Another Newbie Reloader Thread
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when I started I had not. I went out and bought a Lee anniversary kit and went at it.
I would recommend a Lee classic press kit. it will have everything you need to start. I would imagine it comes w/the Lee reloading manual. Aslo, I see recommended The ABCs of Reloading; Amazon, Ebay etc.
You're wanting to reload straight-walled cases which is relatively simple. You need carbide dies. These can be purchased when you buy your kit. Kits can be purchased from lots of places. You'll develop a list of sources as you continually buy supplies: Midway, Midsouth, Cabelas, Natchez. I've experienced the first three but lots of guys swear by Natchez. Oner thing to watch is shipping costs. Cabelas s/h is based mostly on $$ amount.
Start looking around and feel free to write if you have any questions.
If you include your state someone might be local to you.
READ THE BOOKS FIRST AND YOU'LL BE SAFE!
Michael
I would recommend a Lee classic press kit. it will have everything you need to start. I would imagine it comes w/the Lee reloading manual. Aslo, I see recommended The ABCs of Reloading; Amazon, Ebay etc.
You're wanting to reload straight-walled cases which is relatively simple. You need carbide dies. These can be purchased when you buy your kit. Kits can be purchased from lots of places. You'll develop a list of sources as you continually buy supplies: Midway, Midsouth, Cabelas, Natchez. I've experienced the first three but lots of guys swear by Natchez. Oner thing to watch is shipping costs. Cabelas s/h is based mostly on $$ amount.
Start looking around and feel free to write if you have any questions.
If you include your state someone might be local to you.
READ THE BOOKS FIRST AND YOU'LL BE SAFE!
Michael
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http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/ammo-can/95918-dillionrl500b-cheapest-place-best-value.html Read this thread for some good advice
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I started reloading about 4 months ago. Began on a single-stage RCBS press.
But the time came for a progressive. I went through all the likely contenders, which generally comes down to three:
Dillon
Hornady
Lee
Lee is the cheapest, but there are some compromises. People seem happy with the Lees they have, but I wanted something a little more substantial. It's probably a good choice for the budget-constrained.
Dillon is the most expensive. If money were no object, I might have gone with a Dillon. I strongly considered the Dillon Square-Deal B press, but it only does handgun rounds (I load for .223 in addition to handgun), and after the first caliber, additional dies are much more expensive than other presses. You have to use the Dillon dies, others can't be substituted with the SDB.
The Dillon 550B is, by all accounts, a good press, but by the time you trick it out with what you should have, it's expensive.
I ended up going with the Hornady Lock n Load AP, which is an auto-indexing progressive press. I think it's a better press than the Lee, and since it doesn't require the use of proprietary dies like the SDB, I could use my already-purchased dies with it. And with the Lock 'n' Load feature, you only have to set the dies once, and changing calibers is easy and quick.
I think it's a great press at the regular price, but what really makes it shine is that Hornady has a "Get Loaded" offer where they'll send you 1000 bullets for the cost of shipping. The ones I ordered--230gr .45 caliber--retail for $18 per 100.
The end result is that I'm getting $180-worth of bullets for shipping only (something like $21.95). In other words, it's as if I received a $150 rebate on the press. I can use the bullets, or sell them to offset the price of the press. I consider it a "rebate" with which I can buy at least two shellplate/die combos at no "extra" cost.
One caveat to all this: As a new reloader, you'll want to think long and hard about how to begin. Most people recommend newbies starting on a single-stage press so they can learn the process, the steps, and so on before graduating to a progressive press. I think it's good advice.
I had to learn to reload on my own, with no one to show me. There's no way I could have started on a progressive press like the Lock 'n' Load. There's too much to learn, from primers to sizing to bullet seating. Better to learn each one step at a time. When I had a problem I'd ask on XD-Talk, and get great help.
If I'd had someone to teach me on a single-stage, maybe getting the progressive at first might have made sense. But I'd never recommend getting the progressive to start with for someone who's never reloaded, and who has no one to teach them.
If I were starting over, as a newbie, knowing what I now know, here's what I'd suggest you consider:
First, figure out what progressive press you're eventually going to want. (If it's the SDB, you might as well just get it as you'd otherwise invest in dies you couldn't use with it).
Second, get an inexpensive single-stage press, and buy dies for it that are suited to the progressive you're going to get eventually. For instance, Lee dies will work with the Lock 'n' Load, but they have to be screwed in very far to work. I'd get the Hornady dies instead (and have done exactly that, ordered the Hornady .45 dies even though I have used the Lee 9mm dies in the LnL).
Third, you'll want to keep that inexpensive single-stage press. It'll be good for extracting stuck cases, pulling bullets with a collet-style puller, working up specific loads before you do them on the progressive.
Reloading is great fun. Not only is it interesting in its own right, but reloading allows you to create ammo which will be more accurate than the factory loads you can buy.
Good luck! And stay safe!
But the time came for a progressive. I went through all the likely contenders, which generally comes down to three:
Dillon
Hornady
Lee
Lee is the cheapest, but there are some compromises. People seem happy with the Lees they have, but I wanted something a little more substantial. It's probably a good choice for the budget-constrained.
Dillon is the most expensive. If money were no object, I might have gone with a Dillon. I strongly considered the Dillon Square-Deal B press, but it only does handgun rounds (I load for .223 in addition to handgun), and after the first caliber, additional dies are much more expensive than other presses. You have to use the Dillon dies, others can't be substituted with the SDB.
The Dillon 550B is, by all accounts, a good press, but by the time you trick it out with what you should have, it's expensive.
I ended up going with the Hornady Lock n Load AP, which is an auto-indexing progressive press. I think it's a better press than the Lee, and since it doesn't require the use of proprietary dies like the SDB, I could use my already-purchased dies with it. And with the Lock 'n' Load feature, you only have to set the dies once, and changing calibers is easy and quick.
I think it's a great press at the regular price, but what really makes it shine is that Hornady has a "Get Loaded" offer where they'll send you 1000 bullets for the cost of shipping. The ones I ordered--230gr .45 caliber--retail for $18 per 100.
The end result is that I'm getting $180-worth of bullets for shipping only (something like $21.95). In other words, it's as if I received a $150 rebate on the press. I can use the bullets, or sell them to offset the price of the press. I consider it a "rebate" with which I can buy at least two shellplate/die combos at no "extra" cost.
One caveat to all this: As a new reloader, you'll want to think long and hard about how to begin. Most people recommend newbies starting on a single-stage press so they can learn the process, the steps, and so on before graduating to a progressive press. I think it's good advice.
I had to learn to reload on my own, with no one to show me. There's no way I could have started on a progressive press like the Lock 'n' Load. There's too much to learn, from primers to sizing to bullet seating. Better to learn each one step at a time. When I had a problem I'd ask on XD-Talk, and get great help.
If I'd had someone to teach me on a single-stage, maybe getting the progressive at first might have made sense. But I'd never recommend getting the progressive to start with for someone who's never reloaded, and who has no one to teach them.
If I were starting over, as a newbie, knowing what I now know, here's what I'd suggest you consider:
First, figure out what progressive press you're eventually going to want. (If it's the SDB, you might as well just get it as you'd otherwise invest in dies you couldn't use with it).
Second, get an inexpensive single-stage press, and buy dies for it that are suited to the progressive you're going to get eventually. For instance, Lee dies will work with the Lock 'n' Load, but they have to be screwed in very far to work. I'd get the Hornady dies instead (and have done exactly that, ordered the Hornady .45 dies even though I have used the Lee 9mm dies in the LnL).
Third, you'll want to keep that inexpensive single-stage press. It'll be good for extracting stuck cases, pulling bullets with a collet-style puller, working up specific loads before you do them on the progressive.
Reloading is great fun. Not only is it interesting in its own right, but reloading allows you to create ammo which will be more accurate than the factory loads you can buy.
Good luck! And stay safe!
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6,690 Posts
I started out with the Lee Anniversary Kit that includes the Challenger press. Only reason I started out on-the-cheap is that I wasn't sure that I wanted to reload. If I'd been sure and had done some research, I'd probably have started out with a Dillon 650, but a 550 would do fine.
I started with a used 550b Dillon and I am glad I did. I watched the guy on youtube and it really helped with the setup.
I am considering getting a LNL also now, 6 months later, so I can have 2 presses.
I don't think you can go wrong with the LNL or 550b. From what I understand it is cheaper to change calibers on the LNL. I have a couple of powder measures on order for the 550 so I can do caliber changes faster.
I am considering getting a LNL also now, 6 months later, so I can have 2 presses.
I don't think you can go wrong with the LNL or 550b. From what I understand it is cheaper to change calibers on the LNL. I have a couple of powder measures on order for the 550 so I can do caliber changes faster.
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12,197 Posts
It's always about time vs money. Once you get the books mentioned, then evaluate how much ammo do you need per month vs how much time do you have to reload & finally, how much money do you want to spend. A single stage gives you 50-60rds/hr, a turret 125-150 & progressives start @ 300/hr & go up. Sure, the Dillon 650 is a great machine, but if you are only shooting 200rds of each a month, the cost is ridiculous & caliber change overs a hassle for such small runs.
I load on two 550B & a large RCBS singles stage. I load for 11 diff. pistol calibers & 10 diff. rifle calibers. I shoot a lot of some pistol ammo, 45acp, 357sig, etc. Some ammo I shoot very little of, 404jeffery, 41mag, 45AR. It makes no financial sense to try & handload all the calibers I have on a progressive. So I use my single stage quite a bit. I would recommend a single stage to start. Learn the ropes of handloading & IF you need volumn pistol ammo, the Hornady LNL is a great machine for the money & the free bullets is a nice insentive. I'll bet 99% of the handloaders that buy prgressive do not NEED them. IMO, unless you are shooting upwards of 500rds a month, you can do quite well w/ a single stage.:mrgreen:
I load on two 550B & a large RCBS singles stage. I load for 11 diff. pistol calibers & 10 diff. rifle calibers. I shoot a lot of some pistol ammo, 45acp, 357sig, etc. Some ammo I shoot very little of, 404jeffery, 41mag, 45AR. It makes no financial sense to try & handload all the calibers I have on a progressive. So I use my single stage quite a bit. I would recommend a single stage to start. Learn the ropes of handloading & IF you need volumn pistol ammo, the Hornady LNL is a great machine for the money & the free bullets is a nice insentive. I'll bet 99% of the handloaders that buy prgressive do not NEED them. IMO, unless you are shooting upwards of 500rds a month, you can do quite well w/ a single stage.:mrgreen:
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