Author Topic: Best kit? (Read 1122 times)

1jonmon · « **on:** February 10, 2012, 07:42:04 AM »

I'm tired of paying too much for ammo junk ammo and not having a good selection for my 7nmm-08. Which kit should I buy? Hornady has a bullet rebait, rcbs has a $50 rebate +the supreme is on sale, but lee's turret press is still by far the least expensive. What's the low down?

tacklebury · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2012, 11:14:49 AM »

If you want to load for one caliber only, I'd say get a hand press kit and the one set of dies and see if it is for you with a minimal investment. If you aren't fairly detail oriented and cautions you can kill or maim yourself or others reloading ammo. If you can keep good notes, take precautions and make smart investments, it's a great hobby. If you are really serious and want to jump into a larger expenditure with both feet, get the Lee turret press kit. Make sure you buy the length trim dies also and check length every reload unless they are very light loads.

Good luck and take it a step at a time... I've been loading for 10 different calibers for a long time using the handpress kit and it's still handy now that I have a bench set up with a breechlock press. The Turret kit is a good deal though and I'm already thinking of upgrading to that.

http://fsreloading.com/lee-bl-hand-press-kit-no-di.html
http://fsreloading.com/lee-delux-4-hole-tp-kit-90928.html

***edit***
Oh, and make sure you buy a couple good reloading manuals, ie.
http://fsreloading.com/catalogs/lee-precision/modern-reloading.html
or
http://www.hornady.com/store/8th-Edition-Reloading-Manual/

JimG · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2012, 11:39:44 AM »

Honestly, don't buy a kit.

I'm in the same boat as you. Want to get into reloading. I've gone the route of researching on the net every little piece and part of what I need to reload the various cartridges I have. I've found that most of the stuff that comes with a kit is either worthless, a PIA to use, you don't really need or want, or is ok but there are better options out there. So I'm assembling my own 'kit' from various manufacturers. So far here's what I've got-

Lee Challenger Breech Lock press
Lee Load-All shotshell press in 12 gauge with a 20 gauge conversion kit
Hornady M2 tumbler
Dillion Eliminator beam scale
Hornady Cam Lock case trimmer
Lyman Shooters scale weight check set
Lyman momentum type bullet puller
Lyman Universal Case prep kit
Lee powder dipper set
Lyman shot dipper
Lee reloading manual
Lyman reloading for both rifle/pistol and shotshell
Sierra reloading manual
I've also printed off every load data info from every powder manufacturer and three hole punched the paper and put into a 3 ring binder

These are the brands/models that seem to get the best reviews or seem to have the best reputation in that area of reloading. Make sure you get more load data than you think you'll need so that you can cross reference for safety. Just my two cents.

KAYR1 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2012, 12:31:37 PM »

I went with the RCBS Supreme kit. It was a bit expensive, but for me it was worth it. I load for over 40 different calibers, though. I suggest first starting with a few books. The ABCs of Reloading, and the Lyman Reloading Manual will get you started. Tip...Look around for used stuff that is in good shape. Some people get out of the game, and sell their goodies. I have been fortunate enough to pick up some nic stuff this way.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2012, 12:38:15 PM »

I highly recommend you start by reading the sticky above The Definitive "New to Reloading" Thread.

Tim

kynardsj · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2012, 12:56:16 PM »

The Lee hand press is slower but now I prefer it over the others. It's not expensive either. That and you can pack it up easily and take it most anywhere. I've worked out of town before and taken my press and dies and sized, trimmed and primed brass while I was hanging out at the hotel room.

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2012, 10:52:49 PM »

I started with a RCBS supreme kit.

I immediately found I needed some sort of case trimmer. I got the Lee trimmer for each calibre I have, I'm happy but then again I don't know any different.

Second thing was a Vernier Caliper for OAL.

Thirdly I picked up a vibrating case tumbler.

Last thing I figured I just had to have was a case for the newly minted rounds. They just didn't look right in a paper sack.

I'm still pretty green at this but it is recent enough I remember these things, the olden timers here will forget about such basics.

They were born with most of the equipment for reloading in their cribs for teething on.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2012, 01:03:51 AM »

Ill give you two answers. If your still up in the air whether this is something you want to do from here on out and may burn out on it fast buy yourself one of the lee kits. they can be had for less then the price of just a rcbs or hornady press. the down side is most of the stuff in it will get you by but thats about it. the scale and powder measure are cheap plastic junk that you will definately want to upgrade someday but will allow you to load quality ammo. the press isnt what a rcbs or hornady is but its plenty strong for about anything. I dont agree with the hand press recomendations. I use them but more for just something differnt then becaue there good at anything. they take alot more efford to size rifle brass with and are slower becaue of it. The additional 30 bucks or so to get a challenger is well worth it. the challanger, even though isnt the best press in the world, will serve you for years even as a back up or second press if you upgrade.

Now if you are sure this is something you want to do skip the lee stuff and go with a hornady lock and load or rcbs rock chucker. there a much higher quality press. But should be as they cost twice what the whole lee kit cost. Ive got both a lnl and a rock chucker and id say its a toss up. If it came down to having to get rid of one I would probably keep the hornady because i like the lnl feature but then hornady sells the parts to convert a rock chucker to lock and load too.

I would start by buying a good press. A good scale. Again hornady and rcbs starter level scales are vastly superior to the lee unit. If handgun ammo is on the agenda id but bench mounted powder dispensor again a rcbs or hornady. Again i have both and both work fine. Other things your eventually going to need are a case lube pad and case lube (or a can of one shot) Dies, here lee are just fine and cheaper then anyone elses, a shell holder set for your press, unless you buy lee dies. they come with caliber specific shell holders. your eventually going to need a way to trim rifle brass. When you trim youll need an inside and outside case mouth champer tool. You can primer on a press but the lee hand primer is a much better way to go. If you get that you will need a set of shell holders for it too. Other things like loading blocks a micrometer, caliper, powder trickler, tumbler, ect make loading much easier too.

bottom line is a guy can load ammo with a lee loader and a hammer but i doubt many who make there first hundred rounds like that fall in love with loading. Its like buying any tool. What would you rather work with a nice set of snap on combo wrenches or a china made cresent wrench. I doubt to many people armed with just that cresent wrench become avid auto mechanics either.

Keep in mind one thing. If you eventualy save money by reloading your in the minority. Most handloaders are in two camps. Some just dont load enough ammo to save anything. they load a couple boxes of ammo for there handgun and a couple more for there deer rifle and for the most part there equiptment collects dust. You will get some enjoyment out of making your own ammo and maybe killing a deer with it but walmart sells ammo pretty cheap. the other camp is guys like me. I load ALOT of ammo. theres no way i could afford to go to the store and buy it but if i were completely honest I proably have 30k into all my loading and casting gear and for that much money i could have bought a crap pile of ammo. Thing is for me its my hobby. Its what i do everyday and if i didnt have it id be a vegetable in front of the tv. Is it alot of money? Hell ya. But i dont have snowmobiles or motorcyles anymore. I dont go to the bar anymore. I dont travel. I SHOOT!!

BIG Dog454 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2012, 05:42:21 AM »

If you are only loading a small amount of ammo a week, ( 50 to 100) rds. A Lee C or O press kit would work just fine. You should be able to load a 100 rds in an hour or so on either. I agree with Lloyd that the scale and powder measure are crap, but usable and accurate enough for starting out. If you were to order from Midway or similar establishment you would be able to start reloading very inexpensively, and be able to produce fine ammo.
BD

sr sawyer · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2012, 06:14:15 PM »

Do not start with a cheap scale. You can load for years with the a trust worthy scale and never use a powder measure. A powder measure is an accessory and not a necessity. I would never use a powder measure of any brand without a good scale.

For the most part quality reloading equipment will last a lifetime and with this in mind I believe in buying the best I can afford. This said, I have purchased the best I could afford at the time and some of this equipment has been replaced but most of it is still in use.

In 1968 I bought my first chamfer-deburr tool and it was a Lee because this is the one I could afford. Have bought others since but still use the Lee for certain calibers and it still works. The Lee works fine but not as well as the others I have since bought.

If in no hurry I would suggest you go slow and put your equipment together slowly as you can find some great buys here and on other sites for new and used stuff. Don't forget to check Midsouth Shooter Supply who is a sponsor here (they have very good prices).

Ken

wncchester · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2012, 12:59:11 PM »

"Best kit? "

I don't like kits at all and never suggest anyone be restricted to what's put in any maker's kit. Kits can't rationally be listed on a scale of 1 to 10 as better to worst anyway and NO kit is complete; you'll have to add stuff to all of them. So, any of us telling you which kit is 'best' is open to some serious questions...and you'll get more opinion than fact. Fact is, as kits go, they all work fine if chosen by what you plan to do.

The last expensive presses, dies, scales, etc, available will last a very long time with modest care, wear is perhaps the least common cause of equipment failure; it's misuse, abuse and neglect that kills our tools!

Which reloading kit (or anything else) is 'best' for an individual user depends a lot on what cartridges he will be loading for and how many rounds he expects to load in a single session. And a little bit on what firearms he's loading for and what the end goal of the shooting is. It would be silly to suggest buying the biggest, most costly iron press available to reload a few hundred .38 special rounds a year, nor would it be wise to suggest Lee's Hand Press or Challenger Kit if you want to shoot several hundred rounds of .338 WM a month! ??

1jonmon · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2012, 03:05:58 PM »

Thanks for the thoughts...what I'm considering now is buying a kit just to get started. Like the idea of a turret press. If I understand correctly...I can do several of the same caliber (if I buy multiple dies) or the turret allows for quick change to various calibers. I believe I have a lot of reading to do....

goodconcretecolor · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2012, 11:44:17 AM »

I started with the Lee Loader and a mallet. Next, a Lee Hand press. 15 years later a Lee Reloader Press. Another 10 years and I bought a Lee Classic Turret. Loved using each one in turn and still own all of them. The Classic Turret is a great press in that it can be used as a single stage as well. Even then, the turrets are handy. I found the Lee Perfect Powder measure quite accurate and easy to use. Lee scale is crap in my opinion. Used a Lyman scale long before Lee brought out their scale. The Lee is difficult to read, the venier scale is too fine. Maybe OK for younger eyes. Bought one and threw it away.
Bought the Lee autoprime shortly after the Lee Loader. A primer detonating while seating with the loader spurred that. No harm done(wore safety glasses) but not fun.
Aside from scales, most of my equipment is still Lee after 25 years of reloading
JimG has interesting choices above that are difficult to argue with

mdi · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2012, 01:46:05 PM »

I'm not a fan of kits either, I think some items included aren't necessary. A lot of posters mentioned what kits or equipment they bought, but I'd suggest you get "The ABCs of Reloading" and read it, then you will be able to determine what reloading equipment will suit your reloading needs...

rdlange · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2012, 02:00:11 PM »

I'm a little different. Not knowing if I really wanted to get into reloading, I got a used Lee hand press and some shell prep tools, Lee trimmer and primer pocket reamer. They worked fine. Then I lucked into a Lyman 310 set for one caliber.

Now I reload six calibers with 310s and use the Lee hand press sometimes with the Lee expander die and a Lyman M die.

I have an old Lyman turret press, but have only used it for bullet sizing with Lee push thru dies.

I did get an RCBS 505 because I think a good scale is essential.

Otherwise, I like the hand tools I can keep in a tool bag. Don't really have space for a dedicated area, and I can take them with me when I go traveling. Maybe the 310s aren't as accurate as a bench press but they do OK for me so far.

Troyboy · « **Reply #15 on:** February 14, 2012, 04:07:07 PM »

Buy the books and do the reading first.

Flash · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2012, 01:21:12 AM »

Quote from: JimG on February 10, 2012, 11:39:44 AM

Honestly, don't buy a kit.

I'm in the same boat as you. Want to get into reloading. I've gone the route of researching on the net every little piece and part of what I need to reload the various cartridges I have. I've found that most of the stuff that comes with a kit is either worthless, a PIA to use, you don't really need or want, or is ok but there are better options out there. So I'm assembling my own 'kit' from various manufacturers. So far here's what I've got-

Lee Challenger Breech Lock press
Lee Load-All shotshell press in 12 gauge with a 20 gauge conversion kit
Hornady M2 tumbler
Dillion Eliminator beam scale
Hornady Cam Lock case trimmer
Lyman Shooters scale weight check set
Lyman momentum type bullet puller
Lyman Universal Case prep kit
Lee powder dipper set
Lyman shot dipper
Lee reloading manual
Lyman reloading for both rifle/pistol and shotshell
Sierra reloading manual
I've also printed off every load data info from every powder manufacturer and three hole punched the paper and put into a 3 ring binder

These are the brands/models that seem to get the best reviews or seem to have the best reputation in that area of reloading. Make sure you get more load data than you think you'll need so that you can cross reference for safety. Just my two cents.

Smart man

tobster · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2012, 02:44:53 PM »

I'm not a big fan of kits either but if you get the RCBS Supreme kit and a set of dies you'll have about $300.00 in it and get $50.00 back in a rebate. Figure the press,powder measure and scales are easily worth the $250.00 and all the rest of the stuff is a freebie.

Barstooler · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2012, 01:38:26 PM »

Don't buy a kit. If you do it wil cost you more money in the long run as you later realize that -- "I wish I had this rather than that.

But to get to the point where you can make those types of decisions you need to read read read and also find an experience reloading "friend" who will be willing to spend time to show you how to reload and why some products are better than other -- BTW, two or three friends with different reloading experiences are much better than just one friend ( who could lead you buy a bunch of crap) !

Barstooler

tobster · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2012, 05:36:28 AM »

When I started handloading 40+ years ago I didn't know anybody who loaded. After reading A LOT I went to the local trap range and asked for a kit. He said he didn't have any kits but he would set me up . He sold me a RCBS press and dies ,lube pad, reloading book, Pacific scales, and all the components. I added more equipment over the years, a lot of it back when Midway had free shipping. Just recently I decided I needed a better press after loading some .22 Cheetahs, and wanted another powder measure ( so I didn't need to change cylinders so often) and scales (to make sure my original set is honest). After looking at new and used on E-bay and elsewhere, I decided to buy the Supreme kit from RCBS because it had the press, scales, and powder measure I wanted. All the other stuff I consider a bonus. I can use a new reloading book, lube,loading block, etc. and I might sell the hand primer.
If I was a beginning reloader I honestly can't think of a better way to get started. (If you like red go with Hornady) Everything you need to get started is included and I don't see anything that I would call junk. The best way to learn is to actually load. I'm sure there are other things a person will want to add. ( I sure would hate to be without a powder trickler) If a beginner thought he knew what he needed to get started and bought his equipment piece by piece,new or used, the shipping would eat him alive. Just one guy's opinion............