Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Inexpensive Reloading Kit

I want to do some reloading with my son. We only shoot rifles as of right now, but he does have an interest in pisols. Can you guys recommend an inexpensive "package" for reloading? I have reloaded before and had an RCBS Rockchuker, but I want to try to keep the expense down.

Thanks.

Local Cabelas flyer that I received yesterday, list the Rockchucker kit on sale for $279, add a set of carbide dies and you can send in for their $50 rebate.

Check your local Craigslist and swap & sells, this time of year the Tax Man cometh, and a lot of people that panic bought reloading kits last year will probably put them up for sale. Most you will find NIB.

If you just want to do some reloading, there is nothing wrong with the Lee Anniversary Kit. If your hoities are a bit on the toity side, then you would probably want to look elsewhere.

I tried the Lee kit and within a month pieced together a RCBS kit from Craigslist and gun shows. The Lee kit is inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. I would recommend getting the RCBS right away, not only because of better quality but also because of top notch customer service.

I don't think you'd ever go wrong with Lee equipment, and their customer service is excellent as far as the one dealing I've had with them.

Bought a Lee press in 1990, back then it was called the Lee 2001 (guaranteed till the year 2001). Figuered I'd upgrade in a year or 2. Well I never did upgrade it, and it's still going strong. About 2 years ago the cam stop broke off. Saw it had an identical stop on the other side, so pulled the pins and turned the camming piece around and had a new stop in about 5 minutes.

Between the middle of this January and the middle of February, I resized 1,678 pieces of brass on that press, 30-06, .308, .270, 6MM remington, 7MM Remington Magnum and it's still going strong. I could afford to upgrade at any time, just don't see a need to.

Had a Lee .308 resizing die and the primer punch didn't look centered in the die when I went to use it. I called Lee and told them I wasn't happy with it, they said send it back. Had a new one in a week, no questions asked.

I have some Lee stuff, some RCBS, some Lyman, etc. and it's all good, could never understand why some knock Lee so much, but can only talk from my own experience.

Thanks

I would recommend the Lee kit as a great starting point. That is what I started out with and worked up from there.

The latest Cabelas' flyer has the Rockchucker kit on sale for $279, add a set of dies and will easily put it over $300 and make it eligible to get $50 back from their promotion.

A very inexpensive and portable way to start and see if you want to go farther is the Lee Hand Press Kit adding Lee Dies, Lee Trimmer, and scale of your choice.

If you do choose to go farther, you will then better know what more your you want; and you'll already have the portable kit that most handloaders later want.


If you choose not to go farther, you'll be OK for basic handloading.


If you choose not to handload anymore, you'll have wasted the least money, effort, weight, and bulk practicable

Just buy used. Presses are one of those things that never die.

Amen!
My RCBS press has been owned by at least a half a dozen guys!
Some knew more about reloading than me and some knew less.
It shows signs of wear, but it's 'honest' wear, and enough ammo has been run through it to fight a war, a small war mind you, but a war nonetheless!
With proper care these things will serve the cause forever.

Ever wonder what happened to scrapped battle tanks? Each one was turned into a Herter's press.

I've never had a problem with a Lee product and I've been reloading for over 30 years. YMMV

CRAIGSLIST!!!

I bought the lee anniversary kit from midway. 2 years later the parts that I still use regularly are the press, case trimmer, funnel, powder throw, primer pocket cleaner, and the press mounted priming system. I've picked up a Chargemaster, and a bunch of other accessories to make the job easier, but for 120$, I can't complain about the Lee kit. I will probably get another press someday, since it would be nice to have a couple of presses to work with, and I'd like to get a powder throw that is a bit more stout...