Reloading 101

[Mickp7]

I just finished a workshop room in my barn (it is conditioned) and I am excited to finally get into reloading. Initially, I am going to focus on my hunting and LR rifles (all magnum) cartridges, with a focus on precision. Efficiency is fine, but not at the expense of precision. 556, 9mm, 45 auto, etc is inexpensive enough that I don't know that I'll ever reload for it, but who knows. I've been saving all my brass for years regardless.

I have been researching online and sifting through past forums, but am struggling to understand what all I should buy and discerning between different manufacturers and options.

I am a firm believer in "buy the best you can afford" and am blessed to have a fairly liberal budget (especially when it comes to guns and shooting!).

My request to those willing is to help me build a list of the best tools and components I can. I want to get this right the first time and set myself up for success.

I don't even know enough to form a complete list, but here are a few of the questions I think I should ask:
- Initial loads would be for 7mm RM, 7 PRC, 300 PRC, 300 Norma
- Best press? So far, my research has me leaning towards the Area 419 Zero Press. All I can find is the 7/8" turret, no hybrids, but thinking maybe that would be fine.
- What brand/ type of dies?
- What powders should I be trying?
- Shell holders??
- Tumblers
- Trimmers
- Brass
- Primers
- Scales/ measuring
- Funnel
- Best reload manual/ guide
- What else would I need?

I realize this is a big ask, and appreciate those with experience helping me. I know once I get started, a lot of this will make more sense and I am looking forward to the learning experience and the shooting that goes along with the load development.

 

[martinakl]

I have the

• Area419 Press. That thing is Part tool , part artwork.
  • I don't deprime on it
  • No need for hybrid head with your current cartridges
  • You can buy extra heads, you'll run out of room real quick unless you remove dies and that defeats the purpose in my mind
• Forster Co-Ax press is nice. I had this before the Area419
• Rockchucker is all you really need but if funds allow, go for the Area419.
• RCBS Summit press with Hornady quick change (Hornady Lock and Load conversion kit) for my less precision reloading
  • *I deprime on this with a universal depriming die
  • 45-70
  • 9mm
  • 357 mag
  • other...
• Area419 funnel set
• Primal Rights CPS (primer seater) - linked below
• Dies: Redding and Forster are my go-to's
• Redding competition shell holders (the 6 shell holder sets different brass sizing)
• I went with the wet stainless steel pin tumbler but I think I'm going to go back to corn cobb media (Dillion CV-750 is my choice when that happens)
• Case Trimming: Henderson Precision Gen 3 Case Trimmer is on my short list. Currently use the Little Crow Gunworks

CPS Primer:

CPS - Competition Primer Seater

Real cool stuff to outfit your space. I like the quick change system a lot:

Welcome to InLine Fabrication Performance Reloading Equipment – Inline Fabrication

InLine Fabrication Performance Reloading Equipment builds press mounts, stands ERGO roller levers for Dillon RCBS Hornady Redding LEE Lyman Pacific CH Forster other products include gear stand LED Ultramount lighting light mount strong quick change bench solutions AKRO bin barrier supplies bench...

inlinefabrication.com

Youtube Channels with good how-to's:

• F Class John
• Eric Cortina
• Long Range Only
• Panhandle Precision

 

[Alex Genereux]

Painless load development (mine)

I have had multiple people ask me to lay out how I do load development being that what I do is different. Since Shaen @Shooter71 just rebarreled a Tikka 595 in 6XC I thought it would be easy to show how I do it. It’s a Master Sporter with a T3 lite profiled 20” barrel- keep in mind it is a T3...

rokslide.com

 

[victor3ranger]

I have the

• Area419 Press. That thing is Part tool , part artwork.
  • I don't deprime on it
  • No need for hybrid head with your current cartridges
  • You can buy extra heads, you'll run out of room real quick unless you remove dies and that defeats the purpose in my mind
• Forster Co-Ax press is nice. I had this before the Area419
• Rockchucker is all you really need but if funds allow, go for the Area419.
• RCBS Summit press with Hornady quick change (Hornady Lock and Load conversion kit) for my less precision reloading
  • *I deprime on this with a universal depriming die
  • 45-70
  • 9mm
  • 357 mag
  • other...
• Area419 funnel set
• Primal Rights CPS (primer seater) - linked below
• Dies: Redding and Forster are my go-to's
• Redding competition shell holders (the 6 shell holder sets different brass sizing)
• I went with the wet stainless steel pin tumbler but I think I'm going to go back to corn cobb media (Dillion CV-750 is my choice when that happens)
• Case Trimming: Henderson Precision Gen 3 Case Trimmer is on my short list. Currently use the Little Crow Gunworks

CPS Primer:

CPS - Competition Primer Seater

Real cool stuff to outfit your space. I like the quick change system a lot:

Welcome to InLine Fabrication Performance Reloading Equipment – Inline Fabrication

InLine Fabrication Performance Reloading Equipment builds press mounts, stands ERGO roller levers for Dillon RCBS Hornady Redding LEE Lyman Pacific CH Forster other products include gear stand LED Ultramount lighting light mount strong quick change bench solutions AKRO bin barrier supplies bench...

inlinefabrication.com

Youtube Channels with good how-to's:

• F Class John
• Eric Cortina
• Long Range Only
• Panhandle Precision

 

[cajun]

I'd get a rockchucker and spend the grand you save on a v4 autotrickler and A&D scale. You will need a case trimmer setup. Chamfer and deburing tool. A priming tool. A good set of calipers and the Hornady headspace and bullet comparator tools. Annealing we can talk about later lol.

 

[MagnumManiac]

When I started handloading more than 30 years ago, I worked in a GS at the time doing gunsmithing piece work behind the scenes.
Lots of reloading gear was on the shelves, but secondhand stuff was coming in all the time, then a brand new RockChucker kit was returned, reason unknown, and I got the package deal for under $200AUD, which was a bargain.
I used that kit, and a Partner press also, for some time, as newer and larger models were developed, I upgraded, sold the RockChucker and Partner presses and bought a RockChucker Supreme, RCBS Turret, RCBS AmmoMaster, Redding T7 Turret and both versions of the Redding Big Boss presses, and a Dillon for my 45, 223 and 308 IPSC stuff. Used my Dad's shotgun loader from the age of 8 and did so right up to 2020.
My number one advise is to "Buy once, cry once", I bought all of those presses thinking one would have some function or other benefit better than the previous one, I also had an Arbor press for a very short time, but the ammo was no better that what I was making on any of the other presses mentioned, so I sold it, and the straight line dies and never looked back.
As to dies, I have custom dies, stock dies, and honed stock FL dies or body dies from Redding, Forster, Lyman and RCBS. Die manufacturers I stay away from are Hornady and Lee. I have a Lee set for my 300RUM and it is a difficult set to adjust and get things right, Hornady dies, especially the Custom Grade (horse muck) dies are absolute junk! I have had both types, normal and nitrided, and they just break because the hardening is brittle.

Cheers.

 

[Oak_Leaf]

This is mine, and I have no complaints:

I started out with RockChucker Supreme kit and added from there. Frankford vibratory tumbler, basic tumbling media strainer and 5 gal bucket, digital jewelers scale, Hornady comparator gauges, RCBS FL dies (several were used, tumbled to clean), carbide pistol dies, a bunch of Sterilite 6qt containers from HD to segregate brass to each rifle and for tumbling media, Dymo labeler (modern digital version), good bench w/ pegboard back, a pack of those small plastic bins that come with rail to hang them on, manual from whatever bullet manufacturer you use (Nosler manual came with RCBS kit), spare calculater, 4*+ rated digital calipers from wherever you want, Lee shellholder kit with 11 shellholders, Lyman universal trimmer screwed to bench (but removable), led flashlight, screwdrivers, gunsmithing bits, sharpies (ie, labeling test rounds), ammo boxes (ie, MTM), etc.

Powder, primer, bullets that meet your goals.

Chrono, doppler type. But you can get by with optical if you can put some baffles and light kit on.

If I had to go back and do it again I would get a case prep center, and go straight to doppler chrono.

 

[YZ-80]

Just get the essentials and take your time incrementally adding things as your skills progress. I've only been at it 16 years but it's easy to get sucked into getting the latest and greatest only to find out that some of the stuff yields negligible benefit (for you personally) and wasn't worth laying out the cash for. This is of course, personalized to what you expect to get out of the equipment and your own standards. This hobby is a continual learning process.

You mentioned primers, brass, bullets, etc. I would recommend setting aside a portion of your budget for these, with some kind of an estimate of what you will consume over the next 3-5 years, based on the average charge weight of the cartridges you mentioned and how much you plan to shoot. I have found that it takes me in the neighborhood of 50-60 rounds to develop a load for standard cartridges. Best of luck. This is a rewarding hobby.

 

[Berrnard]

so im only a few months in to this journey
from my observations, the area 419 stuff is overpriced. not saying its not nice stuff but quality can be had a lot cheaper.
if you want to spend that much go dillion. i am partial to rcbs and a rock chucker is just fine for my needs
as suggested, drop your budget on the press and use it to get an auto trickler. it would be money better spent in that area

What brand/ type of dies? rcbs natually
- What powders should I be trying? just spend some hours on here searching your cals and read about powders others have used then look at the books you have for stepping guidelines. you will be handcuffed a little by what you can find. i will load for the 300prc eventually and wanted RL 26....well good luck finding some so i settled on retumbo. a lot like h1000 too.
- Shell holders?? theyre all about the same imo. i just get rcbs
- Tumblers. i use a vibe and corn cob, i didnt like the walnut. the wet rotary method is too much work imo and i just dont want the mess
- Trimmers - rcbs trim pro. they have a powered one too
- Brass - ive read for hours on this. lapua is almost always #1. adg, alpha and peterson swap #2-4
- Primers - i like cci but finding LRM is almost impossible right now. i would use any you can find
- Scales/ measuring - with your extended budget, auto trickler v4 kit with the scale
- Funnel - i like the hornady aluminum kit with all the end caps
- Best reload manual/ guide - buy multiple. i go between the nosler, sierra and hornady 11th
- What else would I need? annealer- amp if you want one and done. there are many $300 varieties. i use the drill\propane method
brass prep center. i use the rcbs brass prep center, but eyeing the brass boss for the extra spindels.
decent calipers
oal gauge with modified cases of your calibers - i just got the hornady
bullet comparator and headspace guages - ugly annealer makes a nice set, sells on ebay and his website(that maker is also one of the $300 annealers)
SITES
ammoseek
shootingbot
scheels
bluecollarreloading - if i need something i look here first. fast shipping and really good prices
midsouthshooterssupply
natchezss

and the big guys - midway, brownells, bass pro

 

[Old Rooster]

Berrnard you came up with an excellent list.
I too started off with RCBS single stage press,Partner press and in the early 1970's I bought a Rock Chucker and still have and use it regularly!
Area 410 stuff is top notch!
I agree with everything already posted.
One thing not mentioned is I ruined several die sets by decapping with them,scratched the heck out of them and RCBS and Hornady die company could not refinish and get the scratches out anymore so I bought a single LEE Decapping die for decapping all my brass.1 die does it all.Not expensive and will save you money on ruining dies.
I bought the best calipers I could afford,Mitutoyo calipers,6 inch,a RCBS ball mic to measure the neck on brass.
Other than that what others have said is some great advice.

 

[Berrnard]

Berrnard you came up with an excellent list.
I too started off with RCBS single stage press,Partner press and in the early 1970's I bought a Rock Chucker and still have and use it regularly!
Area 410 stuff is top notch!
I agree with everything already posted.
One thing not mentioned is I ruined several die sets by decapping with them,scratched the heck out of them and RCBS and Hornady die company could not refinish and get the scratches out anymore so I bought a single LEE Decapping die for decapping all my brass.1 die does it all.Not expensive and will save you money on ruining dies.
I bought the best calipers I could afford,Mitutoyo calipers,6 inch,a RCBS ball mic to measure the neck on brass.
Other than that what others have said is some great advice.

we may use the same rock chucker cause i use my grandfathers that i inherited
yes i also have the lee universal decapper - wise investment and cheap

also on dies: i do use rcbs but i added to them the hornady lock rings. what comes with the rcbs are aluminum with a crappy brass "lock screw" the hornady are steel and squeeze on the dies threads(the old rcbs does used to do this, albeit the rings were still aluminum). better engineering imo and function. dont pay msrp for them. they can be had almost all the time for $24 for 6.

 

[Old Rooster]

My most used dies have the Hornady lock ring.It don't damage the threads like the RCBS lock rings do

 

[Mickp7]

I really appreciate all the knowledge you all have shared. It is way better than trying to figure everything out from scratch! The links to the products and other forums helps as well.

I am a home builder (carpenter by trade) and believe in buying the right tools. Below are some pictures of the room I've been working on. I put the cabinet doors and hardware on the last couple evenings and will receive the work bench top on Monday. That will be the last component of this room (other than the reloading equipment!).

If anyone has anything to add, please do. I've been reading each post and learning as much as I can about everything you've suggested.

 

[Old Rooster]

beautiful man cave!I am jealous