hey im new to reloading and was wondering if a lee classic loader(the one where you use a hammer) would be good for loading 30-30 ammo to be used in a marlin lever action rifle.Ive heard that because the classic loader doesnt resize the whole cartridge there not good for rifles with a tube magazine, is this true? and what about roll crimping do I need to do that, and what tool will i need if I do?thanks
When those were invented, they were made for the fellow who went to the woods and stayed there a long time. They are small and pack well. For subsistence hunting they are fine. Some target shooters even used them for a while. It gets really boring if you want to reload a box of shells at one sitting. Seating the primers can get dicey if the primer is slightly ****** in the pocket.(bang) They are the cheapest form of reloading you can buy, $22 at Midway A single stage press is $28, for which you must buy the dies separately, but you can change dies and load another caliber. The disadvantage is with a 3 die set, you must switch dies at every stage of reloading. For $68 you can get a turret press and put all three dies in the turret, and use the auto index feature, or rotate the turret by hand at each stage. Adding a set of dies would be cheaper in the long run than buying a whole Classic loader, and will take up a lot less space. .
Lee okorder .. It's only a few bucks more than the loader, and is a lot handier. You can also swap out dies if you wish to load for another rifle. Between the kit offering, dies and a dipper set all from Lee it will run about 3x the cost of the loader and be a lot easier to use, you won't mind sitting there making a box of ammo nearly as much this way and it won't break the bank at all.
Not sure I'd waist money on one you hammer in. I had one for 8mm one and was never impressed with it. I have an RCBS loader I do like a lot. It is a press type and you work on one stage at a time. There are a lot of different steps you go through from trimming the cartridge length to the final bullet seating and crimping that, really when you think about it, sort of shows this is an investment of time and money. Anyway getting back to my train of thought here. The resizing can be done full length or just the neck of the cartridge. You might consider getting that set up or something similar. I know it's way more expensive but if your going to reload a lot of shells in one sitting the hammer (in my opinion) one isn't the way to go...unless you just like the tedious nature of doing it slowly...very.. very slowly with more room error due to the nature of hammering it in..not guiding it in with a press. When I go to the range I shoot way more than just a few cartridges. So it makes scents to me to be able to reload a box (at least) at a time. Especially when I'm trying out a new or unfamiliar component (new bullet manufacture or different powder etc.).
The issue isn't so much the tubular magazine. It's the fact that a lever action doesn't have the same leverage for seating a cartridge into a chamber that a bolt action does. Same issue with pump actions and semiautos, too. Some companies even recommend small base dies (smaller than standard full-length resizing) for these rifles. That said, the only original Lee Loaders my dad and I have used have been for revolver cartridges, including the .30 Carbine for a Ruger Blackhawk. So I can't tell you from experience in that area. I reload .30-30 with standard (not small base) dies and have no issues in a Winchester 1894.
