I've been catalogue shopping (barely), and noticed a huge price range in reloading kits. So, what do I need to start reloading rifle cartridges (I've been pressing shotgun shells for a while but thats a bit different)

I see some of these setups, like the Lee Anniversary Kit, are only about $65, while some of them are $650. How much do I need to spend to get a good basic setup (press, scales, powder dribbler, case trimmer, deprimer and priming tool, and whatever else I need)?

Oh yeah, I just want a single stage reloader.

The cheap kit I use would make the Lee Anniversary kit seem like a Porche. An antique press I got for 20 bucks. Another $20 for a used powder measure. The scale was given to me. I use a $6 Thrift store special ice cream maker as a tumber, and my wife's colander as a media separator. I am doing this on a shoestring. I have to save up for weeks to buy a pound of powder.



But my cheap rig makes serviceable ammo.



My point is, the Lee anniversary kit is great for getting started. You may eventually want to upgrade some of the components--digital scale, etc.--but you'll still use the ones in the kit for a long time.



The better kits have stronger construction, better fit & finish, etc. If the budget will accommodate a better kit, you won't be disappointed.



But the Lee kit will get you started, and leave $$ left over for the important stuff--dies & components!

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit
RCBS Accessory Kit
Dies and shellholders for the caliber you want to reload

That will give you everything you need, but you will find some stuff later on that you want...

First off it would help if you'd tell us what kind of rifle or rifles and shooting you plan to do. Plinking is one thing - long range varminting or BR, something else.

Crazyquik, I don't know what your budget is, but I think the RCBS Master kit is probably the best bang for your buck. Really the only thing you need in addition to it is a trickler and a set of dies (unless the kit comes with a trickler now... didn't used to). I think I saw it for sale the other day in Cabela's or Grafs for $228? That's a pretty fair price. I load several hundred rounds a year atleast and it's been all that I've ever needed. Second to that, if you're on a tight budget and you're only going to load a box of ammo here and there, I'd probably go with something like the Lee Anniversary kit.

I got an RCBS Rockchucker kit and an RCBS Video, because I was overwhelmed with how to get started reloading.



If I were to advise someone on how to do it that was a friend, I would show him how, and then loan him enough stuff to do it at his home.



Telling someone how to do it on the internet, I would start out with the tasks that have to be done, and list the cheap tools to get, so the the guy can maintain a mental map of the goals:



38 Special is very easy and cheap to load, most people have one, and the guns have mountains of safety margin. They are a good place to start.



1) Get the old primer out of the case, called depriming or decapping.

2) Make the case small enough in inside diameter to grip a bullet and small enough on the outside to fit in the chamber. This is called resizing.

Both steps 1) & 2) are usually accomplished in one step as the resizing die has a decapping pin. This will require:

a) Shell holder ~$3 Lee #1 shell holder or ~$5 RCBS #6 shell holder.

The same size shell holder can be used later for 357 mag, 256 Win mag, etc.

b) A resizing die. This die will probably be bought in a kit with one, two, or three other dies. In straight wall cartridges, carbide resizing dies are available at an extra cost. It is always worth the extra to get carbide. Adjust the die [how far to screw it into the press] per the instructions that come with the die set.

Lee 3 die set for 38 special; $21 steel, $23 carbide

RCBS 3 die set for 38 special: $36

c) A press. Lee Reloader press $20 is a real cheapee, but will always find a use. RCBS Rockchucker $90 is a workhorse of the highest quality.

3) Clean the case.

This step can be done with a couple twists of the wrist with steel wool, or expensive vibrators. Later when you get more tools, you will clean the primer pocket, but it is not needed.

4) Re prime the case.

a) One can buy a priming tool and do it in 2 seconds or fumble with the primer built into RCBS presses and do it 10 seconds.

Lee Auto prime II $13, RCBS priming tool $26

The two tools I mentioned use the same shell holder as used above in resizing. Beware that Lee also sells another priming system ["Lee auto prime" not "Lee auto primer II"] that uses special shell holders. I would avoid that system to start.

b) One must also buy, beg, borrow, or steal new primers.

To buy them mail order, one would have to pay a Hazardous Materials charge [Haz Mat]. Small purchases would be too expensive. Usually 100 primers can be purchased for $1 or $2 at the local gun store. Primers come in combinations of being; magnum or standard, pistol or rifle, and large or small. For 38 special, small pistol primers are what is needed, and will work with standard or magnum, but most published loads with be with standard primers.

5) Fill the case with powder. This is called charging the case. For this one will need powder and a way to measure powder. With black powder, one just fills the case, but with smokeless powder too much powder will fit. Start out using smokeless powder and measuring it. The amount to use depends on the bullet that will be used. The amount is published in load books, or better still on powder manufacturer's web sites for free.

a) Buy powder. There is the Haz Mat problem again, so off to the neighborhood gunstore. Any "pistol powder" will do. Expect to pay ~$20 for a pound in a gunstore. I like Bullseye or Unique powder made by Alliant, but AA#2 or AA#5 work just as well made by Accurate Arms, or Winchester 231, or Hodgdon HS-6, or Vihtavuori 3N37, or IMR SR7625, or dozens of others.

b) Measure the powder. This can be done with cheap plastic measuring cups with handles from Lee, but I would start out weighing the powder. The weighing scales: Lee Perfect powder measure $20, RCBS Uniflow Powder measure $60 [this tool is really nice]

6) Install the bullet. This is called seating the bullet.

a) Buy bullets. For 38 special, .357" diameter or .358" bullets are normally used. You can buy lead bullets or lead bullets covered with copper called jacketed bullets. I would start out with jacketed bullets. These will cost you 5 to 15 cents each and usually bought in 100's.

b) The seating die should have come in the reloading die kit. Put it in the press and put the primed and charged case in the shell holder. Set the bullet on top of the case and raise the ram [push down on the press lever]

c) Measure the over all length of the cartridge [OAL]. This can be done with a ruler, but is best done with dial calipers. Expect to pay $20 for some Chinese calipers or $100 for American.

7) Crimp the case into the bullet. This means the case must pinch the bullet so hard that recoil will not yank the bullet out when other chambers of the revolver are fired [or so the bullet will not get shoved deeper into the case from recoil in magazine or tube fed cartridge]. The type of crimp depends on the type of cartridge. The rimmed 38 special case should be roll crimped. The rimless 9mm cartridge should be taper crimped. The crimping step can be done in one step with the bullet seating, but I would start out doing it in two separate steps. The two steps look the same [cartridge goes into seating die], but can be different in how the seating die is adjusted. Again, adjust the die [how far to screw it into the press] per the instructions that come with the die set and with the seating die, there is also the adjustment of the seating stem [knurled knob on top of the die].

8) Take notes when you shoot your handloads. Write on the targets. Things like "125 gr. bullets shot way low, but 158 gr. bullets were right on." will come in handy next time you sit down to reload or buy bullets.



There are more steps to loading a bottle shaped rifle cartridge, and even more to get them to be very accurate, but after one masters the 38 special, it will make more sense.





From the above it looks like it will cost $110 to get started.

That is 1/3 of what it cost ME to get started.



--

A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.

Crazyquik,
The RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit is one of the best ways to get started. It has just about everything you need to get started. The kit does not include a powder trickler, but does have the components to prime cases. I prefer, however, to use Lee's AutoPrime hand priming tool for a better feel. It costs less than $15.00. You also need a set of calipers. You can pick up a decent dial caliper for under $30.00. Although you can spend much more, this is all you really need. Two more items I believe are worth picking up are the primer pocket uniforming tool and flash hole deburrer. Lee sells these for about $12.00 each.

With everything you get in the reloading kit and these few additional accessories, all you need are the proper dies and shell holders.

Although you may accumulate many more gadgets over the years, this will get you loading quality handloaded ammo.

You will get a wide variety of views, but for my money, the Lee set is the way to go.

Bought one just over a year ago, and it has made consistent and cheap ammo for me ever since. Not the prettiest, or the best, but definatly servicable.

I am considering upgrading some components, but over all the plain jane Lee has servered me well.
Jack

Yea the RCBS master kit and get a hand priming tool , calipers, the dies you want and shell holder, powder ,bullets, primers . You'll be stylin
Then youll get one of those bullet pullin hammers , a comparitor ,Chrony, etc...
room adition on your house for reloading

I load for 223 and 270 win, shoot maybe a couple of hundred of each per year. I use a RCBS Partner press, rcbs 502 scales, Hornady dies for the 270, and Lee dies for the 223. Lee case trimmers for both. Nothing else. This outfit produces half inch and less groups in both rifles at 100yds with boring consistency. I don't even have a priming tool - I use the press (shock! Horror!). I'm not suggesting that the Rockchucker isn't better (used to own one years ago) but if you're after reasonable quality, why pay more? Another advantage of the Partner is its weight and compact size - I take mine with me when we go hunting, which is something I'd never have done with the 'Chucker, and if we run low on ammo, simple - we load more! I hear a lot of people talk about the (supposed) advantages of this or that set-up, and to benchresters, it may be applicable, but to the average hunter shooting a few rounds a year, wel...

My two cents.
My 2 cents.

rugeruser,
I use an RCBS partner press for seating bullets, and it is just as accurate as my Rockchucker.

I think I could do anything with that press now, but two years ago I broke a my Rockchuker and RCBS replaced it. I now know not to push that hard with collet dies adjusted right at top dead center.

If I had life to do over again, I would still get a partner press again.

I would go with one of the RCBS kits. I started out with their Pardner kit and was happy with it for close to a year. You can always upgrade/replace component by component.
Get something you can afford to see if you indeed like the hobby.
Buy the best you can afford.