Lee Classic Loader - any good lessons?

Dosing

Dosing

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Have had a Lee Classic Loader sitting around for ages, and now have a Sako product thats similar. I have no other reloading gear at the moment, and I understand they are supposed to do it all, but I am wondering what other tools users would suggest, priming tool, deburring tool etc etc.
Also any common issues people have had?
 
I just got a rifle in .308 and saw Classic Lee Loader on sale on this site for a good price. It's not what I thought it would be so how does the damned thing work? I'm used to single stage and progressive presses.
 
Dosing said:
Have had a Lee Classic Loader sitting around for ages, and now have a Sako product thats similar. I have no other reloading gear at the moment, and I understand they are supposed to do it all, but I am wondering what other tools users would suggest, priming tool, deburring tool etc etc.
Also any common issues people have had?
Click to expand...
Safety glasses... the only time I ever had a primer go off while priming was while using one of these.

A soft faced hammer.
 
I use the Lee Classic loader for .303,30-30, 308, 45-70 and 223.
I like them for the 303B especially since they neck size only and increase brass life.
I would suggest a good hard surface to work off of, I use a wood surface when at the range of checking loads or I use a workbench hard rubber surface and always a soft faced hammer. Never had a primer go off but safety glasses are a must.
And last advice is don’t use when Mrs is upstairs with a migraine………
 
Dosing said:
Have had a Lee Classic Loader sitting around for ages, and now have a Sako product thats similar. I have no other reloading gear at the moment, and I understand they are supposed to do it all, but I am wondering what other tools users would suggest, priming tool, deburring tool etc etc.
Also any common issues people have had?
Click to expand...
I found that the classic Lee Loader pretty much limited me to re-loading cases that had been previously fired in my rifle, or new cases - brass from a friend would not fit into my rifle after "sizing" - would not fit in before sizing, either - I since learned that the original Lee Loader was "neck sizing" only - does nothing about the case shoulder - only sizes exterior of the case neck - but makes ammo that will go "bang".

I ended up with a balance beam scale - that let me experiment with powder loads, instead of the kit's scoop. I also bought the Lee system for case length - cutter and spinner, then shell holder and "gauge" for each chambering. That required a chamfering tool - the one that I have is "made for RCBS by L. E. WILSON" - I still use it. Eventually, I got an RCBS single leverage press and dies. I now have a Rockchucker compound leverage press and I use an RCBS Chargemaster Lite to dispense powder - although the trickler and beam scale are still set up and available to me. I currently use an RCBS bench mount "automatic priming tool" to seat primers, but still use the punch from the original Lee Loaders to "pop out" the fired primers before I wet tumble the cases. All that I load is mostly centre-fire rifle ammo - I do not load handgun ammo and only dabbed a bit with shotgun loading.

If you are starting from nothing - pay attention to shell holders - back in the day, I think they were $3 or $4 items - I still think of them that way - but, I am now seeing some vendors wanting into the $30's and $40's for them - can end up with a plethora of shell holders for different tools and then different sizes, each, for many cartridges - a way to "head off into the bush" by getting "cheap stuff" and then not realizing how the costs will add up to actually use that stuff.
 
I had an email with Lee a few weeks ago, they told me the Classic loader isnt selling well, and no new chamberings are coming (was hoping for a 9.3X62), so its not sounding good for the line.
 
The Lee classic loaders work very well. I originally got one for 45-70 as a novelty. I didn’t need one because I have a couple of presses that work very well for all of my needs. But the single caliber, single case loader was intriguing. So I got one and learned how to use it. It is a fun way to load (albeit slow). And the post above about only being able to use it with cases fired from your own rifle is incorrect. At least in my experience. I’ve found range pick ups that I have had no issues sizing with the Lee.

I had so much fun with the 45-70, that I now have loaders for all of my straight walled cased calibers. I have yet to try one with a bottle necked case.
 
I started off with a LEE Loader in 30-30, along with a can of 3031. How much more classic could a fellow get! I got a lot of enjoyment out of that little kit. I got the bug and collected a whole bunch of them.
 
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