looking for some advice

Re-read what I said carefully!



With that said, while frank(the)tank was going all chicken little I was busy uploading a bunch of manuals to my drop box:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uboy...ey=jj5qcmlioyb3d28con3w24dvb&st=ce258q2w&dl=0
I think for a lot of us a pdf file will never replace a book you can flip through on the bench, don’t get me wrong I like having reloading manuals in pdf form. I have 4 on my phone, it’s nice to be able to reference components when you see something on the shelf that you don’t normally use. I still have 10 different ones on my shelf though, both are useful.
 
I think for a lot of us a pdf file will never replace a book you can flip through on the bench, don’t get me wrong I like having reloading manuals in pdf form. I have 4 on my phone, it’s nice to be able to reference components when you see something on the shelf that you don’t normally use. I still have 10 different ones on my shelf though, both are useful.

In the words of that Frozen bit¢h...Let it go, let it go...lol.

Both are the same.
 
Value, buy what’s in your price range.. if you can afford a starter kit buy one… if not take notes of what’s in the starter kit and keep your eyes peeled. More manuals the better, I’m in the actual physical book camp but I also have about 15 of them in pdf on the computer. I started with the Lee kit and a Lyman digital scale off of amazon. Only thing I’ve upgraded so far is getting a pilot trimmer. Everything else is the same as I picked it all up used.

Edit : added info
 
RCBS Rock Chucker press rcbs dies the rest is does not make a big difference
manuals are for guide line only
i prefer nosler all load data will very from manual to manual
when get set up the manual will have a section in the front on step by step set up for your equipment read it twice and fallow the instructions it does not matter what your friends say to do or what the internet says to do
Enjoy
 
While I too like the tactile of a real book thanks for the link here also.
That's the published information I'm referring to.
 
Best brands? Want good quality reliable equipment that will last a long time so not concerned about price.
When it comes to reloading equipment, quality and reliability are really not connected. Inexpensive LEE equipment can be exceptionally reliable and long lived. I had a Lee Turret Press for 37 years and it was highly reliable.

Today it is possible to spend $500+ on a set of dies. That price reflects quality and precision but has nothing to do with reliability.

There is some advice posted here you should ignore. Absolutely buy a hardcopy reloading manual. Reading a PDF off a screen is not the same.

As a newbie you should absolutely NOT start with a progressive press. For rifle you want a single stage press. For handgun you would be best served by starting with a turret press of some kind. The reason for this is that a progressive press is complicated and there is a lot going on, which is difficult for a newbie to monitor. Also a progressive can make A LOT of bad ammo in a short period of time.

You do not learn to drive in a F1 car. Reloading is the same.


Get the autotrickler V4, you wont regret it
A total newbie should spend $1500 on a powder measure system? REALLY? Like REALLY? WTF are you smoking?
 
When it comes to reloading equipment, quality and reliability are really not connected. Inexpensive LEE equipment can be exceptionally reliable and long lived. I had a Lee Turret Press for 37 years and it was highly reliable.

Today it is possible to spend $500+ on a set of dies. That price reflects quality and precision but has nothing to do with reliability.

There is some advice posted here you should ignore. Absolutely buy a hardcopy reloading manual. Reading a PDF off a screen is not the same.

As a newbie you should absolutely NOT start with a progressive press. For rifle you want a single stage press. For handgun you would be best served by starting with a turret press of some kind. The reason for this is that a progressive press is complicated and there is a lot going on, which is difficult for a newbie to monitor. Also a progressive can make A LOT of bad ammo in a short period of time.

You do not learn to drive in a F1 car. Reloading is the same.



A total newbie should spend $1500 on a powder measure system? REALLY? Like REALLY? WTF are you smoking?
Read post #1 again. Just because it’s not a cheap option doesn’t mean it should be discarded just because “you are a newbie”
Why so emotional?
 
A total newbie should spend $1500 on a powder measure system? REALLY? Like REALLY? WTF are you smoking?
I am not familiar with the model of auto scale system that was suggested but, I have a Hornady auto charge and IIRC, it was around $600 CAD, a far cry from $1500. I absolutely LOVE my auto charge and would not want to load with a beam scale ever again. If it is in the budget (and the OP said that cost is not a consideration) newbie or not, I would highly recommend one. Not unlike the press. There are MUCH cheaper options out there than the Forster Co-ax but if there is a better single stage available, I have not seen it. The beauty of buying quality fight out of the gate is that, should one decide reloading is not for them, quality equipment holds its value better than cheap, especially entry level equipment and can easily by resold at a minimum depreciation.
 
I am not familiar with the model of auto scale system that was suggested but, I have a Hornady auto charge and IIRC, it was around $600 CAD, a far cry from $1500. I absolutely LOVE my auto charge and would not want to load with a beam scale ever again.
I had the lock n load model, paid around 500 and it died last year. I decided to go for the V4, no comparison.
 
I think a lot of people are giving advice here, which is good, but I believe more information is needed.

Ultimately, reloading is like any enthusiast hobby, you can go as shallow or as deep as you like or can afford.

To help determine what is best, I would recommend asking yourself what your goal is for reloading. Also, what are your intended purposes for the reloaded rounds.

For instance, someone who's looking into casually shooting and just wants decent rounds that go bang, their needs are going to be very very different than let's say a precision ELR shooter where minor variances in velocity SD can significantly make or break your chances to hit the target.
 
Hey looking for some advice on starting out reloading.
I currently don't have any reloading equipment except for a few dies I've picked up over the years with used guns.
I want to buy a new press, am I best off buying a starter kit or piece out scales, primer, tumbler etc separate?
Best brands? Want good quality reliable equipment that will last a long time so not concerned about price.
Any suggestion??
Thanks

There's a lot of value in a kit as long as you don;t get the el-cheapo one. The cheap stuff will end up costing you twice as much in the long run.

I like the Lee book is the best for a beginner. There's a lot of good information in the front 3rd of that book. I'd avoid the Lee kits though. The press is okay, but all the other stuff in there is junk. It'll work, but you'll be replacing it all piece-by-piece over the next couple years as you realize it's not what you really needed.

There are good entry-level options from Lyman, RCBS, and Hornady - worth the extra money.

If you load for rifles, a single-stage press is better. If you're loading for pistol shooting, I'd recommend buying two presses (shop used to save $).

Good luck and be safe.
 
I had the lock n load model, paid around 500 and it died last year. I decided to go for the V4, no comparison.
Mine is the Hornady charge pro. From what I found when researching what auto trickler to get the info I found suggested that the new charge pro is significantly better that the previous model. At any rate, I have had zero issues and love my charge pro. If it shuts the bed, I’ll have to look into if this is a “thing” or I was just unlucky before I choose its replacement. I don’t expect this to become an issue but anything is possible.
 
Mine is the Hornady charge pro. From what I found when researching what auto trickler to get the info I found suggested that the new charge pro is significantly better that the previous model. At any rate, I have had zero issues and love my charge pro. If it shuts the bed, I’ll have to look into if this is a “thing” or I was just unlucky before I choose its replacement. I don’t expect this to become an issue but anything is possible.
Just posting this here, they are way better than they were (what I had).


The V4 has two throwing tubes, which allows it to throw faster. You calibrate it based on the powder you're using, and it even learns with each throw.

 
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