i have never reloaded! i need a starter kit! help!!!

[huntinfool87]

I want to start reloading ammo I have never done it before I would like some advice on starter kits. I would like to keep it around $500 if possible at least to get me started. Any advice would be great!

Right now I'm looking to reload my hunting and my long range target rifle.

 

[Milamber]

I just started reloading too. Frustrated by the lack of consumables available though. Looking forward to some of the replies on this

 

[huntinfool87]

Good we will get started together lol. If its any help at all watch the video on YouTube called sniper 101 part 47 it might not help your particular needs but it is very informing about reloading and equipment.

 

[splattergun]

Read this first!
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238214
It will give you lots of information about choosing startup equipment.
For $500 bucks, you can start out well equipped, but be sure to factor in your components! Nothing worse than buying all your tools and not having money left for powder, primers and projectiles.
Top on the list of tools, manuals. Read and learn.
If you plan on starting out on just rifles, a single stage or turret press would serve you well with precision loads. Progressives are more suited to high volume loading, like a few hundred rounds per hour for pistols.

 

[savanahsdad]

I started with a lee kit 16 years ago and still have most of it, and used just that kit and only that kit to load 44mag and 270win for almost 5 years before adding more cals and more equipment and lots of books , so for your $500 starting point a lee kit a good caliper , a 2nd scale , , dies , bullet puller , and some ammo boxes , you should be set and have some cash left over for primers, brass and bullets

 

[Ks5shooter]

All ya need to start except the dies and shellholders. link...... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/937051/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-master-single-stage-press-kit 325 bucks. This is what I started with 30 yrs ago.Still going.Although it wasnt the supreme, just the master reloading kit back then.

 

[Tony k]

Welcome to the club! I've been reloading for about a year now so I am by no means an expert. I reload for .45 Auto, 270 win, 38/357, .223, and I'm about to try 7.62x54r.

The first thing I bought was an RCBS Rockchucker supreme master reloader kit. Pretty quickly I decided I needed a case trimmer, a tumbler, and more reloading manuals, and a primer pocket cleaner

I think most starter kits from hornady, lee, RCBS ect. are all pretty good. DOn't waste your money on a cheap setup. My brother bought a Smart reloader kit for like $140. He ended up buying an Rockchucker and a RCBS scale a few months later.

I think gearing up for reloading is a lot like gearing up for fishing. By way of analogy, there are a few things that you absolutely must have to go fishing (fishing pole, string, hook, bait), then there are a thousand wingdings and doodads you can buy to catch more fish, or otherwise make the fishing experience more enjoyable or easier. Reloading is a lot like that. Basically, you need a press, dies, a scale, calipers, plus brass, bullets, primers, and powders. What you need beyond that is up to your personal preference and what you are trying to achieve by reloading.

I suggest getting a starter kit from hornady or rcbs, and as many reloading manuals as you can afford. Read all the manuals BEFORE you do any thing else. Try loading a few rounds and see how it goes. Once you have the basic concept down, you'll have a better idea of the other equipment you want.

Again, keep in mind that I'm pretty new to reloading too.

have fun!

 

[Gadawg88]

Lee Classic Turret press kit. IMHO can't beat the value. If you even own a handgun, which I'm beating you do, you will want to load for that too soon enough. WARNING!!! Reloading is addictive. Will work well for your rifle rounds and will give you flexibility to do higher volume work for handgun rounds or plinking rifle ammo ie fun with an AR or such. Comes with the Lee loading book which is fine, but you will want at least one other such as Lyman 49th etc. Will need calipers, dies and case gauges for each rifle caliber. $500 is about right to get started with the above and some components (bullets, powder, primers and brass). This forum is a great resource. There are some really great people here with encyclopedic knowledge of all things reloading. I myself am a relative noob. I started reloading this time last year. I settled on the Lee ctp after a good bit of research and I have not regretted it yet. I started with 45 acp then 38 sp/357 mag then moved on to 9 mm then .223 then 30 30 win. Next on the list is 7.62x39 if I can ever get my hands on any bullets. I asked a fair bit of questions here and always got good answers. much of what you will need to know can be found by searching prior threads, but don't be afraid to ask. Good luck to you.

 

[grubbylabs]

I am nor a complete Lee hater, I do have several things from them including molds sizing dies and other casting tools, equipment. I just had two factory crimp dies delivered to day.
They do make some fine stuff. And here is the but, I think you will probably wind up replacing quite a bit of stuff in their kit. Powder measure, scale and a few other items are common to replace.

I am a big fan of Hornady and RCBS I think both companies make some fine stuff, I would give a slight edge to the RCBS kit since the last time I looked at one it came with a beam scale. It's real hard for a beam scale to go bad when it is built well.

If you think you might like the Lee turret press so you can produce hand gun ammo at some point, and not go crazy swapping dies. Then get just the press and buy all the other stuff you need from Hornady or RCBS.

As far as books go, I would get a book by whoever's rifle bullets you think you are going to use, and then pick up a book like the latest Lyman book.

If you buy a RCBS kit it will come with a Speer Book, and obviously if you buy a Hornady kit, it will come with a Hornady book.

 

[TennJed]

Lee classic turret

 

[mljdeckard]

$500 should make you comfortable. I have probably spent that much total in gear, but it took me a while. The kits are fine, just realize there may be a few odds and ends and extras you want in addition to it.

I am currently running a single-stage, a Lee Classic Turret will probably be my next step.

 

[noylj]

Any kits are acceptable. Some are addicted to a particular color. I am addicted to what works.
Do you really want a kit, where you will be replacing things you don't like, or would you like recommendations on specific items to purchase?
Read "ABCs of Reloading" and a manual or two and get some idea of what YOU want (also, whats is really NEEDED) . All people have different wants and needs.
I would go with a single-stage press with die bushings so die changes are easy. Get enough die bushings for all your dies.
I would get the Lee Challenger press or the Forster Co-Ax (in reverse order of preference). I see no advantage to a turret and would get a progressive before I went that route. The Lee will load ammunition just as accurate, but the Forster is just a GREAT design (but more money). There is nothing that another single-stage press can do any better than Lee, unless you are into swaging bullets on the press.
I like the Lee Perfect Powder Measure and the Safety Scale, but they are not for everyone. Thus, I would get a bench-mount powder measure (if you want a measure)--either Hornady or Lyman or RCBS and a Lyman micro-touch 1500 digital scale. You may want a beam balance -- RCBS 5-10 or 10-10. If you decide that you can't live with a weight variation of +/- 0.1gn, don't get a powder measure at all. Buy a trickler and weigh all your charges. Unless you are in need of speed, trickling is a good way to go. If you need speed, then get a progressive.
For bottleneck cases, that grow as your shoot them, you will need a case trimmer. Since you appear to be into long-range target shooting, you will want a good trimmer that can also outside neck turn. So I would look at the Forster Original case trimmer and any 6" dial caliper. Get the trimmer parts you NEED and add as you desire.
I see no on-target benefit to playing with primer pockets, so have no recommendations for that sort of stuff.
Primer seating can be done on the press, with a bench-mounted unit, or by hand. I see no benefit to not seating on the press, but some do. The press should come with the priming parts.
IF you are shooting bolt-action and believe that neck sizing will improve things, buy both a full-length sizing die and neck sizing die.
Cleaning cases has become an obsession with many. I would get a tumbler and 20/40 corn grit, but all you NEED to do is wipe off the case exterior.
Misc. parts would be case lube, chamfer tool, and, if you are into it, a primer pocket cleaner.
Thus, you can get a Lee Challenger kit, but I would get the individual parts that I want.
For example:
Frankford Arsenal Case Lube 8 oz Pump $10.99
Frankford Arsenal Dial Caliper 6" Stainless Steel $25.99
Lee Breech Lock Quick Change Bushings Package of 2 $7.99 order three for $23.97
Lee Deluxe 3-Die Set 223 Remington (for example) $22.71
Forster Chamfer and Deburring Tool $17.49
Forster Original Case Trimmer Kit $99.99
Lyman Powder Trickler $12.29
Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press $67.99
Lyman Micro-Touch Electronic Powder Scale 1500 Grain Capacity 110 Volt $58.99

 

[HisStigness]

If you go with the Lee classic turret kit you can get a very well made very quick operating press for under $200. You get a quality press that is capable of loading much faster than a single stage with $100+ savings over the RCBS rock chucker. The only things I would buy in addition to the set would be a set of calipers and a bullet puller (you might consider a digital scale too). If you go the Lee route, you can get all set up and still have $200 to spend on dies and components.

 

[gahunter12]

First get yourself a couple of manuals to read. I would start with "The ABC's of Reloading", and Lyman's 49th manual. READ them, then READ them again. After reading a lot of your questions will be answered, and you will have a better understanding about reloading, and what you need.

I will give another vote to the Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0078MWM2W. It's $319 + Free shipping here. Lee presses are good presses, but I personally don't think they compare. If you get a chance to operate a Lee, and RCBS Rock Chucker side by side, you will fill the difference. The RCBS is a better built press. Also the powder measure, and scales are better in the RCBS kit.

 

[7mmb]

Get the RCBS master reloading kit and the dies and shell holders you need. Done and ready to go. A Frankford Aresenal tumbler and media separator are nice inexpensive additions too.

 

[plmitch]

I've never seen a pre-made kit worth buying. Put a setup together, buy good stuff from different companies. All have good stuff, all have junk. A good setup to start-under $300.00 save the rest for powder, primers and lead, also a good manual.

 

[huntinfool87]

Thank you everyone I still have not made up my mind but now I know where to look. My first step will be to go buy a manual or two and to read them. Im probably going to be favoring Hornady just because their factory is about an hour away.

 

[HexHead]

Get the RCBS Supreme starter kit. You'll add to it, but won't necessarily need to replace the stuff it comes with, unlike the cheap crap in a Lee kit. Lee has a niche in the market, people on a tight budget. If you said your budget was $300, then I'd agree, get a Lee kit. But at $500, you can afford quality.

With the RCBS kit, you'll basically just need to add calipers, dies and consumables. A trimmer if doing rifle loads. A bullet puller and tumbler are handy, as are case gauges, though you can do the "plunk test" with your barrel.

 

[HexHead]

If you get the Hornady kit, just get a better scale. The cheap electronic one that comes with it may display 1/10 grain, but it's resolution is only 2/10. That's fine for rifle loads, but with pistol loads where the difference between min:max loads is only 5/10, I prefer a little more accuracy.

 

[leefan]

After spending whatever you spend, and making a few hundred rounds, it may occur to you how long it will take you just to break even on the sunk costs (you may never). Therefore it is essential to buy at the outset what you will find out later you really wanted/needed. I think that is why several posters have suggested a turret press. Buy a single stage now, and you will probably buy a turret later. Buy three die pistol sets now, and you will probably add crimping dies later. Buy the wrong reloading manual now, and you will probably buy the best one later. Buy a cheap scale now, and you will buy a better one later. It all adds up to never breaking even.

 

[gahunter12]

There you go! a shooting buddy of mine started on the Hornady LnL single stage kit. He now has a Dillon RL550b, but still uses his Hornady single stage for his rifle loads. I helped him set his reloading room up, and was also impressed with the Hornady kit. The ONLY thing he upgraded was the scales. The Hornady battery powered scales were not very reliable. He upgraded to the RCBS Chargemaster 1500, and a Dillon beam scale.

Start reading, and have fun! Welcome to the disorder called reloading! We do have classes to help you once you get sucked in!

 

[gahunter12]

After spending whatever you spend, and making a few hundred rounds, it may occur to you how long it will take you just to break even on the sunk costs (you may never). Therefore it is essential to buy at the outset what you will find out later you really wanted/needed. I think that is why several posters have suggested a turret press. Buy a single stage now, and you will probably buy a turret later. Buy three die pistol sets now, and you will probably add crimping dies later. Buy the wrong reloading manual now, and you will probably buy the best one later. Buy a cheap scale now, and you will buy a better one later. It all adds up to never breaking even

How so? He stated he would be starting on his hunting, and long range target rifle loads. A single stage press is far better for loading hunting, and bench rest loads. As for never recouping the money.... I have 2 RL550b's, and 2 Rock Chuckers single stage presses. Add to that a RCBS Charge Master 1500 at each single stage press, Dillon Beam scales at each RL550b, 3 tumblers, Dies for 8 calibers, and all the other needed tools. Just 2013 alone I saved $6500 over the cost of buying factory ammo. There again I load 15-20k rounds of pistol ammo per year, and 4-5k rounds of .223. This is not counting the money saved on my hunting rounds.

 

[Potatohead]

Im new and am digging the Lee Classic Turret. If I can figure it out Im pretty sure you can





Nobody has mentioned manuals yet? Those can help and theyre fun to read...


Nothing to color though

 

[jrdolall]

I started less than a year ago.

The first thing you should do is skim over all the advice here except for one piece and that is to get a manual. Read the manual and it will answer so many of the questions you already have. As you can tell from the few posts here the Lee Turret is great and it sucks so don't waste your money. Hornady is great and is terrible. RCBS is awesome but sucks. Same for Dillon.

Spend a couple of evenings reading the reloading manual so you understand the things you WILL need as well as some of the things you MIGHT need or want later on. I like the comparison to fishing that was used earlier and the same can be said for hunting supplies. You really don't NEED a lot of the stuff used for deer hunting but you tend to accumulate it over the years.

I have less than $500 in my reloading equipment(not counting consumables) but I am still in the infancy of the hobby. I reload a total of 3 calibers now and don't have a permanent "bench" as I like to set it all up in the house and do a few rounds when I feel like it. I doubt I will ever break even in the hobby but, for me, it's a hobby. Not a profession or a way to save tons of cash.

 

[Reloadron]

A few years ago my brother wanted to get started in hand loading. I gave him the RCBS kit for Christmas 2012. Could have just as easily been any one of a number of other kits out there. Each has some good and not so good features packed in them.

I also agree with plmitch to some extent where he mentions:

I've never seen a pre-made kit worth buying. Put a setup together, buy good stuff from different companies. All have good stuff, all have junk. A good setup to start-under $300.00 save the rest for powder, primers and lead, also a good manual.

The reason I went with a ready made kit for my brother was it made my life easier. Rather than shopping for each part of the system a simple point and click with Cabela's got me the kit. Why RCBS? Simply most (not all) of my gear is RCBS and I have a Rock Chucker. This would make answering my brother's questions easier. I knew there would be calls and questions. I suggested a few more items for him to get like a caliper, case trimmer and misc stuff not in the starter kits.

So all in all if you want to create an individual list of things and go À la carte it really is a good way to go. If you want simple and quick then a kit isn't a bad option to take. Just remember with even the most complete kit you will need to add a few things.

Ron