Reloader purchase

[Crunchy]

Looking at getting into reloading.  Need some ideas of a good press.  Single stage since I am only going to reload 7mm and maybe 223 if that day ever comes.  I looked at a few kits but not sure if some of the items in the kit is something I would actually use, like the old school scale.  Suggestions appreciated.

[h20hunter]

There was wa Dillon 550 in the classifieds a bit ago. I prefer a progressive. I've used it for rifle as well....just modified the process and still handloaded/measured each powder charge. Progressive is the only way to go for pistol or .223 ammo.

[AWS]

I have no brand loyalty and have found over the years that there are very few loaders that WON'T put out good ammo.  I've used C&H(2), Lyman(5), Hornady(1), Pacific(1), RCBS(2), Herters(1)and Lee(3),  of those I have two Lees, a Cast Classic Turrets with 7 turret heads set up with 13 different calibers, a small Lee "C" press for bullet pulling, a Lyman Crusher II for case forming and any serious heavy work on the bench right now.  I also have an old Lyman Tru-line Jr. with a 7/8x14 turret on it for pist and the bugs(Hornet and Bee).

I have at least five different powder measures and five different case trimmers (I like to leave them set up for a case so I never have bother adjusting them)  C&H, Wilson and Lee seem to be the most accurate for me, plus a Lyman and a Redding.

Scales, I'm old school, tried an e-scale but just don't trust something I have to calibrate every time I use it and I can't tell if it has changed or is not working right.  Give me a balance beam, I have Redding, Lyman(2) and RCBS of these I like the Redding oil dampenned but it is kind of a pain to keep clean and a good oil mix.

I'd look for a kit with an Iron/Steel framed "O" press, Micrometer adjustable powder measure(I like the lyman 55 if I'm going to leave it set up for one load) and a decent balance beam scale and powder trickler.



My reloading area.

[Jingles]

I have the same outfit I started with back in the late 70's a RCBS rock chucker single stage.  A balance beam scale Powder measurer and a trickler, Yes I weigh every charge,  a Lee trimmer. No idea what the Rock Chucker combo Kit would run now but when I got mine it contained everything to get started reloading except the dies. I can easily load 100 to 200 loads in a short period with the way I have things set up.

[C-Money]

I like the RCBS rockchucker kit. Its what I use. I weigh out each charge on my old scale.  I have not talked my self into a digital scale, as I would probably weigh each drop from the digital on my old scale!!

[JLS]

Another vote for the Rockchucker.  I also weigh out each charge by hand, probably a waste of time but it makes me feel better.

[high country]

Rockchucker is the best compromise of stuff for the money. Nothing in the kit is low quality and all of it is guaranteed.

[quadrafire]

I am fairly new to reloading and don't load alot, but I bought the RCBS rockchukar kit and have been very happy.

[NRA4LIFE]

I too bought a Rockchucker kit when I started out in 1987.  That thing is still banging away like new.

[yorketransport]

I'm still happy with my Lee Anniversary Kit from about 13 years ago. I've upgraded the scale a few times, but all of the kit is very usable.

Andrew

[Fishnclifff]

I bought a  Lee kit 16 yrs ago. Single stage.
I load 7 calibers.
I changed to the RCBS digital scale- never a problem.
I use mica lube now but am looking at others

[Heredoggydoggy]

I changed to the RCBS digital scale- never a problem.

Regardless of brand, all scales are made by Ohaus.  Ohaus is one of the biggest Scale manufacturers in the world.  I bought my scale back when Ohaus was making their own brand of reloading equipment.  It's exactly like an RCBS 505....

[crazysccrmd]

I use a cheap Lee single die, single stage kit and it works perfectly. It is a little slower than a turret press, but if you load everything in batches changing/setting up and die really doesn't add much time to the overall process. Started with a balance beam scale but switched to a digital for ease of use. I load plenty of rifle rounds (weigh every charge by hand) and pistol rounds (lee dippers for target ammo, hand weigh for hunting/defence rounds) without problems.

You can get a lot of fancy stuff to make reloading easier, but if you are willing to do a little more work making bullets you can save hundreds of dollars.

[Fisherdave10]

Any name brand cast iron "O" frame press is going to last you a lifetime.  Look at the Lee Classic Cast, Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic single stage, RCBS Rockchucker Supreme, etc....  They're all good.  There is a relatively new brand of reloading equipment called "Smart Reloader".  Avoid it at all costs.  It is garbage.

If you ever intend on shooting a high volume of any round, you'll really want a progressive.  If all you want to do is load a few boxes of rounds for your hunting rifle every month, a single stage kit is what you should buy.
I bought a Lee 50th Anniversary Breach Lock single stage kit and it did well for .308, 30-06 but loading any decent quantity of ammo on a single stage sucks.  When I could afford it (about 1.5 years later) I upgraded.    After 6 months of trying to feed my AR using the single stage, I bought the new press.

Now I run a Hornady Lock-n-Load AP Progressive press.  I load 9mm, .40, .223, 30-06 and .308 on it. 

Last month when I was home from college for the week between semesters I loaded some ammo.  In 2-3 days I loaded a total of 1,500 rounds of 9mm (at 10-12 cents each), and 500 rounds of .223 (about 20-25 cents each) for myself, my brother and a few friends in the span of a few days.   My single stage is still on my bench and is still occasionally used for some smaller case-prep operations.

[huntandjeep]

Sorry to hi- jack your thread but what else is needed to start reloading. Cabelas has the RCBS rock chucker supreme kit on sale and I've been thinking of going and picking it up. I know you need the dies but what else. Also who do you know which dies to get for your caliber  there's so many in the Midway catalog ( 2 die set, neck sizer, match series, carbide 3 die, 3 die set, trim die etc etc). Thanks Allen

[Heredoggydoggy]

Bottlenecked cases, (rifle with a shoulder) are usually 2-die sets.  Pistol dies are 3-die sets because one of the dies bells the case mouth (very neccessary for loading cast bullets) and even prevents scraping off some of the copper jacket on jacketed bullets.  Carbide dies are more expensive, but eliminates the need for case lube (except for nickel plated cases), and are mostly used for straight-walled pistol cases.  A case trimmer is a necessity for bottle-necked rifle cases because they "grow" with each firing. I've never trimmed a pistol case in my life. That RCBS kit in the latest Cabelas sale flyer looks like a good deal! Don't hesitate to ask for info here--I've only been reloading for 40+ years, and I'm still learning...

[huntandjeep]

What's the difference between the RCBS turret press and there progressive?

[yorketransport]

What's the difference between the RCBS turret press and there progressive?

The progressive is a bigger pain to set up.

On the turret model, you manually advance the press. The progressive does it on it's own every time you pull the handle.

Andrew

[huntandjeep]

So a turret press kit would be the way to go.

[Jingles]

Depends on how much money you want to put out. If you're just getting started and with a limited budget get a Single Stage. AS with anything else the more bells and whisles you add on the more expensive it is going to be.

[Jingles]

Bottlenecked cases, (rifle with a shoulder) are usually 2-die sets.  Pistol dies are 3-die sets because one of the dies bells the case mouth (very neccessary for loading cast bullets) and even prevents scraping off some of the copper jacket on jacketed bullets.  Carbide dies are more expensive, but eliminates the need for case lube (except for nickel plated cases), and are mostly used for straight-walled pistol cases.  A case trimmer is a necessity for bottle-necked rifle cases because they "grow" with each firing. I've never trimmed a pistol case in my life. That RCBS kit in the latest Cabelas sale flyer looks like a good deal! Don't hesitate to ask for info here--I've only been reloading for 40+ years, and I'm still learning...

One thing you're going to need is shell holders for the different calibers or sizes of cases I use pretty much the same shell holder for all my rifles and 3 different ones for the handgun calibers.
I would suggest a Stuck shell puller if you are just getting started. Anyone that says they have never had a stuck shell is either very very lucky or exaggerating their abilities. IMO

[jasnt]

+1 for rcbs kit, also you will need a dial calipers, case trimer,dies & shell holders. I would never recomend a progressive press to a beginner. Turret press is nice,single is plenty.
I must warn ya though reloading is very addictive   before long you'll be wanting a concentricety gage and competition grade dies, strongly recomend hornady comparator kit. Powder trickler, hand primer,stuck case remover(which you can make your self), flash hole deburer,primer pocket uniformer,.....list goes on.
Get a reloading Manuel and read it,I know the kit comes with one but having different brands gives you a cross reference tool and you should read a Manuel before any other purchases. It gives you an idea what tools you want or need and weather you even really want to be a reloader,and believe me you'll want an idea as to what your doing so you can start reloading as soon as you get your kit home. Don't forget the shell holders.

[Fisherdave10]

  there's so many in the Midway catalog ( 2 die set, neck sizer, match series, carbide 3 die, 3 die set, trim die etc etc).

A 2 die set for bottleneck rifle calibers is sufficient.  The first die resizes, the second die seats and crimps if you wish.  I prefer crimping all ammo for semi-autos with a third die called a Lee Factory Crimp Die.  For bolt actions, I generally don't crimp.

  A 3 die set for non-bottleneck pistol calibers is sufficient.  On my progressive, I use 5 dies.  First is resize, second is a powder-through expander (called a PTX, I use this instead of the standard expander die included with a die set), third is a Hornady bullet feed die (not necessary), fourth is a seating die and fifth is a Lee FCD for a nice taper crimp (also not a necessity for reloading).

I like Hornady dies.  They usually have a promotion where you get free bullets for buying one of their presses or die sets.  All you pay is shipping.  For buying the L-n-L progressive kit and a 9mm die set, I got 600 .308" 150gr soft points for the cost of shipping them to me. 

A turret press is in between a progressive and a single stage.  The bottom half of the press is built like a single stage, but the top has a rotating turret that you install your dies in.  You rotate the turret to proceed to the next step.  Here are examples of turret presses.  Production with a turret press will be higher than a single stage.  I think a turret press is simple enough for a beginner to learn on.

[Swannytheswan]

What is the advantage to crimping for semi autos vs not crimping for bolt actions?

[Heredoggydoggy]

If you decide on a progressive reloader, get a Dillon--They work!  RCBS= not so good.   

Disclaimer: I've been reloading for over 40 years, and still don't have a progressive press.

[Fisherdave10]

What is the advantage to crimping for semi autos vs not crimping for bolt actions?

The action of a semi-auto is not so gentle on ammunition.  Crimping is more of a precaution because it adds extra neck tension to the round.  If a round does not have sufficient neck tension, the loading action could cause bullet set-back.  This could happen as the bullet hits the feed ramp.  On some large caliber rounds, the recoil can cause bullet set-back of the cartridges in the magazine.  This would happen with bullet to magazine wall contact.  All cartridges need neck tension, but deciding how much is up to you.  Before I had a Lee FCD, I loaded .223 without crimping because the neck tension seemed sufficient, and I never had an issue. 

I don't feel like buying a die I don't need so I choose not to crimp my bolt action rounds.  Someday if I'm bored I might experiment to see if a crimp improves or reduces accuracy.  If you need to crimp, I highly recommend Lee Factory Crimp Dies.

I have heard crimping can reduce accuracy, but some say a Lee FCD improves accuracy.  All I know is I don't want to blow up my AR and setting up a seat/crimp (in one) die sucks.  If case length is not uniform with all of your brass, one case could have a perfect crimp and the next will have a buckled shoulder from too much pressure.  A Lee Factory Crimp Die works like a collet, squeezing the neck into the bullet from the sides so case length does not matter. 

[Fisherdave10]

If you decide on a progressive reloader, get a Dillon--They work!  RCBS= not so good.   

Disclaimer: I've been reloading for over 40 years, and still don't have a progressive press.

Dillon makes excellent products.  I first taught myself to reload on my dad's old (1980s era) Dillon SDB.  When deciding on a progressive press, I was considering a Dillon 650XL or a Hornady LnL AP. 

In the end I chose the Lock-n-Load because of the significantly lower initial price ($385 on sale from Midsouth) and the lower price of the numerous accessories (shellplates, etc...) I would need to buy for each caliber.  Hornady's CS is very good (almost as good as Dillon) and their accessories are more available as they are sold through many distributors and sellers.  You can find LnL parts at the local Cabelas, Sportsman's Warehouse or almost any online retailer.  You won't find anything Dillon at those stores.

If you have the money (and patience), go with Dillon.  If you don't have a lot of money, go with Hornady.  In the end, they both do the same thing.  Both presses are great.

[Greenhorn]

I have my Grand Fathers RCBS jr-3 single stage reloading press and accessories that also came with the 45th 1970 edition of the Lyman reloading hand book, RCBS balance beam scale and everything needed to reload.  I have reloaded .223 through 7mm mag. in it and it works great.  I just wish the scale had a dampener in it.

[Jerbear]

Go to a book store and find an old reloading manual.  I started reloading in 1962 and the store clerk had me buy a Hornady reloading manual.  It is the first one they put out.  Just a few years ago I bought the new Hornady edition.  I gave it away.  I suppose because of liability they dropped their loads down, but too far.  If you can find an old hard bound N.R.A. manual, grab it, as it lists hotter loads.  Then at the Packwood city wide yard sale, I stumbled onto a Herter's reloading manual.  Some of those loads will take the twist pout of your shorts.  They offer two or three loads for each situation.  I take the lesser load.  Just a suggestion..