Reloading??

[killswitharrows]

Thinking of getting into some reloading. I used to reload shotgun shells with my Dad & Uncle. Thinking of reloading .243, .30-06, and .444. 

If I did this what would I be looking at in cost just to reload any one caliber (for the whole set up)?

I would need it all...the works-from powder to press.

Thanks.

[davem270win]

It depends on how sure you are that reloading will be your 'thing'. If you not sure, you may want to go with a Lee loader, which can be had inexpensively. If you think this is something you will pursue, I would recommend going out and getting an RCBS package. Redding, Hornady, Lyman are also good, but my experience has been primarily with RCBS equipment.

You will need a press, set of dies and shellholder for each caliber you load (243 and 30-06 use same shellholder). You will need a priming tool (here the Lee hand tool is a good choice), powder scale, case mouth chamfer tool, calipers for measuring, and some way of trimming cases. Much of this is included in the packages. YOu will also need a study workbench for the press.

If you don't already have one, your very first purchase should be a loading manual. I Like the Lyman manual, but Speer, Hornady, Sierra, and Hodgon are all good. They will contain all the basic information about reloading and how to reload.

From there, you can determine which components you want - bullets, primers, powder, and cases. If you been saving your factory cases, you can use those.

Catalogs like Midway or Midsouth offer most of this gear, and can help you choose. POwder and Primers are best purchased locally, so you'd need to find a gunshop that carries reloading supplies.

PS You might get more response posting this on the reloading forum.

[victorcharlie]

If your on a budget, the lee anniversary kit has most everything you need and can be had at various places for less than $90.....a great value......

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1156961281.3237=/html/catalog/anivers.html

My pick would be the RCBS rock chucker master supreme reloading kit.....at just a few dollars less than $300

http://www.rcbs.com/equipment/rcpress.html

[nomosendero]

If your on a budget, the lee anniversary kit has most everything you need and can be had at various places for less than $90.....a great value......

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1156961281.3237=/html/catalog/anivers.html

My pick would be the RCBS rock chucker master supreme reloading kit.....at just a few dollars less than $300

http://www.rcbs.com/equipment/rcpress.html

I also think the RCBS package that VC mentioned is a great way to go.

[killswitharrows]

Thank guys! If I make the plunge I think I'll end upi going with the RCBS RELOADING PRODUCTS ROCKCHUCKER SUPREME MASTER RELOADING KIT. Midsouth has it for the lowest I've seen.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000449357

[Coyote Hunter]

killswitharrows -

The Supreme is a great way to go.  My older RockChucker was purchased in 1982 and still functions like new even though it has turned out around 20,000 rounds.

You will need a few other items... 

Dial or digital calipers.  You can get them for around $20.

Case trimmer.  Check Ebay.  Mine is an older model RCBS "T" handle I converted for about $10 to run off my electric drill.  If you're doing a lot of trimming, powdered is the ONLY way to go.

Case tumbler.  I use mine to clean the lube off freshly resized cases.  Beats heck out of wiping them down.  Walnut and rouge.  I use Berry's Brass Bright or whatever it is called.  A small bottle lasts a long time.  You can get the walnut at PetSmart in the bird department.

[jro45]

I say LEE is the way to go. Thats the reloading Dies I have been using for a long time. They aren't real expensive either.

[Tn Jim]

Geez yote hunter!   You've had that set up a long time haven't you?

[jro45]

Yep a real long time

[Old Time Hunter]

Lee Anniversary Kit, set of .444 dies, Lee factory crimp die, H4198 powder, CCI200 LR primers, Dial caliper, 100ctn 220 grain Hornady Interlock's, and a bag of 100 ctn new Brass (Winchester, Hornady, etc) less than $200.00

RCBS $ $ $ $ $ and does not do any better job. Noth'n against them, just don't like paying extra for no better function.

[Coyote Hunter]

Geez yote hunter!   You've had that set up a long time haven't you?

I see what you mean...


Edited my post to state "1982" instead of "1882".  I ain't THAT old... 

[deltecs]

Reloading is a fun and enjoyable hobby for the firearms enthusiast.  The largest benefit from reloading is an almost universal increase in accuracy.  This is done by finding what powder and bullet combination works the best in your rifle for the desired results.  I've owned rifles that absolutely would not shoot factory ammo from any manufacturer regardless of buller weight accurately.    5 shot groups around 3-5".  The same weapons when reloaded with ammo that they liked reduced the groups to less than 1 1/2" in almost every instance.  You can have a really good reloading setup for much less than you may imagine by buying at Internet auctions.  One has page after page of reloading equipment.  I've bought lots of stuff of the Net and haven't been burnt yet and saved a lot of money to use for bullets and powder.  Means more shooting and target practice.
Greg
Detente: An armed citizenry versus a liberal society

[solocam72]

 My vote goes for Redding, I have a Redding Big Boss press, Redding br-3 powder measure, pretty much all my stuff is Redding, even my dies, My next choice would be RCBS I have quite a bit of there equipment also and have had good luck with it. Price wise RCBS is going to be quite a bit cheaper than Redding, either way you go you cant go wrong. Lee IMO is bottom end junk!!

[GEMSBUCK]

Geeze! I got every name brand going from Herters to Redding to Lee & RCBS on my bench. Best thing to do is start with a Lee Anniversary kit ,. Reloading can become addictive and if you're like most guys you'll soon have cabinets full dies,trimmers,scales,powder measurers,etc

[corbanzo]

Shouldn't this be moved to the reloading forum?  or is that just me....

[solocam72]

My vote goes for Redding, I have a Redding Big Boss press, Redding br-3 powder measure, pretty much all my stuff is Redding, even my dies, My next choice would be RCBS I have quite a bit of there equipment also and have had good luck with it. Price wise RCBS is going to be quite a bit cheaper than Redding, either way you go you cant go wrong. Lee IMO is bottom end junk!!

  I dont mean to step on any toe's here about Lee products, I have used several of there tools over the years and I dont think much of there products compared to Redding and RCBS there is a huge difference! I apoligize to anyone offended by me calling Lee junk, again its just my opinion, A better way to describe it would be, you can reload with Lee "but there are far superior reloading tools out there"

[prairie_boy]

Myself, I have a RCBS Rockchucker press and Uniflow Powder measure that I picked up 2nd hand and they are my preference.

That being said, my Dad just bought a Lee Classic Cast press that is superb...I would buy one of them before I ever bought the Rockchucker at full retail $$$.  I had a Lee Loadmaster (progressive) that went to the dump...it was a total piece of crap...maybe I got one from a bad production run or something.  If you stick with single stage presses though, Lee should be very good.

For case trimmers, I have a Forster, which is excellent, except for the availability of different caliber pilots, which can be a bit hard to find here in Canada.  I would go with the Lyman Universal Case trimmer (comes complete with a full set of the most common pilots) if I was starting again.

For powder scales, I think RCBS or Lyman would be my choice, depending on price.  I'm sure the Lee scales are OK, but I don't like them...probably for irrelevant aesthetic reasons.

I've used dies from a variety of manufacturers and had excellent results with all.  One unique product I really like is the Lee Factory Crimp die, used properly, for crimping straight walled rifle & pistol cases...very nice crimps and no chance of buckling the brass.

Of course if you find a good deal on a complete kit of any of these brands, you'll have it made.

Oh yeah...the most important thing is to get a couple of good reloading manuals & follow their advice.  Best of all for me has been the Lyman manual...I think it's in the 48th edition now.  Speer & others make excellent manuals too.  I can't believe how many people I see begging for load data on the internet. 

NEVER trust anything you read on the net....you don't want to blow up your gun & possibly injure or kill yourself because someone made a typo, or because it was posted by a half-wit who purposefully gave you a load that was too hot, thinking he knew better than professionals who develop loading manuals for a living.  If you see it on the internet, verify it against a real loading manual, or contact the manufacturer of the powder to get their opinion on the safety of the load.  I have done that more than once and have found the folks at Alliant and Hogdon/IMR to be more than helpful.

Best wishes in your reloading!