New loader looking for input on equipment list

You can skip all the case trimming stuff until you pick up rifle dies. You'll need some media for the tumbler- do a search in here as there are a lot of local sources for varous media.

The press in the Deluxe kit is not the Lee Classic Turret press. There is a huge difference in the two. I recommend the later.

Lee Classic presses by a light-year. Single-stage or turret, it won't matter. They're both built like a Russian Kamaz truck.

Did I miss a scale, dial calipers and bullet puller somewhere? And some more manuals?

forget the lee zipp trimer, I bought one and it is faster to do it by hand

oneounceload said:

Did I miss a scale, dial calipers and bullet puller somewhere? And some more manuals?

Click to expand...

The scale comes with the kit but it's NOT the kit he should get. He had calipers listed, no bullet puller and only 1 manual.
Get the classic cast turret, more than 1 manual, a bullet puller and skip the trim stuff except for bottle necks.

Here is a kit with the Classic Turret.

Kempf Kit w/ Lee Classic Turret Press

Kempf gets good reviews from what I've seen posted about them.

Seedtick

Heads up on the Lee Classic turret: When you get into loading the longer rifle cartridges (like your 270), you will have to disengage the auto index feature. What happens is the turrent starts to index before the neck has cleared the die. For .223 I think you are okay.

Your list is similar to what I started out on. I have timed my runs and can verify the 200/hour number, but you are really in a rythmn at that point. You get that number by loading one box every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes (100 rounds) you have to reload the primer tray. I also have a single stage press for pulling bullets. My 11 year old now uses the single stage to load his 30-06 rounds on, so there are lots of reasons to have a cheap single stage press around.

I also shoot USPSA. I sold my Turret for a Dillon 550B, and if you have the coin, that is the way to go (IMHO). When you compare prices with other presses, make sure that you remember that the Dillon comes with a primer capability and a powder measure in the price.

If you stay with your list above, I'd upgrade to the Pro auto disk powder measure. Much better than the regular. I had the pro auto disk and it did well except for large disk powders like Clays. I would also not get the micrometer adjustable charge bar, as I almost never needed it, but i had the double disk kit, which I recommend over the adjustable charge bar. I would also recommend a manual priming tool for those rare cases when you need it.

Order about 10 of those $1.5 little square rachet plastic thingies for the auto index. It is like a bushing or something that wears out every so often.

hangovur,
The ABC's doesn't have load data but get it anyway. Pick up the Lyman 49th edition and maybe a Speer or Hornady. You always want to cross reference data. You can't have too many manuals. When possible, I like to get one for the bullets I'm using.

I just just started reloading to. I found that a bullet puller was useful at first. Especially setting the bullet depth.

I also just ordered a Speer #14 manual since Extreme bullets recommended their data for their plated bullets.

First - welcome to the Highroad.
2nd - your monicker very much concerns me.
We definitely do NOT want to be reloading with a hangover (or impaired in any way).

The manuals I refer to most are actually caliber specific from Loadbooks USA
Like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Relo...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291755872&sr=8-3

They're usually about $6 a piece at Cabela's or GanderMt or places like that.

1) Read, read & read (in that order)
- Read the stickies at the top of this forum
- Go to the library and check out any reloading manual
- Go to Amazon and buy Lyman's 49th Reloading Manual, ABC's of Reloading, or similar

2) Meet other reloaders by taking a class, making friends at the range, posting to meet local reloaders here. You'll need a mentor. a) There are 1000 "tricks" you'll only learn when you see it being done. b) You'll always need something on Sunday evening when all the stores are closed. c) You'll always have questions. d) Someone needs to look over your shoulder to make sure your habits are safe.

3) You'll get a much better deal for your limited money by buying used equipment. Plenty of guys are aging out of the hobby who bought a RCBS Rock Chucker in the 1970's. That’s as good a press as any made today. Ask your mentor to help you. Look on Craig's List. If you buy a new press, then you'll get "a press" (which is not nearly enough). If you buy a used outfit, then you'll get a press, dies, books, tools, powder, primers.... the works. There are some amazing deals out there, but you will have to look.

Hope this helps!

New loader looking for input on equipment list
Hi:
Been loading about 25 years, but not like a competitor.
I load 500 or a thousand rounds, of what I want, and use them for the next five or ten years.
9mm, .44, .45, 30-06, 30-30, and looking to do .223 someday soon.
Will make some recommendations to your list.
Firstly, until you have been loading for fifty years or so, STICK WITH THE BOOK!!!
This cannot be emphasized enough until you read it in your heart.
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I am brand new to loading and have been doing some research online and with some local shooters but thought I would throw this out to THR for opinions.

I am looking to shoot/load ~500 9mm rounds (.45, .40 and .38 in the future) and a few hundred rifle rounds (.223, 30-30 and .270) per month. It may increase later, but for the foreseeable future that is max.

Right now I'm doing this to make shooting more economical and to lighten some loads for USPSA shooting. I am mechanically competent (no engineer, but I can handle simple tasks).

Considering I want to load a relatively low amount of rounds (at least for now) I am thinking the Lee Classic turret press. I have read that you can expect 200-300 rounds per hour on one of these and I don't intend to shoot more than 500 per month anyway. I also like that it gives me a chance to handle each aspect of the process a little closer than a progressive while I learn.
****Started with Lee's simple little "C" press, went to the challenger, then to the Load Master. In a period of about a year. I will clue you to ask Lee for returned, or Factory second equipment. This means you pay half for a press with a chip in the paint, or one that someone else had for a week and didn't like. Being a Lee user, I think most of their products are just fine. I do hate their rubber O ring die locks, and toss them in favor of screw tightening nuts. And along that vein, I prefer the screws that cross a cut across the nut rather than set screws that press the thread of the die.

take a look at my list and tell me if there is anything that should or shouldn't be on it? Other than components do I have what I need? Would you replace anything on here with something different? Thanks in advance for any input.


ABCs of reloading is out of stock, will order that somewhere else.
****If you are speaking of Dean Grennel's book, I think it is top notch. His coloquialisms sometimes seem silly, but he is very good at explaining the process. I learned from his book.

9622290 Lee classic Turret Press $94.99
****I might suggest picking a single stage press, then moving to a progressive after you feel confident. Or, save some money, and buy a progressive press, and set up one stage at a time to learn. (That way when you are ready, you can just add the stations all at once.)
However, you will likely need a single stage press again in the future, and having one under the bench that you can bolt on when needed can be handy. I just used one last week to do an experiment on resizing some brass to make shotshells. that experiment isn't over yet.

414369 Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ Case Tumbler Master Kit with Quick-N-EZ Rotary Media Separator 110 Volt$63.99
****Probably work just fine.Don't forget to get some green corn cob to tumble in. And you might want some walnut shell if'n you pick up outdoor range brass with mud and weathering.


515804 Lee Zip Trim$18.99
*****Can't speak for this. You really won't need to trim till you get into bottle neck cartridges.


885350 Lee Deluxe Carbide 4-Die Set 9mm Luger $36.99
****Make sure you get carbide whenever you can. makes a big difference.


548630 Lee Safety Prime Small and Large Primer Feeder for 2006, Later Reloading Press $20.99
*****Personally, I much prefer the Lee loader that fits on the single stage press. It worked perfectly for me. But make sure that at least every five rounds you tap the side of the dispenser with a finger to make sure they are feeding and not bridged. (The Load Master fixed that by adding finger-tapping bumps to the edge of the press.)
Another small change I made is that I didn't like the "Hold a pencil over the opening while installing the dispenser" instructions, so I drilled a 1/16th hole in the top/lid of the dispenser right in the center of the fee spout, and drop a small cotter key into the hole. And since I didn't like the spring clip that is supposed to hold it all together, I drilled another 1/16th hole in the edge of the dispenser, at about one o'clock, through both pieces, and move the cotter key up to that hole after installing.
Also, I suggest you order a couple extra of the little sliding pieces that feed the primers, as occasionally the primer pusher smashes it. I have replaced it twice in twenty years, but if you're in the middle of a job and it gets smashed it is pretty handy to have an extra on hand. And the little spring that pushers the pusher back down.


604242 Frankford Arsenal Electronic Caliper 6" Stainless Steel$21.99
*****Good choice.

114080 Lee Auto-Disk Powder Measure Riser Available1$7.19
*****I much prefer the perfect powder measure as it can be changed infinately rather than incrementally. They do now have an adjustable bar for the Auto Disk, but I cannot speak for it.


125282 Frankford Arsenal Perfect Fit Reloading Tray #3 9mm Luger, 9mm Makarov 50-Round Blue$5.99
*****You likely wont need tha tray unless you are loading single stage, and then you will want six. I personally like the wood trays Midway makes.


136199 Lee Case Trimmer Cutter with Ball Grip $5.89
*****This goes with the Zip trim, you likely won't need it until you do bottle neck cases.


136543 Lee Universal Depriming and Decapping Die $9.99
*****Since all die sets come with sizing/decapping dies, you shouldn't need this.


150005 Lee Auto-Disk Adjustable Powder Charge Bar $9.99
*****Ahhh, you saw that!


292460 Lee 4 Hole, Classic 4 Hole Turret Press Turret $8.99
*****This is a press choice. You may want one for each caliber, but I adjust the nuts as I said, so they just go in the same each time. Haven't set up separate turrets for my Load master yet.


352653 Lee Zip Trim Case Trimmer Universal 3 Jaw Chuck Case Holder $11.99


389104 Lee Chamfer and Deburring Tool $2.79
*****Not til you do Bottle necks.


467111 Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner$2.09
***** Once you miove to progressive this doesn't happen, and unless you do terrific competition, doesn't seem to matter.


476992 Lee Case Trimmer Cutter and Lock Stud$3.99


484416 Lee "Modern Reloading 2nd Edition" Reloading Manual$11.79
*****It is imperative to own one or two of these type books.


547368 Lee Auto-Disk Powder Measure Swivel Adapter $5.59
*****Again, I suggest the Perfect powder measure, for it's broad range of load and the auto dispenser.

****If I can be any more help, please feel free to address me.

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Last edited by hangovur; December 6, 2010 at 07:52 PM.