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If you want extremely minimalistic. Lee makes manual die sets. For use with a hammer. I really want to pick one up for 357 just to have.

 
If you want extremely minimalistic. Lee makes manual die sets. For use with a hammer. I really want to pick one up for 357 just to have.

Have you ever used one? If not may want to see if you can try one first. FEW I have known over the years who bought one of these kept it. Almost all of them either get sold, given away, or end up in a junk box forgotten about. If you want compact they (Lee) make a simple hand press made with the idea of taking it to the range to play with loads that is FAR easier than those old originals. If you really want one of these this would be another good thing to look at places like ebay for after this latest run is over. No doubt you will find a lot of them someone used a few times and gave up on.
 
Have you ever used one? If not may want to see if you can try one first. FEW I have known over the years who bought one of these kept it.
LOL!

I was typing dang near verbatim what you did when yours posted!

The Lee Loaders are fun for about one box of ammo then become frustrating as you try to find quicker ways of using them and cannot - then you detonate a primer when seating one (like I did - and most do) and start researching 'real' loading equipment!
 
LOL!

I was typing dang near verbatim what you did when yours posted!

The Lee Loaders are fun for about one box of ammo then become frustrating as you try to find quicker ways of using them and cannot - then you detonate a primer when seating one and start researching 'real' loading equipment!
LOL, yep I had someone try to give me one of those multiple times over the years before I ever started loading. That they wanted to give it away to me told me I did not really want one. When I was a kid I was tempted a couple times since money was tight. I did not take one as just the cost of buying the supplies vs just buying ammo, I always just bought more ammo.
 
Have you ever used one? If not may want to see if you can try one first. FEW I have known over the years who bought one of these kept it. Almost all of them either get sold, given away, or end up in a junk box forgotten about. If you want compact they (Lee) make a simple hand press made with the idea of taking it to the range to play with loads that is FAR easier than those old originals. If you really want one of these this would be another good thing to look at places like ebay for after this latest run is over. No doubt you will find a lot of them someone used a few times and gave up on.
Nope, I think I want one more out of curiosity and for the uniqueness of what they are.
 
I would start with a single stage press. If I'm loading less that 300 or so I still use that press. If you are not keeping up add a faster press, But keep that single stage for small jobs. DR
Agreed. Single stage to learn. Single stage for precision loading. You just can't beat the accuracy of a good powder thrower. Even though I almost primarily use my Dillon I keep an old RCBS single stage and my ol Hollywood Gun Shop powder thrower around. That powder thrower is stupid consistent.
 
Say your goal was either:

  1. Scenario One: Low round count of magnum cartridge (say .44 Magnum or .50Æ), with significant variation in loading.
  2. Scenario Two: Large round count 9×19㎜, with next to zero variation (115-grain ball all day long).
What equipment and supplies would be required for those? What study?

Thanks.
1. Lee Turret Press for changing settings and/or dies easily
2. Dillon Square Deal B for just grinding out 9mm. IMO, its the best option out there for your stated purpose

Both scenarios need a reliable scale for setting and checking powder weights/charges. I'm a big fan of cartridge gauges for fast checking of finished rounds.
And I always recommend the Lyman Reloading Handbook
 
If you want extremely minimalistic. Lee makes manual die sets. For use with a hammer. I really want to pick one up for 357 just to have.

I bought this one a month ago, including a set of their "powder dippers", partly for nostalgia, partly to have some thing to reload my GP100 in a true SHTF situation.
They are slow, but incredibly easy to use and produce ammo that's more than acceptable.

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The original Lee Loader isn't suitable for those seeking to produce high volume reloads....especially
when they can easily purchase a single stage or progressive press. They are great choice for those
who do not have space in a small apartment, dorm, or the cabin. To that end the Lee Loader footprint
is great at the bottom of the footlocker, go-bag, etc. To build on that one can consider the Lee, et al,
hand press, add a trickler, beam scale...etc...all small packages.
 
I love my Dillon 550. I also have a Rock Chucker Supreme. If you are doing higher volume like pistol or 223 a progressive
is a time saver. Every crank of the handle a loaded round comes out. :p Caliber conversions are cheaper and easier than the
750s or 650s. 100 rounds of pistol ammo in less than 15 minutes taking it easy. 100 rounds on the single stage 3 hours.:(
I have had the 550 for over 30 years. Have worn out and broke about every part on it. Always easy quick and free service
from Dillon. They even completely rebuilt the 550 a couple years ago for free. I also load match rifle ammo on it for competition.
I take the powder thrower off and weigh each powder charge with my RCBS Chargemaster for some powders that don't meter
consistent. I still load a couple calibers on the single stage 30-30 and 7.5X55 Swiss. Put the case on and off the press for each
stage. What a PIA. With the progressive you just put the case on and it automatically falls off into the tray. I am finishing up on
2000 rounds of 9mm this snowed in weekend.
 
Nope, I think I want one more out of curiosity and for the uniqueness of what they are.
Any particular caliber?

Reason is several years ago I was given, literally, a pickup load of reloading equipment - which included about 20 Lee Loaders and I might have a couple still hiding out and will send you one if I do!
 
The original Lee Loader isn't suitable for those seeking to produce high volume reloads....especially
when they can easily purchase a single stage or progressive press. They are great choice for those
who do not have space in a small apartment, dorm, or the cabin. To that end the Lee Loader footprint
is great at the bottom of the footlocker, go-bag, etc. To build on that one can consider the Lee, et al,
hand press, add a trickler, beam scale...etc...all small packages.

Agreed.

+++++++++++

Story Time.

My son was asking me the other week about also getting into reloading. He figured that "minimalist" was also the way to go. He is stationed with the USMC in AZ and doesn't have a whole lot of space. Then maybe, the higher ups will not even allow reloading. So, he will have to keep it in a storage locker off base. So then anyway....he was talking about reloading for his bolt action rifle and he figured that he'd probably need less than 50 cartridges for each shooting session.

Yeah.....I suggested the Lee Loader kit.

But then....
I found out that it was for a .338 Lapua.:eek:

Well......in case you didn't get the, "Oh for F@^*s sake moment" in there. LEE doesn't make their kit in that caliber.

Yup.....he'll need more equipment.

But then.....
As everyone knows (or should know by now).....
Primers, powder and even bullets are difficult to come by on the shelves. Brass....yeah (that too). But there is plenty of fun to be had by shooting up some of that stash of factory ammo (if you happen to have some). And, expensive too. Especially in .338 Lapua.

Aloha, Mark
 
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Since all I reload is ammo for bolt guns and single shots, I use a single stage for everything. They are more solid when it comes to bottlenecked stuff. The gun I reload for with the highest rate of fire is a Winchester 94 in 30-30 and I might not burn up more than 20-60 rounds when I take it out.

Some of the cartridges I reload are fairly long, so a single stage press works great.

I am of the same train of thought. Stuff I shoot most like 9mm or 5.56 is purchased in bulk as I just don't have the time to reload for it. Hunting and precision ammo comes off my rockchucker. Mostly 300wm and 25-06. To get high quality precision ammo off a single stage is the only way. I like several others here prep the bass in bulk and charge and seat separately. Case prep is the same no matter the rifle for me but different rifles like different bullets, seating depth, oal ect ect.
 
"This is how you reload with a Lee Loader...new round, 'bout 40 seconds..."

I have one and they work fine, but I prefer a single-stage press. Still, if you're going minimalist, it doesn't get more minimalist than this.

 
When I posted earlier (old eyes, small phone) I posted on minimalist. My current set up includes
Lee original Loader for back up, Hornady single stage,, Dillon 550b and a Hollywood Sr turret....
all fighting for space in a single car garage. I need a new house or expansion....I take paypal :)
 
I'm going to say Lee classic turret press. If you can find the basic kit it has everything you need to do either. ...

I started loading small scale 29 years ago, using a hand-me down RCBS Rockchucker from my dad.

About 16 years ago, I wanted to ramp up. Ammo prices were getting high, plus i started shooting more.

End result: I got a Lee Classic Turret, I shot a season of USPSA, then I ran a 3-Gun series for a year.
Then I shot some 200 - 500 meter matches.
Then I pillar-bedded two Savage Axis and two Savage Axis HB .243 rifles into Boyd stocks with Harris bipods and shot all four into a repeated range of 0.7 to 1.2 moa at 1000 yards at the PRSC range here, using only the bipod and a rear stock cushion. Berger Classic Hunter bullets.

I took the budget route because I did all of this with three or more guns per caliber, and my kids learned to load and shoot while we did it all.

I use a mix of RCBS and Lee dies in the Lee Classic, depending on caliber. With time and tweaking, I think I can get the .243 consistently below a minute at 1000.

Redding gear seems to be the gold standard, but I am satisfied with Lee.

For match-grade ammo, I sort brass by headstamp and then by weight after all other prep operations have been performed on the brass, and I use an RCBS powder dispenser and a small trickler spoon to weigh each charge, instead of using the Lee charge dropper from the turret.

If I was mega rich, I would buy master-built guns and only match grade ammo in every caliber.

Since I'm not, I took the Lee route. It works well.

Hope this helps.

Gear and components are scarce right now. Good luck!
 
For my first couple decades I loaded bunches of .270, 45 colt, 30-06, and 45-70 using lee hand loaders and a home made mallet. During that time I did buy a scale so I could move beyond the dipper. (and eventually a small broken table top arbor press I repurposed.)
My first hand loader was a .270 bought from GI Joe's for $14.95. I still use it and others for in the woods onsite tweaking of loads so I don't end up needing to tear down the loads I don't use.. All the fancy stuff I have now and I still use the specs I generated over 40 years ago with the hand loader and scale for the.270 albeit faster now.
A0013.JPG (neck sizing only dies)
These dies cannot be used in a press if you upgrade later.
 

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