Been wanting to start reloading for the better part of 20 years. Finally pulled the trigger.
Lots of stored knowledge in the brain, but no practical experience, but here are my thoughts.
Hard to beat this kit for the $. I had a discount coupon for Cabela's, so the price was even better. Down to $80.
Add a die set ($46), a trim kit (another $50) and some calipers. $200 in change and you are off to the races.
Mounting the press is easy if you posses any skill with basic hand tools. Sturdy bench is a must.
The instructions for setting up the priming feature on the press is... vague at best. It also took more that a little coaxing to get the pin into the hole. Use patience and caution. The press is cast and you could crack it. Once figured out, it's easy enough to use.
The digital scale is.... crap. My first one died in a day. (Cabela's replaced it) If it runs, it works ok, but you need patience to use it. I bought another (still cheap) scale off amazon with much better reviews. It's better but needs regular calibration and still requires patience. You aren't likely to win any PRS matches with this setup, but you can still make excellent ammo.
I noticed that in the US the have a version of the kit with beam scales. I was attracted to this kit over others because of the digital scale. Lesson learned. There's a reason precision guys use beam scales. Might be my next investment.
Despite everything i read and thought i knew, some stuff is straightforward, but you could reload for decades and still learn. I've already learned new things i'd never even considered. This is one of the best parts of the hobby for me.
That said, be safe, working up things like max loads with the components in these kits (aka the scale) should be approached with caution.
You can definitely pay back your investment very quickly. The best factory load for my 223 rifle runs about $2.00 a trigger press. I can duplicate this load (actually make it better) for 50 cents. This is the type of reloading this kit excels at. I wouldn't want to load 1000 9mm to go plinking at the range on this setup.
It's winter, there's enough snow here to shut down the schools and keep everyone indoors. I'd rather reload than watch TV any day.
Go buy one already.
