Need help getting into reloading

[Oceans]

I've never reloaded before and don't know anyone who has so I was wondering what I should get to start reloading cheaply and efficiently. The best press I've found so far is the Lee Pro 1000 Progressive. I've watched a few videos on it and it seems pretty cool. Like I said, I've never done this before so any and all help would be great. I'm planning on loading .40 s&w and .30-06 and I'm not sure what kind of powder, primers, bullets would be appropriate. Ive also looked at the lee hand loading kits for around $30 so if you have info about it please enlighten me. Thanks in advance for the help!

[bumpo628]

If you want to do rifle and pistol, your best bet is a Lee Turret press. If you were looking for pistol only, the Pro 1000 would be fine. A turret will be a nice compromise between a single stage and the progressive in terms of speed. Plus you can get all your dies set up and simply change the turret and shell holder to switch calibers.

Start out reloading with the 40 S&W, not the 30-06. This is because pistol ammo is much easier to reload and you need to get some experience before you start on the rifle rounds. Meanwhile, save your brass, read a manual or two, and check out the stickies in this forum. I recommend the Lyman 49th manual to start. Check back here if you have any more questions.

[Oceans]

Awesome. Ill check that manual out. Would the progressive not be good because its not capable of reloading .30-06? I was reading about it on cabelas and I noticed they have options for calibers when you purchase. I wasnt sure if it was because it came with a certain set of dies or if it was only made for the caliber that you choose.

[bumpo628]

Awesome. Ill check that manual out. Would the progressive not be good because its not capable of reloading .30-06? I was reading about it on cabelas and I noticed they have options for calibers when you purchase. I wasnt sure if it was because it came with a certain set of dies or if it was only made for the caliber that you choose.

It won't fit anything over .223 height.

[damndave]

It won't fit anything over .223 height.

Go with the Lee Classic Turret Press. I can't say from experience because I load on a single stage Rock Chucker, but I hear many good things about the Lee Turret. If you are on a tight budget, this may be the best way to go. It is supposed to be very easy to change calibers too.

[SixPointEight]

Lee turret is super easy to change calibers. It's even super easy to remove the indexing rod and run it single stage. Won't go wrong with the LCT

[gunboat]

I have a regular lee turret and find it quite good - I think the classic with it's cast iron frame would be even better. I have used a regular single stage press (Herters) for eons and find the lee handy. There is a bit of slop in the turret compared to a regular c press but you compensate for it when adjusting dies.
I second the advice to get a lyman manual. Actually most any edition of a lyman manual is good.
my ha-penny

[BigBronco]

Rifle brass will stretch during the resizing phase of reloading. You should do your case sizing and case trimming before loading. Making loading rifle problematic on progressive presses. Progressive is not always the best way to learn to reload.

[NotEnufGarage]

I'd recommend the Lee deluxe 4 die sets for any pistol calibers. I had bought Hornady die sets for 9MM and .38/.357 before I got my Lee .45ACP die set. The powder through expander greatly speeds up the loading process, once you have the rythm down. Also, the Lee sets come with the shellholder, so not only are they less expensive than the other brands to start, but you don't have to shell out another $7 for the shellholder.

[CalTeacher]

I would recommend against getting a progressive press if you're new to reloading. Get a turret press, as mentioned, or a single stage press to learn on so you can understand the process before you speed up that process.

[wc12]

Most important tip I got from this forum is to always check the cartridge to make sure there is powder in it. A $10.00 LED gooseneck light from IKEA is a very good addition to your reloading gear.

[Divernhunter]

Get the Lyman reloading manual and read it first. "I" suggest getting a single stage KIT to start with. You can add from there. You do not need to crimp the rifle rounds. I have been loading for many years and use single stage presses. I batch process and load my ammo. It goes fast. Be sure to get a handprimer tool. You can prime while watching TV and then it is done better. If you were closer I would walk you thru it and help you set up your stuff. IF you buy lee dies(and I would not) throw away the so-called locking rings and buy one that really lock. When you do this you will have almost as much in them as a good set of dies that have a no-BS warr from RCBS/Hornady etc. But it is your money.

[killshot44]

I purchased a lot of what was recommended in this post http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=158086 when I started.

Important Things:
If you buy quality stuff it usually works better, easier, safer and resells faster and for more.

Take the advice from others who have been in your shoes. You'll probably find someone here who reloads that lives near you who can help out with the initial press and die set-up. It's not neccessary but can save time and be reassuring.

I'll also recommend the Lee "Classic Cast" turret press. It's a little beefier than the standard and not much more $.

Don't fear electric/digital scales. They're much better than the internets would have you beleive.

Get the Lyman 49th Annual and read it cover to cover. The ABCs of Reloading is also useful.

[CalTeacher]

I have a Lee Classic Turret press with the pro auto disk and safety prime. Works great. It's durable, simple, and there's not as much going on as with a progressive. For me, it's fast enough, but can still be converted to a single stage for load development.

Get a few good reloading manuals from companies like Lyman, Speer, Hornady, and Sierra. Read from cover to cover, repeat, then digest the info. Then proceed to loading.

I personally wouldn't get a digital scale when a decent balance scale will serve the same purpose.

[stand125]

I have 2 lee classic loaders that I used to load at first. They where cheap, worked great with Lead bullets ( not so much with plated ) and let me try reloading without breaking the bank.