Anyone Still Use The Classic Lee Loader

I have had good luck using Lee's powder dippers. I still check on a scale when starting to load.
The dipper that comes with the loader may or may not work with the powder you are using,so I bought the hole set of dippers. Very affordable.

When I'm getting serious about accuracy I still use my RCBS Uniflow,but the Lee dippers are fine for plinking ammo.
 
To use the Lee dippers all it takes is practice and consistency. When I was loading a lot of 38 Specials I was able to hold about .1 grain of W231. I just did everything as exactly the same as I could every scoop...
 
Chemcal,

You can use the VMD tables and the scoops just fine, but without a scale, you won't know exactly what precision you are achieving. I'd advise not worrying about it. The Lee Loader comes with powders recommended for the scoop, and these will be conservative loads that give you some leeway for learning. It's also one of the secrets of the Lee loader. Folks using near maximum loads find they have to full length resize once every several rounds—maybe every fifth loading or so—because the brass stretches a little more and gets a little tighter with every firing. But with the scoop loads it takes a lot longer to wear out a case.

Regardless of what the fellow in the video says, always wear eye and hearing protection, and I'd also recommend a glove for the hand holding the primer setting/knock-out rod while you seat a primer. Every once in a while the primer does go off. The video guy may not have had one using his method, but primer sensitivity varies with brand and occasionally by lot number, so don't count on achieving his no-discharge rate.
 
I started with a .223 Lee Loader and used it to make a few dummy rounds and exactly five rounds of loaded ammunition. I had to sneak it into the house and use it when I was the only one home, my parents heard the work gunpowder and worried I'd blow up the house (needless to say, they aren't gun people). I did buy a hand priming unit as I was cautioned way from priming with the Lee and I had a second hand beam scale to measure powder. I loaded the rounds up, 60gr Nosler Partitions using H335 and went out back to fire them. Don't think I was ever so nervous to shoot something in my life. I shot them and they grouped so well, that I was hooked. After those 5 rounds I was on the prowl for a used press and found one eventually. I gave the Lee loader kit to a buddy of mine who was somewhat interested in reloading. He used it for a bit and then upgraded to a press too. It's a system that works well to learn the process, but definitely not made for volume!
 
"I still have some of the old Lee kits. Used them for years until I was in my 20s, then I bought an RCBS Rockchucker and never looked back. Personally I would not use one again if I had a choice. I would look on bay etc for a good used single stage press. But that's just me."..................................................
I started on a Lee Loader about 1969. I always remember buying the kit, powder, primers and bullets. Then I asked the old salt behind the counter what else do I need and he said....."A bible""
Scared hell out of me using a hammer loading .357's. The first ones I shot I was extremely disappointed that my .357 shot like a weak .38 spl. A couple weeks later I bought a Rock Chucker, scale, etc.
 
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