Reloading on a budget?

Yes. I began reloading 30-06 years ago on a equipment budget (not including components) of $200. It all depends on the type of press you want to get.
 
Despite what some may tell you, you don’t need lab grade equipment and an 8000 dollar investment to load quality ammo.
 
Find a Lee Breech Lock Challenger loading kit for a couple hundred; add a set of dies, including a trim die; another $125 for powder and bullets (assuming you've been saving your once-fired brass) should put you around the $400 mark.

You'll find yourself adding a few other pieces here and there as you go along and there are other simple tools (like a trickler) that you can easily make yourself.
 
Lee breech lock Challenger kit 90030 $260 This is a deal as the same kit off Amazon is $80 more.
Four pack of Spline Drive locking bushings (trust me, you'll want these) 90095 $32
Reloading tray of some sort or if you're a handy sort drill a bunch of clean holes in some board to make your own.
.308 reloading dies - I'd suggest the Lee Ultimate set at $84 as it will include both full length and neck size only dies. Your brass lasts longer if you only neck size after shooting the brass one time. You do not need to full length size every time if you're shooting from a bolt or single shot rifle.

There'll be a few other little things but if you opted for this setup you're looking at a touch over $400 after taxes and shipping is added on. Prices shown I got from Rusty Wood's web site.

Of course you'll need a bench and some other bits and bobs. Some of which you may have already.
 
Single stage press, dies, decent scale, Lee trim stud and cartridge holder, and some way to prime cases (either on the press or off with a hand primer). It could be done easily for under $300 if you can find it used on the EE.
 
Started with and still use a 1978 manufacture RCBS Jr. press and dies.

Not into big production but from 20 to 100 rounds in one batch is pretty easy.
 
One more vote for Lee. I bought a 50th anniversary kit in 2011. And would recommend it. It is the only press I have used, but I do believe there is better equipment available. The only part of the kit that I no longer use is the scale, I use a RCBS beam scale that I got at a gun show. I find life and other interests limit my shooting to a few hundred center fire rounds a year, so I don't need an expensive fast press.
 
Crackdown said:
Is it possible to start reloading 308 on a $300-400 budget?
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Yes it is. Lee 50th Anniversary Reloader Kit has everything you need for brass and powder.

You have to add:
a caliper +/-$25
shellholder and dies +/-$70
loading block +/-$15
champfer and deburr tool +/- $20
primer pocket cleaner tool +/-$10
Lube +/-$10

Reloading steps would be:
  1. Inspect brass
  2. Back off resizing die and deprime the brass on the press without resizing it.
  3. Clean primer pockets.
  4. Clean all the brass in soap water (ask google for recipes). Rinse dry.
  5. Adjust resizing die. Lube cases. Resize
  6. Measure and trim
  7. Chamfer/deburr.
  8. Set primer using presses priming arm.
  9. Adjust powder thrower using the beam scale.
  10. Load powder
  11. Load bullets. Check OAL.

Be aware that items as described are in your upper limit and depending on how much you reload and in the quality you want to achieve, you still might want to invest some more in the future.
A tumbler.
A brass trimmer.
Digital powder thrower.
Flash hole uniformer
Universal decaping die.....
 
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