Advice to new reloaders

[nemasis243]

I have just posted this as I think it may help people who are thinking of having a go at the reloading bench,so heres another one for the guys with a bit of reloading experience to have a bit of imput.

What equipment would you recommend to someone just starting to buy or thinking to buy reloading kit.

I am sure we have all done it , gone out and bought something that was a few quid cheaper but has cost us more in the long run?

give a list of ,make of dies you prefer, tools or anything you can think of that may be of help to some of our members who are just bemused by all the different makes and models.

Cheers Nem.

[eldon]

Don't bother with the lee chamfer tool its too small and fiddly.

For a few quid more the hornady or lyman one is far better and more chunky in the hand.

 

Do you really need a turret press? if so make sure you get one with minimal slop on the turrets. I think a lot of people would agree a single stage is better most of the time.

 

You can get cheap electric scales from US but I still prefer my beam scale for powder.

[eldon]

Don't rely on Ebay UK as they are a pain in the ass for reloading gear with it being against there policy funny how ebay.com have different policies then.

[sandersj89]

I am just about to start exploring this for my 243, in fact just ordered the Lee Reloading book as it was recommended as a good referance guide. That should arrive in a day or 2.

 

Interesting to see you say the Lee kit is poor, I was looking at the Lee Aniversary kit to get me going. Would I be better of looking at other kits?

[eldon]

Lee dies seem well thought of especially the collet dies.

 

Lee scales have been slated by a few people I know so I wouldn't buy those.

 

Other lee kit is so so but alternative makes are a bit nicer and have s....knob value

[Andrew]

The only Lee equipment I have found severely wanting is their powder measure. With fine powders it leaks all over the place. I have owned (and still own) about every other piece of equipment they make except the Classic iron press. Lee equipment is inexpensive but you can produce quite accurate ammunition with it. My most accurate .222 handloads come from a Lee Classic reloader that cost $23 complete. I have a few of the "O" style presses that I have been trying to wreck with heavy resizing over the last decade or better and haven't succeeded yet.

 

I like the wilson/rcbs style chamfering tool myself but keep the Lee in my Classic Reloader for when I have the need to reload in the field. Lee's Collet Dies are great and I have been using them since they first hit the market. As discussed on this site, I like the Lee Factory Crimp dies for certain calibers and loads, and the Universal Neck Expander dies get used for all loads now; jacketed and cast. I like the Auto Priming tool as well.

 

Of course, I'm an American. This means I'm a bottom feeder when it comes to my ammunition requirements. I won't buy Redding Competition neck sizer dies for my factory Winchester triple deuce, or any other factory rifle. I won't uniform flash holes on loads developing under half MOA. In fact, I won't do anything beyond sizing appropriately, trimming to length and loading well unless the rifle starts begging for more attention. I certainly will never weigh/sort cases or bullets used for varmint shooting as the precision requirement isn't there.

 

But that's just me.~Andrew

[Redfox]

I agree with most of Andrews comments, I have and use Lee dies for some loads, the threads are rolled onto them and they can be a bit sloppy in the press, but I use the hornady clamp rings on them which are available seperately and that sorts that the aluminium presses I dont like and they quickly get sloppy and wear.

The easiest way to go really is to buy an RCBS rock chucker or Hornady classic starter kit and then buy the dies you want for your rifles, they are effectively discounted so cheaper than buying the stuff separately.

All manufacturers have good and bad stuff ( I wont buy rcbs dies or their useless oal gauges, but presses and trimmers are ok) I have found the Lyman universal trimmer by far the best and easiest to use and so on.

 

Incidentally Andrew have you any experience of the Hornady lock-n-load quick change die etc holders, I have all the bits but havent used it yet as it means re setting all my dies and stuff which would be a full day now, with all the different cals and dies?

Redfox

[Andrew]

Red,

No. I haven't gotten into the Lock n' Load die setups. I don't mind changing dies and like you, I keep them locked into place. The few seconds I save not having to unscrew the die didn't seem worth the gimmickry. I have a half dozen presses but only two are kept "set up" all the time and those are for 357 magnum and 44 magnum handgun loads as we shoot quite a bit of it and, being handgun cartridges, I don't mind having them loaded in a turret press. I try not to load rifle in any press that doesn't have a fixed platform for the dies.

 

A method I used to use for compesating for die fit in my presses is to adjust the dies where I want it and run a cartridge into the die before locking it into place. They tend to be better centered that way. (Got that trick from a 70 year old reloading book!)~Andrew

[Redfox]

Andrew, that is a good idea, some of the old ones are the best!. I too have the popular ones set up and just leave them that way, I have a Lyman orange crusher and Redding big boss left free to do other stuff with. I thought the lock n load looked a good idea and bought 3 press adapters and a dozen or so die nuts but they are still in the box, The dealer I bought them off is a friend and will take them back in exchange for some other stuff so it isnt a problem.

Experience comes with just keep using it and finding what works for you, then you can try new stuff and see if it suits what you want to do, thekits I mentioned come with everything to get a good start including a reloading manual and are as good a way as any to get into reloading.

I bought a Lee kit first off and it did ok but I soon gave away the press and the scales and spent a bit more to get the RCBS rock chucker and the 10-10 scales, I still have both of them, I agree the Lee auto prime is a great tool I have three of them and they have done a lot of work and help you develop a "feel" for seating primers properly.

Redfox

[Andrew]

The one piece of equipment I really want to get back is a Bonanza Co-Axial press. I have had two of them and got talked out of the both. The dies automatically stay centered with the ram, there are no shell-holders required, and the dies push in and out with no screwing. When I worked at a large shop we saw them come in occasionally and I'd buy them for little money. Now they are $200+ new and I can't find a used one to save my life. They are about the best I've ever used.~Andrew