Equipment Recommendations

[RAM190Hog]

Hi, looking at starting to reload. I currently shoot .280AI, .308, and .30-06. Looking at possibly a .300 PRC in the next year or two.

I am wondering if the kits are the way to go, or if I should go to the "buy once", cry once" mentality and get "better" equipment. I have access to RCBS and Hornady discounts thru military discount programs, so prefer to stick with those companies if at all possible.

For those that have been doing this awhile, would you recommend any of the kits from these manufacturers? If not, why not and what would you recommend? For those relatively new, I'd appreciate any lessons learned in getting into reloading and acquiring the equipment.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[kjw]

Kits are ok and will get you going. Personally if I had to do it again I would piece it together. It may cost you more in the long run but if you keep your eye out for good used stuff and sales and your military discount, I would think you could get a sweet setup going.
Something to think about is how accurate do you want to get and how much time do you have to reload.When you piece it together with better tools your basically paying for accuracy and your time. Frankford Arsenal has a discount code right now for 20% off. Shotshow20 I have some of their tools and they are very well built

 

[SwampRocket]

I agree with kjw. The kits will get you going, but you will end replacing or upgrading everything besides the press. I bought bits and pieces my first go around and I'm glad I did.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’ve been happy with my rock chuckled supreme
Kit. I got some nicer calibers, a digital scale, a powder dispenser stand, powder trickler and a few other things, I honestly can’t imagine “growing out” of my set up.

 

[Myronman3]

see if you can find a handloading mentor in your area....who uses a dillon. go that route, and never look back.

 

[brisket]

I started with a cheapo lee kit. Everything has been replaced. I still use the original press to remove spent primers but everything else is done on different equipment.

Are you looking to duplicate factory ammo performance or competition grade ammo? As previously stated, how much time do you have and how much ammo do you want to load?

If your answers are lots of available time and duplicate factory ammo performance, buy an upper end kit and upgrade when you think you need to.

If the answer is little time available, but plenty of funding, and the need for lots of ammo, buy a dillon and find someone to teach you how to use it. (Because "lots of ammo" is vague, I'll tell you that I reload about 2500 rounds per year and do none of them on a progressive press)

If the answer is no time available, lots of funding, and low shot volume, hook up with a custom ammo shop and have them develop a load for you.

If you want competition grade ammo, and have the time, start with the best tools you can afford. It is probably more cost effective to build your own setup if you go this route. PM me if you want my detailed tooling list.

 

[PA Hunter]

I used a kit Rock Chucker for 25 years then finally bought the rcbs electronic powder thrower/scale and oh my what I was missing.

 

[Varminterror]

I have found myself helping many new reloaders get started over the years, whether though one-on-one coaching or the NRA Metallic Reloading course. Combining my own experience and that of many of my students, I recommend AGAINST reloading kits. Far too much of the gear is purely manual, and yields inconsistent results. A guy will outgrow most of the gear within 6mos, and find themself buying twice.

If you are shooting significant rifle volume to warrant reloading, you will absolutely want an electronic powder dispenser. Throwers work well enough for generic mid-quality blasting rifle ammo, and work fine for pistol ammo, but for proper rifle ammo, an electronic dispenser offers the speed and precision you’ll want and need. If you’re only doing some boutique hunting ammo, then a thrower, beam scale, and a hand trickler are ok. They’re cheap gear, and never bad to have, but admittedly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve used mine for rifle ammo. Just wasted money. Do NOT buy the Hornady AutoCharge dispenser. I have had 3 of them personally fail within 18mos each (one failed just out of warranty, I bought a new one, which failed within the 12mo warranty, they replaced it, which also failed within 18mos). Get the Chargemaster, CM Lite, or Matchmaster.

Hand turned trimmers and finger held deburr and chamfer tools are awful. Slow, inconsistent, and tediously painful for mich volume. The Giraud trimmer is the best, the Frankford Platinum is ok, but NOT equivalent. I use an RCBS ProTrim II with 3 way cutters for a lot of my loading, simply because it’s adaptable to any cartridge type. I use a Giraud for my hunting and precision rifle brass.

For a guy reloading rifle ammo, I would personally recommend a Lee Classic Turret in the cheap end, or a Forster Co-ax if you can afford a little more. The LCT lets you complete multiple functions - like sizing and expanding - without removing the brass from the press. Come out, trim, prime (the new Lee Auto bench prime is fast! Primal Rights and Bald Eagle are more precise, but far more expensive), and charge off of the press, come back to seat. LE Wilson dies and an Arbor press is the best option out there for bullet seating.

For case cleaning, jump out of the gate on the right foot - buy a wet tumbler. Dry vibratory cleaners are messy and slow, and only clean mechanically, not chemically. If you want polished brass, they’re great, but it won’t shoot better. Ultrasonics clean mechanically and chemically, but they take a lot of hand moving to change solutions. They’re faster than vibratory, but you’ll be working during the process more. Wet tumblers clean mechanically and and chemically, fast, and easy. Set it up, walk away, come back when it’s done. Stainless pins, chips, or just solution - it’s the cleanest brass can get, with the least amount of work, in the shortest amount of time.

Redding Type S bushing dies, Sinclair carbide mandrel expanders. Wilson chamber type seaters in an inexpensive arbor press are the best, but for on press seating, Redding or Hornady.

A dedicated universal decapping die is well worth having. You can set it up in an inexpensive single stage press, or simply have a turret head for your LCT, or pop it into your co-ax. I have mine set up in my 20+ year old Lee Anniversary O press (only part of that kit I still use), but it really just takes up room on the bench, and would cost more than a spare turret head for you to buy a new O press, even used, just for that.

If you are shooting a boatload of one of these, then a Dillon 650 or Hornady LNL Ammo Plant are the best options. Choose whether you want a dedicated press, or to change things back and forth. I tend to prefer dedicated presses for each of my high volume, non-precision loads. If you’re only shooting moderate volume, a progressive press isn’t of use. Cleaning and trimming interrupt your process, so you’ll never put a rifle case in a progressive press and execute all stations before removing. Deprime, clean, (anneal if you’re going to), lube with Hornady one shot so you don’t have to clean again after sizing, resize, expand, trim, prime, charge, seat. Twice it comes out of the press. It Is very fast to use a 650 to prime, charge, and seat, simply by using the auto feed set up, but you’re dispensing charges, not dropping/throwing, so you have to raise the press with enough room to pour in charges.

Enough rambling, I’m sure, but that’s some of the advice I would offer.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

whatd ur goal in mind with the kit?

Are trying to replicate factory ammo cheaper?

Shoot a bullet the market doesn’t provide?

if ur chasing single digit ES and sub 1/2 moa ten shot groups that’s one sort of reloading setup.

lf ur wanting to just get a lot of trigger time for cheap that’s another.

 

[Unknown Munitions]

Hi, looking at starting to reload. I currently shoot .280AI, .308, and .30-06. Looking at possibly a .300 PRC in the next year or two.

I am wondering if the kits are the way to go, or if I should go to the "buy once", cry once" mentality and get "better" equipment. I have access to RCBS and Hornady discounts thru military discount programs, so prefer to stick with those companies if at all possible.

For those that have been doing this awhile, would you recommend any of the kits from these manufacturers? If not, why not and what would you recommend? For those relatively new, I'd appreciate any lessons learned in getting into reloading and acquiring the equipment.

Many thanks in advance!

If you're ever up in North Idaho, stop by the shop and I can give you a run down of our process.