Beginner in Reloading - What to purchase?

[Rancheria]

I’m completely new to reloading and looking for advice on what equipment I should buy to get started.

I want to emphasize that I’m a true beginner and not interested in high-volume production or maximizing efficiency right now I just want a solid, good-value setup that will let me learn the process properly and grow my skills over time.

What would you recommend as a simple, reliable starter setup, and are beginner kits worth it or better to buy pieces individually?

 

[V00D00]

imo, dont buy a kit. buy what you need as you need it. everything i ever bought that came in a kit eventually got replaced by a higher quality piece minus the actual press. any single stage press will do, red, green, orange..doesnt matter. buy quality dies.

 

[Rancheria]

imo, dont buy a kit. buy what you need as you need it. everything i ever bought that came in a kit eventually got replaced by a higher quality piece minus the actual press. any single stage press will do, red, green, orange..doesnt matter. buy quality dies.

Thank you i appreciate the advice. It can be an intimidating thing to get into

 

[Luked]

imo, dont buy a kit. buy what you need as you need it. everything i ever bought that came in a kit eventually got replaced by a higher quality piece minus the actual press. any single stage press will do, red, green, orange..doesnt matter. buy quality dies.

100% agree
I had a kit when I started on my first time around. Like said above you will end up upgrading at some point to better stuff.
The kits will do a good job of getting you started though.
When I got back into it hard a few years ago I knew what I needed and just bought exactly what I needed.
Now I have a very nice set up that I enjoy to use.
I use mostly all Hornaday Dies and have had good luck with them. But there are better high end options out there like Redding. I do have a few of those as well and they work good also.

Something else to think about is components.
When I started up again i looked at each caliber I wanted to reload for. Now I also load for a few pistols as well.
But for Rifle powders I took a look at the calibers I had rifle wise and tried to stick to 3 powders that would cover all my bases with those calibers.
I think it helps doing this to start out with.
As you get better you will want to experiment. Weather that is to try a different bullet or want to get higher velocity or what ever. By that time you have a good understanding of what to do and can start to experiment some with other powders.

Also dont get into it thinking that it will save you money

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I started with the rcbs partner, rcbs full length dies, lee powder scoops, powder funnel and a Lyman case length gauge. That's about the bare minimum you can possibly go with. Once your brass gets too long you'll have to add a trimmer and changer/deburring tool.

Edit to add case lube

 

[Jpsmith1]

Get a manual. Get a couple. Get them before you even start buying tools. This helps you to understand the process better.

Make a space. Bigger than you think you need. Get a bench. A SOLID bench. A bench you can park a truck on and feel comfortable working under it.

As far as tools, A decent O Frame or Turret style press. Dies in whatever caliber ya loading. Appropriate bullets, powder and primers (refer back to that manual) a pair of calipers and a scale in grains. A powder thrower is super handy as is a funnel. A priming tool if the press doesn't have that feature and even if it does, a priming tool is a great addition.

I do tend to recommend kits. There's stuff you may not use but you will have everything you need aside from caliber specific tools and consumables.

I bought an RCBS kit years ago and it's still making ammo.

 

[RME]

Thank you i appreciate the advice. It can be an intimidating thing to get into

Like a lot of people, I started with the bare basics, "upgraded" to a whole bunch of unnecessary crap and complication, then came around full circle back to a simple process again

 

[ColPenguin]

Get a couple manuals first, and read them.

Of the three I have read. The Lyman was a good one, someone on here recommended. Lee Modern Reloading is a good one.

For my dollar, the Hornady manual is a skip. No useful information other than the load data, which I can already purchase in their app.

 

[Steve300xcw]

For just a bare bones get things rolling kinda thing.

Snag a press/dies. Priming tool, scale, funnel, can of OneShot. Powder measure is sure nice to have, but not necessary

 

[Chase4566]

I agree with don’t get a kit. I’m helping my buddy get started right now. Can’t post the note I have, but will give screen shots. This list isn’t all inclusive, but covers a lot of the small stuff. Might be some things I missed. But for the most part would get you started with the basics and not diving off into the weeds from the start line.

I suggest grabbing the Lyman and Lee load manuals. Mainly for the good reading in the front. You should be able to have a basic conversation about loading before you start. That literature will get you to that point. Sierra, Speer, Hodgdon, Hornady, Nosler and others all have load data online or on their respective apps. So between your two paper manuals, and what’s available online or through an app, you should be covered in load data.

I started out with a Lee Breechlock press. It turned out ammunition that was more accurate than I am and did the job just fine. I recently scored a RCBS rockchucker off FB marketplace for $100, so I’m handing that Lee press off to my buddy. So now I have the rockchucker and a Dillon 650. Yes the rockchucker is nicer, but that $80 Lee press will get you going. So IMO, don’t be afraid of buying a cheaper press. I have an RCBS pardner as my mobile press for loading at the range, and it does just fine too. Not sure how they compare to the Lee on prices. For sure start with a single stage though.

Here are those screen shots. You can head to midwayusa and search for them and find what you want, make a list, and then venture out to find the best prices on things. Sometimes you can find good deals on Facebook marketplace that will give you quite a bit of what you need.

 

[270-300]

You need a SINGLE stage press
Priming system
Dies and shell holders
Calipers
Bullet puller
Scale
Vibratory brass cleaner with media
Powder thrower
If loading bottle necked cases you need a brass trimmer and reamers.

Those are all requirements.

Dont waste money on a progressive or turret press they are a waste of precision.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Puller does come in handy.

A trimmer and a tumbler are a long ways away from being a requirement

 

[nm.otter]

I would also consider a headspace comparator (not usually included in kits).

One more plug for the Hornady Iron Press Kit. Can be had for close to $500 if you're patient, and a step up from entry level stuff on both press and accessories. Throw in 600 free bullets plus five HIT target indicators if you buy one with a die and it looks pretty good. I actually prefer the Hornady Custom Grade dies to their RCBS equivalent.

 

[eric1115]

I got the Hornady single stage kit several years ago.

I still use the loading manual, press, powder thrower, chamfer/deburr tool and loading block happily.

I still use but am planning to upgrade the trickler. No big deal, it works fine but is not "nice" to use.

I have replaced the scale and got a Frankford Arsenal priming tool, and I think those are fairly necessary upgrades (the included Hornady ones suck).

You'll need dies and a good caliper.

You'll want (not included in the kit)
-trimmer (lee works fine and is cheap. If you're doing lots of trimming, like high volume .223 a better one is nice. If you're loading CM, AI, etc cases that don't need frequent trimming don't spend a ton of money here)
-Get a stuck case remover before it's a Sunday evening and you stick one (a 1/4-20 tap and a bolt with some washers works fine)
-bullet puller. The cheap kinetic ones that look like a hammer work fine.
-tumbler (maybe... brass from a suppressed AR gets super dirty but brass from my bolt guns just get a quick wipe down). I wet tumble but never use the pins anymore. Clean enough is clean enough and I never found a very efficient way to ensure they were all out of all my cases.

I have a Hornady comparator gauge kit but don't actually use it very often anymore. I've gotten less and less caught up in trying to tune seating depth. I pick one that makes sense for mag length and is not in the lands and don't mess with it.

On components/techniques/etc - Biggest thing that I've done in the last few years is to find a powder that meters well for my higher volume stuff. I weigh about 1 in 5 or 1 in 10 charges when I'm loading .223 or 6mm ARC with TAC or Staball Match, but consistent operation of the thrower gets me charges that are +/- 0.1 gr and I can load in a quarter of the time if I'm not weighing/trickling every charge. I'll sometimes do 100 where I weigh every charge, and set them aside for longer range practice. My cartridges that use something like H1000 that I have to throw short and trickle up are much slower to load (but tend to be lower volume shooters so it's not a huge deal).

Cartridges where I use the same bullet all the time don't benefit at all from a micrometer style seater. Standard seating die works perfectly well.

Cartridges that I have multiple loads for with different bullets benefit significantly being able to write down different settings on a mic seater die.

Full length size. Don't mess with neck sizing only. Don't load too close to the lands. Don't chase nodes. Velocity nodes and accuracy nodes based on powder charge or seating depth are mostly a myth. Don't be cavalier with pressure signs. It gets complicated when you start getting close to the guard rails. If you stay in the middle of the road it's way simpler than most people think.

 

[AKM]

Easiest loading is with straight wall case cartridges. Most forgiving as well.

Find a mentor, someone you can go watch, ask questions, can watch your process. It is a process and can be a very dangerous one if you are sloppy or not attentive to details.

 

[Luked]

Something else that I just thought of that is a very good addition. You wont use it a lot, but when you do it is a valuable tool
A Stuck Case Remover kit.
Stick a case in a Sizing die for whatever reason and your in a bad spot with out a removal kit.