Initial Cost to Start Reloading?

Mazeofmystery said:
Would something like the "Lee® 50th Anniversary Reloader Kit" suffice in allowing me to test the waters for reloading? Is all thats missing some dies and case lube? I'd probably get a digital scale too... and of course, shells, bullets, powder, and primers.
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Absolutely.
Don't listen to those that say you need to spend thousands of dollars to start reloading.
My original Lee press has made thousands of rounds and still has a place on my bench despite my moving on to bigger and better equipment.
I would add a small electronic scale and an MTM reloading tray like the one in my pic.
Also get the Lee trim stud and collet for the caliber you want to reload for.

PS: Don't forget a bullet puller.
 
In general, basic reloading steps are:

  1. Inspect brass
  2. Deprime the brass with a universal deprimer die..
  3. Clean primer pockets and clean the brass.
  4. Lube and resize
  5. Measure and trim
  6. Chamfer/deburr.
  7. Set primer.
  8. Load powder
  9. Load bullets.
to accomplish these tasks as prescribed above you need:

Case preparation tools:
universal depriming die, case trimmer, chamfer and deburring tool, primer pocket cleaner tool, a caliper

Powder handling:
Scale, powder funnel, trickler, powder thrower

Resizing and finalizing the rounds:
A press, shellholder and dies, loading block, lube

If you go into advanced stuff you might need:
Flash Hole Uniformer, OAL Gauge, Headspace caliper adapters, Neck-Turn tool, bullet comparator, concentricity tool....

If you load a lot then you might need:
Tumbler, media separator, turret press, autocharge powder dispenser, case stuck remover, case preparation center....

Initial investment is at about +/-$500 and it can easily go to $5000 but it is fun.
If someone can teach you, this would be the best. Doin it by yourself is also doable. I start reloaded by myself. YouTube is your friend.

Now, the real life reloading economics are not as good as the theoretical ones, as you will shoot more... more trips and time in the range.... potential spills and other f.ups in reloading room....
BUT you will have a better round than factory, you will become a better shooter, you are not in the mercy of stores and the economics improve when you start reloading for other guns you will buy.

good luck
 
The Lee starter kits are amazing for starters or people on a budget, you could probably source it all cheaper but it gives you everything at once, you’ll eventually want a digital scale likely, a brass trimmer, case lube pad etc, but in theory you can roll with what came in the Lee kit plus your die set.

Something I didn’t see mentioned which curtails to your original post, availability, before you get your hopes up, research the powders you plan on using and make sure you can get them, and if you can, order them. I’ve found the last couple years especially insane for finding any of the powders I need.
 
Humblepie said:
In my view, the financial cost is negligible. Mostly, it's the investment of time, effort, and creating some competence.
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At first, I thought this comment might be "flippant", but I now think it is true. If you are the type of shooter who still has shells left in the box that you bought last fall, is not likely that you will ever "break even" by spending any amount of money on reloading gear, and your time to learn, and the mistakes that you will make, and the "competence" that you will gain to load for your rifle, safely. Some of us expend 30 to 50 rounds (or more!) just to find a "best" loading recipe for our rifle - sounds absurd, I am sure, to a 5 round per year shooter. Add in to that mix that today is sort of difficult to actually find to buy the primers, powder and bullets that you might want to use.

If dollars are a big concern - consider that primers come in trays of 100 - so like $10 to $12 these days - even if you only want to use 5 of them. Powder is usually in one pound jugs - so, say $90 per pound - is 7,000 grains - even if you only intend to use 5 x 45 grains - going to have to buy that full pound. Bullets - typically $45 to $90 (?) or so for box of 100 these days. So you are likely going to lay out $12 + $90 + $45 = $147 - even if you only intend to load 5 rounds. (Substitute prices that you will pay, if different than around here.) Some that are new-to-the-reloading-game do not get that. As recently happened here, will find out that many hundreds of dollars of reloading stuff do not do much for the potential reloader, if he does not have the specific shell holder for the press, for that specific cartridge. Except for what is consumed on firing - most of that stuff can be sold later - to recover at least some of the initial cost - if that person decides reloading is not for them.

Was also a question why home hand loader can not simply duplicate what factories do - factory shells seem to work in all rifles. Mainly, they use pressure test machines which most all home hand loaders do not have access to - they know, fairly accurately, what amount of psi those loads will produce from a SAAMI spec chamber. Then, they typically use powders in very large quantities - like in tons - that they blend or add additives to - is NOT usually the same powder, at all, that you buy one pound at a time, at the store.
 
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I spend about 300 when I started and bought mostly of members here. (So thanks guys !)
Over the last 8 years or so I bought new equipment and different presses like a Dillon 650 and Redding t7.
Still got my old rcbs single
 
So, as above, if my price guesses are correct (Post #10) - get to save about $34 per box of 20 to reload for yourself, versus paying $60 per box. Spend $300 for gear to do so (Post #27) - takes about 9 boxes of shells to get to the black - OP has to decide if that is worth doing or not.
 
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