New to reloading...this is my plan...

[5gauss]

Reloading does not have to be complex at all. Just follow the simple steps and get a Lyman reloading book or other and follow the rules and all will go well and safe. Simple Rockchuker is fine forever or to later move up to more advanced etc etc but for NOW, you start with basics and learn as you go. I use single stage presses for all large rifle, and Dillon progressive for mostly pistol. balance beam scale, hand priming tool (Lee), steel pin tumbler. Don't have to spend a fortune and you can get good used stuff online.....

 

[Alibiiv]

This is useless BS in an otherwise useful thread. The OP doesn't care about any of this, and i doubt anyone else does either. Please move your ****ing matches to your own threads. Please.

I don't like ****ing contests on this forum either; however, when someone recommends to someone (who is just starting out reloading) to purchase a progressive press, that deserves a response. For someone to recommend to someone just starting out to get a progressive press is like taking someone from a bicycle and telling them to buy a Holley!! This isn't a ****ing contest. He's received a lot of good information and recommendations about what he is going to need; and, I as well as others have provided some of those recommendations. If you "don't care about" what I or someone else has written to the OP's question, perhaps you ought to go to another thread. I'm only trying to answer his questions and help the OP out, and nothing more. While I am at it, maybe you might want to try being a bit less insensitive with your replies.

 

[Duhawk]

A lot of good stuff here....you've already spec'd most of the important stuff yourself. Good press, powder measure....noted good dies (I also vote bushing, you'll need that down the road when you start turning necks). As others have mentioned, good calipers and I also vote for Hornady headspace/bullet tool. It'll come in handy setting your resizing die for shoulder bump, and to measure your COAL to set seating depths by.
I used to ignore shoulder bump till one day I ejected just the case head....really bad day at the range.
I should also add don't waste powder on bad or cheap brass. Take that caliper and measure neck thickness....if there's a big variance in your neck tension, SD, ES etc. will be worse than your groups.
I could go on, but over time you'll grow into what's comfortable for you....(such as neck turning, neck resizing arbors, etc...remember that rabbit hole?? There's lots of room down here.)

 

[ar10ar15man]

cheap electronic scales are much worse than a quality beam.'
answer is
buy a quality electronic scale..they are not cheap. charge master lite is the starting point.
plastic spoon is a source of static electricity..not good around any scale.

I'm going to second, third, eleventeenth getting a beam scale. A friend has (had? Tank, you out there?) an electronic scale (RCBS, I think) and he told me he's seen large variations in it with regard to temperature as his garage is not heated or cooled. Beam scales don't have that problem, so that's what he uses now.

The kits are tempting to a beginner, I bought a Hornady/Pacific kit 30-odd years ago. The only piece that I have left are the dies and the scale. Oh, and the book. Everything else has been replaced. If, after looking over this thread, you find yourself coveting tools that would replace more than 1/3 of the kit's pieces I'd buy the individual pieces. You're going to end up with the coveted tools anyway, may as well admit that and get them now.

I used a plastic spoon as a trickler for decades. A powder thrower dramatically sped up my reloading. Get one with a micrometer adjustment. Even if you're weighing every charge & trickling to exact zero on a beam scale a thrower still will speed up that step of the process.

And something that no one has yet mentioned, a tablet or index cards or or a fone app, something that can go to the range as well as sit on the reloading bench to keep long term records of what you've loaded and how it performed in what conditions. This is something I've lacked on, and it has been a problem.

 

[ar10ar15man]

perhaps you should move into the 21 century.
i learned on a progressive.
this is not the 50s
tons of info with videos available.
dillon sells an info disc.
for the record i went from a trail 90 honda to a 750 norton.

I don't like ****ing contests on this forum either; however, when someone recommends to someone (who is just starting out reloading) to purchase a progressive press, that deserves a response. For someone to recommend to someone just starting out to get a progressive press is like taking someone from a bicycle and telling them to buy a Holley!! This isn't a ****ing contest. He's received a lot of good information and recommendations about what he is going to need; and, I as well as others have provided some of those recommendations. If you "don't care about" what I or someone else has written to the OP's question, perhaps you ought to go to another thread. I'm only trying to answer his questions and help the OP out, and nothing more. While I am at it, maybe you might want to try being a bit less insensitive with your replies.

 

[TRG65]

When I started reloading, I started on a progressive. I was loading pistol ammo for IDPA and USPSA matches. When I started loading for LR rifles, I started getting whidden floating tool heads and Redding dies (now I prefer whidden dies too). I had a beam scale and after getting my first rcbs chargemaster I have no use for the beam scale. Now I use an autotrickler. I have tried loading single stage, but it produced no better ammo and took significantly longer. Progressive presses are more finicky to adjust, but from experience there is no reason it cannot be a first press, if you shoot enough to justify the expense. If you are getting into competition (PRS,NRL, IDPA, USPSA) go progressive, if not why spend the extra money.

 

[engineer40]

The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory.

Document everything that can be documented about a load. Every time that I think I'll remember something and I decide not to write it down, I forget. These days I take better notes about my reloading than my ex wife's lawyer did about me.

 

[Swamplord]

Holy BS. Everything posted is good advice except this!

OK den , what do you have against the Rockchucker Supreme and the Redding presses…. ? I've a Dillon RL550B press but do not load my LR ammo on it..... it's relegated for velocity test loads and pistol ammo ….. The OP asked for advice and all you have is your personal drivel of nonsense..... care to enlighten ? ( it means … please explain your objection to my post) …...

 

[Mossyhorn]

Again, I appreciate the constant flow of ideas. No worries on getting off topic. I'm trying to absorb all of this info.

Quality calipers is something many have mentioned. I know there's dial and digital... calipers in the $17 to $300 range. What is a quality caliper? I've read about and compared a bunch but when you guys say quality, what is good enough?

 

[ar10ar15man]

this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IG46NL2/?tag=lrhmag19-20

$20-30 calipers are fine for general checking, but not precise measurement.

Again, I appreciate the constant flow of ideas. No worries on getting off topic. I'm trying to absorb all of this info.

Quality calipers is something many have mentioned. I know there's dial and digital... calipers in the $17 to $300 range. What is a quality caliper? I've read about and compared a bunch but when you guys say quality, what is good enough?

 

[ntsqd]

cheap electronic scales are much worse than a quality beam.'
answer is
buy a quality electronic scale..they are not cheap. charge master lite is the starting point.

I believe it was an RCBS electronic scale that he had that problem with.

plastic spoon is a source of static electricity..not good around any scale.

Yep, and not that I'd recommend it to anyone, but it worked just fine in my area. My point was that not everything has to be State of the Art tools.

......
Quality calipers is something many have mentioned. I know there's dial and digital... calipers in the $17 to $300 range. What is a quality caliper? I've read about and compared a bunch but when you guys say quality, what is good enough?

To me a quality set of calipers has a brand name like "Fowler", "Brown & Sharp", "Starrett" or "Mitutoyo" on them and comes from a place like MSC Direct, Enco, Travers, etc. and not a reloading supplier. Digital or dial at your preference. Can't beat digital if you need to work in metric too, but if you don't they may be hard to justify.

 

[cdherman]

I have a Mitutoyo micrometer that I really love, but I paid a lot of $$ for it. I have an old Harbor Freight dial caliper that was great for years. Till I dropped it. It still works, but is less smooth.

So I bought a Mitutoyo caliper and on a lark, another cheaper amazon rated unit with metric and english units both (two arms on the dial and two gradations)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5XJW7I/?tag=lrhmag19-20

I really like the relatively cheap amazon unit. For the money, its good enough. Hard to tell how any of them will perform after dropping.......

 

[clownbuster]

Again, I appreciate the constant flow of ideas. No worries on getting off topic. I'm trying to absorb all of this info.

Quality calipers is something many have mentioned. I know there's dial and digital... calipers in the $17 to $300 range. What is a quality caliper? I've read about and compared a bunch but when you guys say quality, what is good enough?

Mitutoyo are some of the finest on the market and offer a wide range to cover all budgets.

 

[Mossyhorn]

Man, you guys weren't kidding about rabbit holes! Holy Smokes! LOL!