I want to start reloading

[llred]

I am sure this has been asked a million times before, but I want to start reloading. I have been looking at some lee and hornady kits in the 125-200 dollar range. I have two pistols in .357 mag and .45 acp and some rifles. My questions are: will these kits reload both rifle and pistol cartridges? (the description of seems to make me believe they will), and are these good begginer kits to start out with?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[sgtD]

Yep. Read this thread and the links therein.

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...-reloaded.html

[llred]

Thanks sgtD, very helpful.

[edr9x23super]

Call Dillon precision...

You can't go wrong with them....

[automatic slim]

Pretty much any press will reload any caliber as long as you have the proper dies. I reload everything from .32ACP to .500S&W on my RCBS Rockchucker. I won't recommend any specific kit, but you get what you pay for. Just make sure it includes a good manual. To save time and effort, I would strongly recommend carbide dies.

[heylin]

+1 on the carbide dies, lubing cases is a hassle, carbide is nice n smooth and well worth the small extra $$.

As for getting what you pay for, my experience so far with Lee gear which is by far the cheapest has be nothing short of amazing.

The Lee 50th Anniversary Kit (Breech lock Challenger kit) has got to be the best value for money. I cant fault it, I cant see anything that would wear out on it, it just simply works and doesnt cost a bomb.

[Landric]

The Lee 50th Anniversary Breech Lock Challenger kit as mentioned above is an excellent value. Hard to beat $90 for what it includes:

MidwayUSA - Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Anniversary Kit

It will do rifle and handgun, and a single stage is an excellent press to learn on and always useful even if you eventually get a turret or progressive setup. I loaded on a single stage for about seven years before I got any sort of faster system, and I still do about half of all my handloading on a couple of different single stages (a RCBS Rockchucker II and a Lee Breech Lock Challenger).

With the kit listed above you can get started with the addition of a manual or three (the Lee manual is perfectly good and inexpensive), a set of calipers, dies, a bullet puller (for mistakes), and components. You will eventually want to add additional items, but the above will get you going.

A kit like this:

MidwayUSA - RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Press Master Kit

Will get you some much more refined equipment, but it costs $200 more than the Lee kit and in my experience doesn't make better ammunition.

As I said, I own both the Rockchucker and the Breech Lock Challenger. The Rockchucker is clearly a more robust press, I do my rifle resizing on it (not the the Lee couldn't handle it, but the RC is built for that sort of task). However, the Challenger has a much better priming system (the Safety Prime) than the RC, and the Challenger's primer catcher is a lot more reliable. Primers tend to bounce out of the RC's catcher and go everywhere. The huge majority of the spent primers actually go where they are supposed to with the Lee. So, I always decap and prime on the Challenger when I'm loading on single stages.

[llred]

The Lee 50th Anniversary Breech Lock Challenger kit as mentioned above is an excellent value. Hard to beat $90 for what it includes:

MidwayUSA - Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Anniversary Kit

It will do rifle and handgun, and a single stage is an excellent press to learn on and always useful even if you eventually get a turret or progressive setup. I loaded on a single stage for about seven years before I got any sort of faster system, and I still do about half of all my handloading on a couple of different single stages (a RCBS Rockchucker II and a Lee Breech Lock Challenger).

With the kit listed above you can get started with the addition of a manual or three (the Lee manual is perfectly good and inexpensive), a set of calipers, dies, a bullet puller (for mistakes), and components. You will eventually want to add additional items, but the above will get you going.

A kit like this:

MidwayUSA - RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Press Master Kit

Will get you some much more refined equipment, but it costs $200 more than the Lee kit and in my experience doesn't make better ammunition.

As I said, I own both the Rockchucker and the Breech Lock Challenger. The Rockchucker is clearly a more robust press, I do my rifle resizing on it (not the the Lee couldn't handle it, but the RC is built for that sort of task). However, the Challenger has a much better priming system (the Safety Prime) than the RC, and the Challenger's primer catcher is a lot more reliable. Primers tend to bounce out of the RC's catcher and go everywhere. The huge majority of the spent primers actually go where they are supposed to with the Lee. So, I always decap and prime on the Challenger when I'm loading on single stages.

Thanks for that info. I am going to build a bench this weekend and order the Lee on monday from midway. A local shop in my town carries powder, primers and bullets. I think I will just order my first round of brass from midway too.

One more question. Can you use the carbide dies on the lee system?

[boscobeans]

Carbide on Lee--- YES !

Here today. Gone tomorrow ! Get your powder, bullets and primers as soon as you can. They are (esp.PRIMERS) hard to find.

Also invest in a decent caliper. For around $25 you will be able to check to make sure your rounds stay within the proper dimensions.

Check finished OAL for each load with your reloading manual.. the following gives the other dimensions.

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

bosco

[llred]

Will do. I called the guy I know at the gun shop he is holding me enough supplies to crank out 250 rounds of ammo.

[sgtD]

When you order your Lee kit, don't forget to order the case length gauge for whatever you'll be reloading. I'm pretty sure the kit comes with the trimmer and lock stud, but you'll have to get the little holder and gauge to put on it. They come together in a pack for about $5.

Later you'll want to get a tumbler, they are on sale right now at Midway for just over $40. MidwayUSA - Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ Case Tumbler 110 Volt That one is the one I have and it works well. I have put as many as 100 30-06 cases in it at a time and it did the job.

[torrejon224]

I highly recommend that you or anyone new to reloading start out with a basic Lee kit and carbide dies vs spending a ton of cash for a Dillon. Dillon makes great stuff but the Lee kit forces you to learn a lot more about the process than a Dillon does. I use two Lee four hole progressive turret presses and a single Lee "C" press for depriming, etc. Been using their equipment for many years and while I can definitely afford a Dillon, I don't have any need for one, the Lee does exactly what I need, when I need it for a lot less $$ which I use to buy guns with!!

[llred]

Thanks for the help. I ordered the lee kit this morning so hopefully it will be in for the weekend. I also ordered Lee's carbide dies for .38/.357 and .45acp and the gauges that sgtD described.

Told my dad about wanting to get into to reloading so he picked me up hornady's reloading guide 7th edition and Speers reloading guide. Hopefully I can get started when everything gets in.

[Valkman]

Read those manuals, and also "The ABC's of Reloading". Great info in all of them.