first setup what am i missing

mcp1 said:
I'll second the bullet puller and add the ABC's of reloading. A small mirror as well if you want to check primer seating depth.
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Agreed.

I'd also consider:

  • good lighting. Critical requirement.

  • some sort of book to keep track of your results (some loads will perform better than others). You can pay $$ for special ones, but a cheap school notebook will do just as well.

  • fire extinguisher and eye protection - you won't need them until you really need them.

  • spare decapping pins - like a stuck case remover (closer to $5 than $20, IIRC), they're cheap insurance.

  • toss the lube pad with the kit and buy a small can of Imperial Sizing Die Wax. It'll last forever and is both quicker and less messy.

  • legal place to store primers and propellant. See sticky for details.

  • a small flashlight.
 
Powderfinger61 said:
Big screen monitor hooked up to your laptop to watch reloading videos
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HERE HERE !! :D

Wallyworld small LCD with cheap ass Wallyworld DVD (which will play the $4 ripped convenience store DVDs ;)) and and old surround sound system which was laying around for years.

Makes it that much more enjoyable :D

Full Metal Jacket while reloading....priceless
 
ben hunchak said:
It is very difficult for one to "bite his tongue" when he has seen the recommended equipment fail on so many occasions. I think there is more at play here though, maybe the amount of "dealers" trying to flog this cheap equip?
Anyhow the OP looks like he has already purchased equip., so it is not for me to say!
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Perhaps a query on this forum prior to purchasing equipment would have produced a different set-up for the OP, perhaps not.
Perhaps cost was a factor and Lee is a sure winner in the cost department.
I am just getting into reloading as well and did not want to drop the cash on a Dillon for my first press, though I did consider it. I did however find a used Pacific single stage press for a good price. Among all the other stuff, I did get some Lee Deluxe Die sets & crimp dies. I have reads lots of threads on dies and some don't care for them, but most re-loaders find they do just as good a job and many find the Lee crimp dies to be good. The fact that I got them brand new for half price may have had something to do with it. In any event, time will tell how I like them compared to others I try. I will learn as I go as will the OP as did most on here who didn't grow up with a dad who reloaded. I'm sure there are other scenarios, but you get my drift. I'm hoping that as I meet other people who reload, I will get to see & try other presses, etc. to compare.

Though your post may be true, perhaps frank comments would have actually been more useful, if not for the OP, perhaps for the next person cruising the forum looking for info on what to get or not to get for his "first set-up".
Of course there is no shortage of "dealers" looking to sell cheap equipment.
 
Good post Wired leader.
I think with respect to loading equipment that it is a good idea to keep an open mind and seriously consider all opinions because it is easy to develop a dislike for a brand in general rather than point out a particular item from said brand that is proven inferior.
I don't think we help anyone by condeming any specific brand by name.
 
Wired....I hear you, and the Dillon is a good unit, but is progressive and a diff. argument. I guess that with the amount that I reload, including case forming, bullet sizing/swaging...good equipment is important. I had a lee press once, it busted the first time I used it, Lee dies guarantee misalignment just by their design as everytime your case enters the die you're "headspacing" on a rubber O-ring. These nuts can be changed but it just shows the kind of thought process used in design. I cast an awful lot of bullets and the Lee bullet molds I started with have all busted/worn out long ago. Quality equipment made by makers like RCBS, Redding, Forster, Lyman, Star, are still with me and making quality reloads, just like day one. My equip. gets used pretty hard and I learned long ago, that cheap stuff won't be around in a week, so err on the side of quality, not on the side of cheap!
 
Thanks Kevan! There will always be people who have had bad experiences with particular item from a brand and then be turned off the brand for ever. Some manufacturers are better in some areas than others.

Ben, I couldn't agree with you more about quality equipment. I may not know much about reloading equipment at the moment, but I am a contractor by trade and am always telling the pups to spend a little more and get a tool that will be with your for awhile. Also agree about the apples to oranges with single stage vs. progressive, but I would have been happy with either if it suited my needs which at the moment is just loading rifle rounds for punching paper and hunting, so I felt that the single would certainly be adequate for me at this time. In regards to the O-rings on the Lee dies, are you referring to the ones on the locking rings? I was aware of that issue and just plan to order some RCBS locking nuts. I was however reading something else recently about another O-ring issue or so I remember. My lack of memory tells me it was at the time very late and I was probably on the nod. Perhaps you will know what that is about??
In any event, I'm sure as time progresses, my bench will see a few different brands of equipment. The seller of the Pacific also had a progressive Lee for the same price. I went with the much older Pacific for reasons you already know.
Looking forward to picking up lots of useful tips and ideas here!!
 
For sure don`t overlook used equipment, lots for sale at gun shows. Few years back a fellow selling a bunch of stuff put a "for free" sign on an old press. It sat all weekend with nobody even looking at it. A good friend of mine picked it up at closing time, sold it for $25 couple of weeks later. As for Lee stuff i wore out a priming tool, no replacment parts as the changed the design. I have a mixed bag of equipment, green red and orange i don`t care what color if it does the job for me.
 
Nothing wrong with Lee

You have most of what you need, as already mentioned, a trimmer, manual and and a set of safety glasses. Make sure you do some reading, and knowing a reloader who can show you hands on would be nice. I have been at it for 30 years and still learn new things. Its a bug, and it usually starts rolling quick enough once you start.
I own all sorts of equipment, Lee, RCBS, Lyman and Saeco. I will tell you right now, Lee is second to none and my prefered tools to use. Good luck and be careful.
 
Got the fire extinguisher and glasses and have added the trimmer to my list. I have lee products for reloading shotguns and after 12000 rounds its still going strong. I do agree with buying the best tools one can afford for long time service but I think the lee will suit my needs for now. As for light I have a directional ceiling lighting and am planning to build a canopy with dual strip 4' light bulbs in t8. The bench I'm building will be 8'x2' with an enclosed shelf beneath and canopy top with a peg board back rest. This shoukd give me sufficient room to work. Thanks for all the imput
 
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