Recommended Reload Kit?

[Bringsfire]

I am now taking both of my children, as well as my wife, to the range with me these days, and they just aren't that thrilled with the .22 anymore. To make it worse (financially) the wife is interested in IDPA, and my son in ICORE. Long story short...I need to reload! I have absolutely no reloading equipment currently. ATM will need dies for .38, .357, 9mm, and .45. I am considering the Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic kit. Any recommendations out there?

[Sicarius]

If you are going to do a lot of loading, Dillon 650 is the way to go. I use to shoot a lot of IPSC and the cost of .45 was making me broke. With molly coated bullets, I have a box of 50 down to 7-8 bucks. If you don't go for the 650, I still recommend dillon. Also you can swap out the calibers fairly easy if you buy the tray that everything mounts for. You simly get one tray dialed in and when you are done, pull 2 pins and slide the tray out with all the dies and powder hopper to stow it. On the reloader itself you just have to change the wheel for small vs large primer. They have the best customer support hands down and they will rebuild your reloader for free. I haven't heard of anybody having to pay for any service done on their reloaders. It will pay itself off shortly if you plan to do a lot of shooting in the future.
Kevin

[stand125]

Lee classic Turret press kit all the way. You can load a 50 round box in 15 minutes, can change calibers in under 30 seconds if you have a $12.00 shell plate and has nothing really to break.

[john16443]

Do your research on Dillon and 4 caliber changes, it can get very pricey. That is the primary consideration that steered me to the Hornady LN progressive press last month when I upgraded.

Your selection of a single stage press (while a good one!), along with the indicated interest in shooting multiple calibers often makes me believe that you will not be able to keep up with your consumption for you and your family. Before I bought my LNL I use now, I started out on this kit from Lee http://www.fmreloading.com/Merchant2...essive+Presses

As a self indexing turret press you get the advantages of the features of a true progressive, with the ability to use in single stage mode when learning or necessary. To top it off, caliber changes are CHEAP, and take less than 5 seconds. Once installed on a turret head, your dies for every caliber are set up, no need to adjust unless you want to. The powder measure with the auto charge bar is a dream. It should be no problem to crank out upwards of 150 or more rounds an hour with this press if you're not in load development mode.

Take the money you're saving over the Hornady, buy additional reloading manuals, another/different scale of your choice, and you'll still have money in the bank. Use that money to buy the calipers, bullet puller more turrets, etc. that you'll need anyway.

[Bill Steele]

I am now taking both of my children, as well as my wife, to the range with me these days, and they just aren't that thrilled with the .22 anymore. To make it worse (financially) the wife is interested in IDPA, and my son in ICORE. Long story short...I need to reload! I have absolutely no reloading equipment currently. ATM will need dies for .38, .357, 9mm, and .45. I am considering the Hornady Lock-n-Load Classic kit. Any recommendations out there?

I think it depends on how many rounds you will be reloading of each caliber in say, a week and how much time you plan to dedicate to these volumes. If you can answer this question, you will get to what style press (i,e, single stage, turret, progressive) you should consider pretty quickly.

After you get that nailed down, you will get no end of advice on which color that press should be, most of this advice you can ignore.

[1nickatnite1]

I have a lee anniversary kit and its been great for me but it sounds like your goin to be reloading for 3 so I suggest just bite the bullet and get a nice progressive setup

[davek8s]

I just ordered a Lee 50th anniversary kit, $115 with shipping. Since I'm new to reloading I went with the single stage. If I'm still reloading in 5 years, I'll spring for a dillion.

http://fsreloading.com/lee-bl-challenger-kit.html

[john16443]

I should add that I started out on the Lee Anniversary kit and was very pleased with it for 9mm and 45ACP. A month later I bought the Lee turret and never regretted it.

[Fyathyrio]

I just showed a friend how to load for his .45 last weekend and had the same discussion with him. After seeing and playing with all my toys and then discussing his budget concerns, he chose the Hornady LnL single stage kit as it has no extras included that he won't need. That was the right choice for him because we spent six hours talking and reloading. That kit, plus dies, tumbler setup, bullet puller, calipers, and shell holders will cost you approximately $500 - $600. Hornady has a rebate of 500 free bullets for the press (about $100-$125) and 100 free bullets for dies, or about half their cost.

What is your budget?

Do you have a lot of time constraints?

Are you very mechanically inclined?

What's your location?

Perhaps you can visit with a friendly calgunner who can show you some of the different processes involved and discuss costs and other available options. Progressives can be a bit of a handful for those without mech skills, single may be to slow for your needs, turret might fit the bill...more info please.

[bandook]

A single stage, and 3 people shooting? This is not going to work out too well. You're going to be in the market for a Turret or progressive pretty soon.

Any reason you don't want to consider the Lee Classic Turret press Kit for about half the price of the Hornady Kit?

Or, if you don't want the 'Lee Economy line' of products, consider the RCBS Turret Kit - it is in the same ballpark as the Hornady Single stage (with 6 stations, if you want, you can mount 2 sets of dies on the turret and spit out rounds PDQ).

You can always get a Dillon at a later point (and the cost of your entire Lee Kit will be about the cost of a single Dillon Caliber conversion). Not Knocking Dillon - I'd buy it if I was shooting 2-3000 rounds a month (at which point the cost of the press or caliber conversions is inconsequential).

[Clownpuncher]

I have a lee anniversary kit and its been great for me but it sounds like your goin to be reloading for 3 so I suggest just bite the bullet and get a nice progressive setup

^^^ this. I have the Lee anniversary as well. Its a great kit and you can't go wrong with it. But, if you are going to be reloading that many rounds, get a progressive. I have the LnL and it is a great set up. Dillons are good too. If you don't want to invest that much money right off the bat but want something a little faster than a single stage then go with the Lee turret. From everything I have read it is a great set up and a nice balance between the cost of a single stage and the speed of a progressive.

I just ordered a Lee 50th anniversary kit, $115 with shipping. Since I'm new to reloading I went with the single stage. If I'm still reloading in 5 years, I'll spring for a dillion.

http://fsreloading.com/lee-bl-challenger-kit.html

5 years huh? I say a year tops before you get a progressive..... 5 weeks before you want one.

[lpspinner]

I too started with a Lee Single Stage decades ago and immediately added their Pro 1000 Progressive press. I now have 4 Dillons, but I still use the Lee now and then.

You have to factor in the cost of brass, projectiles, vibratory cleaner, cleaning media for that, polish, powder, powder measure(s), primer, primer feeders, scale, calibers, dies, storage trays, funnels, bullet puller, reloading bench (if you don't have a space) and other little incidentals that creep in.

Bottom line imo, skip the Hornady, save your money for the other things and start out with a Lee Classic Turret press

Also, there are a lot of people selling Dies out there, you can save a few bucks there.

[davek8s]

^^^ this. I have the Lee anniversary as well. Its a great kit and you can't go wrong with it. But, if you are going to be reloading that many rounds, get a progressive. I have the LnL and it is a great set up. Dillons are good too. If you don't want to invest that much money right off the bat but want something a little faster than a single stage then go with the Lee turret. From everything I have read it is a great set up and a nice balance between the cost of a single stage and the speed of a progressive.



5 years huh? I say a year tops before you get a progressive..... 5 weeks before you want one.

I have a bad habit if getting into hobbies and not sticking with them. Airsoft, paintball, off roading.... So now I start cheap and see if I'm going to stick with it.

[gatesbox]

This is the first time in this forum I have NOT reccomendation the LEE kit..... If you are really loading for three, progressive, and even though LEE is ecconomical, I'd bite the bullet and get a better progressive, Hornaday, Dillon (Cadillac), etc.

[GSwain]

I have a loadmaster from lee and am happy with it, but i'd recommend the challenger anniversary kit on sale for 100 from most places to start, just until you get in the swing of things.