Getting into Reloading

[Ebow1]

It looks like I'm about to start reloading in the calibers .45 acp, .308, 12 gauge, and 6.8 spc. That being said, what kind of cost am I looking at for ALL the equipment I would need to do this? Not the bullet pieces and dies and powders and whatnot, but just the presses and the reloading bench and all that. All the hardware for a basic setup (nothin ridiculously fancy). I was gonna run out to the Reloader's Bench tomorrow after work and spend most of the day probably working all this out for myself of specifically what I want so I would have a good specific idea of cost, but being that I recently short circuited the oven I'm gonna be spending the day at home waiting on the repair guy, so I thought I would ask about all this stuff here.

[piercedan]

Plan on $700+.

[Ebow1]

Damn.

[Hershmeister]

Look for used equipment. It lasts forever. Often stuff us for sale here and even occasionally on Craigslist.

You'll need the following to get going:

Tumbler

Scale

Dies

Powder measure

Press (get a single stage - you'll use it anyway even if you get a progressive)

Calipers

Trimmer (for rifle brass - start with the lee case trimmer and the three-way chuck. Super easy and cheap. You can figure out later if you want a fancier setup

Loading blocks

Handprimer ( I recommend the rcbs)

Reloading manual (lee or Lyman)

From there, it's primers, bullets, powder and brass. Pick a powder that you can use across loads if possible to make your life easier.

[Hershmeister]

PS: build your own bench with some lumber from home depot. It's pretty easy - I did it And I'm not the handiest person.

[ironsniper1]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=307122969 not bad IMO

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[piercedan]

If you start out with a single station press and one caliber, you can come in around $300-350. Lyman makes a good package deal with digital scale and case trimmer for the rifle round for about $400. You'll still need some stuff but that will get you most of the way there.

[Dolomite_supafly]

No way it is $700 to get started.

These are all available at Midway Usa. They normally have coupons online so you can save money as well.

lee-perfect-powder-measure

lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool-shellholder-package-of-11

frankford-arsenal-micro-reloading-electronic-powder-scale-750-grain-capacity

lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool

lyman-electronic-scale-powder-funnel-pan

lee-classic-cast-breech-lock-single-stage-press

hornady-lock-n-load-press-and-die-conversion-bushing-kit

hornady-electronic-caliper-6-stainless-steel

This is what it would minimally take to load. You would still need to buy the particular dies you need as well as bullets, primers and powder. I suggest the primers and powder be purchased locally. I would also suggest buying jacketed bullets in the begining, they are easier to deal with than cast. Cast bullets add another facet to reloading.

People are going to say the Lee stuff is crap but I have used all these items for a few years now without a single issue. For the money the Perfect Powder Measure can't be beat.

I prefer a electronic over a balance beam. Balance beams take a lot longer to settle than an electronic.

No need to tumble your brass to clean them. Get some Lemishine at Walmart. Add a table spoon to some water and soak your brass for 24 hours. Every time you walk by give them a shake to aggitate them. Rinse them and let dry. Brass will be very clean and useable.

This setup may not be as fast as a progressive but it allows you to learn the machanics of it.

As far as supplies to reload you can get what you need from David, DLM37015 on here. He has all the supplies you could want or need to reload.

The list above is under $200.

Here are a few things to do to save money at the cost of convienence

You could do away with the conversion bushings if you don't mind setting up your dies each time. I find it hard to make identical ammunition when I have to set the dies up each time.

You could also do away with the powder pan and just weigh the powder in the casing. You just need to make sure to zero out the scale for each casing because they all weigh differently.

You could also dip out the powder and not use the Perfect Powder Measure but that is a very slow going process.

The Press has a priming tool on it but that is also another slow going process. You are also tied to your press to prime cases. With the hand primers you can watch TV while priming cases.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Dolomite_supafly

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have recommended that same list to dozens of people starting out and never had anyone complain.

Dolomite

[piercedan]

Yes, sorry, I saw four different calibers and had dies and components in mind too.

[mikegideon]

I have recommended that same list to dozens of people starting out and never had anyone complain.

Dolomite

It's a good list. I own everything on it. A powder pan comes with the Frankford scale. May want to add a Lee funnel.

Correction: I don't have the Hornady bushings. I use the Lee when I use that press.

Edited September 20, 2012 by mikegideon

[Jonnin]

700 sounds excessive.

A cheap press is less than $100. My turret press was about $300. I highly recommend the a turret, but if money is tight, well many a round has been made single stage.

Calipers and a scale are like $20 each for ones that will do the job, if you are not going to be making match grade ammo on day 1.

A home-made table might cost $30 tops, probably less. Mine was 1 sheet of plywood cut to 2 foot squares and stacked up, and screwed into a 4x4 that I cut into legs for it.

Other odds and ends might run you another $50, a funnel, a trash bucket, some sort of plastic organization containers, and so on. You might like a hand primer, but the press will have a primer tool built into it and i prefer that. If you get a book or 2, the price shoots up fast here, but the data in them is mostly public domain these days.

You need a tumbler or way to clean brass, you can do this with a wet wash and a bucket or you can buy a tumbler for $50-100 or so. You need a brass trimmer, which can be very expensive all the way down to a $10 job that goes in a hand drill.

So, it could be as low as $300 or so or over 1000 depending on what exactly you buy.

Lee sells refurbished presses for a very low price. If you can afford a steel press, do so, the aluminum ones will bend over time.

[Hozzie]

I am on the side that isn't a big fan of the Lee equipment (except their dies are ok). I prefer a balance beam scale as I am more confident that once it is set, it will be correct and consistent. I don't have the same confidence it an electronic scale (although I do have one, I just don't use it very often). I don't like seeing numbers go up or down, even if it is just a .10th caused by airlflow. I think for a beginner, I would always recommend a balance beam and then they can choose to move up to an electronic scale when they are confident in their skills.

You can buy used of course, but I think that is really hard sometimes for someone who is just getting into it to really know what is good and what isn't. I research everything to death and recommend you do the same. You will also learn some things you probably didn't think of along the way.

I really think one of the single stage kits is a good way to start. Yes, you can buy things a little cheaper used, but it's one stop shopping for the base components. Yes, there will be other items you need, but the kits are a good start. I have both the Lyman Crusher II and the Hornady LNL single state presses and they are both good presses. As many others will say, they like the Lee as well. If it was me, I would set a budget and by the best I could afford (that doesn't mean throw money away, but look for obvious quality). I would start by deciding what actual press I wanted. There are plenty of reviews of all of them out there. Then fill in the other items based on your budget. If you only have $200 to spend, I am going to buy very different items that if I have $600 to spend. That's not to say that some things may be the same, but I think there are quality differences among items.

I think if I could ask you one thing, it would be, how much reloading do you plan to do? I do it because I enjoy it and I want the extra control for precision target shooting. But I really believe that unless you are going to reload thousands of rounds, it takes a long time to recoup the money spent getting setup. Starting with a cheap setup isn't a bad thing. If you realize later on you aren't reloading as much as you thought you would, you aren't out much. Of course, if you have it a lifetime, the cost becomes less of an issue and you will definitely recoup it over time.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Hozzie

[mikegideon]

Lee makes some crappy little presses. With that said, you can't beat the Classic cast for a cast iron O press. If you want THE BEST single stage, get a Forster Coax, especially if you're loading precision ammo. I think DLM still has a couple. They're in stock at Midway too. Check the reviews...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/265719/forster-co-ax-single-stage-press

Edited September 20, 2012 by mikegideon

[piercedan]

Buy cheap, buy twice. That's my general approach, but Lee would get you going and are decent quality.

My opinion is that with that many calibers, a turret or progressive will be better in the long run. Save up and spend the extra money for a better press.

[Caster]

$700 may sound excessive and maybe it is to start......BUT....Bet on having thousands in it after a few years.

You'll never save a dime reloading....but you can shoot a helluva lot more!

Edited September 20, 2012 by Caster

[piercedan]

I think your trip to the reloaders bench will be eye opening.

[mikegideon]

$700 may sound excessive and maybe it is to start......BUT....Bet on having thousands in it after a few years.

You'll never save a dime reloading....but you can shoot a helluva lot more!

Yep. One of my powder measures was $350.

[Hozzie]

I think something that many of us who have reloaded for a long time overlook when giving someone opinions on presses is really to identify that each type of press has its own strength's and someone new should determine what is most important to them. In the end, I think many of us end up with two or more presses, but to start, it's good to know what each of them are best intended for.

A single stage is good for better control, stronger support, and overall better precision. In my opinion, every beginner should start on a single stage for any type of reloading until they truly understand the process.

A Turret Press is good for increasing speed by not having to move brass as many times and having dies setup and ready to go, but it doesn't offer the same stability of a single stage press. This of course isn't needed by everyone and in many cases, they are more than capable of making precision loads, but if you are looking for the best precision from round to round, you can't beat a single stage. A turret press offers a nice mix of increased speed, but it still gives good control over each step.

A progressive is great for high volume, but it typically isn't as precise as a single stage. That's not to say it can't make good rounds, but again, more moving parts equals less precision. It also takes more concentration to make sure you are confident each stage has what it needs to do it's job.

When I load for bench work, I use a single stage, when I load for prairie dogs, I use a progressive.

For Shotgun, you need a completely separate press. I have one of those two, but quite honestly, I think it is as cheap to buy shotgun shells on sale anymore as it is to reload.

I agree with Mike, if you want the best single stage, get the Forster COAX. Otherwise, I think the cheapest of the Hornady LNL, Lyman Crusher II, or RCBS Rockchucker would be my choice to start.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Hozzie

[mikegideon]

I agree with Mike, if you want the best single stage, get the Forster COAX. Otherwise, I think the cheapest of the Hornady LNL, Lyman Crusher II, or RCBS Rockchucker would be my choice to start.

Not trying to argue Hozzie, but have you used a Lee Classic cast press? I'm just trying to get it sorted out in my own head. I'm a huge RCBS fan, and own quite a bit of their stuff. I use my coax for all the single stage stuff now, but made a lot of good ammo on the Lee press. I kept it for bullet pulling because the Forster just doesn't work with an RCBS puller. It's built like a tank. I also have the Lee Classic turret, and it also makes great ammo as well.

Again, Lee makes some cheesey low end presses, but their top end makes me a happy guy. That's coming from a Forster snob.

[Jonnin]

im using the lee classic turret, and have made thousands of rounds on it without a hitch.

So far the only breakages I have had from buying cheap:

1) the cheap drill bit trimmer things: the blades wear out and nothing I can do will properly sharpen one. When it stops cutting, get a new one, is all I can say about that.

2) My lee disk powder device blew out its spring. They sent me a new spring free in about 2 days turnaround.

3) I broke a shell holder for the drill trimmer

That is all I can think of. Everything else has held up well. I did not buy the rock bottom grade stuff though, and I feel that my iron or steel or whatever it is press was worth the extra $$ all day long. You can skimp on just about anything else but the press needs to be decent.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Jonnin

[JAB]

I just got into reloading, myself. so I don't have nearly the experience that some of the guys on here have. Further, I currently don't have dies, etc. to load for any rifle and, so far, have only loaded for .38 Special. In other words, I am certainly no 'expert' or vastly experienced reloader so take that into consideration as I give my opinion. That said, it didn't cost me anywhere near $700 to get started.

I am using a Lee Challenger single stage press. Maybe Lee presses are 'crappy' and maybe they aren't - I don't know - but I like this one just fine and don't foresee ever breaking it, etc. It handles every stage of the process from removing the spent primer to producing a loaded round so I really don't see what could be 'crappy' about it. Mine came as part of a kit (called the Anniversary kit) that also included a powder measure, a balance arm scale and a few, other goodies. IIRC, the kit itself was right around a hundred bucks, new, at Sportsman's Warehouse

Reloading bench? I bought a pretty solid, old, 'compact' computer desk (actually not a desk, per se, more like what we used to call a 'peanut' or a seated work station) and by old I mean it was set up to make it easy/convenient to use with tractor feed paper as used by dot matrix printers. I think it cost me $15 at Goodwill and is the perfect size for where I needed it to fit. I then simply bolted/screwed my press and powder measure down to a piece of board and use C-clamps to clamp the setup to that computer desk (which means it will easily come off and go back on so I can use the desk as a desk/table if I need to do so.)

Brass tumbler? Not yet. I'm reloading my own, once fired (factory) brass that - being they were fired from a revolver - went straight from the gun back into the ammo box and didn't spend any time wallowing in the dirt, mud or so on so they are plenty clean. Shiny, even. When I start reloading for semiautos or the lever action .44 I currently have on layaway I will probably want one.

Calipers? Again, not yet. Well, I have a caliper that I inherited from my late grandfather that is of a different type than most folks use for reloading (more of an automotive use type) but a measuring tool is a measuring tool so it seems to work, okay. Mostly, though, I don't use it and didn't have it when I first started reloading. For me and the type of rounds I am loading, either setting the seating die by putting a loaded, factory round of the same/similar type into the press to set OAL or simply using the cannelure on bullets that have them (isn't what the cannelure is there for?) has worked just fine. If I get into reloading more than one or two bullet types in more than a couple of calibers I will want a digital caliper for easier reading but for now I haven't needed one.

Trimmer? The Lee set came with a case trimmer but I haven't even taken it out of its packaging, yet, so I don't even know how it would work. I haven't needed to trim any cases (again, not loading rifle rounds - at least, not yet) so I can't speak to how well it works (or doesn't.)

Priming tool? Nope, don't need it - at least not for the rounds I am loading. The Lee Challenger has a primer feeder and option for a priming tool built into the press (and all the stuff you need to use it comes with the kit.) When I put a previously deprimed case into the press I bell the mouth on the 'up' stroke, operate the primer feeder to put a primer in place while the press is in the 'up' position then prime the case on the 'down' stroke. Works well, for me.

Loading blocks? Don't have any and don't need them. I just use the trays from the factory ammo. I put de-primed brass (primer end up) in one and move them to a different one once the new primer is inserted. When it comes time to load, I drop powder into the case, insert a bullet, seat the bullet in the press and then put the now fully loaded round into another tray ready to go into a factory box (I take the factory cardboard boxes apart at the seam, fold them inside out, glue them back together at the same seam and write the load data on the now blank outside.) Because of that, I don't have a point in my process where charged cartridges are left sitting without a bullet in them.

One thing that I don't have but do feel I need is a bullet puller. I'd also like to have a digital scale just because I think it would be quicker/more convenient to use than the balance arm type I have - but I am making plinking ammo, not match grade so as long as the scale is precise enough for that then I'd be happy.

Edited September 20, 2012 by JAB

[Hozzie]

Not trying to argue Hozzie, but have you used a Lee Classic cast press? I'm just trying to get it sorted out in my own head. I'm a huge RCBS fan, and own quite a bit of their stuff. I use my coax for all the single stage stuff now, but made a lot of good ammo on the Lee press. I kept it for bullet pulling because the Forster just doesn't work with an RCBS puller. It's built like a tank. I also have the Lee Classic turret, and it also makes great ammo as well.

Again, Lee makes some cheesey low end presses, but their top end makes me a happy guy. That's coming from a Forster snob.

Mike,

I have used one of their classic cast presses, but I still prefer my Hornady or Lyman. I looked at a lot of different presses when I first got into reloading and was able to try the RCBS, Lee, and Hornady. My very first press was the Lyman Crusher II kit and it is still my main go to single stage press. I just liked the feel of it. In the end, they will all work, it is just personal preference. I will admit, sometimes it is the little things that turn me off, meaning it could even be the quality of the finish on something. I am not a Lee basher by any means, I just don't typically prefer their equipment.

Jamie

[dlm37015]

i will look i should have some more presses laying around

[atlas3025]

For case trimming, if you don't by a package that includes one, try this one. I bought one last month on sale from Midway for about $35, and I am very happy with it.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/487924/le-wilson-case-trimmer

You DO have to buy a case holder for each family of cases, but they only run about $11 each. Others may have a better solution, but don't overlook this one.