How many $ to get started and what equipment needed?

[Cephus]

It;s been along time since I did any reloading ,I think I've used just about everything from Herters to Dillions .I even built a press once for the 50 inclueding the dies !!
Maybe I should think about again because we may not be geting much ammo pretty soon ,I may have to dig out some of the old stuff and just see what I still got !!!
Reloading is fun when you're trying to get a particular job done or to just learn how different things make the gun work better or closer groupes !!

Great info here !!!

[HorseSoldier176]

Well, it also enlightens you, the operator, to how, and why things happen the way they do.

[ricciardelli]

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit and the RCBS Accessory Kit.

Both can be gotten for under $300, and will have everything you need (except dies and components) to reload.

[AKaTom]

I had the cheapo set up from Lee and reloaded lots of 44Mag ammo for cheap.

[ACOG]

I would like to start reloading my ammo once I get moved and settled. Is it pretty simple to do?

[5knives]

Originally Posted by ACOG

I would like to start reloading my ammo once I get moved and settled. Is it pretty simple to do?

Hello ACOG,

Welcome to the Forum!

I think most would agree that it's pretty simple, at least once you get everything set up and adjusted. It can be very nit-picky though. For example when I was seriously into Target shooting, each load was weighed, (never measured from a powder measure), cases were inspected, trimmed, weighed for uniformity, bullets were checked for concentricity, weighed and measured for uniformity.

The whole process was a continual search for perfect and identical cartridges. Almost as time consuming and fussy as the bench rest shooters.

On the other hand , my "everyday" hunting and GP loads were a case of leaving everything set up and adjusted, and the reloading process was about as involved as popping a pizza in the oven. And those loads were every bit as "good" as factory loads, except they were "tweaked" to perform in my specific guns.

In other words, it isn't complicated at all, but some people insist on making it complicated!

At the simplest, all your doing is:

1. Removing spent primer and reforming the case to spec. size.

3. Putting in a new primer and filling the case with new powder.

4. Putting in a new bullet.

Just like loading a Black Powder rifle, except the components go in a little brass case instead of a gun.

You can get a good overview and introduction by checking out the information at:

http://www.reload-nrma.com

Be Safe,

[5knives]

Originally Posted by AKaTom

I had the cheapo set up from Lee and reloaded lots of 44Mag ammo for cheap.

Helle AKaTom,

Welcome to the forum!

I pretty much started the same way, who can afford to shoot factory 44's all the time? I couldn't and I've actually been rich a time or two. But it didn't last, funny how that works out isn't it?

Plus, I load down for 44, I found a hardcast or even swaged 240 SWC at around 950-1000 to be completely adequate for any thing I do.

May have to load some JSP's now that the feral hogs are officially a PITA and unprotected in my state, as of last year.

Due to so much traveling in my life, I've done a lot more hours reloading in small apartments and Motel rooms, using han presses and single stage pewssws, than I have at a normal bench with a turret press.

Main reason I'm a poor guy to ask for specific advice about the bigger production presses.

Be Safe,

[HorseSoldier176]

ACOG;

Depends what you are reloading. If you are talking about a straight case pistol cartridge, then yes, it is very simple. If you are talking about taking an existing cartridge, and remanufacturing it into something differant, then it is more complicated. The short answer is for most ammo, yes it is pretty simple, and straight forward. I recommend newbies go with something very simple like 9mmP, since it is cheap, and easy to make, and there are goobs of free brass laying around on most ranges, so if you screw some up, you have plenty more to practice with. The hardest part is setting your seating/crimping die. When you go to set up a new die set, take the clean/tumbled brass (I strongly recommend a good brass tumbler as one of, if not the first item you buy) Put the correct shell holder in the ram neck of the press, install the decapping/resizing die in the die holder. I turn the die in until the bottom of the die just appears through the collar. Raise the ram with the shell holder installed until it meets the bottom of the die. While standing, or sitting, or however you plan to operate your press, test if the handle is in a comfortable position for you to use. Keep in mind, this is the point at which your handle will go every time you cycle the press. If it is comfortable, then tighten your die locking ring, and the depth is set. I usually have to then back the die out a bit, and recheck the tightness on the lock ring to ensure it is properly seated. Spin it back in until the lock ring stops it, and raise the ram again, until it stops against the bottom of the die. Using a flashlight, or whatever (I use a borelight), set the depth of your decapping pin, (this is the pin that pushes out the spent primer). I set it to no more than one full turn below the bottom of the shellholder (Keep in mind that the pin is the weakest point on the decapping die, and the farther it extends below the shellholder the weaker it is). I decap a lot of military brass, which has crimped primers, and I snap pins, left and right. I have learned to keep them short to extend their lives a bit. Non-crimped brass is easier to decap, and will be less stress on your decapping pin. Once you have that set, I usually set the neck expander next (if you have one, not all die sets have neck expanders) If you have a neck expander, spin it in and set the depth just like the decapping die, and tighten locking ring. Then withdraw the ram, and put a empty case in the shellholder. Now run it up into the expander die, until the ram stops. Slowly lower the neck expander until you feel resistance from the case. Withdraw the ram, and lightly tighten the expander set collar. Put a new sized case into the shellholder, and run it up, then withdraw it. Test to see if a new bullet will just sit inside the expanded neck, adjust as necessary, then tighten all your locking rings. Keep in mind, the more you work the neck, the faster it will crack, so you want to minimize the working of the brass at the neck as much as possible, but, especially on straight cases you need to expand the neck slightly so that the bullet will seat properly, and not crush the neck. Lastly, set the bullet seating/crimping die. This is the trickiest of all for new reloaders. Spin the crimping die into the press collar, until the bottom of the die is in the threads. Put a preped case (No powder/no bullet yet) into the shellholder, and run it up. Spin the crimp die down until it just makes contact with the shellcase, with your handle at a comfortable fulcrum point. Now withdraw the ram, and test to see if a bullet will drop into the case, if not then you have positive crimp. (You aren't done yet) Now with that as a tentative crimp setting, lightly tighten the die lock ring. Now set bullet seating depth, with a new expanded case in the shellholder, place a bullet in the open neck (no powder yet), run it up and see where your bullet depth is, and how hard your crimp is set. If you smash a case, no sweat, the crimp is set to deep, just back the die off a half turn (I go half turns at a time to try to find that sweet spot [later you may use quarter, or even less turns to fine tune]) Remember every time you change the die depth, your bullet seating depth has to be adjusted accordingly. I set my dies to the point where the crimp just holds the bullet, and will not allow the bullet to spin in the finished case, but not to hard. If you set crimp to hard, you can crush, and deform bullets, and slightly overlength cases may get crushed webs. Once you have the crimp properly set, and bullet depth is right, (I check bullet depth with either a micrometer, or calipers). Lock all your lock rings down, then make about ten, or twenty rounds, take them out and make them go bang. If necessary, re-adjust to make your rounds just the way you like them. This ought to get you in the hunt for good reloading. If you have any problems, just ask, someone here will have delt with your problem at least once, I am sure.

Horse

[AKWARRIOR]

I know RCBS and Dillion are superior but a Lee Anniversary set with a set of dies and a book is a great way to start out.Has everything you need.

Bout a $100 investment.