id like to get into it but unsure of what equipment i need to buy. i have calibers for measuring cases and know i need a decent reloading book but what about case cleaners, dies and the actual machine.

I shoot a .300 win and have kept all the casings from my 155 grain federal fusion and with the ammo first starting out at $23 and now $35 and rising id like to get serious about it.

thanks in advance guys

id like to get into it but unsure of what equipment i need to buy. i have calibers for measuring cases and know i need a decent reloading book but what about case cleaners, dies and the actual machine.

Book: Lyman's 48th (or whatever their latest edition is) and/or the Hodgdon manual.

Tumbler: go to www.midwayusa.com and get the Frankford arsenal one. Or two. Those are so cheap you can two or three for the price of most of the others.

Dies and stuff: Lee is decent and cheap, but will rust if you leave em the garage un-oiled. Redding is top-shelf benchrest quality, and the price reflects it. A lot of NRA Hipower guys use Forester (if you can find em). RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, etc. are all pretty much similar in quality and price. I use Hornady.

Since you shoot a belted magnum rifle round, you'll want a single-stage press, due to the case prep needed between sizing and seating a bullet. RCBS' Rockcrusher is probably the best going; I suggest that, esp. for those kind of rounds.

I just started getting into it in the last month or so. I've been buying what I need but haven't started reloading yet. I bought a used rcbs press, forester case trimmer, redding powder measure, and a rcbs powder trickler. I bought a new rcbs scale (not digital), redding .300 win mag die and lee .44 mag die, lee primer. I have a lyman book 49th edition book which is the newest. Buy that first and read it over. It tells you everything you need and will guide you what to buy. For the 300 I went with 165gr hornady sst bullets, cci primers, imr 4350 powder, and winchester brass. I know I'm forgeting some stuff but the book will tell you everything. The initial cost is high but it will pay for itself in the long run

My dad bought me a Lee progressive reloader for my birthday last May, still haven't mounted it up and gave it a try yet though. Really need to though with the way prices are getting on range ammo

I just started getting into it in the last month or so. I've been buying what I need but haven't started reloading yet. I bought a used rcbs press, forester case trimmer, redding powder measure, and a rcbs powder trickler. I bought a new rcbs scale (not digital), redding .300 win mag die and lee .44 mag die, lee primer. I have a lyman book 49th edition book which is the newest. Buy that first and read it over. It tells you everything you need and will guide you what to buy. For the 300 I went with 165gr hornady sst bullets, cci primers, imr 4350 powder, and winchester brass. I know I'm forgeting some stuff but the book will tell you everything. The initial cost is high but it will pay for itself in the long run

ill have to find that book. do you have any pics of the press and what not? im having a hard time visualizing this.
none of this will be going in the garage. i have a large room over the garage that i will have a sturdy table with everything mounted on it.
my brother has a 7mag so we will be splitting the cost as well as getting 9mm or .45 dies come our 21st birthday.
id like to get into it now and not kick myself in the ass down the road on all the wasted money. besides how many poeple can say i loaded this bullet myself?:cheers

I don't have mine set up yet. I just finished the bench and still need to mount the press and powder measure. Check this site out to get some ideas. http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=41428 Alot of them are pretty elaborate but it will at least let you see what they look like mounted.

I do.. Since you are starting fresh this is what I suggest. Read as much as you can about the signs you need to look for and basic reloading. ABCs or Reloading is a good book. As many reloading manuals as you can get your hands on.. ie Barnes, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra..etc

Setup
RCBS Rock Chucker Kit
Wilson Trimmer
Hornady Lock-n-load Adapter(optional but helps)
Tumbler or Ultrasonic Cleaner
Dies(Foster or Redding ar my favs)

I forgot to tell you but if you are getting pistol dies make sure to get the three die set. One of the dies are carbide so you don't have to lube the cases.

For a bottleneck round like that, you'll also need a case trimmer. I've got a Lee zip-rim for my .223 and .30-06. It's pretty easy, you just chuck the deprimed case up, stick the trimmer in, and give it a couple pulls.

I forgot to tell you but if you are getting pistol dies make sure to get the three die set. One of the dies are carbide so you don't have to lube the cases.

Sounds like good way to stick a case, they really still need to be lubed. Imperial Case lube or One Shot is the way to go.

Sounds like good way to stick a case, they really still need to be lubed. Imperial Case lube or One Shot is the way to go.

Do you reload pistol rounds? I haven't done it yet but thats what I was told. If they need lubed I'd rather find out first before I have to get a case removed.

I reload pistol calibers (9, .40 & .45) with carbide dies and would also recommend using lube.

Do you reload pistol rounds? I haven't done it yet but thats what I was told. If they need lubed I'd rather find out first before I have to get a case removed.

Yes.. 9x19, 9x25, and 10mm

I reload pistol calibers (9, .40 & .45) with carbide dies and would also recommend using lube.


My dad and I both use carbide dies on .38/.357 and .45 and we haven't had any stuck cases without using lube.

I like the Lee carbide die set for pistols.

My dad and I both use carbide dies on .38/.357 and .45 and we haven't had any stuck cases without using lube.

I like the Lee carbide die set for pistols.

Lube is cheap insurance for when you stick a case.

:cheersid like to get into it but unsure of what equipment i need to buy. i have calibers for measuring cases and know i need a decent reloading book but what about case cleaners, dies and the actual machine.

I shoot a .300 win and have kept all the casings from my 155 grain federal fusion and with the ammo first starting out at $23 and now $35 and rising id like to get serious about it.

thanks in advance guys

I reload pistol calibers (9, .40 & .45) with carbide dies and would also recommend using lube.

Are the 40s pretty easy to reload? I was told they have a tapered case or something.

My dad and I both use carbide dies on .38/.357 and .45 and we haven't had any stuck cases without using lube.

I like the Lee carbide die set for pistols.

I have the lee also for the pistol. They are alot cheaper than other ones and when I was talking to people who have reloaded for many years, they told me the lee dies worked just as good as any other dies

I have the lee also for the pistol. They are alot cheaper than other ones and when I was talking to people who have reloaded for many years, they told me the lee dies worked just as good as any other dies

They are good for hunting and pistol ammo. They have alot of runout for any comp shooting.

Are the 40s pretty easy to reload? I was told they have a tapered case or something.

No different than the other pistol calibers I load. I'm no reloading guru or nothing but have done roughly 20,000 rounds so far with zero issues except for the occasional bad primer. I've never heard of a .40 tapered case to be honest.:dunno

No different than the other pistol calibers I load. I'm no reloading guru or nothing but have done roughly 20,000 rounds so far with zero issues except for the occasional bad primer. I've never heard of a .40 tapered case to be honest.:dunno

I just looked it up in my book and it tapers by .001 so I don't know what she was talking about when she told me that. I wouldn't consider that a taper at all. The person who told me was the owner of the reloading shop where I bought my press but maybe I just misunderstood. I think I'll have to pick a die up for it.

Lube is cheap insurance for when you stick a case.


I don't think it'd really be any big deal to punch a stuck case out of the sizing die if it ever did become an issue :dunno

Clean cases don't really have much to stick with in the carbide sizing/decapping die.

damn forgot to come on here. I ordered the book online just waiting on it to arive. Going to talk to a few guys at the next pistol match and see if anyone in the club has anything there wanting to sell.

Here is what I have been working on for the last month. I am not done completely but getting close! You can't tell in the pictures, but all the shelf compartments are 2-3 rows deep. All the ammo cans under the bench are full also....I'd estimate about 125,000 rounds, gotta be ready for anything! I shoot a lot of trap and skeet competitively which is the reason for all the different gauge loaders, along with IDPA pistol. The black file cabinet has about 15,000 loaded rounds of 12,20,28 and 410 shells in it. I don't have a wide enough angle lens to get it all in one picture, so I had to piece it together.:cheers

:drool good god man thats a sweet set up. I havent made it to the range in months with school and everything else going on. Where do you get all your supplies from?

So, if a guy (me) wanted to basically re-load only 9mm luger........ how much am I looking at for a basic setup. ONe that is not "cheap" but not overkill either.

And what are the price savings really? I mean I am still seeing range ammo for $10 per box right now :dunno

So, if a guy (me) wanted to basically re-load only 9mm luger........ how much am I looking at for a basic setup. ONe that is not "cheap" but not overkill either.

And what are the price savings really? I mean I am still seeing range ammo for $10 per box right now :dunno

I bought a Dillon 550. I went a little overboard and ended up getting a bunch of stuff I could have done without. (You can research them at www.brianenos.com (http://www.brianenos.com), you can even call and you'll actually speak to him--world champ shooter.) But when I purchased (mind you about a year ago so prices may have changed) I paid just over $1,000.00 but that included 9mm & .40 dies and plent of extras. The savings really depends on the bulk you buy (primers, powder, bullets and brass.) If you 'nickle & dime' the components, I don't see you saving more than 20-30% off factory prices then it becomes whether it is even worth the time. If you collect your own brass, buy primers & powder in bulk at gun shows or stores (eliminate hazmat/shipping fees), I would say you can reload at about 60-70% off the cost of factory ammo. The problem is, you'll probably start shooting more so in the long haul, you'll be spending more...guaranteed. I shoot around 2,000 rounds a month whereas when I didn't reload, it was around 500-750 a month tops. Sorry I'm not giving specifics but I purchased over 30,000 primers, 30 lbs of powder, 40,000 brass (9, .40 & .45) all last year and I know the prices were alot cheaper then than they are now. Reloading actually becomes fun and addicting and I can make a .40 shoot quite a bit softer than a 9.

Rambling off...

Here is what I have been working on for the last month. I am not done completely but getting close! You can't tell in the pictures, but all the shelf compartments are 2-3 rows deep. All the ammo cans under the bench are full also....I'd estimate about 125,000 rounds, gotta be ready for anything! I shoot a lot of trap and skeet competitively which is the reason for all the different gauge loaders, along with IDPA pistol. The black file cabinet has about 15,000 loaded rounds of 12,20,28 and 410 shells in it. I don't have a wide enough angle lens to get it all in one picture, so I had to piece it together.:cheers

Super nice setup! :thumbup. I use to work with the same kind of setup, minus shotshell reloading, and adding Lyman Cast Bullet pots.

I have always stated, that if you do any serious type shooting, you gotta reload, unless ya rich!!:)

^^heard that, gotta reload. I use the single stage RCBS Rock and have had zero problems, and this is old equipment I bought used---All I have are decent dies RCBS-Lee but we also smelt our own bullets for added savings. As far as 9mm goes I don't shoot it enough to reload and I've found a couple places that sell it so cheap but for the 44 mag, 45acp,357, 38, which I shoot often the savings can really add up if your active..

Btw just starting out I would definitely go with a single stage over a progressive so not to double ld.