What equipment to avoid?

[HawkCreek]

Hello all!
I'm brand new to reloading, just a few weeks ago I bought myself a Rock Chucker master reloading kit. Now other than a bullet puller I don't have any other equipment. So my question is what should I avoid? I mean is X better than Y kind of thing. I know more or less what I need but since I'm starting with a clean slate I'd rather buy the right(quality) thing the first time. I'm not wondering about components so much right now as I am the actual equipment.

A little background:

as stated all I have so far is what comes in the kit plus a bullet puller

initially this will be for jacketed bullets but eventually I'd like to get into casting as well (for some reason I think I really need a flat nose bullet for my .308)

I'm not rich! So unfortunately wont be buying a $600 tumbler anytime soon, but by the same token I'd rather not have to buy a cheap $60 tumbler ten times either.

So time to beat up on the new guy. Have at it.

[iron mule]

best advise i can give on this is to take it slow read here and other places about the experiences people have had with different brands and type of equipment
better yet is to find some one that is experienced and see if they will let you learn with them //hands on is better than anything when starting out from scratch

and always ask questions never be ashamed or afraid to ask about something/// but do a search first most questions have been answered here and if you look for them they are here
last but not least welcome to the reloading game and welcome here you wll find that this is a great bunch of guys and they hve a lot of combined experience/info
mule

[jmort]

I would ask what particular tool/equipment should I get.

[geargnasher]

We don't 'beat up' new guys here. Maybe some tough love, a little ribbing, or a serious reality check once in a while, but that's it. About that tough love thing: Asking the "what's best" or "what's worst" questions usually get so many differing opinions that you'll likely end up more confused than before. You WILL buy and use equipment that you end up not liking. You will find some things are junk to you even though others praise it, and you will find things you like that others seem not to. Don't worry about it.

I'll give you a few tips: you got a good press kit, one of the best, and it will serve you well for the rest of your life and probably a few other people's lives. You need quality reloading dies like RCBS, Hornady, Redding, or a mix of specific use dies like Redding Neck bushing dies and Forster Benchrest seater dies (MONEY WELL SPENT, HINT HINT), plenty of loading blocks (Frankford Arsenal Perfect Fit trays from Midway are super-duper and way better than the one-size-fits-nothing-and-the-round-count-doesn't-match-the- ammo-box-count RCBS tray), a GOOD 0-1" C-Clamp micrometer, a good dial or Vernier caliper, (NOT Chinese digital junk), and reloading manuals. The VLD type inside chamfering tools are good, and if you use military brass in your .308 you'll of course need a primer pocket swager. I have an RCBS swager and am non-plussed by it, but there are others out there that I hear are better. A primer pocket uniforming tool such as Redding offers is very handy as well and does wonders for proper primer seating.

You might want a hand priming tool. Warning, most of them suck IMO except for the OLD Lee one that's no longer made. The RCBS hand primer is decent, and I'd recommend it vs. priming on the press.

You will need a way to trim brass. The cheapest and simplest way by far is to get the Lee cutter and lock stud set for less than the cost of a burger and get the depth gauge for your caliber along with it. It's cheap, fast, and works. If you plan to chase accuracy very much, get a good, versatile case trimmer/neck turning setup like Forster makes. Beware those machines that only do one job, spend the extra on one that can be expanded and will support primer pocket uniforming, trimming to length, AND neck turning. Once you commit, you will end up with ten times the cost in small tooling, and none of the stuff interchanges between manufacturers, unlike shellholders for your press, so you're stuck with what you get. Start with a Lee case trimming setup to learn the ropes.

When you get into boolit casting, it gets about a million times more complex.......so master the J-words first.

Gear

[seaboltm]

I do things on the cheap, and I don't have to. I use a Lee Loadmaster most of the time. I also have a Lee Classic Cast for single stage needs. I hand prime using an RCBS hand primer. I almost never use the autoprime feature of the Loadmaster. I had a Midway brand case tumbler that died a few months ago after 20 years of use. I patched it/soldered it/put on new cords and it kept ticking. I replaced it with a Frankford Arsenal unit that I bet I can squeeze another 20 out of. I trim cases using the Lee case length gauge system. I did upgrade to the Lee ball handled cutter and quick release case holder to go with the case length gauges. I use mostly Lee dies, carbide in straight walls. I also have RCBS and Hornady dies. I have at least 20 calibers of dies and Lee works fine. I use a Redding beam balance. For measuring powder charges I use Lee dippers to get me close, and an RCBS trickler to top off the weighed charges. I have a Lee Perfect Powder Measure that I use on occasion. I c-clamp it to my bench when I need it. The Perfect Powder Measure throws an amazingly accurate charge and retails for $25 new. I have a Midway kinetic bullet puller I have had for 20 years. I even have an old Lyman aluminum hand press that I still use with Lee cast bullet sizers and is over 20 years old. All of my bullet molds are Lee. I am not a competitive shooter. I do light target shooting and hunt at modest ranges. If I need a bullet that will slam an animal at 200 yards accurately, I pick up my 24" Shilen barreled 6.5x55 ACK and launch 140 J-word bullets out the muzzle. I am a huge fan of Lee factory crimp dies and it is the only crimp I use, period. You have a great kit to start with and it is FAR more than I started with. I get a lot of life out of my gear, but I take care of it. I clean/lube my equipment and store it indoors.

[oscarflytyer]

I swear by RCBS dies, but also have a number of Lee dies. Very limited experience with the Lees, but work fine so far. Like a lot of the Lee cast bullet stuff. Molds are ok, like the sizer dies for use with a regular press, expander dies and factory crimp dies.

My press/scale/powder measure are all RCBS - bought as a kit way back in late '80s. Lee Mic. I use an older style RCBS hand primer and it is GREAT! But can't get that style any longer.

[Guardian]

+1 to what geargnasher said. What I like, you may not; and vice versa. Specific questions are far easier to answer. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad and expensive doesn't necessarily mean perfect. All the major manufacturers have good tools and some that leave much to be desired. Some tools (priming tools come to mind for me), you may find no one makes a perfect setup and it comes down to which one is the least aggravating.

Geargnasher covered the basics. All the other tools are just refinement. You have to define the level of refinement you require. Another way to put this is: how much time and money are you willing to spend on speed and/or accuracy? What level of speed and/or accuracy does your habit require?

I was a lurker for at least a year before joining, been here almost a year, and I'm still reading. The amount of info on this site is overwhelming, but take the time to read all you can. This will help you develop specific questions that can be answered more easily. Good luck, welcome to the forum, and enjoy yourself!

[timtonya]

I had a Lee loadmaster. Sold it because I had to tinker all the time to get it to run. Lee dies are decent. I do like the Dillon 550. Hornady makes a good single stage. Redding makes good rifle dies.

[btroj]

Know anyone in your area who reloads? Hands on learning works well.

Get a book like "ABCs of Reloading" and read up. Knowing what you need up front makes a purchase easier. Start with a single cartridge and do some learning. Go slow.

Gear gave some good advice. Listen to him.

[btroj]

I had a Lee loadmaster. Sold it because I had to tinker all the time to get it to run. Lee dies are decent. I do like the Dillon 550. Hornady makes a good single stage. Redding makes good rifle dies.

Oh, a progressive press is horrible for a beginner. Just my opinion but start with a single stage press.

[rattletrap1970]

Disagree with that progressive being bad for the beginner. I started with a Dillon 550RL and now have 3. If you (WANT) to use it as a single stage, you can, and it has the capability of being more down the road without re-purchasing.

[Del-Ray]

You don't need to buy a tumbler for your brass. One five gallon bucket, a gallon of hot water, and four teaspoons of citric acid will clean your brass and pasivate it for you. Plus, if you want you can reuse the solution.

Citric acid is a food additive. Known as sour salt, or pickling salt. Most stores have it in the canning isle. It's a white powder.

[frkelly74]

Manuals answer a lot of basic questions and give the reloader a good basis for making decisions regarding powder choice and bullet weight and can help you understand their relationship to pressure. The Lyman books are good instructional manuals and can keep you from getting into trouble. Start slowly and work up as you gain confidence. don't believe everything you see on the internet.

[Dan Cash]

Gear gave some excellent advice; listen up. You are off to a good start with the RCBS kit. You will find that there are some things in the kit that you don't need but what you do need is there and of good quality. Buy first class; I have done without until I could afford the good stuff.

A couple specific reccommendations: Wooden, case dimension specific loading blocks are better than plastic. Powder tricklers are a waste of money, use an empty rifle cartridge case with some propellant in it and roll it between your fingers, the powder trickles out nicely and $20 saved. Keep your press well lubed and clean, primer residue is as abrasive as lapping abrasive. The lubricant may drip on the floor but your press will be tight and true 50 years from now.

Good luck and have fun.

[cbrick]

A beginner needs to LEARN each step as it's happening, the why it's needed & how to set up the dies for the proper thing to happen. I strongly agree that a progressive is very much the wrong thing for a beginner. Besides, the OP in this thread already has one of the strongest well made presses there is so why would a beginner need to start with two presses least of all a progressive?

You should have gotten the RCBS book in your kit and it's an excellent one but don't settle for any one loading manual, get several. Comparing data is priceless and besides, there is a vast array of info in them, the actual loading recipes is the least of it. Read these manuals cover to cover, you'll be amazed at the amount of valid info in them.

Rick

[Ickisrulz]

You don't need to buy a tumbler for your brass. One five gallon bucket, a gallon of hot water, and four teaspoons of citric acid will clean your brass and pasivate it for you. Plus, if you want you can reuse the solution.

Citric acid is a food additive. Known as sour salt, or pickling salt. Most stores have it in the canning isle. It's a white powder.

I see people say this from time to time. But considering that tumblers can be had on the cheap and they clean brass quickly and well, why use any other method? Especially a wet method. Berry's makes tumblers for something like $70.00.

Most case cleaners work fine with a reasonable service live....at least based on what I read here. In vibratory, Thumler's seem to be the best available. Dillon makes the largest. The least expensive come from Harbor Freight. Personally, I've used the same RCBS model since 1989. I replaced the motor one time and had to fabricate a new top.

[btroj]

Read the manuals. Study them. Know them.

Understand what is happening at each step of the process. Learn what each die does, and why. Learn the differences in powders, what they do well, and their applications. Learn safety.

It isn't about making lots of ammo, it is about making good, safe ammo.

Rick, you and I are on the same page regarding a progressive. You need to KNOW what is happening at each step, why try to learn 4 at once? I would rather see someone new spend that money on a trimmer, micrometer, caliper, and manipulate manuals instead of a "go fast" press. I got my Dillon after 10 plus years of experience and it still gave me fits at first. The thought of learning on one, frightening.

[Newtire]

A good press to get is a turret by Lyman. That way, you can set all your dies in place and just twist the head of the tool when you need to. I have a Lee single stage press that I use with their auto-prime. As far as dies go, I found that the Lee dies are great unless you are shooting a rifle with chamber cut to the minimum. Sizing lube, nothing beats lanolin from the hippie store. Some good tips are to be found here on this site. Your mileage may vary...Above all, safety first and don't take chances. Get some good books on reloading like has already been mentioned.

[clownbear69]

Just about any brand will work and get the job done. The one that won't is smart reloader. Do not get it. It's cheap Chinese copy of RCBS .

Other than that I've used LEE hornady RCBS Lyman and well redding has been to rich for my blood

[FishingFool]

Reloading just for a few calibers? Rifle? Pistol? How many rounds a year?