CANTIRE rant, plus advice for starting reloading .30-30 w/Lee Loader

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
40   0   0
Location
Southern NB, aka "Canada's Bible Belt"
Just went to my local Can Tire, where I've bought my ammo for the past 10 years, for the most part.

Selling Federal Power Shok .30-30 for $28 a box, ..303 for $40 a box. That's crazy. Apparently they've picked up pricing advice from Cabelas.

So I want to finally start using my Lee Loader for .30-30 this fall.

I'll need bullets, primers, and powder. All I have is the Loader. I'll also need the load data sheet that is supposed to come with the Loader, as mine went missing before it was shipped to me.

1). Can anyone scan/photo/otherwise reproduce the load data sheet for the Lee Loader in .30-30 and send it to me?
2). I presume I need large rifle primers? And need to settle on a bullet and powder. Any suggestions for components would be helpful. Would be nice to have bullets that work OK on deer.
 
Check out your mom and pop stores, 303 Brit is bloody expensive now, not sure how long it has been since you bought ammo but the prices have been high for a while.

Powder is now $40+ per pound and bullets $45-50/100 for the cheap ones too.
 
TheCoachZed said:
Just went to my local Can Tire, where I've bought my ammo for the past 10 years, for the most part.

Selling Federal Power Shok .30-30 for $28 a box, ..303 for $40 a box. That's crazy. Apparently they've picked up pricing advice from Cabelas.

So I want to finally start using my Lee Loader for .30-30 this fall.

I'll need bullets, primers, and powder. All I have is the Loader. I'll also need the load data sheet that is supposed to come with the Loader, as mine went missing before it was shipped to me.

1). Can anyone scan/photo/otherwise reproduce the load data sheet for the Lee Loader in .30-30 and send it to me?
2). I presume I need large rifle primers? And need to settle on a bullet and powder. Any suggestions for components would be helpful. Would be nice to have bullets that work OK on deer.
Click to expand...

1). If you don't get an answer by the time I get off work tonight I will take some pictures for you

2). You will want to get the chamfer tool, trimming thing and calipers. Here is my detailed explanation of how to do it and what you need.

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...started-reloading-with-the-Lee-Loader-Classic
 
A couple of thoughts....

Have you checked Lee's website for the load data?

IIRC, the Lee Loader just neck sizes the brass. If I were using one to reload for a 30-30, where the majority of guns chambered in that caliber are lever action, I would be re-sizing a few brass, and making sure they chamber cleanly before proceeding with the rest of the steps. Even then, if the test cases (no pun intended) chamber and extract cleanly, I'd be inclined to resize and check all the brass before I filled the case.
 
TheCoachZed said:
Just went to my local Can Tire, where I've bought my ammo for the past 10 years, for the most part.

Selling Federal Power Shok .30-30 for $28 a box, ..303 for $40 a box. That's crazy. Apparently they've picked up pricing advice from Cabelas.

So I want to finally start using my Lee Loader for .30-30 this fall.
Click to expand...

Yeah reloading component are pricey these days. I just reloaded some 30/30 with Hornady 160 grain FTX bullets with leverevolution powder and I think all in it cost me $18 for box of 20 rounds. I see Cabela's is listing the 140 grain MTX 30/30 leverevolution for $52. Not sure where the FTX version but it was over 30 bucks last time I checked a couple of years ago.
 
You full length resize cases to ensure they will spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably "after firing". The problem with neck sizing is each time the case is fired it becomes slightly larger and becomes hard to extract.

I tried to be cheap and use a Lee Loader after I got out of the service in 1973 with my .270 Remington 760 pump. And the third time I reloaded them the cases would not extract until the cases cooled off.

This may not happen as soon as my .270 cases because of the 30-30 lower chamber pressure, but eventually your cases will fail to extract.

The same happens with bolt actions with hard bolt lift when neck sizing. And a bolt action has primary extraction when lifting the bolt and secondary extraction when pulling the bolt straight back.

And on a lever action you have no camming action primary extraction and can only pull straight back.

On a semi-auto rifle like a M1A or AR15 the full length resized case should be .003 to .005 smaller in diameter than a fired case. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.

And after my cases jammed in my 760 pump that night I bought my RCBS Rockchucker press and started full length resizing all my cases used for hunting.

What we need here is someone who has actually neck sized 30-30 cases and find out "when" the cases become hard to extract.
 
My tips:
* only use mild loads, hot loads will shorten your case life.
* once in a while you'll need to trim the overall length back to spec. You'll need a different gadget for that.
* Don't try to use cases fired in another gun, start with your own used ones, or start with new cases.
* check for case cracks before re-using cases.

No, I haven't Lee Loaded with a 30-30, but did back in my .22 hornet days for the same reason. It worked pretty well.
 
LarryG said:
My tips:
* only use mild loads, hot loads will shorten your case life.
* once in a while you'll need to trim the overall length back to spec. You'll need a different gadget for that.
* Don't try to use cases fired in another gun, start with your own used ones, or start with new cases.
* check for case cracks before re-using cases.

No, I haven't Lee Loaded with a 30-30, but did back in my .22 hornet days for the same reason. It worked pretty well.
Click to expand...

I have a friend with a full 30-30 reloading setup to trim the cases.

Plan on only using the Lee Loader recommended loads. And I have scores of cases fired from this gun.
 
I almost forgot. Good thing I went to say good night to my guns...haha

3X98cOZ.jpg

4EcTVCE.jpg

BKvV4qH.jpg

Y0digZi.jpg
 
I've never had to trim 30-30 brass yet in over 35 years of loading them.Win 748 is a stellar powder 32gr/170gr bullet and 34.5gr/150gr bullet .Not balls to the wall but killed a slew of moose, bear and deer.
 
I reloaded 303 for years with a lee loader. Worked good as long as I matched the brass to the same rifle it was fired it. Once one gets the knack of using lee scoups, rounds produced can be second to none. A scale to weigh loads are helpful. There are some great discussions online about the lee loader use and tips for their use.
 
How many rounds do you plan on loading in one sitting?
A lee loader is an awfully slow and tedious way to go about it for more than a handful of rounds.
I'd personally sell the lee loader, you can get a cheap press for the cost of a lee loader kit and a used die set off the EE wouldn't be much more than $30-40.
Overall, you'd only be in $30-40 more than a lee loader kit and any future calibers you want to load are only a die set away.

If you're stuck on the lee loader, I'd at least recommend getting a scale of some sort; you'd get better consistency with charge weights and you wouldn't be constrained to the dipper charts in terms of powder choices and amounts.
 
Last edited:
I started on a Lee Loader. My advice will go against what some have offered. I would go ahead with your plan for starting with the Lee loader and see how you like it. Either the reloading bug will bite you or not. If you decide you like reloading you can upgrade later if you want. In addition to the Lee Loader I would get a beam scale for measuring powder charges, and a caliper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom