Loading 30 30 Winchester with an old school Lee Loader

T

ToddRvs66

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Hello All
I found a Lee Loader on ebay for less than $15.00 and it arrived yesterday. The auction said that it was from the 1970's and it came in the original box with all instruction and even the original load card. I was presently surprised how good of shape the loader was actually in.

After reading through the instructions once I was able to get right to work loading some 30 30 shells. Using some Winchester once fired brass, Hornady 150 grain bullets and 29.8 grains IMR 3031 and Winchester Large Rifle Primer. The load produced 2158 FPS shooting through my Chrono with a standard deviation of 11FPS with 5 loads. I used the lee powder dipper #129 included with the loader and did not meter each powder load individually like I normally do with my Rifle loads. I found this tool makes excellent reloads that look like factory. The load time is super fast much faster than loading the same round on my Single Stage.

I shot the rounds in my Winchester 94 Lever Action and was able to shoot 2 inches at 50 yards with open sights. This weekend I am going to be working up some loads with this nifty tool.

I liked this tool so much I made a short unboxing and loading video using the tool. Check it out.

https://youtu.be/cJ6uybEV7Ok
 
I started out with one of those as well. But I switched to a press about the same time your Lee loader was made - mid-70's...

I'm still using that same press (RCBS RC), same scale (5-0-5) and same Lubrisizer that was all purchased at the same time...

Bayou
 
The load time is super fast much faster than loading the same round on my Single Stage.
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First time I ever heard that, about a Lee Loader! ;)
If it works for you, it works for you!

Do be aware that the "wack a mole" Lee Loader does NOT full length resize the brass, it neck sizes only. So its possible the rounds you make will only chamber in the rifle the brass was fired in.

Lee had (might still have) a separate full length sizer die that was not part of the Lee Loader kit. That one used a bench vice to "press" the case into it, and you needed a rod and a hammer to get the sized case out of the die. It worked, you didn't "need" a reloading press, but it was anything but "fast" in my book. :D
 
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Thank you for the comment, It gave me an idea for a test of sorts.

So I did a little head to head comparison with both loading systems. I loaded 20 rounds with the Lee Loader and 20 rounds on my Single Stage Lee Press. The loads were identical in every way except the method they were reloaded. I timed them on a stop watch.

First the Lee Loader
20 Rounds loaded in 28.40 minutes

Single Stage Press
20 Rounds loaded in 43.17 minutes

What I found was the single stage took longer because I had to change dies out with the single stage and I stopped to hand prime all brass with a Lee Hand Primer.

Also The single stage I lubed all the brass and full length resized all the brass. Then I wiped the lube off the shells when finished reloading. This also took additional time. Granted the Lee Loader only neck sizes and required no lube.

This is far from scientific and I am sure if I had a neck sizer only die for the single stage press it would of taken less time, but alas I do not have such a die. I just am not sure it would of taken enough time off the single stage to get it in the same area of the Lee Loader.

My conclusion is that the Lee Loader is faster than a single stage press when loading in small quantities. Would this hold true If I were loading say 200 rounds for a match I do not Know. For small batches I feel the Lee Loader has the edge on speed though.

Thoughts
 
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Instructions for the Lee Loader call for chamfering the inside of each case mouth. Your video doesn't show that step. If you skipped it, that reduces the time you spent.

Also, the instructions call for using level scoops of powder. The video doesn't show using a business card to scrape off the powder to the level of the top of the scoop, which is what the instructions call for with my set of Lee scoops. Also, Lee says to push the dipper into the powder bottom-first, and allow the powder to flow into the dipper. Pushing the dipper into the powder and dragging it to fill the dipper partially compresses the powder and can result in loading more powder than intended.
 
This is far from scientific and I am sure if I had a neck sizer only die for the single stage press it would of taken less time, but alas I do not have such a die.
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First off, not only do I not see anything scientific, from your description, it doesn't sound like a very fair comparison.

Second, you DO have a neck sizer die. Its the full length sizer die. You just don't screw it all the way down.

We're probably looking at it from different points of view, I wouldn't count brass prep time as "press loading time", and I certainly wouldn't count separate tool hand priming time as press loading time.

time spent changing dies? Seriously??? what is that. 30-40 seconds? done ONCE...or at least I would only change them once.

So, I have to ask, did you load those timed 20 rnds individually, or as a batch?

Loading ammo isn't and shouldn't be a race. If you're faster with the LEE loader, that's great. I probably wouldn't be. The Lee Loader is made to reload ammo, "quick and dirty", and using the powder scoop system limits your choices to what the scoops deliver.

If you're happy, its all good.
 
I started with a Lee Loader myself. Never had a problem with the ammo it produced. Used the loader for 2 seasons before springing for a set of dies and Rock Chucker.
 
I started with a Lee Loader as well. That was 50 years ago. I still remember how good it felt to turn out my own ammo. I also remember how it scared the P out of me when I set off my first primer while priming cases. :eek: Loaded hundreds of rounds of ammo (38/357 and 30-30) with Lee Loaders until my older brother let me use his RCBS press (I had to buy my own dies). Never looked back. But I still have fond memories of sitting on the bench using a hammer loading ammo.
 
It's a bit amusing, how many people you find who say "I started out with a Lee Loader..."

Compare them to the number of folks who say "and I'm still using one today..."

:rolleyes:

Some old codgers started out the Lyman 310 tong tool. Fewer and fewer of those guys around today though...

I got started with a Lyman Spartan press, thanks to a princely birthday gift from an indulgent grandmother. So, by the time saw a Lee Loader, my reaction was …"why bother??"

Nothing wrong with using one, if it fills your needs. Never did, for me, but, that's just me...;)
 
"It's a bit amusing, how many people you find who say "I started out with a Lee Loader..."

Compare them to the number of folks who say "and I'm still using one today..."



Some old codgers started out the Lyman 310 tong tool. Fewer and fewer of those guys around today though...

I started out with one of those 310 Tong tool sets. First one was for 30-30. he scale was a Lyman with a long threaded bar, You used substitution weights that came with the scale to set it up for the charge you wanted to use. Years later I weight those substitution weights and they were so off what they were marked that it was a wonder I didn't blow a gun up. Powder was put into the scale with a spoon. I upgraded on a scale in a very short time. The year was 1954.
 
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