CGN has tons of threads and discussion about starting out in reloading, and pros/cons to just buying factory ammo online and in local stores when available. Explore the search tool, and you should have dozens of hours of reading on the subject.
My history: My first centerfire rifle was a 30-06. I bought ammo online and in local gun store. I kept all my brass cases. I wasn't sure if I would shoot enough to justify getting into reloading, but the value of brass cases is now well over a buck a case, approaching 2 bucks. Hold onto it, its valuable and can always be sold.
My original idea was for hunting a rifle. After a while, and alot of saved brass, I determined I was in fact going to shoot enough to warrant reloading - I would use my hunting rifle also for regular target shooting fun.
Since then I haven't looked back - I reload for the 30-06 and several other rifles in different calibers I have bought since. I have not bought factory ammo for many years now. I really enjoy the experimental methods of reloading, and shooting the results. Its a life-long enjoyable hobby and lifestyle.
Since I shoot over a thousand centerfire rounds per year, there is no question for me that reloading is a necessity to "save" money. To buy this amount of factory ammo retail would be impossible for me. But in taking up the shooting sports, one is not "saving" money so to speak. I am spending less money by reloading, but its still more money being spent than before I took up the shooting sports!
Recommendation: Buy a reloading manual and read it. This will give you a good idea of the basic gear needed to start out reloading. Its not as daunting as it first appears, because most of the approx. 2 inch thickness of the manual is reloading data per each caliber. The actual how-to text chapters are a small subset of the thickness of the manual.
I read through the Lee and Lyman reloading manuals. I skipped the pistol and revolver loading (since I don't own those firearms), and the lead bullet casting, since I focused on jacketed bullets. That reduced the chapters to a quick and easy read-through, well worth my time.
Once educated by the manuals, then I watched hundreds of YouTube videos on reloading stuff. The education from the manuals helps to filter the better videos from the not so good videos. Also, on YouTube there are alot of elite benchrest or high level competition reloading techniques and systems that are not necessary to get started at a beginner level. Learn the basics, then consider if you need to move to elite reloading methods.
For the 30-06, you can started reloading complete for under $100 with a Lee Loader kit. This will have limitations, but is perfectly fine for hunting and basic fun target shooting.
Later you can window shop online for relative prices, and watch YouTube videos to get a sense of what you might need/want.
For basic systems where accuracy and precision are your interest, then you add more gear like a press, die sets, calipers and other measuring tools, brass trimmers, brass cleaning equipment, etc. The reloading manuals will have all the details.
Find some friends at your local gun range, and they should be happy to help you with your reloading questions. As mentioned in previous post, some reloading components get scarce from time to time (currently large rifle primers are very scarce). But most good guys at the range will sell you some components for cost to help out a beginner get started. The serious shooters are all reloaders, and keep a robust inventory of primers and can likely spare a few hundred to help out a beginner.
Good luck, its a fun journey!
