How much did you spend on equipment (not supplies) to reload?

[Mike Matteson]

I've been upgrading my reloading equipment over the pass year, and have more coming. Presently in about $8,000.00 in new equipment and have another $2,000.00+ or so order that hasn't arrived yet. the equipment has been hard to come by. Orders take months to have filled. I am changing out all my RCBS sizing dies. Going to Redding Bushing dies. I load for 17 different rifles, and load for 28/20/12 gauge shotguns with 3 P/W 800 presses. 1 Dillion 1050 press, with set of dies to load for 10 different calibers. I did figurer out I only need one set of belted mag dies. Just need bushing for the 4 different calibers. The 6mm/280AI I will have 4 FL Redding Bushing die's. I having to step down 4 times to size the neck from .284 to .243. Getting a autotrickler V4+FX-120. I use a Ohaus Dial-O-Auto scale and use Lyman 55 powder dumps to start with, and scale out all my loads. I had an auto trickler a great many years ago. I felt it was so inaccurate, and slow. I gave it away. There is lots of parts and pieces that I haven't counted. Mandrels. At times it seem like it never stops.
That doesn't include other reloading die, neck thinners and case length trimmers, calipers and other measuring equipment for ogives, It seem like it never stops.
At lease the equipment will go to my sons, when my time comes. "He who dies with the most toys wins."

 

[Rosebud]

don't care if mine sees it or not ,she doesnt tell me what i can or cannot buy .what i spend money on is non of her buisness and she knows it

You're recently divorced, am I correct?

 

[chav0_12]

To get started I spent about $100. That was just dies. I was gifted a reloading set for Christmas in 2008. I've added mostly convenience items to it. Some extra measuring tools, and stuff like that. But my initial investment wasn't very much at all.

 

[MKWas]

I have heard lots of folks asking how much does it cost to reload. There is the initial expense and there are the ongoing expenses. Like updating equipment when something new or improved comes out. Or you get into another caliber. All in, how much do you have in equipment only?

Probably in the vicinity of $400 over several years. That's not including an RCBS single stage kit. Over the years I've expanded to reload 3 metallic calibers (but have dies for a few more) and 2 sizes of shotshells, also casting round balls for muzzleloaders. It's all simple single stage equipment.

The basic metallic reloading set was a wedding gift. I've since bought dies, an inexpensive electronic scale, case trimmers, molds for round balls, a Lee Precision press for 16 GA shotshells, a 12 GA adapter for the Lee press, and a toolbox full of black powder stuff. The toolbox included another beam balance, molds & ladles for casting, and a bunch of supplies & small tools.

 

[arch408]

I'm glad I don't know how much I have spent on reloading equipment! I think that saving money is just an excuse for being able to spend more time enjoying an satisfying hobby and past time. Think about it. More time at the sporting store and surfing the searching for bargains or components you can't find locally. More time at the range testing and practicing. But, although in these inflated times, you may be able to still to save some money reloading, the advantage of reloading is you can tailor your loads for certain uses and you can use bullets that are not available in factory ammo. But, saving money is a fallacy (at least in my case) because I find that I just shoot more.

 

[PuebloShooter]

Not sure really. But I have a few Dillon 1050/1100s on the bench, a couple 550s, Co-Ax, 50 BMG loader, Spolar Hydro for shotshell, prometheus scale and a couple autotricklers. And then dies, conversions, neck turners, trimmers, ect.

So maybe just over a grand, two tops.

But time is money. I reload a lot and would rather be a the range than the bench.

 

[memtb]

I by no means have read all of the posts, but am in absolute amazement at some of the dollar values stated! How many of you guys are "corrupt" politicians?

In reality, if you are "rolling in money" or shooting is your primary or perhaps only vice…..the numbers are completely understandable. Much more logical than the Harley, the snow machine, or the big boat that gets used 4 or 5 months per year.

I can't say I envy your expenditures, but, can certainly understand! For the rest of us that have too many hobbies, children, needs, ect……we'll get by with much less! memtb

 

[Big pumpkin]

I'm new to reloading. I will reload to make precision ammo to shoot in the PRS. So far I've spent about 2 thousand on my single stage press Forster co-ax b5, two sets of reading competition dies. A Wilson case trimmer. A bunch of the odds and ends for reloading. I figured that I still have about 2 thousand more to spend in order to be able to reload my first round. So my total is about 4 thousand dollars. I still need a bench. Figure to make that myself.

 

[unclebubba]

I've been reloading for over 40 years but even at todays prices getting into reloading is reasonably priced. The RCBS Rock Chucker kit is around $500.00. Dies are mostly $100.00 or so per caliber. The Franklin Armory brass washer is $200.00. Spend extra money on a good reloading manual. I personally like the Lyman manual. A set of digital calipers are a must have. Read the manual like your life depends on it. Talk to your friends that reload. I find reloading to be enjoyable and rewarding.

 

[Pointman]

That information is classified and your clearance level is insufficient to be included in any information dissemination. Seriously though, My press is a vintage 1970 and I still have my Lyman D7 scale (price tag is still on it, 17.95) as a sanity check for the chargemaster. If I had to hazard a guess, my tooling costs are probably under $3,000, including the specialty gauges, etc. The main cost has been components, particularly during the recent supply issues. In the past year, I have probably spent as much as my initial "entry fees" into the world of reloading. Remember the old adage, every man/woman needs a rat hole for their loose change.

 

[charles bonner]

I have been reloading for about 57 years. I have seven presses on my bench and enough dies to load more calibers than I can remember. Every type of case trimmer , a brass monkey , fancy scales ect ect ect. The interesting point is that I think the ammo I loaded with a RCBS Rockchucker , loading kit ,balance beam scale was as accurate as the neck turned annealed polished jewels I load today.I know they were as fun to shoot.

 

[wyogeargeek]

I started around 1971 or so buying the basics in RCBS, splurging for a Rockchucker press rather than a Jr. It's been a long time but I would guess press, measure, scale, first set of dies, lube pad ... about $300.00 to $400.00. Still have and use all the originals except upgraded to a1010 scale. Have three additional presses, digital powder dispense, power case prep... but no improvement in quality of finished product in my honest opinion just a little speedier.

 

[JustMe2]

I have heard lots of folks asking how much does it cost to reload. There is the initial expense and there are the ongoing expenses. Like updating equipment when something new or improved comes out. Or you get into another caliber. All in, how much do you have in equipment only?

You asked 2 entirely different questions above.
1) How much in equipment (not powder & bullets) does it cost to reload? Answer: the basic setup is about $400-1500 for a couple of firearms.

2) How much have you spent trying to improve your equipment? Answer: impossible to quantify. Some spent zero dollars and others have wasted many $1000 of dollars chasing their tails.

 

[Reelamin]

Super simple and I save $1000's a year reloading. Same RCBS single stage presses from the 70s, 80's, with a progressive from the 90's. Old dial micrometers. I used my 06 dies last night with a 88 head stamp on them. I know the size was a replacement as I did not clean and scratched it when I was a kid. Most of the expense was to speed things up with large quantities of loading. RCBS Power Trimmer, power case Prep, RCBS Electronic dispenser (will sell it cheap!!!), RCBS powder thrower, all from the 70-80's. Annealeze is the newest from a few years ago as I never annealed. I used it yesterday to anneal about 500 cases. I don't have any nor do I predict I will ever get any of the super expensive "must" have stuff. I am not a super high level professional shooter who has to shave .001" off my group to make the cut, or someone who wants to spend all day talking about all the bling bling.