Well explained. I had one when I was a kid (early 80s) and I loaded thousands of shells with it. Many good memories. To empty the shot and powder hopper, I would just spread the handles off the dowels and pull the hopper up off the square tubing rail and pour each one out. A little household oil on that rail makes slide better.
Thanks for the tips. For as little as I get to shoot, I think I'm gonna go Load All for the budget press. Sourcing primers & kinda powder are gonna be my deciding factor.
For most applications a slight variation in shot/powder is ok. It only really matters if you are attempting to load at a maximum pressure. I would stay away from a maximum load unless you are hand loading. When I make my target shells I pick a recipe in the middle that produces a good crimp. This way if it throws a little too much/little powder the charge wont be overpowered or under powered, respectively. For the money its the best way to make shells.
Ive been using this press for 5 yrs. I use a powder measure for powder more exact loading and run shot on both side with a modified bushing on the powder side. Ended up filing 1/8 of an inch off crimp die for deeper crimp. Do it all 00 buckshot and 7/8 and 1 oz slugs and some russian slugs. Its a trooper. Also drilled holes in each resovior and used tedlon plugs for draining shot. A few tweeks but its still loading.
I still have the machine but I rarely reload or shoot anymore :(. I even tossed my lifetime supply ....a garbage can full of gun clubs it felt like a sin when I did it ! I imagine maybe these are still the best hulls to use unless something else has come along. Thanks for watching !
@@vicirish74 hahahahah exactly! My days of scrounging for hulls are over. I spent many afternoons in dumpsters lol. Now I’m lucky if I get out to shoot a couple times a year so I just buy ammo like a regular person hahahahah
@@Frankdubbsfpv I’ll be 47 this year I don’t reload to save money but to save me from jumping off the deck (humor). It’s just something I do to pass time and watch Spaghetti westerns in the background. But so you know your video on this subject was really nice to use as a reference. Thanks
great movie, I have a question, can this machine be elaborate cal. 12/76 with black powder? and whether it is possible to regulate the amount of gunpowder for the cartridge
Basically the machine comes with bushings for the shot and powder. You would have to a select a bushing that meets your needs. You would test a powder drop and then weigh it and keep changing bushings until you achieved the desired output. I’ve only used smokeless powder so I have no experience with black powder. This machine is only designed to load 12 gauge shot shells. You would need a different machine if using different hulls
@@Frankdubbsfpv or maybe you will tell us what is better to use for the 12/76 black powder shotgun what kind of scales to use plastic or brass and what length is the best to use?
How hard is it to get the powder and shot to drop consistently? It was a pain for me to adjust the right powder drop and do it consistently in other machines.
The Lee manual says, specifically, when pulling the handle down on the wad to pull it completely down. So I changed to 1 oz shot today and found that pulling the handle all the way down gave me the same results I had with my 1 1/8 oz loads. So now, I'm doing like you stated here, pulling the lever down, but not to it's stop -- making sure there is at least some compression of the powder. My Question: Is there ANY requirement to compress the powder on seating the wad to make a good shotshell?
tkarlmann I don't believe there's a requirement. I did a lot of testing and found this method to work best for me for loads I load. When you do your final crimp you are likely pushing it down that last little bit. At least that's what I think.
What kind of shell racks are those and where did you get them. Can't really tell in the video, are they pegs or posts that the empty hull slips over or are they a cup/hole/pocket the hull (empty or full) can sit in, either end up...?
Gerry Matheson they were made by a company MTM it’s been many years since I made this vid. Either amazon or midway USA I suspect. Very good holders just a hole for the shell nothing special.
Yes it will load 2 3/4 or 3 inch steel. Save win 209 primer tray, mask off 1 hole per pellet, duct tape will do for less than 100 pellets, then funnel into hull. Dont run steel pellets thru bushings even if you find volume drop.
Dumpsta divr... don't forget the good buddy to grab ya by the ankles an' pull ya out if ya get stuck in a 55 gallon drum. 1 plus for steel head shells. Use a magnet. + extra lee powder shot bushing set to modify for tween drops.
I know its been 7 years , but good video. Gun club shells are my preferred shells also. At least 2 other of the cheapest REMINGTON shells are the same as gun club. Winchester failed when they switched to HS HULLS. Mostly called universals. These hulls are weak in the crimp station and will frequently buckle.
have you tried any of the cheaper non compression formed hulls in this machine? Like the cheapie federals/winchesters from walmart with the paper basewads.
I've reloaded pretty much all hulls. The best in my opinion are gun club or if your lucky to find some STS hulls those are good too. Federals work fine and smell nice with the paper wad but you can't reload those as many times and if they have gotten wet they are useless. I had a whole batch that were wet (and I didn't know it) and most were duds. For that reason I stick with gun clubs. I reload them until they split which is 10+ times. The winchesters split much sooner. Thinner plastic on those.
YES ... Iev reloaded so many of those Cheap Winchester rounds the universals 12 gauge 7 1/2 feel low and they worked out really well I reloading some with the 1.77 BB2 for the fun of it wonderful
I've experienced -+.4 grain variatio with certain powders. If you need any more accurate (like i prefer in my hunting rounds) I hand load and weigh the powder/shot. If you deprime/resize all your rounds first and then load it seems to throw more consistent charges because your not shaking the machine as much. Also i noticed by keeping the hoppers full it is more consistent. The shot usually is pretty consistent but it is designed for 7.5 shot so depending on the shot size it may be off a little
just purchased my first Lee LA II.. having difficulty finding supplies, can you offer locations or businesses (online or locally)? Thanks for the video
The Lee load all 1 doesn't have the primer track for the primer feed and the base is also metal! The Lee Load All 2 had the track for the primer feed (optional) and a plastic base. I have both and ordered a new base for the load all 2 and the shell holder for final crimp and the 2 screws and made both mine load all 2's! Works great
Hayden Smith this depends on the charge your loading and what powder your using. There are many online sources which will provide you will good starting points.
So let's say the target loads I buy are $0.25 per round . . . how much are the reloaded shells per round? In other words, how much money do you really save?
Mtge most expensive part is the lead and you don't save much on target loads. In making shells for like 5 bucks a box. Where I save money is on the heavy/fast hunting rounds that are like 8-12 a box I'm making for like 6.50. Plus I'm making shells that pattern perfect in my gun.
Also to empty it you pull the handles outward and the whole top section can be removed to empty it! Hold it if its near empty cause there is a big spring in it!
Yep. And use an empty primer box and hold it over the powder hopper (it's just the right size) to tip the shot back into its box without spilling powder. Then you can repeat the process to dump the powder back into its container (to make sure no stray shot gets in).
When I bought the Lee Load All II machine it so well didn't form a star and it was necessary to finish it, established from below magnets that the sleeve didn't fall, and also established in one of matrixes a fishing hand bell to do a cone at the boss, it is very necessary for the semi-automatic weapon. And generally the machine very much дажеи quite good at me on a cartridge leaves 1 minute!
I dont know if this may translate ok. File off a bit, millimeter at a time to get better rounded crimp. Folds not too deep, can raise pressures. No deeper than factory loads. Roll crimp head spun on finished shell may round mouth.
Yes you can it's a different process you need different wads and some other parts but I believe I read that it's possible. I don't shoot many slugs (my shoulder thanks me) so I just buy factory stuff for that.
Man you are way to picky, bolt your loader down to a solid bench and don't worry about being 4 or 5 tenths of on grain doesn't matter as much as wind conditions and firearm your using. I have been loading with my load all since 1976. And unless you are some world class shooter you are splitting hairs and wasting time.
Tracy Hubbard that's one way to do it for sure. Part of the fun for me is the quality control and producing consistent rounds. I know there is a large envelope for error with shotshells but it feeds my OCD side and keeps me honed for loading pistol as well where those variances matter. Thanks for watching!
10-4 brother now I know where you coming from. I never seem to have enough time to reload it seems, But I also love doing it. That's why I reload .380, 357 mag., 38 sp. 44mag., 45-70, 30-30win. And 30.06 along with 12 ga. shotgun. Great Video
Yes ...sad...but not as fun. And when you play around you can make better ammo for your shotgun that you can buy...more pellets on target. If you are bored enough. But ya as a money saver it’s really only going to save you for heavy shot
@@Frankdubbsfpv Yeah the fun factor and tinkering ability is what kept me going now :D. And, I can load some steel BB shotshell for small game as well which I can't buy :D
NO GOOD ... Your taking all the FUN out of it ... Try some .177 BB's and different Loads and see all the devastation to those pink balloon air tanks ... have fun you're too young have fun
Well explained. I had one when I was a kid (early 80s) and I loaded thousands of shells with it. Many good memories. To empty the shot and powder hopper, I would just spread the handles off the dowels and pull the hopper up off the square tubing rail and pour each one out. A little household oil on that rail makes slide better.
Thanks for the tips. For as little as I get to shoot, I think I'm gonna go Load All for the budget press. Sourcing primers & kinda powder are gonna be my deciding factor.
Pros n cons, good n thorough. Thumbs up
ulf lyng thanks for watching. I made these long ago glad people still find them relevant
@@Frankdubbsfpv 👍
Excellent quality video and instruction
These are extremely Handy tools to have around ...
They do a Nice job for what I need it for.. .
Exactly. Cheap, but quicker than trying to hand load a bunch.
Well done and thank you for the how to vid. I am just getting started with this and it helps a ton.
What was your recipe, powder size wad and shot to get a good finished crimp? Thanks
For most applications a slight variation in shot/powder is ok. It only really matters if you are attempting to load at a maximum pressure. I would stay away from a maximum load unless you are hand loading. When I make my target shells I pick a recipe in the middle that produces a good crimp. This way if it throws a little too much/little powder the charge wont be overpowered or under powered, respectively. For the money its the best way to make shells.
Is there a way to load both 12ga and 20ga with the same machine or do I have to purchase 2 different loaders.
thanks you for replying, but I had already set up a bench with both machines. it is a lot easier then messing around with a conversion kit.
Ive been using this press for 5 yrs. I use a powder measure for powder more exact loading and run shot on both side with a modified bushing on the powder side. Ended up filing 1/8 of an inch off crimp die for deeper crimp. Do it all 00 buckshot and 7/8 and 1 oz slugs and some russian slugs. Its a trooper. Also drilled holes in each resovior and used tedlon plugs for draining shot. A few tweeks but its still loading.
Are you still reloading and if so do you use gun clubs still?
I still have the machine but I rarely reload or shoot anymore :(. I even tossed my lifetime supply ....a garbage can full of gun clubs it felt like a sin when I did it ! I imagine maybe these are still the best hulls to use unless something else has come along. Thanks for watching !
@@Frankdubbsfpv Dumpster diver to survivor. Lol
@@vicirish74 hahahahah exactly! My days of scrounging for hulls are over. I spent many afternoons in dumpsters lol. Now I’m lucky if I get out to shoot a couple times a year so I just buy ammo like a regular person hahahahah
@@Frankdubbsfpv I’ll be 47 this year I don’t reload to save money but to save me from jumping off the deck (humor). It’s just something I do to pass time and watch Spaghetti westerns in the background. But so you know your video on this subject was really nice to use as a reference. Thanks
In this video what bushing u useing
great movie, I have a question, can this machine be elaborate cal. 12/76 with black powder? and whether it is possible to regulate the amount of gunpowder for the cartridge
Basically the machine comes with bushings for the shot and powder. You would have to a select a bushing that meets your needs. You would test a powder drop and then weigh it and keep changing bushings until you achieved the desired output. I’ve only used smokeless powder so I have no experience with black powder. This machine is only designed to load 12 gauge shot shells. You would need a different machine if using different hulls
@@Frankdubbsfpv or maybe you will tell us what is better to use for the 12/76 black powder shotgun what kind of scales to use plastic or brass and what length is the best to use?
Thanks for all the hints, good video.
How hard is it to get the powder and shot to drop consistently? It was a pain for me to adjust the right powder drop and do it consistently in other machines.
Can you crimp new hulls with this? I was told it would only load once fired hulls.
bigtoad45 I've never done new hulls but I don't see why not. The star crimp feature should do it on new hulls too.
Yes ... I have and it will Crimp those New Hulls .
The Lee manual says, specifically, when pulling the handle down on the wad to pull it completely down. So I changed to 1 oz shot today and found that pulling the handle all the way down gave me the same results I had with my 1 1/8 oz loads. So now, I'm doing like you stated here, pulling the lever down, but not to it's stop -- making sure there is at least some compression of the powder. My Question: Is there ANY requirement to compress the powder on seating the wad to make a good shotshell?
tkarlmann I don't believe there's a requirement. I did a lot of testing and found this method to work best for me for loads I load. When you do your final crimp you are likely pushing it down that last little bit. At least that's what I think.
walkaf1 Thanks!
I always get a good laugh when guys "don't show my recipe ". Everyone is so fucking scared of their own shadow, and everyone is a fucking lawyer.
What kind of shell racks are those and where did you get them. Can't really tell in the video, are they pegs or posts that the empty hull slips over or are they a cup/hole/pocket the hull (empty or full) can sit in, either end up...?
Gerry Matheson they were made by a company MTM it’s been many years since I made this vid. Either amazon or midway USA I suspect. Very good holders just a hole for the shell nothing special.
Great video. I'm interested in getting this machine to reload steel shot. Would this be possible? Any challenges for steel shot?
Yes it will reload steel shot ... Good luck and Great Hunting .
Yes it will load 2 3/4 or 3 inch steel. Save win 209 primer tray, mask off 1 hole per pellet, duct tape will do for less than 100 pellets, then funnel into hull. Dont run steel pellets thru bushings even if you find volume drop.
A wonderful instructional video. Thanks!
Dumpsta divr... don't forget the good buddy to grab ya by the ankles an' pull ya out if ya get stuck in a 55 gallon drum. 1 plus for steel head shells. Use a magnet. + extra lee powder shot bushing set to modify for tween drops.
I know its been 7 years , but good video. Gun club shells are my preferred shells also. At least 2 other of the cheapest REMINGTON shells are the same as gun club. Winchester failed when they switched to HS HULLS. Mostly called universals. These hulls are weak in the crimp station and will frequently buckle.
Thanks for watching yeah gun clubs are good. I have thousands still been reloading
have you tried any of the cheaper non compression formed hulls in this machine? Like the cheapie federals/winchesters from walmart with the paper basewads.
I've reloaded pretty much all hulls. The best in my opinion are gun club or if your lucky to find some STS hulls those are good too. Federals work fine and smell nice with the paper wad but you can't reload those as many times and if they have gotten wet they are useless. I had a whole batch that were wet (and I didn't know it) and most were duds. For that reason I stick with gun clubs. I reload them until they split which is 10+ times. The winchesters split much sooner. Thinner plastic on those.
YES ... Iev reloaded so many of those Cheap Winchester rounds the universals 12 gauge 7 1/2 feel low and they worked out really well I reloading some with the 1.77 BB2 for the fun of it wonderful
I've experienced -+.4 grain variatio with certain powders. If you need any more accurate (like i prefer in my hunting rounds) I hand load and weigh the powder/shot. If you deprime/resize all your rounds first and then load it seems to throw more consistent charges because your not shaking the machine as much. Also i noticed by keeping the hoppers full it is more consistent. The shot usually is pretty consistent but it is designed for 7.5 shot so depending on the shot size it may be off a little
just purchased my first Lee LA II.. having difficulty finding supplies, can you offer locations or businesses (online or locally)?
Thanks for the video
buddha65281 ballistic products online
Where did you get the shell holders sitting behind the load all? I think I need some of those in my life. Thanks for sharing
jjs811 search amazon for “mtm shell tray” they are replacement trays for some ammo can but are perfect for staging for loading. $5 ea.
do you know what the difference is between the load all and the load all II ?
I believe the load all one is an older version not tapped for 3inch shells and maybe some less plastic parts.
okay thanks
-seth
The Lee load all 1 doesn't have the primer track for the primer feed and the base is also metal! The Lee Load All 2 had the track for the primer feed (optional) and a plastic base. I have both and ordered a new base for the load all 2 and the shell holder for final crimp and the 2 screws and made both mine load all 2's! Works great
can you use bigger shots like 7 or 9mm?
What powder bushing do you use?
Hayden Smith this depends on the charge your loading and what powder your using. There are many online sources which will provide you will good starting points.
It's probably easier to just buy two of them. But they do sell the parts to swap out for different gauges.
So let's say the target loads I buy are $0.25 per round . . . how much are the reloaded shells per round? In other words, how much money do you really save?
Mtge most expensive part is the lead and you don't save much on target loads. In making shells for like 5 bucks a box. Where I save money is on the heavy/fast hunting rounds that are like 8-12 a box I'm making for like 6.50. Plus I'm making shells that pattern perfect in my gun.
Last time I did the math I think it was .12 to .14 a round.
+walkaf1 Awesome. Thanks. Nice videos for a newb.
It's optimized for #6 shot except for the 1 1/8 bushing which is optimized for #7 1/2 shot. That is according to the manual.
Good video!
What is your powder charge
Also to empty it you pull the handles outward and the whole top section can be removed to empty it! Hold it if its near empty cause there is a big spring in it!
Yep. And use an empty primer box and hold it over the powder hopper (it's just the right size) to tip the shot back into its box without spilling powder. Then you can repeat the process to dump the powder back into its container (to make sure no stray shot gets in).
It pays to read the instructions that come from the manufacturer.
Great tutorial moving on to part 2
Thanks! Not the best videographer..but glad it was helpful!!!
sad i cant find many lee load all 2s right now that are under 100 dollars, people put em on ebay and overprice them.
When I bought the Lee Load All II machine it so well didn't form a star and it was necessary to finish it, established from below magnets that the sleeve didn't fall, and also established in one of matrixes a fishing hand bell to do a cone at the boss, it is very necessary for the semi-automatic weapon. And generally the machine very much дажеи quite good at me on a cartridge leaves 1 minute!
WHAT ?????
I dont know if this may translate ok. File off a bit, millimeter at a time to get better rounded crimp. Folds not too deep, can raise pressures. No deeper than factory loads. Roll crimp head spun on finished shell may round mouth.
I meant file off final crimp die bottom a bit at a time for a rounded shell mouth.
nice video ,, where do you buy your stuff from ?
thanks
Antonio Vieira I get everything from midway except for the lead, powder and primers which I get locally.
ok
I bought mine from Lee Precision
as of oct 2016 you can buy this reloader on ebay for 50.00 plus 20.00 shipping to Alaska:) ill give it a try:)
can you do slugs with this
Yes you can it's a different process you need different wads and some other parts but I believe I read that it's possible. I don't shoot many slugs (my shoulder thanks me) so I just buy factory stuff for that.
Yes , but no using the shot hopper.
just disconnect the 2 levers on the side and you can slide it off the shaft
Man you are way to picky, bolt your loader down to a solid bench and don't worry about being 4 or 5 tenths of on grain doesn't matter as much as wind conditions and firearm your using. I have been loading with my load all since 1976. And unless you are some world class shooter you are splitting hairs and wasting time.
Tracy Hubbard that's one way to do it for sure. Part of the fun for me is the quality control and producing consistent rounds. I know there is a large envelope for error with shotshells but it feeds my OCD side and keeps me honed for loading pistol as well where those variances matter. Thanks for watching!
10-4 brother now I know where you coming from. I never seem to have enough time to reload it seems, But I also love doing it. That's why I reload .380, 357 mag., 38 sp. 44mag., 45-70, 30-30win. And 30.06 along with 12 ga. shotgun. Great Video
Thanks
Almost fell asleep watching this guy!! REHEARSE!!!
Lol thanks for watching.
Your a bitch
Price dollar 200ok
$75-85 on Amazon now.
Problem now is I can buy cheaper cased #7.5 and #8 factory shotshell than reload myself.....sad.....
Yes ...sad...but not as fun. And when you play around you can make better ammo for your shotgun that you can buy...more pellets on target. If you are bored enough. But ya as a money saver it’s really only going to save you for heavy shot
@@Frankdubbsfpv Yeah the fun factor and tinkering ability is what kept me going now :D. And, I can load some steel BB shotshell for small game as well which I can't buy :D
NO GOOD ... Your taking all the FUN out of it ... Try some .177 BB's and different Loads and see all the devastation to those pink balloon air tanks ... have fun you're too young have fun
What is your powder charge