best reloading press for beginners

[Conditor22]

the cheapest way to get into reloading is a: LEE PRECISION 90258 Classic Loader.357 Magnum $35.91 on Amazon


for press reloading:

Lee Reloading Press Md: 90045 29.99 https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Reloading...s%2C377&sr=8-1

LEE PRECISION 90100 Powder Measure Kit (dippers) 13.99 https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PRECISION...s%2C206&sr=8-7


Hornady Powder Funnel For 22-45 Caliber 5.99 https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-Powde...s%2C216&sr=8-8

LEE PRECISION .357 Magnum Carbide 3-Die Set (Silver) 34.99

then all you need is powder and projectiles.


Choosing from the 2 presses youre looking at I'd go with the classic turret press Kit 219.49 https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PRECISION...gateway&sr=8-1

everything to get started except the dies, powder and projectiles

[onelight]

Lots of great information here ! One thing is for sure the equipment you buy if you shoot much at all
will pay for itself quickly I buy most of my bullets now mainly hi-tec coated and can load 38s for less than 5.00 a box when I run onto a pile of free lead I can cast that comes down to 1.50 to 2.00 a box . Any of the presses mentioned from the hand press or little $40. Lee c press to the most expensive Dillons will turn out good ammo and there are people here that use and enjoy them all.
Picking one and learning to use it is all part of the fun.

[theangrydangler]

holy smokes! to be honest when i posted this thread i didnt expect this many replies so soon. i live in southern michigan in the "shotgun zone" which now allows straight walled pistol cartridges for hunting. and as others have stated budget is an important factor for me. to start things off i dont think i want to spend any more that $100-$150 on a press so that limits me to some of the more inexpensive companies like lee. also the used market is a good idea that i hadnt considered yet. i think with all this new input and with so many different opinions i am left a little more confused now than when i started. i think im going to have to do a little more research. i had initially ruled out a single stage due to the need to constantly change out dies for each step of the process simply for convenience however as some have stated i can see how it would be a helpful process to practice and master before moving on to something more complicated just to get the techniques down.

[Tom W.]

My first press was a three hole turret from Lee. I was loading .357 with Lee dies. Easy to use! once the dies were adjusted I'd size/ deprime, turn the turret, Flare and add powder, turn again and seat the boolit. Did the same for my .45's.
Later I traded it for a Lee "O" press, and then got an RCBS Rockchucker. I still have that one.

When I got that first press it didn't have auto -indexing nor a 4 hole turret.

[ulav8r]

I first started reloading with a Lee Loader in 308W. When I started loading for a German service revolver, I got a Lyman 310 tool with 44 Special dies. Shortend the sizing die to use with cut down 44 Special brass. A couple of years later, added a Rock Chucker. When my little brother started reloading he had a limited budget so we found a Texan C frame press for him. I inherited it a few years later. About 10 years ago I got a RCBS Reloader Special at a yard sale, for $50 including 3 sets of dies, a Lee hand primer, a 505 scale, a Uniflow measure and a few other small items.

When I first reloaded 380 ammo, I pulled out the Texan and set it up with a wedge block to hold the ram vertical so it was easier to seat bullets. I had just over 300 cases so did batch loading. Deprimed all the cases and then tumbled them. Next I sized all the cases, with a butter tub of cases on the left side of the press to be sized and another tub well behind it for the sized cases. Picked up a case and stick it in the shell holder. As you size it, grab another with your left hand. As soon as the ram is down pull out the sized case and insert the unsized case before putting the sized case in the rear tub. After about the fifth case you will be moving quickl and smoothly, getting a sized case every 5 seconds or so. I then set up my RCBS bench primer and started priming. Each primed case went back into a tub. Next operation was powder dispensing. I used a Lee dipper with a mid power load. I checked 10 charges on a scale, one throw at a time. I then threw 10 charges and checked the weight for an average, which agreed with with the single charges so I was ready to start charging cases. I charged qne case, seated a bullet and stepped ou the back door and fired that one. Thee case ejected and showed no signs of over pressure, so I loaded 3 or 4 more and fired them to check function. Finding no issues, I continued to load the rest. As I threw a powder charge, the cases went into a loading block for the first time. Once the loading block was full I visually checked all cases for light or heavy charges. I then seated bullets and placed the completed rounds in a tub. Each operation took about an hour, so it took about 5 days of spare time to load about 305 rounds of 380 ammo. Your 357 loads could be produced in about the same time. I used the dippers because my measures were packed away and did not want to take the time to find and adjust a measure.

A single stage press can be handy even if you do have a progressive. If you use any range pick ups or outsourced fired brass you may come across sticky primers. Had some 9mm brass purchased online about a year ago that were quite hard to remove. Using a Lee deprimer, the priming rod moved up several times and had to be reset. I tightened it down as hard as I dared and still had it happen again. The primer faces were coned out quite a bit. They would have been quite a pain on a progressive.

If you get into rifle loading, there are other situations that will benefit from having a strong single stage press, such as crimped primers or re-sizing from oversized chambers.

I would love to have a progressive press, but until I get a lot more free time for shooting a single stage press can easily keep up with my needs. Having only three SS presses is not to much of a restriction to put up with but I would acquire 1 or 2 more if they were cheap enough.

Spell checking does not work on my browser so I may have missed a typo or three.

[Froogal]

holy smokes! to be honest when i posted this thread i didnt expect this many replies so soon. i live in southern michigan in the "shotgun zone" which now allows straight walled pistol cartridges for hunting. and as others have stated budget is an important factor for me. to start things off i dont think i want to spend any more that $100-$150 on a press so that limits me to some of the more inexpensive companies like lee. also the used market is a good idea that i hadnt considered yet. i think with all this new input and with so many different opinions i am left a little more confused now than when i started. i think im going to have to do a little more research. i had initially ruled out a single stage due to the need to constantly change out dies for each step of the process simply for convenience however as some have stated i can see how it would be a helpful process to practice and master before moving on to something more complicated just to get the techniques down.

I can do about 100 rounds of .357 in an hour or so with my Lee single stage. Start to finish. I could probably do more but my stiff joints start hollering at me. Once you get each die dialed in, all you need to do is change them. Of course you do need the breech-loc bushing for each die.

[jeepvet]

I have a Lyman S-T turret press and an RCBS Rockchucker. I reload all of my pistol ammo on the Lyman using it as a single stage press. I like to run all of the cases through one operation at a time so that I do not loose track of what I am doing. I deprime and size all of the brass, then flare the cases and then use a bench mounted RCBS priming tool or handheld priming tool to seat the primers. With all of the brass in a block I then install the powder using an RCBS powder thrower. I use the powder thrower as a hand held unit and move from case to case in the block. On pistol ammo I weight every tenth charge. After powder dumping, I stand over the block and look into each case to be sure I did not miss one and that all of the powder is at about the same level. This step is very important to me because I have been known to miss a row of cases with the powder and that can cause lots of very bad problems. I then seat the bullets and finally use a factory crimp die. I set all of my dies in the turret before I begin, but only index after I have completed an operation on all of the case that I plan on reloading in that session.

I do not reload rifle ammo on the Lyman because the turret indexes on a spring and ball. There is just enough give in that system that the bullets do not all seat at the same depth due to slightly different neck tension on each case. This is not a problem with my pistol ammo, but it makes a considerable difference at 200 - 300 yards on my rifles. This is the reason I use the Rockchucker for my rifle ammo. I bought this press on craigslist about three years ago for about $40 used. It is not the prettiest press on the bench, but it works like a new one. I use the same reloading steps as for pistol and this helps make me slow down and do a much safer job. On rifle ammo I weigh each powder charge and trickle as needed.

I say all of this to get to my point about progressive presses. I would very much like to own a Dillon because it would make my reloading go much faster, but I do not have the money to shell out for a Cadillac either. I also think that, for me, a progressive would not be as safe because I would probably get complacent and not pay close enough attention to the process. And since I enjoy the monotony of reloading I can get by with my single stage presses and have a lot more fun at my bench.

So, to answer the OP's question, IMHO, I would recommend looking in Swappin' - Sellin' on this site, craigslist, fleabay, Gunbroker or gun shows for used equipment. I like the Rockchucker, an RCBS 505 scale, powder thrower, priming tool, powder trickler, funnel, loading block and lube pad or spray lube. I will also say that every time I have bought a used piece of RCBS equipment and something does not work correctly, I have just had to make a call. I explain that I bought it used and what is wrong. They always say to send it in and they will look at it. I pay the shipping to them and always volunteer to pay for repairs and return shipping but they have never charged me a penny. They have always fixed it under warranty even though I bought it used.

Almost all of my dies are Lee. Especially the pistol dies. I like the carbide sizers and all of their pistol sets have them, I believe. The rifle dies work just fine, even in my accuracy rifles and they are much less expensive. I also use factory crimp dies on everything I reload.

As mentioned before, there is no substitute for good reloading manuals. Most of them have very good info in the front half of the book about the basics of reloading and safety. Get two or three and read them all. Reloading for plinking and hunting is not rocket science, but done incorrectly it can be very dangerous to yourself and others.

And by the way, I have been reloading since the mid 80's.

Have fun, be safe and welcome to the addiction.

[EDG]

Choice of a press depends on what kind of personality you have and the kind of reloader you want to be.

If you are not detail oriented or you have zero interest in the process except to save money use anything you can learn to run without blowing yourself up. You really don't care much about reloading as an activity you just want cheap plentiful ammo. Maybe you can adapt to a progressive and maybe not.

If you can pay attention to details and develop and maintain good work habits you might be able to use a progressive of some sort.

I think starting with a single stage is a good way to ease into developing good work habits.
For anyone that has a wide ranging interest in reloading single stage will always be useful.

If you only want to go fast, fast, fast to get lots of cheap ammo you will probably not be too happy with a single stage. But you might blow yourself up due to focusing on output and not quality.
Reloading is not a fault tolerant activity. Speed is not always a good thing.

[dverna]

How many rounds a week and how much time do you want to spend at it?

BTW, loaded pistol cartridges on a single stage tool for less than 500 rounds before I said....SCREW THIS!!

YMMV

[troyboy]

Lee second edition or the Lyman 49 would be my reccomendation. Read cover to cover and then buy a press.

[dragon813gt]

How many rounds a week and how much time do you want to spend at it?

BTW, loaded pistol cartridges on a single stage tool for less than 500 rounds before I said....SCREW THIS!!

YMMV

Those are the important questions. If there’s an inclination that you will load a good volume a 550 would be the place to start. People seem to forget that you can run one case at a time through a progressive. It’s how you’re going to set it up. And once comfortable w/ the operation you can use it at full capacity. You also fully control the speed. Just because it can load 400 rounds an hour doesn’t mean you have to run it at the speed all the time.

I’ve never loaded pistol rounds on a single stage. I’ve always had a Lee turret. I don’t want to think about batch loading pistol rounds let alone actually do it. I use a 550 for 223 because I shoot a good bit of it. The other rifle rounds are on a single stage but I’m not loading more than 50 at a time.

The answers to this question always amuse me. It varies on different forums. On a site like Brian Enos’s you will see a lot of people recommending some form of a Dillon. Guys there start out on a 1050. But they’re competitive shooters and need to load large volumes.

If I didn’t form cases I would have no need for a single stage. A LCT or 550 will do everything. Including load large rifle rounds like 375 H&H. Sizing is easier on a single stage but one isn’t needed. Not everyone “needs” one. Just wanted to point this out because it’s repeated all the time that you “need” a single stage.

[T_McD]

I feel like the default is a single stage. Unless you know you will be shooting vastly more rounds than the average shooter, a single stage is a great way to get an education.

I have loaded thousands on a hand press, but I am cheap and don’t shoot a lot.

[JBinMN]

Learn to walk before ya learned how to run?

Learn to ride a bicycle on a Ten or 15 speed, or learned to do it on a single speed without wrecking something or yourself?

Learn to drive in a Lamborghini or Cadillac, or start out with an old model, cheaper vehicle ( or mom or dads) until ya figure it out without wrecking something or yourself?


Learn to recognize numbers & letters, before trying to do math or write & read?


Learn to read "Dick & Jane" or "Dr. Seuss" books first, or War & Peace by Tolstoy?


Learn to shoot a single shot bolt action, or pump action shotgun, or learned to shoot a semi auto first ?

I could go on with a lot of examples... The point should be made with what was offered.


Of course there are those who can jump right into the more complicated operations, but it seems to me that it is better to learn the basics slowly & surely first, then work your way up to the more complicated operations after the basics are learned.

Like me, there are a lot of folks that have posted about learning the steps & nuances of reloading step by step before jumping into more complicated process, as well as a few of those who suggest that if it is quantity or speed of loading jump right into a progressive & the heck with any single stage.

I understand the thinking, but at the same time I have read a lot of topics/posts here about folks who have "jumped a Grade" like in school & then don't have a decent grasp of the "Basics" they would have LIKELY picked up on by learning their ABCs, before trying to read a university dissertation.

Here is a person thinking about getting a turret or a progressive, but asked about what is the, "best reloading press for beginners".

Well, like the bell curve of folks intelligence, from 0 - 200, with the average at 100. I am sure someone could figure out a bell curve for reloaders intelligence & abilities and do the same. The fact of the matter is, that the "average" & "beginner" is likely somewhere in between the worst & the best. Add in "interest level" and there is another scale to work with. Thus, it seems to me, as well as the majority so far, that one would likely be best off starting with a Single stage as a Beginner, then moving up if they choose to get faster return on their time, or be willing to take the chance of making mistakes that may not be found until later, and at the risk of really bad things happening to ones firearm(s), & body parts or worse.

Hey, I am not gonna argue that there is not those folks that can jump right in & start of with a progressive & do just fine, but at the same time, for every one that can do that, there is some person who is gonna struggle just learning how to properly reload on a single stage.

So, like others here, I tempered my post to reflect that person who may be on the end of the spectrum that needs a little more time to get the basics down, than jumping on something out of their capabilities & then be bummed out that they are not doing as well as the other folks.

They would likely find use for the single stage later on as they progressed in knowledge & ability anyway, so it would not be a waste, and if they have difficulty getting their more advanced turret or progressive going well enough to suit them, they still have SS to fall back on to still reload while they get their other one going the way they want...


Well, It is all gonna come down to the person who is the OP & if he/she is able to know his/her capabilities or not, or persons who read this topic later trying to figure out what they should do as a beginner.

I would rather be one who suggests something basic for them to use & to learn the basics of reloading, then to promote them to jump ahead of what may be their abilities & then they become dissatisfied thru frustration, or even worse, do something that causes harm or worse to them, their firearms, or even possibly others who are innocent of what happens when a mistake gets made.

So, Ya'll suit yourselves, but I am going to stick with the KISS method for most folks & stay with a SS press to start for most all folks & if others do not, Fine. I will sleep just fine knowing I said what I thought was the right thing to do for anyone who is starting out on the adventures of reloading rounds, regardless of their abilities or what others have to say.


G'Luck! to the OP, & any beginners who might read this topic, regardless of what ya choose...

Be Safe!

[dverna]

To the OP. I am not going to get into a pissing match with other members. PM me with the quantity of ammunition you expect to reload and the number of calibers. Give me an idea of your general level of intelligence, your patience level, attention to details, and mechanical ability. Think about how much you can invest. There was a guy here with a tag line that said, “You can have something cheap, with quality or fast....pick two.” Reloading presses are like that.

I have owned and used equipment from Lee “whack-a-moles” to Dillon 1050’s. You want a press that fits your needs, abilities, and budget What I or Joe Average uses is immaterial.

[EDG]

From project the management triangle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projec...ement_triangle

https://rapidbi.com/time-quality-cos...-have-any-two/

You can have something FAST & CHEAP but it won’t be good quality
You can have something CHEAP & GOOD QUALITY, but it won’t be quick or on time.
You can have something ON TIME and GOOD QUALITY but it wont be CHEAP


You always have 3 constraints to deal with

1.Cost
2. Quality
3. Schedule or time

You can only optimize one of these.
When you optimize one factor you begin to compromise the other 2.

When dealing with managers you are dealing with people that pretty much only care about comparing the big number to the little number. That is they want the most production at the least cost.
It is easy for them to assess schedules and cost because they are simple numbers.
Where they often go wrong is quality. Quality is often hard to quantify and managers tend to assume quality will always be acceptable. Unfortunately that is not true.

If the human being running the equipment is not up to the level of detail required the best loading tool on the planet will be of limited value.
The quality of the operator is more important than the quality of the tool.
Therefore if you are a beginner it is most important that you learn to reload first. You have to develop the proper attitude and habits to do the work right.
The machine does not do it right for you.

[kmw1954]

To all the respondents I am asking this question because you have all given an opinion with your best intention.

Of all the new people that you have known that have started reloading and spent all the money for the equipment how many do you know lost interest or found that this just wasn't their "cup-o-tea" and quit after just a short time? I know of a couple and also one that I started to reach on my equipment and shortly lost all interest.

My impression is there must be more out there than we think or there wouldn't be as much equipment for sale on ebay, craigslist or facebook as there is. Which is also why I always suggest looking for used equipment. It can be had at fractions of the cost and then if you find this isn't for you then you are not out a bunch of cash.

Much of what we hear is all relative to one thing or another and many times what is relative to you has no importance to me. and am with dverna and have echoed in the past the same sentiment.

There are only 3 basic types of presses, Single stage, Turret and progressive. The press one choses should be relevant to what they intend to load not what someone else believe what they need. Not everyone can do what they need on a single stage press just as not everyone will ever need a progressive. Just as if I am only ever loading 9mm I certainly don't need a huge compound leverage single stage press just as if all I ever load is 30/06 or 340 Weatherby Mag I certainly wouldn't want a RCBS Partner, Lee C press or Dillon 1050.

[JBinMN]

I do not see our opinions as "sides" to choose. (Nor do I see a "pissing match", BTW. )
I just see these opinions here in this topic, as representing a group of folks who are offering what they think would be the best thing for a beginner to use for a press, to start out in reloading, and we just see things a bit differently.

No need for anyone to get uptight about it, IMO.


-------------^ Short comment^--------

Long comment below.... Skip it if ya like... I won't care.


I, like others, am able to recognize that different folks have difference levels of abilities, and while some may be comfortable & take to a more complicated system quickly & easily, I also recognizes that there are those who are not so quick to learn or have the same level of abilities as others and may need to start out on a more "basic" system to learn & then move up into the more complicated systems with time & experience.

On a personal note, and to describe this with an example,.. Someone being a D.I. at one time will see what was just described very quickly with recruits & seeing that one almost has to take things to be shown & taught, step by step, from the basics ( "basic training" is what it is really called.), so that the slowest learner keeps up, even though many are quicker to understand the things they are being taught, & I imagine those who are other types of trainers/educators have also seen what I just described as well. Even other students of subjects they are being taught can recognize when some fellow students just are not able to keep up as well with others on occasion Some folks are not able to get a handle on knowledge as fast as others & that is why there are levels of understanding that comes with starting with the basic tasks & knowledge & working up.

An example of those steps are in the present educational system of going to 1st grade & then progressing up to university/college level or more in a system of steps(grades). Some folks only progress so far in those steps & some go all the way thru higher education. So are more advanced & can even skip those steps/grades, but with those skipping, they sometimes lose the actual hands on experience of doing something & getting a set of skills in levels. A physicist might be a graduate of higher learning but has bever actually ran a nuclear power plant. A beginning reloader may have the knowledge of how to reload just by reading a manual, but if they have not even started to learn the actual "doing" of it, they still have a ways to go.

Thus, I , like others, have recommended that a beginning reloader start with the simplest & most basic press & learn the "ins & outs" of setting dies & things to look for as the process from components to a finished round/cartridge is produced. In our work, and like in basic training ( at least in the USMC) , once the recruits have learned the nomenclature(parts/groups) of their particular firearm of their time/era/branch,( I.E. M1- M14 - M16A1 compared to M16A2, etc.), there is some time of "dry firing" to get used to their firearms & the different positions they would be liable to use the firearms in, to re-enforce their learning the concepts of sight alignment/sight picture, the effects of the environment & distance, etc., and "then" then go out to the firing line at the range & begin to actually shoot those firearms. All done in steps, and not just hand them the firearm & they go to shooting & learn as they go. If there is a malfunction, they should have been taught what to do, just like if there is a malfunction in their press or the operations involved with using one.

Then once those recruits have learned the basics of their issued firearm( like the SS), some can move on to more complicated systems such as SAWS, M60s & M2s, etc., but they still have the "basics" from their "basic training" to keep in mind even using those more complicated systems/platforms.

Of course there are those who are familiar with operating a firearm before they get trained on the basics & already know "how" to shoot, but they still need to learn the particular system & operation of the firearm they are given, and what to do if something malfunctions. Using a reloading press as a part of the gist of what I am saying, if a person has a progressive and sets it up , but does so in some way that it malfunctions due to their incorrectly setting it up, or if they are not well familiar with each process & what each die does in the system, they are going to likely be frustrated, as well as not getting the results they wanted to achieve.

But if they have starting using a simpler system like a SS, they would be able to ID any malfunction or problem "as they went" since they would be setting up the dies & learning the "basic" process in "steps", rather than jumping into a system that involves not only the basics, but a more complicated type of system that has its own set of nuances to learn & figure out so it works as desired.

Last point on a personal note... I have 2 sons & 2 grandsons. My oldest son recalls me reloading in the living room of our house when he was young and his brother was still in diapers & I was watching them while their Ma was away for a while. They watched me thru some years & picked up some of the things I was doing but showed little interest back then. Then later on, when I returned to reloading, they still had an understanding of what I was doing, even though they did not & do not reload themselves. Which brings me to my grandsons who are 9 & 11. They have actually reloading straight wall pistol cartridges & shotgun shells with my supervision. They were taught using a single stage on the bench, even though there was a turret right over on the other side of the bench. They saw how to set up each die & how the process worked in each step as well as some of the other processes you all know what we do to make a completed round. I did not show them how, at their "level of ability & understanding" how to use one of the turret presses since I wanted them to have the "basic understanding" of the different steps/processes that need to be done, no matter what type of press on uses before moving them on to the turret.( as compared to the SS) If I had a progressive I would have done the same thing and started them on the SS first.
Now the older of the two grandsons seems to be, so far anyway, the sharper of the two lads when it comes to mechanical operations. I am pretty sure that I could have taught him on the turret & he would still have understood the basics, since you still have to set up the dies, etc., even though there is more going on in the using the turret, as you have to decide if you want to complete a round before moving on the the next or "batch load" doing one step at a time.

Anyway, all I am trying to impress is that "different strokes for different folks", and that while some may be able to jump right into reloading & start out with a turret or even a progressive, many folks will be better off with a single stage & learn the basics on one of them before progressing to a faster & more complicated method. All dependent on the factors mentioned about what one wants for production speed & amount required for their style of shooting, their education/knowledge & ability level , as ell as economic factors, etc..

So, it still seems to me, and others, that suggesting to all beginners that starting with some "basic training" using a SS, would, in the broad spectrum of different folks & their knowledge & abilities, be able to cover that groups spectrum of knowledge & abilities to start with a "basic" setup before moving along to more complicated systems. If they are capable of more advanced systems right away, as well as afford them & it meets their needs, without issues, then Great! If not & they choose to move on to more complicated systems later, then so be it, and they will still have the SS to fall back on when needed, or simply move it on to another beginner reloader or someone who wants simply wants a SS for themselves.

Anyway, I have wore myself out typing this post & do not expect to comment here again. I was just offering up some more reasoning & examples to back up the way I see things regarding this topic of what beginners might start out with.
If the OP , or anyone else wants to start out with a more complicated system to begin with, that is Great too!

G'Luck! & be Safe!

[T_McD]

Lots of sane responses on this thread

[EDG]

I agree with your comments about people quitting reloading.
1. Many people are only interested in it for the cost savings. They have little or no interest in reloading for enjoyment.
2. Many people will not commit the money to something they cannot use immediately. Buying tools means making an investment that might take several years to break even. As a result they would prefer to not shoot or go buy a box of ammo to shoot right now.
3. I have a large number of reloading tools and dies collected over 50 years of reloading. At least 90% of it was bought used. I also have a large quantity of bullets and brass bought at give away prices from guys getting out of reloading.
4. Many people are also unwilling to devote time to reloading. They want it to be like gassing up your car. It is more like changing a set of plugs. You have to spend time and you have to think about what you are doing. It is not a brainless automatic process that can be completed in 15 minutes.

Reloading goes in cycles often related to politics. Before Bill Clinton almost everything was plentiful.
Then we had a Clinton shortage. Then he left office and many of the not very committed reloaders sold their stuff and I bought a lot of it until Obama came along and caused more shortages.

Part of the problem is expecting new loaders to understand reloading before they learn to reload. They can't. They have no idea what their interests will be in 5 years or 40 years. People get bored and try something new all the time.

To all the respondents I am asking this question because you have all given an opinion with your best intention.

Of all the new people that you have known that have started reloading and spent all the money for the equipment how many do you know lost interest or found that this just wasn't their "cup-o-tea" and quit after just a short time? I know of a couple and also one that I started to reach on my equipment and shortly lost all interest.

My impression is there must be more out there than we think or there wouldn't be as much equipment for sale on ebay, craigslist or facebook as there is. Which is also why I always suggest looking for used equipment. It can be had at fractions of the cost and then if you find this isn't for you then you are not out a bunch of cash.

Much of what we hear is all relative to one thing or another and many times what is relative to you has no importance to me. and am with dverna and have echoed in the past the same sentiment.

One of the pitfalls of your argument is the expectation of knowing what kind of reloading you will be doing and the kind of reloader you are. If you have never reloaded you are only guessing because you have zero experience.
You have no idea how much your interests will change, grow, expand or contract over the next 15 to 40 years.

There are only 3 basic types of presses, Single stage, Turret and progressive. The press one choses should be relevant to what they intend to load not what someone else believe what they need. Not everyone can do what they need on a single stage press just as not everyone will ever need a progressive. Just as if I am only ever loading 9mm I certainly don't need a huge compound leverage single stage press just as if all I ever load is 30/06 or 340 Weatherby Mag I certainly wouldn't want a RCBS Partner, Lee C press or Dillon 1050.

[kmw1954]

I keep stressing that anyone looking to start reloading needs to take the time and research first. There is absolutely no reason these days not to. I belong to 5 different forums and each one has a reloading sub-forum on it. I am also pretty sure every other gun forum does as well. Then of course there is our favorite Youtube with hours and hours of anything one could imagine looking for. Some or it is very well done while others are a complete waste of time and misinformation. Just like some forums. . Take the time and research them all. The advantage to the forums is one can always ask questions and just like this one, one will be provided with many different outlooks on the same question. But again that is where the research and knowledge begin to pay off.

I have also stated a number of times the importance of manuals and it never hurts to get at least a couple of them. They all pretty much contain the same information, the difference being is the way they are written and interpreted. The same thing stated two different ways can bring differing results.

As with any teaching it is only as good as the material provided and how that material is absorbed by the one learning. For instance, I was born with a great understanding of anything mechanical but I cannot read music to save my life. I have a great grasp of mathematics but don't ask me to do abstract algebra.

Lastly with learning anything I believe one must have a basic understanding of their own limitations, their own personal interests, their physical abilities and which way they learn best. Cannot teach me to eat with a fork if I'm not hungry!