Taking the plunge...

[BigHutch]

Well it's time. I'm finally ready to start hand-loading. I've got a dedicated room to use and am going to start on the bench tomorrow. I'm just starting out on this, so what books/manuals do you guys recommend that I start reading? I've been looking at presses, but need to get the facts down first before making any purchases, so what is the best book/manual?

ABC's of reloading? Loading manuals?

Thanks for the help!

[rn22723]

Your first step is buying the best reference book or what I call Reloading for Dummies or The ABC's of Reloading from Krause Publications. Read it cover to cover, and then read it again while taking notes! Look for a mentor at your local club, range, or purveyor of supplies! Another more technical book, is Handloading for Competition by Glen Zediker.

There are several great reloading manuals of the real kind not the freebee ones! Freebee manuals are good for cross referencing data, at times. For meaty manuals a person can not go wrong with the Lyman49th, Hornady, and Sierra. One must always look up loads when you compare/cross-reference data. Especially in larger calibers as some data might be using different brass from yours. Case in point Hodgdon used WW brass to work up loads with, whereas Sierra used Fed cases in their 308 Winchester loading information.

Press - Single Stage or Turret presses are the best way to learn before advancing to any kind of progressive press. You will always have need for a single stage press. Redding and RCBS are good sources of all kinds of presses. RCBS Rockchucker Supreme for a single stage and Redding T7 for a turret press are basically the gold standard for the two different types.

Dies - I like Redding Dies, and I would get the carbide expander ball upgrade for bottle neck rifle cases. Dillon makes carbide rifle sizer dies, but you still need to use case lube and make sure you lube the inside of the case neck, too. I would just stick with regular dies for rifle cartridges. Dillon makes die sets specifically for their press so to speak, meaning that it does not come with a case mouth belling die; Redding makes a set of dies for progressive presses, too. I like Forster competition seaters, and they can be had as an individual item. Dies are pretty much threaded universally, except for Lyman 310 dies, and Dillon dies for the Square Deal B. Accuracy nuts will use hand dies, and they require an arbor press be used.

Shell holders (if the die set doesn't have them like Lee) or the appropriate shell plate for the progressive press. Remember that many shell holders work for more then one cartridge. I would do some home work, especially if you get a Dillon. Some cartridge conversions might only require you to get powder funnel for the new cartridge.

A tumbler will be a good investment, as clean cases will not harm you dies. There are vibratory and rotary tumblers out there. I like corn cob media treated with some Iosso case polish. You can get walnut in bulk at Petco or Pet Smart. Bulk corn cob grit is a great way to reduce the cost of commercially supplied media, because you pay through the nose for the treated media from other vendors.

MTM makes great loading block tray that handles most cartridges.

Case Lube is great for both conventional dies, and to treat your brass used in a progressive press even with carbide dies. That extra lubricity makes the cycling of the press a tad slicker! Dillon spray lube works well for shake and bake application. I like Imperial Die Wax for rifle cartridges when FL sizing.

Case Neck Brush to clean bottleneck rifle cases, copper bore brushes work well for this.

Dial Calipers either mechanical or electronic

Case Trimmer (Lee works, but Possum Hollow is better, Wilson makes the best hand powered Lathe trimmer, and Giraud is the best powered Trimmer)

Deburring/Chamfering Tool – like the Wilson one chucked into the Sinclair Deburring Tool Holder. I like the K&M VLD chamfering tool.

Primer Pocket Cleaner, reamer like the Hornady, and uniformer just remember that small primers are same size, where as large pistol and rifle are different sized in terms of height not width.

Primer pocket swager is an optional tool, RCBS makes one that mounts on single stage presses. Some will use the Hornady Reamer. Some will use the Dillon Super Swage.

Flash hole deburring tool is good tool to have

Primer Flip Tray is needed for loading pick up tubes for some primer systems like the Dillon.

Priming Tool (I like the RCBS (now even better with universal shell holder, but Sinclair makes the best)

Powder Scale - remember that is always better to have a mechanical scale as a back up to any electronic scale.

Powder Funnel kit with drop tubes especially if you intend to use powders like Varget.

Powder Trickler (used to tweak powder charges)

Powder Measure (nice for faster powder charges it does require a bit of learning curve to get consistent powder charges sort of rhythm thing) standard with progressive presses, but the RCBS Uniflow is nice! Redding makes a better one, and Harrell is the gold standard!

Hammer Type Bullet Puller (for taking down the boo boo's), and you will always need one of these. The Collet type work great for most rifle rounds, to keep from making a mess. The Hornady Cam Lock is nice tool.

Ammo boxes and labels, you can make your own labels with Avery Labels. I sometimes pick up the boxes from range trash, as the ones with plastic trays serve as a good loading block.

A notebook for recording your results! Saves covering the same ground twice!

A chronograph is great when working up loads, but is more a luxury in the beginning.

[Foxbat]

Congratulations!

One word of advice... make the bench as strong and as BIG as possible. Make it 36" wide - you will come to appreciate that convenience... and as long as your room allows - mine is 16" long and I wish it was longer. Bolt is securely to the walls, and the floor, if possible - presses usually generate plenty of lifting force, last thing you want is the bench that bounces.

[benzuncle]

BigHutch, It's all here. Read the sticky's look at the benches that are posted. Define your needs. Is cost a factor? Do you need a single-stage, turret press (semi-progressive) or full tilt boogie progressive? The number of rounds you spark off should dictate that. Also look ahead; it is not uncommon for reloaders to shoot more than they did before reloading. And get some reading materials. Internet fourms are really handy and informative; the knowledge is coming from those with firsthand experience and they have hindsight, a valuable commodity. Good luck. Keep us posted. When you can't find the answer online or in the books, ask for help; it's out here.

[Smaug]

All you need to start is the Lyman book. The Lee books is good too, and can be gotten for free in a kit of Lee equipment.

Take a look at the links in my signature.

[jaguarxk120]

Follow what rn22723 says, buy quality now, then you won't have to buy it later. And good tooling will last several lifetimes.

[BigHutch]

Is Lee equipment OK? Quality?

[CowTowner]

I own 2 Lee presses. Some folks don't like them. Mine work for me.

[ZX10Aviator]

My first press is a Lee turret, I love it, and I have used RCBS single stages, Ill take my lee turret over that anyday.

[Foxbat]

With Lee you get what you pay for... a bit more, maybe. They can get finicky, with plastic parts breaking, jamming, etc. I would not recommend it to a beginner, as it might take the joy out of the hobby - I know one guy who wrestled with Lee for a few weeks, then sold everything in disgust.

I can make my two work, but then, by hard practice, I can remove the jammed parts quickly.

I would say... if money allows it, definitely by a Dillon... you will be grateful later.

[BigHutch]

Thanks for the input guys, does any MFG make a Turret that can also be used as a Single Stage press besides Lee?

[Shoney]

BigHutch WELCOME to TFL!

It seems that everyone has put the cart before the horse. In order to better help you, we must first know more about your shooting life.

What cartridges do you plan to load?

What are the numbers of rounds you shoot per week or per month or per year with each of these cartridges? When you start reloading, be warned , these numbers will increase.

Do you have a budget?

[jaguarxk120]

Basically all turret presses are single stage. They give you the options of changing to a different die without having to remove and replace a die. Also a turret has enough stations so several calibers can be setup at one time.

[ZX10Aviator]

Thats a great point I love about my lee classic turret, setup the dies once, change from one caliber to the next in under a minute easily..

[benzuncle]

I started with the thought of buying a single-stage loader but after doing the research chose the semi-progressive Lee Classic Turret Press. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy or even want to stick with reloading and didn't really want to shell out the difference in cost for a Dillon. It's a year later, and I'm so satisfied with the Lee that I have no intentions of spending more on a reloader. I've added a second caliber with Lee Carbide dies and a second turret for around $40. I am content with the ability to load up to 200 rounds per hour, as reloading has become a second hobby and I'm not in that big of a hurry. As for the parts failing because they are plastic: Most machines have some plastic parts on them. They are usually parts that do not see heavy wear or parts that are designed to wear out to save other parts. After over 3500 rounds of 45acp and 380acp I did indeed wear out a part. It would have set me back $1.99, but the machine came with a spare. I have since picked up 3 more for those next 10,000 rounds. I have had no other problems with the loader. The money I did not spend on a more expensive loader to load ammo of the same quality will be going towards my next firearm. Good luck in your decision. I doubt that any of the models will disappoint you. I'm looking forward to your sharing what transpires. And Happy Holidays Everyone!

[CrustyFN]

I agree that not all of Lee presses are top quality but they work. As far as the classic cast turret and classic cast single stage they are hard to beat and are definitely quality presses. I have owned the classic turret for two years and I feel I got more than what I paid for. It is a solid press and has worked trouble free for me for two years. I have loaded on a Dillon 550 and it was a very nice press but overkill for me. I figure with the classic loading at 200 rounds per hour that will more than meet my needs. I load for four calibers and with my scale, tumbler, four die sets and turrets, case trimmer, caliper and any small things I might have missed I am still under $400. To get set up like that with a Dillon 550 you are probably looking at least around $1,000. That savings buys a lot of components. But like Shoney said, if we know your needs in a little more detail we can better recommend a press that will meet your needs. Welcome,
Rusty

[BigHutch]

Is the classic turret auto indexing? Should I get the classic turret over the regular turret?

I'm going to be loading:

9mm - for the range (probably 2000 a year at most)
44MAG - for hunting (so not very much)

223 - for the range (probably 2000 a year at most)
270 - for hunting (so not very much)
308 - for hunting/range (could be 1200 a year at most)
280 - for hunting (so not very much)
30-06 - for hunting (so not very much)

[Shoney]

BigHutch

Is the classic turret auto indexing?

Yes, it is auto-indexing, but it can be set so it will not advance, and act like any single stage.

Should I get the classic turret over the regular turret?

That is a decision you will have to make. At least familiarize yourself with Lyman and Redding turrets, and make an educated decision. Even though it may not be considered to be the "best" turret, the Lee Classic Cast Turret ls considered to be a great bang for the buck. Here is a Kit LCCT you might want to consider.
https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?...hk=1&Itemid=41

Doing a round count, you are doing in the neighborhood of 6000 rounds a year or 500 per month. The Turret presses will easily accomidate your needs. It will easily do 200 quality rounds an hour.

BEWARE THE DISEASE!!! AS the hobby progresses, you will shoot more! Even if you get up to 10K a year, the turret presses will handle that. If you start shooting competetive pistol, burning 300-500 or more rounds a weekend, every weekend in both winter and summer copmpetitions, you may want the progressive later.

Good Shooting!

[Smaug]

I currently have a Lee Classic Cast. That's the main one I settled on. It is a more precision tool and it is just nice & relaxing to reload with it.

I had a Lee 4 hole turret press, auto-indexing, and it sure did the job. But with a lot more moving parts, it didn't feel as precise, and the arm doesn't give as much leverage. No real complaints though. It's just more enjoyable for me to load single stage.

I had an RCBS Rockchucker. The quality was good, but the design was not as good as the Lee Classic Cast. (spent primers go everywhere when they're decapped)

I also have a Lee Hand Press, which although slower than the Classic Cast, I can load in front of the TV with it, where time doesnt' really count for much.

The Lee Press that someone else was probably referring to with plastic parts that break was a progressive one, right? The reviews on the lower-end Lee progressive are not all that good; I wouldn't buy one.

One thing is for sure though: Starting out, you should not be focusing on quantity. Focus on not making any mistakes until you have at least a couple hundred rounds under your belt.

A turret press is a good option. You can:

• really take your time and go single stage (but without having to change dies after the first time
• Go semi-progressive --> One loaded round with every 3 pulls of the lever

They're not as precise, strong, and torquey as a good single stage, but they're also much quicker. I like the precision feel myself. It makes up for the lack of speed and forces me to slow down and make sure everything is right.

[benzuncle]

BigHutch, if you decide on a Lee Turret, go with the Classic Cast 4-Hole Turret Press. The small difference in price is definitely worth it and it can be used as a single-stage press if you choose to while learning how it works. That is a nice option. It is pretty much an upgrade of the previous unit. Shoney's link to Kempf Gun Shop is a good choice. I bought mine from them took delivery in 4 days. Notice the ammenities below it. My final cost for everything I needed to load my 1st caliber (45acp) including the extras like the Lee book, upgrade to Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure, the Lever Prime system for large and small primers, tumbler, scale, calipers and kinetic bullet puller came to $330 last January. My bench including a 4ft fluorescent light fixture added another $100. It's a stout shelving unit with storage above and below the workbench surface. I have since added another turret and dies for 380acp for about $40. Lee's Customer service, which I only needed once was excellent. The small plastic ratchet piece wore out. I called them, explaining my problem. I was asked if I had the spare that came with the kit. I did, installed it and the problem went away immediately. I have since purchased 3 of those $1.99 parts. The first one lasted over 3000 rounds, not counting the ones I pulled apart and had to rebuild (I also became proficient with my bullet puller.) I was very pleased to find that even though I did not pay top shelf prices for my loading equipment, the customer service was very good.

[wwmkwood]

The Classic turret is one heavy weight compared to the standard turret and definetly worth the money. The only thing I can't do with mine is use a RCBS primer pocket swagger.

[BigHutch]

Update on my bench --> http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...02#post3250402

[RamSlammer]

By all means get this too . . . http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=480380
It's a hardcover manual Modern Reloading by Richard Lee AND a basic single stage press for just $32. The little single stage reloader press makes a great resizing/decapping station or works well for small batches of a seldom loaded caliber.