[golfish1951]

what would you advise someone that is considering handloading 45 ACP so that they can afford to shoot. is the availability of supplies as ridiculous as the price of ammo? what brands of loaders if you want to shoot a couple hundred rounds a month and have free time to reload (retired)?

[D. Manley]

There is a bit of a shortage right now on some reloading equipment as well as, components. This, over time, will pass. And yes, prices of components and equipment rises over time too however, it remains far more economical to reload than to purchase factory ammo. One thing you will learn is where and how to find the best prices and to make the most of your shooting budget. The best tip I can give you is to pay attention to forums like this one and once you know what you like to shoot, buy components in the highest volume you can.

You mention that you only intend to shoot a couple of hundred rounds per month. With that in mind, I'd steer you toward the Lee Classic Turret Kit (https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=630&category_id=190&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41)(and suggest the $14.00 Pro AutoDisk powder measure upgrade). This is a very nice little setup with a short learning curve. With a little familiarization, you will be able to turn out 200 rounds in an hour or so at leisure. It's a very safe & simple press to use and turns out very high quality ammo and is priced where you will quickly recover your investment. Should you decide to move up to a full progressive later (you will be shooting more, IMO) then it will always be a handy thing to have around.

[cajun 48]

Welcome Golfish, Start by reading the stickys, get a manual like abc's of reloading and read them. As for me I bought the lee classic "cast" turret ( beefier version of the classic turret). It can be used like a single stage til you get used to reloading then you can hook up the auto advance and have even more fun. As for components: range brass (free), cast bullets (appx $60-70/1000) large pistol primers ($26-30/1000) and powder (appx $20-30/pound). Should be enough to get you started with the habit. . . I mean task of reloading. Worthwhile in my book. aj b

[earplug]

I'm retired too!

If you have space to set up a simple casting operation, that will save you buckets of money.
Recommend going to Castboolit.com for more information.
Depending on where you live, scrap lead sells for about fifty cents a pound.
If you fish you can make your own weights, lures etc.

During this time of primer shortage, you can be scrounging and melting down scrap lead for use later.

[D. Manley]

Welcome Golfish, Start by reading the stickys, get a manual like abc's of reloading and read them. As for me I bought the lee classic "cast" turret ( beefier version of the classic turret).

Not to be picky on the terminology but to avoid confusing the original poster...

There's only one Lee Classic Turret Press (http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1238718629.82=/html/catalog/turretpress.html#ClassicTurretPress) and though it is a cast iron frame, "cast" is not part of the name. The other Lee offering is simply called the Lee Turret Press (http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1238718629.82=/html/catalog/turretpress.html). Perhaps you were thinking of the Lee Classic Cast Press (http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1238718629.82=/html/catalog/classic.html)which, is a single-stage.

[jfrey]

Before you buy anything, at least look at the Dillon Square Deal B loader. There are many less expensive loaders on the market, but if you want a top of the line product, with customer service to match, check it out. I comes set up from the factory with dedicated dies and will crank out ammo with great efficiency.

You will find that there is the "blue" crowd and the "red" crowd and each likes specific things related to those specific loaders. Just check it out and do the research.

[D. Manley]

Before you buy anything, at least look at the Dillon Square Deal B loader. There are many less expensive loaders on the market, but if you want a top of the line product, with customer service to match, check it out. I comes set up from the factory with dedicated dies and will crank out ammo with great efficiency.

You will find that there is the "blue" crowd and the "red" crowd and each likes specific things related to those specific loaders. Just check it out and do the research.

Super little press and the one I load on myself. My suggestion to the OP on the LCT was simply based on his comments on shooting only a couple of hundred rounds a month and, his having plenty of time to reload. As much as I do love my Dillon, I still feel the LCT may be a more viable option for him based solely on his needs. One things for certain...for not much longer than it takes to dial in the powder charge & load the primer tubes, he could crank out a month's supply on the SD.

[chbrow10]

If you have lots of time, I recommend a single stage press. It is very simple. If all you are loading is pistol rounds, and not for rifle, there are lots of single stage presses that are available, both new and used from ebay and other internet auction sites.

[HKIWB]

I'm about two months into reloading .45 ACP and am very satisfied with the quality, performance and speed of my Dillon SDB. My total investment for the press and all the necessities was $600. I've loaded 2,000 rounds with only two mistakes - a couple of flipped primers. Its an easy machine to learn on.

Primers and FMJ bullets are real hard to find right now. Lead bullets and powder have been readily available at a few shops I frequent. I've had the best luck finding primers at small gun shops. I have several thousand primers and FMJ bullets on backorder with three different online retailers, but I don't expect anything to arrive for at least a month.

[moooose102]

welcome golfish! i would definitly recomend getting a copy of the ABC'S of Reloading as well. if you do not want to buy it, it may be available at your local library. if you go that route, search for as many reloading books as they have available. get them all, and read, read, read! if you decide to get into reloading, buy a single stage press kit. it will save you money, and you will have most of the tools you will need to get started. as for the cost of reloading, buy in bulk as much as possible. the more you buy, the cheaper it gets. dont even think about buying less than 1000 primers and bullets at a time, unless you want to experiment with something. those go fast! a pound of powder goes quite a ways, but there is a signifigant savings if you buy an 8 pound jug. the question there is will you use it before it goes bad. for me, i buy one pound at a time. besides, if i decide i want to try another powder, i do not have 7 pounds of something i don't like laying around. also, you can save money buying 500 or 1000 "once fired" brass to reload. many police ranges use 45acp, and they do not reload, so if you can find someone selling this kind of brass, it is good stuff. persoanlly, i buy in quanities of 1000. then, you will need to buy some plastic ammo boxes to put your creations in. i enjoy reloading almost as much as shooting. if you like to tinker, you probably will too. since you have a computer, there are many places to buy reloading equipment and supplies from. midway usa, natchez, graff and sons, cabelas, midsouth shooter supply, and weidners, just to name a few. good luck with your decision, and happy shooting! and, congradulations on retiring!