New Reloader

[zfields]

Really wont see the cost effectiveness with 9mm if your buying all new components.

To see the benefit you would need to get brass free and maybe even cast your own boolits.... AND get good deals on primers. But YMMV bud

Justin

Who the hell buys new brass?

[dav]

Who the hell buys new brass?

(hiding behind the fat guy in front of me and wiggling my fingers just over his shoulder) Me...

Hard to find .44-40 WCF at the ranges I go to.

[CALI SHOT DOC]

i think i might just wait and save up for a dillon 550b everyone i knows has one and loves it.

idk yet

[WILDMAN442]

Some people dont have the luxury of a local range or access to free range brass.

Luckily I can get mine from work (my department uses Yolo on days theyre closed)

Justin

[joefreas]

I started off with a Lee turret. Guess what? I still have it. It's been almost 4 years now.

I have a Lee and a RCBS turret system. 90% of my reloading is done on the LEE.

[rsrocket1]

So your options now are:
1. LCT Press - affordable and will have plenty of ammo on or around 2/11
2. Single Stage press - affordable and more ammo but a tiny bit slower
3. Dillon 550B in the future and factory ammo in the near term, but maybe unobtanable for a while in 2011. <<-- Not desirable.
4. Maybe borrow time on "everyone else's" 550B until you can afford one. <<-- inconvenient at best

For now, I would choose 1 or 2. Reload whatever caliber and bullet type you wish at your leisure and if you decide reloading is your cup of tea, save up slowly for that 550 and shoot to your heart's content in the mean time most or all of those parts will be fully useful in the future.

[Shoot-it]

The lee single press is good as a starter press.
It does the job but the handle is wobbly.

[jwest]

i think i might just wait and save up for a dillon 550b everyone i knows has one and loves it.

idk yet

Yep, I have 2 now. You won't regret it.

[Cowboy T]

Dillon's good gear, no question. But for starting out, I wouldn't recommend *ANY* progressive press. I give a +1 to the Lee Anniversary Kit for that. Get your good habits first, before you go progressive, no matter the brand.

BTW, I do tend to favour Lee presses as well, due to their excellent pricing and quality ammo that they turn out. Any good press'll get you there.

[Divernhunter]

I buy(or use to when the price was lower) brass since I only use new brass for any of my hunting loads. It is also hard to "find" good reloadable 257weatherby/25-06/257roberts/6mm rem/7.62X54R or 39/7.7jap/6.5jap/7.5Swiss/6.5X55/303brit/8mauser/50bmg/etc/etc at the range. BUT I do keep my eye open if I see any or anyone shooting them and try to get them.

I also buy brass for pistols from starline usually a 1000 at a time if I am running low.

[zfields]

Seriously man, from one student to another, the lee presses work fine, and for 1/4 of what the dillion cost. Theres not a chance I could afford shelling out for a 650, when the lee pro 1k makes the same final product in a little bit more work on my part. Even if I had the cash, I probly wouldnt go with anything more then what I have unless I was reloading 223 in the same quanities a I do .45.
While you may not kick out quite the same amount per hour, which is more important to you. Both go bang, both stay pretty consistent in OAL, both drop powder pretty damn accuratly.

The only issue on the lee is getting it set up, and learning its small quirks. After that, its smooth sailing as long as you keep it clean, keep it greased, and keep it fed with a steady diet of lead, powder, and primers.

[zfields]

Some people dont have the luxury of a local range or access to free range brass.

Luckily I can get mine from work (my department uses Yolo on days theyre closed)

Justin

For common calibers, there is NO WAY I would buy new brass when once fired is so cheap and easy to find.

(hiding behind the fat guy in front of me and wiggling my fingers just over his shoulder) Me...

Hard to find .44-40 WCF at the ranges I go to.

Very true, but I was relating to the OPs calibers when I made that statement, sorry!

[7anthony7]

I am brand new to reloading as well and just reloaded my first last night. Buy a book and see what you need to get. I recommend going on ebay and buying someone's old press. I bought an old lyman Comet for for $10 delivered. Works great. I also bought a Lee Hand Press Kit for $30 from midway and it came with the lube, primer, and powder funnel. It is a little slow, but you can sit and watch TV with it. I like it.

[zfields]

Id be a little weary watching tv while I reload. This stuff goes Boom, very close to your hands / head. I focus all my attention on the process when I load.

[Chief-7700]

New reloaders: Never forget that your are messing with things that LOVE to go BOOM so pay attention to what your doing.
Chief