What am I looking at to get started?

[dakota.potts]

I'm looking to get started in loading and I have about $350-$400 to do it. I could maybe scrounge up a little bit more if it's necessary but my goal is to cap it at around $400.

I am loading for a Mosin Nagant first and a 9mm second if money permits.

Is this feasible on the budget I'm trying to do it in? I'm not shooting much, maybe 50 rounds a week of the Mosin (if I can make it out every weekend like I'd like), although I'd like to try to load at least 70 or so if I'm shooting 50. 9mm I can foreseeably shoot 100-200 of on a weekend and would like to at least make a dent in that number.

Would also like the ability to load for other common calibers: .308, .380, .40, .45 etc although I understand that specific tools may be needed for those and I'm not including that in my budget right now.

[Bezoar]

lowest possible cost youll enjoy lee reloading products. you can get a nice single stage press from lee for as little as 30 dollars. dies for the 54R, depending on retailer expect to pay 35 to 40 dollars plus tax and shipping.

ifyour buying reloadable brass cases, you just clean them and go from there.

[Blindstitch]

It shouldn't be hard to set up for two calibers.

You just need dies, press, trim tool, scale and probably some other items. A lot depends on the amount of space you have to work with.

I have a small table so I use a hand press. If I had a dedicated space I would probably go turret style press.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Lee Classic turret kit: $225
Dies:$75
Calipers:$20

You're loading.

More stuff will follow.

It will follow.

[Nick_C_S]

Since I got my reloading starter kit almost exactly 30 years ago, I decided to stay out of this post because I don't know how much any of that stuff costs these days. I figured I had nothing to add to the post.

Then I got to thinking. . .

ALL of the equipment I bought 30 years ago is still in service. Of course, I've since bought lots of other accessories, goodies, and various odds-n-ends to assist my specific needs. But the original equipment still serves me well.

I bought RCBS.

The point of my post isn't to buy RCBS (not discouraging it either). The point is to buy quality equipment once, and in the long run, they will pay for themselves, and in the short run, they will perform their duties with less headache and frustration. Both are important.

I'm not going to bag on other brands. But I know people who wasted hundreds having to "re-buy" a bunch of stuff because they tried to save a buck by first buying cheap crud.

Spend a few extra $'s and get good stuff.

[psalm7]

Lee chalenger kit . You could add the dies , powder , bullets , primers and still stay in your budget . I like their factory crimp die sets for rifle reloads .

[Jim243]

What Brian said, but don't forget you will need to buy primers, powder, bullets and cases also which will cost around $100.00 for the supplies.

Jim

[SpringOWeiler]

Graf and Sons is an excellent source for Privi Bullets in that caliber. I'd suggest you slug your bore to get the real bore diameter of that mosin.

[surveyor]

Agree with brian on this, as well as bezoar if you have reloadable brass for the mosin, most of the surplus ammo is berdan primed. Reload is boxer primed.
See jims post...

The lee turret will give you the flexibility to change calibers easily an go from pistol to rifle.
While the scale works it was one of the first things I upgraded.

Currently doing 9,38,45, 223, with plans for 308,243,6mm,222( have dies but not loaded these yet)
On the lee turret. There. Is more case prep in rifle as the cases need to be trimmed,

[mikld]

Here's the way I got started in reloading. I didn't want to dump a lot of $$ into something I might not like, so I went with a Lee Loader in '69. Prices listed in this chart are way off, but you get the idea.http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech...h_notes.htm/51

A Lee Loader was my first purchase, my second was a scale and Lyman reloading manual. This kept me in ammo for mebbe a year and then I got a single stage bench press and dies...

[jimbob86]

I started with a Lee 35th Anniversary Kit and a set of dies ...... the 50th Anniversary kit (better press) is available at Midway for 130 bucks right now ....

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/423...ProductFinding

You'll need dies as well .... if you buy the Lee Pacesetter set in 7.62x54R, you will need to get the .311" expander ball from Lee - the die comes with one in .308".

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortby...ensionid=12025

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/295...ProductFinding

There are all manner of dies there .... I use the Lee Pacesetter set. It works, and costs 1/2 of what a lot of the others do ..... The Lee die set comes with the proper shelholder (Lee #16) .... and the Factory Crimp die, which I like.

Hornady New Dimension dies are very nice as well ....... just a bit spendier.

RCBS 7.62x54R dies come with the .311" expander .......


.... and you'll need a case length guage/trimmer ...
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/702...ProductFinding

Oh, and yeah, like Pizza said, calipers (for measuring OAL)

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/295...ProductFinding

.... ON SALE, EVEN!

I buy my primers and powder locally to avoid HAZMAT fees..... Winchester Large Rifle and IMR 4064 (47.0 gr under a Sierra .311" 150gr SP) ......

The Sierra SP are 31 bucks/100 at my local Cabela's. Primers work out to 4 cents each when bought by the brick, and you use about 20 cents worth of powder per charge ...... 55 cents a pop, vs almost a buck for Prvi PPU softpoints..... saving 35 to 40 cents a shot, your kit and dies will pay for themselves in less than 600 rounds. Mine paid for themselves before the end of the last century!

So what are you looking at? If you go with the Lee Pacesetter dies and the stuff above? 200 Bucks, leaving enough left over for (300 Sierra 150gr SP) bullets, powder (2 pounds of IMR 4064) and primers for more than 300 rounds ...... with 700 primers left over ......

As Pizza said, more stuff will follow- it will..... likely a Lee handprimer deally bobber- much better than priming on the press. Then more dies for other calibers ..... then more guns to justify the dies in those obscure calibers you found on clearance ..... it is the nature of the disease! You won't save any money, really ...... but you WILL shoot a lot more, and learn a lot along the way!

[JimDandy]

A lot of people love Lee stuff. A lot of people use Lee stuff without any problems. I personally like the peace of mind that comes from a lifetime warranty you can get from

Hornady

or RCBS Both of those will cost you a little more, but you pay for the warranty.

As Brian pointed out, even the pre-packaged kits don't have everything. For generic reloading you'll want a:

Press
Calipers
Scale that measures grains
Powder measure of some sort
Priming System of some kind
powder funnel system of some kind

Kinetic Bullet Puller (especially since you're starting out) This is a hollow hammer that lets you remove bullets from brass cases. I suggest this because I also suggest making a lot of dummy rounds to learn how the machinery works... no primers, no powder but pretending to use them to get used to the process.

A book called The ABC's of Reloading

For specific reloading:

Bottleneck (usually rifle cases) you'll want some case lube. Paste waxes, spray cans, or oil roll pads.

Die set specific to your caliber.

Reloading manual with the recipe you want to use.

[jimbob86]

JimD-

The press that came with my original kit had a habit of breaking the toggle links. Both times they broke (the last time, I had had the press for nigh ten years) a call to Lee got them replaced for free, no hassles. I gave the press away to a new reloader (in working order) and bought a Redding Boss (because it was on sale).

Lee customer service has always been very helpful and courteous to me.


That is more than I can say about some of the other manufacturers I have dealt with.

[pathdoc]

Also don't forget earmuffs and good eye protection (fully enclosed with ballistic resistance). Eyes are expensive and difficult (sometimes impossible) to fix, and cannot be replaced.

[dakota.potts]

Couple of questions:

If I plan to be picking up my own brass and reusing it, I'd need a way to clean it, right? I hear that usually a tumbler with some kind of corn media is used for this?

Also, I did get some stuff to slug my bore. Some lead weights, some 1/4" dowels, and some grease. The idea is to drop the lead in through the muzzle and slowly hammer it through until it falls out of the barrel. The dowels should drop free, being .058" or so undersize, and neither should harm the barrel. Am I correct in this thinking and is this a safe way to do it?

[Clark]

I wrote this 3 years ago about how to start reloading 308.
Look how all the prices went up.


I am thinking that the cheapest is the way to start.
Many people do not take to reloading.
1) Skip cleaning the brass used brass you found lying around.
2) Lube the outside of the case with Redding Imperial die wax.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=519525
$7.79
3) Put the sizer die in the press and screw the press to your work bench.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=807734
$27.99
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=738184
$13.49
4) Take the decapping stem out of the sizer die.
5) Put a shell holder in the press:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=616684
$3.49
6) Put the case in the shell holder in the press and push down on the press handle until the brass goes all the way into the die. Pull up on the handle until the brass comes out.
7) Spin the decapping stem in a drill while you grind off enough of the expander ball, until the expander ball will fit in the sized case mouth without touching.
8) Put the decapping stem back in the die and size the die again so the spent primer pops out.
9)Put the primer in the priming tool:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=556149
$14.99
WOLF LARGE PISTOL PRIMERS - per 1000 in stock at Powder Valley $25.50
put the case in the shell holder.
Put the shell holder in the priming tool.
Put the priming tool in the press.
Seat the primer.
10) Weigh out 40 gr IMR4895 powder
IMR 4895 - 1 LB. in stock at Powder Valley
$19.00
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=712103
$21.99
11) Pour the powder into the case
12) Seat a bullet into the case until the cartridge length is 2.81"
Sierra .308 168 gr. HPBT Match (100)in stock at Powder valley
$27.92
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=128288
$25.99
13) Put the loaded cartridge in a plastic baggie with a post it with these words written, ".308, 2.81", 40 gr IMR4895, Sierra 168 gr HPBT"
14) Go to the range and shoot groups.
15) Return from the range and write up an email range report listing the date, the rifle, the scope, the wind, the rest, the group size, and the load data on the post it.
16) Print the range report and staple it to the targets.
17) File it under "range reports"

I am adding up that it cost you $162.65

[jimbob86]

If I plan to be picking up my own brass and reusing it, I'd need a way to clean it, right? I hear that usually a tumbler with some kind of corn media is used for this?

I reloaded hundreds and hundreds of rifle rounds without a tumbler ...... using the Lee trimmer lock stud chucked into a 3/8" drill for trimming/chamfering/deburring the cases, just wrap a rag around the cases and give them another spin ..... voila': shiny clean cases.

I did not buy a tumbler until I started loading lots of pistol rounds.

Also, I did get some stuff to slug my bore. Some lead weights, some 1/4" dowels, and some grease. The idea is to drop the lead in through the muzzle and slowly hammer it through until it falls out of the barrel. The dowels should drop free, being .058" or so undersize, and neither should harm the barrel. Am I correct in this thinking and is this a safe way to do it?

Fishing weights often contain zinc or other metals to harden the alloy.

For slugging nominally .311" bores (Mosins, Nagant Revolvers, 7.7Jap, and similar) you can purchase Hornady .310" round ball for muzzleloaders. They are pure lead and will fill out the rifling on the trip down the bore- remove the bolt, oil the bore, drop it in the chamber and pound it through with the dowels and a soft faced mallet...... They run about 15 bucks for a box of 100, and you can use the ones left over to investigate "Gallery Rounds" ..... use your google-fu ......

[mnoirot64]

Buy some reloading books before you make the plunge. Reloading is not for everyone. The ABCs of Reloading and one reloading guide will give you enough information to make a decision.

[presence]

I started out with the Lee Classic Loader die sets of my favorite calibers. No press required, just a hammer of some sort, preferably a hard rubberized mallet. I think some people look down on these but ive made some wonderful rounds with them. Check out some videos of people using them on youtube, you'd be surprised how fast you can get with them!

[David Bachelder]

I suggest you buy a good single stage press, dies, scale, manual, caliper and other necessary things. Then there's the bullets, brass, primers and brass.

I also suggest you buy good equipment. Most cast iron single stage presses are pretty much equal, meaning one is about as good as the other.

I prefer either RCBS or Hornady, but that's just me. Buy one of the two and you'll own it all your life, you will most likely leave it to your grandchildren.

Look up the RCBS RockChucker for example, very hard to find bad reviews. Even if you evolve into a progressive press you will always have a need for the single stage.

[lee n. field]

I'm looking to get started in loading and I have about $350-$400 to do it. I could maybe scrounge up a little bit more if it's necessary but my goal is to cap it at around $400.

lee Classic Turret Kit, plus die sets as needed.

Replace the scale with something with higher capacity. RCBS 505 is good. Shop around.

A Lyman dial caliper. Don't get a cheap plastic caliper.

That'll get you close to what you need.

If I plan to be picking up my own brass and reusing it, I'd need a way to clean it, right?

You don't have to. I'd put a vibratory cleaner in to the "get sometime later" category.

[Farmland]

Well you will get a ton of opinions when it comes to starting. I have too thoughts, the first is you can go to cheap and the other is to expensive.

The basic item you will need is a press so I will only give you my thoughts on that. Every company makes a great single stage press. To be honest none is better than the other when it comes to reloading. However everyone will certainly brag about their manufacture and champion it as the best value or best press or they have used it for decades. So when it comes to a single stage press it is really hard to say one is not as good as the other.

Thus in my opinion and personal use it comes to value for the dollar. When you do it this way one does rise to the top. Not because it is better, longer lasting or does anything next to a god like.

It is the Lee Classic Cast. Coming from a die hard Dillon Fan it is hard to think I would say yes I own a Lee Press. What makes this even a better value is that it is cast iron, not that cast aluminum is bad, after all my Dillon's are made from cast aluminum.

I have tried them all, ok maybe not all but at least all the top manufactures of the single stage presses. The Lee Classic Cast Single Stage Press is called the top value in reloading by many respected sources.

So what do you get for $106 dollars?

Cast Iron Press made from recycled railroad tracks.
One of the largest openings if not the largest.
Accepts two different size of dies.
One of the best adjustable handle features.

You can spend far more but you will never buy a single stage press that is any better than the Lee. Coming from someone that things most of the Lee product are sub par is stranger yet.

In the end it will be your choice but I would certainly give this a good look if you go with a single stage press.

At least you now have three hundred dollars left to outfit the rest.