Small scale & quality rig?

[bobgengeskahn]

Hello all,

I have recently finished an AR15 SPR rig and I'm also looking to pick up a bolt action before the end of the year. So recently I've been consumed with the idea of trying to reach out to 1000 with a 5.56 platform.

After doing research I've figured out that to do this well, you need to reload (hot and heavy). So I am looking to get into some small volume reloading of 5.56 that will produce quality ammo without breaking the bank. Right now I am testing the water and I don't mind hand reloading since I'm only looking for small volume, and I also don't have room for a progressive (apartment) so I'm probably looking at a "kitchen table" set up.

I've been looking at the Lee Classic as well as a few different single stage set ups including the Lee Hand Press and traditional bench mounted single stages.

What are your recommendations?

Also, in the next few days I am wanting to pick up a reloading manual, is there a difference between getting one over another? I was thinking of just getting the Lyman since its cheap on Amazon and I have seen a few people recommend it.

[sr71brd]

If you plan on reloading for a long time, don't go cheap on equipment. Buy the best you can afford & stay away from aluminum & pot metal presses. Steel & heavy cast iron will last for decades w/ proper care.

[mark501w]

Yup!

[Deadwood Dick]

Look for the RCBS "Master Reloading Kit". It has the Rockchucker press, 505 scale, powder measure, Speer Reloading Manual and other good stuff. All you would need to add are dies and a case trimmer.

[bobgengeskahn]

If you plan on reloading for a long time, don't go cheap on equipment. Buy the best you can afford & stay away from aluminum & pot metal presses. Steel & heavy cast iron will last for decades w/ proper care.

Duly noted. What is there difference a Lee "cast" single or turret press that is ~$130, an RCBS Partner that's in the same ballpark, and say the Ammo-Master at over 2x the price?

Is Lee generally poor quality? The reviews I have read have been all over the place on Lee products in general, and I've never been able to get hands on with one before. The experience I do have with reloading has been with Dillon and RCBS equipment that my dad and friends have owned. So maybe I'm expecting too much from other brands?

[afrancke]

If you are truly going small scale with your loads, I would suggest an inexpensive Lee single stage, an Arbor press and some Wilson hand dies. This makes for a compact and portable solution, and I have found that portability is vital to productive load development. Others disagree on the advantage, but to me being able to go to the range with a sack of prepped and primed brass and produce loads on the spot helps enormously in dialing in loads quickly.

The single stage above, by the way, is only for sizing/decapping. For gas gun, you'd only take prepped brass from home with you to the range and use a hand seating die, but for the bolt gun you could use a neck sizing die at the range with the arbor press as well.

To complete this setup, you'd need a powder measuring solution - I'd recommend a powder thrower for the range and an electronic scale to measure charges you throw at home. The RCBS chargemaster is a nice device if it fits the budget for sure, but it is not portable (or rather it only has an AC power cord).

You will also want a chronograph eventually - but you can start out without one. It's just hard to tell how consistent your technique is (or rather, whether the inconsistencies in your technique or equipment are making a difference in velocity) as well as monitor for overpressure by comparing to published loads. You will have to look at your brass anyway to do that latter part, but in my experience some guns don't show much until you are significantly over and some show all kinds of hideous extraction swiping despite being well within pressure limits (inadequate dwell/premature extraction in a gas gun?)

Here's a question: what's your overall budget for the gear? There's lots of other stuff I didn't mention (case trimming, tumbling) that depending on your objectives for compact vs. price vs. convenient operation you could go various ways with.

[thomashoward]

Look for the RCBS "Master Reloading Kit". It has the Rockchucker press, 505 scale, powder measure, Speer Reloading Manual and other good stuff. All you would need to add are dies and a case trimmer.

I have been using my Rockchucker since 1979. Look on EBay or other aftermarket sources.Get a good reloading Manual from a major manufacturer. Start gathering cases etc

[Bug Splat]

I've loaded 100k+ rounds on a lee single stage. Its gtg.

[bobgengeskahn]

If you are truly going small scale with your loads, I would suggest an inexpensive Lee single stage, an Arbor press and some Wilson hand dies. This makes for a compact and portable solution, and I have found that portability is vital to productive load development. Others disagree on the advantage, but to me being able to go to the range with a sack of prepped and primed brass and produce loads on the spot helps enormously in dialing in loads quickly.

The single stage above, by the way, is only for sizing/decapping. For gas gun, you'd only take prepped brass from home with you to the range and use a hand seating die, but for the bolt gun you could use a neck sizing die at the range with the arbor press as well.

To complete this setup, you'd need a powder measuring solution - I'd recommend a powder thrower for the range and an electronic scale to measure charges you throw at home. The RCBS chargemaster is a nice device if it fits the budget for sure, but it is not portable (or rather it only has an AC power cord).

You will also want a chronograph eventually - but you can start out without one. It's just hard to tell how consistent your technique is (or rather, whether the inconsistencies in your technique or equipment are making a difference in velocity) as well as monitor for overpressure by comparing to published loads. You will have to look at your brass anyway to do that latter part, but in my experience some guns don't show much until you are significantly over and some show all kinds of hideous extraction swiping despite being well within pressure limits (inadequate dwell/premature extraction in a gas gun?)

Here's a question: what's your overall budget for the gear? There's lots of other stuff I didn't mention (case trimming, tumbling) that depending on your objectives for compact vs. price vs. convenient operation you could go various ways with.

Thanks for the great information! Generally when I go to the range focusing on accuracy and performance I'll only go through 100 rounds at most. So yeah, relatively small scale compared to most people.

As far as budget goes I'm thinking somewhere around the $300 range for most of the stuff, maybe a little more after some of the extra tools necessary for doing necked rounds and not counting any of the consumables. At some point in the future I'll probably end up with dies for .308 as well, but if I move into pistol calibers I'd definitely make the jump to a progressive.

[Cummins_Powered]

This was a huge deal maker for me. RCBS has AMAZING customer support.

Highly recommend the rcbs rockchucker kit.

[Divernhunter]

Your dad/uncle had it right.
Get an RCBS set-up or Hornady. I know there are a bunch of lee lovers here but I am not one of them and for good reasons. If you are truly looking for long range etc then $300 is probably alittle low for Quality equpment.
I am not too far from you and you are welcome to come by and see what I use and do.
The Lyman book is the 1st one I suggest you buy.

[kcheung2]

I use a RCBS single stage, works for me. And yes their customer service is top notch.

[sr71brd]

Duly noted. What is there difference a Lee "cast" single or turret press that is ~$130, an RCBS Partner that's in the same ballpark, and say the Ammo-Master at over 2x the price?

Is Lee generally poor quality? The reviews I have read have been all over the place on Lee products in general, and I've never been able to get hands on with one before. The experience I do have with reloading has been with Dillon and RCBS equipment that my dad and friends have owned. So maybe I'm expecting too much from other brands?

I won't go so far as to say Lee is generally poor quality, but there is a difference in the quality. I have RCBS equipment & dies, have been reloading since 1980, & after 10's of thousands of rounds, can wholeheartedly recommend RCBS equipment.

[Germz]

If you plan on reloading for a long time, don't go cheap on equipment. Buy the best you can afford & stay away from aluminum & pot metal presses. Steel & heavy cast iron will last for decades w/ proper care.

^^Buy once, cry once. especially if you plan on making QUALITY ammos. get quality gear and you'll tax yourself a lot less when it comes to elbow grease. It may take longer to pay for itself in monetary form, but you'll be patting yourself on the back if you buy quality gear from the start.

If you're looking to make very high quality ammo with ease:

Forster co-ax SS press, some redding match dies, little crow gunworks trimmer or a giraud power trimmer...

[bobgengeskahn]

^^Buy once, cry once. especially if you plan on making QUALITY ammos. get quality gear and you'll tax yourself a lot less when it comes to elbow grease. It may take longer to pay for itself in monetary form, but you'll be patting yourself on the back if you buy quality gear from the start.

If you're looking to make very high quality ammo with ease:

Forster co-ax SS press, some redding match dies, little crow gunworks trimmer or a giraud power trimmer...

WOW! I totally agree with the "buy once cry once" philosophy, especially after building my 2nd AR, and I can see where the design differences in the Forster can make it a much more functional press. But I think if I were to spend that much on an entire set up I'd probably go straight for a Dillon 650 .

However, after seeing all of your guys feedback I think I'm going to try and spend a little more and part together a rig with higher quality parts, rather than buying everything straight up at a lower cost. So for now I just ordered a set of RCBS dies and the Lyman manual.

(Edit: chickened out last second decided to pull the trigger and ended up with Redding National Match .223 set instead, now comes the cry part)

When it comes to trimmers, what are the advantages of different types? I'd imagine that the mounted types offer a more consistent and squared cut, but are there other drawbacks to pocket trimmers?