, just beginning to walk. Been crawling for a long time, just to pick up the used brass and essential ingredients for handloading. To that end, I will have to respond that I reload one cartridge at a time with my Lee Loader, using a hammer. At the end of the day, that means I will bang out about 50 -75 completed rounds in a sitting. So that obviously was my interpretation of the question, other's may vary...

2. How diverse are the cartridges you load ?

Well, I bought a few Lee Loader kits for several rounds I am either shooting or want to be shooting. The two rounds I am loading for at present - and had success with at the range - are .38 Special and .357 Magnum. Easy enough for a noob like me to do!
The other rounds I am collecting brass for are .30-30 Win/.32 Win/.35 Remington/.300 Savage. I am actually using the first two Lee Loaders in that collection for my obsolete .30 Remington/ .32 Remington rimless ammo that feeds a couple of my old Remington Model 81's and a Model 14 pump.

Rich, have a great day!

Adam

I guess you would call it "spurt" reloading. I'm not at the reloading bench that often, as I have other interests I follow with the same passion as shooting/reloading. But when I reload it is usually for extended periods. Thus said, I reload: .222/ .223/5.56/ .30-.30/ .44-40/ 6.5x52mm Carcano/30-40 Krag/ 8x57mm/ 9mm Luger/ .38 special/ .45 colt plus 20 and 12 gauge. I cast for all except the shot shell.

I do reload for several different rifles and handguns but as of late (last year or so) I've been concentrating "mostly" on 556 and 9mm getting ready for the "apocalypse" and I don't mean Zombie. (thanks for the brass Larry, feed the passion ) When they all start shooting at each other I figure I'll be in the 50 percentile that is standing in the middle shooting in both directions..... . Actually after saying that, I conclude that may not be an advantageous position... Pick a side, hmmmm , guess I'll go right....that may sound a bit paranoid to some but Washington state (where I live) is getting a bit to liberal as far as their gun laws and such. They're now introducing a weapons ban on, well, just about everything. The state is controlled pretty much by the city of Seattle and neighboring areas, all West side of the state. Folks (including some Sheriffs) are getting up in arms on the East side and they're now having meetings at local levels with some pretty harsh rhetoric. Getting interesting.....


Sorry for the "political" hijack.....but all should be aware of things that may be coming to a place near you...

I guess I fall into the "handloader" category. "Quality over quantity"? (no offence meant to progressive users, I'm just slow and steady and I know excellent ammo is produced on progressive presses as well).

I reload 14 or so different cartridges, mostly handgun. I enjoy all aspects of reloading from researching a load, finding it it a manual, gathering components, processing brass and re-stuffing them, shooting, recording and analyzing. I also cast most of my bullets and PC a few. I do have a couple loads using jacketed bullets that I call my "Just in Case Ammo". In case I need to evacuate, tsunami, earth quake or forest fire, I have about 1,100 45 ACP loads that work quite well in my 3, 45 ACP guns, and a 9mm load, mebbe 1,000, that also works in all my 9mm pistols. Both are basic jacketed "classic" handloads that will work in probably any gun chambered for them.

Re.; horseman's post. I lived I CA for many years and it was controlled by the large cities, LA, SF Bay area, and Sacramento. Now in Oregon I see the same "politics" as the liberal Portland and Eugene are largely in control. Seems like the real people are rural and the liberals gather together in cities for protection and patting themselves on each others' backs...

Well, I tend to be a handloader, like dabbling or fiddling with things with any given cartridge, but I'm heading to becoming a reloader as I've fiddled with my cartridges to the point that there is just not much sense in upsetting the applecart any more. I've figured out what works and within that what I like, so I just load it and enjoy the shooting and reloading cycle. Sometime over the year, I will shoot every one of these cartridges.

218 Bee
25 Auto
25-20 Win
30 Carbine
300 Savage
30-30 Win
30-30 AI
308 Win
32-20 Win
7.62X39
303 British
32 Auto
32 Win Spl
357 Mag
38 Spl
9mm Luger
380 Auto
35 Rem
9mm Makarov
375 Win
38-55 Win
41 Mag
44 Mag
444 Marlin
454 Casull
45 Colt
45 ACP
45-70 Govt
480 Ruger
12 Gauge

I seem to get a bit bored with one if I stay on it too long, the 12 Gauge slug stuff is a good example. I'm not quite where I want to be but have different powders. I keep thinking I need to take a month off and shoot some of the other stuff. One day, maybe I will start unloading some of those on the list for the final time, but I enjoy each of them.

I've got a real hankering to shoot my Marlin 1894P, Rossi 92, and Winchester 94 44 Mags and then will go to my two 444 Marlins and the 45-70 Govt. That might be a good break from the slug gun. I have a nilgai hunt lined up for the end of February; I will take either my Rossi Rio Grande 45-70 Govt or my SMLE Scout (303 British)

Horseman, mikld there are folks everywhere seeing what you see with the exploitation fire arm laws and erosion of Second Amendment rights. All we can do is enjoy what we have at present, promote the shooting sports to our youth and stand firm in attitude and beliefs.

When i talk about reloading to people that dont reload i say theres roughly three types of reloaders: hobbyists, economists, and perfectionists

The first shoots to reload, the second reloads to shoot, and the third is just trying to make the perfect cartridge

Im definitely an Economist and am just trying to squeeze as many rounds per dollar in as i can without casting my own. Im happy with it and after coming up on a 2 year lull cant wait to get into it again but maybe farther down the line come retirement age i can be a hobbyist

Wait, did I answer the question?

GRV01 wrote:When i talk about reloading to people that dont reload i say theres roughly three types of reloaders: hobbyists, economists, and perfectionists

Agree but I still don't know what I am. I don't get to shoot hardly at all so the only time I load anything is if I get a new gun/caliber or a new gadget. I guess I'm an eco-hobbyist. I know I'm not a perfectionist (reloader).