OK guys. what is the best value in reloading equipment? I asked same question on another forum and was amazed at the variety of degree some folks go to in order to make their own rounds! I just shoot at varmints, I'm not into serious target shooting. Do i buy a new "kit", or put together my own kit? Will be loading for .223 and .204 ruger. I don't need to put out 904,562 rounds an hour, as i rather enjoy the whole process and its a nice way to unwind after work. It's been suggested the RCBS equipment would be durable cost effective, and fairly available in good shape used. What are your thoughts? And Thank You in advance for your time and thoughts!!

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what is the best value in reloading equipment?

I'v been reloading for nearly 50 years and am not a fan of kits. Nor am I emotionally stuck on or against any inanimate object or brand. The 'best value' is Lee, without question, but no maker has a lock on excellant or poor designs. Lee's presses and dies often get slimed but they load ammo as well as any of their compariable completitors and a bit better than most.

Lee's Classic Cast single stage press is the best of it's class regardless of price. (NOT so the 'breech lock' quick die change bushing gadget tho, it's a good solution for which we really have no problem!)

Lee's Loading Manual is as good as any but the price is lower. Lee's "Perfect Powder Measure" isn't perfect but, assembled and used correctly, it's about as good as any and for coarse tubular rifle powders it may be the best. Lee's case trimmers are simple, quick and easy to use. BUT, while it actually works very well, Lee's small and very light weight Safety Scale is a PITA to use; get a Dillon beam scale instead.

You really don't NEED a case tumbler, all you need to do is wipe dirt off your empties, but shiney is the in-thing today. IF you want a vib tumbler get a Berry's/Cabela's for the best dollar value. The media, corn or nut, matters not, each has it's fans and some use a mix just to make sure they get it right I suppose but there isn't a dime's worth of effective difference.

There are bargains to be had and best of breed items from many manufacturers. My favorite is RCBS because you don't pay a premium for their items and they always work. I bought a bargain Hornady die in 243 Win and ended up going out and buying ar RCBS. Good condition used equipment can be 1/2 of new.

Get an experienced hand loader to help you scrounge what you need. Second hand stuff can be had that is barely used and you only have to buy what you need. The second hand stuff is usually 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of new.
If you want to pick equipment that represents the best value you need considerable experience. Value is not really determined by cost but by utility, reliability and satisfactory performance over decades.

Certain things I really like. Sinclair hand primer tool, Mitutoyo caliper, die wax, and all the little tools for cleaning brass. Dies, they all seem to work for me. Main thing is find out what tools work best for you and don't worry about cost; you'll be happier in the long run.

An old codger thats been reloading for a while who,s willing to show you the basics... Barring that, may seem an odd answer to an equipment question, Lee reloading manual. Will cover the basic process of reloading without swamping you in esoterics. If you don,t yet know anybody who reloads, you might consider picking up some reloading videos. Kinda dry, but lets you see the process, start out with the basics and, hopefully build on a solid foundation.
This forum is actualy pretty handy as well..
Started with Lee, have grown pretty partial to Redding.
Having said that, think you,d have a hard time going too far wrong with a Rockchucker, if you,re pretty convinced you will want to stay with a couple rifle cartridges. If you think you might want to reload for handguns, different calibers, etc, there is a certain convenience to a turret press. Once you start reloading, though, you,re probably gonna get tempted to start reloading for calibers you don,t own, then hafta buy a gun for it, cause it,d be a shame for all that extra ammo to go to waste....

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OK guys. what is the best value in reloading equipment?

USED start asking around one can pickup some very nice presses ect for dirt cheap. I see use stuff at the gun shows selling for really decent prices.

There are always the guys that want all most new prices for it don't buy from them. Unless they are willing to deal.

Start out by knowing what the new prices are then start looking for use stuff at least 50% off new prices.

If it is not at least that cheap move on to another seller.

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think you,d have a hard time going too far wrong with a Rockchucker

That's true. Equally true of Lyman's Crusher, Hornady's LnL, Redding's Boss. And Lee's Classic Cast too, which is what I'd get if my Rock Chucker had to be replaced next week - the C.C. is a better press in every way!

I have a cast iron turret press. I find it to be no more useful/fast than a single stage and it's significantly more expensive for no gain.

New guys buying used stuff is chancey, few know what the potential problems are so it's easy to buy defective - or over priced - gear and there's no warrantee with it. Ebay is a great place if you're willing to pay more than new cost for used stuff!

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have a cast iron turret press. I find it to be no more useful/fast than a single stage and it's significantly more expensive for no gain.

Not me I have a couple of turret presses I find them too be way more useful then the few single stage presses I have.

The best one I brought use at a aution no one knew what it was paid 10 dollars for it one of the best buys on use reloading press I have made.

I say no to kits. When I started an experienced reloader gave me his recommendations and it wasn't all the same brand. One item was a Belding&Mull powder measure. It is slower than others, but I find it accurate and will meter ANY powder I ever tried in it. For most of the rest RCBS. They stand behind it and put out good stuff. The Lyman manual is particularly good if you think you'll take up casting bullets. BTW .22 cast bullets work great. Best thing I ever found for jackrabbit eradication. I don't have a .204 Ruger, but have thought about one. I'd think cast bullets would be great in that too.

Kits have their place.
I've never bought one but when I started, I kinda inherited at bargain basement price (he was getting a divorce) a complete set-up from a buddy.
But if you're new, knowing what to buy can be a real mystery. And, in truth, going to the internet isn't always a help. I have seen laundry lists of "absolutely needed" stuff to get into reloading that included items that I've never owned nor needed in 50 years of reloading. And, of course, you have the "mine cost more so's it better than yours" guys.
Most of the kits seem to be the same in that they have some good stuff and some junque. And what is good and what is junque sometimes depends on the user.
So I'm gonna come down on the side of the Lee kit. If the poster decides that reloading isn't for him, then he's out maybe a couple of hundred bucks. If he likes it, then the kit may be all he needs or he can upgrade the parts he doesn't like. But by starting out with the Lee kit, he can learn what he does indeed need.
Of course, as I always do, I think his first step should be to get a couple of load books and read them cover to cover before he buys anything else. Lyman is a good one and Hornady is another. Just about all of them have a pretty good "intro to reloading" section.

If I define best value as - good quality ammo with lowes cost equipment, then the answer is simple - LEE!

I started witht he Anniversary kit and have loaded for 222 Rem, 243 Win, 6.5X54 MS, 6.5X55 Swed, 7mm 08, 7X64, 280 Ack Imp, 308, 9.3X57. 9.3X62, 358 Win, 9.5D57 MS and probably some I ahve missed.

Certainly not huge numbers like so many other AR members but enough to know that LEE gear works.

Having said that, I also have a Redding press and dies from RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, Redding and some semi custom ones (by CH 4-D) for odd ball cartridges.

The question wasn't "what's your favorite", it was what is the Best Value; that's Lee. I used to have 'favorite brands' but grew out of that pointless phase about thirty years ago!

I have six metallic presses at this time, three are small Lee Reloaders, two are Lymans, one is a Rock Chucker (have owned a few others). There is a great difference in the retail prices but there's no difference in the quality of ammo I can make on any of them. I have some fifty plus sets of dies in more than thirty calibers and by some sixteen brands (most are no longer available) and, on average, there is no difference in what I can do with any of them, certainly not by brand. In fact, I've learned there is as much average difference between the performance of common dies of the same brand as there is between brands; including Lee's.

ONLY the Forster and Redding BR/Comp rifle dies are worthy of their premium prices and it takes a very skilled reloader with a great shooting rig to tell the difference even with them, there certainly isn't any great difference between them and common dies by other makers. Truth is, common dies are usually quite good and few reloaders can take full advantage of what can be done with them.

Go to MidwayUSA.com and check out the LEE Reloading Kits.
A Challenger Breech Lock set up for $105.99
Lee Kit The 50th Anniversary kit is $109 and change. Buy a set of dies and you are ready to go!
I have been using LEE for years and their press and dies are great!

I wouls say Used.....I'm not a kit fan

It is hard to beat Lee for value and function.
For a big game hunter, Lee equipment will produce excellent ammunition. I have 2 Lees, a 4 position turret and basic single stage, a simple "take along" Lyman and two Redding turrets a 5 and a 7.
Loaded everything from 22 Hornet to 458 Win. on all of them and see no practical difference in results. Yes the Redding, with Redding collet dies and every charge weighed will produce 1/10 MOA better loads in my custom 722 222 but in my AR 10 7.62 with regular old "bad guy" loads, there is no difference. The Lee turret and dies also crank out sub moa loads for my 99s (300 & 358) 100% of the time. The Lee priming feature on the turret press is the best anyone has yet invented.

An interesting aside for those living where rust grows on everything, is that the Lee measure is not only very accurate but stands up to salt air better than any other measure. Yes, I know it looks like a Cracker Jack prize but in the winter, sitting on my porch in Key West, it works whereas Redding, Lyman and RCBS required constant upkeep if not to become a lump of fused metal. It gets left in FL and the other 12 (I hate changing powder) reside happily here in dry, saltless Wyoming.

Lee also makes excellent molds at bargain prices and will even build you custom ones as they did for my .610 Baker flinter. (1.2 ounces of lead really kills things dead)

45-70 you say "kills things really dead "? LMAO that was funny as helllo! thank you for taking the time to post!

there is no better value than Lee. they are also some very clever designs. Lee is not perfect; their scale is difficult to use and their new hand primer does not compare with their prior model. and they have let a bad die set slip out too, but so has hornady and rcbs in my experience.

we need to know your budget before we can get much more detailed.

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it was what is the Best Value; that's Lee.

Value based on what? Cheap price?
If you use reloading equipment a decade or more the bargain basement price is no real bargain. You get usable equiment in some cases and in some cases you get junk. The Lee razor blade powder scale with the plastic beam is a piece of crap. So are a number of the die cast presses.

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Originally posted by SR4759:

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it was what is the Best Value; that's Lee.

Value based on what? Cheap price?
If you use reloading equipment a decade or more the bargain basement price is no real bargain. You get usable equiment in some cases and in some cases you get junk. The Lee razor blade powder scale with the plastic beam is a piece of crap. So are a number of the die cast presses.

So just which LEE presses are crap? I'd like to know, so if my Lee Classic cast press, that I've been using for over 15 years is a POS, I can throw it out!

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The Lee razor blade powder scale with the plastic beam is a piece of crap. So are a number of the die cast presses.

I must be doing something wrong and would also like to have more detailed insight into your knowledge and wisdom about 'crap'.

Please tell us what Lee's Safety Scale fails to do and how? And perhaps some idea of what other beam scales do better? Ditto how and which "number" of their "die cast presses" fail to perform properly?

If by "best value" you mean lowest price of equipment that will do the job.

Hands down Lee reloading equipment.

Are there makers with better finishes and machining? Yes.

Can you load accurate ammo with Lee products? Yes.
Can you load competitive (at the national level) benchrest ammo? Probably not.

I have been reloading for over 25 years.
I started out with Lee. Still have and use most all of it. Only disappointment was an entry level O-frame press with aluminum handle to press ram link (two piece)that broke. Got a replacement it also broke. Had a friend machine one from steel. It is still working. Note it broke resizing several hundred 30-06 cases for an M1 Garand. I was asking for more than the press was designed to do. My most used press is the Lee C-frame "potmetal" press. Great for depriming, bullet seating, sizing small batches of pistol cases, and press mounted case priming.

I also have and use Dillon, Redding, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, Wilson, and others I can't recall just now. But obviously wouldn't "throw out" my Lee stuff.

Just my two cents.

muck

Gentlemen, thank you for all your input! the local gun show is in September so i will looking for a deal/deals there. In the mean while I'm familiarizing .myself with prices and different bands of equipment. I'll let you'll know what i end up getting and I'm sure ill have more questions!
Thank you all very much!!
God Bless

if the gun shows over there are anything like the gun shows over here, deals will be few, and far between.

the lee stuff, new, is so reasonable that you need not bother with used. if you are still interested in used, then one trick is to shop ebay, but find auctions nearby with free local pickup. presses are not cheap to ship, so that keeps the auction prices down. you just have to be patient.

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My favorite is RCBS

....and used is usually just fine!

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Originally posted by oneshotonly:
45-70 you say "kills things really dead "? LMAO that was funny as helllo! thank you for taking the time to post!

Glad you liked it. I know you're from "Blagoland" but let me make it REALLY simple. If you shoot an Elk on the guts with a 223 you will "kill it" (sometime days later), if you shoot that same Elk with a 1.2 ounce .610 slug at almost 1000 fps @ 18 paces, through the lungs, he is killed "really dead" within 20 yards. Get it ? Picture worth 1000 words:

Very nice pic. I've never had Elk, but i do get more than my share of White tail deer! My boys grew up on it. One is now an accomplished archer and gets his share each year.

Value is so relative.

To me it is Hornady or Forester rifle dies.

RCBS is fine for HG and great for their combo scale.

You just have to define more of what you want

Snake

45-70 shooter
Where did that critter find those tree limbs it glued to it's head to try and camouflage itself? They are some big branches, and well matched.

muck

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Originally posted by Jim C. <><:

quote:

The Lee razor blade powder scale with the plastic beam is a piece of crap. So are a number of the die cast presses.

I must be doing something wrong and would also like to have more detailed insight into your knowledge and wisdom about 'crap'.

Please tell us what Lee's Safety Scale fails to do and how? And perhaps some idea of what other beam scales do better? Ditto how and which "number" of their "die cast presses" fail to perform properly?

Jim
I guess you really just want to be argumentative. You already know the answer or you are really slow. The Lee scale has very poor dampening characteristics. If you want to defend that piece of crap go right ahead, but you are going to spend a long time waiting on the beam to slow down. If you like them so much make me an offer for mine.
Note the broken press mentioned above. There have been many people break the Lee die cast presses. They can be useful for light duty applications. However, I am sure they are a huge disappointment to a guy starting out that breaks one trying to full length size military brass.

"Jim ... I guess you really just want to be argumentative."

I've argued nothing. You made a straight judgement about Lee's scale being 'crap' and I asked if you could support your position; all I see is that it swings more than you like. ??

I have three beam scales including a Lee Safety Scale; mine is quite sensitive and accurate and stops after maybe 4 swings, that's like three seconds? I don't like using it because it's so small and light. Both my excellant old Lyman M5 and RCBS 505 scales (both are made by Ohaus actually) are die cast so I also wondered what there is about die cast stuff you don't care for. Anyway, I never thought what I don't like automatically makes anything "crap" but that's just a personal approach that I won't argue, YMMV. ??

My post only referenced scales but the broken Lee light weight - "entry level" - press, yes, I saw that. I also saw the poster, Muck, has the knowledge - and integrity - to add that he was asking more of the little press than was reasonable (I wish others were so honest). I also noted Muck still recommended Lee tools to the OP; he seems like an intelligent man to me!

Muck ? grows good veggies.

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Originally posted by muck:
45-70 shooter
Where did that critter find those tree limbs it glued to it's head to try and camouflage itself? They are some big branches, and well matched.

muck

Now that is funny (if you have a double digit I.Q.)

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There have been many people break the Lee die cast presses. They can be useful for light duty applications. However, I am sure they are a huge disappointment to a guy starting out that breaks one trying to full length size military brass.

Rusty, you have a greater economy of words than me but we think the same!

FLASH ! Almost all presses by anyone in current production are cast. FLASH ! If you use the right lube (Sinclair) on CLEAN military brass it is a breeze to size even if fired from a sloppy full auto chamber. FLASH ! Funny how no one can produce actual witnessed photos of all these Lee presses that have failed.

RUN UP THE FLAG AGAIN !

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Originally posted by 45-70 shooter:
Muck ? grows good veggies.

That was a sh**ty thing to say.
(More low brow humor.)


muck

I had a Lee Challenger press for 25 years and loaded at least twice a month and sometimes every weekend during that time. I only got rid of it when I needed a taller press for big bores. I sent to to Onvy in Spain a few years back and as far as I know it's still in use. That little die cast "O" press loaded 220 Swift ammo that shot consistently in the teens and sometimes in the 0s ten years after I bought it.

I got the the Lee safety scale around the same time and a Bonanza powder measure. I finally dropped and broke the balance beam on the scale last year or it would still be in use.

The point being, Lee stuff lasts as long as you take reasonable care of it. If you break something, replacement parts are dirt cheap. The scale was a little different in operation than many and it didn't go high enough as I would like. But it was consistent and accurate which is all it has to be.

You can buy basic reloading stuff technically stronger or maybe even easier to operate at first, but you will be paying for esoterics that won't make you or your ammo more accurate.

Not that Lee is perfect. I also bought a Lee Loadmaster Progressive 6-8 years ago and it sits around collecting dust. Damn thing is harder to keep running right than a Rolex Submariner.

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Originally posted by 45-70 shooter:
FLASH ! Almost all presses by anyone in current production are cast. FLASH ! If you use the right lube (Sinclair) on CLEAN military brass it is a breeze to size even if fired from a sloppy full auto chamber. FLASH ! Funny how no one can produce actual witnessed photos of all these Lee presses that have failed.

RUN UP THE FLAG AGAIN !

Flash for 45-70
-because he does not seem to be able to distinguish between conventional cast presses made of cast steel or cast iron and
Lee's die cast aluminum wonders that do not stand up to serious use.
There is a big difference in non-ferrous die cast presses that will not take a beating and cast iron and cast steel presses that will.
If you cannot make that distinction for a newbie you are not doing him any favors.

another