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Thread: Lee Classic Loader .38 Special: Plated wadcutter loads?

  1. #31
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    Nov 2013
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    Illinois
    I can't speak to the aluminum one. I use the cast iron one and it's been a tank. Not the fastest press in the world to be sure, but it really is an awesome way to get into reloading, and if you're churning out 38 wadcutter rounds it's a huge return on investment.

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  2. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by 45dotACP View Post
    I can't speak to the aluminum one. I use the cast iron one and it's been a tank. Not the fastest press in the world to be sure, but it really is an awesome way to get into reloading, and if you're churning out 38 wadcutter rounds it's a huge return on investment.

    Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
    Yeah, on further digging(like actually going to the manufacturer's site, for one) , the Classic cast seems like it would be the better option, especially if I want to possibly move up to rifle loading.( .35 Remington ain't cheap either.)

  3. #33
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    Nov 2013
    Location
    Illinois
    Ah, I've never loaded rifle ammo, that said I haven't seen .35 Remington out in the world nearly anywhere so yeah that would be a huge benefit to load.

    I got my start loading the ultra affordable .41 Remington mag.

    The setup paid for itself after I loaded like 250 rounds [emoji23]

    Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

  4. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by 45dotACP View Post
    Ah, I've never loaded rifle ammo, that said I haven't seen .35 Remington out in the world nearly anywhere so yeah that would be a huge benefit to load.

    I got my start loading the ultra affordable .41 Remington mag.

    The setup paid for itself after I loaded like 250 rounds [emoji23]

    Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
    Yeah, its popularity is pretty regional I think, limited as it is. As far as I'm aware, only Hornady and Remington offer factory loads, with Hornady being the only one consistently available year round. Theoretically Winchester and Buffalo Bore offer loadings, but I've never actually seen them in stock.
    It may be a hipster cartridge nowadays, but are Marlin .35 has been a reliable deer harvester for my family since the 1970s.

  5. #35
    Personally, I use a Lee Classic Cast for most of my handgun reloading, but for rifle (bolt-actions, low-volume), I use a single-stage. Previously I used a Perfect Powder Measure + hand trickling to charge cases, which yielded excellent results--12-15 fps extreme spreads, 6.2-6.8 fps SDs. It was fairly slow.

    For my birthday, I got an RCBS Chargemaster--literally a thing I had always ridiculed people for having. Now I get the same or better consistency, except I can charge and seat 100 rounds an hour. If I prep/resize/prime ahead of time, being able to crank out 100 1/3rd-MOA rounds in an hour is not bad.

    Either way, I would suggest that using a turret to load precision rifle ammo might actually be slower, and is definitely a pain in the neck. I might be inclined to use it for 50-75 yard AR plinking ammo, but that's about it.

    As to which single-stage...I would suggest avoiding the Lee Challenger. For some unholy reason, they decided to make the priming system open on the right side of the press--the same side that the lever is on, away from the side that pretty much everybody is going to sit on. Get pretty much any other single-stage you fancy, although if you have limited space and a Lee turret press, a Lee Classic Single-Stage would allow you to use their bench plate system to quick-change presses.

  6. #36
    Finally got the Lee Classic turret set up. I think I have it set up correctly, but have been running into a frustrating issue regarding the Rainier leadsafe plated DEWC I tried to load. That being the bullets would slide down into the case, well below the case mouth, sometimes before I even make it to the seating die. Occurence is about 1 in 5 so far. I hadn't run into this before with the lee classic loader. And tips on how to alleviate this?

  7. #37
    (1) Have you measured the bullet diameters?
    (2) How much are you expanding? I typically only expand the case mouth just enough to get the bullet past the rim of the case mouth, and no more.
    (3) Check to see that your resizing die is actually resizing.

  8. #38
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    Dec 2015
    Location
    Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by MandoWookie View Post
    Finally got the Lee Classic turret set up. I think I have it set up correctly, but have been running into a frustrating issue regarding the Rainier leadsafe plated DEWC I tried to load. That being the bullets would slide down into the case, well below the case mouth, sometimes before I even make it to the seating die. Occurence is about 1 in 5 so far. I hadn't run into this before with the lee classic loader. And tips on how to alleviate this?
    Had the same problem with a batch of used brass - bought an EGW U die for .38 special, problem went away.

  9. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by Wise_A View Post
    (1) Have you measured the bullet diameters?
    (2) How much are you expanding? I typically only expand the case mouth just enough to get the bullet past the rim of the case mouth, and no more.
    (3) Check to see that your resizing die is actually resizing.
    #1 I have not, but its possible that there is some variation.

    #2 I am expanding the case mouth the bare minimum I can. Seemed to help somewhat, but still isn't 100%.

    #3 How would I be able to determine that?

  10. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by jeep45238 View Post
    Had the same problem with a batch of used brass - bought an EGW U die for .38 special, problem went away.
    I'm suspecting oversized or thin walled cases are the main issue. I'm using once fired brass exclusively at the moment, so this seems it might be the solution. Frustrating that standard dies would not correct it though.

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