Newbie needs help with equipment

[gannon145]

Hello all. Over the last year and a half I've been getting in to long range/f-tr shooting. I've come to the point now where I want to start reloading. I run a remington 700 in .308 and have been shooting FGMM. I have my brass saved up and would like to start pulling together a reloading setup. I've done quite a bit of reading and I've come up with what I think is my ideal setup. The problem is that I don't quite have the cash to buy the premium parts all at once. So my question to you is, based on the list below what items can I swap out or wait on to cut initial cost?

$35 - rotary wet media tumbler
$40 - SS media
$13 - Universal Deprime die
$21 - Hornady headspace gauge kit
$150 - Redding Type S Match full length die
$150 - RCBS rock chucker
$50 - Redding comp shell holder set
$30 - Redding Primer pocket uniform tool
$15 - Flash hole deburring tool
$70-170 - Case trimmer - don't know what to get here
$20 - Chamfer and deburring tool
$40 - RCBS hand primer
$5 - Funnel
$10 - Case holders
$350 - RCBS charge Master
$30 - Ogive gauge


Total =$1129

I feel like the 170 for case trimming and 350 for a chargemaster are overkill as a new reloader, but I'm a heavy believer in buy once cry once. What are budget options especially with these 2 pieces that would still produce high quality ammo?

Thanks for the help guys,
Gannon

 

[doctordoctor]

What do you plan on reloading for... in the future? Just your 308? The reason why I ask you sound just like I did several years ago. I bought pretty much everything on the list. However ended up with a ultrasonic cleaner off of amazon. As far as a scale goes I like my chargemaster. BUT, if you are going to be very precise get a cheaper and better scale like the gempro 250 or whatever from amazon.

Also I ended up with a lyman turret press. Well I covet my brothers Dillion 550. I will always keep my turret press just for my 308. but hell the Dillion is freaking awesome and much better for mass production of ammo. I now don't even bother to reload for my 223, 40 or 45... I pay my brother to do it. He can whip out tons of reloads in minutes over what takes me hours.

But I am no expert. As a quasi new guy myself... this was my 2 cents.

I ended up with a neck sizing die that i mostly use and a FL is just a Lee die when needed.

I never trim my brass either because my Rem 700 chamber is a big bertha. but Will start watching it more that I bought Lapua brass. (wish i would have saved the money and stuck with winchester) I am tight on $$$ also. But with my reloaded crappy FGMM brass and Winchester with all varying case lengths.. I have shot a 5/8" group out to 400 yards all with a stock rem 700 XCR 26" with a NF NXS 5-22 scope. I even hit 1200 yards 3 out of 7 tries! I was STOKED. and now I am hooked.

As far as working up reloads I lived by Tres MonCeret's (sp) write ups. However I think the OCW method by dan newburry or the process Erik Cortina is worth looking into.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

 

[colscar]

looks good bro but i too was on a budget and this is what i ended up with.... lee challenger press comes with press, powder dispenser,funnel,hand priming tool, chamfer and deburing tool pocket cleaner, scale, and other stuff... went with lee dies they come with a shell holder for the caliber ordered. hornady headspace guage... was going to get the over all lenght guage but i read that factory remingtons are seated at 2.80 if im not mistaken plus if you want to seat closer to the lans you can use several tricks found on like 8541 tactical shows you how to measure bullet seating dept with a dowl rod a caliper and a piece of tape...i also got the rcbs swaging die for military brass but if you have your own brass you collected you dont need it. also i got a regular tumbler with walnut shell works fine.. for case trimming i got the lee case trim die with the mandrel cutting tool they have a delux model that chamfers and deburs at the same time but i like to do that myself so i got the one with out the cutting blades... trims by brass to 2.005 to lyman specs all the time ... i got the flash hole tool also works great also upgraded to a digital scale.... i get sub moa groups and its not top dollor equipment ...but it works

 

[SporterII]

I don't see a scale on your list. Terminology aside, I would look at a 5-0-5 or equivalent. Not as handy as a chargemaster but most valuable.

 

[jmtgsx]

You can look around for deals on the Chargemaster. Got mine just after Christmas from Natchez, added 2 RCBS funnels to get it over $300, and got the $50. rebate.
I also saw one used in the classifieds (after I bought) for around $170, if I recall correctly.

 

[High Binder]

I don't see a scale on your list. Terminology aside, I would look at a 5-0-5 or equivalent. Not as handy as a chargemaster but most valuable.

$40 check weight set will save you a ton of time and can skip buying a crappy (505) bean scale that won't work for shit anyway.

 

[Muskyjerk]

Your on a budget, and you have a charge master on your list.... I don't even have a charge master. still like a beam scale and a trickler but I guess I also have a uniflow to get me to 99% of my charge weight.

if you are loading for one rifle get a chamber gauge its under 7.00 and as stated before it may be awhile before you have to trim Sinclair Chamber Length Gage | Sinclair Intl

BTW charge master is 289.00 at Natchez right now

 

[Painless300]

Your list looks good for long range shooting. You can save money on the charge master and just get a cheaper balance scale and trickler to start with that will save $200. Stick with the SS tumbler if it all possible, you never have to replace the media and it does the best job of anything on the market. The rock chucker is a great choice but any will crank out very accurate ammo. Get a Sinclair trimmer with out all the extras they are one of the best on the market, just screw it down and it works great. I was just like you and started with cheaper items and eventually upgraded to make thing more efficient. If all your doing is low round count reloading don't bother waiting your money on a progressive press. Keep a watch on eBay and you will find some good deals.

 

[gannon145]

What do you plan on reloading for...

First of all, thanks for the input.

I only plan on .308 at the moment. I don't shoot anything else yet and don't really have plans to any time soon.

With the gempro scale, would it be feasible to just get that scale and use a dipper kit? Would save me about $225 making that switch right there.

 

[SporterII]

$40 check weight set will save you a ton of time and can skip buying a crappy (505) bean scale that won't work for shit anyway.

Interesting. Electronic scale, only.
Not how I learned but to each his own.
As to advice for a new learning loader, I gotta believe a mechanical scale would be invaluable even if a better one than the RCBS.
My 10" plate at 1000yds verifies my use of my scale just fine.

 

[MikeInUtah]

It wont cut costs but replace tumbler and media with a sonic cleaner. It does a great job cleaning brass and primer pockets. It can also clean gun parts well, just make sure to use the correct cleaning solution.

 

[colscar]

It wont cut costs but replace tumbler and media with a sonic cleaner. It does a great job cleaning brass and primer pockets. It can also clean gun parts well, just make sure to use the correct cleaning solution.

thats a hell of an idea right there

 

[Twoboxer]

I bought, in order, a Lee Safety Scale, a Hornady $30 digital, a Pact Dispenser/Scale, an RCBS (Uhaus) 5-0-5, and a GemPro2500. Dumb, eh?

- The Lee works, don't let anyone tell you different. HOWEVER, it's a colossal PITA to keep its calibration (wheel spins too easy), hard to read the settings (white lines through rectangular slots - hope you don't have astigmatism or cataracts), and hard to lock in the setting without disturbing either the setting or the calibration. But if you are on a tight budget, this scale AND A SET OF CHECKWEIGHTS can work for you.

- The Hornady scale is not worthless, but not worth much. It often doesn't give repeatable readings, cannot be calibrated at anything close to the weights you will be using, and it turns itself off too quickly. While there are workarounds for the turn-off thing (eg, keep tapping it with your left hand), it's a PITA when you've tared a case to help set your PM . . . and it turns off before you get back with the case full of powder.

- The Pact Dispenser/Scale is OK. But it flutters, often doesn't give repeatable readings, and often must be set 0.1 or 0.2 below your target weight to avoid overthrows. It is calibrated at 20g, 50g, and 70g . . . wieghts far above what we use, so you are trusting to its linearity. I've mostly stopped using it to do anything but underthrow a target weight, and trickle the rest on my . . .

- The RCBS 5-0-5 works, is easy to adjust, easy to read the settings, and pretty easy to read the beam pointer as well. WITH A SET OF CHECKWEIGHTS, you can adjust the scale at zero, and at the exact weight (or very close) to the weight you need. Responds pretty well to trickling, too. You can watch the pointer steadily move up to the balance line.

- The GemPro250 is, so far, the best of the three digitals I own. While it calibrates at 20g, it also includes a (untested by me) linear calibration function should you supect the scale is off at 10gr. The GemPro and the RCBS are the only ones that guessed correctly at the weights of all my checkweights. The GemPro first reported the 20gr as 20.02gr . . . then snapped to 20.00gr. It does not flutter on batteries - I haven't tested wallpower yet. A few times it has not given a repeatable measurement, HOWEVER the difference has always been in the extra digit the GemPro shows. It's readability is 0.02gr. So when my scale says 5.24 grains the first weighing, an 5.22gr the second weighing . . . I don't care. Have not used it for trickling yet.

Recommendation: A set of checkweights plus a scale that can be calibrated using them. If on a budget and you are patient - the Lee will work lol. The RCBS 5-0-5 is an upgrade of significant value. Stay away from digitals, unless you opt for the GemPro250 or better. If you want a dispenser/scale, try the RCBS and understand the limitations.

Edited: to add cataracts, checkweight weighing results, and readability of the GemPro.

 

[Pat M]

$150 - Redding Type S Match full length die
$150 - RCBS rock chucker .................................$75-$100 used
$50 - Redding comp shell holder set
$70-170 - Case trimmer - don't know what to get here...................RCBS trimmer & triple trimmer head for chamfer
$40 - RCBS hand primer
$5 - Funnel
$10 - Case holders
$350 - RCBS charge Master................ scale for back up checking

 

[DCR]

I'd ditch the charge master for a beam scale or an electronic scale. I just got a Frankford Arsenal Digital scale seems pretty good so far. $35. Will also come in handy if you want to just weigh cases or bullets.

I use the Forster Classic Trimer. Works great..Hate using it. Pain in the ass really. I will probably switch to the Worlds Finest Trimmer Soon.

I don't see calipers on your list. You will need one.

 

[Otero51]

I'm on the same boat trying to build a good reliable reloading equipment (actually thinking about selling my rangefinder to increase budget). The part that scares me most is ending with a sub-par scale. Any reliable brands? Is the American Weigh Scales GPR-20 a good one (heard it wasn't american made though) or do I need to go lab grade scale to be safe?

 

[88blazer]

I paid $110 for my Dillon Precision and its dead on next to my 10/10 and 505 scales. I still love by beam scales the most. Especially for match loads.

If your looking for bulk loading and fast, chargemaster. Looking for accuracy, beam scales. I would personally take the money from the Chargemaster and use that to pick up a annealing turntable.

 

[gannon145]

Worlds Finest Trimmer

Are these as accurate as Forster trimmers?

I don't see calipers on your list. You will need one.

I already have basic tools like this, but you are absolutely right they weren't on the list so thank you for double checking.