Budget Reloading Equipment

[Troutguide]

Recommendations needed for economy reloading equipment that will still allow for accuracy improvement? I am poor at the moment but want to get into reloading on the cheap. Thanks in advance.

TG

[King31]

I'd start with a Lee Single Stage press, Hornady 2 die set, Lee Crimp Die. Other than that if you are really broke you'll be going to a lot of work (hand priming, slow measuring) to load ammo. Get a powder trickler and decent beam scale and you should be about set.

[Klem]

+1...except for the crimp die. You won't need to crimp your rounds if the case neck tension is adequate to start with. By that I mean, if your sizing die squeezes your case necks to at least .003"-.004" less in diameter than after the bullet is seated - that neck tension will be enough.

[Troutguide]

Okay let's say I have $200 to spend. Would this be a good choice plus the correct dies

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/121744/lee-challenger-breech-lock-single-stage-press-kit?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Reloading+-+Metallic+Reloading+Presses-_-Lee-_-121744&gclid=CIjOuuiZo9MCFUkbaQodF7kDww

[Klem]

It's an entry level basic kit at a good price for sure. But there are parts in that kit you won't use and some things it doesn't have you will need.

The press is about the cheapest O-frame you can buy so that's good.

You need to buy a shellholder to hold the case on the ram (#12 in the Lee range).

There is a powder hopper but no trickler. The idea being you throw an underload with the hopper and trickle up to when the balance beam shows level. You can sprinkle with your fingers but that's just messy and going way too tight-fisted.

You will need to measure the overall length of what you load, and other things like case length, neck width. So a set of calipers - even a cheap, old-school set of plastic vernier calipers will work. At some stage you will want to join the 21st Century with digital calipers, however it doesn't hurt to start cheap so you can appreciate normal later.

Apart from that and the two dies you should be good to go!
.

[LR1955]

Okay let's say I have $200 to spend. Would this be a good choice plus the correct dies

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/12...FUkbaQodF7kDww

TG:

Do as King 31 and Klem are recommending.

If you buy that kit, you are buying the press and the powder measure. The scale works but is flaky. The Lee sizing die will overwork your dollar a piece brass, cutting its life in half if you are lucky. The hand primer seater will break easily and the trimmer will work if Lee makes it for the Grendel. It will just take a lot of time and won't be as good as the more conventional trimmer.

Also, you want thousand dollar quality out of ten dollar equipment. You won't get it with anything and particularly not with Lee.

You don't need a trickler if you are using ball powders. That is the beauty of ball powders. Except that I have found the Lee powder measures tend to gum up and may jam when using the ball powders most used for the Grendel. The powder measure you see in that kit is great for extruded powders though. It will take you a lot longer to get it set than any other measure I have used. And lets say you get it set on Monday then go back Tuesday for another loading session using the exact same load. My bet is you will be adjusting it again. Have no clue why, either.

Get the Lee press if you want something you will never be able to sell when you realize it isn't as good as a Redding, Hornady, RCBS, etc. The powder measure will give you fits with ball powders. The rest is not worth the pot metal and plastic it is made from.

Spend the money now and you will get gear that won't break, will produce better ammo in much less time, and you will be happy with it for your lifetime.

LR55

[Troutguide]

Noted LR55. I will look into single components listed above. I am a month away from a purchase so I have time to ponder. Already excited though.

[VASCAR2]

I bought a RCBS Rock Chucker single stage press, 10-10 balance beam scale, uniflow powder dispenser and is all I've used since buying it in the late 70's. Buy a good quality single stage press like the RCBS or Hornady and it'll last a life time. I also use a RCBS chamfer tool and primer pocket brush. I bought a Hornady case trimmer a few years ago after I started loading more rifle rounds.

It's hard to beat Hornady 6.5 Grendel dies but buy a Hornady shell holder! The Hornady shell holder helps get the correct shoulder set back while resizing your 6.5 Grendel brass.

[Bigs28]

You will want the grendel reloading handbooks that lrr sells.

[Rickc]

Well all I can say is any economy kit you buy will be replaced in the future with quality equipment. My advice is always save till you can buy that quality gear the first time. Of course if you aren't going to stick with it .....

anyway this is what I started out with 50 some odd years ago. Definitely economy and will let you find out if you plan to stick with it.

http://leeprecision.com/reloading-kits/lee-loader-rifle/

[tazman5150]

wouldn't using your fingers contaminate the powder? the skin has a natural oil to it.

[JASmith]

LR1955 said it very well!

Having gone through steps very similar to the path Troutguide is is starting on, I would like to have had the courage and knowledge to get to good place immediately.

So, I would look for a good quick change single stage press like the Hornady Lock-n-Load or the Forster single stage. Both seem pricey but the real "cost" will be never knowing the hassle of unscrewing and screwing dies or or swapping turrets.

Go with a decent balance beam scale and avoid an electronic scale. The $50.00 electronic versions do not work well and you will need the balance beam anyway to verify charge weights and accuracy.

Same for the powder dispenser. Get a mid-level Redding, RCBS or other that has a good reputation and a micrometer adjusting screw. The marks immensly help making the small adjustments to get the measure to throw your charge weight. Record the setting you settle on. That setting will be within a a few tenths of a grain the next time you want to use that charge weight. Temperature changes will cause the volume to change a bit, so one needs to make the slmall adjustments.

[lwminton]

No such thing as "economy reloading equipment" because you will sooner or later discover why they are "economy" and end up with a Redding T7 and Redding dies with the original money down the drain. The Hornady Lock and Load would be second best but a decent choice.

[LRRPF52]

I just broke my Lee press a few weeks ago sizing .308 brass for a friend.

I ordered a replacement piece, which Lee only charged shipping for, but I'm looking at the Forster Co-Ax press now after seeing all that it does.

I have a Redding Big Boss too that I'm trying to decide what to do with it.

One thing that I have really liked about the Lee is the quick change bushings for my dies, so die installation takes maybe 2 seconds. The press is flimsy though, with cast parts that aren't up for the job of sizing larger brass than .223 and 6.5 Grendel in volume. I think it flexes too much axially, causing non-uniform necks when sizing.

I've been able to still get sub-MOA rapid-fired groups at 1000yds though, but I turn my cases when seating bullets to reduce runout.

[JASmith]

Two things sold me on the Forster.

First, the press has a reputation for excellent precision via the floating die implementation.

Second, it has the fastest die swap on the market. Very nice to have when one loads for multiple calibers.