Tooling up for reloading

ThisIsMyBoomstick

ThisIsMyBoomstick

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For someone just getting into reloading, what should I invest in tool-wise? I'll be reloading 223 and eventually 308. I've been shopping around and RCBS and Lee have the most affordable kits. The RCBS kits I've found come with everything except for the dies for a little over $800, and the higher end Lee's are around the same price and I think they come with the dies. Are the kits worth it, or should I just select the press and get the individual components separately?

I know it goes beyond the equipment, with consumables being an ongoing cost. We were going through between 80 and 100 rounds a week over the summer (my daughter and I share the rifle) and at a little over $1/shot, its getting expensive.

If I pretend the tooling and brass didn't cost me anything, is sub $0.80/round feasible? High end/low end?

Thank you.
 
Hello
I would recommend buying used higher end tools if you can . The calibers you want are very common ,so lots of gently used stuff out there.
Paying 50-60% of new price is possible.
Redding , RCBS presses would be my preference, if they are made of cast iron. They will last you over 20 years …
Just not a fan of Aluminum alloys for longevity.
You can find bargains on Kijji , townpost etc. lots of folks got in to reloading and are getting out , with some quality products at bargain prices.

Reloading costs are getting a little high, but so is everything else.
I built a simple spreadsheet to calculate costs.
It’s self explanatory and easy to make. Variables are in green…
This is close to a 223 cost….using Lapua brass .

Hope this helps
Pete

IMG_5320.png
 
Thanks for sharing the spreadsheet.
257Wby said:
Reloading costs are getting a little high, but so is everything else.
I built a simple spreadsheet to calculate costs.
It’s self explanatory and easy to make. Variables are in green…
This is close to a 223 cost….using Lapua brass .

Hope this helps
Pete
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep an eye on the used market.

So, not necessarily cheaper, but you are getting a potentially better round for roughly the same price as a budget target round. I think I can sell that to my wife. Well ... maybe...
 
ThisIsMyBoomstick said:
Thanks for sharing the spreadsheet.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep an eye on the used market.

So, not necessarily cheaper, but you are getting a potentially better round for roughly the same price as a budget target round. I think I can sell that to my wife. Well ... maybe...
Click to expand...
That’s exactly how I explained it to my wife. It’s when you start stock piling consumables they start to question if it’s actually saving anything?
 
Hmatt said:
That’s exactly how I explained it to my wife. It’s when you start stock piling consumables they start to question if it’s actually saving anything?
Click to expand...
I know that tone. When she opens the gun safe and wonders where the new [insert name of action] came from.
 
check out gun shows. Lots of used presses available, used dies, used everything.
I agree with 257, get a cast iron press, stay away from aluminum.
Older RCBS, Pacific, C-H, they are all rock solid single stage presses

I really like Lyman #55 powder measures. Same for Ohaus or RCBS scales.

Look around, you will find good deals
 
I think you would be better off buying all your tools separately
Problem with the kits is they come with a lot of stuff that you will end up replacing anyway
I like the Lee classic turret press as you can set up your dies once on the turret and forget about them
If you want to load 308 later just buy another spare turret for 20 bucks
Lee pacesetter dies come with the shell holders and the crimp die too
 
Deathrawt said:
I think you would be better off buying all your tools separately
Problem with the kits is they come with a lot of stuff that you will end up replacing anyway
I like the Lee classic turret press as you can set up your dies once on the turret and forget about them
If you want to load 308 later just buy another spare turret for 20 bucks
Lee pacesetter dies come with the shell holders and the crimp die too
Click to expand...
This is good advice.

My current plan is to buy the consumables when I see them at good price, and start collecting the tools as I see them come up on ####### and other used sites.

While waiting, I'll try what FH Munition is selling.

Thanks for all the inputs.
 
ThisIsMyBoomstick said:
For someone just getting into reloading, what should I invest in tool-wise? I'll be reloading 223 and eventually 308. I've been shopping around and RCBS and Lee have the most affordable kits. The RCBS kits I've found come with everything except for the dies for a little over $800, and the higher end Lee's are around the same price and I think they come with the dies. Are the kits worth it, or should I just select the press and get the individual components separately?

I know it goes beyond the equipment, with consumables being an ongoing cost. We were going through between 80 and 100 rounds a week over the summer (my daughter and I share the rifle) and at a little over $1/shot, its getting expensive.

If I pretend the tooling and brass didn't cost me anything, is sub $0.80/round feasible? High end/low end?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

This place usually is the lowest for Hornady bullets. https://www.higginsonpowders.com/products/bullets.html
Speer Hot Cor bullets tend to be the cheapest and 50 ish hundred for 308 at Xreload and work well at 550 yards in my 44 year old M70 308 with 4500 rounds on it.
VV powders only $160 kg and temp stable. Plenty of ball powder at that price but much more temp sensitive, causing very flat primers and different POI on hot afternoons.
45 grains in 308 is another 50 cents.
Primers 25 cents.
Lapua brass should reloadable 25 times for sure ( I’ve had bad lots of cheaper brands fail in two reloads). $200/100=another 8 cents.
$1.33 minimum. Hope my math is good.
 
I liketo recommend the RCBS 9366 Rockchucker kit as a guide to use to look for equipt. Good press, good priming tool. Powder thrower is useful for ball powders if you choose to use them. I can have 20-25 loaded by the time my Chargemaster warms up, and an elec dispenser is really the only upgrade to the beam scale most folk will ever make. Beam is the very best backup scale to have when you own elec scales, as they will eventually krap. Another upgrade people make is to a case prep center, most will still keep and use the hand tools in that 9366 kit as well. You'll need to add a trimmer, there are a few options there, Lee makes an adaptor for their trim accessories that can be used on a case prep ctr. Franklin makes a case prep ctr with or without a trimmer. There are drill operated ones like the LIttle Crow WFT or a Giraud Triway, then there are lathe style like RCBS, Forster, Wilson, and other styles like a Henderson or Giraud. Need Allen wrenches, dial caliper does not need batteries, 0-1" micrometer. Derraco comparator kit is heartily recommended (Dominion Outdoors or Amazon).
Read a reloading manual, the data is handy, but the how to, procedures section is essential, Lyman & Lee have the most info about relading in general, bullet mfgr manuals are best to have for data, powder mfgrs data is all online. You Tube has some good channels, read a reloading manual before watching YT though. Johnny's Reloading Bench has good stuff on, 223, 6,5 CM, 300WM, cartridge is pretty much irrelevent, what he shows for procedures and how to's and trouble shooting and various equipt is good stuff though, he will show what's good, and call out what isn't, and he shows what issues can occur, and how to fix them. Once you understand a bit of what is what there, It doesn't hurt to watch some of the competition shooters, even if you don't want to shoot comps, the stuff they do and instruct people about, isn't wrong, good to be aware of at least. Hornady Podcast has some good stuff, shud look at Erik Cortina, Winning in the Wind, Primal Rights, LIttle Crow Gunworks. You don't need all the expensive tooling some use, just the knowledge of what they are trying to accomplish and how they do it.
Most of the expensive stuff is bought to satisfy OCD, speed things up, or to take a trip down a rabbit hole. You don't need to join a Patreon site or a pay to participate forum, all those guys give their secrets away for free anyway, if you watch enough of their appearances. And you'll see a lot of other folk giving much the same advice to confirm what these guys are saying. Just a matter of what level of OCD you are afflicted with, and depth of the pocket book.
 
209jones said:
And you'll see a lot of other folk giving much the same advice to confirm what these guys are saying. Just a matter of what level of OCD you are afflicted with, and depth of the pocket book.
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Thank you for the comprehensive response. I need to spend some time absorbing what you invested time in writing up, and I'll either respond back here or pm you (if that's cool) with any questions.

As for OCD, yeah, it can get pretty bad.
 
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