Thinking about getting into reloading

[oysterer]

I just love to not worry needing to drive to some big box store and worry about being short on this or that caliber.

If I shoot a competition Sunday, I load some 200 rounds for 45 minutes Saturday night before and I am done.

 

[RobertJ.]

Well, since nobody has posted a link to this yet, here it is. There is some really good info in this post!
So you're thinking about getting into reloading...

 

[Ackley1952]

Please buy and use a single stage press before you think about a progressive. You need to identify and fix problems before you go progressive. People who bought progressive first probably don't reload today . They got frustrated and quit.

 

[max503]

If you first buy a single stage or turret press then go on to a progressive you will still use the single stage or turret press.

 

[Bugkiller99]

OP, I HIGHLY suggest this thread. It is also located in the notable thread index at the top of the reloading sub forum.

So you're thinking about getting into reloading...

 

[oysterer]

good idea, I started w a rock chucker to just learn the steps and quickly went to a used dillon and then a second dillon. use the rock chucker only for rifle any more and it is perfect to finely craft 20 or so rounds a night by hand each step at a time. But handgun...you need dillon.

 

[oysterer]

good idea, I started w a rock chucker to just learn the steps and quickly went to a used dillon and then a second dillon. use the rock chucker only for rifle any more and it is perfect to finely craft 20 or so rounds a night by hand each step at a time. But handgun...you need dillon.

 

[stansdds]

With the current low cost of 9x19mm ammo and relatively low cost of 40 S&W ammo, I find it hard to justify reloading for those calibers. During the Great Ammo Famine of 2008-2016 I did reload 9x19mm, but now I just buy it by the case, but I do save my brass for future ammo shortages.


I think you might be able to reload 357 Magnum for quite a bit less than buying factory ammo. I learned reloading with the 357 Magnum. With cast lead bullets, and I would recommend the powder coated variety, you can reload anything from light, target wadcutter loads to mid-range loads and even full power loads. I would stick to 158 grain bullets for full power using cast lead.


As for reloading equipment, this is a big monetary investment. I started with a Lee Challenger kit. I found the O-frame press to be of good quality, but it did not take long to figure out that the dies were not of the highest quality. Lee makes cheap products and cheap they are. Lyman, RCBS, Dillon, Hornady, and Redding are more expensive, but also bring better quality. I think the best value would be RCBS.

 

[lapetrarca53]

Started with a Lee Pro 1000 9mm Progressive about 5 or 6 years ago. If you take the time to do a proper initial setup, you'll have very few issues. It costs me about $6.00 to reload a box of 9mm.

Recently picked up a Lee Single Stage Breech Lock press (MD 90045). Great little press and very budget friendly. I bought additional breech lock bushings for each caliber and, after the initial die set up, you can switch dies on the fly with a simple quarter turn. Installing the next die requires another quarter turn to seat it.

I use it to reload .38 Special, .380 ACP and .45 ACP. No complaints. Works great.

 

[Fishslayer]

The lowest/slowest press you should even look at is the Lee Classic Turret. It is a great value and the best entry-level press.

^^^ This. About 99% of "Which first press?" threads always go to "GET A SINGLE STAGE OR YOU WILL BLOW UP THE PLANET!"

Well... that and "Get a Dillon! MY Dillon blah blah blah..."

Nobody ever mentions the humble auto indexing turret press. Plenty fast for most needs, plenty safe, can be made a single stage if desired and pretty cheap to buy and set up calibers.

 

[mikld]

One bad thing about asking this question on a reloading forum, is you will get every conceivable answer from "read, read, read" to "buy XXX's kit and don't look back" to "I started on a Dillon 1050 and did fine". And yep, you seem to have gotten most of these in 29 answers (and of course some "Lee Hater" will always show up). So at this point I would just say K.I.S.S.

If you were learning to drive would you jump in a cab over Peterbilt with 13 speed trans and a split rear end? Or would you try a Toyota Corolla with auto trans?...