Beginner in Reloading - What to purchase?

[Bluefish]

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.

This pretty well sums it up. I will add, I prime on my press for rifle loads even though I have a hand primer. So you don’t need a primer system right away. You also need some way to apply case lube. I like the pad style lube, but a lot use the spray style. I also use a cheap plastic Lee powder thrower (not the dial one). It just works. I have nicer more expensive rcbs, but use the Lee one more.

For trimmers I use the Lee cheap ones. I think they are $7 for the cutter and a little more for the mandrel. They are also handy for wildcats as they are mild steel and can be easily turned on a lathe to adjust length. It’s also nice to throw one in each die box so all the pertinent equipment is on one place.

I used cheap presses (Lee and rcbs) for a lot of years and recently upgraded to a bigger Redding press. It is nice as it gives more leverage, but it doesn’t make any better ammo. I also have a couple progressive presses for pistol and shotshell. Definitely worth it to have progressive in those applications (high volume and straight wall).

You can pay for an inexpensive loading setup within a few boxes of ammo.

 

[Bluefish]

Never use a beam scale or a tumbler. Waste of money.

Really? All I use is a beam scale and a tumbler for brass cleaning, both post range and for lube cleanup. Imho the cheap electronic scales I have used are junk. Yes good electronic ones work well, but they are not cheap. A good beam never needs batteries and if kept clean, nothing to break or go out of adjustment.

 

[270-300]

This pretty well sums it up. I will add, I prime on my press for rifle loads even though I have a hand primer. So you don’t need a primer system right away. You also need some way to apply case lube. I like the pad style lube, but a lot use the spray style. I also use a cheap plastic Lee powder thrower (not the dial one). It just works. I have nicer more expensive rcbs, but use the Lee one more.

For trimmers I use the Lee cheap ones. I think they are $7 for the cutter and a little more for the mandrel. They are also handy for wildcats as they are mild steel and can be easily turned on a lathe to adjust length. It’s also nice to throw one in each die box so all the pertinent equipment is on one place.

I used cheap presses (Lee and rcbs) for a lot of years and recently upgraded to a bigger Redding press. It is nice as it gives more leverage, but it doesn’t make any better ammo. I also have a couple progressive presses for pistol and shotshell. Definitely worth it to have progressive in those applications (high volume and straight wall).

You can pay for an inexpensive loading setup within a few boxes of ammo.

My hornady press came with an arm that goes in the ram to prime. Its as slow as a tick. Spending the $100 for the rcbs benchtop primer was well worth it once i was a couple years in.

I use dillon spray lube. Its lanolin and rubbing alcohol. I just throw the brass in a plastic bin and spray it down.

I also like the lee trimmers. I put them in my rcbs power station, have the reamers on the other spinners, and out the chuck in a golf ball for a handle.

 

[gerry35]

I was one that bought a RCBS kit in about 1990 and still use pretty much everything it came with. Redding makes a good kit too. You can upgrade a few things as you go along like the scale.

 

[Bluefish]

My hornady press came with an arm that goes in the ram to prime. Its as slow as a tick. Spending the $100 for the rcbs benchtop primer was well worth it once i was a couple years in.

Don’t disagree that press priming is slow, but when doing short runs ie 20-50 rifle rounds, that few min isn’t material. If doing lots of 223 or something else high volume, then yes it’s worth getting a priming station or a progressive press. Also a high volume trimmer.

If talking high volume, ie 100+ a week, then there are places to spend money to make reloading easier, but that’s not the question that was asked.

 

[S.Clancy]

I've primed 200 brass straight with a press. It's not that hard/bad

 

[270-300]

Don’t disagree that press priming is slow, but when doing short runs ie 20-50 rifle rounds, that few min isn’t material. If doing lots of 223 or something else high volume, then yes it’s worth getting a priming station or a progressive press. Also a high volume trimmer.

If talking high volume, ie 100+ a week, then there are places to spend money to make reloading easier, but that’s not the question that was asked.

Yes thats why i stated once i was a few years into it. In 2019 i would often load 500 or 600 rounds of 223 in an afternoon.

I no longer shoot 223


Now i do 20-40 rifle crartridges every few months.

 

[Jamie930]

I started reloading on a Lee Classic cast single stage. The press is a beast and will reloading anything I will ever shot including 50 BMG.

I will say get Hornady lock and load or Lee breach lock if you plan to reload more than 1 caliber.
That way you dies are setup once and you never have to mess with them again

 

[270-300]

I started reloading on a Lee Classic cast single stage. The press is a beast and will reloading anything I will ever shot including 50 BMG.

I will say get Hornady lock and load or Lee breach lock if you plan to reload more than 1 caliber.
That way you dies are setup once and you never have to mess with them again

Ive heen using the lock n load for a decade. Its excellent. I only paid about $100 new for mine on sale. I wouldnt pay a lot for any loading press.

 

[9487329]

RCBS or Lee single stage press. RCBS FL sizing and seating dies. RCBS electronic powder dispenser. RCBS Hand priming tool.

 

[9487329]

Why does it seem like everyone is allergic to recommending only the basics to someone starting out? Why all the extra stuff that’s just for fun?

 

[270-300]

Why does it seem like everyone is allergic to recommending only the basics to someone starting out? Why all the extra stuff that’s just for fun?

Read my post. I recommended exactly the basics and advised not over spending.

 

[9487329]

Read my post. I recommended exactly the basics and advised not over spending.

I’ll admit I read the first page and then skipped to the end

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Take your initial budget, multiply it by 10, and you still won’t have enough to do it right the first time.

 

[Bluefish]

Take your initial budget, multiply it by 10, and you still won’t have enough to do it right the first time.

I bet I can do a full setup under $500, I assume you have calipers already, if not, $20 at harbor freight.
Prices from midway usa
Press-Lee 87, Franklin arsenal 147
Powder thrower-lee $25, yes you can spend a lot here, but this is the one that lives on my bench.
Trim die one caliber Lee $7 for cutter, $7 length gauge, total $14
Lube-spray $18, pad $13+$7 total $20
Tumbler and separator-$111
Scale-Redding #2 $139
Dies-Hornady $58

Total low $341, no tumbler and a decent Lee press.
Total high $514, with tumbler and separator, basically the setup I use now. Just missed the $500 mark as most of the stuff has increased since I bought mine.

No need for a load manual to start if cash is tight. All the data in online now. With that said I own many manuals and just bought the new Hornady one.

 

[270-300]

I bet I can do a full setup under $500, I assume you have calipers already, if not, $20 at harbor freight.
Prices from midway usa
Press-Lee 87, Franklin arsenal 147
Powder thrower-lee $25, yes you can spend a lot here, but this is the one that lives on my bench.
Trim die one caliber Lee $7 for cutter, $7 length gauge, total $14
Lube-spray $18, pad $13+$7 total $20
Tumbler and separator-$111
Scale-Redding #2 $139
Dies-Hornady $58

Total low $341, no tumbler and a decent Lee press.
Total high $514, with tumbler and separator, basically the setup I use now. Just missed the $500 mark as most of the stuff has increased since I bought mine.

No need for a load manual to start if cash is tight. All the data in online now. With that said I own many manuals and just bought the new Hornady one.

Scales dies and tumbler can all be had for far less than you list, so you could be about 250.

The real cost for me is when it comes to finding brass. I always recommend people buy a couple cases of ammunition with the money instead of starting handloading, and then think about handloading when they have 500 empty cases.

Ebay is full of used dies for sub $30.

Midway has a nice berrys brass cleaner for $60.

My hornady digital scale works well for much less.
I mostly use my rcbs balance beam, it is way faster to dump powder in and see if it hits the line or not vs watching a digital display waiting to read it to see if it matches. Balance beams dont cost much.

The fine crushed walnut shell thats a 25 lb box at harbor freight for under $30 is incredible stuff. A bit of nu finish car polish and brass is perfect.

 

[Bluefish]

Scales dies and tumbler can all be had for far less than you list, so you could be about 250.

The real cost for me is when it comes to finding brass. I always recommend people buy a couple cases of ammunition with the money instead of starting handloading, and then think about handloading when they have 500 empty cases.

Ebay is full of used dies for sub $30.

Midway has a nice berrys brass cleaner for $60.

My hornady digital scale works well for much less.
I mostly use my rcbs balance beam, it is way faster to dump powder in and see if it hits the line or not vs watching a digital display waiting to read it to see if it matches. Balance beams dont cost much.

The fine crushed walnut shell thats a 25 lb box at harbor freight for under $30 is incredible stuff. A bit of nu finish car polish and brass is perfect.

Yeah, I just did a quick search to pull prices I could get easily. You can for sure do it for less with used and shopping for deals. Like the scale, I picked the one I use, not the cheapest, but I have used it for 20 years with no issues. I tried the Hornady $40 electric scale during COVID and it’s absolute crap. The zero drifts so fast you can barely get one reading done. I used to have a high grade lab scale they tossed at work and sold it off to a buddy who needed it for building engines, regret that a lot.

Btw the cheapest media is bird litter from a pet store. I use the walnut for cleaning brass after lube.

 

[270-300]

Yeah, I just did a quick search to pull prices I could get easily. You can for sure do it for less with used and shopping for deals. Like the scale, I picked the one I use, not the cheapest, but I have used it for 20 years with no issues. I tried the Hornady $40 electric scale during COVID and it’s absolute crap. The zero drifts so fast you can barely get one reading done. I used to have a high grade lab scale they tossed at work and sold it off to a buddy who needed it for building engines, regret that a lot.

Btw the cheapest media is bird litter from a pet store. I use the walnut for cleaning brass after lube.

The hornady scale does not like cell phones. Put your cell phone on air plane mode and the drifting stops. Try it, you will be amazed.

 

[nm.otter]

I tried the Hornady $40 electric scale during COVID and it’s absolute crap. The zero drifts so fast you can barely get one reading done.

The G3-1500 (currently ~$60) might be a reason to avoid the Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic kit.

The Iron Press Kit comes with their M2 scale, which has held calibration well here.

 

[streamerfish]

What you need....

A press

A priming tool of some kind ( on press, off press, something)

A die set (full length resize and bullet seating)

Some kind of scale to weigh powder charge ( I like beam, but beam, digital, whatever)

Some kind of way to dispense the powder (Powder drop like a RCBS uniflow, Lee dipper set, electronic powder dispenser/scale combo....something)

Calipers

Case Tray

Funnel

Case sizing lube of some kind

Probably a bullet puller of some kind as mistakes are going to be made.


I may be a bit against the grain on this. But I think a starter kit of some kind is fine. Sure, alot of people upgrade stuff. But that's a want, not a need.