[WarEagle32]

I have alot of guns in alot of calibers and have wanted to start reloading for a long time. I shoot alot, and would love to shoot more and I know this will let me. Christmas is coming up and the equipment will be a great gift from my wife. I would like to spend 3-500 to start. and I don't have to have the best equipment made, just decent stuff will do to get me started. I am thinking of one of the Lee kits to start. I will be reloading 9mm and 45acp in handgun and 7mm magnum, 308, 223 in rifles. No shotgun. I have several hundred rifle brass in each of my calibers that I have saved. I only really know the bare basics about reloading. Please give me alot of advice!!

 

[m2hmghb]

Try the reloading sub forum

http://glocktalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=26

 

[Jim Watson]

Not to slough you off or anything, but there are whole books on the subject and you are not going to learn it right one question at a time on the internet.
The usual recommendation is The ABCs of Handloading and then an actual load data manual by Lyman, Speer, Hornady, or Sierra.

I came along before the ABCs, so long ago that the American Rifleman was still pretty technical. It and the Lyman and Speer manuals of the early 1970s got me going.
Longer than that. Guns & Ammo was rather technical at the time and that was a LONG while back.

 

[FLIPPER 348]

1st- it's a lot, not alot


2nd- buy a reloading book, read it
Read it again and then buy your reloading gear.

 

[freedom790]

ABCs of Reloading and the Hornady Reloading Manual are both very informative. Try these threads first made by some of our own, they should get you rolling:

How to get started in reloading

Reloading 101

 

[Fox]

You need to get this book!

ABC's of Reloading

Click on the hyperlink to the Amazon.com page for that book. You need to read it before you buy the equipment.

 

[ZekerMan]

Like they say "get the book" and in my opinion you should save up till you have a $1000 and buy higher end equipment then you will not have to upgrade later. Good luck!

 

[IndyGunFreak]

I have alot of guns in alot of calibers and have wanted to start reloading for a long time. I shoot alot, and would love to shoot more and I know this will let me. Christmas is coming up and the equipment will be a great gift from my wife. I would like to spend 3-500 to start. and I don't have to have the best equipment made, just decent stuff will do to get me started. I am thinking of one of the Lee kits to start. I will be reloading 9mm and 45acp in handgun and 7mm magnum, 308, 223 in rifles. No shotgun. I have several hundred rifle brass in each of my calibers that I have saved. I only really know the bare basics about reloading. Please give me alot of advice!!

First, ABC's of reloading is a good start (not mandatory, but a good start). If you don't want to buy it, and you have a library card, you might be able to find it at a large city library.

Also, you may have a "lot of calibers"... but your best bet, is to start w/ a pistol caliber that you shoot a lot, learn the basics, then move on. Rifle is a different beast entirely than pistol reloading (same concepts, just a lot more work)

http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1027887

On a $300-$500 budget, look at the Lee Classic Turret. It'll give you a decent amount of speed, will be reasonably inexpensive, and it only costs about $55 to switch calibers(dies and a toolhead).

 

[farmer2]

with that many calibers there is only one machine worth buying and that is the dillon 550. It is the easiest press to switch calibers on and will last multiple life times. If you do not have the money for a 550 get Dillons starter press. It is a neutered 550 that operates like a turret press. The great thing about the dillon turret is that the shell plate is designed to load all the calibers you own and as you get more money, it can be slowly upgraded to a 550 without spending alot more than the original 550. Don't let someone convince you that you need to start with a single stage press. Just make sure you read the literature that everyone is suggesting and take your time. A progressive press is not overwhelming.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/25792/catid/1/BL_550_Basic_Loader

farmer2

 

[jerzeydevil77]

This is a good place to start. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

He sells reloading equipment too!

 

[Fox]

Once you have read the book and know what kind of equipment you want to buy. Consider buying used reloading equipment. Alot of times an old timer will pass away and none of his children or grandchildren have any desire to shoot or reload. Check ebay for bargains, also consider placing a want to buy advertisement in the "Penny Saver" or "Little Nickle" Classified Ads paper. Gunshows can sometimes be good for buying used reloading equipment too.

 

[MajorD]

I disagree with farmer -anyone getting into reloading should start on a single stage press- one function at a time, powder drop a seperate operation- you can visually check powder level in case before bullet seating. Once you perfect technique with a single stage press then and ONLY then move to a progressive like the dillon.
When a press is doing like 5 things at once and you are new to reloading it is hard to sense by vision or feel if something goes wrong- with a single stage it is much easier to tell if you or the machine makes some mistake.
I reload about 12k a year all on a single stage yes it is slower, but I have noticed I have far less ammo related problems than those shooters who use a progressive.
It is far easier to switch calbers on a single stage and keep up with loading small numbers of cases when they are empty.
The key to efficient use of a single stage is to load every time you have a supply of 100 or so empties- don't let buckets of brass pile up- after all cases are only go to me loaded-once you have a system down it can go pretty fast. No I will never compete with the speed of a dillon, but am confident in my loads. I do know people who use a progressive very well, but honestly the VAST majority of ammo related problems I have seen on the range were the result of ammo loaded on a progressive press.

 

[FLIPPER 348]

I disagree with farmer -anyone getting into reloading should start on a single stage press- one function at a time, powder drop a seperate operation- you can visually check powder level in case before bullet seating. Once you perfect technique with a single stage press then and ONLY then move to a progressive like the dillon.

This is fantastic advise. Start with a straight walled revolver round. The single stage will always be useful.

 

[M2 Carbine]

One thing to keep in mind when you are buying equipment is, money buys speed.
For instance,
this simple $35 Lee hand press will turn out the same quality ammo........

as this expensive progressive press.

But where it takes about 35 minutes to load a box of ammo with the hand press, it takes about 8 minutes to load a box with a progressive press.

So, generally, buy as much speed as you need and can afford.

 

[xXGearheadXx]

I disagree with farmer -anyone getting into reloading should start on a single stage press- one function at a time, powder drop a seperate operation- you can visually check powder level in case before bullet seating. Once you perfect technique with a single stage press then and ONLY then move to a progressive like the dillon.
When a press is doing like 5 things at once and you are new to reloading it is hard to sense by vision or feel if something goes wrong- with a single stage it is much easier to tell if you or the machine makes some mistake.
I reload about 12k a year all on a single stage yes it is slower, but I have noticed I have far less ammo related problems than those shooters who use a progressive.
It is far easier to switch calbers on a single stage and keep up with loading small numbers of cases when they are empty.
The key to efficient use of a single stage is to load every time you have a supply of 100 or so empties- don't let buckets of brass pile up- after all cases are only go to me loaded-once you have a system down it can go pretty fast. No I will never compete with the speed of a dillon, but am confident in my loads. I do know people who use a progressive very well, but honestly the VAST majority of ammo related problems I have seen on the range were the result of ammo loaded on a progressive press.

I started with a 650 on 9mm...peice of cake. That being said, i don't load rifle yet. I hear it's a bit more complicated.

 

[xXGearheadXx]

Like they say "get the book" and in my opinion you should save up till you have a $1000 and buy higher end equipment then you will not have to upgrade later. Good luck!

I gotta say i agree with this statement. IF you can afford it, I usually find that buying higher end, high quality things (guns, reloading equipment, computers, vehicles, etc..) ends up saving money in the long run.

 

[IrvJr]

I agree with the other posters and definitely start off by reading the ABC's of reloading. It's a great place to start. You don't have to read it cover to cover, but it has some good sections that cover the basics really well.

When I started reloading, I opted for a simple LEE 4 turret press. The turret press is good because you can set it up to run it in progressive mode (so each time you pull the handle you get a reloaded round) or you can use it like a single stage press. I don't reload high volumes so I just run it like a single stage press.

I also have been using the LEE carbide dies (handgun and also .308 win) and I like them a lot. If you are a high volume shooter, you might want to invest in a progressive press, but I would recommend that you first start off with a single stage press (or use something like the Lee turret press that can be run in a single stage mode) and get some practical experience first.

Reloading is pretty easy, but you have to be careful. I've seen one gun (S&W J-frame) in person that was blown up with a bad reload and I know of another fellow who blew up a Super Blackhawk (and those guns are built like tanks) with a bad reload.

Reloading is fun and it definitely saves a lot of money, once you've invested in the necessary equipment. I have also found my handloaded ammo to be more accurate than the commercial stuff. Plus I can customize the loads to fit my requirements.

 

[farmer2]

I disagree with farmer -anyone getting into reloading should start on a single stage press- one function at a time, powder drop a seperate operation- you can visually check powder level in case before bullet seating. Once you perfect technique with a single stage press then and ONLY then move to a progressive like the dillon.
When a press is doing like 5 things at once and you are new to reloading it is hard to sense by vision or feel if something goes wrong- with a single stage it is much easier to tell if you or the machine makes some mistake.
I reload about 12k a year all on a single stage yes it is slower, but I have noticed I have far less ammo related problems than those shooters who use a progressive.
It is far easier to switch calbers on a single stage and keep up with loading small numbers of cases when they are empty.
The key to efficient use of a single stage is to load every time you have a supply of 100 or so empties- don't let buckets of brass pile up- after all cases are only go to me loaded-once you have a system down it can go pretty fast. No I will never compete with the speed of a dillon, but am confident in my loads. I do know people who use a progressive very well, but honestly the VAST majority of ammo related problems I have seen on the range were the result of ammo loaded on a progressive press.

Both of the presses that I suggested to the OP can be run as single stage presses and then upgraded or used to their full potential as OP's skills increase. The AT500 dillon is a sweet machine. Most people are not aware of its capabilities. The shell plate that comes with the machine allows you to reload every common caliber (and some that aren't) with the same shell plate. All you need are the dies. I have a single stage press (RCBS Rockchucker) that just collects dust. At first I bought-into the hype that progressives couldn't load as accurate rifle ammo. However, my results have never shown that. I won't own a rifle that isn't at least 1moa. I expect precision and my 550b delivers every time. I have never understood why someone would not just buy what they need in the first place, when they ultimately will end up purchasing it in the long run.


farmer2

 

[Rinspeed]

Go blue or go home. :supergrin:

 

[ardiver]

In the early 80's my Dad got into reloading. A gift from my granmother to him was an RCBS Rockchucker Jr. starter kit. Thats what I grew up on helping him reload...fast forward to 5 years ago...

I decided I wanted to get back into reloading now that I'm married and have a place of my own and was starting to develop my own collection of guns. Mind you I had the basics from all those years ago cranking, measuring and so on on the RC Jr. but after doing a LOT of research, I decided I wanted to go progressive. I narrowed it down to Dillon, Lee and RCBS. I didn't care as much for what I read about the warranty and support with the RCBS so that took it down to Dillon and Lee. With a couple friends that already had Dillon's, one a square deal B and another a loaded out 650 I picked up some first hand knowledge of their few dealings with Dillon support...not one thing negative could be found to be said even when they really thought about it. With the Lee I had to lean more on what I could find and research on the net. While still an extremely viable product and many swear by them I gave into my love for the color blue and their no nonsense "NO BS" warranty.

Now I was down to which one. Square Deal B was out as I knew at some point I would get into rifle reloading, the 1050 was out because of the difficulty changing out for a different caliber and the over all initial expense and lets face it, I was planning on loading for 9mm, 40s&w, 38spl, 357 mag, 380 acp, 45 acp and eventually 223 rem and 308 win...thats some SERIOUS extra expense on caliber kits for a 1050. Ok, down to 550 and 650...I really liked the idea of the auto indexing of the 650, but caliber changes were going to be more expensive the 550 would still be a huge advancement, imo, from the old RC Jr. days...which one, which one...so in my research I found Brian Enos' web page. Yes, I could have called Dillon direct, I'm sure they would have given me good information, but Brian being a 3rd party and with his reputation I decided to go that route and called him. After a VERY educational hour on the phone talking about my TRUE desired end results, ammo usage, calibers in question, mechanical capabilities and so on, Brian helped me decide on the 550b, Dillon Digital Scale, Tumbler, Seperator and the other necessities to get started and it was a little cheaper than ordering direct...Approximately $1400 delivered I think.

All that said, I could NOT be happier with my decision. Would I still upgrade someday to a 650...maybe maybe not. Only time will tell. While I don't load HUGE amounts of ammo, I do crank out 1000 rounds at any given time and that takes me roughly 3hrs of leisurely paced reloading if my wife keeps my primer tubes loaded :whistling:...if not, 4 hours.

I even went so far during the purchase process as to figure out my return on investment for my Dad and I (I bought the equipment he bought all the original supplies). The press paid for itself in a year and a half...approximately 4000 rounds of various qty's of the earlier mentioned calibers.

All that being said, here's my advice. Read EVERYTHING, take EVERYTHING in, WWW and Google are your friend BUT don't be a sheep, be logical, think about all the pro's and con's and be honest with yourself about what your needs are compared to your wants and all that compared to those that you read about's needs and wants. Stear clear of commercially printed magazines for your reviews, look to places like GlockTalk and other forums for real end user's feelings, suggestions and comments and then make your decision.

I'm sure many will find flaws in my methods, but it worked and worked well for me and friends I've recommended to do the same and it's a free opinion so I guess it's worth what you paid for it :supergrin: