Reloading Equipment

[Saintsfan1977]

Something I forgot... Get a collet bullet puller. Don't use the kinetic type, they can deform the bullets your pulling. If you use a collet puller, you can reuse the bullets you pull.

I use the RCBS puller. You will need to buy collets for each caliber size (.257, 6.5mm, .277, 7mm, .308, etc...), but they're not expensive.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/680804/rcbs-collet-bullet-puller

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012921422/rcbs-collet-bullet-puller-collet

I disagree. I have the collet puller It works great but the Grip-N-Pull is what I recommend. No need to buy collets and die. Just grip the bullet and let the press do the work
https://grip-n-pull.com/?gclid=Cj0K...mRUfQz5no8wOCM7YAVOV3Yxpxklmuz20aAm1xEALw_wcB

 

[Buckskinner]

Wow, good luck wading through all the opinions you are going to get... First off, did you get the supreme kit or just the press? If kit, you have most of the tools you will need to make ammo... You also need to know what your budget is for dies and such. Here is my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth... I started out with mostly RCBS and Lee dies. I still use a lot of Lee dies, even though I can now afford whatever dies I want, it is cheap but very functional. I would not buy anything else for decapping, why waste the money.

I would not worry about tumbling at this point, I have one and never use it anymore. I don't want to loose the best bullet seating lubrication that you can't buy. If you want shiny brass, use a little fine steel wool as you are inspecting each piece of brass.

You shouldn't need a bullet puller either. I've been reloading for about 15 years and I've pulled maybe a dozen bullets. When I do I just put bullet in press without a die and grab bullet with a pliers and lower the ram. If you are careful, bullet will be fine. I use them for foulers…

I started out with a tight budget and the same press you have (with kit),over time I got better equipment. There are many different paths you can go down with reloading and without any experience you don't know which one you will prefer.

 

[jbur13]

This time of year RCBS usually has rebates on their stuff. I started a year ago and bought everything RCBS, including the rockchucker supreme and Chargemaster 1500. I got back almost 300 bucks in rebates so it really helped get me going. Since then I've had to buy other tools, but to get started it really saved me a lot of money. 223 realoding takes a lot of time to do bulk so you may not like it unless you just want small lots of special varmint rounds. I just stick to larger calibers with this equipment. Good luck and have fun!

 

[IHFarmer07]

I'm just getting into reloading as well. I have been going to my uncles house to "learn the ways" of reloading, very handy but I think some things that he knows isn't the correct way to look at things.....so in sight of that....read read read to learn on things and before you buy stuff, and don't get in a hurry, if you are in a hurry, just stop while your ahead.
I have a Hornady L n L iron kit on order and a big wish list of things to get when the time/money is right.
I'm going to stick with Redding dies for the most part and I think the good forester seating dies, from what I read and learned is that just get food quality FL and neck dies and really good seating die. Get a comperitor gage set and headspace gage set for sure.
Right know I have a better neck turner, expanding, turning mandrels and a mandrel die on the wish list to also use to expand case necks to seat bullets more concentric to help get the es and sd numbers down.
I don't know what kind of tumbler to get but I really want a wet tumbler but comes at a cost so I may just get a dry one first and go from there.

I'm sure I'm missing something but I myself am glad that I ONLY started reloading on ONE cartridge FIRST to learn what you want/need and not get overwhelmed trying to get things for multiple cartridges and then you will know what to get later on!!!

 

[McDoone]

I loaded for 5 belted magnum rifles, including a .378, no problem. Rebarreled my .300 Weatherby, then lots of problems. Collet base sizer solved it. Chances are pretty good you won't need one. But it happens.
I use a powder measure to drop a near full charge and an electric trickler to complete on a balance beam scale set at eye level with a big page sized magnifying lens set in front. I can discriminate down to 1 kernel of powder. It's reasonably quick and extremely accurate if you're loading for competition. Or for a long range hunting rifle.

I've been known to drop powder straight from the measure for my .270 semi auto. It's my short range hunter. If the powder works well through the measure.

You can use an appropriate pistol case, flared nicely in combination with a good vernier calliper as a guage to set your shoulder bump. If you look around on the Internet you should be able to see how to do it. That's what I did. Actually I think I saw it on accurate shooter.
While I'm on the topic, measuring is a skill. You need to be completely consistent in how you do it. If you use this procedure I'm describing, you need to be able to read the same result down to .001 every single time. Excessive headspace is not something you want to create. The consequences could be terminal.
Your magnum actually headspaces on the belt, so it's not an issue with it, but you want to headspace on the shoulder for best results. And you can do that. The Redding dies with the graduated shellholders mentioned in an earlier post are the best. Get the bump dies with the interchangeable neck sizing bushings for your long range gun.
Lots of good advice in all the previous posts, too. There's more than one way to get where you're going.

 

[bpcrshooter]

when I started I was told to buy the best I could afford.....that way you cant complain. The more you reload the better you will become, and the more you will shoot, the more you shoot the better you get and your expectations will be higher. In the end if you buy good stuff you wont be replacing crappy tools, dies, scales, etc. If you dont like reloading, you can sell it and if its good stuff people will buy good.....not crappy. You have a good press and will last a long time in the future you may find that a progressive press may suit you better but, you can still keep your current press for resizing, de-priming. Getting a good scale either digital or not, is important as anything!! I love my rcbs chargemaster. the guys are right in getting good mic's its what you use to check your work. Rcbs makes some darn nice dies and if you plan on shooting long range the competition set will be worth the money, being able to change things by a thou or so can make the difference!! Get a few loading manuals , Lyman 50th, nosler, hornady, etc, they will have different bullets and powders listed and you never know what your or future guns will like. If you have a certain ammo that you use now (lets say hornady) go and buy that book first as you use there bullets now, and chances are it will be in there for you to get data to reload. The more you get into "long range" you will be able to change and add to your collection, just dont get discouraged this is a process and takes a while to get really good at it!! your going to screw up brass!! Good luck and have fun with it!!!!!!!!!!

 

[IHFarmer07]

Wow, good luck wading through all the opinions you are going to get... First off, did you get the supreme kit or just the press? If kit, you have most of the tools you will need to make ammo... You also need to know what your budget is for dies and such. Here is my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth... I started out with mostly RCBS and Lee dies. I still use a lot of Lee dies, even though I can now afford whatever dies I want, it is cheap but very functional. I would not buy anything else for decapping, why waste the money. I would not worry about tumbling at this point, I have one and never use it anymore. I don't want to loose the best bullet seating lubrication that you can't buy. If you want shiny brass, use a little fine steel wool as you are inspecting each piece of brass.

I started out with a tight budget and the same press you have (with kit),over time I got better equipment. There are many different paths you can go down with reloading and without any experience you don't know which one you will prefer.

From what I read all over and see on youtube, I agree that a tumbler of any sort is not really worth it until you have to have the upmost in accuracy like a bench rest shooter does. You brought a very good point up, really all that a tumbler is needed to do most times is to take off lube and shine the brass up. I watched the 6.5 guys on youtube and one had a wet tumbler and don't use it anymore because it got cases too clean so he went back to dry tumbling, so unless your cases are extremely dirty with mud and muck I don't see a use. All I do is clean the inside neck with a wire brush, clean primer pockets, wipe the brass with a towel, apply resizing wax, resize, wipe brass off, prime, load, seat the bullet and by the time I'm done the loaded bullet looks like new.

 

[edward hogan]

The RCBS Rockchucker deluxe kit is pretty complete. A great solution for the guy who has intentions for "reloading". Handloading is something a bit more aimed at precision results. The RCBS gear is excellent, at least the Powder Measure and Scale. The press is very good, but a bit small for XL magnum rifle ctgs, the RCBS hand priming tool I owned way back when was a PITA to change shellholders on. The Speer loading manual is not one you would buy on its own.

So, whataya need? Dies... Shellholders to fit your cases, An RCBS Checkweight set, to BE SURE of your powder loads IF Loading heavy handgun and rifle charges. (Being able to zero your scale to actual weight closest to your powder charge is essential.)

Your gonna NEED some Imperial Sizing Wax, If going for precision ammo to shoot tiny groups from the bench, you'll need a carbide primer pocket tool, or set.

Your gonna need a Very Good Loading Manual like the Lee, Berger, or Sierra if precision is your aim. As to die sets: Carbide dies for handgun are worth the money. RCBS are good, Redding are the best. For Precision Loading, Forster micrometer or benchrest dies with sliding case body are a great value. Redding's Type S bushing dies enable neck sizing variations which pay-off bigtime for precision goals. Redding Shellholders are the best, but the Lee shellholder set is a great value. There is also the Lee Deluxe die set with Collet sizer to consider.

If you shoot tons of handgun or 5.56, might consider selling your press and going with a Progressive setup. Nice to be able to make 250-400 loaded rounds per hour (once you get good at it) versus 30-40 made on a single-stage press. Worth the extra money to go Progressive. Dillon is the best, but Lee has a workable solution way cheaper.

If precision loading is your intent, study-up before you buy gear. Sinclair International, owned by Brownells for the last 10yrs is a great resource for gear and advice. Get their catalog and A Brownells catalog for good measure and Winter reading fun...

Probably don't need a case-tumbler to start off, just don't jack with dirty junk brass and keep your fired cases in MTM plastic cases or the boxes the ammo came in. You also want to keep a log about your gear and your charge specifics. Each box of your handloads should have complete info about Powder, charge weight, primer, bullet, date and any other notes that apply. on a label or card kept in/on the box.

Great hobby for the shooter and can really pay off with accuracy results if you are careful and have some scientific approach to what you're doing. Buy once, Cry once applies to loading gear for sure. Get what you need up front and buy the best you can, your firearms and family will be glad you did. Enjoy and good luck!

 

[epoletna]

Thanks for the info so far. I'll be loading both .308 and 6.8 SPC in AR rifles. I'll be loading for a 7mm Weatherby Magnum as well. I'd like to load the 7mm for more long range precision work. Anything special I need to do for that? I keep reading about the belted brass and headspacing issues. Honestly, I've been researching this for about a week, and my head is spinning. There's no one that I know near me that reloads, so that's why I'm here. Treat me like a newb and tell me what I need to do.

I've been reloading belted magnums three decades and have not had problems with reloading them the same way I reload other brass. I've heard about having to do something special, but I just haven't experienced that problem.

 

[Pauleye]

I load the same caliberttoy do and more. For hunting I full length size all brass. That is recommended and no need for feeding issues during a hunt. For the AR I agree with a previous post and use small base dies. I have the chargemaster 1500 as well as digital calibers. There are many more tools as a col measurer but for what you are loading this is a start. Case trimmer etc. are extras that at sometime you'll need. Good luck

 

[epoletna]

Lots of good advice above.

I second the recommendation you get an RCBS Chargemaster to throw and weigh powder charges.

Also agree with recommendation on keeping accurate notes and using plastic boxes to store ammo after reloading.

One thing I have not seen is where you're going to reload. You absolutely need a solid workbench. It doesn't have to be large, in fact I actually made one small on purpose so I wouldn't pile junk on it. I think it's about 18" deep and 3 feet wide. Don't put your charge master on the same bench you're reloading on because vibration from the press will just scatter powder out of the dispensing arm.

Finally -- good shelves to keep all your components, books, and tools organized. Start with the bench and the shelves, and add reloading tools as you need them.

 

[chickm1]

I am just getting into reloading and was given a rock chucker supreme for Christmas this year. Now I need to buy all the other equipment I need to start reloading. Other than the shell plates, the dies, and the consumables, what will I need to get started? I'll be using both new and once fired brass until I get some stock piled. What system should I look at for the powder charge? I don't want to spend a ton of money, and two of the calibers I'll reload for are for hunting only. The other caliber I'll load will be a combination long range target and hunting rifle.

Also, how do you go about selecting the right dies for your intended application?

I must have 50 sets of dies. When I started, I thought RCBS was the expert on reloading equipment. Period. Over the years, and experience, I have found that they make good equipment, but not always the best equipment. I came across a set of Redding dies, and tried them. I was amazed that my group went from 3/4" to 1 hole groups. A friend shoots F Class long range. He has been in the top 3 in Texas for about 5 years, and all he uses is Wilson dies and a mallet.

 

[okie man]

Besides the original rock chuckersupreme kit I bought 20 years ago , I've added a Frankfort tumbler, lyman case prep machine, hornady bullet and case comparator and a grip and pull bullet puller. All I've needed too replace in that time is a few primer pocket uniformers and case trimmer cutter. That's after loading 10,000 rounds of ammo loaded

 

[jumper69]

First recommendation is get Glen Zediker's 'Top-Grade Ammo'.

I love my Redding T-7 press and am partial to Redding Competition seating dies.

After Harvey, I replaced my powder measure with a Harrell measure, a finely machined and very accurate measure.

Consider case trimmers from Giraud Tools. I have the ones that I power with a hand drill.

Use ONLY Imperial Sizing Wax.

I picked up a couple of good tips from this thread.

Happy New Year!