MCgunner is spot on.
I started loading 3 or 4 years ago now- started with a lee single stage, then got a few pro 1000s then ended up with a lee turret.
if i could do it all over again i'd get a lee turret to start out with. the tumbler is nice but not necessary right off the bat.
what you really need:
manual
press
dies
calipers
scale
powder thrower
priming system
optional but nice:
bullet puller
tumbler (try to get this when you can)
you dont need to trim anything if your shooting straight pistol cartridges.
104.99 for press, powder thrower, safety scale (works okay but isn't great-) and some trimming gear
calipers for 19.99
bullet puller for 13 bucks
tumbler for 55
dies for 33
manual for 14
so your looking at 105+20+13+55+33+14 for a total of 240 before shipping, lets call it 255 to be safe.
now you need bullets, primers, and powder
I cast a lot of my pistol bullets, but I still get lazy. I just ordered a pile o bullets from Stone Wall Bullet Co. They post on marlin forums and don't have a website. easy guys to work with. I think they want 38 bucks per k in 158gr LSWC. 2k per box shipped for 9 bucks. lets say you only buy one k
38+9 =47
primers will run you about 25 per k locally (last time I bought em I bought 20k at 15.50 per k)
so 25?
powder- unique will be about 17 bucks a lb? that's probably a bit high. either way you won't use a whole lb for a 1000 38spl.
so assuming 4.0 gr unique (a mid range load in 38spl, not +p) you'll use about 9.50 worth of that powder
so now
47+9.50=+25= 81.50 in components for your first 1k of reloads, without really price shopping.
so 255+81.50= 336.50 for your first 1k of reloads.
158gr LRN shipped from Ammoman.com goes for 239 per k.
so your first K your paying more-5 dollars per box than buying it.
however after that your equipment is totally paid for- and your next 1k of rounds costs 1/3 of factory. adding new calibers is just the cost of dies with the turret- cause if your buying lee dies they include the shell holder. so about 33-35 dollars per new caliber.
sorry for the thread hijack- but seeing as how the OP drifted it, i think its okay
start buying bullets in big lots will get costs down, same with primers. you'll start buying powder in 8lb kegs to get the cost of that down. if you start casting? forget about it. another 100-120 in initial set up and your cost of bullets will drop to about 6 bucks per K. thats not a typo- 6 dollars per 1000 bullets.
thats counting lube, cost of lead, this that and the other.
I shoot 230gr 45acp loads that I cast for 33.62 cents per 1000 rounds. I don't pay myself for my time, because I don't pay myself for any time i'm not at work (or in my case at school) so I don't know why people bring that up- unless your skipping work to reload?