Home load equipment
- Thread starter paulwes
- Start date
The first thing to buy is a good reloading manual which contains information on how to reload such as published by Lyman or Hornady
They will cover the reloading process in detail & show what equipment is required & what’s nice to have in addition (ignore any brand bias).
They will cover the reloading process in detail & show what equipment is required & what’s nice to have in addition (ignore any brand bias).
Sampo
Well-Known Member
Look for people selling their reloading kit in here. You might get a good deal and possibly all the components you need to get started. There was a lovely article post in here that I remember where someone has explained all the steps, so worth searching for it.
Watch a few youtube videos on how the proces goes, find an old reloading manual (PDFs are available free online) as its not worth much once you have got the process working as the loads you are developing are usually available from multiple sources. The process hasn't changed and everyone eventually finds their way of trimming the brass, taking off the spent primer, working in batches, using multi feed systems and so on. I wouldn't waste any money on the newer manual as once you develop a home load, you rarely tend to deviate from it and most of the manual is different reload data of various calibers. Use a Vihtavuori or Hornandy or Sierra app to work out what you need for your rifle. Various online resources are also available.
Any basic Lee or RCBS kit would do the job. The cost is mostly on how fancy you get. I prefer to do it as a single stage and with the right die and plenty of time, you are good to go. Check the Classifields section. At a basic level, a reloading press, a powder scale, appropriate dies, a bullet puller, brass cases, bullet heads, primers, propellents, tools for trimming brass and a tray to hold cases should get you started. Start small and work your way to what you want. Of course you could go with all shiny kit with multi stage press but the changes of something going wrong are higher with too many moving parts. I might have missed other things but you will eventually get to it once you start reloading.
Watch a few youtube videos on how the proces goes, find an old reloading manual (PDFs are available free online) as its not worth much once you have got the process working as the loads you are developing are usually available from multiple sources. The process hasn't changed and everyone eventually finds their way of trimming the brass, taking off the spent primer, working in batches, using multi feed systems and so on. I wouldn't waste any money on the newer manual as once you develop a home load, you rarely tend to deviate from it and most of the manual is different reload data of various calibers. Use a Vihtavuori or Hornandy or Sierra app to work out what you need for your rifle. Various online resources are also available.
Any basic Lee or RCBS kit would do the job. The cost is mostly on how fancy you get. I prefer to do it as a single stage and with the right die and plenty of time, you are good to go. Check the Classifields section. At a basic level, a reloading press, a powder scale, appropriate dies, a bullet puller, brass cases, bullet heads, primers, propellents, tools for trimming brass and a tray to hold cases should get you started. Start small and work your way to what you want. Of course you could go with all shiny kit with multi stage press but the changes of something going wrong are higher with too many moving parts. I might have missed other things but you will eventually get to it once you start reloading.
Thank you.
At the very very basic level you will need ONLY this.
1) A good case lubricant.
2) A press with compound leverage.
3) Dies and shellholder. Some will say Redding, others RCBS, some Lee, Hornady and etc., etc.. I started with RCBS now fifty years ago. I now use Redding. Why Redding? Because they offer an on cost option of a carbide sizing button. That's all.
4) Use of a set of good scales of the sort made by Ohaus but marketed under the RCBS or other names. With these you can select which "scoop" measure from Lee's excellent Popeye's pipes set to use. Once you've done that and found the one load that works return the scales to the person you borrowed them from.
5) A means of priming your cases once decapped. That may be an "arm" on your press or a separate die or a handheld priming tool.
All the rest, save a good manual or watching a good online video, is just extra expense that for loading for stalking deer isn't needed. You wa nt to clean your primer pockets? Use a cheap parallel sided screwdriver!
1) A good case lubricant.
2) A press with compound leverage.
3) Dies and shellholder. Some will say Redding, others RCBS, some Lee, Hornady and etc., etc.. I started with RCBS now fifty years ago. I now use Redding. Why Redding? Because they offer an on cost option of a carbide sizing button. That's all.
4) Use of a set of good scales of the sort made by Ohaus but marketed under the RCBS or other names. With these you can select which "scoop" measure from Lee's excellent Popeye's pipes set to use. Once you've done that and found the one load that works return the scales to the person you borrowed them from.
5) A means of priming your cases once decapped. That may be an "arm" on your press or a separate die or a handheld priming tool.
All the rest, save a good manual or watching a good online video, is just extra expense that for loading for stalking deer isn't needed. You wa nt to clean your primer pockets? Use a cheap parallel sided screwdriver!
Great advice thank you.
You have said that you don’t want to buy cheap and subsequently change it… that is exactly what I have done with virtually all of the Lee kit that I have bought. If you are after good quality basic kit then stick to RCBS, Redding or Forster. The Lee stuff is cheap, it generally works ok and has some good features but lacks component quality and my experience leads me to believe it doesn’t last as long as the three makes above. Top choices for a press would be an RCBS Reloader Special 5 (medium size press) or an RCBS Rockchucker (heavy duty press). Redding have similar offerings but I can’t recall the nomenclature. Forster have the Co-Ax press that is very nice indeed. All makes of reloading dies fit all standard presses so you can mix and match.
The suggestion to buy quality secondhand equipment is a good one. The classifieds on here and EBay can be good places to look. Something like a Rockchucker is pretty much bombproof so if it isn’t corroded you should be good to go.
The suggestion to buy quality secondhand equipment is a good one. The classifieds on here and EBay can be good places to look. Something like a Rockchucker is pretty much bombproof so if it isn’t corroded you should be good to go.
I bought my RCBS Rockchucker new from John Longstaff in 1977. I sold it in about 2010. Only because I then went to doing only .270 WCF and .30/06 so needed a press with a taller "window". It was still just as good as when bought save that in places the old crinkle finish was a bit grimy.
QED as they say
At one time I'd be loading two hundred rounds a week of, mostly then, pistol ammunition as these were still the days of surplus .303" at £15 per 100. So even if we say that out of the thirty-three years I had it I only loaded two hundred rounds a week until the pistol ban in 1996 and deduct three years for being away that makes what? Sixteen years with maybe two weeks not shooting over Christmas so 16 x50 x 200 = 160,000 rounds. So, yes, it didn't do me bad did that RCBS Rockchucker!QED as they say
8x57
Distinguished Member
Just for the sake of paulwes the later model RCBS Rockchuckers have larger widows and are now capable of reloading cartridges up to the size of .50BMG.
Similar to you, back in the day when we were trusted I ran a Piggyback unit on my RCBS Reloader special 5 press to load many thousands of mainly .38 special, 9mm parabellum and .40 S&W. Despite being a lighter press than the Rockchucker it never skipped a beat and is still in full use with a good friend today. I’m not sure it is possible to wear out a Rockchucker other than by rusting / neglect
Yes indeed they do. The Rockchucker Supreme I think is the one that introduces that taller window?
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
Start him off right then? bullet heads?????
Great advice thank you. From looking in YouTube and the comments here I think I’ll try for a RCBS press.
Similar threads
