Press, die, etc. recommendations - new to reloading

[SouthernStyle]

I'm new to reloading and would like any suggested recommendations for type equipment and any pros/cons for particular brands (presses, dies, digital scales, etc.).

Would you recommend a turret style or a O-frame single die press? Pros/cons of each?

I'll primarily be reloading 7mm-08, 30-06 and some pistol ammo in .44 mag and .40 cal.

Any tips or suggestions for a newbie would be appreciated. I'd like to get started in the right way.

Thanks,

 

[Touch not Squeeze]

My dad used to reload years ago, and he primarily used Lee dies and press. When I started buying reloading components some years ago, I went after RCBS for my dies, just because there were so many on the shelf, so they must be good. For a few years I used the RCBS dies and they worked great. That is until I went to load some ammo for my dad, and had to use his Lee dies. Man, was I impressed with the specs of the die, and the quality of the material. I will buy Lee from now on, and they are less expensive than RCBS. I was given a Redding press for xmas one year and I love it. Maybe I will try the Redding dies as well, I know they can be a little costly, but whatever. I'll drive 10 blocks to save 2 cents a gallon, but will spend twice as much on something I love doing, if I even think it will be better.The RCBS dies just seamed to be a little sloppy when adjusting. I am a big fan of some of the European workmanship, and these fealt smooth and tight like my Steyr does. The biggest thing is, just get a reputable brand and load,load,load. Once you have done it a bunch of times, you might get a little pickier, and decide to get a tighter spec die. It is just like anything else. Good Luck and have fun.
The best advice I can give you is, don't load when you are in a hurry, don't load when you are tired, sad, mad, or whatever. You will get a system in place as you are reloading. It will be systematic, whether it be resize all the cases, work primer pockets and flash holes, cut brass to length, clean cases, prime cases etc. You will be almost like a machine as far as what task is next. BY NO MEANS, HAVE ANY ONE IN THE ROOM TO DISRUPT THAT RYTHME, unless you are teaching someone your passion, then it can be a good thing. I learned my lesson. I am loading some 240 Wby rounds for my wife, and in the middle of me throwing powder, she says, "hey, what are these things on the floor?" I spin around as if to see something that is important, and say"honey, those are little chips in the epoxy for the floor." "What are they for?" I said, "looks!" She said that I didn't have to get so grumpy, and sure enough, now I have lost my train of thought. Thus, you need to recheck everything again. So stay focussed. Have fun.

 

[YoteSmoker]

Here's what I use and recommend if you are going to buy the big units individually without having to upgrade later: Rifle Ammo- RCBS Rock Chucker, RCBS Chargemaster 1500 (worth the money in time saved over the years) RCBS case prep station, Any brand hand primer ( RCBS or Hornady are cool, LEE is cheap and works fine) Redding FL dies, Flash hole reamer, Lee case length gauge specifically for your calibers, Lee trimmer sold separately (cheap, simple, precise, quick) Any case tumbler you prefer, media, Flitz polish, Hornady Unique case lube, Imperial dry lube, Lyman caliper. Get the RCBS carbide dies for your .44 and you don't have to lube anything! You can load either mag or specials, but I have only loaded mags as that is what I hunt with.

If you shoot a lot with the .40 or would like to, I would highly recommend getting a Lee Pro 1000 again with carbide dies and I would set it up for .40s and dedicate it for that caliber only. You can use the lee for .223 also.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ol` Joe]

!st step is a good manual or two. The Lyman, Nosler or what I feel is one of the best books for a beginner to learn on "The ABCs of Reloading". Read the "how to" sections and get a idea of the process. Then look for tools. The books will let you know what you need and why.
That said, I`d go wth a RCBS 'kit". Either the Rockcrusher or Pardner should do. Buy Carbide sizer pistol or straight walled case sizing dies and regular RCBS or Redding bottleneck dies. Don`t be afraid to mix and match. Digital scales are nice for some things but aren`t any more accurate and more expensive for equal quality then balance scales. Take time to do your loading when you are alone and no one is bugging you. You can`t watch the TV or talk to the wife/kids while measuring powder and keep your mind on what you are doing. Reloading is safe but certain rules need to be followed while do it.
Any time you have a question or someting comes up you don`t understand come back here and ask. Someone at some time has went through the same problems you will likely experiance and can help. There are NO dumb questions. If you don`t know ask!

 

[FOTIS]

Get the package set from lyman or RCBS--expert kit I think they call it. Everything (or just about is included) . :wink:

 

[kiddekop]

I started out reloading 38/357/243/30-06/45-70 with an RCBS Jr single stage loader then went to a Dillon RL 450 which I upgraded to a RL550B used for 38/357/41/45acp/45lc/454casull/sw460/243/30-06/300wm & 45-70.