Must haves?

[OUinLA]

So I am just getting into shooting and reloading. I built a little table, wish it was bigger, and have acquired a enough to get me going. What else would you suggest?

What I have:
LEE Turret press (will upgrade in the future) on an inline mount
RCBS Chargemaster
RCBS beam scale (505)
Hornady vibratory case cleaner
RCBS Calipers
Dillon .308 dies (FL sizer & seater)



And after clear coat

 

[OUinLA]

I should also add that I'm not going to be a competition shooter. This is just a past time for me. I work on law enforcement and our range goes to 800 yards. Other than .308 I'll be reloading .223 and 9mm for now. Thanks

 

[bone collector]

Looks like a good start.

 

[Fred @ Bison Tactical]

reload a bunch and figure out what is tedious or causing problems - then research the tools to fix the problem.

 

[slm9s]

kinetic bullet puller
imperial sizing wax
chamfer tool

 

[Twoboxer]

RCBS Check Weights. Your 5-0-5 can be calibrated not only at 0, but also very near or at the weight you want to throw. Take advantage of that.

Also use them to check your Chargemaster's scale. You can't calibrate that one except at 20 grams (maybe?), but at least you'll know what it thinks (eg) 24.5gr weighs.

That's a very nice bench. IMO the Lee Turret is a good place to start. The only thing that bothered me was small primers - never got those to work well enough on the press, so went to hand priming those. YMMV.

As herofish said, start loading and see what doesn't work for you. Trust me, there'll be enough of those opportunities lol.

 

[hdbiker1]

You've got more than I had over forty yrs ago. I started with a Lee hand loader, a small hammer and a block of wood.

 

[sib1948]

The Lapua brass on your bench is a great plus. Much more consistent and easier to reload than other brass. Would bump shoulders on 308 0.002-0.003" after every 3-4 loadings. Great fun, but you'll soon find other small items you'll need to make the process easier. Good luck!

 

[Fred @ Bison Tactical]

Really ? That sounds almost scarey !

You've got more than I had over forty yrs ago. I started with a Lee hand loader, a small hammer and a block of wood.

 

[rangeryo]

Not sure if you've done this yet or not, but might consider anchoring that table to the wall. Also, did you build the table with hammer and nails or screws? If nails, may want to consider at least shooting a few screws into it. The constant stress you will put on the table will work nails loose, and your table will begin to wobble/squeek with every pull of the handle.

I'm no expert, as I'm a newbie as well, but if you are using the FL sizer, you will probably want to trim cases at some point, so I'd take a look at case trimmers in the near future. Even if you aren't going to be shooting competition, there is no reason not to load up the most consistent ammo that you can. Also with case trimmers (and even your sizing die) you'll probably want to debur those case mouths. I've found that if I debur before sizing, the operation goes much much smoother.

Also, I didn't see any lube on your bench... DO NOT FORGET THE CASE LUBE!

 

[MarkCO]

Yes, lube. And a lube pad or a pan/bucket if you do a spray lube. Eventually you will want some sort of case prep tools, either hand tools or an automated case prep station.

I might suggest making a solid shelf above the bench to sit the Chargemaster on. That way it can be dispensing a charge while you are running the press and you won't mess up the throw.

 

[rangeryo]

Yes, lube. And a lube pad or a pan/bucket if you do a spray lube. Eventually you will want some sort of case prep tools, either hand tools or an automated case prep station.

I might suggest making a solid shelf above the bench to sit the Chargemaster on. That way it can be dispensing a charge while you are running the press and you won't mess up the throw.

I started off using a lube pad, with lyman lube, and stuck a case in the first batch of 50. Of course I was using a used set of hornady dies that someone gifted me. I've since switched to Hornady Unique, applied to the case body with my finger tips, and to the case mouth with a qtip. So far, I've sized about 300 pieces of 308 brass in one run without a single issue. I've also noticed that the sizing action is MUCH smoother.

I know a lot of guys like the Imperial sizing wax, but I've never used it so I can't comment on that.

 

[MarkCO]

I agree. I was not really suggesting which method, as I have tried most and like some better than others for different processing and cartridge combinations.

 

[slm9s]

+1 on not having the chargemaster on the bench if the bench moves AT ALL when running the press. Those suckers are sensitive and if the bench moves you won't get accurate charges.

 

[OUinLA]

That's a good idea on the shelf for the chargemaster. Thanks! There is some spray case lube in the 2nd pic. It's on a utility shelf next to the bench.

Yes, I used screws on every connection, glue too.

I appreciate all the feedback