Thread: Reloading Kits

Hi All
I'm new here, used to lurk around on the old sight.
With the kids getting older and wanting to get out more I'm looking for a decent reloading kit.
Any suggestions, some seem to have a lot of stuff you wont necessarily need, i do get over to the USA every so often and have thought about buying from Cabela's but buy the time conversion rates etc. are factored in it looks fairly similar.

Thoughts on RCBS ?

Cheers

RCBS - good
Hornady - good
Lyman - good but old, great for lead casters
Dillon - good but expensive, best for pistol shooters and people who want a lot of the same type of ammo
Lee - some good stuff but can be a bit cheap

Much like power tools, the main players produce good gear and some brands make standout items so don't be afraid to mix and match

Robert at Workshop Innovation and Delta Mike have always been good to deal with IMO

Unless you want to do a lot of plinking I'd get a single stage with a big ram like an RCBS, start with the basic kit and go up from there

Would be good to tell us what exactly you are thinking of reloading- pistol, hunting rifle, target rifle, bench rest precision, plinking rifle etc

Lee might be cheap and appear light weight but its a bit like a Toyota Corolla vs a halo model BMW..if you just want something that works, lasts generations, is low cost then Lee has satisfied zillions ever since Richard Lee went into business. They've had a few less successful products.(Pro1000, 3 Hole Turret auto advance and the Load Master). There are far better volume production units and Dillon has the best. But as far as single stage presses go for hunting and precision rifle shooting the Lee Classic Cast presses are.as good as any and lower cost..The AluminiumLee Challenger is awesome value esp.2nd hamd. (Dillon are cast Aluminium also). The worlds top benchrest shooter uses a 2010 model Lee Cast Classic 4 Hole Turret press. Plenty of folk still use the 3 hole for rifle especially after throwing the auto index bits away and using manual advance. The Lee 4 hole Turret will produce volume Pistol and rifle ammo at less than half the cost of a Dillon and a bit slower - but has a cheap 3rd party kit available in the US to auto eject completed rounds that really speeds it up

If you just want to load a handful of hunting ammo a year, even an old Lyman Spartan or equivalent (several made basically the same thing) can be had for under $100. A Lee Loader (Whackamole) will also do the job even cheaper (but satisfyingly slower)

If you want the halo BMW you need to go around the traps and see what colour, heft, finish etc floats.yer.boat.

comparing lee to a corolla is an insult to a car manufacturer that mostly produces cars that work. The same cant be said about lee. a lof of their stuff is trash.

Originally Posted by STC

comparing lee to a corolla is an insult to a car manufacturer that mostly produces cars that work. The same cant be said about lee. a lot of their stuff is trash.

And the same for BMW for that matter.

Thanks Jhon
I will be reloading 6.5 x 55 and 223 mainly for hunting, can skip though quite a bit for the 223.
The RCBS gear seems to be a good middle ground but all brand kits seem to have a lot of stuff in the kits that isn't really necessary or would be upgraded shortly and i am wondering if it would be better to buy the individual pieces needed rather than a kit.

Originally Posted by recce

Thanks Jhon
I will be reloading 6.5 x 55 and 223 mainly for hunting, can skip though quite a bit for the 223.
The RCBS gear seems to be a good middle ground but all brand kits seem to have a lot of stuff in the kits that isn't really necessary or would be upgraded shortly and i am wondering if it would be better to buy the individual pieces needed rather than a kit.

In a similar stage of the journey, a kit will be cheaper; the offering by RCBS seems a standout. Either way, there are a lot of extra costs which should be considered too. Check out bolt action reloading on youtube. He has a range of videos discussing kits, parts to get started etc. Very informative content

Originally Posted by Deadeye dick

In a similar stage of the journey, a kit will be cheaper; the offering by RCBS seems a standout. Either way, there are a lot of extra costs which should be considered too. Check out bolt action reloading on youtube. He has a range of videos discussing kits, parts to get started etc. Very informative content

Thanks Deadeye Dick, ill check him out.

Originally Posted by STC

comparing lee to a corolla is an insult to a car manufacturer that mostly produces cars that work. The same cant be said about lee. a lof of their stuff is trash.

Gee you talk a lot of Pooh's n wees....

Originally Posted by STC

comparing lee to a corolla is an insult to a car manufacturer that mostly produces cars that work. The same cant be said about lee. a lof of their stuff is trash.

Nah mate, dont know what your talking about....

[QUOTE=recce;1741380]Thanks Jhon
I will be reloading 6.5 x 55 and 223 mainly for hunting, can skip though quite a bit for the 223.
The RCBS gear seems to be a good middle ground but all brand kits seem to have a lot of stuff in the kits that isn't really necessary or would be upgraded shortly and i am wondering if it would be better to buy the individual pieces needed rather than a kit . [ /QUOTE]

IMO YES.
And consider used.
A good press will last a life time.
Can't go past a decent beam balance. But get a single poise.

I got the rcbs kit when I started with the digital scales. Just needed calipers and dies and case holders and into it. Has worked really well for me, able to produce accurate and consistent ammunition. Can recommend highly.

This what you will need. BUT only about half of that gear to start out.


“O” (best) or a solid “C” Frame 7/8” press, some come with the priming tool.
Priming tool.
Shell holders to suit the cartridge
Dies- Lee RGB are the cheapest to get you started. ~$60
Loading block(s) Buy or easy to make
Sizing lube-grease will get you by.
Powder funnel
Powder scoops will do the job.
OR better Scales - Beam beam are good.
Trimmer.
De-burring tool(s)
Powder measure. (If you load lots) Lee Perfect powder measure is very good.
Trickler, but easy to make.
Components, Powder, Primers Projectiles, Cases

http://www.adiworldclass.com.au/data-rifle/

i recently got into the reloading game myself, and chose to buy most of the items seperatly for the same reason you are thinking, didnt want to waste money on the unnessacary items.
i ended up with a lee challenger press, powder thrower, and hand priming tool, and then went for various options for everything else.
in hindsight i shouldve just bought the Lee challenger kit, as the whole kit is the same price as the 3 items i bought individually anyway.
Other items i got
Cheap digital scale off trade me (i also bought a set of calibration weights, scale is accurate down to 0.2 grain, but pretty slow to settle).
Powder trickler.
Comparator set from amazon.
cheap calipers from Bunnings
case tumbler.
loading block.
And then decided to put the leftover $$ into a Franford Case Trim/ Prep centre, which i think is well worth the money if you have the budget for it ($420NZD i think).

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

This what you will need. BUT only about half of that gear to start out.


“O” (best) or a solid “C” Frame 7/8” press, some come with the priming tool.
Priming tool.
Shell holders to suit the cartridge
Dies- Lee RGB are the cheapest to get you started. ~$60
Loading block(s) Buy or easy to make
Sizing lube-grease will get you by.
Powder funnel
Powder scoops will do the job.
OR better Scales - Beam beam are good.
Trimmer.
De-burring tool(s)
Powder measure. (If you load lots) Lee Perfect powder measure is very good.
Trickler, but easy to make.
Components, Powder, Primers Projectiles, Cases

http://www.adiworldclass.com.au/data-rifle/

Thanks Old Bloke, the link is handy, i have acquired dies, primers, projectiles, powder and shell holders and have plenty of once fired Norma cases (all without the commanding officers notice, ha) i just need the last few bits and i can get cracking.