Lee Loader Set

[Popsbengo]

Does anyone on here have experience of using a Lee Loader set for .303 Brit?  To those that don't know it's a press-less system utilising a hammer!

[SMLE]

Seek out Logcabinlooms on YouTube. He’s put a couple of videos out there over the years on these bits of kit. Can’t recall if he’s covered 303 but the principals will remain valid.

Interesting character too with a real mix of content.

[SMLE]

Just had a quick check, he’s published a recent one on 30-30, so not too dissimilar to 303, but there are others with specific Lee Loader videos on the 303 cartridge. A quick search will be all you’ll need.

These are good tools, never going to produce competition winning ammo, but good enough for government work as the saying goes 😀

[Popsbengo]

36 minutes ago, SMLE said:

Just had a quick check, he’s published a recent one on 30-30, so not too dissimilar to 303, but there are others with specific Lee Loader videos on the 303 cartridge. A quick search will be all you’ll need.

These are good tools, never going to produce competition winning ammo, but good enough for government work as the saying goes 😀

Cheers Ian,  I'm interested to see if anyone here has 1st hand experience, I recall watching someone demonstrate this along time ago,  set my teeth on edge a bit with all that hammering around live rounds 😧.

There's a chap in our club that's been bought a set for Xmas and he was asking around for guidance.

[SMLE]

I used a set years ago for 45/70 I think with a bloke I used to shoot with at wedgnock but only because I was fascinated watching him do it and he let me have a go for a few rounds. It looks counter intuitive but nothing to worry about if you follow the instructions and pay attention.

I suspect millions of rounds have been made that way before we all became victims of marketing strategies.

[Andrew]

I have a 303 Lee and have used it a lot. Safe and easy. Good results especially as it only neck sizes and that is perfect for my old Enfields. I think that 303 has been discontinued tho, along with many, many others. Lee made over 70 models at one time. I try to keep one for every chambering I load for. ~Andrew

[Popsbengo]

Thanks chaps,  There's .303 kits still available over here and Lee still list on their web-page.

[1066]

I've used them (30-40 years ago) for .243, .308, .357 .45ACP and 9mm - They work absolutely fine and make good quality ammo if you take your time. It's not quick and you wouldn't want to do a lot of them but if you're on a real tight budget or had a cabin in the wilderness somewhere they do the job.

There's not a whole world of difference (apart from quality and price) between a Lee Loader and a set of Wilson hand dies.

Here's a set of .303 for less that £40.
Buy Lee Loader 303 British Online. Only £38.50 - The Sportsman Gun Centre | SGC

[Andrew]

I didn't even check to see if they were still made. Lee has been slowly trimming their lineup. 

I ran a test of bench loaded 223 and that made with the Lee. Total time to complete 40 cartridges was about the same. With practice I was producing a loaded round in the trimmed case every 90 seconds. The average group size from a Hart-barreled Howa was within a few thou of identical. I have a few of the more odd-ball ones like 25-20 WCF that I still use. 30-40 is one of my favorites. I am told that when Lee first shipped the 30-40 units they came with a flaring tool to facilitate loading cast bullets. My old set had one in it. I always wondered if that was true. ~Andrew