Lee Classic Loader

G

Groverino

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Nova Scotia
Does anyone know if new unfired brass can be loaded with the Lee Classic Loader (the one you hit with the hammer). I'm a little confused as to whether the new brass needs to be full length sized before loading. The lee loader only neck sizes.
 
AFAIK all new brass is ready for primer, powder, and seating a bullet. I hope someone else chimes in here as I am not 100% positive. I don't have any unfired new brass here to measure for you either, everything has been used at least once...lol
 
Check the case mouth for not being perfectly round.
They get bashed around a bit.
At least neck size them, but others here have their own
method.
I run all through the press regardless on new or used.
 
OK. The Lee loader neck sizes the brass. So if you get new brass and neck size it you will be fine. Are you guys telling me you buy new brass and full lengh size it? I thought I was being anal retentive neck sizing it.

G
 
I have never FL sized Lapua or Norma brass, but my experience is limited to those two in only 4 offerings.... I have no idea about other makes or calibers.
 
I started with a Lee Loader, and I did use some once-fired brass I bought off the EE. I just asked the guy to FL resize it for me before he shipped it. He was happy to do it.
 
New brass is fine to load as is. You can take it out of the bag and prime, charge powder and seat a bullet with a Lee Loader or normal press. Some people size it anyways but I find almost all of it barely touches the die if at all. You can size a new 308 case with no lube in most FL dies and the only thing touched is the neck (it's sized down and then re exapanded as the expander is pulled through). If your case necks are dented from shipping then you need to straighten them out. Closed needle nose pliers can do this when you don't have a press and FL dies to partially size the neck.

There is nothing unsafe about loading new quality brass as is.
 
The unfired brass that you buy is the same dimension as the loaded factory ammo made by the same manufacturer. Not that many people FL resize factory ammo before they shoot it. The case mouth might be dented on new brass, but the Lee Loader tool can fix that.
 
Groverino said:
In that case maybe I'll buy some new prvi brass. Is the lapua really worth the extra cost?
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Lapua is worth it for uniformity but if all I had was a Lee Loader I'd invest the money somewhere other than $90.00/100 brass (.308 win).
I'm not putting down Lee Products but the $129.00 Lee 50th Anniversary kit would be a good way to start off.
I own a couple of Lee Classic Loaders and the accuracy is surprising.
 
Lapua is worth the cost. That or benchrest and competition shooters worldwide show noteworthy placebo effects when using it. Even with the classic loader. And factory new brass is just fine to prime, load and fire, as is. I'm not sure if people imagine that winchester full length resizes each case before loading it for their factory loads, but I'd bet good money that the brass you buy in bags is exactly the same brass they feed into their ammo manufacturing machine without useless pre processing $$'s.
 
rimfiremac said:
Lapua is worth the cost. That or benchrest and competition shooters worldwide show noteworthy placebo effects when using it. Even with the classic loader. And factory new brass is just fine to prime, load and fire, as is. I'm not sure if people imagine that winchester full length resizes each case before loading it for their factory loads, but I'd bet good money that the brass you buy in bags is exactly the same brass they feed into their ammo manufacturing machine without useless pre processing $$'s.
Click to expand...

This is the one of the ONLY times it is worthwhile. Other times are when brass is ONLY available from them. You can't justify it for hunting rounds on a cost basis, but you can on a "because I want to" basis.
 
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