Beginners first reloader

[Diesel40]

What do you recommend for a beginners first reloader.  I will as of now be reloading 45acp, 243, 40s&w, 45lc and 308.  I will not be doing a lot of reloading, single stage will be all I need.  Doing to save a little but mostly to get more consistent preferred loads.  Plus I think reloading is fun.  I already reload shot shells.   

I had planned on getting one last year and did a lot of research on it and remembered that for my application that I had decided on the lee challenger kit.  I remember that the scale that it comes with was not desired and that the Lee auto primer was not suggested. 

Just looking for some advice.  I have been researching again and will be getting one this go around.  Let me know if you think this will be a good one to start with or if I would be better off getting a different one.  I think I would get a kit to start me off with, all I really have for this is a digital scale that I use with the shotshells.  Thanks for your help.

[Dixie Dude]

Get you a Lyman reloading handbook.  It has lots of loads with various powders for each caliber, including loads for cast bullets.  It gives max and min loads.  In the begining of the book it tells how to reload and has sketches and pictures. 

[SHOOTALL]

First try to get a loading guide for the bullets you wish to load then a kit from RCBS . Then enjoy .

[Land_Owner]

+1 SHOOTALL.  

I like RCBS.  Through any number of Distributors like Mid-South Shooters Supply [a GBO Sponsor]; Midway USA; Cabelas; Natchez Shooting Supplies, etc.  RCBS is very good about reducing the price of a KIT (loading press, powder measure, case prep station, case lubes, case trimmer, etc.) and including one caliber set of dies for a couple of hundred dollars.  After the KIT and first set of dies, the rest come easy.  You CAN NOT purchase the individual items for less than the KIT price - unless you perhaps are purchasing from an estate sale.

I see you like rifle calibers 243 and 308.  Either of these as your first KIT is recommended.  Neither one is "better" over the other, except the one that you want to shoot sweeter first.

You said "save a little".  Don't.  

You will in time shoot MORE for less money by purchasing reloading equipment and supplies EVEN AFTER you include the first cost of the reloading equipment than the same number of Factory ammunition.

AND

You will have a hobby for life, one that could potentially save your life in a variety of ways.  Happier, shooting straighter, more confidently, what could be better to Life than that?

[Diesel40]

Get you a Lyman reloading handbook.  It has lots of loads with various powders for each caliber, including loads for cast bullets.  It gives max and min loads.  In the begining of the book it tells how to reload and has sketches and pictures. 

Lyman handbook is the first thing on my list to get.  I use the Lyman shotshell book for reloading my shotshells. 

[Diesel40]

+1 SHOOTALL.  

I like RCBS.  Through any number of Distributors like Mid-South Shooters Supply [a GBO Sponsor]; Midway USA; Cabelas; Natchez Shooting Supplies, etc.  RCBS is very good about reducing the price of a KIT (loading press, powder measure, case prep station, case lubes, case trimmer, etc.) and including one caliber set of dies for a couple of hundred dollars.  After the KIT and first set of dies, the rest come easy.  You CAN NOT purchase the individual items for less than the KIT price - unless you perhaps are purchasing from an estate sale.

I see you like rifle calibers 243 and 308.  Either of these as your first KIT is recommended.  Neither one is "better" over the other, except the one that you want to shoot sweeter first.

You said "save a little".  Don't.  

You will in time shoot MORE for less money by purchasing reloading equipment and supplies EVEN AFTER you include the first cost of the reloading equipment than the same number of Factory ammunition.

AND

You will have a hobby for life, one that could potentially save your life in a variety of ways.  Happier, shooting straighter, more confidently, what could be better to Life than that?

which of the RCBS presses do you recommend?

[SHOOTALL]

Rock crusher kit and add good scales . I don't care for the eletronic scales myself others do .
RCBS dies work good but I like redding better . I have both . I stay away fro Lee with the exception of their case trimmers which work well in a bat. drill .

[stimpylu32]

Diesel

For a first press kit look at the Lee - Challenger kit , Mid South has them for around $110 , add the Lyman manual & a set of dies , your set to start loading.

Some don't like the Lee products , I've used them for over 30 years and aside from the scale that ( I HATE ) they have a usable product , is it the best ? No , will it load good / safe ammo ? Yes .

As for what round to start with , I'd say the 45LC , why ? because it will be the easiest to do , as it's a strait walled case that head spaces on the rim , not the shoulder like the bottle necked rifle rounds or the case mouth like the 45 & 10mm , which need a little more care to get right the first time .

Just my take on this . 

stimpy   

[Land_Owner]

which of the RCBS presses do you recommend?

+1 SHOOTALL

Rock Chucker Press - later expandable with the Piggyback 2 to a Progressive Press for pistol and short length rifle cases.  I don't know about the Lee press that Stimpy recommends.  

The RCBS powder measure comes with the KIT (I hope).

A good scale is the RCBS 505.  I have one.  It is a good balance beam scale.  Fast and accurate.  Later I purchased a PACT electronic scale and powder measure/trickler.  I can throw two good charges with the RCBS powder measure and 505 scale before the PACT electronic scale throws one.  Is that an endorsement against electronics...NO WAY.

I use the electronic scale to quickly "grade" large numbers of rifle cases and bullets.  I weigh them one at a time for some calibers, mark them and set them in the loading trays by weight.  All things being equal (i.e. overall case length the same, necks turned, etc.), then the unprimed weight is a measure of the case charge capacity.  

I find, for personal use, that my reloads in cases that are within +/- 0.2 grains of one another (either up or down the scale) are increasingly accurate in my rifle and make me a more confident meat hunter.  

[Autorim]

I would buy the RCBS Rockchucker in a kit.

[John R.]

I just advised a friend on this very subject last week. He ordered the RCBS Rocker Chucker kit, it should serve him as well as mine has for the last 35 years.

[Diesel40]

Rock crusher kit and add good scales . I don't care for the eletronic scales myself others do .
RCBS dies work good but I like redding better . I have both . I stay away fro Lee with the exception of their case trimmers which work well in a bat. drill .

Can you explain a little bit as to why i should stay away from the Lee stuff?  There seems to be a big difference in price and want to make sure it is necessary to go RCBS.  I have heard that the lees are not the top of the line but they do a good job like Stimpy says.  I have heard great things about the RCBS but it is temping to go with the 100 dollar kit over the 300 dollar kit.  Thanks for your help.

[SteveHawaii]

If I were able to do it again, I'd get the RCBS kit.  Midway has it on sale for just over $300.00:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=646599

But I didn't have the money at the time so I started out with the Lee Loaders.  Not sorry I did, because now I have them and still use them, or at least parts of them, from time to time.  They really helped me learn.  I now have a Lee Classic press.  That thing is great!  Well made, heavy duty and priced right. 

So I ended up getting everything piece meal.  But if I had to do it over again, I'd get the RCBS kit.

[Lloyd Smale]

I used to recomend one of the lee starting kits. they have about everything you need for basic loading but i recomended one to a buddy last summer and he got the kit with the lock and load syle press. I thought the set up was almost laughable. the press was so rough that the handle would not fall on its own accord and that plastic powder measure was a total piece of junk. I imediately threw the measure in the garbage can and gave him one of my rcbs measures and felt so bad for recomending it a week later i gave him a rcbs press. What i would recomend now for a single stage press is either the lyman rcbs or hornady units. there all equally good presses. I tend to favor the lock and load hornday. Its a big heavy duty press thats very well made and i like the lock and load feature and even if you dont you can leave an insert in it and use it as a convetional press.

[SHOOTALL]

Why I stay away from Lee stuff is when they break you have to pay for parts to repair them . When you break a part on anything RCBS all they ask is where you want the part sent to , no questions ask . The quality looks better also IMHO. I would suggest you look at and put your hands on both and you will see the difference .

[Land_Owner]

+1 SHOOTALL (again - dang that fella is quick!   ).

RCBS equipment comes with a LIFETIME warranty/guarantee whether you are the original purchaser or the tenth owner, does not matter to them.  They stand behind ALL of the equipment they sell - forever (or until the world as we know it disintegrates).  No questions asked.  Free shipping and No Charge.

I've received depriming pins (2 times) and a replacement clear plastic cylinder for my powder measure...no charge, no shipping fee.  That's Good Service in my book, which garners loyalty to product.  Plus, their stuff if tough, well made, accurate, and will withstand a lifetime or two of useful service.  Word-of-mouth testomony is about as good as it gets.

[Diesel40]

I am very impressed with what you guys have to say about the RCBS.  Thanks guys.

[revbc]

RCBS is good stuff.  I have their powder measure.  However, don't discount Lee stuff if your on a budget.  I started with the challenger kit and still use the press all the time.  Nothing has ever broken.  I do not form brass with it, but load several bottleneck rounds, a bunch of straight wall including the beloved 357max and 45/70.

The Lee will do a good job but you will probably quickly upgrade the scale and maybe the powder measure.  Lee's powder measure has a neat trick that RCBS don't have, you can twist the body and shut off the powder flow, lift the body off and dump the excess powder back in the can!  But I do like the weight and feel of the RCBS measure.

I have a hornady scale and love it.

My 2 cents worth.

[Lloyd Smale]

rcbs is has great customer service and so does hornady or dillon.

[buck460XVR]

I started with a Rockchucker Supreme kit a few years back thanks to the advice of many folks here. It came with everything I needed but dies, calipers, tumbler, case trimmer and of course, the individual components needed, i.e. powder, primers, bullets and cases. I still use it today to load  my .357 mag, .44 mag, .460S&W mag, .45ACP, 30-06 and .32 Special rounds. I shoot approximately 500 rounds a month and generally run out of empty brass long before I run out of loaded ammo. The Speer manual it comes with is very good, altho I recommend at least one more for cross reference. I load a lot of Hornady so I use their book also along with the Lyman.

Funny thing was, I started reloading so I could save money. Nowadays I spend three to four times as much as I used to for ammo.....and enjoying shooting at least ten times as much.

[JustaShooter]

Why I stay away from Lee stuff is when they break you have to pay for parts to repair them .

I've never had to pay for replacement parts from Lee, even for the parts when I've told them I know it was my fault which so far has always been the case for press parts, though I did have one incorrectly cut die part in a new die set once.  No questions asked, other than "where should we ship it?"

I've been very happy with the Lee equipment I have and use.  I've also been very happy with the RCBS equipment I have and use. 

I'm just sayin'.

Just a Shooter

[Autorim]

I have RCBS equipment that I have owned since about 1963 and I have never broken anything except depriming pins which they replaced. I also rate Redding as an equal or better.

[mbopp]

I've got a Rock Chucker press, nice for rifle loading but a bit slow for handgun ammo. I'm looking for a turret press to go with it. Got a Lyman beam scale and Redding powder measure, all bought 25+ years ago.
Another +1 for RCBS. I have an old 357 die set with a 7/16 thread in the sizer die. I emailed RCBS and asked about a decapper for the die, they said send us your address and we'll mail you one (gratis.)

[Land_Owner]

mbopp....I use an RCBS Piggyback II progressive reloader for my handgun and short rifle loading.  It mounts on top of the Rockchucker along with the RCBS Powder Measure, is a little tempermental to set up, takes a few rounds to get "warmed up" but throws a whole bunch of rounds in short order when it is hot-hot-hot.  I am sure that a Dillon, Cadellac of Progressive Reloading, would be a suitable and more expensive alternative.  But already having the Rockchucker made sense to just "upgrade".  Some have their share of difficulties with the PiggyII and are not silent about sharing.  Just thought you might consider adding to your existing equipment without a whole lot of additional expense.

[wncchester]

"Can you explain a little bit as to why i should stay away from the Lee stuff? "

No valid reason at all, especially so for a press and dies.  Seems some folks can't help equating Lee's light alluminum alloy presses to other cast iron presses.  That's not honest, it's kinda like comparing apples and chicken; both are very good but very different. 

Both of Lee's Classic Cast presses, the single stage and the faster working auto-indexing turret, have cast steel bodies (not cheaper/weaker cast iron), a fully adjustable lever system, a spent primer catcher system that actually works, and it's made in the USA, not China like the Rock Chuckers.  (AND they are still much less expensive!)

Lee has a full two year warrantee and if anyone has a valid defect surely he would be able to detect it within that period.  Or, you could pay about 2 1/2 times the price of a Classic Cast and get a Rock Chucker with the promise of "free parts" for life.  But what kind of winning deal is that, especially on a device that very rarely needs any parts?

I've had a Rock Chucker 2 since '87.  If the Lee Classic Cast had been available then that's what I would have, even if I'd had to pay more for it.

[Tom W.]

I recommend either Redding or Rcbs. When I was young and had kids to feed, I bought Lee, and I did ok, but traded or sold almost all of my Lee stuff for RCBS and Redding. For one thing, I could never get the Lee .45 Colt dies to work to my satisfaction. The Lee Factory Crimp Die for bottle neck cases is nice, if you need it.

[SHOOTALL]

wncchester , it about who stands behind their products and replaces parts . I wear stuff out and RCBS replaces it free .Lee never has !

[Diesel40]

I was going to look for a used rock chucker, if i can find a good deal on one what powder scale and dispenser do you recommend?

[SHOOTALL]

I have both Pacfic and RCBS scales and both work well .

[wncchester]

'wncchester , it about who stands behind their products and replaces parts . I wear stuff out and RCBS replaces it free .Lee never has !'


I know what you meant, but you have worn out a press?  ANYONE'S press?  

After the very much higher prices of going green, are the worn-out parts really "free" or just at no additional cost?   Guess it depends on how you count the cost of doing the work but it seems you paid for the parts up front, even if you never need any.  Seems to me they are standing behind "their" products with "our" money!  

I can't help but wonder... what parts, and at what potential cost savings, did RCBS replace for "free" to you?  And what did you wear out, and at what repair cost to you, from Lee?

I've done a LOT of reloading for a LOOONG time and have yet to wear out/break anything except one Lyman case trimmer cutter, an impact bullet puller - both after some thirty years of use - and a couple of RCBS de-capping pins.  But, while I do have an RCBS press, some dies and other stuff I also have a lot of other brands on my bench and have saved a ton of money by not paying for free parts for others.  So, I suppose the value of free green parts depends a whole lot on how much we're willing to pay for them and well we each take care of our tools.  ??