Looking to get into reloading soon. I'm not looking to develop loads for long range competition shooting really. But I have a few hunting calibers that the commercial market is really underwhelming with, ie. 7x57 and 257 Roberts. Obviously, there's good bullet selection in 257 and 284 so I'd like to be able to roll my own. I don't have delusions of saving money or anything and I also own 4 more calibers.

Anyways, should I look into one of the kits (Lee, RCB)? I have a really good local classifieds and there's good used equipment on there.

Beyond the basics (press, dies, scale, trimmer) are there other pieces you recommend for low volume output (100 rounds a year)? Manufacturers you like better than others?

Might get more traffic in the Reloading forum.

quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
Might get more traffic in the Reloading forum.

Forgot we had one of those... requested a move.

Yellow Jacket - As I have reloaded for almost 40 years now I still use my old reliable RCBS Rock Chucker single stage press from time to time....Single stage is where you need to be. You can control every aspect of what you do and there is nothing more enjoyable than loading your own rounds. You will receive varied responses to the equipment you will need vs. want but I share with you my latest purchase that you might want to consider...

I load on a Dillon 650 progressive weekly for my high volume shooting but just this week I purchased a brand new just released single stage press from RCBS that you should seriously consider....They call it the Rebel....and the Rebel does come as a stand alone unit or in a kit...The kit will provide you with most of the basic items you will need to get started but you will quickly learn that some of those kits items are the very basic level items for beginning reloaders (which is not a bad thing if down the road you decide that reloading is not something you enjoy).

Even with a Dillon 650, a RCBS Rock Chucker on my bench today and a Mark7 Evolution in route, after reading the reviews and watching several videos I had to have this new press because of its new features over the Rock Chucker and its “girth” for use when I want a single stage press to help manage those lower volume, sometimes, dirtier reloading processes....The Rock Chucker will continue to be a press mounted on my bench and will continue to see some use...Now it just has a big brother....The cost is just over $200.00 and should be one you at least consider....

As for the other items you will want and/or need you will receive a lot of great recommendations here but one thing I would recommend is this press and reading several reloading books that will provide you information and recommendations from tenured reloaders.....

One final comment - Watch Gavin Toobe’s - Ultimate Reloader video series on You Tube...IMO there is not a better person who has reviewed every single stage and progressive press on the market. His videos are straight and to the point and provide great information....Mark

Especially with how supplies are now, don’t write a laundry list & expect to have one big order. Just start getting supplies as able.

One has the essentials, some nice to have tools, then extras you really don’t need. Yes, a manual is a great place to start. Besides the load info they break down the reloading steps.

O P ,I have a friend that has caught the reloading bug because his shooting habit is done dried up of factory ammo.
I have been training him on the rockchucker and the Dillion 550.
Loading a hundred on each as a training to for him to understand whats involved.
He has only one source of supply from a local hold up joint,poor selection and gouging prices.
I went on my net sources and found hardly anything.
I have cast and coated for years in pistol calibers with wheel weights.That source is dry.Lead is out there but man the price is crazy.
Makes me sick to think I use to sell cast bricks for a buck a pound ten years back. I had one customer that drove from north Georgia and bought 8oo lbs.
As the Boss recommended years back buy when things are quite,I took this advice to heart and had Powder valley send me 5 or 6 six hundred dollar orders to my door thru Fed X.
I would say buy what you can afford piece meal and hope for better times.As for the big vendors ,it out of stock for popular bullets and powders. Brass is on that list also as I called in a favor for some 223 brass a couple hours ago.

quote:

Originally posted by 45 Cal:
O P ,I have a friend that has caught the reloading bug because his shooting habit is done dried up of factory ammo.
I have been training him on the rockchucker and the Dillion 550.
Loading a hundred on each as a training to for him to understand whats involved.
He has only one source of supply from a local hold up joint,poor selection and gouging prices.
I went on my net sources and found hardly anything.
I have cast and coated for years in pistol calibers with wheel weights.That source is dry.Lead is out there but man the price is crazy.
Makes me sick to think I use to sell cast bricks for a buck a pound ten years back. I had one customer that drove from north Georgia and bought 8oo lbs.
As the Boss recommended years back buy when things are quite,I took this advice to heart and had Powder valley send me 5 or 6 six hundred dollar orders to my door thru Fed X.
I would say buy what you can afford piece meal and hope for better times.As for the big vendors ,it out of stock for popular bullets and powders. Brass is on that list also as I called in a favor for some 223 brass a couple hours ago.

You ever look around on theoutdoorstrader.com? People throw up components on there pretty often. There's an RCBS Rockchucker for $125 currently, some primers, dies, etc. Powder is probably going to be tough but I have a box of 130 gr Barnes .277 and 150 gr .308 and plenty of 270 brass that will probably be my first batch once I'm up and running.

Thank you too other posts. I've been watching YouTube videos and have a couple of close friends who load that In going to visit and see in action.

Who does everyone rec for a reloading manual? Lee, Hornady, Hodgdon, Sierra, Lyman?

Lyman works for me, but I own a number of manuals.

Get more than one manual. Keep all of them forever.

quote:

Originally posted by apprentice:
Get more than one manual. Keep all of them forever.

^^^What he said.

I get them all, or nearly all of them. Look up your load in each of them to get multiple opinions on where to start a load. Sometimes, one manual will be off. For example, the Hodgen supplement listed a 270 load a few years ago using the then-new IMR Enduron 4955. The starting load stuck the bolt and ruptured the primer. I always like to see a load in multiple places.

A progressive press is no substitute for a single-stage press. A high quality single-stage is a life long investment. There are two single-stage presses that I recommend. Either a Redding T-7 turret press, or a Forster Co-Ax (formerly Bonanza) press. Either one of those would be the last single-stage press you would ever need to purchase. Having said that, there's plenty of utility to be had from a RCBS Rock Chucker, Hornady single stage, etc. Fun fact: RCBS stands for Rock Chucker Bullet Swag. The design really hasn't changed since their first product.

As for little presses like a Jr, they are fine, but take more effort to operate. My first press was a Lee hand press, which still works great. I used to load at the coffee table of my first apartment while in college using that Lee handheld press.

I have two RockChuckers and a Dillon 650. I make 40 on the Dillon, and everything else is done on the RC.

38,357, 45ACP, 380, 17Hornet, 223, 300BLK, 243.

Keep it coming guys, I appreciate all. I found a free pdf of the Lyman 48th edition (about 15 y.o.) today and current load sheets for most of my calibers from Hornady, Sierra, Barnes, and Lyman. Gonna snag another manual this week.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I have two RockChuckers and a Dillon 650. I make 40 on the Dillon, and everything else is done on the RC.

38,357, 45ACP, 380, 17Hornet, 223, 300BLK, 243.

I did pretty much the same...pistol ammunition on my 36 year old Dillon RL450 upgraded with RL550 powder and priming systems (never got around to replacing the frame to use tool heads for the caliber changes) and rifle ammo and some pistol on a series of single stage LEE presses (assembly line style that took up a lot of bench space)...Late last year I replaced my old worn out single stage LEE C-presses with the new cast iron Lyman Brass Smith All American 8 station turret press as well as my old LEE powder measure with a new Lyman powder measure and never looked back. Love the turret press...

YellowJacket...Lyman makes good reloading equipment and using a turret press is a big plus being that you don’t have swap dies out for every step of the reloading (sorta gives you the single stage press benefits and the speed, albeit somewhat slower, than a progressive press...but still faster than a single stage, it’s sorta the best of both worlds ...it’s a heavy duty press and if you can run across one, I recommend it...

EDIT...doing a little search online, it seems that not only has reloading supplies dried up...it seems reloading equipment has also taken a hit. There is not much out there and prices have risen YellowJacket, good used might be the way to go.


sigarmsp226 recommended Gavin Toobe’s Reloading Network YouTube channel...it is a great resource on equipment...here’s his video on the Lyman All American 8 turret press...




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/n_aozotbvCA


Another example of how deep he goes into his reviews...this video compares single stage presses...




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/TqcYI0G2hqM

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bisleyblackhawk,

The outdoor trader seems to lock component sales.

Found a really nice RCBS Summit limited edition red/white/blue in the box with papers. Picking it up Saturday. Watched gavintoobe's review of the Summit... thanks for that suggestion.

I'm off and running.

I have 8 reloading presses set up. My favorite single stage is the Forester CO-AX Precision.

question - do all neck sizing dies also decap the shell? or only FL? I would prefer to decap on the press and eliminate individual steps if possible.

NM, I found a better video breaking down the sizing/decap die.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Bridger:
I have 8 reloading presses set up. My favorite single stage is the Forester CO-AX Precision.

I only have 5,, but the Co-Ax gets used the most,

excellent press

YellowJacket...I’ve got some Lyman case prep tools (primer pocket reamers and cleaners...small and large and inside and outside case deburring) as well as an older but very usable LEE hand priming tool with a full set of dies for all popular calibers that are needed to use with the priming tool (they only fit the LEE tool the older priming tools which are way better than the newer tools from LEE which are prone to break)...I will “Instant KARMA” them to you if you if you will send me address to ship them to...just send me an address to the email address in my profile and I will ship them out to you next week

When you really want to make some good precision ammo, watch Panhandle Precision , and learn about Redding bushing dies. Nikon talks about it in his thread/sticky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...JhAMdptqoykW&index=3

I have gone thru the series several times.