What do I "really" need? New setup

I strongly recommend the RCBS kit.
I found a new in the box very old Rockcrusher press and was real happy
with the deal.
By the time I added all the kibbles and bits it well surpassed the price
of a kit even at todays inflated prices.
I'd stick a WTB in the EE and see what pops up.
Those kits should be able to be found at the $400 mark, give or take a few bucks.

And I try and purchase RCBS dies where I can find them.
Sometimes Lee sneaks into the shelf.

WSS had a decent sale on and dies were around the $45 dollar mark for non-awdd
case head stampings.
 
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I started about the same way decades ago.

I have an RCBS Rock chucker and a Lee hand press. I use the hand press more than anything and I can use it at the range or if needed. I use the Lee dies, powder dipper, funnel and a digital scale. I have 2 manuals, Lee reloading manual and a Nosler Manual.

I also can case trim, clean primer pockets and I use a Lee hand primer. Other than that and a few shell holders and plastic ammo boxes that is plenty for what I need.
 
Take a close look at the Lee Classic Cast press. This is a heavy duty press at a very attractive price & has one of the best used primer retention systems available.

Lesse here.

Minute of pie plate ammo?

Cheap?

At the cabin? (so, subject to maybe, not there when you get there?)

As much as I like the Lee Classic Cast, which is a disproportionately heavy and solid, for the cost, press, I figure the OP's actual needs are pretty much a hand press and a set of Lee dies that come with a scoop and a chart.

Throw a Lee Hand Prime tool into the mix, along with the powder funnel of choice, and a Lee Case Trimmer (three separate, not expensive pieces, the cutter/holder, the specific case holder, and the mandrel which sets the length), and you have safe decent shooting ammo until you run out of components or your elbows break down from wear and tear.

Complete loading kit in a lunch box, including powder, primers and bullets.

Any of the kits will work, and very well, for doing less than bench rest accuracy ammo. My general suggestion would be that you will end up with a lot of duplicate stuff if you buy the kit, which you will just dump later when you find something that better suits you.
Since you don't seem averse to doing a little homework up front, I would suggest that unless a kit has exactly the stuff in it that you have decided you want, skip the kits and just buy the various tools individually, in whatever colors suit your eye best.

I ate a LOT of venison, and shot almost the same weight in gophers, with ammo that was loaded on a crappy little hand press from Lyman, that makes the Lee die-cast stuff look like downright heavy duty equipment. There isn't very much truly bad or incapable reloading gear out there. You can buy all red, green, blue, whatever, if you are trying to impress the interior decorators, or you can buy a mixed of tools and get on with it. Or a Lee Loader and a rubber mallet.

Cheers
Trev
 
I'm in Winnipeg, so yes close to the border. Man the rcbs charge master is 300 and change cheaper in the us.

A weekend trip may be in order. Savings should pay for the trip.

Guys, what about dies? Should I bother with bushing dies, or not?

I guess I didn't mention that I will be reusing my brass. Speaking of...... would a wet tumbler be a good purchase?

Natchez has some fine pricing.

I'd also like to add that a 45-70 is in the future so the press would have to be up to the challenge
If you reload 308 then all you need for 45-70 is a die set and components.

Lee Classic Cast is a good press. So is RCBS Rockchucker and Partner Press. Really, when it comes to single stage presses there's not a lot to go wrong. When you get into coax and turret presses then it gets more complicated.

I think that sometimes we get overwhelmed by the amount of information available. It seems overwhelming when you start reading about the fine points of reloading in forums like this one. It doesn't need to be so complicated when you are just getting started. Keep it basic and teach yourself how to reload, then you can get into the finer points when you've mastered the basics.

You need a press, die set, caliper or micrometer, a balance beam scale, loading block, and load data. A case prep kit will be very useful at some point and so will a bullet puller. Powder scoops or powder measure will be handy. After that you can add what you need when you find that you need it.
 
Honestly if you can get your hands on a lee loader, in your caliber, you can make ammo! they used to be about $50 bucks before they stopped making them. And you can use it sitting on the couch in front of the TV!

Might want a scale to weight the charges though?
 
Just to clarify I'm not looking for a portable cabin reloading setup. The cabin reference relates to what the rifle is used for I.e I'm not looking for sub NASA moa. Just decent functional ammo.

I'm new to the equipment, not the process. In fact I already own:

Hornady and Lyman reloading manuals.
Lee loader kit. I've been necksizing and since have learned that full sizing is needed for reliability "in the field".
Skips shims for precise,shoulder bump
Sinclair case insert and comparator thing to attach to my....
Digital calipers

This past xmas I received from santa:

Rcbs shell holder
Lyman ez prime
Lyman ultimate case prep kit, including inertia Bullet puller.
Rcbs funnel

Just today I've ordered for delivery to my favorite border parcel pickup:

Frankfort arsenal wet tumbler / magnet thingy / spinner media separator thingy/ brass dryer
Hornady 500 gr balance beam scale
Lee perfect powder measure
Hornady sureloc die loc rings. (Read that they are the best and many people use them regardless of die manufacturer they use)
Lyman shooters check weight set.

That leaves me yet to purchase

Press (lee classic or rock chucker.. lee seemed "clunky" at cabelas but maybe set up wrong?).
Dies
Electronic scale (looking at Frankfort 50 dollar model at cabelas)
Loading trays
Trimming stuff. (Considering the lee setup that goes into the press with trim die... the one that attaches to a drill
Powder trickle. (Plan is to throw slightly under and trickle up,to correct weight)

I'll have another look at the lee cast press. It's either gonna be the lee classic or the rock chucker. Don't know if I like the breechlock type,system.
If I,want quick die changes I'd probably look at the co ax press.

As for dies I'm thinking lee pacesetter. Full resize with a .0002 shoulder bump and be done with it.

Or... are the bushing dies needed, or worth it? Again I'm not talking accuracy but case life. From what I've read the primer pockets will go before the case does.
What about the seater die? Standard die or fancy shmancy competition micrometer die?

And I hate to ask cause I think I know the answer but what about an annealer? Ya get longer case life, but with the amount I'm gonna shoot 400 bucks or so for one of these things will buy a lot of brass. (Actually I just but federal ammo, shoot it and save the brass).
 
You don't need bushing dies for the shooting you are doing. Full length will do and are what I'd recommend.

Depending on which kit you go with, some of those items will come in the kit (scale, load trays, some of the trimming and case prep tools).
It sounds like you are somewhat well established and will know from what you have gleaned from the loading process what you need and what you don't, and which kit is worth it to you.

Some of it - like a $50 electronic scale - is personal preference. I personally would rather use a decent beam scale over a $50 cheap electronic one, but ymmv.
 
I'm gonna use both beam and electronic scales, calibararting each one with my weights, and to be a watchdog for each other
 
Anything electronic will not last your lifetime, mechanical will. All the latest gizmos are nice to have, but not necessary.
 
Years ago I bought an RCBS Partner Press kit, no complaints with it. Other than the kit, you should only need a set of dies to get started.
 
I ended up with a Lee Classic Turret press, it does a pretty good job overall. You should be able to get yourself set up quite reasonably, especially if you find some used equipment. But if your just doing very small amounts occasionally the Lee hand press will get the job done too.
 
Then buy all of your gear in US... if you can make it a weekend trip you can bring 800$ duty free.



I'm in Winnipeg, so yes close to the border. Man the rcbs charge master is 300 and change cheaper in the us.

A weekend trip may be in order. Savings should pay for the trip.

Guys, what about dies? Should I bother with bushing dies, or not?

I guess I didn't mention that I will be reusing my brass. Speaking of...... would a wet tumbler be a good purchase?

Natchez has some fine pricing.

I'd also like to add that a 45-70 is in the future so the press would have to be up to the challenge
 
I bought the RCBS turret press, because I didn't want to have to change out the dies like you would on a single stage. I am only loading .223 as of now and the turret press works great and is much faster then a single stage.
 
It sounds like you're pretty well set up. You're almost there...
The Lee presses have quick change bushings you can use with them. 1/4 turn and you can change your die. They are awesome. The only thing faster is the Co-Ax....if you can find one. I got lucky and found one in a shop in the US and snapped it up.
You absolutely do not need bushing dies. This would be a case of paying for something of which you will never see the benefit. Forster (extremely hard to find in stores in Canada, can get online) dies are my favourite, but like many have said, the Lee dies make great ammo and are cheap and available anywhere reloading stuff is sold. You can't go wrong with any of them really, but for some reason I don't like the Hornady dies....I don't have a good reason why though. Sorry.
Get the Redding powder trickler-it is made from cast steel and weighs about a pound. Nice and steady on the bench and you don't have to support for fear of it falling over like the plastic ones.
I use a dry tumbler and have never tried a wet tumbler. What I can tell you is that if you are starting with brand new brass (purchasing Federal and saving brass) you will get beautiful cases if you take care of them (don't drop them in the snow/mud) and tumble them once in awhile.
I also use mechanical and digital scales. The batteries always seem to die on the digital when I don't have any spares. The beam scale saves the day every time. And it's also more reliable I find. Way less to go wrong.
Buy a quality set of calipers for measuring ammo. This is one of the tools I use the most.

Good luck.
 
I bought Forster dies. Couldn't justify the co ax. I found one online.

I'm torn between the lee classic or rock chucker. Was gonna buy the lee but now I find out 2 year warranty ve rcbs lifetime
 
When I upgraded from my old RCBS Junior press, I bought the Redding Boss press and and Redding Powder measure.

The Boss is a higher quality version of the RCBS Rock Chucker with a 3 bolt mounting system.

The powder measure is heavy cast iron and very precise.

Well worth the extra cost, as is the Redding turret press.
 
I wouldn't bother with a digital dial indicator. I've been in a few machine shops and nobody used them. Pretty much everybody used Princess Auto dial indicators. I still do, and if I need precise measuring done, I'll grab the micrometer. The dial indicators get close, the mic's get precision.

As for an annealing setup, all I've ever used is the handheld plumbers propane torch, a pair of cheap pliers, and a pail of water. WAY cheaper than the $400 kit you were looking at.
 
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