How much is too much $?

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Third_Rail

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So, for a basic reloading setup plus components to make 2-300 rounds, what would your limit be? Is $250 too much to spend, being that about $130 is components? (brass, more powder than I need, more primers than I need, etc.)
 
$250 sounds like a reasonable deal. Obviously it depends upon the quality of the tools, and upon the quality and quantity of the components included.

Figure roughly $100 for a quality press. $50 or more for a good scale. $25 for a loading manual. $25 for calipers. That's $200 right there, and that doeesn't count any of the sundry little tools and widgets that you always seem to need.

If you can get a whole set up for that price, and they throw in components on top, I'd say it's a worthwhile deal.
 
Kinda like asking how much is too much $$ for a vehicle. Sorta depends on usage. Is that 2-300 rounds for the rest of your life, a month, a year? For precision shooting or hunting or plinking?
 
Third Rail,
Check on ebay for used equipment. From experience, RCBS and Lyman will warranty for life their presses, dies, and manual case trimmers, whether you are the original purchaser or not. I would buy a used RCBS Rock Chucker press without worrying about it, they're pretty hard to break, even the older RC Swagers are hard to wear out.

A used Rockchucker or Orange Crusher kit can usually be purchased for 150-180 shipped.

Basic setup
-Loading manual
-Press w/priming arm
-Powder scale
-Case trimmer (w/pilot and shell holder)
---Trim dies are usually cheaper, but I don't like them
-Calipers
-Case lube
-Deburring tool
-Dies
-Shell holder
-Brass
-Bullets
-Primers
-Powder

$250 not bad
 
Not interested - I only really use rifles.

I use an RL550B to reload rifle, Dillon's aren't just for pistol.

Then again, if it is all you want to load, and only that many rounds a year, a single stage isn't a bad option.

But in terms of buying a minimal setup, that's never worked for me. I always end up getting a better setup, and the system I replace becomes an additional cost with less payback.

My single stage is limited to resizing and depriming now.

One point about rifle reloading: That's the setup where I ended up with Redding competition dies, power case trimmers, etc. You can spend $400 on just a good powder measure. (Extruded powders seem to offer some of the best loads in Rifle, and they measure poorly in a lot of powder measures.) Then you want both full length resizing dies, and neck sizing dies. Soon you consider turning the case necks, want tools to tell you where the rifling starts in your barrel, chronographs, etc. etc.

But for a basic setup for making hunting ammo, you might be choosing a good path.

Not trying to argue, just trying to answer the original question you posed. It seems you're looking for at cost as a primary factor, and your initial numbers seemed low.

Don't forget to add in a few reloading manuals...
 
Shhhh!

Not interested - I only really use rifles.

Don't tell the Dillon 550 on the right side of the bench below. It makes most, if not all of, my rifle rounds. :scrutiny:

bench2.gif
 
What I meant, and probably should've simply typed, is that I only use rifles and thus not too much.

I'm just going to be using a single stage, tumble one night, deprime/resize/reprime one night, powder and bullets the last night. Easy enough.


I only get to the range once every two or three months, and only go through so much ammo - my main ammo is 7.62x39mm, and I just use Wolf. The .303 brit and the 30-06 are my main things to worry about.


Thanks for all the answers, folks! :)
 
Sounds reasonable to me. Depending on what dies and shell holders come with it. It'd cost you more for an RCBS Beginner's kit with no dies or shell holder.
"...more than I need..." That's daft though. You'll always need more powder and primers. It does depend on what powder though. 100 pounds of IMR4227 isn't much use to you if you're loading .308's.
 
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