So here is the deal...

[Thenewguy]

I have a $275 Cabella's card I received for my birthday. I am looking to get started with reloading, mainly my 7mm-08 and 30.06. what do I buy?

so far I like the Hornady and RCBS stuff but as I have never done this before and am on a little bit of a budget I am looking for help. thank guys!

[Bofire]

 :)cannot go wrong with RCBS/rockchucker.

[fishseeker]

Don't overlook the Lee turret kit. Lota bang for the buck. Use as a single stage or when you get pistol quicker reloading. And you can change out the heads quik to load another round. Dies stay setup

[AWS]

So here's the deal, I've been loading for 40+ years and I load a lot, I've downsized to to four presses and six powder measures on my bench now.

Of the three reloading kits Cabelas sells.

I like the RCBS for the beam scale/hand primer and the Lyman for the powder measure.

As far as presses I rate them as being equal and I've loaded with all three (the Hornady that I used was a pre lock n load).

Priming I like a hand primer.  Powder measures I like the Lyman 55, I won't have a measure on my bench that isn't micro -adjustable.  Scales I just trust a beam scale, I'm kind of an Old F--t my wife made me get rid of my manual typewriter, to quote her "Damit electricity is here to stay".  As for case trimmers my two favorites are the Wilson and Lee(if your not a high volume loader the Lee is foolproof) but I do use a Forester and Redding also.

The RCBS at $299 looks like the best deal, you can always up grade the measure with a micro adjustable head.

If your just going to dabble in reloading and never go beyond loading for a couple of hunting rounds the Lee kit will work fine.

AWS

[Thenewguy]

Thank you AWS, this is exactly the information I was looking for

[carpsniperg2]

i am a big rcbs fan myself, i also like redding allot but it is a bit more $ they have the complete kits that you can buy and get started with everything you need. just buy the components and you are good to go.

[fremont]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0003080216577a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCHFEAT_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=lee+reloading&Ntk=Products&sort=all&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1

Send the other $175 on an electronic scale, dies, etc.

[Wacenturion]

Might want to consider the Hornady Classic Kit.  Comes with Hornady 7th edition reloading book, digital scale, etc, etc.  Hornady also has a "Get Loaded 2010" promotion where you would get 500 free bullets with that purchase and 100 free bullets with each die set you buy for it.  Figure the cost of the bullets in and it makes it much cheaper...a great deal, and great equipment to boot. 

[Caretaker]

bg fan of rcbs and dllon, dont overlook the forster press, it rocks.  wll be buyng one myself soon.

[BigGoonTuna]

i'm kind of in the same boat...got my taxes and bought a new rifle, then somehow realized that nobody in the harbor sells 7-08 ammo, and it ain't exactly a cheap round to get much practice in(maybe i should have held out for that 308 )

i'm kind of interested in the lee hand press, mainly because my space is limited and i don't think i'd consider myself to be a high volume reloader.  i can't imagine it being too big of a chore, especially since i'd more than likely just neck size my brass.  am i on the right track, or should i just buck up and buy a single stage kit?

[h2ofowlr]

Can't go wrong with the RCBS (Rock Chuck Bullet Swaging) machine.  I used to use mine all the time.

[JackOfAllTrades]

AWS summed it up pretty good. Although I prefer the RCBS or Ohoause 10-10 scale. It is much better than the smaller scales. You can find them used on Evilbay for less than $100. 

There's another case trimmer thread..

Can't knock an RCBS RC, but is the new RC Supreme aluminum?   (just sayin.. I don't know how long an aluminum one would last)  I prefer weight of cast iron in a single stage press.

I'll whole heartedly agree with AWS on hand priming. You get so much better feel with hand priming than you do with the priming attachments on presses.  I have a Dillon with a pretty good primer feature, but I still inspect my cases and hand prime pistol and rifle cartridges.

I suggest that you get with three friends that reload, and ask them to show you some of their different equipment. Even use it if possible. There's not one 'kit' out there that I would buy. Your gift card will go better to buy individual tools from different manufactures.

I've got Craftsman tools, Stanley, even some Snap-On in my garage.  My reloading room has much the same diversity with RCBS, Dillon, Lee, Lyman...

-Steve

[shaneman153D]

Can't knock an RCBS RC, but is the new RC Supreme aluminum?   (just sayin.. I don't know how long an aluminum one would last)  I prefer weight of cast iron in a single stage press.

I bought mine back in Nov from Cabelas and it's cast iron.  Not sure if they've changed since then.....

I'll whole heartedly agree with AWS on hand priming. You get so much better feel with hand priming than you do with the priming attachments on presses.  I have a Dillon with a pretty good primer feature, but I still inspect my cases and hand prime pistol and rifle cartridges.

+1.  I started priming on the press because it was a little faster.  But to be honest it would only seat them flush, and I was having hangfires. 


So I went back to the hand primer that came with it.

[AWS]

I too have a hodge-podge of tools but like to recomend a newbie start with a kit unless they have an experienced mentor.  It's a lot easier to understand what the manual is explaining if your equipment looks like the stuff in the instructions.

I use NOW dies from 8 different manufactures, four different brands of case trimmers,seven different brands of powder measures and I'm down to 2 different brands of presses, 3 Lymans, 2 Lees and 4 scales from 3 manufactures.  Over the years I had alot of different presses, 1 Herters, 1 Pacific, 1 Hornady, 2 C&H, 2 RCBS, 3 Lees and 5 Lymans.

I don't see too many changes in the future I think I've found the ones that suit me.

AWS

[fremont]

Tuna, if you're talking about a Lee Loader-type hand loader, I'd strongly recommend finding 6" of bench space and mounting a single stage press.

Lee Loaders supposedly work just fine, but.....why?

[BigGoonTuna]

i was talking about the hand press.  it takes the standard dies, and since i plan on just neck sizing my brass i wouldn't think it'd be too much of a chore.

[AWS]

I have one of those Lee scissor type hand presses.  I use it to size pistol and small stuff like 22H and 218Bee.  If you get the kit it is a pain to prime with the ram prime, pick up a hand primer.  Seating bullets is another one where you wish you had a third arm coming out the midle of your chest.  The little Lee "C" press mounted on a board that you can clamp to a desk would be handier.

AWS