Newbie: how does this sound?

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Fireworks

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I'm thinking about purchasing a Lee Loader .308 to load some rounds for practice.
I'm a moose hunter and I really don't shoot enough currently mainly because of cost.
Rifle is a Savage Axis II xp bolt action.
Looking at placing an order with Budget shooter supply

Lee Classic loader .308 win
CCI Primer Large rifle 100
Speer hot-cor Bullets 150gr. 100
IMR 4320 1 lb

I have a caliper, micrometers, and soft hammers

Does this sound right for a beginner?
should I consider a different powder?
Do I need a scale to get started?
I understand that this setup only neck sizes and the limitations associated with neck sizing.

thanks.
 
I use one for 303 brit. I have gotten fast at it! I reccomend a scale still. I use a frankford arsenal..
Not the best. But for heavier charges seems good. Light pistol powder charges like 9mm it seems a bit inconsistent.

Can't say on powder. I think 4064 is a very universal powder for rifle rounds. I use it and 3031 for 303. Depends what's in stock where I buy.

Edit,

Sounds like 4064 is quite popular for 06 and 308...my understanding of 4320 is that it burns quicker. I know I can't find many loads for it for my use. May want to research case fill though though too.

Neck sizing should do well in any bolt. I particularly like it for enfields as the chambers are very sloppy and full length sizing is hard on brass.

I actually found Sierra load data online (a snapshot of the 303 brit page in google images)for myself and it works well for all my 180grn bullets. I did buy a hornady manual..but the sierra had both powders I use.

You will also want a primer pocket cleaner tool and maybe a chamfer tool for case mouths. I still clean 303 brass by hand too. Cabelas has those tools
 
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With a Lee loader, you can switch from not shooting much because of cost to not shooting much because of time.

I would get a scale. Not mandatory, but I would get one anyway. Even a cheap e-scale would be ok. It is inexpensive and will at least confirm that you're not doing something completely off.

For powder using a Lee loader and a scoop, pretty much any powder that's correct for your bullet will do. It's gonna make average ammos at best anyway, so it's not like you can really develop a load. IMR4320 is fine. So would be varget, 4064, 4895, etc... If you plan on reloading more than 1 caliber, or more than 1 bullet weight, check for a powder that will do all of it.
 
For moose the 150’s are on the light side. I’d go with a good 165 at minimum, 180 even better. Not sure about 4320 but have had great success and accuracy with 4350, 180 nosler partition in a savage 99. Holes touching at 100yds
As for loading gear, a basic “c” or “o” press will do. I load above on old lee press, lee dies. You need a powder scale, lube your cases, including inside of neck and a primer tool. Lee dies full length resize.
Mike
 
10mmmills said:
For moose the 150’s are on the light side. I’d go with a good 165 at minimum, 180 even better. Not sure about 4320 but have had great success and accuracy with 4350, 180 nosler partition in a savage 99. Holes touching at 100yds
As for loading gear, a basic “c” or “o” press will do. I load above on old lee press, lee dies. You need a powder scale, lube your cases, including inside of neck and a primer tool. Lee dies full length resize.
Mike
Click to expand...

We've been unable to draw an adult moose tag recently, so 150g should be suitable for calves.
Right now, I want to load some reasonable practice rounds so I can do some more shooting. I wont use them for hunting until I gain some confidence in them.
 
IIRC, a Lee Loader (the hammer-powered dies) are a neck resize only. There has been a long, ongoing debate about neck sizing vs. full sizing for hunting rounds.
Your plan to use them for practice rounds has merit, but there will likely be a difference in point of impact between your relaods and the factory ammo. Verify your zero with your hunting ammobefore you head out.
 
Sounds like you are on the right course to me.
The Lee Loader comes with everything you will need to load ammo as good as factory, IMHO.

The kit comes with one dipper for measuring powder, and a data sheet. Just make sure that the powder you buy is listed in the data.

When you get to hunting, obviously, ensure that each cartridge will chamber in your rifle.
I can usually get 2-4 loadings from a case, but eventually you will need to full length resize, as the measurement from case base to shoulder will increase with each firing. Also make sure the case OAL is in spec for safety.
As far as speed goes, there is a video of Richard Lee, the inventor loading a round in 40 seconds. RIP Richard. He does not waste any time measuring the powder to 1/10ths of a grain, just pours in a dipper full.
I started out with a Lee Loader about 10 years ago, and liked reloading eneough to buy a press, etc.
Hope this is some help.
 
When I got out of the military in 1973 I bought a Remington 760 pump and a lee loader and the second time I reloaded the cases I had to wait for the cases to cool off before they would eject.

You have a bolt action that has far more primary extraction when you lift the bolt that breaks the case free from the chamber. Meaning it will depend on how warm you load before you will need to full length resize.

You will be better off getting the Lee Challenger starter kit, full length resizing and only shooting your reloads. I only had my Lee Loader two weeks before I bought my Rockchucker press and started full length resizing all my ammo.

Bottom line, you will be better off full length resizing and practising with the same ammo you will hunt with. And Mystic Precision is giving you some very good advice.

Below Kevin Thomas worked in the Sierra ballistic test lab before joining Team Lapua USA.

Y3IiYL5.jpg
 
I started hand loading with a Lee Loader for 308 Win. The kit comes with a powder scoop. There is a chart in the box telling you what powder to use with which bullet, using a levelled off "scoop full". So, see the chart, before buying powder, once you have decided on the bullet. Next step along is to buy a loading manual - if you use Hornady bullets, get a Hornady manual - you will eventually have them all. With the loading manual, you will see that you have choices about how much and what kind of powder to load, instead of just rely on that scoop. Don't misunderstand - the scoop, with the specified powder for the specified bullet works just fine - at least as good as the store bought factory ammo you are now using. With the knowledge from the manual, you will want to buy a scale, and likely a powder dribbler. It will actually slow down your reloading rate with a Lee Loader, but you will be "more accurate" with your loads. Your rifle may or may not know the difference. Then you will probably want a volume powder dispenser, to throw 95% of your desired load weight into the scale pan, then dribble up to exact weight. That will probably get you back up to the reloading rate you started at, although "more accurate" and "more choices". Eventually you will get a press, and full length dies, and that will again be an improvement, with more choices to be more accurate, but slower than the Lee Loader. That is where most "couple hundred or less rounds a year" guys will stop. Some of us even go back to the Lee Loader for making up just 10 or 12 rounds at a time.

One thing I forgot to mention. In my experience, you must start with factory new bulk brass, or factory brass from factory rounds fired in your rifle. And only your rifle. With the Lee system that seems to be important if you want your re-loads to fit into your rifle. Later on, with full length dies in a press, you can reload anybody's previously fired brass and it will fit into your rifle. But not with a Lee Loader - perhaps happened only to me...
 
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Yes to Potashminer,
Only brass fired from your rifle. surprisingly it’s very rare to find brass fired in another rifle which fits your rifle, without full length sizing.
You could also use new brass and see how many times you can re use them. This might be more economical than buying loaded ammo, and re using the brass.
It is a slippery slope and you may end up buying more equipment, but the choice is yours.
 
Thanks for the replies. I've got a couple of boxes of brass fired from this rifle, so that shouldnt cause an issue.

I also have a 30.06 and 30.30, so chances are that more equipment is in my future
Im approaching this as an experiment...my Initial outlay is about the same as five boxes of lower end, cartridges, and i'll get the tool plus enough materials to load 5 boxes, less the brass...
 
Lee loader is a great way to start especially if your budget conscious. It gives you a taste of reloading with out a big cash outlay. If there are any guns shows or shops in your area you can always add equipment as your budget permits and you still get to reload. Just remember as you add equipment it should increase your speed and quality so invest what your comfortable with and if you decide you dont like reloading you can sell it and not be put very much
 
I started with a Lee Loader. It made ammo that shot well.

I suggest buying 180 gr bullets. They work well on anything on 4 legs. (Typo fixed)

As for powder, it comes in 2 formats. Extruded or "stick" powder. The kernels looks like little bits of broken pencil lead. An "ball" powder. The kernels are tiny little balls.

Ball powder measures almost perfectly with a scoop or thrower. If the kit lists the data for Win 748 or BLC2, those ball powders would be easy to work with.

But, buying a simple single stage press and a set of dies would be a better choice for the longer haul.
 
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Another suggestion if you are starting to reload. Make up a note book, or spreadsheet and make a record of every load that you made - date / cartridge / bullet type and weight / primer used / powder type and weight / brass head stamp / Over All Length - leave space for comments about how they worked - group size, velocity, game taken, etc.. My first reloads were in the early 1970's and I know I first used 165 grain Sierra SPBT in that 308, but no recollection of what powder used or what charge that scoop delivered. I do recall decent enough targets, and I used it for several deer. My son uses the rifle now, but we switched over to 165 grain Speer HotCor quite a while ago, about the time I started keeping a reloading log. I did a fair bit with my wife's 243 and she took a nice mule deer, but much of the different development attempts were not recorded. Also, make up slip of paper or masking tape and put in your box of reloads so that you know what they are made from. After 10, 20, 30 years you will likely be trying different loads in different cartridges and no way to remember them all, and without notes or labels you will end up with partial boxes of your re-loads that you can not remember any specifics about.
 
Fireworks said:
Thanks for the replies. I've got a couple of boxes of brass fired from this rifle, so that shouldnt cause an issue.

I also have a 30.06 and 30.30, so chances are that more equipment is in my future
Im approaching this as an experiment...my Initial outlay is about the same as five boxes of lower end, cartridges, and i'll get the tool plus enough materials to load 5 boxes, less the brass...
Click to expand...

If you're gonna do more than 1 caliber, get a press and a set of dies instead of a lee loader. Even a cheap C-Style press will do better than a lee loader, and a set of dies is about the same price or less than a loader.

Also, if you decide that reloading isn't for you, selling your press and dies is always an option. Lee loaders aren't exactly sought after.
 
Right now a full size press isnt going to make it past the budget committee because I just bought a new rifle.
If I do get in deeper, I can see the lee loader having a place up at the hunt camp.
 
I would suggest that any reloading set-up at hunt camp is poor planning! :) Load up enough and sight in long before you go hunting. Practice. Many hunting trips are done with one, or maybe two shots. Take 20. My wife had never hunted - had not shot much. Took her hunter safety course in Winter; we went through 200-ish rounds at targets over the spring and summer; she took her deer that fall with a single off-hand shot. That was when I discovered that field dressing was still "my" job... And then, for one particularly memorable mule deer, after a run of 13 or 14 one shot kills on deer (with my Ruger #1), I ended up firing a total of 9 times (with that same Ruger #1) at it over the course of a couple hours - only the first and last round touched it. Scope was still perfectly sighted in, might have had something to do with previous night's Jack Daniels...
 
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