[Stachie]

I am in the process of preparing to begin reloading ammo. I know that people reload to save money, but I have spent hundreds of dollars on various equipment and am only about halfway there. Am I buying unnecessary high-tech tools, or are these upgrades recommended? Should I splurge on the high price items (e.g. heavy-duty tumbler, digital scale, power case trimmer, etc.), or are the bare essentials all that one needs?

I do not want to go overboard, but I do want excellent quality.

[mc223]

You can load good amunition with very basic tools. Or you can do what this guy did.

http://forums.sixgunner.com/One_example_of_reloading_setup/m_27446/tm.htm

I load on a Dillon and have lots of gadgets, some I even use occasionaly. I probly have about $600 or $700 invested over 20 years in equipment. Now components is a whole nuther story.

[Empyrean]

Buy the best that you can afford. I spent money where I would not have to purchase an upgrade later on. Needless to say, I still upgraded my press and digital scale. I want the Giraud case trimmer and a bigger tumbler as well.

The big stuff doesn't seem expensive to me. It is all the little additional stuff like case gauges, lock rings, powder dies, metering inserts that really add up. You don't notice it during incremental purchases but when you are setting up for 5 calibers it adds up really quick.

It is a hobby and requires an investment. The nice thing about it that once you've bought your stuff it really doesn't cost you anything more except components. The money I invest now early could provide decades worth of service.

--AJ

[redneck2]

Some stuff is required, some optional. I've loaded for years and never had a power trimmer. I have a digital scale and think it's great. I suppose it depends on your threshold of pain. Reloading equipment typically is purchased once and used forever. Look at as an investment, not an expense.

I bought a NICE digital caliper in a pawn shop for $12. I really like Lee Deluxe die sets. Good price and great ammo, so there are some ways to save.

To get a good progressive (L-n-L, Dillon), all necessary equipment, etc for one or two calibers should be about $500. There are lots of gadgets that look cool in the catalogs but aren't necessary. For example, I have case neck trimmers that I've never used.

Also, pick out stuff you want for birthdays and Christmas. Keep a running list. I'm hard to buy for, so my relatives appreciate the suggestions and I appreciate getting stuff I really want and use.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Stachie,

A lot of things depend entirely on what or for what purpose you're reloading for and you haven't provided that information. Every single company that manufacturs reloading equipment now offers some items of extremely good quality nowadays, with excellent warranty service from most all of them. Some things you'll likely need, some things you won't. It's all relative to the task you're doing.

For instance, what a bench rest shooter needs in the way of quality is much different than what a IPSC competitor or a High Power Rifle competitor needs.

My suggestion would be to read through the sticky for new reloaders at the top of the page, think about what type of reloading you're wanting to do and in what quantites, then investigate the various offerings out there.

BTW, spending more money doesn't necessarily mean you got the "best" these days. I was quite suprised when I found I liked my Lee Deluxe 4-die 9MM pistol die set better than I liked the Hornady .45ACP set I already had. So quality is where you find it. Some companies are offering products similar to what they offered ten years ago and some companies have significantly improved what they are offering and have improved both quality and features on their presses. So you need to really research features as much as quality and don't just go by name or price.

Regards,

Dave

[S&W 24 SR]

started out with a lee deluxe kit and I'm still using most of the stuff that came with it. The press wore out but that was after tens of thousands of rounds loaded including full length sizing alot of milspec brass.

[jmorris]

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1172163686.503=/html/catalog/cleeloader.html
the above loader, bullets, primers, powder and brass are all you [I]need[I]. I think you would be better off saving up for faster equipment. I could't imagine loading 1000 rounds on the hand loader, but do a search and you can find them for $15 brand new. You can't even get a die set for that!

[Dave in PA]

I started with a single stage RCBS reloader special-3 kit at least 15 years ago. I bolted it to a piece of 1x6 and used C clamps to clamp it to the kitchen table. I loaded many thousands of rounds on that press. I finally 'upgraded' to a Dillon 550B last fall for reloading high volume stuff. I also bought a $30 tumbler from midway over christmas. The bottom line is you don't need a whole bunch of fancy gadgets to start reloading to see if it is for you. Not everyone has the extra time to pay attention to details which are a must when reloading.

Have fun and be careful

[armoredman]

Ditto on the RCBS starter kit, everything you need but a tumbler, powder, primers, bullets, and cases.
I still do all my reloading on an RCBS jr single stage press, (built in 1982), and have a ball doing so.

[scrat]

rcbs is cool but kinda expensive. if you are looking on saving money. instead of buying an expensive laithe to trim cases. go with lee. you can purchase the case trimmer and lock stud then the guage and holder for the rounds needed. After that you can do it by hand or you can use a drill. its very easy and way cheaper. If you do not want to buy a case tumbler. then you will just have to clean cases by hand. its no big deal. Before i got my tumbler i used to clean cases when i trim them. As i would just spin the drill with some steal wool around the cases they would come out clean. then id use a bottle brush to go once inside the cases. So there are ways to do this inexpensive. of course having the 2000 dollare setup would be cool. however you can spend little money and have the same quality ammunition as the guy with the 2000 dollar set up. yet you can do it for a lot less. you just have to study all the manufactures and thier processing. you will se the differnces and will be able to make your own decisions based on your spending needs and space needs.


I can make the same quality ammo for a lot less than someone who spent 1200 on their set up.

[Bandit01]

A lot of the items that you mentioned could be bought off of ebay. start with a good machine and work your way up. My full set up cost me way over $1200

[lee n. field]

Am I buying unnecessary high-tech tools,

I dunno. You haven't said what you're buying.

If you're getting a progressive, yes, you're looking at some significant expense before you can start.

[Jim Watson]

What calibers, what applications?

I don't see a need for a power case trimmer unless you are a serious highpower target shooter.

I don't see a need for a "heavy duty" tumbler, my old Midway has done good work for years at low cost.

A digital scale is no great advance over a beam balance for most uses like adjusting a volumetric measure or even for manual trickling powder to weight.

[Matt Dillon]

Before you buy any equipment, please do yourself a favor and purchase 3-4 good reloading manuals, and read them thoroughly. You will find answers to a lot of your questions, then I would start simple, purchasing a good single stage press, like the Lee Classic, which is more than enough press to get you started, then load a couple of thousand rounds before you decide whether or not you need a progressive press. Lee dies are good, get a good scale and set of check weights, loading trays, a good system for trimming (I still use Lee's) as well as Lee's hand loading primer system. Pretty inexpensive, and still working well!

[ClarkEMyers]

I knew a fair number of folks who started with the original Lee Loader when that was $10 or so less than a day's wages at the Federal minimum wage of then of $1.25. It doesn't take a lot of money to start out if folks are willing to walk around with a little cash and accumulate things as the need comes up.

I've seen complete Square Deal B setups which would need only a scale to start loading for as little as $200 + tax used - not often but occasionally - I couldn't necessarily go out today and buy one in a caliber I load for that but I have had the opportunity fairly recently.

Of course it's easy to spend a fair amount of money - today I have an aluminum portable easy to stow load at the range press and a Hollywood Universal Turret that isn't very portable at all and a few more but it isn't necessary to spend a lot - I fiddled with improvised methods to clean cases for a long long time before I got a vibrator and a nice tumbler with a easy to relubricate bearings and a fan cooled motor - but it could be done with an old washing machine motor and such - but then again there is so much fine equipment on the market that scrounging isn't nearly so necessary. It can still be done - decap with a hammer and finishing nail and so it goes.

[scrat]

Agreed 100 %

[SSN Vet]

xxxxxxxxxxxx

What is shown in the photos is convoluted polyurethane foam and it is VERY FLAMIBLE!

Just read this....

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/02/21/deadly.nightclub.fire/

At least 96 killed in nightclub inferno..........Great White (a heavy metal rock band) did not have the required city permit for a pyrotechnics display...........As the crowd cheered, fire engulfed the soundproofing foam behind the stage and quickly spread............The building was well involved inside of three minutes.........

though it works reasonably well for sound deadening, polyurethane is not intended for this purpose.

I can't tell for sure from the photo, but if that foam is pink, it is definitely not fire retardent. Pink is the color code for anit-static. You can get fire retardant foam (used for furnature cushions), but it is never pink.

BASF makes a foam especially for sound deadening that is 100% non-combustable. It's not cheap.....but.....

If Mr. Hammer has a significant muzzle blast with sparks or flame and sets that urethane off........with all the exposed OSB interior sheathing & lots of powder, you'll never put that fire out.

Urethane is a cheap foam used primarily for packaging. I deal with it every day, you can't even sell non-fire retardant urethane in Rhode Island any more after the club fire there. Every six months or so, someone comes in and requests to buy urethan for use as a sound deadening material. My employer's policy is that we won't sell polyurethane for that application, as we don't want to be liable for what happens if it causes a fire.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I joined the sixgunner furum so I could send Hammer this info. directly.....I felt it was that important.

[Shoney]

In 1960, at a very tender age, I convinced my parrents to let me buy a reloading outfit. With sidewalk shoveling, lawn mowing, and paper route money, I got a new Pacific single stage press, a used Lyman beam scale, powder funnel, case lube, and 3 sets of used dies and new shell holders. Total price was under $60.:what:

Within 2 weeks I purchased a Stuck Case Remover:o . Within a year I had to purchase a case trimmer. I used wood working calipers and a drafting scale for measuring lengths, and a set of measuring spoons for dipping powder. As years went by, I upgraded to a 10-10 scale, deburring tools, got a shotshell loader with a variable powder measure, which doubled as a rifle powder measure.

With that basic setup, I hand loaded for nearly 30 years.

In the early 90's I added a Dillon 550 (estate sale for $75 with lots of extras:neener: ), discovered Midway, got a tumbler kit, and lots of other goodies, later added a Hornady LNL progessive, and and now own just about every other gadget available. BEWARE THE DISEASE.

[Deavis]

You need to give people an idea of what you are buying and what your budget is before people can help you. If you are makking 100k a year, then what is a 1050XL? If you are making 30k, well, then maybe you should be using a Lee Anniversary edition. The devil is in the details, but remember one thing. If you buy the better tool now, you'll save yourself a lot of time and hassle in the end, if you can afford it.

[Geno]

I strongly believe that there is usually not a very high correlation between how much you sped and what you get beyond the mid-low to mid-priced items.

Case and point, if you want to reload .270 Win for a bolt action rifle and you plan to reload not more than say a 100 rounds per year, why go above and beyond the Lee Loader? At $20.00ish dollars, it's pretty awesome. If you plan to load hundreds of rounds of pistol ammo, that will not cut it. You need a press. But, you don't need a multi-stationed loader that cycles itself. That is for people who load by the thousands. Unless you are a target shooter, scoop and pour is nearly as accurate as measuring each load. It all depends on how much you reload, and how precisely you need to reload versus just save money. As the desire for higher quantity or higher plays a role, or the desire for better precision goes up, so does cost go up.

I started reloading 22 years back with a Lee Loader and a plastic hammer. Within two years I advanced to a Rock Chucker and custom dies. All that changed was that I went from loading 20 rounds per week, to hundreds of rounds per week. I also took up serious varmint hunting and serious long-rang shooting. See where I'm heading?

Doc2005

[3sixbits]

Buy the 1010 scales, I've used the same set now these 30 plus years (before RCBS had there name on them they were Ohaus). Gun shows are great places to buy used reloading presses. I have 4 RCBS Rock chuckers (cause I swage bullets) all bought used at the shows. I would stay away from digital scales, to many failures. Harrell's Precision makes the best powder measure money can buy. I have more than two dozen powder measures and other than the one's on my Dillon RL 1000's, and Use nothing but Harrell's measure. Spend your money where it counts. Trimmer, get the one (Wilson) modified by Sinclair International. I need to unload several of these trimmers I no longer use, cause the modified Wilson works so well. Manual, do yourself a favor and buy "PET LOADS", seems I turn to it more than any other. Don't forget the free ones put out by the powder manufactors.

[DogBonz]

I know that people reload to save money

We reload to shoot more fot the same cost.:D

[Deavis]

We reload to shoot more fot the same cost.

Amen

[BigSoundRacing]

If I am going to use a tool once then I buy something that will work, is not dangerous and is inexpensive. If I am going to use a tool frequently then I buy the best that I can afford, keeping in mind that I don’t want to upgrade later.

For my reloading equipment I’ve done lots of research, conducting the research has helped me define my requirements and objectives.

1) Want reloading to be a good experience
2) Need it to be efficient and not too time consuming
3) Want to build match quality rounds for my brand new rifle
4) Want to be self sufficient
5) Want to build a cache of rounds (components to make rounds)
6) Need to keep things realistic as far as budget goes

So far I have collected the following:

Digital Scale that runs off of AA batteries or AC, like the idea of batteries
Dillon 650 XL, like the following but not the reputation of the powder drop
Giraud Case Trimmer, much better solution than doing it by hand, especially on time
Decided to build a vertical bench from 2x10 that fits into the closet in the garage

My overall objective is to build a cache of components to make 3000 rounds in a big hurry. It is my intent to slowly buy those components while using 500 pieces of brass to support shooting. Eventually I will have the components resting to load the 3000 plus loading the quantity of 500 four or more times.

My new rifle is ordered but probably two months away, DSA SA58 FAL is 12 weeks to manufacture, so I have time to collect stuff I need.

The up front is expensive, but it has pay offs over time.

Be safe, KC

[dcloco]

Buy a RCBS Rockchucker kit....

[Geno]

Here is a detail of cost to get more-than-started. As you can see by the numbers, 500 rounds are the minimum. You would have enough powder for over 1,244 rounds, primers for 1,000 round, brass for 500 rounds, projectiles for 500 rounds, the cleaner for life, the loader for life, etc. I found all of these at www.midwayusa.com

$82.99……………………........….Lee Reload Kit (EVERYTHING including the manual)
$11.99……………………….........Lee 2-piece .308 dies
$126.99 (1,244 rounds)……..8 pound IMR 4064 powder
$13.99 (500 shots)…………....100 rounds Once-fired brass:
$69.99 (500 rounds)……….....500 rounds Rem 150 Gn. bullets
$22.99 (1,000 rounds)……..…1,000 Fed. 210 Lg. Rif. primers
$59.00……………………..........…Frankfort Vibrator Cleaner (EVERYTHING is included)

$387.94 for EVERYTHING!

Doc2005