Beginner looking to start reloading. Kit Advice?

[Roguer]

Looking in to reloading, my thinking so far is a a dedicated 10mm like a Lee Progressive Kit and a standard reloading kit to cover my bases. A few redundant systems I figure probably can come in handy also for other cartridges.

Any one care to add what else I would need or shoot holes through my thinking? 

I'm not a high volume shooter but still at times I do literally blow through ammo pretty fast at times sporadically.

Currently have a Glock 40 also with a wolf barrel if that is also needed to be known for advice givers.

[sqlbullet]

Buy one, cry once.  Go read the one star reviews at Amazon.

I like Lee products.  I have three Lee single stage presses, about half a dozen bullet molds, two lead furnaces, lots of varies dies.

I would never buy one of their progressive presses.  I want a progressive press to make lots of ammo fast, and I imagine I would spend a lot of time putzing with a lee progressive trying to get it to run consistently.  I have a friend who has a Pro-1000 in 10mm, and loved it.  Until he saw my Square Deal B making ammo.  I haven't shown him my Super 1050 yet.

I would look hard at spending twice the money on a RL550 or a Hornady LocknLoad AP.

[The_Shadow]

My typical advice is the RCBS Rock Chucker Kit, because it has a bunch of the needed items and a great loading manual to cover most any popular cartridge.  Why do I recommend this press, it is strong, has a lifetime warranty, has great compound leverage for heavy sizing needs like rifle cartridges.  You can appreciate having compound leverage with long and necked type casings even with good lube like Imperial Sizing Die Wax!  Also if you spend $300 there is a $75 rebate that helps offset cost.
Single Stage press is a KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) operation...

Progressive presses are a viable option, there is a learning curve, but keep in mind extra cost for tool heads and various other accessories do add up fast.  Dillon makes great products.  While you can make a lot of ammo faster, you can also make plenty of mistakes just as fast!  Even though I have a Dillon 550B progressive, I find myself working on my RCBS single stage presses more often for the feel appeal of quality every step of the way!

[sqlbullet]

has great compound leverage for heavy sizing needs

Let me put this in perspective.

I am always asking the "how would I make that myself" question.  Yesterday I was sitting at my desk in my office at home and looking at some 358 cast rifle bullets, and wondered, could a 9mm case be swaged down to become a 358 jacket.

So, I got out the mapp torch and annealed the head of a spend 9mm case.  Set up the RCBS press with my 358 Lee sizing die, smeared a good bit of Imperial sizing wax on the case and proceeded to completely wedge the brass in the die. 

So, I backed the die out until it was only about 5 turns in, and then did the same with the 1.25" die holder in the cast press.  This meant the stroke was at the very bottom, about .06125" of movement left in the ram.  Right in that compound leverage section.  And I just walked that brass the rest of the way through the die, one sixteenth of an inch at a time.

When it came out the other side the extractor groove was gone.  Filled in and swaged over as the case head was forced from .391 to .358 in a single pass.

Usually you swage stuff down .005" at a time.  I didnt' have  .385, .380, .375, .370, .365 dies, just the .358.  My RCBS press and stupidity allowed me to knock that out in one pass.

Oh, and it convinced me that swaging 9mm brass down is not a viable way to make 358 bullets except in the most dire of circumstances.

[tommac919]

Don't buy the Lee progressive presses ( like the 1000 ) .... It's to finicky

If still thinking Lee, go with a Classic Turret kit that will give you most of what you need OR go to the gold standard and get a Dillion

[sstewart]

If progressive, Hornady or Dillon


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[F224]

The_Shadow is right on, it's almost impossible to go wrong with the RCBS Rockchucker starter kit. I'm still using mine as my primary press after nearly 22 years and over 70,000 rounds from 9mm pistol to 416RemMag. I have yet to find a scale worth the cost to replace the RCBS 5-0-5 that came with the kit. 

[erikk]

Forget the Lee 1000    Been there done that and now have 3 Dillon SDB's dedicated for my pistol rounds

[mushraeddur]

Don't buy the Lee progressive presses ( like the 1000 ) .... It's to finicky

If still thinking Lee, go with a Classic Turret kit that will give you most of what you need OR go to the gold standard and get a Dillion

Ditto this.  I love my Lee turrett.

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[cgreth]

I use a Lee Classic Turret for my 9mm, .45acp and 10mm.   It uses the safety prime system and I use the micrometer powder measures on the automatic powder system.   Works very well - for me.   I had a 25+ year old single stage press that finally bit the dust, prior to this one.

Things to keep in mind.

Single stage press - you will probably be loading a max of 200 rounds per stage (4X50 round loading trays).  At the beginning of every stage you will have to switch out dies and readjust everytime - unless you use one a press that has removable bushings.  No experience with those.  This is the simplest approach to reloading and could be the safest - depending on your attention to detail.   Hard to determine the hourly rate of manufacture of completed bullets, but 200 would take hours.

Turrets - set up the dies once and leave them there.   I have a different head (complete with powder measurer) for each of my calibers I shoot.   I can switch between calibers in < 1 minute.  Can knock out approximately 200 in an hour.  Requires manual operations to place brass in the case holder, load primer, place bullet in cartridge.

Progressives - typically same setup as turrets - except on steroids.  Manual operations have been pretty much minimized to placing the bullet in the cartridge - if you have a automatic case feeder.    Progressives are fast, when they are running right.   Because each operation of the lever is completing a bullet, You will have 4-5 cartridges in different stages of being reloaded at any given time.   If there is a problem and it requires you to interrupt the process - without a lot of experience - it would be very easy to double charge a case or produce a case with no powder charge.   Different progressives have different manufacturing rates.   Be assured you will probably not be able to match the rates that they publish.   Can come close, but I've never been able to match them.

I've used a Dillion xl650 in the past and have loved it.  I'm personally just saving up the money to purchase one.   Since I have 3 calibers, it can get VERY expensive. 

Another thing to keep in mind.   In my opinion progressives are great for producing a lot of ammo - when you are not changing things like OAL and powder charge.   Once you finalize on a recipe, then setup the press and go to town.  If you are of the mindset to experiment with new recipes, then a single stage or turret would probably be a better choice.   Easier to make changes without affecting cartridges already in the press.

I personally would skip the single stage press - been there and done that.   Concentrate on a turret or a progressive.   If you are going for any real volume in your cartridges, i always felt like I've outgrown the single stage very early on.
A Lee Classic Turret I think runs about $118 on Amazon.  You can get a kit with pretty much everything you would need to get started including dies for $213. 

Last but not least.   Read reviews of presses you are interested in.   Watch youtube videos of setup and operation - there are a ton out there.

Be aware the Lee Turret press is not the Lee Classic Turret press.   The standard turret press is cast aluminum and I've read nothing but pretty bad reviews of them.   The classic turret press is cast iron and is a beast.   I've had mine for 3-4 years and like it a lot.   At my stage of reloading, I've pretty much settled into what recipes I like and don't like, so a progressive is looking better and better.

[sep]

It depends on the volume you're going to shoot. I've been using a single stage RCBS press for all pistol and rifle ammo since the late 1980s. I have begun shooting pistol a lot this past year to improve my proficiency for hunting. Loading 500 rounds on a single stage press is a lengthy chore.

So, I ordered a Dillon 550B set up for 4 pistol calibers two days ago. I have two friends who own them and like them so I thought I'd give it a try. I will continue to load my hunting ammo for both pistol and rifle on my single stage press to build the most accurate ammo possible but the Dillon will do all the future work of loading range and practice ammo in a fraction of the time.

I figure I can load a box of 50 10mm rounds for $12.00 while my local store has em for $37.00. It shouldn't take too long for me to pay for the Dillon at those prices.       

[Forrest]

So I load my 10mm on a Dillon 550. A big issue I found was using Accurate #9 the powder bar kept getting jammed up. You are likely going to need an oversized bushing. The folks at Dillon sent me mine for free when I called and told them that I was having to disassemble the powder bar every 20 rounds for cleaning. The fine powder grains were getting into the gaps and playing hell on the bar sliding back and forth. The press had some use to it by then and I've loaded for years before loading 10mm. I mainly load Clays and Titegroup and they have never been a problem.

[Ramjet]

RCBS Rock chucker the best beginner press alive. Plus you will use it and pass it on to your children they will pass it on thier children.....

A start slow take your time read read read.

[fltbed]

RCBS Rock chucker the best beginner press alive. Plus you will use it and pass it on to your children they will pass it on thier children.....

A start slow take your time read read read.

My single stage press is a hand me down RCBS that was bought 10 years before I was born...and it's still under warranty!  Yes, I load all my high volume ammo on a progressive but I still use that single stage for small test batches, rifle ammo, or like this afternoon, pass through sizing a batch of 10 brass.  Yes the RCBS kit cost more but like Sqlbullet said, buy once - cry once.

Jeff

[Benchrst]

I'd just get an indexing turret press.

Remove the indexing rod and it's essentially a single stage, great for mastering the basics. With indexing rod it's a production machine w/o the complexities of a progressive.

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