A question for the Old Guards in reloading.

I use simple hand tools to make great ammunition.

IMHO, aside from some basics like a good scale, good data resources maybe some good proper lighting, it's gonna ultimately be up you to decide what's important.

While it's overwhelming true that good tools make any job easier and even enjoyable that's also a very subjective and personal thing

100 people are going to answer and don't be surprised if you get 100 different answers, and none of them will be wrong, just personal.

Ask questions and do research and as you progress you'll find your way.

Probably make a mistake or 10 on your way but, as long as your safe, they're good learning experience too.

Have fun! Be safe!

What part of Nebraska are you in?

Tools I need for quality ammo:
Trimmer - I use a Giraud mostly, however a decent hand trimmer is good enough for low round count calibers. I use the Lyman for that. I also have a WFT2 but is seldom used anymore except for 2 calibers. WFT2 works well enough though.
VLD style deburring tool - Lyman is my choice, works good, priced right
Priming tool - I use an RCBS bench primer. Works great. The Lee bench primer isnt awful either. There are several decent hand held units out there too, but the RCBS and Lee are simple and effective.
Quality calipers - I use iGaging calipers, a 6" and an 8". The 8" is handy for running comparators
Comparator set - needed for accurate bullet seating and shoulder bump measurements. The Hornady kit is good enough.
Beam scale and trickler - Pick your poison on the beam scale. Whatever trickler you buy, make sure its heavy and made of metal.
Rotary powder drop - needed to get you close for trickling up with stick powder, or right on with short cut stick or ball
Several reloading manuals - Its good to have additional sources of data. Hornady, Lyman, etc, etc. Powder manufacturers data is also very useful
An open mind and willingness to ask questions - THR is a great resource that is free, use it!

Tools I cant live without:
Giraud - saves alot of wear and tear on my hands
Annealer - My Annealeez has done 10s of thousands of cases and helps with neck tension consistency and brass life
Progressive press - I couldnt imagine loading blaster and pistol ammo on a single stage, so I have my LnL AP with case and bullet feeder for that
Lee APP press - used for just decapping.
SSTL Media tumbler - I dont always run the pins, but clean dust free brass is a plus
AutoTrickler & FX120i scale - consistently drops powder hands free and fast to .02gr accuracy but its a stretch on cost
LabRadar - Knowing velocities is key. Not a fan of Magneto Speed chrono as it screws with barrel harmonics. Loop style chronos arent bad, but can be a pain in some situations
ShotMarker - I hate paper targets. I really hate paper targets at long range. Makes my life easy.

I realize some of these tools are a stretch, but over time depending on how serious you are, they can help you out.

KansasTrapper77 said:

You are not kidding that is exceptionally minimalist. I am impressed.

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Aside from quality tools, building great ammunition is about attention to detail and testing more then who can spend the most money, if you put in the work you will see the rewards whether on paper , hits on steel or game in the freezer. This 1000 yard group tells me I’m on the right path.

I've been reloading for 35 years. I don't own an electronic powder dispenser, and I will not measure powder charges on an electronic scale. I consider it a disaster waiting to happen.

A volumetric powder measure, coupled with a manual trickler and a good quality balance scale, will do everything you need just as fast, if not faster, than the electronic tools.

And, the manual tools will be extremely difficult to wear out.

As for brands; I won't even start in on that. I have some of most brands. Just buy what fills your needs.

KansasTrapper77 said:

Kaldor, perfect example of why I asked. Thank you.

I’ve never heard of Giraud or ShotMarker!

And yes a Chrono is on my list of necessary equipment.

But I probably need to join a range down here first. I’m just not excited to give the NRA money to do it. Wish they’d accept other organization membership. But then again the other organizations probably didn’t help pay for the range.

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I dont care to give the current NRA a donation either and it might be worth your time to ask if a donation to a worthwhile organization like GOA or FPC or the like would fill any requirements. I did this for my local club as they required an NRA donation, but I refused but offered another option which they added to the member policy.

I would say my need list could be short cut a bit, or switched to different items, but I consider that the minimum to make good ammo without creating a struggle to maintain quality ammo production. The comparator and accompanying cases for each caliber and case are a must have that I started without, but would never go without now.

KansasTrapper77 said:

I have a RCBS beam scale and an RCBS hand primer. Both were my grandpa’s actually. A bit bummed I never got to reload with him but be just wasn’t organized enough and was too busy to teach me. My father (son-in-law to grandpa) and I finally decided to hash it out ourselves.

I’m hesitant to get into a progressive press as I am not really making bulk ammo other than 45-70. But I am interested in an Electronic powder dispenser as I have an opportunity to get one at a considerable discount.

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Ive been there. My grandfather taught me, with even less tools than my need list. It got me started and I didnt start back at it again until 25 years later when I decided to get into shooting alot more than just some plinking and hunting.

Hold off on a progressive if your just making 45-70 in bulk. When I say bulk, Im talking more than a couple 100 in a batch. An electronic scale is so very helpful and will cut your loading headaches a bunch. I had an RCBS CM1500, and it was a godsend, but sold it when I got my AutoTrickler. One thing I hear pretty much without fail is avoid the Hornady electronic trickler. One thing I found after testing about 500 charges with my CM1500 vs that FX120i scale? If the trickler immediately runs to the correct charge with almost no trickle up, throw it back. I can guarantee its off by more than .2gr +/-. If you let them trickle up a little bit slower Ive found they are generally .1gr +/- accurate. This is due to the strain gauge scale that doesnt respond quite as fast as it needs to.

The basics I must have and cannot live without?
1) Manual. I have several and update them as new issues are available. 1st on that list id the Sierra #6.
2) My RCBS Rockchucker.
3) Dies - RCBS or Redding preferred. Though Pacific, Lyman, Wilson and Lee have been accused of taking up space on my bench, too.
4) Dial calipers. I have both electronic and manual. Prefer manual as the battery never goes dean and it never gives an errant measurement.
5) Powder measure. I have multiples but if I couls only have one it would be the Lee Perfect Powder measure.
6) Powder trickler. Mine is the RCBS.
7) Balance beam scale. Again, I also have a couple of the electronic ones, but I cannot trust them like I can my old RCBS 505 - the battery never dies!
8) Case trimmer - I have found the Lee cutter& lock stud and case length gauge w/holder an excellent value and extremely consistent. I chuck the holder in my hand drill and can trim a hundred cases in a few minutes.
9) Case chamfer & deburr tool. (I have both Lyman and RCBS)
10) Priming tool. The Lee Bench Prime works very well and is a good value for the money. Just be aware it is not very robust and a heavy hand will damage the plastic bits. I prefer my RCBS Universal Hand Priming tools - I have 2; one for small primers and one for large primers as I was irritated every time I had to change set-ups.
11) Case tumbler w/media (I prefer ground walnut shells.)
12) Flashlight. I can't see into the bottom of bottleneck cases without one. (Old eyes.)
ETA:
13) Powder funnel!
14) Bullet puller.


NOT NECESSARY BUT GOTTA HAVE THESE DAYS:
1) RCBS Precision Micrometer tool for each rifle caliber
2) RCBS Case prep center
3) Competition bullet seating die. (I like the RCBS one as it is easily converted for different calibers)
4) Additional manuals (Lyman #50, latest Speer, Hornady, Nosler, Berger, Hodgdon, Vihta Vouri)
5) Chronograph - got along for many years with a Shooting Chrony. Recently graduated to the LabRadar and glad I did!

I hope this helps.

KansasTrapper77 said:

. . . quality ammunition?

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Not well enough defined to answer. For pistol ammo there's not reason to weigh per charge, same for semi-auto rifle. For bolt guns, after you're shooting <MOA, weighing per charge might help with some powders.

KansasTrapper77 said:

What is the equipment on your bench that isn’t necessary but you can’t imagine living without nowadays?

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Micrometer seaters and powder meter stems! Cooler than the kitten's whiskers.

KansasTrapper77 said:

My father and I relatively new to reloading < 3 years. And I am ready to build my own setup. I’m tired of traveling to another state to reload. So, I’ve already built my bench as large and as clean as I could with the space I have. I’ve chosen my press and already have one on the way, the trusty RCBS Rock Chucker.

I have two questions for you fellas.

1) What are the most cost effective tools/equipment to make quality ammunition?
Example, I understand consistent powder loads create consistent ammo. Is an electric powder dispenser worth the money or stick to a balance beam and trickler. What items stretch your dollar the furthest for quality ammunition?

2) What is the equipment on your bench that isn’t necessary but you can’t imagine living without nowadays?
The equipment that aids in the enjoyment of reloading.

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Tools I use:
1. Press
2. Die set for your caliber
3. Scale (I use a basic electronic scale)
4. Data (reloading manuals, online, etc)
5. Scoop (to take powder from the bottle and put it on the scale)
6. Two loading blocks (One to hold all the brass before the single stage press action, the other to hold the brass after the single stage operation.)
7. Funnel (to put the powder into the brass case without spilling)
8. Calipers (to measure COAL)
9. Notebook (to record all my loading activities/data/results/etc)
10. Case gauge (some people just plunk the round in the barrel and forgo the case gauge)
11. Case trimmer/chamfer/debur tools
12. Hammer style inertial bullet puller

You can add all kinds of tools to make the hobby easier. I prime on the press, so no extra tools necessary for me in that regard.
Other tools I use:
Powder measure (I use an inexpensive manual LEE PPM)
Powder trickler (I own one, but never use it)
Rotary wet tumbler with stainless steel pins to clean the cases (inexpensive Harbor Freight rock tumbler)
Media separator to separate the cases (Lyman strainer/separator set)
Various sharpie markers to mark my reloads
Tools to adjust the press
Lead melter, bullet molds and sizing dies (I cast and powder coat my own bullets)
Case lube
Heat gun
Various trays, dishes, boxes to sort and prep components
Reusable cartridge boxes
Headspace comparator
Magnifier lamp
Different bullet seating stems for the seating die that match the different bullet nose profiles I use
Storage bins to organize tools/dies/etc by caliber
Collet style bullet puller
Scale check weights set with small weights
Separate way to deprime dirty cases to keep your press clean (I use a hand decapper)

KansasTrapper77 said:

Kaldor, when you say comparator and accompanying cases. What do you mean by the cases? You have a benchmark case?

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https://www.hornady.com/reloading/p...s-and-gauges/lock-n-load-bullet-comparator#!/
https://www.hornady.com/modified-cases#!/
https://www.hornady.com/headspace-bushings#!/

These all work together and some parts are interchangeable with each other.
One is to measuring COAL to the ogive which is more accurate than the tip.
One is for measuring the shoulder of the case which helps determine how far back you pushed the shoulder when resizing.
One is for measuring how far off the lands your bullet is in the rifle.

As a general rule, I bump shoulders 2-3 thou on a bolt gun, 5 thou on an autoloader (AR). I seat all bullets Im testing at 20 thou off the lands for initial testing, then change seating depth to tighten groups when I think Im on to something. Its alot harder or even impossible to do this without these tools.

I have been reloading since 1999.
I have and still use a drum type powder measure and powder trickler.
Powder measure only for handgun and 223. Then for large rifle I use the powder measure to throw the charge within 0.3 to 0.2gr then use the powder trickler to bring it up to full charge weight.

I started out with simple tools, way back when, and then worked my way up through most of the fancy stuff, and have come almost all the way back to the early days.

Most of my loading is done on an ancient Lyman single stage. I prefer Redding dies but have had fine luck with every other brand. I really like carbide dies and use them whenever there is a choice. I'm also using an antique Lyman measure which works perfectly with all but the very finest grained powder - things like H110 cause it to bind, which is annoying but doesn't affect consistency. The only "modern" tool I have come to prefer is an electronic scale. Balance beams are just as accurate, but a lot slower, so I depend on a PACT digital scale.

KansasTrapper77 said:

My father and I relatively new to reloading < 3 years. And I am ready to build my own setup. I’m tired of traveling to another state to reload. So, I’ve already built my bench as large and as clean as I could with the space I have. I’ve chosen my press and already have one on the way, the trusty RCBS Rock Chucker.

You made a good choice. The Rock Chucker will make quality ammo and last a lifetime.

I have two questions for you fellas.

1) What are the most cost effective tools/equipment to make quality ammunition?
Example, I understand consistent powder loads create consistent ammo. Is an electric powder dispenser worth the money or stick to a balance beam and trickler. What items stretch your dollar the furthest for quality ammunition?

You can make ammo that is more accurate than most factory ammo with just about any press and any 2 die full length set of dies. Bushing dies, custom dies, micrometer seaters are nice and have their places. I like competition seating dies.

2) What is the equipment on your bench that isn’t necessary but you can’t imagine living without nowadays?
The equipment that aids in the enjoyment of reloading.

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I guess my RCBS Chargemaster and my Giraud case trimmer are 2 things that I would replace immediately if they were lost or damaged. I also like carbide expander balls in the resizing dies that I use the most.

KansasTrapper77 said:

relatively new to reloading < 3 years.

1) What are the most cost effective tools/equipment to make quality ammunition?

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I can tell you what I think you don't need, but there will be some objections.

Mostly from folks with Machinist or similar background's and / or those who are operating on the ragged edge in the pursuit of absolute accuracy. (Neither one applies to me)

IMHO, I'd be hard pressed to shoot the difference made by using a "professionally crafted top-dollar" caliper instead of my $30 got it off Amazon mechanical dial caliper. In my situation, the $30.00 caliper is the most cost-effective.

As always, YMMV.

Skgreen said:

IMHO, I'd be hard pressed to shoot the difference made by using a "professionally crafted top-dollar" caliper instead of my $30 got it off Amazon mechanical dial caliper. In my situation, the $30.00 caliper is the most co

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And, this comment about a caliper pertains to every single piece of reloading equipment you will purchase.

Every single piece.

Do you want the absolute best made ? Or something cost effective?

Skgreen said:

I can tell you what I think you don't need, but there will be some objections.

Mostly from folks with Machinist or similar background's and / or those who are operating on the ragged edge in the pursuit of absolute accuracy. (Neither one applies to me)

IMHO, I'd be hard pressed to shoot the difference made by using a "professionally crafted top-dollar" caliper instead of my $30 got it off Amazon mechanical dial caliper. In my situation, the $30.00 caliper is the most cost-effective.

As always, YMMV.

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Hooda Thunkit said:

And, this comment about a caliper pertains to every single piece of reloading equipment you will purchase.

Every single piece.

Do you want the absolute best made ? Or something cost effective?

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Im both of those guys. Sometimes the best tool is simply the best tool. And sometimes the cheap tool is good enough. My tool box covers the range of Harbor Freight to Snap On, and I treat my reloading tools the same way. If I can cut a corner without hurting the process, absolutely, Im gonna do it. But just like anything that one specific tool can really make a difference, so I go buy that tool. And sometimes, Im just a tool that likes shiney tools