I would like to start reloading. I do't have a bunch of money to sink into this yet so I would like to use value equipment. I don't know where to start with equipment and figured yall could hellp me.
Your best bet is to start following threads in the Reloading Forums. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks that hang out there.
Ed
"Not in an open forum, where truth has less value than opinions, where all opinions are equally welcome regardless of their origins, rationale, inanity, or truth, where opinions are neither of equal value nor decisive." Ken Howell
Start here. Someone is going to be along soon and say that Lee stuff is junk. They're entitled to their opinion. I've had a number of Lee products over the years and have been happy with them all. I have some other brands now, but I still have the original Lee single stage press that I bought years ago and it still works just fine.
Buy once, cry once! I would start piecing reloading equipment together. I tend to use Lee Dies, RCBS single stage press, and a Lyman tumbler, and Lyman Electronic scale. I have reloaded several thousands of rounds with these main pieces of equipment. I also purchased a cableas brand caliber.
Information - known as loading data is available from a variety of sources. It contains the powders and charge weights, brass, primers, seating depths and a host of nice to know information.
You can get started for as little as nothing, but eventually you'll want a library of your own. That truth now outpaces the cost of my equipment by a wide margin.
Fwiw, if there is one thing that I didn't care for in my original Lee equipment, it was their powder measuring setup. I went to a Redding powder throw as soon as my finances permitted.
Lots of ways to go. You could buy a Lee outfit with almost everything except dies, powder, primers and bullets for under $200. I would take my time and buy used equipment one piece at a time and buy RCBS. I think my RCBS JR press cost me $40.
�Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program." -- Milton Friedman
Buy once, cry once! I would start piecing reloading equipment together. I tend to use Lee Dies, RCBS single stage press, and a Lyman tumbler, and Lyman Electronic scale. I have reloaded several thousands of rounds with these main pieces of equipment. I also purchased a cableas brand caliber.
I have Redding, Dillon, Hornady, Wilson, Lee, RCBS, Forrester, C&H, PACT, and others I can't recall at the moment. Can't say any are junk, or better than the others - different strokes for different folks.
To get started at minimum cost (and be able to load very high quality cartridges) Lee is a no-brainer.
Information - known as loading data is available from a variety of sources. It contains the powders and charge weights, brass, primers, seating depths and a host of nice to know information.
You can get started for as little as nothing, but eventually you'll want a library of your own. That truth now outpaces the cost of my equipment by a wide margin.
This is TRUTH!
Get a reloading manual from one of the major companies, Hornady, RCBS, Lyman, Lee, etc... and READ the instructions.
As Mako25 said, information will become your largest expenditure over time. I would have to measure my reloading/firearms related book by the linear foot, not by number of volumes.
Also, what no one else has said, you are about to become an addict.
Stay safe and enjoy!
Ed
"Not in an open forum, where truth has less value than opinions, where all opinions are equally welcome regardless of their origins, rationale, inanity, or truth, where opinions are neither of equal value nor decisive." Ken Howell
I already have a manual and some componets but still need a press, dies, powder scale/measure. I'm considering the lee challenger singlestage annivesary kit.(just realized this awsome kit was discontinued)So any advice on entry level equipment would help. But if anyone would like to cur me a deal on some decent used equipment I would greatly appreaciate it.
Craigslist, the classified section of this site, and gun shows are all excellent places to get deals.
I would not spend money on used dies, open canisters of powder, and be very wary of primers, and bullets in opened packaging.
Being new, I'd recommend new brass, or brass from factory loaded ammunition.
The Lee anniversary is seventy bucks + tax, and shipping (hard to trim much off that). Deerwhacker also recommended the hand press - they work, and you'll be loading for the price of a twelve pack, and jug o' whiskey.
