I hope not to offend anyone here, but I finally hit retirement age and want to spend some time long range shooting. I'd like to keep the cost down as much as possible so I want to reload my own. Any recomendations on a good reliable set up?
I will say that like with most things you can spend as much or as little as you choose. The difference here is an inexpensive Lee single stage press is just fine. It will do the same things that multi thousand $$ Dillon setup will do, it will just be a bit slower, however the "quality" will still be there....and I would argue as you have tighter control of each step, higher "quality".
To sum that part up you don't need to spend the grand kids college fund.
Now saving money. That is a real wide open subject. How about I say depends, don't you love that.
If you are shooting a "common" caliber, your $$ savings will likely be in the pennies if you place no costs on your time. If you shoot something not so common, or things that fall into the hand held canon group (belted magnums of old and other things along those lines) you will save quite a bit.
Personally I shoot quite a few "old" calibers, some that are not even loaded for anymore. In many cases if I don't load it I don't shoot it. And where a factory option can be found price per trigger pull vaults over $2 per very easy. You just don't find 30-40 Krag on the shelf at walmart.
The last thing I will say is the "you" thing. Reloading is not hard, if you can follow directions you can do it. But it does take time, and you are working with smaller things. Some people find it just tedious. Personally I would think with my personality I would hate it, but it is the reverse. I really enjoy loading, it is a great calming force for me. Things blend away and all I have is powder and primer.
Congrats.