If you were just starting out in reloading....

[Barlow]

Do not hesitate on a turret press. I have a T7 and am completely happy with it. Barlow

 

[Clint M]

I have not reloading handgun much so I can't really comment on that part of your question. The few items I can recommend are Lee classic cast iron press for the money it's a outstanding press, and I think a nice no frills strong single stage press will always have a place in the reloading room. Lube, I have tried a lot the best I have found is Royal Case & Die Lube, others that work great are Imperial/Redding sizing wax, Hornady Unique case lube, for mass loading lee mixed with alcohol (99%) has worked good for me. Dies for factory rifles etc I have not found a big difference between the manufactures on entry level full length dies, I do like Forester bullet seating die, and I think the Forester Full length die set is a good buy. I have mostly Redding dies, but Hornady makes a good die as well finish may be better on the Hornady.

I have several presses however I use a Forester co-ax most of the time, I live the priming feature and have never had any problem with primers not seated correctly. I have a couple hand held priming tools, still like the Forester. I have both digital (older denver lab scale) and balance beam scales, I suggest a balance beam (I have a RCBS 10-10)as it's nice to have as a backup if nothing else.

If you take nothing else from this post do purchase several loading manuals and read over the instructions on how to reload. Never rely on internet for load data I have seen some obscene load data published on forums it could be a simple mistake I make plenty of them. Only one powder on the reloading bench at one time ever this includes your powder measure, keep your powder stored separate from your reloading bench. You can search the web for horror stories from the use of wrong powders, or mix up when in a hurry grabbing the wrong powder.

Enjoy, this is the best habit..err hobby I have ever picked up I enjoy shooting and reloading makes it so sooo much better.

 

[Shynloco]

Not to disagree with anyone (as their comments are all well intentioned) but for a new guy starting out, keep it simple when starting out and get a nice Single Stage Press. Turret presses are nice, but IMHO, are more attuned to experienced reloaders. I still have and use two Single stage presses and if you are wanting to load 7mm, might suggest you get one that is heavy duty (like a Redding Big Boss and what I have for 30-06 and big casings) and an RCBS Rockchucker, the old faithful of all presses that I've had, well forever. And thinking ahead, once you get into the super accuracy game, you'll need a Arbor Press and an Accurate Case Trimmer (w/mic) so keep your eyes open. I see Wilson Trimmers as well as Redding 1400's pop up now and then, so get it right the first time. Like others, I've amassed tons of JUNK along the way and have sold or given away lots that were either inferior in quality or just didn't perform as advertised.

In any case, good luck and don't be shy in terms of asking questions, as this hobby isn't as simple as some may think.

Alex

 

[Erik Cortina]

I'd go find a mentor that had been reloading for about 30-50 years and get first-hand knowledge!!

Why do you need someone that has been reloading for so long? I know many that have reloaded for longer than 50 years and do not know what a bushing die is, have a different primer for each load because that's what the book said to use, and think loading to anything other that book COAL is dangerous.

 

[Erik Cortina]

If you already have a Redding T7 then use it, if not, get a Forster Co-Ax or a Rockchucker.
Get a Chargemaster 1500
Get a hand primer - RCBS works well.
Get a set of dial calipers.
Get a chamfer and deburring tool (double ended)
Get Imperial die wax.
If you can afford it, get a Giraud trimmer.

 

[DataSmith]

If you were just starting out in reloading, what equipment would you buy?

You may already know this but depending on how, where and who you ask this question, you can get completely different sets of answers. Precision reloading is going to mean different things to different people. Answers may range from the basics of what is "needed" to make decent ammo to something approaching obsession.

It is very easy to become so overwhelmed with the minutia of reloading so you have to step back a bit and decide what your goal is. What kind of shooting are you doing and how good are you? How good is your rifle? If you aren't reloading now, are you shooting factory ammo? Are you good enough that your ammo is what is limiting your progress? It can be very frustrating to spend a lot of time and money on reloading and find that you don't get any better.

 

[bsekf]

I agree with savagedasher, I believe Lee sells a complete reloading set with their c-type press. GO FOR IT If you don't like reloading, and many don't, you can get most of your investment back.

If you become infected with the "bug", after a few months you will have a pretty good idea what things you need. BUY GOOD QUALITY "BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE" I've been doing it for 50 years and have a room full of "stuff" and still wish I had gotten a Forester Co-Ax .......FIRST.

Biil

 

[savagedasher]

I'd go find a mentor that had been reloading for about 30-50 years and get first-hand knowledge!!

I loaded my first bullets September 18 1954. Does that make me too old to be a mentor?

 

[Jdne5b]

I'm going to suggest a Dillon 550 and a good single stage. If you shoot any kind of volume in 9mm/.45acp, you'll never be done reloading if you do it all single stage, even a turret would suck up a bunch of time. You could even use the 550 for your rifle ammo if you charged the powder via a method besides the powder drop on the press.

I started with a Hornady LnL progressive. I still use it today as a single stage to load my FTR ammo. I do not regret one bit about starting with a full progressive press. You can run them single stage to learn how to reload.

 

[savagedasher]

I agree with savagedasher, I believe Lee sells a complete reloading set with their c-type press. GO FOR IT If you don't like reloading, and many don't, you can get most of your investment back.

If you become infected with the "bug", after a few months you will have a pretty good idea what things you need. BUY GOOD QUALITY "BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE" I've been doing it for 50 years and have a room full of "stuff" and still wish I had gotten a Forester Co-Ax .......FIRST.

Biil

Bill on my bench I have A lee classic cast and a co-ax. The RCBS and others I have sold or given away. They didn't have enough travel to load a real gun. Lee makes good dies and their kit is second to none to start with. My lee make ever bit as good bullets as the co-ax and the Wilson.
Their powder measure is second to none as far a accuracy. I don't fit in the age to be a mentor.
Larry

 

[BOB LEE SWAGGER]

I'd go find a mentor that had been reloading for about 30-50 years and get first-hand knowledge!!

Agree with Erik. Doing something for a long time doesn't make you good at it. Mozart debuted at age 4. Studying and having an innate affinity for it makes you good at it.

I recommend Zediker's book on reloading. You might not agree with all of it but it will stimulate you to examine why each step does or doesn't matter.

 

[savagedasher]

I'd go find a mentor that had been reloading for about 30-50 years and get first-hand knowledge!!

Agree with Erik. Doing something for a long time doesn't make you good at it. Mozart debuted at age 4. Studying and having an innate affinity for it makes you good at it.

I recommend Zediker's book on reloading. You might not agree with all of it but it will stimulate you to examine why each step does or doesn't matter.

;D ;D Have you ever seen a 18 year tool and die maker. :-X Larry

 

[Erik Cortina]

I'd go find a mentor that had been reloading for about 30-50 years and get first-hand knowledge!!

Agree with Erik. Doing something for a long time doesn't make you good at it. Mozart debuted at age 4. Studying and having an innate affinity for it makes you good at it.

I recommend Zediker's book on reloading. You might not agree with all of it but it will stimulate you to examine why each step does or doesn't matter.

;D ;D Have you ever seen a 18 year tool and die maker. :-X Larry

I didn't realize the subject had changed. Are we talking about reloading or tool and die making? Even then, just because one guy has been doing it longer than other doesn't make him better, it's how much he learned that counts.

 

[Link]

A lot of good info there, to much for me to grasp. I have reloaded for 20 years and still wonder if I'm doing it right. Again start with a reloading buddy, decide what you need and try to find it used however don't buy junk. I bought a new single stage and went from there. Micrometer top dies are nice for one.

We are lucky to have all this knowledge here.

;D

 

[liveround]

Thanks for all the replies...a lot to digest. I have been watching some reloading videos on YouTube, some have been helpful......

I met a guy the other day who is a gunsmith and has been reloading for about 30 years......really great guy, easy to talk to.....and I asked him if I could watch him reload a few times and he said "Sure", so I will probably do that. He lives less than 10 miles away so it's very convenient.

Is the Lyman Case-Prep XPress worth looking into? What about the RCBS ChargeMaster Combo? Accurate enough?

I am selling the 7mm Rem Mag and already bought a .260 Remington, so I will be precision loading for that. In addition, I plan to reload for .223, .44 mag, .45 ACP, and maybe 9mm and 7.62X39.

I think I am going to go with an RCBS Rockchucker Supreme press......everything else is still up in the air......


Thanks again!

 

[jackhugh]

thanks for info

 

[C Valentine]

Have not waded through all of the replies, but as I sit here looking at my bench, there are a couple of things that if I lost them I think I would actually mourn! .... my RCBS Precision Micrometers (for precise meaurements of shoulder set back and seating depths...but don't rely on the silly tool that comes with it to find your lands) and my LE Wilson Micrometer Case trimmer (an elegant little piece of equipment if there ever was one!). Don't know if you are going to be just plinking, hunting or intend to get into competitive shooting, but if you want to go competitive, be prepared for a drain on the wallet because like most of us you will become a bit (a lot?) OC in your search for accuracy! ;D

Spend most of your time initially reading and researching and try and find a good mentor. A well run club is a good place to start looking. And don't forget to have fun!

 

[BoydAllen]

There is a way to have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Regular turret presses have the advantage of being able to switch from die to die quickly, without loosing their settings, but they may not have the precision of alignment of a single stage press. To get around this, I have fitted my Rockchucker (original) with a Hornady Lock-n-Load conversion. It works really slick, allowing me to switch dies quickly, and preserve their settings since they are between the die and the adapter, not the die and the press. I have had a turret press and did not find much advantage in changing dies back and forth for each pistol round. I would still do all of my sizing, then my expanding, and then seat, and then crimp, all in batches.

The place to spend a little extra is on your dies, especially for your accuracy applications. Just remember it is about the quality of what they produce, not the price. In some cases dies that are affordable can be really good, for example using Lee Collet dies in combination with body dies for factory chambers. Neither is expensive, but together they produce very good results. Wilson or Forster seaters are worth looking into.

The other thing that I would stress is that you should invest in good measuring tools. A decent dial caliper (I find no advantage to digital.), a 1" micrometer that reads to .0001, a neck micrometer, the Hornady "headspace gauge" kit, the Hornady seating depth tool, and a concentricity gauge (Sinclair's is a good choice. There are other good ones. I don't like the Hornady design.) These tools will let you have a way to see what you otherwise would not be able to. I would not do without any of them.

Lastly, relating to the Hornady "headspace tool", learning how to set your FL dies is important. Do not follow the manufacturers' instructions.

 

[Blaster-37]

I have made the journey through many shooting disciplines for over 30 years. I have learned this although it cost me a lot tripping over my brain.
If you want to be competitive or even consistent with your shooting, buy quality equipment. Most of your purchases will evolve. Any weak link on a reloading bench or shooting gear is a reason to lose and then shooters lose interest thinking they simply are not good enough and sell it all for pennies on the dollar. Sadly. I see it happen a lot. Good consistent groups are NOT cheap with both money and time.
1. Quality Control: Micrometers, Lab Scales, Dies, Press etc.
2. Quality reloading components.
3. Quality gun and bench components, talk to the guys at your matches that are making them work.
4. Quality glass: A very good scope.
5. A quality respected competition gunsmith: Then you will trust your rifle.

Good groups are born on the reloading bench. Repeatability is mandatory or you have fliers with a problem to solve. The same applies to your shooting.
With the loads confidently consistent, only then will you be sure the problem is on your shooting bench or your shooting skills. With all this, you can't get there without allocating a lot of quality bench time on both benches.
Be careful of everything you read. There is some good advice here on how to tune a barrel and shooting skills.
Better than spending your money on a blog, watch the equipment list from the big match results, as these are generally an evolution of what works for them.
Oh yeah, quality used equipment holds better value, (less percentage lost), if you want to sell out or trade up.
The bottom line is your absolute repeatability with every component starting including you.
greg

 

[Mozella]

.............. snip ..................... think loading to anything other that book COAL is dangerous.

You're certainly entitled to that belief. I disagree and here's why.

I always load longer than published COAL. I shoot my hand loads exclusively from my bolt gun, and only my bolt gun. I realize that COAL numbers published in various places are, with very few exceptions, based on SAAMI specifications or on the maximum length which will fit into a industry standard magazine.

I shoot my hand loads one at a time and they aren't even close to fitting the magazine of my rifle. However, I VERY carefully measure the CBTO specifications for each and every bullet type I shoot. I adjust the CBTO of the rounds I load in an appropriate way, using particular care to make sure I have exactly the amount of "bullet jump" I'm looking for based on careful testing of seating depth vs real-world performance.

While it might be sound advice for a beginner to start out loading only to published COAL numbers (that's how I started), loading longer than that, in and of itself, is not inherently dangerous IF one knows what he/she is doing.