The lee classic has never let me down. Although I did upgrade to the Lee hand press due to not having space for a full-sized press. Works good and a bit quieter for reloading and letting people sleep.
The Lee Classic kits are an excellent way to get started with reloading. I love them. Lee made the first ones in 1958, and over the years, they've made kits for most calibers. Unfortunately, a number of those kits are no longer in production, so if you need one of them, you have to look at the auction sites. First of all, you want a non-marring hammer (nylon, brass, wood, rawhide, etc). Using a steel hammer will rapidly peen the tools and greatly shorten the service life of the kits. The plastic dippers in the kit can deliver accuracy to within one tenth grain (same as the lower end electronic scales), PROVIDED you use the dippers as instructed. Anyone who says the dippers aren't accurate ISN'T using them correctly. If using jacketed bullets, chamfering the case mouth is sufficient. If using cast bullets, you need a belling tool to lightly flare the case. Lee makes several, but you can McGiver a socket wrench of appropriate size. Lee says lube isn't required with these kits. That's absolutely true. However, the use of a lube makes life much better, so I personally recommend it. The crimping function isn't always necessary (single shots, etc), but is required if the case has been flared or if using a lever gun or a high recoiling revolver. Your choice of additional accessories is very good. With the exception of pistol calibers, they are recommended for use in only one firearm. The pistol calibers are more nearly fully sized, but the rifle cartridges are only neck sized. Also, they aren't recommended for semiautomatic rifles - because they only neck size, there's a definite risk of FTF with semiautomatics. Nice video.
Thank you friend! I don't speak spanish but I speak french, and that was actually quite easy to read :) Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated!
Great Video. I was thinking about going this route for reloadong, but decided to invest on a Lee 50th Anniversary single stage press. Seeing as I wanted to reload 5 different rifle calibers and 4 different pistol calibers felt thw investment in a press was a better decision and just aquire die sets. I've yet to relaod my 45-70 as I've been too focused on my Winchester 1894 chambered in 38-55 99% of my reloadong kit is Lee Tooling, and so far I've been really pleased with the quality of there tooling. Their customer service is also exceptional! Its very rewarding to roll your own Cartrages and get the opportunity to harvest from field to table with all your own crafting.
I love this caliber a lot, my other rifles are 6.5CM and a good ol 22LR, But there is something very special holding that Lever Action. Owning the entire chain of event for harvesting your own food and feed your family is incredibly rewarding.
@@peadookie Hehe thanks! I did struggle a bit, This was my first true try at grading. This is my old Canon R6, with no log profile, so I configured the camera to have the flatter image it could give. Then in resolve I used a simple 3 nodes grade. 1st Enhance contrast, and WB, 2nd is just a vignetting effect, and the 3rd push my shadow into blues, and highlights into yellows. There are no pure white. I have a 4th node for enhancing the skin colors and pushing some mid details only on skin. For the wide angle shot, this is a go pro, I just try to match the canon as best I could, but you clearly see the lense variation. Even today on my Sonya6400 when I'll use an adapter for my canon lense, and I really really love how they render. Very soft contrast low details which gives a very filmic quality to the images. None of the sony lense I own(even if I love them the 1.8/35mm being my main) get this film quality IMO. Too crisp too sharp :). Hopes that help you :)
I really like your channel and have enjoyed your videos. Great work. I am subscribing and sharing your channel with my friends. I know how much work it can be making videos and yours are excellent.
Have to agree with Chris Butler,best vid on the Lee loader 45-70.Just subscribed to your channel and looking forward to some more great videos.Keep up the nice work !!!
What bullets are you using? You may be able to bring the cost down casting your own lead bullets. I use the Lee 405gr Hollow Base Mold and pan lube my bullets with 50/50 crisco and beeswax. I only run them about 1250fps out of my Marlin Guide Gun using 30 grs of IMR4198 and sized to .459 with a Lee sizing die. Even buying lead from a bullet supplier it only costs me 25 cents a round U.S. When I can get free wheel weights from tire shops it's only about 12 cents per round. Then again I have no idea what the availability of lead is like in Canada.
Hey Kyle, the bullets are Campro www.campro.ca/en/products/bullets/458-socom/45-70-405-fcp I get 250 for 81$ CAD. Casting my own bullets sounds very enticing, I will surely look into it at some point. Do you get many variations in weight between bullets when you cast them?
I love it, simple yet effective, reloading and accuracy don't need to be expensive. This is a big misconception for many people. Surely not the speediest way, but we need to slow down anyway :).
@@WildBushGrit I've got brass that's still going strong since the early eighties my new project is the 45-90 1886 Winchester made in 1897 built like a brick shithouse .If your using a lee mold you can lap them out if their undersized to .460 they make a good seal at that size with LBT lube no leading.
@@paulchandler9646 straight wall last forever! I just got 100 Starline. They will be cherished. 45-90 must hit like a freight train, are you using black powder?
@@WildBushGrit 30 grains of 5744 will give around 1450 with a 350 cast.45-90'S came with a 1 and 32 twist so it won't stabilize heavier bullets.It can fire 45-70's same as using 38 in a .357 chamber but it shouldn't be made a habit of because the chamber can be ringed apart from that it'll drop moose and bear no problem .With the old big bores your safe if the pressure is kept under 28,000 and that's still a good load.I will put some BP'S together in the near future but not the now.By the way the overall length for 45-70 can go to 2.567 " if you want to reduce pressure some .Happy hunting.
@@paulchandler9646 Yeah it's true, I need to test the maximum col for my rifle. I have 100 TTSX .458 300gr, blue-tipped, not sure what to do with them yet :)
This is the beauty of straight-wall cartridges, no shoulders to mess with. I'm now using only Starline, and even after 10 shots with the same case, no trimming needed. I would suggest to use the same rifle. If you have more than 1 rifle, then keep the cases separates. You'll have better shell life, surely less issues, and even maybe better accuracy. As all your cartridges will be fully formed for that specific chamber. Cheers!
Thank you. Excluding components. The kit, accessories & scale are about 165$ Canadian. The kit and scale are the priciest items. The accessories are pretty cheap 5-12$ Kit 50$ Scale 50$ Hand Priming 40$ Accessories 25$
Thanks for the video. Does these cam pro bullet could be used for hunting deers and hogs at low cost or its too soft? How fast do you push them trough your GBL? Thanks!
Hey Nic! I usually plink with these campro, my guess is they will penetrate deep and expand well, I've dug them out of sand, and they were twice the radius. I was averaging 1700fps, and it was kicking like a mule :)
@@WildBushGrit thanks for your answer, maybe i will give them a try for driven hunt at lower velocities as these cam pro are available in France. Once the lee loader received!
You don't need to anneal straight-wall cartridges, there isn't much deformation at the neck/shoulder. I will trim from time to time, but this is very rare, either new cases, or cases that I've shot more than 10 times.
Is there some negative effect of unconsistent amount of crimp? I have experience only with 308 and 223 where consistency of cimping is very important. But they are for accuracy, so im wondering how much important this is in this old style caliber for my brush gun.
I was wondering the same thing when I started, each crimp being obviously different. But today I can't say that I'm seeing inaccuracy. All the loads I have are consistent. I'm constantly getting sub-moa with 300gr Barnes, 45-70 with an 18.5' barrel.
@@WildBushGrit I have heard using the hand loader for a tube fed if the crimp is not perfect the bullet will be forced down into the case and increase pressures , I actually halted my purchase of the hand loader because I had heard this to be the case. Do you Single shot with them or do you full load your rife ? Or is the increased pressure just not that big of a deal with newer rifles that can handle the pressure ? I have the 1895 SBL and was thinking of hand loading to bring down costs so I actually shoot the thing.
@@bathroomprophet2310 The crimp I get is pretty good, and I always crimp on the cannelure line, to make it tight. My loads aren't too hot, I never go Max. Always half a grain on the lower side. I do use the tube mag when in the wild. But I single feed at the range (rules around here). It's a fun portable way to reload, you can reload at the range test various loads on the fly. Have fun with your SBL! Welcome to the Marlin family :)
This is the most straightforward and best quality video I've watched for the lee classic loader on 45-70.
Thank you so much! I have lots of fun making videos! I'm really glad you liked it!
I would have to agree.
The lee classic has never let me down. Although I did upgrade to the Lee hand press due to not having space for a full-sized press.
Works good and a bit quieter for reloading and letting people sleep.
The music is PERFECT!
I am so relaxed watching you accomplish such tedious tasks.
Educational AND Soothing!
Great video. I also use the lee loader to hand load my 45/70. Cheers from Alberta
The Lee Classic kits are an excellent way to get started with reloading. I love them. Lee made the first ones in 1958, and over the years, they've made kits for most calibers. Unfortunately, a number of those kits are no longer in production, so if you need one of them, you have to look at the auction sites.
First of all, you want a non-marring hammer (nylon, brass, wood, rawhide, etc). Using a steel hammer will rapidly peen the tools and greatly shorten the service life of the kits. The plastic dippers in the kit can deliver accuracy to within one tenth grain (same as the lower end electronic scales), PROVIDED you use the dippers as instructed. Anyone who says the dippers aren't accurate ISN'T using them correctly.
If using jacketed bullets, chamfering the case mouth is sufficient. If using cast bullets, you need a belling tool to lightly flare the case. Lee makes several, but you can McGiver a socket wrench of appropriate size. Lee says lube isn't required with these kits. That's absolutely true. However, the use of a lube makes life much better, so I personally recommend it. The crimping function isn't always necessary (single shots, etc), but is required if the case has been flared or if using a lever gun or a high recoiling revolver.
Your choice of additional accessories is very good.
With the exception of pistol calibers, they are recommended for use in only one firearm. The pistol calibers are more nearly fully sized, but the rifle cartridges are only neck sized. Also, they aren't recommended for semiautomatic rifles - because they only neck size, there's a definite risk of FTF with semiautomatics.
Nice video.
Amigo tu canal es perfecto. Este video es genial, la imagen, la música, todo. Te ganaste un nuevo suscriptor. Un abrazo desde Argentina.
Thank you friend! I don't speak spanish but I speak french, and that was actually quite easy to read :) Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated!
Great video on the Lee loader. Thank you!
Thank you Jaster!
Great Video. I was thinking about going this route for reloadong, but decided to invest on a Lee 50th Anniversary single stage press. Seeing as I wanted to reload 5 different rifle calibers and 4 different pistol calibers felt thw investment in a press was a better decision and just aquire die sets.
I've yet to relaod my 45-70 as I've been too focused on my Winchester 1894 chambered in 38-55
99% of my reloadong kit is Lee Tooling, and so far I've been really pleased with the quality of there tooling. Their customer service is also exceptional!
Its very rewarding to roll your own Cartrages and get the opportunity to harvest from field to table with all your own crafting.
I love this caliber a lot, my other rifles are 6.5CM and a good ol 22LR, But there is something very special holding that Lever Action. Owning the entire chain of event for harvesting your own food and feed your family is incredibly rewarding.
Nice work! Great job filming this video btw, the different camera angles was a great touch!
Thank you very much!
@@WildBushGrit what did you do for coloring? The grades really nice too
@@peadookie Hehe thanks! I did struggle a bit, This was my first true try at grading. This is my old Canon R6, with no log profile, so I configured the camera to have the flatter image it could give. Then in resolve I used a simple 3 nodes grade. 1st Enhance contrast, and WB, 2nd is just a vignetting effect, and the 3rd push my shadow into blues, and highlights into yellows. There are no pure white. I have a 4th node for enhancing the skin colors and pushing some mid details only on skin. For the wide angle shot, this is a go pro, I just try to match the canon as best I could, but you clearly see the lense variation. Even today on my Sonya6400 when I'll use an adapter for my canon lense, and I really really love how they render. Very soft contrast low details which gives a very filmic quality to the images. None of the sony lense I own(even if I love them the 1.8/35mm being my main) get this film quality IMO. Too crisp too sharp :). Hopes that help you :)
@@WildBushGrit looks great! I agree, I love the filmic look of the low contrast
Great explanation
Vers cool video ! The best i saw about Lee Loader 👍🏻
Thanks for making my day! :)
Simple and pretty , congrats
Thank you! 😊
Thanks great video straightforward
I really like your channel and have enjoyed your videos. Great work. I am subscribing and sharing your channel with my friends. I know how much work it can be making videos and yours are excellent.
Thank you so much John! I appreciate the gesture! I'm glad you enjoy my content 😀 !
Thanks for letting me know about the channel John. My kind of channel👍🏻
Have to agree with Chris Butler,best vid on the Lee loader 45-70.Just subscribed to your channel and looking forward to some more great videos.Keep up the nice work !!!
Thanks, reading this comment during my nightly insomnia period was truly soothing! thanks! :)
Super underrated channel. I will spread word of your channel.
Hehehe, thanks man! Much appreciated!
Well done
Thank you so much! :)
What bullets are you using? You may be able to bring the cost down casting your own lead bullets. I use the Lee 405gr Hollow Base Mold and pan lube my bullets with 50/50 crisco and beeswax. I only run them about 1250fps out of my Marlin Guide Gun using 30 grs of IMR4198 and sized to .459 with a Lee sizing die. Even buying lead from a bullet supplier it only costs me 25 cents a round U.S. When I can get free wheel weights from tire shops it's only about 12 cents per round. Then again I have no idea what the availability of lead is like in Canada.
Hey Kyle, the bullets are Campro www.campro.ca/en/products/bullets/458-socom/45-70-405-fcp
I get 250 for 81$ CAD. Casting my own bullets sounds very enticing, I will surely look into it at some point. Do you get many variations in weight between bullets when you cast them?
Kyle,
Now that's a near perfect load out of the Marlin.
Run the same in mine.
Does everything i need it too ...
I've been loading 45-70 that way for 40 years.
I love it, simple yet effective, reloading and accuracy don't need to be expensive. This is a big misconception for many people. Surely not the speediest way, but we need to slow down anyway :).
@@WildBushGrit I've got brass that's still going strong since the early eighties my new project is the 45-90 1886 Winchester made in 1897 built like a brick shithouse .If your using a lee mold you can lap them out if their undersized to .460 they make a good seal at that size with LBT lube no leading.
@@paulchandler9646 straight wall last forever! I just got 100 Starline. They will be cherished. 45-90 must hit like a freight train, are you using black powder?
@@WildBushGrit 30 grains of 5744 will give around 1450 with a 350 cast.45-90'S came with a 1 and 32 twist so it won't stabilize heavier bullets.It can fire 45-70's same as using 38 in a .357 chamber but it shouldn't be made a habit of because the chamber can be ringed apart from that it'll drop moose and bear no problem .With the old big bores your safe if the pressure is kept under 28,000 and that's still a good load.I will put some BP'S together in the near future but not the now.By the way the overall length for 45-70 can go to 2.567 " if you want to reduce pressure some .Happy hunting.
@@paulchandler9646 Yeah it's true, I need to test the maximum col for my rifle. I have 100 TTSX .458 300gr, blue-tipped, not sure what to do with them yet :)
Where can i get 405grain 45/70 reloading bullets
Try x-reload i get hard cast from them, with a large front meplat for extra brutality.
As this only resizes the neck any issues using the rounds in a lever action repeatedly?
This is the beauty of straight-wall cartridges, no shoulders to mess with. I'm now using only Starline, and even after 10 shots with the same case, no trimming needed. I would suggest to use the same rifle. If you have more than 1 rifle, then keep the cases separates. You'll have better shell life, surely less issues, and even maybe better accuracy. As all your cartridges will be fully formed for that specific chamber. Cheers!
Excellent video! How much, (just spitball) would you say this setup would cost?
Thank you. Excluding components. The kit, accessories & scale are about 165$ Canadian. The kit and scale are the priciest items. The accessories are pretty cheap 5-12$
Kit 50$
Scale 50$
Hand Priming 40$
Accessories 25$
Thanks for the video. Does these cam pro bullet could be used for hunting deers and hogs at low cost or its too soft? How fast do you push them trough your GBL? Thanks!
Hey Nic! I usually plink with these campro, my guess is they will penetrate deep and expand well, I've dug them out of sand, and they were twice the radius. I was averaging 1700fps, and it was kicking like a mule :)
@@WildBushGrit thanks for your answer, maybe i will give them a try for driven hunt at lower velocities as these cam pro are available in France. Once the lee loader received!
Are your cases annealed?
You don't need to anneal straight-wall cartridges, there isn't much deformation at the neck/shoulder. I will trim from time to time, but this is very rare, either new cases, or cases that I've shot more than 10 times.
wow awesome video. my time was not scammed
Is there some negative effect of unconsistent amount of crimp? I have experience only with 308 and 223 where consistency of cimping is very important. But they are for accuracy, so im wondering how much important this is in this old style caliber for my brush gun.
I was wondering the same thing when I started, each crimp being obviously different. But today I can't say that I'm seeing inaccuracy. All the loads I have are consistent. I'm constantly getting sub-moa with 300gr Barnes, 45-70 with an 18.5' barrel.
@@WildBushGrit I have heard using the hand loader for a tube fed if the crimp is not perfect the bullet will be forced down into the case and increase pressures , I actually halted my purchase of the hand loader because I had heard this to be the case. Do you Single shot with them or do you full load your rife ? Or is the increased pressure just not that big of a deal with newer rifles that can handle the pressure ? I have the 1895 SBL and was thinking of hand loading to bring down costs so I actually shoot the thing.
@@bathroomprophet2310 The crimp I get is pretty good, and I always crimp on the cannelure line, to make it tight. My loads aren't too hot, I never go Max. Always half a grain on the lower side. I do use the tube mag when in the wild. But I single feed at the range (rules around here). It's a fun portable way to reload, you can reload at the range test various loads on the fly. Have fun with your SBL! Welcome to the Marlin family :)
You really should be using a mallet like the kit instructs to do otherwise you’re asking for problems.
Don’t use a metal hammer!!!
Sorry, way too complicated for me -- you can achieve all this much faster (e.g., 1m) using Lee Precision 45/70 3 Die Steel...
Of course, I don't think speed is what they had in mind when Lee build this kit, but its portable and you can reload anywhere.