The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - How much will it cost for reloading equipment?

Lost Sheep · February 2, 2013, 08:31 PM

Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice.

Bold subject line, eh? Let me qualify it down. I load for handgun only; 5 calibers, about 100-400 rounds per session and about 5,000-10,000 rounds a year. If this comes close to describing your situation, you might like to read on.

35 years after starting, I found I outgrew some gear and overbought elsewhere. So, I cleaned house. I emptied my bench and populated it with the best equipment I could find precisely fitting my loading needs. I could have saved a lot of experimentation and waste if I had known back then what I know now (about handloading and about myself).

Informed by my experience reconstituting my loading bench, I compiled a list of the barest essentials that would allow a novice loader to load well and which would still be gratifying in 30 years. (In my opinion and somewhat matching my style of shooting and loading.)

Here's a link to the thread that describes what I did.

http://www.rugerforum.net/reloading/...andloader.html

I think it makes an ideal shopping list for the handloader just starting out. I hope you do, too.

For 5 calibers, $700 plus shipping to duplicate my entire current loading bench with all new stuff, misc accessories and tools. About $45 per caliber for extra dies and turrets. I am not in the least bit inconvenienced in my loading endeavors-no compromises.

Thanks to Sue Kempf at Kempf's Gun Shop, and Mark and the guys at Factory Direct Sales and the technicians in Customer Support at Lee Precision.

Good luck

Lost Sheep

February 2, 2013, 08:31 PM	#8
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Budget Beginning Bench you will never outgrow Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice. Bold subject line, eh? Let me qualify it down. I load for handgun only; 5 calibers, about 100-400 rounds per session and about 5,000-10,000 rounds a year. If this comes close to describing your situation, you might like to read on. 35 years after starting, I found I outgrew some gear and overbought elsewhere. So, I cleaned house. I emptied my bench and populated it with the best equipment I could find precisely fitting my loading needs. I could have saved a lot of experimentation and waste if I had known back then what I know now (about handloading and about myself). Informed by my experience reconstituting my loading bench, I compiled a list of the barest essentials that would allow a novice loader to load well and which would still be gratifying in 30 years. (In my opinion and somewhat matching my style of shooting and loading.) Here's a link to the thread that describes what I did. http://www.rugerforum.net/reloading/...andloader.html I think it makes an ideal shopping list for the handloader just starting out. I hope you do, too. For 5 calibers, $700 plus shipping to duplicate my entire current loading bench with all new stuff, misc accessories and tools. About $45 per caliber for extra dies and turrets. I am not in the least bit inconvenienced in my loading endeavors-no compromises. Thanks to Sue Kempf at Kempf's Gun Shop, and Mark and the guys at Factory Direct Sales and the technicians in Customer Support at Lee Precision. Good luck Lost Sheep