My 2� advice is that you look first -- for comparison and maybe for purchase -- at the best
minimum outfit (listed below), not at any kit unless you can get a good minimum for less or not too much more by buying the kit.
� the best single-stage press you can manage (I'd go for the Rock Chucker)
� a good set of dies, with the appropriate shell-holder (everybody makes good dies -- even Lee. I prefer Redding or RCBS to Hornady)
� a good scale (Redding, RCBS, or Hornady)
� case lube (Imperial sizing-die wax is the best there is)
� burring-and-chamfering tool (any good brand)
� powder funnel (Sinclair International's aluminum funnel is vastly superior to the plastic junkers out there)
� a good loading manual from each maker of the powders and bullets that you load. The best data for each component come from the company that makes that component.
You
do not need a powder measure and may be better off without one until you have become very familiar, proficient, and unfailingly safe with the basic rig. A powder measure (a) is a luxury tool, not a necessity, and (b) can be an unnecessary source of dangerous confusion and problems. The unfamiliar use of powder measures by beginners has led to many burst guns and personal injuries. Learn handloading first without the powder measure. Or be even more careful with it if you ignore this advice and splurge on the luxury of using a measure. (The measure demands
more caution, not less.)
Everything else is a convenience or luxury tool, not a basic necessity. Focus first on the basics that I've listed, then decide on the other items separately. Spend your money on the gear that'll do you the most good over the longest span of years, and you won't have to replace anything soon after you buy it.
... and forget the 2� <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
