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What is a good complete reloading kit?

2500yards

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 22, 2009
129
0
46
Maryland
I would like to get into reloading. I would like a kit that has everything I would need for a variety of cals. What would you reccomend?
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

Screw kits, here is what you need.

Redding T7 pres
ChargeMaster 1500
Any tumbler
Frankford Arsenal digital calipers (midwayusa.com)
Lee priming tool
Redding dies in the calibers you need.

the above is everything you need to start reloading. As you get more advanced, you will need some of these tools.

primer pocket uniformer (K&M)
flash hole deburring tool (K&M)
VLD Chamfer tool (K&M)
Case trimmer (Giraud)

Buy quality the first time so you wont have to upgrade later.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

Redding Big Boss or RCBS Rockchucker Kit. Can't go wrong either way.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

I have the Rockchucker and it's great. I do not use the primer function as I prefer to hand seat them with a Lee primer tool. I want to feel each primer being seated.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

When I started handloading, I bought the RCBS RockChucker kit. In 1972 that was the best way to go. But this day and age there are some better options for the smaller items. I would go to Midway's page and order everything piece meal. Putting together what you need might actually save a few dollars and be better equipment.

Redding Big Boss 2
Redding f/l dies of the needed caliber
shell holder for same
there are many powder measures, mine is a Harrell's Premium. But there are others that will work well for beginners.
I have problems with a lot of Lee presses. But their Lee auto prime priming tool is the best for my money. You can feel the seating of the primer better and they last forever.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

"I would like a kit that has everything I would need for a variety of cals."

No kit is complete for even a single caliber, all will also need dies, shell holders, etc., at a minimum.

I don't care for kits but all of them are excellant starting points I suppose. A kit does make it easy but it also makes all your tools one color. I don't find any one, or even three, colors to have the "best" of everything. But, it is easy.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?


+1
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: repiv</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thats pretty much the stuff I use too, although I have a RCBS Rock Chucker press. The only "kit" I would buy for myself if I was starting over would be this one.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Deluxe Reloading Kit

and I would still use the lee primer tool and get a caliper that you like. </div></div>
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

I recomended the RockChucker for years. But recently I've had considerable experience with the Redding Big Boss 2. That's a fine piece of equipment right there. I don't care who you are. Top notch machine work from 1 end to the other.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

If he is going to load multiple calibers, the T7 would be better for him. He can set the dies and forget it.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

" I recomended the RockChucker for years. But recently I've had considerable experience with the Redding Big Boss 2. That's a fine piece of equipment right there."

Seems the less we actually KNOW, the more certain we are that a single brand (usually green or blue) is absolutely "best". Surprising what some experiece with other brands can do to our persectives on who makes good gear, ain't it? And then our recommendations mellow.

I found my old turret press to be (slightly) helpful when I loaded for a single cartridge; it did give me a convienent place to store the dies. But later, with multipule cartridges, changing dies in a single stage seems to take no more time than changing dies in a turret. And considering all that goes into a loading session, start to finish, even if changing dies was instant, time spent on die changes wouldn't have much impact on the total. ??
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

Another vote for the RCBS Deluxe kit. It has everything you need to get started and you can add on from there.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMCj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Screw kits, here is what you <span style="font-style: italic">need</span>.

Redding T7 pres
ChargeMaster 1500
Frankford Arsenal digital calipers (midwayusa.com)
Lee priming tool
Redding dies in the calibers you need.
Case trimmer (Giraud)

---Eventually---
Any tumbler
primer pocket uniformer (K&M)
flash hole deburring tool (K&M)
VLD Chamfer tool (K&M)


Buy quality the first time so you wont have to upgrade later. </div></div>

Fixed =)

You definitely don't need a tumbler any time soon. But order of importance for the "eventually items":

VLD Chamfer tool (K&M)
primer pocket uniformer (K&M)
flash hole deburring tool (K&M)
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

FuzzballSeems the less we actually KNOW said:
Well I have been around a ton of different presses. I have owned almost a dozen RCBS presses. I still use one. I was on it this morning. The Dillon XL650 is a wonderful press for making average ammo. I haven't used it for match ammo... YET.

But it seems here lately that Redding is noticably better quality for the money. (I'm not sure if the price on Redding is coming down when compared to RCBS or what. But the gap is getting smaller to me.) Don't get me wrong. RCBS is still good stuff. But if I were starting over from scratch today, I would go Redding and Dillon. Leave off all the LEE presses and just go with the good stuff first.

And yes, I have mellowed a lot.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: repiv</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thats pretty much the stuff I use too, although I have a RCBS Rock Chucker press. The only "kit" I would buy for myself if I was starting over would be this one.

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Deluxe Reloading Kit

and I would still use the lee primer tool and get a caliper that you like. </div></div>

Absolutely agree. I've loaded more than 10000 rounds with this kit, everything is still working fine.
 
Re: What is a good complete reloading kit?

I got the RCBS rockchucker reloading kit when I started reloading in 1999:
1) Rockchucker press .. don't use it anymore, I now use Forster and Bonanza Co-ax presses with shellholer jaw housing I redesigned and made on my mill, and an RCBS Partner press.
2) "Speer 12" reloading manual... loads in it are a joke, I find my start load with Quickload software.
3) Bottle of glycerin for lube... don't use it any more, now use Redding imperial die wax.
4) Pad for applying glycerin... don't use it, I use my fingers.
5) Brush for lubing inside of case neck.. don't use it any more, I remove the expander ball so I don't need inside lube.
6) Loading tray made of plastic... don't use it. I seat bullets as soon as I charge the case, with a second press.
7) Wire brush for cleaning primer pockets. Don't use it.
8) 5-0-5 scale [Ohaus OEM]... I still use it.
9) Uniflow powder measure.... I still use it.
10) Inside outside neck chamfer [ Wilson OEM] I still use it.
11) case trimmer, don't use it anymore. I now use a Forster case trimmer or RCBS 3 way in the vertical mill
12) Funnel, don't use it, I use a Frankfort Arsenal or MTM funnel.

Other stuff I use not cross referenced to the kit:
1) Wilson Case gauge
2) Sinclair concentricity gauge
3) Lyman Moly coating kit, but with steel BBs and magnetic separation
4) Vibrators, ultra sound, and stainless steel media in a tumbler for cleaning
5) Forster and Lee priming tools
6) Lee Collet neck dies polished in my lathe.
7) Forster FL dies with necks honed out in Forster's Hardinge lathes.
8) Forster seating dies with seater stem polished on my lathe
9) Dial calipers
10) Enco set of pin gauges .0610" to .2500"
11) Enco set of pin gauges .2510" - .5000"
12) Optivisor magnifier headset
13) Dillon Super Swage 600 military crimp remover
14) Lux lamp magnifier
15) Bullets, brass, primers, and powder
16) Berry's bullets plastic ammo boxes
17) 3M Post-its for labeling.
18) Forster headspace go-gauge