Want to Start reloading, I'd like advice

[Too Slow]

First, I'm sure there is a thread out there, but I can't find it, so sorry if redundant.

My wife has given me the go ahead to get reloading equipment and a bench. I'm brand new to this, so I have no idea where to begin. I have seen some kits that seem to have all of the components needed. Does anyone have any suggestions for a newbie? I prefer to buy quality, so I don't need dirt cheap, but don't need top of the line either, I'd like to find a nice balance.

Also, I have seen a couple of reloading benches. Anyone have any thoughts? I don't want to make one.

Plus any other tips or tricks would be appreciated.

[BSlacker]

Start with what you want to reload. All pistol or all rifle or a mix and the amounts make a difference. RCBS, Dillon and Hornady make some nice stuff. On a budget Lee makes serviceable equipment. You might read The ABC's of Reloading or some other books.
Get a sturdy bench and mount it at a height that works for you. I suggest bolting the bench to the house.

[XDRoX]

If you want to reload 50 rounds an hour buy this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=646599

If you want to load 200 rounds an hour buy this:

https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=630&category_id=190&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41

If you want to load 500 rounds an hour buy this:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23594/catid/1/RL_550B

Or this:

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23803/catid/1/XL_650

Or this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=679228

You're welcome

[GeoffLinder]

First, buy the Lyman 49th edition reloading manual and read it cover to cover a couple times, then start thinking about what equipment you want to buy.

My best advice on equipment is to start with a single stage system like the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Kit (Look at Midway USA for this), then when you are comfortable with the process you can start thinking about moving to a progressive system.

A single stage system like the Rockchucker will be a system you will use for many, many years for many, many things even if you do add a progressive system later.

[Markus]

First thing to do is get a reloading book and read it cover to cover. Second thing to do is get another reloading book and read that cover to cover. Third thing to do is decide how many rounds your going to make and go from there...

[DUDEvonDudenstien]

^ this is what i did back in july i bought 2 books lyman 49th & Hornadys hardback reloading manual(this book IMO has the best info and good pictures of how things work and what pressure signs look like-very important)then hit up every forum you can think of and search the hell out them, then ask questions. i just bought most of my gear last week,and i own all the colors of the reloading rainbow. buy whats best suited for your budget, midway and grafs/sons are pretty hard to beat on their prices + fast shipping 1 week.

[Bill Steele]

Boy, if you follow the advice in the last 5 posts, you cannot go wrong.

On the bench, if building one isn't in the cards and you don't already have something that will work, watching Costco for a commercial style workbench can be a good place to source it. I use a butcher block table that was eliminated from kitchen duty years ago and was collecting dust in the messy room. If you are limited on space, I have seen some guys use one of those Workmate folding work surfaces, seem to do the job as well.

[XDRoX]

This is my good buddy's bench. He bought it at Costco I believe. Even though he loads on LNL's we're still friends.

[XDRoX]

Here is mine. I made it.

[DUDEvonDudenstien]

dude that's a pretty sweet setup i like fold down scale shelf, i might have to rip off that idea from you!

[LGB Loader]

From another forum I frequent.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238214

LGB

[EWILKE]

reloading

costco has a great workbench right now for reloading it is $300 very sturdy and had builtin storage.look closely at dillon they are great.

[Whiterabbit]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a newbie? .

Plan to buy twice, and first buy on craigslist. That way you get a cheap package deal and can play in a "sandbox". Then you know what you need and know what you are doing. Then when you buy twice your dollars are most efficiently and effectively spent on remaining equipment or upgraded equipment.

[stand125]

Yu could do what I did and get a LEE classic loader for $28.00 shipped and a non marring mallet. It is a slow way to reload ( about a round a minute with some practice ), but you can do it right in your living room and when you upgrade like I did to a LEE classic turret press, you will still have it as a back up and for fine tuning at the range. I want to load some Hollow points in the next few days. With only a turret press I would load 05 or 10 rounds of different powder loads and AOL on my Turret press at home, then shoot them at the range and log my results. If I wanted to tweak the loads even more I would load more at home, go back to the range to try them and log the results untill I got the results I wanted. With gas and bullets and range fees it could get pretty pricey. With my Lee classic loader I can make 5 rounds at home for a start, shoot them and then tweak them right at the range ( The gun room lets me load right there ) since everything fits in a shoe box I can litterally make my loads right there and when I got home duplicate the same thing on my press and knock out a few boxes in no time at all.

The only reason why I got a Turret press is because I got a killer deal on Craigslist with dies. I truthfully do not think that I will ever use my Lee classic loader at home unless it is freezing in my garage or I am watching a horrible movie with my wife, but I love taking it to the range. I was at the spencerville range the other day and my Brother in law shot all my 9mm before I realized it, so I loaded up 2 magazines right their with the spent brass and got to shoot a little more before we left. Watch a couple youtube videos to see the different presses and realize that the guy taking 4 minutes to load a bullet is spending 3 minutes explaining stuff. The last thing that you want to do is spend a few hundred dollars and realize that you won't reload as much as you thought.

[Cowboy T]

Every time there is a thread like this, owners of Dillon presses say to just run right out and buy an expensive Dillon Progressive press. There have been some recommendations to that effect in this thread. I respectfully disagree. There is NO NEED to drop a big wad of cash when you're first starting out.

First off, I would suggest not buying any progressive presses...AT FIRST. Wait a bit. Start in single-stage, and do at a minimum 500 rounds, preferably 1,000. You want to get really good at single-stage first. That's valuable experience that may save your fingers someday and already has saved mine twice.

Any single-stage press is fine for this. Lee, RCBS, Lyman, and Hornady all make good ones, as do several other companies. If/when you move to turret or progressive operation, a single-stage remains very handy to have around for various tasks. I happen to use Lee's $30 "Lee Reloader Press", and it's given me great service over tens of thousands of uses.

Get a good reloading manual. Like many other folks, I happen to really like Lyman's book. The current version is the 49th Edition and has lots of good data, developed in their own pressure test barrels.

For a scale--and you most definitely need a good scale!--I would strongly recommend a traditional beam-type. Digital scales are faster, but they have other issues like drifting. Again, most of the major companies have good ones. Lee's is good for powder measuring. I happen to use an RCBS 505 and 10-10. I've also heard good things about Dillon's Eliminator scale (said to be an Ohaus model, like RCBS's offerings), and it's priced reasonably.

Calipers, go analog. Reason: analog calipers don't have batteries that wear out. I had that happen enough times with my digital job that I went and got an analog dial model, and I've been much happier since.

For dies, all of my sets are from Lee Precision, and I recommend them highly. They are very good dies, and indeed, apparently quite a few Dillon RL550B owners actually have a full complement of Lee dies and an Auto-Disk Powder Measure in their presses. Jeff Quinn at GunBlast.com is one such individual.