Newbie Help getting started

[Adamg_55]

hey guys, i have used the search function and gone through the many posts on the getting started in reloading. But i have still have a couple questions.

First off, i have no reloading equipment, except for the spent brass i collected from my last shooting session. So my budget for all my reloading supplies is $1000. So for this $1000 what should i buy to get into reloading? I currently need to reload for a .40 S&W, i am getting an m14 so i need to reload for 7.62X51mm, and 7.62X54 (MN m44) and i am also looking at getting an FN49, so 8mm will be needed as well. I like to shoot the handgun a lot since it is winter and outside is too cold.

So i know that a progressive press would be better for larger quantity of pistol ammo, but a friends dad who reloads told me to go with a single stage press because it is my first and it is better to go slow an not make mistakes. So i would like some input on what to get. Also where is the best place to buy these products from? I am in Toronto if that makes a difference.

Also, i dont really mind spending time reloading, i currently have a lot of free time, so i am thinking a single stage is a good idea. Also can i use a progressive press for rifle rounds?

So anything you gurus can help a newbie out with is greatly appreciated. Also i would rather spend a bit more money for better quality, i dont want to be cheap, i want good quality equipment.

Thanks guys,
Adam

 

[TimberPig]

For a new reloader, stick to the single stage press. It is also superior to a progressive for producing accurate rifle ammo.

An RCBS kit is ~$400 and well worth it. You only need to add dies for your chamberings of choice to get started. You can add a progressive later for your pistol ammo, once you know what is going on with the single stage setup.


As to the FN 49, they can be found in .30-06 and 7X57 as well as 8X57, so I would wait until you buy that gun before you buy the dies for it.

 

[Rick]

You should be able to get a Lee single stage kit with everything you need for one caliber for around $100. It won't be the finest trimmer, the finest scale, etc, but it works. What's left should be able to get you a Dillon progressive. You can do even better if you look around and pick up some used stuff. And you'd have a whack of money left over.

The point is, you can get a pretty good start with $1000 to start with. You just need to figure out how you want to spread the money around. $500 will get you a Dillon 550B progressive, $250 will get you a Bonanza Coax single stage press which will still be working when you're dead and gone. That leaves you $250 for a case trimmer and powder scale and some hand tools. You should be able to do that easy. You said you wanted good quality equipment, and in my opinion it is hard to beat a Dillon progressive and a Bonanza Co-Ax single stage press.

I agree with the idea of starting out with a single stage press, but I don't agree with the concept that a single stage press makes it less likely to make mistakes. In fact, the repetitive handling of each case makes it more likely to make a mistake in my mind. What a single stage press does do is allow you to really get each stage of the reloading cycle firmly embedded in your head. However, after your third or fourth reloading session, you should have a grip on what goes on pretty clear in your mind.

A single stage press is great for doing trial loads, different things, etc. A Bonanza press lets you change dies in literally about two seconds, so it is much nicer for development than playing with the toolhead on a progressive.

If your friend's dad really thinks a single stage press is better, ask him if he's willing to reload your first 5000 pistol rounds with you! I started out reloading for my PPC shooting with a single stage press. It worked just fine, but it didn't take long to get absolutely sick of spending much of my free time doing nothing but reloading. For the guy who bangs off a couple of hundred handgun rounds each year, a single stage press is okay, but not many guys who shoot more than that are willing to tolerate the time requirements for reloading with a single stage press.

Yes, you can use a progressive press for rifle rounds, and contrary to some opinions, unless you're a benchrester or have a rifle with that kind of accuracy, you aren't going to notice the difference. The progressive press is a bit slower running through bottleneck cases than straight walled handgun cases, but they are still one hell of a lot faster than a single stage press.

I do load most of my hunting loads on a single stage press, but mostly because the low number of reloads for those rifles each year does not justify buying the shell head and setting up a progressive just for that. My .303 British and .223 rounds all go through a progressive, and the accuracy is no better when I prepare those same loads in a single stage press instead of a progressive press. The .223 is a solid .3 MOA load and usually does better when I'm having a good day. I guess if your rifles will do better than that you may find a progressive press begins to let you down in the accuracy department.

Midway will sell you the Bonanza press (and your other tools), and Dillon will sell you the press. You might find a local dealer out East where you live that can give you better pricing than Midway and Dillon, but I doubt it.

The other goodies you need at a minimum are a powder scale, case trimmer, a decent set of vernier calipers, and a case mouth chamfer and deburring tool. That should get you going, and all for under $1000