30-40 Lee loader

[polska]

Does anybody know if Lee still makes the Lee loader for the Krag. I have been searching but seems Lee doesn't make as many calibers as they used too.

[psteinmayer]

I'm pretty sure they still make them. Have you visited LEE's site? If they do, call them. Their customer service is beyond amazing, and they'll either sell you one, or tell you who to contact.

[madsenshooter]

No they don't appear to. But since they only neck size, a .308 die with a base the proper size for the 30-40's rim would work. The .303 British die set might work, at least the rim diameter would be correct. It would depend on if it sizes the neck down small enough for .308 bullets. I checked Lee's parts, I don't see any of the bases available as parts. That's a part a fellow is likely to misplace! If you were figuring on using cast bullets of .310 diameter or larger, the 303 set would work for sure.

[madsenshooter]

Yea, like Paul said give them a call. A .308 die with a base for .303 would have you in business.

[madsenshooter]

In looking around, it appears a person would be better off buying Lee's hand press and a set of dies, thus eliminating all the tap, tap, tapping. Best price I could find online for the hand press was $44 from Titan Reloading. Add a 3 die set and you'd have $75 +SH in it.

[polska]

Okay ,here's the thing. Reason I want the Lee Loader die as it only sizes the neck without an expanding rod and ball dragging up the neck, stretching and overworking the neck as you drag it out. I know it might sound like a small thing but I do it for my .303 and it really extends the life of the brass and just about eliminates trimming. I know maybe it's in my own head but I think we're all a little quirky when it comes to are reloads.

[Parashooter]

Why not just get a Lee collet neck die in .303 British ($27) and an extra .3055" mandrel for it ($4)? Then you can load both .30/40 and .303 by just changing the mandrel.

Presuming you already have a press, you'll spend less money than a Lee Loader, save a heap of tapping time, and eliminate your imaginary dragging problem.

[madsenshooter]

No not all in your head, I use the 7.5x55 Lee Collet Die for the same purpose. I can size the neck just enough to get the neck tension I want. I have to use a washer between shellholder and collet when doing 30-40. Parashooter's idea is a good one too. There's no drag on the mandrel of the collet die unless you've put enough pressure on the collet to leave marks on the neck, which of course is overusing it. The 7.5x55 die only sizes about 2/3 of the neck, leaving the expanded rear of the neck the same size it was when it came out of the chamber. Maybe that helps with bullet alignment, maybe not.

[KWK]

The .30 Krag is not one of the standard offerings from Lee for their collet neck sizer, but they will make you a custom one for only $70. I bought a collet die for a .300 Win Mag rifle I inherited, and it makes sizing trivial. I'll get a Krag one this year.

An alternative comes from Redding, who make hardened neck sizing rings. They are in 0.001" increments, so you can match the amount of sizing your brass needs. There is no expander ball. They offer a .303 body (no .30 Krag), but I think the appropriate ring in that die would do. These aren't cheap, though, especially when you'll want to have several rings to accommodate the differences in case neck thickness among lots and brands. See the S dies on their site.

Hornady makes a generic .30 neck sizer. I've used mine on both the Krag and the .300 WM. It has an expander ball. It is inexpensive. With a good neck chamfer and boat tail bullets, I image you could work without the expander.

Karl