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copyright 2001 - Stephen Redgwell
It's time to re-examine the Lee Loader and use it in a whole new way. Used in conjunction with a bench press, your loads
will be more accurate, easier and faster to assemble and that means more time for shooting!
I'd like to start by looking briefly at its history.
Forty odd years ago, a new tool appeared on many reloading benches. It was a cardboard box that contained a basic set
of reloading tools, user instructions and a list of powder data. Add a wooden or nylon tipped hammer and some cartridge components
and you were ready to start using this small kit.
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| The parts of a Lee Loader |
Using the Lee Loader was simple.
1. Deprime the spent case using the decapper and decapping chamber
2. Tap the case into the sizing die with a wooden hammer and tap it out with the priming rod.
3. Place a primer on the priming chamber, put the resized case directly over it, and, using the priming rod inserted into
the case, gently tap it down onto the primer.
4. Add a scoop of powder
5. Seat a bullet using the opposite end of the sizing die.
The kit was inexpensive and easy to store. The truth be told, it introduced many people to the hobby of reloading - including
yours truly.
The kit appeared when few people outside of the benchrest community knew the difference between full length and neck resizing.
(The Lee Loader neck sizes only.)
As late as the 1970s, the average hobbyist didn't have bushing dies, hand priming tools, progressive presses or any case
preparation tools. Many of these were handmade and owned by experimenters.
The Lee Loader was at its best with cartridges fired from bolt action or single shot rifles. Since it only resized the
neck, it didn't always work in other actions. The body of the case was left untouched, and this made chambering difficult
or impossible.
Sometime in the 1980s (by my estimate), the Lee Loader started into decline. Many new companies and products appeared
on the scene, pushing Richard Lee's little box into the junk drawer.
It was at this time when I began accumulating more and more equipment, modified my reloading technique and started producing
even better reloads. You can do this too, because the Lee Loader is a serious piece of gear for many hunters and shooters.
What? Did you say "serious gear"? I'll bet you're thinking I must be nuts. Nobody wants a Lee Loader, what
with all the new equipment around! After all, the system is slow and priming is dangerous. Imagine. Tapping the case onto
the primer! Crazy!
Okay, say what you want, but hear me out. It's time for you to "think out of the box". If you reload for a
bolt action or single shot rifle, you've got an opportunity to improve your groups cheaply, reload faster and have a neat
little tool kit for the range.
Most rifle shooters use a single stage press. If you're only full length resizing your cases, but want to try out neck
sizing to better your accuracy, get a Lee Loader and experiment. It's available in these rifle calibres.
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22 Hornet
223 Remington
22/250
243 Winchester
6.5 x 55
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270 Winchester
7 x 57 Mauser
7mm Rem Mag
7.62 x 54 Russian
30 MI Carbine
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30/30 Win
308 Winchester
30/06 Springfield
303 British
45/70 Government
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You've got to get over the idea that Lee Loaders are quaint, old fashioned and slow pieces of reloading history. I want
you to consider a new way to use it. Call it a modified method.
Here's why. Look at your die set. See the resizing die? That's the one that does a lot of damage to your brass, has
to be swapped out for a seating die and is one of the main causes for wear in less expensive (aluminum) presses. You must
reduce its use.
THE RATIONALE FOR REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF USE OF A CONVENTIONAL SIZING DIE
A conventional die squishes, pushes, pulls and drags on a case. On the upstroke, the body is reduced in size, the shoulder
is pushed down and the neck diameter is reduced.
The neck is actually sized down too much! On the downstroke, the expander is pulled through the neck to expand it out
to the proper size needed to hold a bullet.
Brass squeezed in, brass pushed out.
With a conventional ball type expander, there's a lot of scraping and tugging - even with a cleaned and lubed neck. For
less brass abuse, a tapered expander, like the one in the picture below, is better.
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Your cases are exposed to unnecessary stresses which will reduce their useful life. The flexing and tugging causes brass
to become harder - brittle, if you will - and can cause cracks and splits.
The Lee Loader has no expander ball, and is basically a tube that reduces the neck down just enough to grip the bullet
and no more. There's also no need to lube the cases and then remove the excess later. They only need to be wiped clean to
keep any dirt from scraping the inside wall of the die.
This cuts down on time by eliminating case lubing and clean up.
It saves wear and tear on your press too. By not forcing cases up into the die every time you resize, it dramatically
reduces the number of times you put pressure on the linkage and frame. This force is wearing.
Wear can cause loose, sloppy press/die alignment. Too much play in a press affects bullet seating as well.
It doesn't matter whether you've got a cast iron press, a great warranty and confidence in the manufacturer. Not everyone
has a Boss or Rockchucker press. Some people cannot afford one. And a great warranty doesn't help when you can't use your
equipment - it's still downtime!
TO RECAP
The Lee Loader's sizing die is easier on brass because:
it neck sizes only and leaves the rest of the case untouched
(like any neck sized case, this usually results in better accuracy and longer case life)
it reduces the neck diameter only enough to grip the bullet and no more
it has no expander ball
the cases do not need to be lubed, they only need to be cleaned
Now, let's compare the conventional method of resizing to my Lee Loader modified technique. We'll assume that you're
using some kind of hand held priming tool.
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Conventional
1. Clean & lube cases
2. Install the sizing die, deprime & resize the cases
3. Remove the lube from the cases
4. Remove the sizing die - install the seating die
5. Prime the cases
6. Add powder
7. Seat the bullets
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My Method
1. Wipe off the cases
2. Deprime cases
3. Resize the cases. Tap in, tap out.
4. Install the seating die in press
5. Prime the cases
6. Add powder
7. Seat the bullets
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The number of steps is the same, but the time is less with my method. I have a cheap "C" press with a universal
decapping die permanently installed. I do not use the decapping rod used with the kit and do not prime using the priming
chamber. It's much faster (and safer!) using a handheld priming tool.
I seat the bullets with a conventional die and Redding press.
When I have reloading clinics, I get the attention of other instructors when discussing this method. I take 10 fired
cases and give 10 fired cases to another instructor. The demonstration is simple. Get these cases resized and ready to prime.
We both start at the same time. In most cases, I have the cases cleaned and resized before the other fellow has his cleaned
and lubed.
Now, the answers to inputs from other reloaders.
What about using the Lee Collet Die?
Yes, you can use a collet die and neck resize. That's fine. It also eliminates the lubing. Sometimes, I bring my Lee
Loader to the range. Is your press that portable?
Why not use more than one press?
Sure, you can use two or three presses and mount different dies in each. Some people don't have the room or the money
for other presses though. The Lee Loader is an affordable option.
What about a progressive press?
You can use a progressive or turret press. Some people can't afford to get one or don't want to buy another press.
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The bottom line is this. For about $30 you can experiment with neck sizing and have a handy little tool that can be packed
anywhere. Heck, if you can borrow one from a friend that doesn't use Lee Loader anymore, so much the better!
You can sit down in front of the TV and resize your cases. There's no danger of doing something out of sequence or working
with primers or powder in the living room. You shouldn't be there with this stuff anyway!
It's not rocket science. It's not benchrest. It is simple to do however, and gives you options.
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