• ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info

New to Reloading and on a Budget

My reloads are cheaper than store bought and also more accurate. So Quality AND Cheap.
I was about to say the same thing. I can't buy what I load so why settle for factory? Odd chamberings are too expensive to shoot and I didn't load them so they are suspect. I've seen lots of factory loads go "kaboom" in guns but I've never had one of my handloads do that. I'll keep using the recycled oats ammo. Thanks.
 
I started reloading ~34 years ago with a Lyman T-Mag turret press and mostly Lee dies. From time to time I've used Lyman, Redding and RCBS dies as well but I find I can personally achieve the same quality with Lee dies and since they are cheaper I just stick with them. I like the turret for beginners since it gives you the ability to mount multiple dies and once adjusted, leave them in place. If you go with single stage you'll get more practice adjusting your dies which is good, but I personally grew weary of it when I found "one more case" needing sized after I had already switched to a seating die in a single stage. I wouldn't touch a progressive as a beginner simply because there are certain things you need to develop experience and muscle memory on.

After a few years with the Turret I picked up an RCBS Ammo-Master. Great press, high quality, super strong, and it drove me crazy. While I still have it I don't use it because I don't find it enjoyable. I was actually mulling over posting it here on ODT for sale to those that love progressives....I'm just not a fan of them personally.

If I were new I'd pick up a Lee Turret based (not progressive) kit. and a set of Lee dies. Start with just one caliber. That way your entry cost is controllable and you can get your feet wet with the basics pretty quickly and easily. Start with a book. I personally started with RCBS although I have accumulated many over the years. Tons of great videos on Youtube which wasn't even a dream in anyone's mind when I got started.....leverage them. You'll want a decent scale and a decent set of calipers. I still have my original Lyman balance scale. It's slow to use but it's reliable and the batteries never go dead. Recently though I've picked up a high quality digital scale off Amazon. It's not a "reloading scale", it's just a high quality scale with calibration weights, and it measures in grains/grams/ounces.....whatever you feel like using.

At some point, if you LIKE reloading, you'll outgrow your first press. From there, set it aside as a dedicated deprime press or simply sling it. I gave my first press to my brother and he still uses it.....no signs of wearing out after 34 years. From there though you'll have a great understanding of what you need to know to fully understand what is happening on whatever progressive you might end up with, all the way up the food chain to a 1050, motorized, cranking out 500-600 rounds per minute.

If you also cast bullets that's an entirely different animal (which I've also done for 34 years). To me, it's really satisfying to cast a bullet, gash check or powder coat it, reload with it, and come out with rounds that are consistently accurate and tuned to your particular firearms. Will you save any money? Probably some, in my experience, but to me the larger point is producing a round customized to YOU, with performance the same or better than factory ammo, and if you put in the time to learn the basics it's actually not that difficult to do. That's the intangible piece here.....building something yourself that surpasses what you can buy, and maybe even save yourself a few nickels in the process.

At the end of this tale, I recently purchased myself a shiny new press. My brand new 2017 model Lyman T-Mag turret press arrived from Amazon in December. My Ammo-Master is retired and I'm now back to the sturdy, stable platform I started out on. At some point I may pick up a motorized 1050 if I ever get into high volume shooting......man those things just look wicked slick as they crank out the rounds!

It was a great suggestion to find an ODT'er near you to go "try it out" with. I currently have four different powder measures, for example. Three scales, for example. Four calipers, for example. Tinkering with that stuff at someone else' loading bench will help you make some decisions.

Good luck man!
 
Back
Top Bottom