Best reloading kit
- Thread starter Sniper308
- Start date
This is like rifle threads. Everyone will say the make they own is the best. Simple affirmation for simple humans.
I was advised by Norman Clark to buy Redding kit and dies over ten years ago. Im not unhappy and it will all last a lifetime if I look after it.
I also own kit from Harrels, RCBS, Stoney Point/Hornady, Lee, Sinclair, K&M, John Whidden, Wilson, Forster and Bonanza.
Had some Lyman stuff. I dont use Frankford Arsenal.
I also use Dillon. It all works.
Other good advice early on was buy an O press and a good set of dies (rcbs or redding).
I was advised by Norman Clark to buy Redding kit and dies over ten years ago. Im not unhappy and it will all last a lifetime if I look after it.
I also own kit from Harrels, RCBS, Stoney Point/Hornady, Lee, Sinclair, K&M, John Whidden, Wilson, Forster and Bonanza.
Had some Lyman stuff. I dont use Frankford Arsenal.
I also use Dillon. It all works.
Other good advice early on was buy an O press and a good set of dies (rcbs or redding).
Steff
Well-Known Member
Stay clear of kits. Buy individual bits and pieces.
Press: Any. Just make sure it is large enough for your calibres. It is also advisable that spent primers fall through the stem of the press where you can place a dust bin. Catching them in trays is suboptimal.
Dies: I swear by Redding. Especially their Competition seating dies. Bushing dies will definitely increase your case life.
Primer seater: Hand held Hornady.
Case trimmer: Lee has an edge over the competition. Their Deluxe press mounted trimmer is super. Traditional trimmer are a constant PITA.
Scales: No, I won‘t get involved on this discussion
.
Powder funnels: Make your life easier and buy aluminum funnels like the ones by Satern. There are also others which I don‘t remember right now.
Press: Any. Just make sure it is large enough for your calibres. It is also advisable that spent primers fall through the stem of the press where you can place a dust bin. Catching them in trays is suboptimal.
Dies: I swear by Redding. Especially their Competition seating dies. Bushing dies will definitely increase your case life.
Primer seater: Hand held Hornady.
Case trimmer: Lee has an edge over the competition. Their Deluxe press mounted trimmer is super. Traditional trimmer are a constant PITA.
Scales: No, I won‘t get involved on this discussion
.Powder funnels: Make your life easier and buy aluminum funnels like the ones by Satern. There are also others which I don‘t remember right now.
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Thats a loaded question .... If you are looking to compete (F class for example) then absolute mechanical accuracy in your presses and dies is significantly more importannt than those used for attaining 1MOA @ 100yds.
Loading for stalking/vermin control accuracy can be acheived with much lower cost equipment.
A secondhand press from RCBS or Hornady (there are others) would suffice.
Used Dies (full length and seating)
A digital caliper from eBay.
Low cost digital scales.
All of the above will allow you to reload (in conjunction with a reloading manual and common sense, safely) - keep you eye on the sales section in here there is always some good equipment available.
Loading for stalking/vermin control accuracy can be acheived with much lower cost equipment.
A secondhand press from RCBS or Hornady (there are others) would suffice.
Used Dies (full length and seating)
A digital caliper from eBay.
Low cost digital scales.
All of the above will allow you to reload (in conjunction with a reloading manual and common sense, safely) - keep you eye on the sales section in here there is always some good equipment available.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
Yes. Stay clear of bundled "kits". I started in the late 1970s using RCBS as I could get it at trade price from John Longstaff when I lived in Leeds. I still rate RCBS's Rockchucker as the best of the best of all single station presses yet I know use an Australian Simplex Master as the window is taller and i reload know only .270 WCF and .30/06. All my dies were RCBS too. My powder funnels are cheap plastic RCBS or Lee.
Then as did others I discovered through Norman Clarke Redding dies and sold off all my RCBS dies save a few speciality dies such as their case lube die. I also rate as first class these Lee dies for their specific role....Collet Sizer Die, Factory Crimp Die, Universal Decapping Die. ANY scales that were made for Lyman or RCBS by OHAUS will be first rate. Avoid Lee's scales but do buy their yellow plastic Popeye's pipes and work a load that enables you to use one of the pipes. That'll save you money on having to buy a powder thrower!
For priming I use either an old Lee hand held priming tool or more often than not the priming die on a set of Lyman 310 tongs. primer pocket cleaning you can do with a standard slot head screwdriver with the sides filed to the correct width to fit in the empty pocket when you have decapped. BUY A GOOD CASE LUBE! BUY A GOOD LOADING BLOCK WITH CORRECT SIZE HOLES TO HOLD THE CASES>
And, last of all, don't allow folks to sell you tools you don't need if just reloading for stalking!
Then as did others I discovered through Norman Clarke Redding dies and sold off all my RCBS dies save a few speciality dies such as their case lube die. I also rate as first class these Lee dies for their specific role....Collet Sizer Die, Factory Crimp Die, Universal Decapping Die. ANY scales that were made for Lyman or RCBS by OHAUS will be first rate. Avoid Lee's scales but do buy their yellow plastic Popeye's pipes and work a load that enables you to use one of the pipes. That'll save you money on having to buy a powder thrower!
For priming I use either an old Lee hand held priming tool or more often than not the priming die on a set of Lyman 310 tongs. primer pocket cleaning you can do with a standard slot head screwdriver with the sides filed to the correct width to fit in the empty pocket when you have decapped. BUY A GOOD CASE LUBE! BUY A GOOD LOADING BLOCK WITH CORRECT SIZE HOLES TO HOLD THE CASES>
And, last of all, don't allow folks to sell you tools you don't need if just reloading for stalking!
^^^^^^^^^
Whatever you do ," don't walk in to an shop and say that " , you may get a spanking . Do some research first ..... as a lot will be down to personal preference and goals . There's regularly some good kit in the classifieds on here .
^^^^^ This .
Ultimate Reloader on YouTube did a good press shootout , might be a good starting point . Remember , some of the videos on YouTube may be little more than adverts .
Full-Length-Dies - Triebel Waffenwerkzeuge GmbH - EN
The FL-dies are used to size the cartridge case on full length. In addition to a removable expander our FL-dies have an integrated primer ejector pin.
www.triebel-guntools.de
K
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
How about a list of "things for reloading that a person shooting deer just doesn't need" list? I'll start...
1) Flash hole uniformers also known as flash hole deburring tools.
2) Primer pocket uniformers.
3) Outside neck turning tools and...below at 4)
4) Concentricity gauges.
5) Gas powered automatic feeding annealing machines.
When I started I had a STOUT old school desk on which to mount my press....an RCBS Rockchucker and a set of RCBS dies. And an RCBS plastic loading block. Those that had access to or owned pillar drills made their own blocks from hardwood with a hardboard base. Priming was done on the press (using the optional extra primer seating arm).
The RFD that sold it to me asked what bullet I'd be using and what powder and told me which of Lee's yellow pipes to use and then check weighed the charge thrown by the pipe on his scales. After maybe two or three months of using just that load I then bought a set of RCBS 5-0-5 scales and felt reconfident enough to then try variations in that powder by a half a grain up or down.
You'll need a cut down yoghurt pot and a length of dead straight coathanger wire...about three inches with the end bent into a "D" as a handle. Scoop the pipe through the powder in the yoghurt pot. Bring it out and hold the pipe level. Don't shake it to level it! No! Draw the straight length of your wire "scraper" across the mouth of your yellow pipe. You've now a charge that provided you do the exact same from each scoop to the next will be consistently accurate.
Later would come a piece a metal that the maker had cut a slot in that was the advised "trim to length" and one that was a maximum length before needing to be trimmed. Aka as a "case length gauge" and a trimmer to trim the cases that had "grown" and a deburring tool. In truth use sensible loads and no crimp and you'll rarely be troubled with cases that "grow".
Finally when they were invented a Lee factory crimp die for those odd and rare times when I wanted to crimp my cartridges. And as I often bought used supposed "once fired" .270 WCF cases only to find they wouldn't chamber in my rifle an RCBS Small Base Die in that calibre. And when i swapped to Redding dies I took a deep breath, took out my wallet, bought carbide expander buttons for all of them.
FWIW I usually now "retire" cases that have been reloaded more than five times unless they are scarce to find such (as once was) good quality .303 Boxer type cases.
1) Flash hole uniformers also known as flash hole deburring tools.
2) Primer pocket uniformers.
3) Outside neck turning tools and...below at 4)
4) Concentricity gauges.
5) Gas powered automatic feeding annealing machines.
When I started I had a STOUT old school desk on which to mount my press....an RCBS Rockchucker and a set of RCBS dies. And an RCBS plastic loading block. Those that had access to or owned pillar drills made their own blocks from hardwood with a hardboard base. Priming was done on the press (using the optional extra primer seating arm).
The RFD that sold it to me asked what bullet I'd be using and what powder and told me which of Lee's yellow pipes to use and then check weighed the charge thrown by the pipe on his scales. After maybe two or three months of using just that load I then bought a set of RCBS 5-0-5 scales and felt reconfident enough to then try variations in that powder by a half a grain up or down.
You'll need a cut down yoghurt pot and a length of dead straight coathanger wire...about three inches with the end bent into a "D" as a handle. Scoop the pipe through the powder in the yoghurt pot. Bring it out and hold the pipe level. Don't shake it to level it! No! Draw the straight length of your wire "scraper" across the mouth of your yellow pipe. You've now a charge that provided you do the exact same from each scoop to the next will be consistently accurate.
Later would come a piece a metal that the maker had cut a slot in that was the advised "trim to length" and one that was a maximum length before needing to be trimmed. Aka as a "case length gauge" and a trimmer to trim the cases that had "grown" and a deburring tool. In truth use sensible loads and no crimp and you'll rarely be troubled with cases that "grow".
Finally when they were invented a Lee factory crimp die for those odd and rare times when I wanted to crimp my cartridges. And as I often bought used supposed "once fired" .270 WCF cases only to find they wouldn't chamber in my rifle an RCBS Small Base Die in that calibre. And when i swapped to Redding dies I took a deep breath, took out my wallet, bought carbide expander buttons for all of them.
FWIW I usually now "retire" cases that have been reloaded more than five times unless they are scarce to find such (as once was) good quality .303 Boxer type cases.
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It will depend upon usage, if you need a few hundred rounds per season, just dont bother
Reloading is a really expensive way to save save money!
Start with a good press, and dont worry about buying second hand, I have never heard of anyone wearing out a cast iron press.
Its then dies, and scales that are going to cost, if your shooting a lot, electronic scales become a must, ( or you have a lot of time on your hands)
Best advice is see a couple of people reloading, and see what you need. and avoid most Kits, you will end up upgrading most of it in the end
good luck
Reloading is a really expensive way to save save money!
Start with a good press, and dont worry about buying second hand, I have never heard of anyone wearing out a cast iron press.
Its then dies, and scales that are going to cost, if your shooting a lot, electronic scales become a must, ( or you have a lot of time on your hands)
Best advice is see a couple of people reloading, and see what you need. and avoid most Kits, you will end up upgrading most of it in the end
good luck
Len the dog
Well-Known Member
I recently dipped my toe into reloading and did my research extensively, having identified the kit that you do need and the kit that you don’t need I was able to price up. Those on here saying don’t bother with kits because you end up with stuff you don’t need clearly aren’t too sharp at maths, I bought a kit because the whole thing worked out considerably cheaper than buying just the essential items individually. So what if there are a couple of things I don’t need, the absolute essentials worked out far cheaper.
I did however follow the rule I have lived my life by, buy cheap, buy twice. Go for good quality from the outset.
I did however follow the rule I have lived my life by, buy cheap, buy twice. Go for good quality from the outset.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Which one did you go for?
Lee handloader! ……it must be the best as carrying all the other sets to the range would be a ballache!
Joking aside - depends what you need, if you need something that can be moved around? Do you want beam scales or throwers? So many different options. Probably best to see what is stocked locally and have a look at it.
Regards,
Gixer
Joking aside - depends what you need, if you need something that can be moved around? Do you want beam scales or throwers? So many different options. Probably best to see what is stocked locally and have a look at it.
Regards,
Gixer
Len the dog
Well-Known Member
The RCBS rockchucker supreme, got it from McAvoy’s as that was the latest model, and the best price. Got my dies from Krank’s and made a trickler myself. There’s a few bits in it that I really don’t need, but they’re only incidentals.
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