prhunter
Well-known member
Thinking about starting to reload my own ammo.
Any suggestions on a quality starter kit. Thanks.
Any suggestions on a quality starter kit. Thanks.
Suggestion for a starter reloading kit
- Thread starter prhunter
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CodyCass
Member
Kits are nice because you can get everything you need all at once. However, if you think you will be doing it for a while I’d recommend putting together you own kit. I’m not saying you can’t get a good kit, but some of the components they come with might be lacking in quality. Again, there are great kits out there that will serve you well. RCBS makes great kits and they often run rebate offers. Lee is great and I’ve always had good experiences with anything I’ve bought from Hornady. Good luck, be safe and have fun!
Millsworks
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This has been a question asked alot the last few years on talk forums and in my experience , to me personally.
I always tell people the same thing.
I started with Lee loading equipment and still use it primarily today. Its the most affordable stuff out there and works just as well as any other I have used.
Midway USA has a Lee Challenger single stage kit for 143.00 right now. Lee dies can be bought for 40.00 a set, depending on caliber and type. Though used RCBS dies are all over for cheaper yet.
I like the turret press myself alot. The turret allows you to set the dies up, adjust, lock them down and not have to remove them again between stages like with a single stage press, making it super simple to load several calibers by just switching turrets. The four hole turrets will let you put two calibers in each turret for loading rifles without a crimp.
Most rifles don't need or benefit from crimping anyway.
The turret presses are on the net for 40.00 or less all the time practically. So you can purchase one later if you like, separately. But they sell turret press kits for not a whole lot more than a single stage.
RCBS, Hornady both are great presses too, but for the money the Lee is hands down the place I spend my money.
I always tell people the same thing.
I started with Lee loading equipment and still use it primarily today. Its the most affordable stuff out there and works just as well as any other I have used.
Midway USA has a Lee Challenger single stage kit for 143.00 right now. Lee dies can be bought for 40.00 a set, depending on caliber and type. Though used RCBS dies are all over for cheaper yet.
I like the turret press myself alot. The turret allows you to set the dies up, adjust, lock them down and not have to remove them again between stages like with a single stage press, making it super simple to load several calibers by just switching turrets. The four hole turrets will let you put two calibers in each turret for loading rifles without a crimp.
Most rifles don't need or benefit from crimping anyway.
The turret presses are on the net for 40.00 or less all the time practically. So you can purchase one later if you like, separately. But they sell turret press kits for not a whole lot more than a single stage.
RCBS, Hornady both are great presses too, but for the money the Lee is hands down the place I spend my money.
Don Fischer
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I'd recommend that Lee kit too. You'll find out what you like and don't like learning to use it. One thing I don't think any kit come's with is a caliper to measure stuff with. About $20 I think at Harbor Freight or not much more from Midway. No trim tool either and you'll need one before to long. Lee used to make individual trimmer's for different case's Maybe they still do and I'd definitely grab one for each cartridge you load for. If it's straight wall cartridge's you probably won't need them right away.
Addicting
Well-known member
I bought a RCBS kit thru Amazon and got it 40% off plus they were running a 100 rebate so it was just a little more than that Lee. Ive used thier customer service 2 times now and both times they sent me an additional part to help me reload free of charge. Neither of those was part of what kit I ordered. I rate thier customers service as one of the top ones I have ever dealt with.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
I started hand loading last fall and decided rather than going the kit route and having some items I liked and some that needed replacement, I did it piece by piece using this article as a general guide (http://www.chuckhawks.com/reloading_essentials.html). I am happy with the outcome.
OhHeyThereBen
Active member
I just started with the Lee Challenger kit. It's really great and super inexpensive.
You will need a caliper and a set of dies, which will get you up towards about $200 depending on what you get. I bought a set of calipers on amazon for like $15 and they seem to do a great job. I'd also look on amazon for the kit because you can sometimes find it for $125.
I was skeptical about the Lee powder scale because I heard lots of bad things about it so I went and bought an inexpensive electronic Lyman scale that works alright. However, after actually using the Lee scale I've realized that it's actually really accurate and trustworthy. It will get you easily to about a tenth of a grain of what you want. If that's acceptable for you (if you're new, it's just fine) then I wouldn't buy a separate scale right away. Just use what comes with the kit.
Thus far I've loaded about 350 rounds of 9mm and 150 rounds of 30-06. What will you be loading for?
You will need a caliper and a set of dies, which will get you up towards about $200 depending on what you get. I bought a set of calipers on amazon for like $15 and they seem to do a great job. I'd also look on amazon for the kit because you can sometimes find it for $125.
I was skeptical about the Lee powder scale because I heard lots of bad things about it so I went and bought an inexpensive electronic Lyman scale that works alright. However, after actually using the Lee scale I've realized that it's actually really accurate and trustworthy. It will get you easily to about a tenth of a grain of what you want. If that's acceptable for you (if you're new, it's just fine) then I wouldn't buy a separate scale right away. Just use what comes with the kit.
Thus far I've loaded about 350 rounds of 9mm and 150 rounds of 30-06. What will you be loading for?
MVRK28
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I just bought my first kit, I'm a relatively new hunter/shooter and definitely new loader. I wanted to experiment with hand loading so I started looking at kits. I went with the Hornady Classic Kit for three reasons.
1. Ease of use vs other single stage presses (Lock-N-Load system looks very convenient)
2. On sale at Midway USA for $192 and change. (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/749997/hornady-lock-n-load-classic-single-stage-press-kit)
3. Hornady rebate for 500 free bullets with purchase of a press and 100 free bullets with purchase of dies. (https://media.midwayusa.com/cms/rebate/2017_11/get-loaded.pdf)
To me this was the smallest investment to get started with reloading using a pretty decent kit.
OhHeyThereBen
Active member
I was looking at that as well with their offer of bullets with dies. Really a good deal. I think they discontinued it at the end of last year though... but I could be incorrect. The offer being invalid for this year made the decision for me.
MVRK28
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What was discontinued? My printout for the rebate showing the press and dies shows a date range of 1/1/18 to 12/31/18. If you check the second link I included in my previous post you will see the pdf for the rebate.
MThuntr
Well-known member
Nope still valid...Hornady has been basically rolling that rebate over annually for quite some time. I wish they would update the list of bullets offered to include some different weights
OhHeyThereBen
Active member
Apparently I must have looked at the incorrect link on Hornady's website! Whelp, looks like my next dies will be from Hornady. Although I really do like my Lee sets as well. Thanks for the tip!
I purchased the Rock Chucker RSCBS kit when I started. I'm still using every piece of that kit today.
Any kit will get you where you want to go within reason. Find the one that tickles your fancy the most and get to rolling your own. Between Lee, RCBS & Hornady, they'll all perform as described and I would vouch for the RCBS & Hornady customer service. Both outfits have been superb.
Any kit will get you where you want to go within reason. Find the one that tickles your fancy the most and get to rolling your own. Between Lee, RCBS & Hornady, they'll all perform as described and I would vouch for the RCBS & Hornady customer service. Both outfits have been superb.
Don Fischer
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As a starter, how did you know what you liked and what needed replacement?
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
How I learn most things, reading and talking to those who know (I am lucky to have a locally owned reloading shop just a few miles from my house). It was pretty common to read/hear, "XYZ starter kit is OK, but you will want to swap out item Q pretty quickly after starting". I understand that starter kits serve a purpose, and that is fine, I was just offering an alternative approach - but lots of ways to skin a cat as they say.
Reloading aside, I am typically suspect of package deals in general, you always end up with something you didn't want, didn't need or was a piece of cr*p.
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OhHeyThereBen
Active member
I read a lot about this as well and can't blame you. Although, in my experience with my kit, the advice was coming from a bunch of seasoned reloaders. I've found (not that this is necessarily a bad thing) that sometimes you need to take things with a grain of salt in any hobby like this because there are people that have been reloading for a half century who "would never have anything to do with xxxxx item in that kit," but a person who is just starting would never know the difference. Yes, kits are generally geared towards a person just starting out and yes, you'll probably replace some items as you grow in the hobby. But I'm not sure that I could have pieced together an adequate setup for anywhere near the price that I paid for my Lee kit.
To the OP - it may seem pretty overwhelming (it still is a bit for me) but my advice is just dive in and you'll figure it out with advice from people on here and elsewhere. I don't think you'll really go wrong with any starting kit.
Millsworks
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There is no doubt a person can surf the web and find used reloading equipment for alot less. But for a new person to loading, it difficult to know what to get to have what is needed to start.
That makes the kits simpler for most. Unless you have a trusted person to walk you through it, it can be overwhelming to know what is a good deal and what is really must have equipment.
That makes the kits simpler for most. Unless you have a trusted person to walk you through it, it can be overwhelming to know what is a good deal and what is really must have equipment.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
I have no problem with kits, but as referenced above, this site tells you all you need to know to get started piece by piece: (http://www.chuckhawks.com/reloading_essentials.html)
OhHeyThereBen
Active member
Would a person really save money buying things separately new? I guess I haven't priced things out too much, but if I were to buy all of the Lee stuff that came in my kit separately I think it would have been much more expensive. Getting used stuff would definitely help though.
