Newby using Lee Loader for .38 Sp.

[Kilibreaux]

I'm new to this great forum. New to shooting, and very new to reloading. Now, I'll try to be brief, but it ain't my style, so here goes.

My son, with his newly acquired Glock, and me with my Smith .357 Mag 686, have been having an absolute ball at some indoor ranges recently. And being somewhat stunned at the over-the-counter price of .38 Sp 130 gr. practice ammo, I started thinking towards re-loading. I've been carefully saving my own brass.

To break into this, I got the most entry-level equipment available- a Lee Loader for .38 Special, on-line. Now, there seemed initially to be something spooky with hammering on pistol ammo with a plastic hammer, but I quickly got used to it. So, I'll share with you my initial findings, and I have a question or two.

I visited a store near Indianapolis that just sells reloading equipment and supplies, bought 500 semi-flat top plated bullets, 1/2# of powder, 1,000 pistol primers and I was in business. Or so I thought.

The Lee loader card isn't all that good with info. I loaded 15 rounds with a level scoop provided in the Lee kit, and set the bullet height to the same as a round of factory ammo I had... a 130 grain ball Federal I had. I proudly showed my results on a biker forum I belong to, and a good friend, who has been loading for decades, took me APART!



He schooled me on pressures, powder differences, and COL heights. I'd relied on a factoid of the LEE scoop I have (volume of .5cc) yielding 4.7 grains on average. He sent me some spec's on what I should be loading to (From his Lyman 49... yes, it's on my to-buy list) and the importance of the COL dimension. Here's what I then aspired to:

125gr Flat Point
4.1gr IMR PB
926FPS
15,700cup
COL(case overall length) 1.455"

125gr Flat Point
4.4gr IMR PB
985FPS
17,300cup
COL 1.455"

I pulled the bullets off the 15 rounds (learning something about the crimps the LEE loader did) and reclaimed the powder.

I bought a Hornady GS-1500 scale, and went after this again. I weighed each and every one of the 50 round batch. I loaded (6) cartridges with 4.4 gr., (6) with 3.9 gr... .2 grains under minimum, and the rest with 4.1 gr.



I re-set my bullet press to yield 1.455" on the money, and checked every one of 'em.



After work the next day, I hauled these to a range... couldn't wait until I could see/hear/feel the results.

Now, I hope you veteran loaders don't get bored with this... I had a ball doing this, just as I discovered what fun target shooting was.

I think it's GREAT!

I started out using a Lee Loader and the process does much to teach the new user all about the "whys and wherefores" of loading.
Nowadays so many people can afford to just jump-in and start loading on an auto-index progressive with little to no knowledge about each step in the process.
While I own expensive Dillon equipment, 90% of my ammo reloading these days is done using a LEE Hand Press and dies...because I LIKE the slow pace and the fact that each and every part of the loading process is clearly visible.

 

[Harley Fan]

Well, I'm grateful for the Lee loader (and the wealth of info on this forum) as a way to start learning about re-loading.

I am faced with some drawbacks- The Lee loader does not size the case for the length of the cartridge. And having a primer go off on you is a startling thing. Now, I've been primarily focusing on .38 Special, and I've been looking at the pile of .357 brass I've accumulated.

Picking up some supplies at the reloading store, I went ahead and bought a carbide dieset for .38/.357, a Lee hand primer press tool, and a RCBS "D" frame single stage press.



I've only set it up, and had opportunity to use the re-sizing die on a few cases, but I think I'll be pleased with this. I'm still of a mindset that my volumes won't yet justify the automation, but if/when I do so, I'll have the dies.

 

[riverrat38]

I started with the Lee loader about 15 years ago. I used .357 Magnum brass and loaded for my 6 in M686. I also started out with a half pound of powder (700 X) and the Lee scoop. The ammo was good and I was hooked. So, I bought a RCBS Partner press (looks like yours) and a 505 beam scale. Both have worked well for 38 and 44 cal. loads. I look for an excuse to buy a big, strong press, but I can't fault the Partner. I also bought a Uniflow powder dispenser. It came with the large cylinder, but I have just changed it out for a small one. I don't load for rifle.
Since you load for a Magnum revolver, you might consider using Magnum brass, even for the 38 SPL velocities. It makes cleaning the chambers easier, due to not fouling the area just ahead of the case mouth.

Best,
Rick

 

[NJM15]

What brand primers?

Well, it had to happen...

I'm maybe 400 rounds into the Lee Loader experience, and a small pistol primer went off as I was seating it.

Scared the sh- **** outa me.

My wife cleared out shopping this PM, and I can't get the garage warm enough, so I'm at the kitchen table. Got my fingers warmed up a bit, no harm done.

I threw the cartridge away.

What brand primers were you using ?