Re: just starting out
I just got into reloading myself and here is my list of what I got just to get going with .308,,,,, with reloading pistol ammo in the near future in mind. I might have gone over board with a couple items (like my tumbler, chargemaster, WFT brass trimmer, and case prep center),,, but I'm a big fan of doing it right the first time, buy once cry once like someone else on sniper's hide said before. Upgrading will cost ya more and you will wish you had it once your arm / hands start to cramp up. Got most of my stuff on Midway USA, Optics planet, Amazon.com, and at my local scheels once they priced matched items from midway USA:
1.)hornady lnl ap press, about $400 bucks with 500 free bullet deal... dillon makes a nice press also for more money from what I've been reading. If you do go with the hornady like me, then you just need to make sure the auto progressive timing is correct, primer shuttle timing is correct, and to keep the shell plate clean and ball detents greased. Actually got my 500 free 45auto bullets already (you get to select from about 10 different calibers??)) !!! Only took 2 weeks from the time I sent in my rebate, but you need to pay shipping for the bullets which if memory serves me correct was $14 bucks??? If you are only doing rifle, then you might want to look into a single stage press??? you need a grease gun..... and all allen wrenches are in the box!!! you just need to search for them!!! allen wrench for the shell plate is in the LNL AP press box! you don't need to go out and purchase it (i made this mistake).
2.)#1 shell plate for doing .308 if you are using a hornady LNL AP press...., #1 shellplate works for some other calibers also.. double check your shellplate# for the caliber you are working with!!! $about 25 to 30 bucks each,,,, so keep this in mind!!! I think I got mine from manventurepost for like $25 bucks? Just make sure it is the new style for EZeject!!! Not the old style!!!
3.)hornady dry lube for cleaning reloading parts and dies, about $5 bucks.. need this to clean the factory grease off the press parts out of the box (especially the powder drop when you eventually reload pistol ammo or maybe .223)... right now I'm using the RCBS chargemaster 1500 for my .308 powder drops.
4.)hornady spray case lube, imperial sizing wax, and q-tips, about $5 bucks
5.)frankford arsenal electronic calipers, actually works rather nice... no problems here, $20 bucks
6.)RCBS 1500 chargemaster combo trickler, one of my best purchases.. really like this big time, got mine for $305 bucks with $50 mail in rebate. Also get a powder funnel!!! funnel is like $3 bucks.
7.) thumbler's tumbler with #5lbs of stainless steel media.. only way to go IMO, about $220 bucks for tumbler and media.. anything under $200 bucks for both tumbler and media is a good deal!. also need some lemishine (get at walmart for $4 bucks), and some really good blue colored concentrated dish soap.. Just make sure you keep your stainless steel media clean. I like to run just the media with dish soap for about 10minutes to make sure it is clean before I run a batch of brass. Nice part about this, if you are carefully not to lose media, you never need to purchase media again.. Saving you money in the long run and results are amazing!
8.) grab about 8 brass case mouth up, and blow down neck with air compressor,, will dry brass in a heartbeat.. hopefully you alrady have this... greatly helps / speeds up drying time but is not needed.
9.) fan & tray to dry brass completely... hopefully you already have this.
10.) i got a lyman's case prep center and was totally worth every penny. $105 bucks after coupon code on optics planet. does everything from reaming, pocket primer cleaning, uniforming, neck brush... both rifle and pistol.
11.) hornady die bullet puller, and for .308 I purchase #7 collet for .308, about $30 bucks for both
12.) LE wilson headspace gage for .308... nice to have but IMO can get some false readings if brass is out of a semi auto. About $25 bucks
13.) Get about 2 to 3 ammo boxes. About $5 bucks each.
14.) RCBS stuck case remover. About $15 bucks.
15.) get about 2 to 3 reloading trays about $3 to $4 bucks each.
16.) primer turning tray is about $5 bucks
17.) some type of case trimmer... i purchased the WFT (world's finest trimmer) for .308.. purchased right from WFT thru paypal for about $65 bucks? need a drill for this also in which you hopefully already have.. that's if you go this route. one of my best purchases and really really speeds up the process and is really consistant within 2.005 to 2.007 brass lenth, BUT you must full length resize to use such a tool.
18.) some type of reloading bench with hopefully some shelves. Purchased the extreame garage work bench metal frame for $60 bucks from local lumber big box store, 1 pc of 3/4"x2'x8' pre-cut plywood for $10 bucks, 1 @ 8'long pc of in store stock countertop on sale for $35 bucks (pl400 and screwed the 3/4"x2'x8' plywood to underside of countertop for a 1-1/2" thick workbench top / use screws just short enough so they dont poke thru countertop!! didn't even need to rip / cut 3/4"x2'x8' plywood from big box lumber store which was nice)... then screwed thru metal frame to bottom of the 1-1/2" thick workbench top (3/4" thick countertop and 3/4" plywood = 1-1/2" thick)..... (used 1" screws for polebarn steel that already have a rubber washer / steel washer on the head,,, just needed to drill some holes thru the top metal rail of the extreame work bench frame / kit)....... then ripped up some 1/2" plywood that I had laying around into 1/2"x3"x4' long pcs (2 of them total for 8' lineal feet) to fill in the backsplash gap so the backplash wasn't crushed when screwing the bench to the wall thru the backsplash of the countertop..... pre-dilled some holes with very slight counter-sink so the power lag screws would ride flush and look nice..... then 5/16"x4" power lagged screwed (make sure you get the corrisponding bit for the power lag screws) thru the backsplash and bottom of metal workbench frame rail to 4 wall studs (1 wall stud on each end and two in the middle).... bench is ultra solid with absolutely no movement... metal frame / kit has adjustable feet for non-level floors which was nice as my basement slab is CRAZY out of level... JUST MAKE SURE YOU LEVEL THE FRAME / COUNTERTOP BEFORE YOU SCREW IT HOME INTO THE STUDS!!! Shelves I made out of 1x10x8 standard boards that cost me $5 buck each,,, and each shelf bracket cost me $3 each.
19.) for .308... i started out with benchmark powder (varget would be nice also),,,, sierra matchking 175grn hpbt bullets, and either #200 or BR-2 CCI primers.... hopefully you already have some .308 brass.
20.) I got the redding 3 die national match die set for .308.. It is really nice to have the dial seater,,, but the 3 die set cost me $135 bucks!! OUCH!!!
21.) surge protector power strip to protect my uber expensive reloading equipment $15 bucks.
22.) cheap zip lock bags (small and large) with a white area on bag to write on... cheap way to help sort your brass... also need black magic marker.
23.) other nice item to have would be a bullet comparitor... don't have this yet, but is my next purchase.
24.) non-clorinated break cleaner to clean all traces of lube off finished ammo. $5 bucks.
25.) went to walmart and purchased a $2 dollar popcorn bowl, and a $3 dollar plastic veggi / fruit strainer for sifting out my stainless steel media (see picture)... just make sure the holes in the plastic strainer are not too small (or it will take forever for SS media to sieve thru),,, and the holes are not too big (no bigger than the diameter of a 9mm brass casing)... name of the game is you want the stainless steel media to fall thru, but not your brass... put plastic stainer inside plastic pop corn bowl (make sure holes of the strainer are about 2" lower than lip of plastic popcorn bowl), and run water over media / brass while stirring everything up with your hand with slow running HOT water over top. Media falls thru in under 30seconds and will be sitting at the bottom of the plastic popcorn bowl... Just make sure there is about 2" between the plastic strainer and bottom of bowl you sit the strainer inside of (so your media has a place to go!!).... Works great especially for only costing me $5 bucks.
26.) purchaed the RCBS powder lock out die for when I eventually use the powder drop / reloading pistol / reloading .223 as I will most likely not be using the chargemaster 1500 for dropping my powder (but you will need a scale of some sort to make sure the powder drop is dropping the correct charge!!)....
My set up:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: epdesign</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have always shot factory ammo but I'm now looking to get into reloading.
I have been reading and looking for close to a year now so I'm not completely ignorant of whats out there. I need help rounding up a list of what I need to get loading. I don't want to start buying things and find out I did not need this or that.
these are the calibers i will be loading the most
.308 long range 1000yard
.7mm SAUM long range 1000yard
.223 both plinking and precision AR
6.5 grendel precision AR
PISTOL'S
.40
.45
.10mm
.38/.357
The rifle ammo I would be more than fine with a single press because all but the plinking .223 will be hand loads.
for the hand guns and plinking .223 I would like a progressive press I would like to narrow down a list of equipment.
--- I want to start by cleaning, sizing and de priming all of my empty cases. </div></div>
