What do I need to have?

[Ken Ford]

What do I need to have to start reloading?
I see the press kits for sale but I know there are a lot of add ons needed.
What do I NEED and what might I want to have?

 

[cooter]

Buy a Lee turret press. Have a turret set up for each caliber you'll be loading. So press, dies, weight scale, loading manual book, these are a must for pistols add a case trimmer for loading rifles. With this and your supplies you can start loading. Next step wants, a powder trickler is more exact on dispensing powder, Lee does it by volume a trickler does it by weight. If doing alot of ammo then you would want a progressive press. Starting off thou for multiple calibers the Lee turret press is the best choice (IMHO). lots of luck to you and from now on you'll look like us other scavengers at the range kneeling down looking for more of your brass.

 

[WMSproject]

You need to buy a press kit of some kind. It will have most components for basic reloading except a set of dies for your caliber of bullet. You will need cases, powder, primers and projectiles. There are not a LOT of add-ons needed. Just a few...

If you get a Lee Press Kit, get one with quick change bushings... Pay attention.
Find a store within driving distance to get your powder and primers. Do not pay extra haz-mat charges for shipping.

Here's a list of must-haves and a list of nice to haves. I have BOLDED the must-haves.

1. Loading Press
2. A way to clean your cases. (vibratory tumbler and media is recommended. Don't keep reloading dirty cases. It is cheap enough to do it right the first time.)
3. Case holder for Press (It's a little clip that holds the shell casing tight)
4. A set of dies for your caliber bullet. (I like RCBS and Hornady Custom. Most dies that I know about are universal fit. Most will interchange. RCBS dies fit Lee presses, etc.)
5. Case Neck Trimmer for rifle cases.
6. Case length Gauge. Caliber Specific.
7. Case champhering tool. (Wedge Shaped cutter to put a bevel on the case neck after trimming)
8. Primer Pocket cleaning tool. (Cleans spent black stuff out of primer hole)
9. Case Lube for Rifle cases. (I like Redding Imperial Sizing Die Wax)
10. Priming Tool. (Some have integral priming tools built into the press. Others are hand held)
11. Digital calipers. (For checking Case length and overall length)
12. Powder Dispenser (Some are integrated into digital scales. Others are manual)
13. Powder Scale (Balance or Digital. Digitals are more expensive but easier to Zero. For measuring every load or for calibrating your powder dispenser only.)
14. Trays to hold in-process cases while you are reloading. You can buy ones designed for this purpose or pick up plastic bullet trays at the shooting range. That's what I use...
15. Military Crimp removal tool (Only if you are reloading Primer Crimped ammunition. Don't do it unless you are desperate or have a truck load of crimped cases.)
16. A good sturdy heavy Wooden Bench in a location you don't need to set up and take down.
17. Reloading Data or Reloading Book for your caliber.
18. Powder for your caliber bullet.
19. Primers for your cases. (Small pistol, Large pistol, Small Rifle, Large Rifle. Magnums etc...)
20. Bullets for your caliber. (Buy in bulk to save money)
21. An electric drill that you can chock stuff up in...
22. A bullet puller for when you mess up. You will mess up eventually. (Too much powder, not enough powder. Wrong powder load for bullet weight. Etc.)

This seems like a lot of stuff but you can buy a reloading kit with MOST of this stuff already included except your dies. You can go inexpensive if you don't want to reload a lot or you can spend a bunch of money if you want to reload in volume. It's up to you. I went cheap and bought a Lee Reloading Kit my first time. I was set up and reloading in one afternoon. My total start-up price was under $300 including a pound of powder, 100 bullets, 100 primers and everything else. Now every time I want to start loading a new caliber, I have about $75 of expense to get started. That includes a set of dies for about $30 or $40, case holders, case length gauge, powder for my choice of rounds, primers and powder to get started.

Once you pay the initial price to get set up on that caliber, then you can save a lot of money on your ammunition. You can reload for 1/3 to 1/5 the cost of factory ammunition. You can also create loads that are more accurate than factory loads. You also have the potential to load subsonic pistol rounds and other fun rounds to your liking. Just be careful.

I pick up my brass when I go shooting so I can reload it (Up to 10 to 12 times). I also pick up other people's brass at the range if they don't mind. I load what I want to load and sell the rest for extra money. Brass cases = $$$.

My .45 acp ammo is the most accurate my friends have ever shot.
My .270 rifle rounds will do head shots at over 600 yards.
My .223/5.56 rounds are as cheap as russian ammo and will stack rounds at 100 yards.
My 9mm hollow points are as cheap to shoot as Walmart White box and much more accurate.

 

[Ken Ford]

Thanks!!

 

[sunnydale slim]

x2 on the Lee turret press. It allows you to move slow enough not to make mistakes but saves a lot of die changing time. Also if you use Lee dies they come with a powder measuring dipper so most common loads can be completed without a set of scales. I also like the Lee Manual although several books are better than one. My $.02

 

[Petro_58]

Ken, Here's a Good Kit that includes alot of the Basic tools. There are still a few extras needed. Just an example of what to look for. You'll get arguments on , RCBS, Dillon, Lyman etc. This is just a Good quality setup, and it all just depends on how much you want to invest. Just my opinion.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=622290

 

[rbstern]

Ken, Here's a Good Kit that includes alot of the Basic tools. There are still a few extras needed. Just an example of what to look for. You'll get arguments on , RCBS, Dillon, Lyman etc. This is just a Good quality setup, and it all just depends on how much you want to invest. Just my opinion.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=622290

That's the old style turret press and powder measure. They work fine, but are dramatically inferior to Lee's replacement for it, the Classic Turret. The Classic Turret is stronger, faster, more precise, handles spent primers better, has more room for longer rifle cartridges, and is robust enough to resize nearly any cartridge short of 50BMG. It's a lifetime tool and the only press many reloaders will ever need. Well worth the extra coin vs. the old style turret. The old powder measure doesn't tolerate powder volume changes well. The plastic gets worn out by the screws and eventually strips or cracks. The newer powder measure with brass screws and nuts is more reliable and lasts indefinitely. Leaks less, too.

Lee Classic Turret press

 

[WakeSS]

Why does no one recommend progressives? It's just so much more straight forward to me...Most of them you can do one round at a time at first to get the hang of it.
I'm new to this too but IMHO, unless your doing it for match loads, go with a progressive press!

Ken, what caliber are you looking for at first?

 

[Petro_58]

That's the old style turret press and powder measure. They work fine, but are dramatically inferior to Lee's replacement for it, the Classic Turret. The Classic Turret is stronger, faster, more precise, handles spent primers better, has more room for longer rifle cartridges, and is robust enough to resize nearly any cartridge short of 50BMG. It's a lifetime tool and the only press many reloaders will ever need. Well worth the extra coin vs. the old style turret. The old powder measure doesn't tolerate powder volume changes well. The plastic gets worn out by the screws and eventually strips or cracks. The newer powder measure with brass screws and nuts is more reliable and lasts indefinitely. Leaks less, too.

Lee Classic Turret press

I did say it was an Example of what he might look for. I didn't see the The Lee Classic Press Kit on Midway, they used to have it for a better Price. I guess they quit carriyng it. And Like you said, The Lee Classic kit is a better setup. If I was in the market that's probably what I'd be looking at buying.

 

[Petro_58]

............................................
..............Once you pay the initial price to get set up on that caliber, then you can save a lot of money on your ammunition. You can reload for 1/3 to 1/5 the cost of factory ammunition. You can also create loads that are more accurate than factory loads. You also have the potential to load subsonic pistol rounds and other fun rounds to your liking. Just be careful.

I pick up my brass when I go shooting so I can reload it (Up to 10 to 12 times). I also pick up other people's brass at the range if they don't mind. I load what I want to load and sell the rest for extra money. Brass cases = $$$.

My .45 acp ammo is the most accurate my friends have ever shot.
My .270 rifle rounds will do head shots at over 600 yards.
My .223/5.56 rounds are as cheap as russian ammo and will stack rounds at 100 yards.
My 9mm hollow points are as cheap to shoot as Walmart White box and much more accurate.

I've alway's picked up brass at the range too. In fact I'm glad I had picked up a bunch of .40s&w. I was getting ready to swap or it sell off, and really happy that I didn't, because I just picked up a SIG P239 .40 and now I'm glad I have 700 pieces of brass. I Swapped for a set of dies, got some bullets at the show this past weekend, now I've already loaded 200rds and am ready to go try the SIG out.