Welcome and thanks for asking our advice
I am looking to get everything I need to start reloading .45ACP and .308. I currently have NOTHING and need to start from square 1.
I am thinking of going with a Dillon 650 or a Hornady LNL. Please make your case for what you would go with along with a list of everything I would need to load both, and where you would purchase from.
Thanks for pointing a rookie in the right direction!!
You will get better answers and advice the more you tell us about yourself.
How much do you want to shoot?
How much do you shoot now?
How much time will you devote to loading?
What is your interest in loading? (Accuracy, economy, learning ballistics, getting just exactly the ammunition you want, not available in stores, etc.)
How much room do you have to devote to your loading area?
Will you leave your gear set up all the time or put it away after use?
What's your budget?
The list of ABSOLUTE essentials consists of three things.
A press (any kind) because fingers are just not strong enough to form metal.
Dies, because fingers are just not precise enough to form metal properly.
A way to mete powder because eyeballs are just not precise enough.
Without those three things, you cannot load, period.
You would be unwise to load without safety glasses and a reliable source of good load recipes as well as a good instruction manual or two or three.
Everything else just makes things more convenient, more accurate, faster, etc.
A scale allows you to verify your powder charges. A micrometer allows you to check the size of your bullets. A bullet puller allows you to disassemble cartridges that you suspect may be inappropriate or otherwise undesirable to shoot. They add convenience, but you CAN load without them.
(Some will argue that it is insane to load without a scale, but there is valid argument over that point, so please don't debate over it. Just accept that there are other opinions. Add a scale to your list, don't force me to add one to mine.)
Progressive presses, Turret Presses and Single-Stage presses are the three major types of presses. Your quantitative needs will steer you towards one type or another and your temperament and budget will make the final selection.
So, tell us about yourself, please.
Lost Sheep