Which reloading kit???

[Beretta shooter]

Afternoon all, new to reloading and have a friend willing to lend me his kit to start with but I’d rather get my own kit and that way if anything happens to it it’s no big deal.

Question is what kit? I’d looked at the lee kits and decided the deluxe kit was the one for me as it had a few extras I would have ended up getting anyway but after a few comments and a little bit reading I’m starting to question my decision. starting to steer more towards the RCBS rockchucker supreme kit but open to advice and everyone’s thoughts on what kit is really needed and what you have upgraded to over time.
Hoping to buy once and be happy with my purchases without feeling to need to upgrade in a short space of time.
Cheers BS

 

[ChesterP]

RCBS. Better quality kit, better press.

 

[Selous]

I would go with RCBS rather than Lee personally due to past experience with quality. May have changed but.....

 

[nevb]

I bought a Lee kit 10+ years ago second hand off a chap who was giving up target shooting so it had had some use. I thought it would be a cheap way to get started, then upgrade as funds allowed....I never replaced it and still load hundreds of rounds a year with it and have no complaints...
However if I was to start again today I would go RCBS..

 

[Alantoo]

I probably wouldn't buy a kit second time around...of any make.

I bought a Lee 50th Anniversary loading kit and whilst most of it has been fine, by the time I have improved the bits I didn't get on with you would probably be better off buying the individual components.

The Lee Breech Lock Press, Safety Primer Feed tools and Powder Thrower, Case Trimmer and dies have been fine, but the Lee scales I could not get to work satisfactorily. The Lee chamfer tool was not good either so I have replaced it with a Lyman case prep multi tool and added a Lyman Flash hole uniforming tool.

The Lee Ultimate 4 die set has the F/L sizer, Collet neck sizer, bullet seater and factory crimp. I don't use the Collet neck sizer, but have added the Lee Universal Flare tool and Decapper dies.

Three other bits of kit I have added are a Redding trickler a Frankford Arsenal kinetic hammer and a Hornady Cam Lock Bullet Puller die.

The Lee Lubricant for the F/L die works fine but takes an age to apply so I have made up a Liquid Lanolin and Iso Propyl Alcohol 1:12 in a spray bottle...a few squirts into an empty a plastic bag and then put in and jumble the cases around in it job done.

I bought an Ultrasonic cleaner from eBay which I use twice per session, before F/L sizing and after trimming.

A basic propane torch, and a bar of soap as a temperature guide, for stress relief annealing as required.

However think long and hard before you get into reloading...I too had a "friend" who introduced me to it and I found it most addictive! The more you learn about it the more you want to improve on your results and the more time you spend tweaking.

The biggest single advantage however is that you get to spend a lot more structured trigger time than you would otherwise, and the consequent improvement of my shooting skills due to all the practice has been the real bonus for me.

Alan

 

[Scotty99]

I went through this dilemma a few week ago. Same issue whether to buy Lee or RCBS and then whether to buy a kit or just buy separates.

In the end I opted for RCBS, I really liked the sturdy and smooth operation of the Rock Chucker press on several You Tube videos. Also I didn't like the way the Lee scale worked.

Also it worked out a bit cheaper to buy a kit rather than buy the items separately.

So I opted for the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit and I wasn't disappointed, the press is so solid and smooth.

The other things I've added which don't come with the kit are a Lyman kinetic bullet puller, a Lyman 1200 Pro case tumbler, an RCBS case trimmer, an RCBS powder trickler and a Lee Universal decapping die.

The other thing I invested in is the RCBS base plate it comes with pre tapped holes and bolts and washers to attach the press and other pieces of kit. Great if you want to use your bench for other stuff when not reloading.

Have fun and stay safe.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

In all honesty - you have the option of working on a mate's kit before you commit to your own - do it. Most of this stuff is pretty durable, if you take your time you're not going to break it.

That will give you a much better idea of which kit is going to work for you.

Personally I think most of the kits have superfluous items, and none of them have everything I consider essential.

No one company makes all the best tools, and most of them have at least one thing that either only they do, or they make the best version of.

In your situation, I would buy my set of dies (the kit's don't include these anyway) borrow your mate's kit, load some rounds, then make my buying decisions based on that experience.

 

[Scotty99]

In all honesty - you have the option of working on a mate's kit before you commit to your own - do it. Most of this stuff is pretty durable, if you take your time you're not going to break it.

That will give you a much better idea of which kit is going to work for you.

Personally I think most of the kits have superfluous items, and none of them have everything I consider essential.

No one company makes all the best tools, and most of them have at least one thing that either only they do, or they make the best version of.

In your situation, I would buy my set of dies (the kit's don't include these anyway) borrow your mate's kit, load some rounds, then make my buying decisions based on that experience.

+1 for LHG's approach. If I'd known someone who reloaded that's what I would have done, as it was I had to just make a decision and dive in.

 

[Swedish]

I have a Dillon RL550C press. If I was just reloading .357Mag for my Winchester (I get through a lot of that) I would have bought the Dillon XL650 which is progressive. However you have to watch them with taller rifle rounds as the shell plate can spin too quickly and the cases flop out. The RL550 is a hand turn job and as my reloading area is quite small I needed one press for .357 and 6.5x55 so the RL550 was my choice. Very nicely made but a bit pricey. I've not had to use Dillon's customer service but they have a great reputation for looking after their clients.

 

[Beretta shooter]

Thanks for all your reply’s all with very good points and info. The RCBS certainly seems to be more favoured than the lee kit although it’s a bit more expensive but have found a special on it so not a huge amount and I’m happy to pay for quality.
I understand I will have a few extras to add to it before I get started and even once loading to finely tune the process.
The main reason for buying my own kit straight out is I’ve found the kit my friend has to be joint owned by him and onther chap so to save hastle I’ll just get my own plus my Mrs has a very bad habit of “tidying” things away or sucking them up the government never to be seen again so to avoid all that is prob best.
if I was to go for the RCBS kit do I need to get there dies also or are the universal that they will work in all presses?

Thanks again BS

 

[Dull Shooter]

It sounds like you have it all sorted out. The RockChucker is pretty well the standard among the people I know. I'm really wanting a Dillion 550 myself.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Almost all dies are 7/8"-14 - i.e. the vast majority of dies will work in the vast majority of presses.

I read that Australian Simplex dies once used a different thread, and some very large calibre dies require a totally different 1 1/4" thread, but in the main, you can mix and match die and press manufacturers to your heart's content (so no, you do not need to buy RCBS dies if you have an RCBS press.)

 

[A Guy Out West]

Dies - another can of worms. As LHG said. I use Redding just because.

 

[Beretta shooter]

I really need to stop looking at different presses and kits etc, that dillion press is a work of art but for someone like me complete overkill. I’m not looking to reload for financial savings purely to improve accuracy over factory rounds and stretch out my shots a little with confidence.
Thats good to know about the dies but like u say opens up another set of questions

 

[ChesterP]

You can use any make of dies. You'll need dies and shell holders.

I think the simple (longer term) answer to "which kit" boils down to what press you want (RCBS are good) and the cost for the rest really won't count for much over time as you tend to buy, add, or replace things later on anyway, because men are generally like magpies and buy shiny new things because they're....err...shiny and new and appeal ....boys and toys) I started with a Lee Anniversary kit which got me going but wish now that I had just bought the RCBS press to begin with and shopped around for the rest.

There's little left of my original kit bar the Press. Several years down the line, I have bits of kit from Wilson, Sinclair, Redding, RCBS and Lyman. I shudder to think what this has all cost (never added it up in case the Mrs found my scribbles!) but it's a lot. I have to admit that none of it was really wasted bar the money spent on the original kit! I think that it is better to buy what you like using, and quality tools imho are never money wasted. Case prep is the job that I don't much like and anything making that easier is a good thing in my book, especially at the quantities I seem to load these days. Later on you may want to add things like case prep centres or other labour saving devices but to begin with you may not get a feel for whether you want to continue loading (ie whether it's for you) so best stick with the minimum and buy well (good kit is easy to move on if you decide later it's not for you).

For dies, I can recommend Redding. Even their entry level ones are really very good. The Lee ones used to be really unbeatable at the money and produce good accurate ammunition but feedback suggests that more recent quality seems to be more variable. Their Pace-setter die set is a good one if you decide going that route and Lee Factory Crimp die in each cal is also imho a worth-while addition (this comes as standard with he Pacesettter set) and if you start loading a lot, a good hand primer such as the RCBS Universal one is worth the outlay (unless this comes with the kit you are considering?).

The other things not to be overlooked (and which often are) are to invest in comparator gauges (the Hornady L_N_L being one of the most popular). You will need these for determining seating depths and when checking die settings for FL sizing or shoulder-bumping (although you can also check in your rifle chamber if you remove the firing pin from the bolt but it can be a faff so comparators do make life easier). A good reloading manual such as the Lee Modern Reloading 2nd edition is also an essential to newcomers to the discipline.

 

[Muir]

You guys make it so hard. If I was starting over and had nothing in my reloading room, I would buy a Forster Press, any scale other than Lee (accurate but finicky to use) a Harrell powder measure and whatever dies suit me. I use Lee outfitted with Forster locking rings. Add a hand priming tool, a good loading manual ( I like Lee) and a set of dial vernier calipers. Then I'm free to spend the rest of my money on components. ~Muir

 

[Woodlander]

I agree with Muir,but I have to add a powder trickler,a trimmer and chamfer tool(not the Lee one,though I use one myself,it ain't the best). I do like my Lee turret press,though.

 

[Muir]

I agree with Muir,but I have to add a powder trickler,a trimmer and chamfer tool(not the Lee one,though I use one myself,it ain't the best). I do like my Lee turret press,though.

Thanks for filling in where my pre-coffee brain fell short. Trimmer and accessories a must. Trickler...Ok.~Muir

 

[PasqualeM]

I use RCBS myself but I think Redding is good too.

 

[Beretta shooter]

Thanks again chaps, really appreciate the time everyone’s taken to reply with their findings.
Im steering more towards the RCBS rock chucker supreme kit, adding a power trickler, digital calipers and what ever die set I decide on. I’m sure at a later date I’ll add to the kit with a tumbler and poss more prep tools but hope the above will get me underway.