Getting started reloading

[68w]

I have had interest in a lot of calibers that are for reloaders or the rich only. Lately I've been fancying a 264 win mag or 257 Weatherby. I use 243, 223, 9mm and 10mm but have always used factory ammo. Doing some shopping for single stage starter kits Lee had a lot of pretty cheap options, but I had my eye on Redding. About 380 before powders brass bullets etc. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know if there's more "necessary" equipment that is not included outside of dies. Price to get started looked to be around 700 bucks. Is it worth it, and if so how can I convince my wife of this. Advice welcomed tyia

 

[Dosh]

68, with the exception of uncommon calibers, brass is the only variable in reloading. You still need bullets, powder, and primers for any caliber. Regardless the reloading "kit" there's none available with everything you need and you will be buying more and more till you die (upgrading is how I explain this phenomenon to my wife). Redding is very good quality. Good luck

 

[Bullet bumper]

My advice is do not buy anything while you lack knowledge because you will make mistakes and buy stuff you wish later you had not .
Study and research the process until you learn the different ways and options then decide what suits you best . Redding is a very good place to start .
Buying cheap stuff is not cheap in teh long run . I still have Redding gear I bought 45 years ago and it still works perfect .
The only kits I would approve off is Redding and RCBS although I don't like kits at all . If you don't use much ammo then reloading will not save money in the short term but will save in the long term . If you use a lot of ammo it will save money in the short to medium term .
The benefits should not be just money as improved accuracy and ammo performance is also a big benefit .
Never trust sales people they want to sell you what they have no whats best for you. Learn what is best for you and don't be swayed by anyone.
Knowledge is power , ignorance costs you dearly . Don't be in a hurry to purchase , take your time.

 

[68w]

So you would recommend buying piece by piece instead of the kit route? Would a turret press be more advantageous for buy once cry once or should I stick with a single stage. I usually go through an average of 20-40 rounds per month.

 

[ShtrRdy]

You would be fine with a single stage for a rate of 20 - 40 rounds per month. It would take a while to "pay for" the equipment but one of the benefits of reloading is being able to tune a load to a firearm.

Aside from the press and dies I regularly use the following items:

tumbler to clean brass
dial caliper for dimensional measurements
scale to measure charge weights
powder trickler
case trimmer
primer pocket cleaner
lube pad and lube
bullet comparator
I use an old pistol case for a case length gauge.

Then there is the primers, powder, and bullets.

 

[FearNoWind]

So you would recommend buying piece by piece instead of the kit route? Would a turret press be more advantageous for buy once cry once or should I stick with a single stage. I usually go through an average of 20-40 rounds per month.

The type of press you select should be based upon the type of shooting you intend to do and how much accuracy you want to build into your loads. Turret presses, while suitable for some types of reloading, have a lot of moving parts that can be difficult to keep "tuned" and tuning every aspect of a load can be critical to some shooters.
Your 20 - 40 rounds a month puts you right on the edge of whether or not it's cost effective to reload, IMO. A good single stage press (RCBS Rock Chucker) some quality dies (Redding, RCBS) a good quality powder scale (RCBS 500 Mechanical Powder Scale) a brass tumbler (Cabela's Model 400 Vibratory Case Tumbler Kit) Case Trmmer (Lyman Universal Trimmer) Primer Seater (K&M Primer Deluxe Hand Priming Tool) Primer Pocket cleaning tool (RCBS Primer Pocket Brush Combo) along with some brass, bullets, primers and powder should get you started.
$600 give or take and you're on your way.
Take it slow, buy the best you can afford, and don't add to your gear until you're certain what your adding is truly necessary.
If you haunt the various shooting forums you can post WTB threads and save some money buying used gear.
(Don't forget the case lube)

 

[dmj]

To me reloading is enjoyable. It opens up a wide variety of firearms that a person can look at with little fear of not being able to afford to shoot them. It allows a person to personalize their loads to their firearm and to themselves, as long as you stay in the safe zone. The above advise is all good. Buying quality is usually the better choice, it lasts and is easier to use and get quality results. The one thing that I would add to what others have said is. Do you know any people that already reload. More to go over and observe and maybe get your hands on some different types of equipment. To see what you like and don't like. There is a lot of different items out there and some of it may be exactly what I think works great, but you may not be impressed. And buying items just to find out you really don't like or need it gets expensive and doesn't improve the wifes understanding. Good luck and have fun with it.

 

[68w]

I would probably shoot a lot more and enjoy range time if the ammo was cheaper. I really try to limit it to necessity due to cost. Very good info and I appreciate the responses. I know a few old timers that reload and have gotten me interested, the prospect of savings, load development, more enjoyment, but also shooting calibers with poor factory support. Baby on the way so all my planned purchases are on hold or very slowly one at a time. I spend a lot of time researching and trying to glean knowledge from those with an abundance.

 

[Bullet bumper]

So you would recommend buying piece by piece instead of the kit route? Would a turret press be more advantageous for buy once cry once or should I stick with a single stage. I usually go through an average of 20-40 rounds per month.

Yes buy separate pieces that are good quality stuff . A single stage press is all you need . Buy an RCBS RC supreme press .

 

[okie man]

I started with a rockchucker kit 18 years ago, thousands of rounds later I'm still using every thing that came in the kit. I've added a good tumbler, Lyman case prep machine and a few useful tools. Best shooting investment I've ever made!

 

[Dirty45]

I second buying the RCBS Rock Chucker kit. It is a great place to start. I've been very happy with mine. You'll eventually want to upgrade some "quality of life" tools along the way....e.g. carpal tunnel from prepping cases.....

 

[Cowboyshooter]

I have had interest in a lot of calibers that are for reloaders or the rich only. Lately I've been fancying a 264 win mag or 257 Weatherby. I use 243, 223, 9mm and 10mm but have always used factory ammo. Doing some shopping for single stage starter kits Lee had a lot of pretty cheap options, but I had my eye on Redding. About 380 before powders brass bullets etc. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know if there's more "necessary" equipment that is not included outside of dies. Price to get started looked to be around 700 bucks. Is it worth it, and if so how can I convince my wife of this. Advice welcomed tyia

Reloading is not for everyone, some get bored, some just find it takes more time than they have, some are just not good at it! However, if a person wants to get into to reloading, then one needs to look at the why and how much does one want or need to spend?
What a person needs to spend is far different from what one wants to spend! For spending $700 is far more than what one needs to spend.
Lee Precision makes entirely acceptable entry level press kits for very little money and these kits include everything one needs for successful reloading of a particular caliber.
http://leeprecision.com/50th-anniversary-breech-lock-challenger-kit.html
This kit is not what a person is going to end up using for extensive reloading production, if in fact it becomes a hobby that one really pursues, but it will produce a quality reloaded round, will last a long time and most importantly, will teach you all of the needed requirements for safe, quality reloaded ammunition!
Do not get hung up in if it is the best, the "best" equipment has always depended on who one it talking to! The most accurate reloaded ammunition is more a function of the attention and care placed into making the reloads!
As you reload, you will learn what you like, what you need and what you desire, as opposed to what others tell you. Just like a car or wife, other people's opinions are not that great in real life.
I have been reloading about 50 years now. I have a reloading room, too much stuff for a reloading bench and have used a wide variety of equipment to win in competition, hunt most things that move in North America and most importantly have a lot of fun! It cost me almost nothing to get started, as that is about all we had then. I have my favorite presses, some harder to use equipment that I keep for sentimental reasons, and have cranked out tens of thousands of all kinds of rounds, both for myself and others, although be very careful about ever reloading anything for someone else!!
I have used expensive and very inexpensive equipment, both mine and other people's, it all worked very well, once you learn to use it properly! It is not about the brand, price or latest and greatest, it is about paying attention and be aware of the process.
So if you want new and have to watch the budget, nothing wrong with Lee Precision's kits or equipment. If you want to possibly save even a bit more but you will buy the wrong things more easily, buy used at a gun show or online. If cost is not a major factor, then just buy stuff until you are happy, but I can guarantee with care all of it will make you good reloaded ammunition!
Best of luck.

 

[Kennibear]

Try to find used equipment.
Don't pass on Lee as they make some very useful stuff like their case trimmers.
A mechanical scale and powder funnel is all you need for powder for 20-40 rounds per month.
Somebody's hand priming tool.
Spend good money for dies as they are IMHO the most important.
That list will get you started.

KB

 

[dsculley]

Sounds like your budget may be a bit tight. I can highly recommend the Lee Anniversary starter kit. It is a good way to start without investing a ton of money. That is what I started with and I still use most of the kit. Buy a set of dies for the rifle you want to shoot the most, stock up on powder, primers and bullets, acquire some brass and you are in business. You can buy more expensive reloading tools, but your ammo will not be any more accurate than that you load with the Lee kit and a set of Lee dies. The Lee case length trimmer is an inexpensive and accurate way to trim your cases to length. People either love or hate the Lee Safety Scale. If it is set up correctly and zeroed each time you use it, this scale will weigh as well as any other scale. You can modify it by adding stronger magnets for the damper and it will be faster. Once you learn to adjust it, the Perfect Powder Measure will throw charges as accurate as any other, more precise than most.

Once you get your equipment, one of the more important things to learn is how to adjust your sizing die to properly size a case. If you follow the directions that come with the dies, you will probably be over-sizing which will affect brass life.

Youtube can be a good resource. Just be aware that some of the people on youtube are much more knowledgeable than others. You can usually figure out quickly which ones to watch and which to pass on. There are some good videos on there on how to customize some of your equipment, such as the magnets in the Lee Safety Scale.

I use only a single stage press. I enjoy the hand loading process so I am not in a hurry to turn out a high volume in short time so I don't need a progressive press. You can sometimes pick up some used equipment at gun shows. That is how I got my second press. Now I use one for sizing and one for seating so I can have both dies set up at the same time.

Now a tip for lubing cases. When you start loading more than 5 or 10 at a time and want to quickly lube 20 - 50 cases at a time, you can put a dollop of the Lee Sizing Lube in the bottom of a tupperware container that is large enough to hold the cases and have some room for them to move around. Add the cases, put the top on the tupperware and shake vigorously. You can lube a lot of cases quickly with this method. You will probably add more lube than needed at first, but you will learn how to adjust the amount.

FWIW,