What equipment to start with as a beginner reloader.

OP - PM me your email address I got few reloading pdf books that I can share (if i didn't already).

Cheers,
 
For you're first progressive press I highly recommend the Dillon 550. I like the ability to back up, remove screw ups and index manually. You can learn a lot of the quirks of progressive reloading on this press.

I have not used a turret or any other brand of progressive so this is a narrow view but the 650 was definitely better and more complicated which made me glad I started on a 550. I suggest a single stage press also for when you want to load small batches and precision rounds.

If you plan on buying bulk military .223 brass I suggest the Dillon primer pocket swager and the Dillon carbide decapping die. The Dillon die has a robust decapping pin that stands up to crimped primers and it is easy to screw out a stuck case if it happens.

I love forester micrometer dies for seating but also use Redding computing, Whiddon and I'm looking into Warner tool company dies.

I also like the Dillon and Hornady shell holders more than than rcbs but I have mostly rcbs.

For trimming I use the rcbs trimmer or now I have a Frankford Arsenal trimmer. I have used a lot of tumblers and the Hornady sonic cleaner for brass cleaning business I like there the most. I hate drying out wet cases from the sonic cleaner.
 
The Dillon 550 is a great press, lots of flexibility. I know a couple of guys who even load their .338 Lapua on theirs. Onces you get into the 650, and 1050 you begin to lose flexibility. IE, the higher you go, the more expensive it is to load multiple calibers, and the length of stroke diminishes.
 
After reading this thread, I think I’m going with (below)

Besides the book, am I’m missing something?

Looking to reload 9mm and 223

DILLON BL 550 BASIC LOADER
https://x-reload.com/dillon-bl-550-basic-loader.html
$416.23

DILLON RL550B QUICK CHANGE ASSEMBLY x2
https://x-reload.com/dillon-rl550b-quick-change-assembly.html
$170.18

DILLON AUTO PRIME SYSTEM AT500,BL550 & RL550B
https://x-reload.com/dillon-auto-prime-system-at500-bl550-rl550b.html
$136.88

DILLON 223 REM 3 DIE SET
https://x-reload.com/dillon-223-rem-3-die-set.html
$112.83

DILLON 9MM CARBIDE 3 DIE SET
https://x-reload.com/dillon-9mm-carbide-3-die-set.html
$109.13

CALIPER STLSS ELEC. LCD/ENG OR MET/ .001 ACC.
https://x-reload.com/caliper-stlss-elec-lcd-eng-or-met-001-acc.html
$33.28

FRANKFORD PLATINUM SERIES HANDHELD DEPRIMING TOOL
https://x-reload.com/frankford-platinum-series-handheld-depriming-tool.html
$55.49*
*Thinking of depriming before cleaning brass

RCBS SCALE M500 MECHANICAL SCALE
https://x-reload.com/rcbs-scale-m500-mechanical-scale.html
$125.78

HORNADY L-N-L SONIC CLEANER 2-LITER HEATED 110 VOLT
https://x-reload.com/hornady-l-n-l-sonic-cleaner-2-liter-heated-110-volt.html
$164.63

Any trimmer recommendations? I was looking at the Dead on case trimmer, or the Trim-It II; but after a quick search couldn’t find them in Canada


Total $1495 plus tax… DAMN!!!

I liked MDF’s post better with the Lee Turret combo totalling $525+
 
The FRANKFORD PLATINUM SERIES HANDHELD DEPRIMING TOOL is a POS imho. Better get a used single stage (or the very cheap Lee C-type reloader press) and a Lee universal decapping die for marginally more money. Either that or save 55$.

I also recommend a SS wet tumbler instead of a sonic cleaner, but there's currently another thread about cleaners so I won't elaborate on that.
 
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