New to reloading
- Thread starter RCloud
- Start date
if you are going to be doing handgun ammo i highly recomend an indexing loader like this http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/reloading/presses/auto-index-turret-press/prod54696.html generally speaking when you go out shooting, it is a couple hundred rounds, a couple hundred rounds on a single stage press is a few hours of time, this will speed things up enormously. Many may smite the name Lee, but everybody i know that has one has zero issues with them. as for the rest of the equipment, an automated charge dispenser for arround 250$ (sale price) will save you tons of time as well. i personally dislike beam scales, i have never used the one that came with my rcbs, and my powder dispenser has never thrown the same charge twice. thats my 2 cents anyways
RCloud I would look at the Lee 50th Anniversary Kit for Single Stage or Lee Classic Turret kit for a turret thats a little faster and a set of Lee .45ACP dies to get started. The first kit does not have a manual so I would add or make sure you are getting one like Lee Modern Reloading. You may even want to buy a manual first to read. It will always be useful for shooting and loading. I would check out FS Reloading in the US they have some of the cheaper pricing.
Being as I just bought a Lee "Classic" Turret Press for my .45acp, I would STRONGLY suggest the same press to anyone just getting into reloading as a hobby.
It's fast enough to do 50 rounds in about 15-25 minutes.. But also controlled enough to see every step along the way, and you can watch for irregularities.
Seriously. And the Lee Pro Auto-Disk Powder measure is awesome and fairly accurate with the Win 231 that I've been using.
The Lee "Classic" Turret Press kit is a great kit for a beginner just starting out. You set up your dies once, and that's IT. You can leave them alone. You'll have to pull each die with a single stage, and seriously you'll regret buying a single. Unless you plan on reloading Rifle rounds as well and REALLY want to take your time. But even then, With the turret your dies won't change unless you change them.
Give me a PM if you want more info. I'd really like to see you be as happy as I am with a future purchase.
Take a look at this video.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPoLxeCAhcQ
You could get either the Turret Press or the Classic Turret Press. The Classic can do longer cartridges with the indexing rod removed. The way I looked at it was that if I got the classic, I have more opportunity to do bigger calibers later on if I wanted too.
Strongly recommend a book - The ABCs of Reloading. It's one of the best introductions to reloading and will answer many questions. You will also need a reloading manual put out by one of the major companies - don't take anything off the internet until you have some experience. There's a lot of sh*t out there, some of it dangerous.
Single stage vs turret vs progressive... I think it mainly depends on how much ammo you are reloading. If you are shooting 100 rounds a week, a single-stage is fine. If you're shooting 2,000 rounds a week, then you need a progressive.
Much of the fuss over brand is the same as that between GMC and Ford trucks - personal taste and bias. I've got a multi-coloured reloading bench and have no complaints about any brand.
Welcome to the dark side.
Single stage vs turret vs progressive... I think it mainly depends on how much ammo you are reloading. If you are shooting 100 rounds a week, a single-stage is fine. If you're shooting 2,000 rounds a week, then you need a progressive.
Much of the fuss over brand is the same as that between GMC and Ford trucks - personal taste and bias. I've got a multi-coloured reloading bench and have no complaints about any brand.
Welcome to the dark side.
for a hand loader, you can get one from lee - http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-hand-press.html
i have one and while it's a bit thin metal wise, it's enough for my smith and wesson 500 rounds.
just sit in front of the tv and you can mindless size/deprime, flare, and prime (i use a lee autoprime as it's a pain to load each primer into the hand press). i can do 100x 9mm in about 30 minutes from clean brass to loaded rounds. that's using a lee Automatic Powder Measure to load them with powder.
i have one and while it's a bit thin metal wise, it's enough for my smith and wesson 500 rounds.
just sit in front of the tv and you can mindless size/deprime, flare, and prime (i use a lee autoprime as it's a pain to load each primer into the hand press). i can do 100x 9mm in about 30 minutes from clean brass to loaded rounds. that's using a lee Automatic Powder Measure to load them with powder.
