What rig & accoutrements would you recommend?

[GGALLIN]

Many, many times I've started the "Today is the day I'm going to get a press" routine, only to get mired down in the sheer amount of options along with a general lack of knowledge on the subject.

When inquiring with retailers auctioning "complete kits" about what their product(s) are capable of/what else is needed, I don't get a response that inspires confidence, rather something akin to "Yup, it loads things."

Forklifts load things too, but I'd rather the right tool for the job.

What set-up would you recommend for a low-fixed income guy looking to reload anything from 9x19 up to 7x57? With that caveat, I guess it goes without saying that I'm looking to get one press rather than two or more if that's possible, brand name isn't of concern, only that it will do the job correctly.

If there's a type which can later be streamlined by adding a powder hopper that dispenses a set amount of powder into each shell rather than manually weighing every time, even better.

As with all things that necessitate a high level of attention to detail/safety, I prefer learning in person from someone I trust however that's not currently a possibility (same with hunting) as locals with the knowledge aren't keen on sharing for whatever reason....therefore alot of the process may end up being one of a careful self-familiarization & plenty of trial & error.

With the latter, I've tried picking the brains of some instructors before signing up for a class only to find out either their approach is just to churn out as many "graduates" as possible with only a vague understanding or it's someone I wouldn't trust holding onto a five dollar bill let alone teaching a topic requiring a trustworthy individual.

[Omega]

I always recommend the Lee Turret press for beginners and budget minded folks.  It loads great ammunition for general plinking, hunting, and even some local competition shooting, though obviously not for money competition shooters, they have sponsors that can afford much better equipment.  I'd start with a complete kit, then upgrade components once you figure out what you're doing and know what you want to upgrade.

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0000690304/classic-turret-press-kit

[BigK]

1 hour ago, Omega said:

I always recommend the Lee Turret press for beginners and budget minded folks.  It loads great ammunition for general plinking, hunting, and even some local competition shooting, though obviously not for money competition shooters, they have sponsors that can afford much better equipment.  I'd start with a complete kit, then upgrade components once you figure out what you're doing and know what you want to upgrade.

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0000690304/classic-turret-press-kit

I agree 100%. It cranks out ammo pretty fast, but you can also disable the auto-indexing and use it as a single stage press too. It's very versatile, forgiving, and affordable.

[gregintenn]

I would recommend buying a reloading manual and reading it before purchasing anything else.

Some people pop pop Lee products, but I have always found they work well at a fraction of the price of their competitors. In fact, I would buy Lee dies over other brands if they were all the same price, because I prefer the way they are designed.

I prefer a single stage press for a beginner because of its simplicity. In fact, I still load on one exclusively, and I’ve been at it for almost ver 40 years.

What part of the state are you in? There might be someone here on the forum near you who’s willing to help you get started.

[Jamie Jackson]

4 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I would recommend buying a reloading manual and reading it before purchasing anything else.

 

I prefer a single stage press for a beginner because of its simplicity. In fact, I still load on one exclusively, and I’ve been at it for almost ver 40 years.

 

What part of the state are you in? There might be someone here on the forum near you who’s willing to help you get started.

I second the Reloading Manual. I read a Hornady manual back in the '80's and started my journey from there. And on a Lee single stage press.

I finally wore out the original Lee and replaced with a more modern version 2 years ago.

I have a Dillon 550 (since 1990) and it is solely dedicated to 9mm, historically the round I shoot the most.

But I've been loading and shooting a good bit of .38 spl and .32 S&W Long/ .32 H&R mag the past couple of years. Around 3500-4000 rounds/year, all loaded on the Lee.

You can certainly spend more, and I have no doubt there are better quality presses, but I find Lee to be a true value in presses. Just my $0.02 worth.

 

But please read a manual first if you haven't already. 

 

And like Greg said, if you'll share , at least, your geographic region...you know, East-West-Middle TN, there's probably someone that would offer to help if needed.

Edited December 16, 2023 by Jamie Jackson
numbers...

[Grayfox54]

I'm partial to RCBS products. I still load everything on my old RCBS Rockchucker single stage press that I bought used over 30 years ago. I prefer RCBS dies as well. 

I've thought about upgrading to a progressive press many times. Just never did it. But I also tend to reload in big batches. 1000 rds or more at a time. I devote several days to that and then I'm good for about a year. Progressives are good for people like competitors who go through hundreds of rounds a month and are constantly renewing their supply.  I don't shoot that much and don't want to spend all my free time making ammo. 

However, right now I caution about starting to reload. The current scarcity and cost of components, especially powder and primers, may not make it worthwhile. I no longer bother to reload 9mm or 5.56. I save my limited supply of powder and primers for the  more expensive calibers I shoot. 

[ken_mays]

If I had to start over and buy from scratch, I would go with the Lee turret press.  Cost is reasonable and the utility is high.   Also, swapping dies 3 times to load one round is tiresome in the extreme.   Lee products are not always the best you can buy, but they certainly are up to the job, and I use a lot of them (dies, hand primer, powder measure) even though I load on Dillons and RCBS at the moment.  

If you ever want to go progressive, I recommend Dillon for a progressive press due to the “buy once, cry once” principle.   Lee does not make a great press for that, IMO.

[Jamie Jackson]

Let me see if I can upload a pic.

Please excuse the mess, I've been handloading a good bit lately.

The Dillon was purchased around '89 or so. Been factory refurbished once. Love me some Dillon!

But I'm really glad I started on a single stage to learn the process.

The Lee has the quick change bushings which really aid in changing tasks and seem to hold their measurements true.

Major improvement over my original 1980's version.

 

[gary_boom]

You may want to check the classifieds