Re: New To Reloading - What setup?
"Go with Lee..."
rommel500, ditto to the Perforator. And I say that as an owner of a Rock Chucker and a Lyman turret. But, don't get a KIT, there are better tool selections than are included in any makers kits.
Instead, get the Lee Classic Cast press; it's big, cast steel and very strong (likely stronger than my RC), very precisely made in the USA on CNC machinery. It has a MUCH better lever system than mine, the spent primer catcher actually works and it costs MUCH less than its competors even tho it's the superior press in its class. IMHO.
Avoid any breech-lock "quick swap" die system tho, not Lee or Hornady. If you didn't put one of the extra cost bushings on each die you own they become an added frustration for die swapping rather than a help. Really pointless, and an added expense for no real gain. IMHO.
Every maker on the market produces good dies. Dispite the cost differences, Lee die's work as well as any other common dies. The differences in brands are found in small variations of user features and external finish, which we pay for but get nothing but "purty to look at". Some like one feature, some like an other but, inside, where the ammo is made, there is precious little average difference in brands. In fact, I've found as much difference between dies of the same maker as between brands, at least for the common types. Even the much more expensive "Competion" type dies offer very little advantage over common dies, which are after all quite good. IMHO.
I have dies from at least ten makers, some from all current brands and more, all but Dillion anyway and that simply because I've never found them locally when I needed them. But, from that experience, I have no strong brand preference. They all work fine if I know what I'm doing, nothing is much good if I screw up.
Some folks don't like Lee's "O" ring locking system, some prefer it. I don't care. I never found setting or re-setting dies to be much of a chore. It ain't rocket science so I really don't much care what lock rings I use or if they should slip while installing or removing them. IMHO.
Use the list of tools in a kit and pick out what you need individually.
Forget any digital scale, good ones are costly and not a whit better for measuring powder than a beam type. I think the current Redding is the best dollar value but the RCBS 505 scale is also an excllant lower cost tool. IMHO.
IMHO = an effort to not rub fur the wrong way.
