Questions about getting into reloading

Get these 9 friends of yours to buy all the gear needed.
$500 is not going to cover much...

Going bare bones on equipment will suck.
There are a lot of little things/tools who's cost can add up fast.

The press...
Dial Calipers
Case gages
Case trimmer... a Giraud will run you $400+, but there are cheaper options... They just take more time.
Primer pocket swagers
Chamfer/deburring tools
Dies (resizing-decapping), seating, crimping) one set for each caliber your loading.
Various shell plates for whatever press you have... again different ones for each cal.
A quality scale to weigh powder charges
Powder drop
Priming tool (if priming off press)
A tumbler to tumble/clean your fired brass.

I'm sure I've left out lots...
Then you gotta buy components...

Yeah.. $500 is unrealistic
 
if I wanted to get into reloading 30'06, how much would it cost for all the presses and dies and other equipment? also what is around the average cost per round, and how much time to make each round? Want to have cheaper, more available ammunition. Might possibly see if some buddys want to pitch on it and each make our own rounds, but thus save costs on components. don't want the cheapest want a quality one, but not breaking the bank obviously. would also possibly be reloading 762x 54 for my mosin an SVT so I have non corrosive.
 
surplusshooter said:
if I wanted to get into reloading 30'06, how much would it cost for all the presses and dies and other equipment? also what is around the average cost per round, and how much time to make each round? Want to have cheaper, more available ammunition. Might possibly see if some buddys want to pitch on it and each make our own rounds, but thus save costs on components. don't want the cheapest want a quality one, but not breaking the bank obviously. would also possibly be reloading 762x 54 for my mosin an SVT so I have non corrosive.
Click to expand...

read this thread for most of your questions....
 
I searched online and locally for prices on projectiles, powder, and primers. Once I had that sorted out , I devided how many cartridges per pound of powder/ primers / projectiles. And I came up with what it cost me. It's better that way ,as every one has diff prices of what it cost them.
 
Brianma65 said:
I searched online and locally for prices on projectiles, powder, and primers. Once I had that sorted out , I devided how many cartridges per pound of powder/ primers / projectiles. And I came up with what it cost me. It's better that way ,as every one has diff prices of what it cost them.
Click to expand...

+1 this is exactly how to do it to determine cost, cost is relevant to the quality of the components you use and the caliber you shoot. I will never reload for someone else as it is illegal, and dangerous as the reloads that fit your rifle may well not fit thiers!!

Rodney
 
OP, you stated "recreational shooters". Is that like "recreational drug use"? Occasional use only, not addicted? Is that blasting off 2-3 hundred rounds every Saturday? Or 300 on the second Tuesday after a bank holiday?
The first thing you need to determine is HOW MANY ROUNDS WILL YOU RELOAD PER WEEK After that you can begin to pick a press. While progressives are great for volume reloading, calibre changes can be costly and time consuming. I wouldn't want to be the brand-new guy loading for 12 guys that shoot 2500 rounds a month and 200rds a month is pretty easy to shoot in a day.
You may wish to begin small. It has been suggested to get a turret press. Once set up and you understand the process, you can set it up to auto-index and easily produce 200 plinking rounds an hour, accuracy takes longer. I second the turret press. Several companies make them. I like Lee, but I am a cheap azz. I have both the value turret and the Classic cast turret. The cast one is bulletproof.
If you are going to reload the calibres you have stated, and stay under $500 for equipment, then you are buying Lee products. The basic turret kit (and I loaded thousands on it) will cost $200 thereabouts. Dies per calibre will run about $30 each. A Lee Load-All 12ga press is about $80. That leaves you $130 bucks for components. Not a lot of money for brass, hulls, wads, etc.
I wish you luck, but this is NOT a hobby you want you have time crunches in. And, last point, selling reloads is illegal without licence.
 
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