Reloading equipment recommendations

[MN Fan]

With the Mosins, the AR and the SKS, I am starting to lean towards reloading. It was hard to think about it this winter when I only shot a few rounds, but now that spring is coming, I am considering it.

What is your best guess per round cost savings when you reload yourself?

And, of these two choices, what would you consider to be the better buy?



Thanks guys...

[desdem12]

I would get LEE It is about $100 for what you got there. If i had to chose between those 2 i would chose hornady. But the only reason is I had a RCBS and i absolutely hated the powder measure. But the rest of it was ok. I have a lee now and it works great. Those both look like single stage presses so i think either would do. You used to get free bullets with the hornady press not sure if they still do or not. I am a die hard lee fan now and just love their products. Plus the RCBS dies are like double of lees. I think they are all interchangable though. That is just my .02

[desdem12]

Oh wait i see the hornady has a electronic scale powder measure with it so it would be my choice. I have heard good things about those.

[MN Fan]

Thanks Des! I really have no clue and was looking at these two since they were in the recent flyer

Lee, huh? I'll go over to the store and look this week-end. To be honest, I thought both of these seemed pricey, but I have nothing to compare to. I used to reload shotgun shells decades ago, but I realize this is a different ball game. I can buy a lot of ammo for $600, so it was tough to consider doing it. But, it's something to think about...plus I think I would enjoy making my own

[desdem12]

I bought a Lee kit and it cost about $85. It had most of the stuff you need but you have to buy a few other things. I recomend it for a starter press. The return on your ammo will be about the second or third time around. It is not neccessarily cheaper but it is a whole lot better. I reload for my pistols and for the SKS and have the dies for 54R and am getting some for the carcano and the M95 pretty soon. I also still have a Mas 36 that i haven't shot or have ammo for. I intend to reload for it too some where down the line. If you need a prgressive press later you can always upgrade to any brand. Lee stuff is inexpensive but i would not call it cheap. Love it!!

[MN Fan]

Wow, you're right Des. They have Lee equipment on their website and it seems a lot less expensive. I'd have to compare what's all in the "kits" though with what I'd need besides the press. Also, I'm not sure if they have Lee in the local store or not. Looks like an excuse to go browse again

Thanks for your input!

(we posted at the same time. I'll go ahead and hit Submit, then read your post )

[desdem12]

Cabelas has at least some Lee stuff as i have bought some there before. I have a challenger anniversary kit. I got a primer tool and a bullet puller hammer thingy and some assorted other stuff. The shell holders come with the dies with lee dies. If you get a primer tool you will need different shell holders for that. If you have any other questions just ask away.

[MN Fan]

I will

And thank you for all the answers already!
$85? Even if the other items needed doubles that price, I am in. I know I still need the supplies, powder, brass, etc, but that seems very reasonable!

I love getting off early on Fridays lol.

[desdem12]

You can get brass for the x39 for a good price but 54 R is expensive. I would suggest privi partisan ammo at cabelas for like $15 and then shoot it and save the brass and reload it. I have heard bad things about sellier& bellot brass. I usually do not buy that unless i have to. I also have winchester white box that isn't too bad. I have got used brass for cheap on the pistol claibers and for the x39.

[pacanis]

I used to reload back in the eighties. I think a Lyman 5 stage progressive kit went for close to $200 and the tumbler might have been $50. I mainly reloaded .357 and .44 mag (shothun, too). And I know I saved money, but I reloaded more to dial in my loads, or at least I thought that's what I was doing. I had all these books and all these different powders... then there were the different bullet weights. It was fun trying to decide if I was actually shooting better on a given day because the load was better or my hand was steadier. At any rate, I took a couple deer with the .44 using rounds I had loaded myself. A bunch of us reloaded back then. You just didn't have the availability of cheap quality ammo like you do today. And it was fun.

Anyway, Lyman used to have a good brand name in the reloading community. I imagine they are still around. And while the five stage worked well, I found myself checking every round along the way anyway, so it really didn't save me any time. I'm curious if reloading is really any cheaper these days when buying ammo in bulk has become so popular.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I have, and use Lee and RCBS equipment, for a new reloader I would recommend one of the Lee starter kits, they come with everything you need except the dies. Not everybody gets into reloading, and sticks with it, that is why I recommend the much less expensive, but still very good Lee kits. Once you outgrow the Lee kit then spend the money for the RCBS, or Hornady kits, both company's produce a good product. By the time you outgrow the Lee kit you might be looking into a progressive reloader, that would mean spending another $500-$600 on top of what you have already spent for the single stage. Single stage is the way to go when getting started.

[entropy]

I have a bunch of RCBS stuff; it's great stuff. It was given to me. When I buy reloading equipment, I buy Lee. Best value out there.

+1 to everything JYD said.

[Burrhead]

I have Lee, RCBS, Hornady and CH4D Custom dies in my reloading equipment. I am a true fan of the Lee products but a few things I don't like in their rifle dies. The deprime / neck expander sucks in the rifle dies. The stem isn't threaded and if you don't watch it, it will pullout with the case. I have this problem with my 303British and my 7.62X54R dies by Lee. the problem is too much bearing surface on the down stroke of the press when you open the neck back up after full length sizing the case. Also the neck expander on my 9mm belling die doesn't go deep enough to prevent side bulges when you seat the bullets in the case, not every case but a lot of them. In fairness to Lee the brass from manufacturer to manufacture wall thickness varies a lot, same for case capacity in the 9X19 cases.
What I do like is all their pistol case sizers are carbide, except the 50AE but I don't shoot a lot of the 50AE heck even hand loading that sucker is nearly 50 cents a pop.
As for a press I have a Lee 3 station I use only for hand gun and a RCBS single station I use for rifle. The Lee just doesn't look strong enough to me for rifle case.
MY $.02
Burrhead

[MN Fan]

Thanks guys. I am liking the fact that you're all mention Lee. I never did make it over to Cabela's this week-end. I did do some looking around online though and it looks like its going to be pretty affordable. I am looking forward to getting into it and you all got me on the right path to begin with, thank you

[mosinjunkie]

Based on advice on several other good reloading forums, I bought a Lee Classic turret kit, and it has turned out to be the ideal starter kit, and will probably serve me well for years to come. The only item in that kit that I consider substandard is the scale. The Lee Safety scale is actually quite accurate, but it is by far the most tedious, finicky POS I've ever fooled with. I sold it on evilbay, got me an RCBS 502, and haven't looked back.

[desdem12]

I will add to mosin junkies report and say do not get the lower end franklin electronic scale either. It is also a finicky pos and you have to waste time recalibraing the stupid thing. The lee scale is tedious but is accurate and doesn't shut off every 10 seconds.

[young_gun]

How convenient a thread about just what I wanted to ask. My father and I are looking at getting into reloading and we have found a lee progressive reloading kit that comes with a die of your choosing for $160 its the pro 100 progressive press just wondering what your guys thoughts are on this setup thanks for the help

*also I was curious how many times are you able to reuse brass?

[MN Fan]

This place is a wealth of knowledge, huh?

More than likely, you'll be reloading before I am. Post back with what you think of the set up.

Good luck!

[desdem12]

I don't have progressive yet but if i upgrade i would buy lee all over again. A kit for $160 wth a die is a good deal to me. As for the brass it depends on what kind and how hot. I have done 3 loads on 45 acp with no problem with federal brass. I haven't reloaded anyothers more then that yet. If you want more reloads get the best brass you can afford. I personaly don't like sellier & bellot but that is just me

[mosinjunkie]

I'm thinking that a progressive press might not be the best choice for someone new to reloading. I have enough trouble keeping my ducks in a row on a turret, without even thinking about trying to watch three or four simultaneous processes.