Reloading Initial Investment?

Lucky13bullets said:
I wouldn't at all say that the kit is optimized for the vendor. Add up the price of all the components in the kit. You are paying almost 30 to 40 bucks less with the kit
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My point was only that it's a way for one brand to capture all your spending, which is great if that's what you want, but if you prefer a different scale or already have the manual then it may not be as good a deal.
 
Instead of just finding a kit online that looks good, see if there are any CFF reloaders near you with different types of presses/setups. Go take a look and see if they'll show you the basics on each one and go from there with what you feel is the best for you to use.
 
JimB said:
In that case you should at least talk to Don at Lucky13. He's a low-overhead shop, so don't expect tea and cookies, but his prices are very good and he even knows what he's talking about.
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Maybe not tea and cookies...but the man-hugs come free. Looking forward to picking up my press and components next Friday!! :D
 
Charlie R said:
OK, I will bite. How do you know?

Pay attention dlee12, this should be instructive.
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Haha. OK, but I will embarrass myself only for the benefit of the newbie. It might save his life. Totally not kidding.

I was loading .223 for the Mini-14 using AA1680 and weighing the charge on a balance beam scale. See my post above to get an idea of the caution and attention to detail I use.

I had already determined my "sweet" load and was now going to load up every empty case I had.

The main weight on the beam sets in a groove at 5gr increments, with the small weight at .1 grain increments across 5 grains. I hadn't gotten too far into the project (30-50 rounds) when I noticed the main weight had jumped one groove and the whole batch was overcharged by 5 grains per cartridge!

The following day I was the proud owner of a kinetic puller.

Fortunately, I didn't fire one, but overcharged by that much, I would have destroyed my rifle for certain and probably half my face in the process.

Some things you only get the chance to screw up once.
 
I came across a guy about 10 years ago now that said "I've got a ton of reloading stuff I'll sell you for $300"
There was a lee turret press
a Dillon 550( which I was intimidated by at the time, but I sold it and paid for the other stuff)
20 sets of dies that I picked through and sold the rest
about 200lbs of assorted brass
30 some pounds of powder
several thousand primers
numerous different projectiles.

I sold the stuff I wouldn't ever use, bought me an RCBS case prep center with the money I made, and spent a ton of nights at my buddy's house watching and loading and learning. I upgraded to a LEE loadmaster a year or so ago and love it for pistol rounds. Ill eventually set it up for .223 but for now I am still processing and loading rifle brass on my old lee turret.

I was lucky and got into reloading very cheap, almost free. Ive gotten my money back. But most folks don't. And for 10 years knowing some folks in a local PD has kept me in brass
 
Howland said:
I had already determined my "sweet" load and was now going to load up every empty case I had.
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Mistakes ALWAYS happen when you have "figured it out" and are loading it all. And it will be something just like the weight skipping or in my case the seating depth being too deep. Having to break down a hundred rounds is not work as much as penance for your sins.

Of course if you take a piece of oak and do it in the kitchen where your wife can watch you, there is a good possibility that she will tell you, "that doesn't look very safe, why don't you just go buy new ammo". After you have done that you move to the shop and break them down.

I started reloading at 13. My mother was a pharmacist, and insisted that anytime I finished weighting a charge I reset the scale to zero to verify it (the zero on the scale), and clear it for the next charge. It is how she was taught in school to avoid killing people.
 
dlee12 said:
Ok, so based on some of you're guys suggestions and my own preferences, I'm looking at the RCBS Explorer Plus kit. A single stage press. I figure this will be the easiest for me to learn on until I'm totally comfortable. I'd like to eventually move to a progressive for higher volume, but still have the simplicity of a single stage press for precision rounds in the future. After reading a bit more, this one can be converted to a progressive in the future. Not anymore apparently, looks like the parts have been discontinued.
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I would much rather have the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Single Stage kit than the Explorer Plus kit. It even costs less. You get a better press and a balance beam scale (I trust gravity more than electronics) to set and check the powder dropper. Add dies, shell holders, and components to get you loading.

You will probably add stuff as you find you need it. Save a few of the hard plastic inserts that come in factory ammo boxes to serve as loading blocks.
 
Charlie said:
Save a few of the hard plastic inserts that come in factory ammo boxes to serve as loading blocks.
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Save the 9mm and 45acp trays. The smaller 9mm tray works well for 223 and the 45 tray works for 30-06/.308.

If you load 380acp you may need to drill a scrap of oak and make a loading block.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
 
Charlie said:
You get a better press and a balance beam scale (I trust gravity more than electronics) to set and check the powder dropper
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110% agree with Charlie. I have electronic scales, but still use my balance more than half the time. As Charlie notes (and as I am reminded every morning when I get out of bed) gravity is 100% reliable as long as the Earth remains in its current orbit around the sun, AND it doesn't take 20 min. to warm up and produce repeatable readings.

I am way too into instant gratification to wait 20 min.
 
Charlie said:
I would much rather have the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Single Stage kit than the Explorer Plus kit. It even costs less. You get a better press and a balance beam scale (I trust gravity more than electronics) to set and check the powder dropper. Add dies, shell holders, and components to get you ....
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This is what I did. Then added some stuff from Inline Fabrication. And quick change bushings from Hornady. And a Franklin Arsenal Tumbler. Now I'm thinking about redoing my bench before the rest of the stuff arrives this week. I think I read too many "reloading bench" threads before I started buying stuff cause I haven't loaded my first round yet and it's going to take a few years to
recoup my investment at this point. I'm learning this can be as bad as a gun addiction lol.
 
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