A couple more starting questions:

[Lone_Gunman]

I have read a few reloading books now, and am now trying to get the gear I need put together to start loading.

I will be reloading 45 ACP and 357 magnum to start with.

Will I need a case trimmer for these rounds, or is that something needed for rifle rounds?

Would a powder measure be a good idea? I am looking at the RCBS uniflow powder measure. Is it a good one? Do I need the micrometer flow device? It comes with a standard cylinder, but also is available with a small cylinder.

What is the cylinder? Is it part of the measuring mechanism? What difference does standard versus small cylinder make? At first I thought it was referring to the size of the powder hopper but now I am not so sure, and the website doesnt make it clear.

I have about 3500 empty 45 ACP brass, and 2000 357 mag brass, so that will be what I start loading.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have never trimmed a .45 ACP case and have heard of very few reloaders who do. They actually shorten with use, not lengthen, and a taper crimp will accomodate a little variation in length.
I once trimmed a batch of mixed .357 Magnum brass so it would roll crimp more uniformly, but have a couple lots of the same make that have never been trimmed. If your .357 brass has a lot of variation, the cheap Lee trimmer set up in a drill press is what I used.

I would not dream of loading pistol ammunition without a powder measure.
I use a Uniflo with small cylinder. "Small" refers to the diameter of the hole and adjusting plug in the drum. It is more accurate than a large opening with a shallow depth in the cavity for small pistol charges. You have to have a scale to set the measure with; powder is measured by volume but specified by weight.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

So for 45 ACP and 357 mag, I would be better off with the small cylinder, right?

What If I load rifle cartridges, will the small cylinder still work?

 

[Uncle Don]

I can't help with the cylinder question as I have used an Auto Disk powder measure since day one of loading handgun in 1985. However, count me among those that have never trimmed a handgun case. To be honest, I'm not even sure why they make them - just a marketing thing I guess. Not even .357 SIG - I've loaded 2700 of them so far and never had a case stretch to anything that was close to dangerous.

 

[armoredman]

I use the RCBS uniflow powder measure, I have to set very shallow for handgun loads - no problem. I would be LOST without a powder measure - hand tapping into the scale pan for every round would have driven me away from reloading very fast.
The Lee Perfect Powder Measure is a lot cheaper, but leaks a little. If you can't afford one, I actually have an old Lee Perfect powder measure with stand I would let go.

 

[The Bushmaster]

And then there's me...I don't trim .45 ACP cases, but I do trim .357 magnum cases for two reasons. 1. I want all of the crimps to be uniform. 2. My .357magnum cases DO grow to exceed maximum length and require trimming..I use the RCBS Rotory Case Trimmer 2.

 

[RecoilRob]

The small powder measure will work fine for rifles but you might need to double-hit each one to get enough powder.

I do this on .308 using H-335 and it meters extrememly well. Some rifle powder, namely most IMR extruded stuff might bind the measure on the larger grains. You'll have to try and see.

 

[caz223]

+1 on all of it.
I wouldn't dream of loading without a powder measure. (I also wouldn't dream of going back to single stage.)
I use the small powder charge bar on my 550s, and would imagine that's what you'd use for pistol in almost any powder measure. The uniflo is good, but pricey.
Don't trim .45, it gets shorter, like almost all auto calibers.
.357 gets longer, but if you use good brass and have enough of it in a rotation, it will last a good long time.
Now, don't get me wrong, I started out with a lee loader, but graduated to a monster setup with dual 550s and a dozen quick change kits.
I'm not sure I'd recommend starting out on a single stage anymore at least for a pistol shooter. It seems like a lot of work.
Maybe a LEE classic turret? Maybe save some money by going with an autodisk pro for a powder measure? Or maybe something case activated, with a built in expander?
The LEE safety prime kit for the classic turret I hear is quite nice. With an autodisk pro and the riser I bet that would be a nice turret. I bet you could crank out a lot of rounds with that in a very short time, for a turret press.

If you know you're going to like reloading, I'd even recommend (Heresy.) the dillon 550 as a starter press. It's an excellent press. A bit more money that I wanted to spend when I first started out, but I wound up spending it anyway, as well as all the single stage crap that I got rid of when I graduated to semi-progressive. At least read up on the 550. It's the simplest to use semi-progressive I can think of, and I get 450 rounds an hour out of mine. http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillonfaqs.html
Brian Enos also has awesome forums, you need any dillon info, search there, and it's yours. If you wind up buying a dillon, buy it from him!!

 

[Steve C]

Will I need a case trimmer for these rounds, or is that something needed for rifle rounds?

IMO its not needed. Haven't trimmed a .45 or .357 case in over 20 years. Did some when I first started reloading but found it to be a waste of time. Buy a case trimmer later on if you decide you'd like to use one, no reason to get one right away.

Would a powder measure be a good idea? I am looking at the RCBS uniflow powder measure. Is it a good one? Do I need the micrometer flow device? It comes with a standard cylinder, but also is available with a small cylinder.

A powder measure speeds things up when charging cases. Not an absolute necessity but its very good to have.

 

[Matt-man]

A good powder measure is definitely worth the money. When I started reloading I was trickling every charge into the scale. Forget that.

The main benefit to the micrometer-adjustable metering insert is that you can record the setting for a particular charge weight & powder, and easily go back to that setting later. If you are planning on adjusting the measure often for different loads, having the micrometer knocks a considerable amount off your setup time.

In addition to the RCBS Uniflow you might consider the Hornady Lock-n-Load measure. It's roughly the same price as the Uniflow, and the metering design is very similar. The metering inserts are easily swapped in and out so it's possible to have a preset metering insert for each load you use. Large and small micrometer inserts are also available - the small one is supposed to be good for charges 10 grains and smaller, so it should work well for handguns.

 

[P-32]

I would get the smaller "drum" for the Uniflow for now. I understand RCBS will send you the other size on request, could be wrong as I read it some where. (They used to come with both sizes/rods and always worth a try)

Like Jim Watson the only pistol cases I have ever trimmmed was a bag of mixmaster 357 brass many, many years ago. I do have the pilots to trim every cartridge I reload for however for my Forster trimmer, wither it be hand gun or rifle.

 

[WayneConrad]

Check out RCBS's 2006 catalog. They've come out with a very Hornady-like powder measure, complete with metering inserts and all.

I don't think it's shipping yet, but it might be worth waiting for.

 

[antsi]

-----quote---------------
If you know you're going to like reloading, I'd even recommend (Heresy.) the dillon 550 as a starter press. It's an excellent press. A bit more money that I wanted to spend when I first started out, but I wound up spending it anyway, as well as all the single stage crap that I got rid of when I graduated to semi-progressive. At least read up on the 550. It's the simplest to use semi-progressive I can think of, and I get 450 rounds an hour out of mine. http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillonfaqs.html
-------------------------

I would consider a Dillon 550b also. If you go this route, it has its own powder measuring device built in. Progressive presses are much easier for the kind of high-volume reloading that is typically needed by pistol shooters.

Dillon is a great company to do business with. They have replaced two items for me free of charge. In both cases the breakdown was my own fault and I told them so. Free replacement anyway.

As others have said, I doubt you will "need" a case trimmer for pistol rounds. I have been loading for some years and just now got a case trimmer because my .223 brass finally "grew" beyond spec. length. Even if you do eventually want a trimmer for your .357 mag, you certainly don't need it to start out with.

One thing to make sure of - be sure you have a super-stable bench to mount your press on. There is nothing worse than a jiggly reloading bench.