Barrel issue?

[tcross123]

Overall I think the Lee hand loaded worked well and was fun.

Now I have to think what do. Do I want to refine the 30-06 reloading.......or get a Lee hand loader for my .223.....

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Overall I think the Lee hand loaded worked well and was fun.

Now I have to think what do. Do I want to refine the 30-06 reloading.......or get a Lee hand loader for my .223.....

So after all the issues you had youd buy another one? With experienced reloaders here telling you what the issue is, and that issue is so obvious they dont even need to ask follow up questions?

 

[Homerange]

So after all the issues you had youd buy another one? With experienced reloaders here telling you what the issue is, and that issue is so obvious they dont even need to ask follow up questions?

After 50 something years of Lee producing hand loaders if they were fatally flawed they wouldn't be on the market still.
Just saying.

 

[ebb]

What i am seeing here is, I cleaned the gun several times now it works. Am i wrong???

 

[Dusty Stevens]

After 50 something years of Lee producing hand loaders if they were fatally flawed they wouldn't be on the market still.
Just saying.

Yea man lee is on the cutting edge. Never said they were flawed. They do exactly what lee designed them to do, neck size. And after multiple loadings on the same brass neck sizing just doesnt cut it

 

[danny]

Just suggesting that the crimp on your reloads may be insufficient & allowing the bullets in the magazine to shift forward in their cases from recoil when you fired the first two rounds. You need a proper roll crimp for even moderate recoil firearms and I'm not sure that the Lee hand loader does that. I check for this issue might be to measure the overall length of rounds in the magazine before and after firing a few rounds.

I don't know anyone that roll crimps rifle rounds, including for autoloaders.

Danny

 

[SSL]

Overall I think the Lee hand loaded worked well and was fun.

Now I have to think what do. Do I want to refine the 30-06 reloading.......or get a Lee hand loader for my .223.....

I was reduced to using the Lee 'hammer dies' when we were transferred to a new town back in 1972 and had to live for a few months in a small apartment while looking for the right house. I was loading for a .303 British and .22-250 at the time. While they were acceptable, I truly hated the idea of beating on good brass (even with a brass mallet), smacking a rod down the case to seat primers (with the occasional loud 'bang' and ringing ears of a primer being accidentally set off), measuring powder from a bowl with dippers that only approximated specified loads (usually on the low side) and the general Tinker Toy overall method. The ammunition produced was adequate, but certainly not brilliant, and tuning loads for best performance was nonexistent. They are fine if you only want the cartridge to go 'bang' and a hole appear in the target, but there is just no way those loads are going to match cartridges prepared with even the most minimal press/die combination accompanied by a good scale and trimmers (the hand-held Lee trimmers dedicated to each cartridge can work just fine). It's like the difference between an ox cart and a car.

 

[Homerange]

Yea man lee is on the cutting edge. Never said they were flawed. They do exactly what lee designed them to do, neck size. And after multiple loadings on the same brass neck sizing just doesnt cut it

Right so it seems you might be unawares that a shooter might only use 20 rnds/year and the investment in a press, dies, scales etc is not cost effective whereas a Lee loader for the little they shoot may be.

Not everyone punches 10k holes in paper every year or can hunt every weekend where investment in good and plenty of gear is justified.
I broke my reloading cherry with a 308 Lee Target model hand loader nearly 50 years back and a good # of deer fell to those reloads and although they were not what could be considered precision loads they did the business all the same.

I imagine if the Lee handloader were never available many will never have started reloading as unlike for the Lee the cost of entry to handloading would be seen as excessive and too long to return on the outlay.
Cartridge manufacturers will have been happy although we may not have the choice of components we have today.

Rubbish them if you must but without the Lee in the marketplace the handloading world would look quite different today.

 

[Mikemci]

Today, I shoot benchrest, so you can just imagine what I have invested. I started my hunting with a .300 Ssvage model 99. It got hard to find ammunition for, so I got a Lee loader, like yours. That was a great solution to a problem.
Here is the result and product of that loader, for me:

 

[tunered]

Check the front of the bolt face, be sure you dont have brass build up from chambering tight rounds, reducing headspace. Making chambering a little harder.

 

[tcross123]

I started hand loading because I found the expensive $45 Hornady ammo shot more accurately than the $18 hunting rounds. I was thinking it was because of the pointed plastic tips on the expensive rounds. So I thought I could try making some. It is just for fun and I doubt I will shoot more than 60 of the 30-06 rounds a year after the reloading experience has gotten old. I have other rifles that are not quite so expensive to shoot and don't kick as hard,

3 of the first batch of 5 bullets went almost through the same hole at 75 yards. So I thought the reloads were very accurate. The second batch of 5 wasn't near that good however it was a windier day and I was not using a bipod. I believe the hand load accuracy will be better than my shooting skills. Maybe I will get a lead sled for Christmas.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Right so it seems you might be unawares that a shooter might only use 20 rnds/year and the investment in a press, dies, scales etc is not cost effective whereas a Lee loader for the little they shoot may be.

Not everyone punches 10k holes in paper every year or can hunt every weekend where investment in good and plenty of gear is justified.
I broke my reloading cherry with a 308 Lee Target model hand loader nearly 50 years back and a good # of deer fell to those reloads and although they were not what could be considered precision loads they did the business all the same.

I imagine if the Lee handloader were never available many will never have started reloading as unlike for the Lee the cost of entry to handloading would be seen as excessive and too long to return on the outlay.
Cartridge manufacturers will have been happy although we may not have the choice of components we have today.

Rubbish them if you must but without the Lee in the marketplace the handloading world would look quite different today.

Regardless of what lee does or has done for the shooting industry, the OP’s problem is from neck sizing too many times. It wouldnt matter if its a lee loader or a full custom bushing die chambered with his reamer, the issue is the same.

 

[Homerange]

Regardless of what lee does or has done for the shooting industry, the OP’s problem is from neck sizing too many times. It wouldnt matter if its a lee loader or a full custom bushing die chambered with his reamer, the issue is the same.

Oh, so you didn't actually read the OP's reply:

Barrel issue?

Overall I think the Lee hand loaded worked well and was fun. Now I have to think what do. Do I want to refine the 30-06 reloading.......or get a Lee hand loader for my .223.....

forum.accurateshooter.com

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Oh, so you didn't actually read the OP's reply:

Barrel issue?

Overall I think the Lee hand loaded worked well and was fun. Now I have to think what do. Do I want to refine the 30-06 reloading.......or get a Lee hand loader for my .223.....

forum.accurateshooter.com

Actually i did. He got a band aid and is now thinking of neck sizing a 223

 

[Homerange]

Actually i did. He got a band aid and is now thinking of neck sizing a 223

So ?
I ONLY neck size 223. Your point is ?
Are you just trying to live up to your profile statement ? Derail Crew.
Doing a fine job of that I would suggest.

 

[INTJ]

So ?
I ONLY neck size 223. Your point is ?
Are you just trying to live up to your profile statement ? Derail Crew.
Doing a fine job of that I would suggest.

Dusty is an accomplished shooter and gunsmith. He is simply saying what most of us with a fair amount of experience have known for decades. Neck only sizing typically only works for a few firings and then the case needs to be FL sized so it will fit the chamber.

Those of us who shoot competitions that require the highest level of accuracy and consistency bump shoulders vs neck only sizing. In fact, we are leaning toward MORE clearance in the chamber, not less, and shooting ever smaller groups.

Neck only sizing has thoroughly and repeatedly shown to yield less than optimum results for decades. It becomes frustrating to watch someone who needs help that refuses to accept that obvious solution.

 

[tcross123]

I will bet reloading was a lot more fun when a box of 100 primers didn't cost $47.........

 

[Homerange]

Dusty is an accomplished shooter and gunsmith. He is simply saying what most of us with a fair amount of experience have known for decades. Neck only sizing typically only works for a few firings and then the case needs to be FL sized so it will fit the chamber.

Those of us who shoot competitions that require the highest level of accuracy and consistency bump shoulders vs neck only sizing. In fact, we are leaning toward MORE clearance in the chamber, not less, and shooting ever smaller groups.

Neck only sizing has thoroughly and repeatedly shown to yield less than optimum results for decades. It becomes frustrating to watch someone who needs help that refuses to accept that obvious solution.

I don't need reminding of that and I bow to his superior knowledge of reloading however you and him must accept that not all reloaders need chase the last 0.1 MOA group size and only reload to keep the cost of shooting low like I do. Should they use a Lee handloader or some other cheap tool that gives the results and savings they seek as the OP has achieved should not be dismissed as a foolhardy exercise as it serves their purpose. Period.

To add the obvious, many shooters only use 20 rounds or less/year, a couple to check zero and one/deer.
The cost of a good loading setup in their case is unjustified as it was when Dad bought a Lee Target model in 308 nearly 50 years ago. Once we got other rifles a press and dies were needed and subsequent load development has focussed on 1/2 MOA groups from any/all of our hunting rifles which is not difficult to achieve.
I well remember my uncle purchasing a Winchester model 70 in 270 Win some 40 years ago along with 10 boxes of Norma 130gr factory loads with which he shot dozens and dozens of deer and still had some of those Norma loads when he passed a few years ago and although he loaded for shotgun he was such an accomplished hunter the round count down his rifle was very low and hence had little need to reload.


As for NS 223, I have done it for many years with Hornady range brass primarily and without issue and some brass is exceeding 20 loads and without annealing !
While shooters that use 1000"s of rounds/year might cringe at the thought of unannealed brass and NS only it works for some of us despite the Cortina rants and such and the accuracy from these loads is perfectly adequate for short to mid range varminting as our lives don't revolve around punching tiny holes in paper.
YMMV

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I don't need reminding of that and I bow to his superior knowledge of reloading however you and him must accept that not all reloaders need chase the last 0.1 MOA group size and only reload to keep the cost of shooting low like I do. Should they use a Lee handloader or some other cheap tool that gives the results and savings they seek as the OP has achieved should not be dismissed as a foolhardy exercise as it serves their purpose. Period.

To add the obvious, many shooters only use 20 rounds or less/year, a couple to check zero and one/deer.
The cost of a good loading setup in their case is unjustified as it was when Dad bought a Lee Target model in 308 nearly 50 years ago. Once we got other rifles a press and dies were needed and subsequent load development has focussed on 1/2 MOA groups from any/all of our hunting rifles which is not difficult to achieve.
I well remember my uncle purchasing a Winchester model 70 in 270 Win some 40 years ago along with 10 boxes of Norma 130gr factory loads with which he shot dozens and dozens of deer and still had some of those Norma loads when he passed a few years ago and although he loaded for shotgun he was such an accomplished hunter the round count down his rifle was very low and hence had little need to reload.


As for NS 223, I have done it for many years with Hornady range brass primarily and without issue and some brass is exceeding 20 loads and without annealing !
While shooters that use 1000"s of rounds/year might cringe at the thought of unannealed brass and NS only it works for some of us despite the Cortina rants and such and the accuracy from these loads is perfectly adequate for short to mid range varminting as our lives don't revolve around punching tiny holes in paper.
YMMV

What i have been trying to say is even the hunter, most especially the hunter actually, shouldnt be neck sizing. Its going to bite every neck sizer someday when you go to chamber that round on a trophy that youll break the bolt handle off or just not load it. Theres a reason people that shot a lot stopped using neck sizers, 50 years ago. Sure they still sell them- that doesnt mean its not going to bite the user one day. Hopefully it doesnt, but i hate to see it happen. Shooting 25rds a year should give a guy a hint to do the things guys that shoot thousands of rounds a year do. Just because a guy punches paper or hits steel doesnt mean his methods dont work for the guys in the woods, actually far from it.

 

[INTJ]

o

I don't need reminding of that and I bow to his superior knowledge of reloading however you and him must accept that not all reloaders need chase the last 0.1 MOA group size and only reload to keep the cost of shooting low like I do. Should they use a Lee handloader or some other cheap tool that gives the results and savings they seek as the OP has achieved should not be dismissed as a foolhardy exercise as it serves their purpose. Period.

To add the obvious, many shooters only use 20 rounds or less/year, a couple to check zero and one/deer.
The cost of a good loading setup in their case is unjustified as it was when Dad bought a Lee Target model in 308 nearly 50 years ago. Once we got other rifles a press and dies were needed and subsequent load development has focussed on 1/2 MOA groups from any/all of our hunting rifles which is not difficult to achieve.
I well remember my uncle purchasing a Winchester model 70 in 270 Win some 40 years ago along with 10 boxes of Norma 130gr factory loads with which he shot dozens and dozens of deer and still had some of those Norma loads when he passed a few years ago and although he loaded for shotgun he was such an accomplished hunter the round count down his rifle was very low and hence had little need to reload.


As for NS 223, I have done it for many years with Hornady range brass primarily and without issue and some brass is exceeding 20 loads and without annealing !
While shooters that use 1000"s of rounds/year might cringe at the thought of unannealed brass and NS only it works for some of us despite the Cortina rants and such and the accuracy from these loads is perfectly adequate for short to mid range varminting as our lives don't revolve around punching tiny holes in paper.
YMMV

Bumping the shoulder works equally well for hunting rifles where I am happy with 3/4" 100 yd 3-shot groups. I use that method on all my bolt rifles regardless of the cartridge. In fact, I started shoulder bumping when all I did was hunt and work up hunting loads. I did it because I got tired of having to FL size every three rounds when I was neck only sizing.

The advantage over neck sizing is this--it always works. We have one process that allows easy chambering and accurate ammo for as long as the brass lasts. We never have to worry about difficult extraction in field conditions. Reliable feeding, firing, and extraction are THE most important characteristics in a hunting rifle--just like they are in a competition rifle.

The OP is not being dismissed as foolhardy. Rather he is being shown a way that is vastly superior. For under $150 he can get a Lee reloading kit that has a full size press, thrower, scale, trimmer, etc. Given he probably can't get more than three firings out of his brass neck only sizing, it won't be long until his brass cost is covered.

So nobody is saying for him to spend several thousand dollars on the stuff competition shooters use to quickly load a large amount of very precise ammo. We are just saying take the next step up and get a basic reloading kit that has a full size press, a powder scale, a trimmer, and then the specific components needed for whatever cartridges he wants to reload.