Beginner reloading equipment

[Harrison S]

Gday fellas... wanting to start reloading... but want to get equipment that i dont need ti upgrade from... only really want single stage...

Need a press large enough for 300rum/338 lapua... seems that eliminates pretty much all kits.... what are your recommendations for for all the pieces i need... (minus consumables)... keep in mind, I dont want to exceed $1000 if at all possible...

[No1Mk3]

Lee Classic Cast Press $449, Hornady Lock n Load Beam Scales $230, Lee Perfect Powder Measure $65,

[straightshooter]

Lee Classic Cast Press $449, Yes
Hornady Lock n Load Beam Scales $230, Not these days, better a digital reloading scale with battery and mains plug pack
Lee Perfect Powder Measure $65, Not unless budget is a big problem better to spend extra $100 and buy Hornady powder thrower.

[Damo300]

In addition to the press and calibre dies.

Powder Funnel

Powder trickle, if you don't get an auto chucker.

Primer pocket reamer.

Inside/outside deburring tool.

Case trimmer.

I use a cheap ebay jewellery tumbler for my brass cleaning with a stainless pin media.

Ugly annealer.

[Fester]

Check the usual big shops to see if any still have the unbeatable RCBS Rockchucker kit for around $600.
The kit was a bit over 800 about 10 years ago.

I should have cried once as I went cheaper with a Hrdy kit and slowly upgraded to green until I only used the press, funnel, and tray.
Then I scored a used Rockchucker press.

It is a rabbit hole if you shoot and load a lot, but once set up, the equipment is then slowly paying its self off.
Unfortunately, starting now means you have to pay top $ for components, look for bulk pack specials after you have loads sorted.

[Willie]

[quote="Fester"]Check the usual big shops to see if any still have the unbeatable RCBS Rockchucker kit for around $600.
The kit was a bit over 800 about 10 years ago.

I should have cried once as I went cheaper with a Hrdy kit and slowly upgraded to green until I only used the press, funnel, and tray.
Then I scored a used Rockchucker press.

It is a rabbit hole if you shoot and load a lot, but once set up, the equipment is then slowly paying its self off.
Unfortunately, starting now means you have to pay top $ for components, look for bulk pack specials after you have loads sorted.[/quote]

Had one of these and it was terrific. RCBS, imo, produce sturdy, long lasting items for reloading. Whatever you decide, have fun. :)

[Harrison S]

Lee Classic Cast Press $449, Hornady Lock n Load Beam Scales $230, Lee Perfect Powder Measure $65,

What are your recommendations for case Trimmer?, and do you have a recommendation for a brass cleaner?

[wrenchman]

I use a lot of lee stuff I do have a rockchucker press it was a gift from my late brother but if you are looking at new lee tends to be the least cost

[fussy]

I've always found Lee to be best value: quality good enough and cost is OK.

I have some spare stuff, so I'll check the shed if you're in SE Qld.

[Fester]

Lee comes into its own for things like the simple cheap trimmer jigs and cutters.
Best way to start trimming on a budget, can use the battery drill.
I still use them if only 6-8 cases need doing in a batch.

When Lyman brought out their version of the new type trimmers, I got one of their old classic benchtop models on sale for about $120.
A power shaft cost about $80 to use the drill.

Also, their special purpose dies go fine, universal decapper, factory crimper and others.

My Lee full length resizing dies didn't cope with my high usage, and had to upgraded.

[morerams]

Buy once cry once, RCBS Rockchucker kit.

[LuvMyDatto]

Harrison, how hve you gone so far?

I bought a crono to get the most out of my onboard ballistics calculator on my Alpex 4k and while in the shop they assumed I was getting it for reloading and load development, then showed me a Lyman kit for $700.

If buying Lyman, be aware the shell holders must be the Lyman brand if you're using the press to install primers. While all shell holders are 'universal', they have slightly different depths and so the Lyman press won't seat to the correct depth with other brand holders.

I'll be reloading .223 and .308 for no other reason than I can't consistently get the same cartridges and the ones that work best for my rifles are usually the ones that are seldom in stock. Hoping reloading means I've got access to consistent ammo I know will work.

Extra to the kit, I've had to buy die sets, shell holders and a case trimmer. I'm at $990 so far with a Lee deluxe quick trim and .308 jig for that, and a .308 RCBS die set. Will save up for .223 stuff.

I'm off to the shop today to buy powder, primers and projectiles, and hope to have some bullets to test at the range by Saturday week.

I already had an ultrasonic cleaner, so didn't need to purchase a brass cleaner. Not sure what solution to use in the ultrasonic yet.

[Cape_Yorkee]

Just out of interest, from a $$$ perspective (and I'm sure someone here has the done maths)...

Minus all equipment to start with - what's a 20 round box of say 243/270/6.5/308 reload ammo cost to produce? Taking into account all materials but again no equipment cost. Generally speaking all of those rounds above for a 20 round factory box up here in Cairns are around 50/55 bucks a box - be interesting to know how much for reloaded box.

Sorry to bombard your thread Harrison... just thought I'd ask the question.

[Damo300]

Price hand loading against the most expensive factory rounds. Essentially, that's what you're providing yourself once you work out the load recipe.

I bought 3 boxes of the cheapest factory 7mm rem mag Norma white tail for $250.
60 rounds of unknown performance.
I say this because factory rounds aren't measured out like a handload is. There can be up to 5gr difference in just powder weights, let alone neck tension, seating depth, and the hybrid powders they use. Even if you find a good box of factory rounds, you'll never replicate it.

For comparison.
Box of 100 speer projectiles.....$75
1kg of powder..... $160. Each hand load takes 4.5 grams of powder, or 70 grain.
1000 primers...... $250

I now have 60 empty cartridges, but if you buy them on their own, they'll cost just as much as assembled factory rounds, so buy some factory stuff, take a mate to the range and let him blast away and empty the rounds for you, otherwise pull them apart with a cartridge seperator and store the powder, pills and primers for a rainy day, remembering to record the average powder weight down if you ever have to reload them.

Resizing and trim dies cost me $90 for the press.

[bladeracer]

Just out of interest, from a $$$ perspective (and I'm sure someone here has the done maths)...

Minus all equipment to start with - what's a 20 round box of say 243/270/6.5/308 reload ammo cost to produce? Taking into account all materials but again no equipment cost. Generally speaking all of those rounds above for a 20 round factory box up here in Cairns are around 50/55 bucks a box - be interesting to know how much for reloaded box.

Sorry to bombard your thread Harrison... just thought I'd ask the question.

Will mainly depend on your choice of bullet, anywhere from under one dollar to three or four dollars for copper bullets. Or under 50c for cast bullets.

.308 practice ammo at 1700fps-ish with Berry's Copper-Plated bullets I'm doing for about 75c apiece. .308 with a good jacketed hunting bullet is costing me around $1.30 apiece. .303 with Bertram bullets is around $1.10 at current powder and primer rates. Subsonic .30-30 with cast bullets I'm doing for just under 50c apiece.

[GQshayne]

Just out of interest, from a $$$ perspective (and I'm sure someone here has the done maths)...

Minus all equipment to start with - what's a 20 round box of say 243/270/6.5/308 reload ammo cost to produce? Taking into account all materials but again no equipment cost. Generally speaking all of those rounds above for a 20 round factory box up here in Cairns are around 50/55 bucks a box - be interesting to know how much for reloaded box.

Sorry to bombard your thread Harrison... just thought I'd ask the question.

Only issue with your question is the equipment cost will have to be overcome before you can save any money on the ammo itself. So it is not really something you can leave out, as the equipment is expensive. If you are a hunter that only fires the rounds needed, for some people that may be one box a year. Other shooters fire hundreds of rounds off regularly. So you need to take that into account if cost is the criteria.

If it is because you enjoy the process, or are trying make a round that cannot be found commercially, then that is different. For me it is both those reasons.

[Fester]

Before all the greedflation really took over, and cases could be picked up free for some cals and priced reasonably for others, and not added to the cost when used about 20 times over, it could even out at about half the price to reload.

Over the years, when you shoot a fair bit, the equipment is paying itself off, once you stop buying more lol.

Cals like .223, 243, and .308 sort or offset the dearer, bigger cals, and range shooting into the dirt can be managed the same way.

Now, it seems that they are onto us, and projies, cases and, of course, primers have risen at a ridiculous rate.

Some blokes say it is no longer cheaper, but I can't agree with that.

I stocked up on some stuff to future-proof my costs and imagine the cost of range shooting with factory premium match ammo.

There are still some savings, like loading cheaper cast projies in suitable cals, and of course 55gr Super roos in .223.

[Cape_Yorkee]

Just out of interest, from a $$$ perspective (and I'm sure someone here has the done maths)...

Minus all equipment to start with - what's a 20 round box of say 243/270/6.5/308 reload ammo cost to produce? Taking into account all materials but again no equipment cost. Generally speaking all of those rounds above for a 20 round factory box up here in Cairns are around 50/55 bucks a box - be interesting to know how much for reloaded box.

Sorry to bombard your thread Harrison... just thought I'd ask the question.

Only issue with your question is the equipment cost will have to be overcome before you can save any money on the ammo itself. So it is not really something you can leave out, as the equipment is expensive. If you are a hunter that only fires the rounds needed, for some people that may be one box a year. Other shooters fire hundreds of rounds off regularly. So you need to take that into account if cost is the criteria.

If it is because you enjoy the process, or are trying make a round that cannot be found commercially, then that is different. For me it is both those reasons.

The way I see equipment cost is that you have to grin and bare it. Bit like buying a lawnmower or a washing machine... no one wants to pay the upfront cost, but there's no way around it. Not that I reload (I'm very keen to, and close to starting) but the cost that I look at is the ongoing cost - not the upfront.

[GQshayne]

Just out of interest, from a $$$ perspective (and I'm sure someone here has the done maths)...

Minus all equipment to start with - what's a 20 round box of say 243/270/6.5/308 reload ammo cost to produce? Taking into account all materials but again no equipment cost. Generally speaking all of those rounds above for a 20 round factory box up here in Cairns are around 50/55 bucks a box - be interesting to know how much for reloaded box.

Sorry to bombard your thread Harrison... just thought I'd ask the question.

Only issue with your question is the equipment cost will have to be overcome before you can save any money on the ammo itself. So it is not really something you can leave out, as the equipment is expensive. If you are a hunter that only fires the rounds needed, for some people that may be one box a year. Other shooters fire hundreds of rounds off regularly. So you need to take that into account if cost is the criteria.

If it is because you enjoy the process, or are trying make a round that cannot be found commercially, then that is different. For me it is both those reasons.

The way I see equipment cost is that you have to grin and bare it. Bit like buying a lawnmower or a washing machine... no one wants to pay the upfront cost, but there's no way around it. Not that I reload (I'm very keen to, and close to starting) but the cost that I look at is the ongoing cost - not the upfront.

If you are only doing it for cost savings then you will need to think about how many rounds you fire off. Cost of the equipment will take a while to recover unless you are shooting a lot. You can make good reloads with simple and well priced stuff like Lee, and you can buy good second hand gear too. That will help the buy-in cost. And if you are like most of us, you will add equipment as you go along.

[Wapiti]

For me it's about two things, consistency and performance.

The first one, consistency is about getting the bits in bulk that do the job for you and stashing them, and being able to assemble the same product whenever you want.
Example, the combination of powder and projectile - primer not so much - that you use for whatever you use it for.
Then you are not tied to supply, price fluctuations and having to accept what the shop has at the time and re-sight in your gun for different ammo.
You can achieve this with economical gear no problem. Just takes some experimentation.

The other is precision, but the gear costs more. You control the exact amount of powder, what dimensionally suitable the cartridges are for consistency and chamber fit and chamber alignment, and of course the recipe that gives you the exact same pressure curve and barrel node that puts the bullets into the smallest possible group for the gear it's in.
Again, takes some experimentation as well as an understanding about what changes what, and gear that allows this to happen deliberately and repeatedly as opposed to accidentally. But the gear costs more money because it is more precise.

Depends what you want, and what you need.
And things tend to evolve, as you learn more and see how certain things improve the results just with different equipment and technique that takes no more time, some of us can't help but head in that direction, improvement.
Sometimes for no gain or un-needed gains, sometimes because some of us are always striving to do everything better.

[bladeracer]

For me it's about two things, consistency and performance.

The first one, consistency is about getting the bits in bulk that do the job for you and stashing them, and being able to assemble the same product whenever you want.
Example, the combination of powder and projectile - primer not so much - that you use for whatever you use it for.
Then you are not tied to supply, price fluctuations and having to accept what the shop has at the time and re-sight in your gun for different ammo.
You can achieve this with economical gear no problem. Just takes some experimentation.

The other is precision, but the gear costs more. You control the exact amount of powder, what dimensionally suitable the cartridges are for consistency and chamber fit and chamber alignment, and of course the recipe that gives you the exact same pressure curve and barrel node that puts the bullets into the smallest possible group for the gear it's in.
Again, takes some experimentation as well as an understanding about what changes what, and gear that allows this to happen deliberately and repeatedly as opposed to accidentally. But the gear costs more money because it is more precise.

Depends what you want, and what you need.
And things tend to evolve, as you learn more and see how certain things improve the results just with different equipment and technique that takes no more time, some of us can't help but head in that direction, improvement.
Sometimes for no gain or un-needed gains, sometimes because some of us are always striving to do everything better.

For me it's about saving money and never running out of ammo. A cupboard full of ammo can only feed the firearms that take that ammo, while you have stock of it. A cupboard full of components can be used to feed anything.

[Wapiti]

Yes, I agree. It's great to just be able to make up what works for you and not have to worry about your favorite factory ammo being out of stock.
Of course, the average hunter or farmer only has to buy up on factory ammo too. If you're doing that, buy enough so you don't have to worry about running out.

Provided of course that you get to that point in the first place, stock on hand, and that when supplies allow you think ahead and have all the excess supplies on the shelf.
And we only need the gear that we individually want our outcome to be, reloading wise.

I try to have shots every day, if I don't have to because I'm working on something, I will still go for a stroll even if it's to practice on some swingers zig zagged across a set of hills. The reloading I do makes that much easier on the wallet, and I'm practicing with the loads I use on critters and that really is a big advantage to know all the distances and my own shortcomings.

[bladeracer]

Yes, I agree. It's great to just be able to make up what works for you and not have to worry about your favorite factory ammo being out of stock.
Of course, the average hunter or farmer only has to buy up on factory ammo too. If you're doing that, buy enough so you don't have to worry about running out.

Provided of course that you get to that point in the first place, stock on hand, and that when supplies allow you think ahead and have all the excess supplies on the shelf.
And we only need the gear that we individually want our outcome to be, reloading wise.

I try to have shots every day, if I don't have to because I'm working on something, I will still go for a stroll even if it's to practice on some swingers zig zagged across a set of hills. The reloading I do makes that much easier on the wallet, and I'm practicing with the loads I use on critters and that really is a big advantage to know all the distances and my own shortcomings.

This arvo I shot my 103rd pistol club attendance for this year so far, shooting my 220th match. I'm almost shooting a couple of pistol matches every second day. I've fired 14,748rds and loaded 5173rds of ammo.

I'm loading a lot of blackpowder though, which is not at all easy on the wallet. The shotshells in particular, which cost me roughly three times the price I can buy field loads for. The .44-40's are around a dollar each.