Im interested in reloading

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diamond hunter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2012
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2,546
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Goodlettsville Tennessee USA
Id like to purchase reloading equipment. Im looking for great quality stuff,Any suggestions on what to buy? Ive been a bench jeweler for 30 years and ready to try my hand at it.Also,whats the best supplier for reloading equipment?Best brand?
 
You'll get as many opinions as asking about the best rifle or cartridge. It kinda depends on your reloading goals. Loading for hunting and general shooting versus competition or benchrest. Your best value will come with a starter kit like RCBS. From there you can add as you go and you will add I promise. Welcome to the wonderful world of reloading.
 
RCBS has great warranty and service, but so does Dillon. Two totally different price points, though.

What are your limitations? Cost? Time? There are lots of cool tools that make reloading easier or more precise, but they are not necessary for accurate hunting ammo for most sane distances.

Personally, I started on a shoestring budget and used Lee dippers and an RCBS 5-0-5 balance beam scale. Didn't even have a trickler at first. RCBS standard dies, hand-me-down press, and Lee hand priming tool. Lee trimmers, hand chamfering tool, and just cleaned the brass by hand since I didn't have a tumbler. I still use many of these, but I have upgraded some stuff. Made accurate ammo then, but now I'm a little more efficient.

You can get equipment and components from Midway USA, Brownell's, Powder Valley, SPS, Brassmanbrass, and many others.
 
As you have probably seen from this forum, supplies of reloading equipment are likely at an all time low. It is very possible that you won't be able to find the primers and powder you want. So, the actual reloading equipment may be the least of your issues.
 
scn":2m30zz8e said:
As you have probably seen from this forum, supplies of reloading equipment are likely at an all time low. It is very possible that you won't be able to find the primers and powder you want. So, the actual reloading equipment may be the least of your issues.
Click to expand...
That's a very good point. Components would be an equally important thing to research.
 
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diamond hunter":1u1ba9hr said:
Just for hunting and general shooting.I have a 300wm,2506,3006,22250,340 weatherby mag and a 460 weatherby mag.
Click to expand...

Considering your background as a jeweler and some of your specialty calibers, you'll want to make sure your press can handle those dies. I'd start with the one that's most important to you and research the dies. If your goal is to make more accurate ammo, then you might want the match grade dies. If the goal is speed and volume, then the more automated equipment will serve you best. YouTube has many good sources for reloading techniques and equipment. Eventually you will develop your own technique that works best for you.
 
Right now is a bad time to get into reloading a supplys are just about a short as ammo. If you do get into it buy some good reloading books, and find a friend who reloads to talk you through some of it. It is not as cheep as many think as you will always find another item you think you need or want. I wouldn't advise anyone to reload just because they think it is cheaper that buying. That being said there are a lot of good reason to reload such as tuning a load to your gun or a rare caliber that is hard to find or not made anymore. I find it relaxing.
 
As a jeweler you already know equipment makes a difference. Be positive your two Weatherby mag cases will fit in whatever you buy.

Look for a Forster co-axial press. My BIL has owned just one press since the early 1980's and he is a stickler about accuracy. LinK:

https://www.forsterproducts.com/product ... ing-press/

Yes, expensive and a standard RCBS press can do the same, almost. Link:
https://www.rcbs.com/presses/single-sta ... -9356.html

You will need a Bench. Personal preferences here. Long. deeper than a normal countertop. Case lube, cleaning lube, cleaning liquids, and sandpaper-like carbon particles will come in regular contact so the surface needs to be tough or easily replaceable and cannot be metal. It needs to be well-constructed-many lag bolt the legs to 2x4 studs in your home. Have a foot rest that will allow for heavy containers to help keep the desk steady.

Remember-keep smokeless powder, primers, and black powder in separate storage locations. Never have two powder cannisters open on your bench.

You will need good lighting. If you use a digital scale it may need to be on separate line from fluorescent lighting and sheltered from a/c ducting.

You will be measuring a lot-get a dial or digital caliper that is accurate and easy in your hands.

Create a separate favorites folder for the component websites you will visit. Because of the shortages check your local garage/estate sales in addition to the various retail sites.

Yes, I like RCBS dies. I like the RCBS autoprime. I have an RCBS 10-10 beam since 1985. I have a Lyman case trimmer w/10 collets, a turbo tumbler, and a bunch of hand tools. I have a Frankford stainless steel wet tumbler.

Nosler makes very good bullets.

Handloading is a great hobby. keeps you sober, off the street, and very rewarding.
 
Don't give up so easy.

I will spot you 50 pieces of brass, 25 Nosler Ballistic Tips, 12 Partitions, and 13 Accubonds all 180 grain.

I can't share 300 rounds, mine are made specifically to fit my Browning.

Maybe someone close can mentor you.
 
If you shoot those Weatherby Mags very often the savings will even out on the initial cost of equipment fairly quick. If you have the brass for them you should be able to load a box with quality bullets for under $20 a box and most of the Weatherby ammo I have seen are $75+ a box. I can load a box of 300 Win with Accubonds for about $12 a box where they are around $40-$50 a box. You can save money by reloading if you shoot a lot or shoot uncommon calibers plus you can adjust the ammo to suit your rifle. You just have to stock up on your primers, powder and bullets when you come across them.
 
diamond hunter":n3zexn1z said:
Just for hunting and general shooting.I have a 300wm,2506,3006,22250,340 weatherby mag and a 460 weatherby mag.
Click to expand...

For the cartridges you want to reload I say go for it. Most of the current shortages are in handgun components and .22 calibers and faster powders which are designed for smaller rounds. Even though I own a Forster Co-Ax it would be a bad first choice for a press. You need something beefier and with a longer stroke for leverage when resizing those big boys. First thing I would buy is a RCBS Rock Chucker, might be able to find a kit on sale. Then a couple of reloading manuals. Personally I think the Hornady is the best one on the market.

Read, read some more, then read some more. You will realize what you need and can shop for it as time and funds permit it.
 
I wouldn't let SOME shortages hold you back. I was in Reloaders Bench two weeks ago and they had about everything you could want. They may not have Varget or RL26, but to get started they had at least a few different powders available for about any caliber you wanted. They had bullets and brass just like usual. The component shortage is NOTHING compared to Ammo shortage. If anything it's a good time to find a combo that works with what's available now... because if it's available now it will likely be available dang near any time.

As to the original question, I would look hard at the rcbs rock chucker starter kit. Good quality components for a package deal. Personally went with Hornady, and it does fine but wish I had gone RCBS. If you have the funds and want reloading to be somewhat enjoyable, the must haves according to me are: 1: case prep center. 2: RCBS chargemaster or equivalent
 
Sierra, Hornady, Modern Reloading,Layman, Hodgdon. Any one of them for a start. I just did a quick count of 11 I have. Plus Cartridges of the World.
 
Nosler, I like #7; #8 is supposed to be better, hmm..both are out of print.

I checked Ebay, they have them, look for
"
Nosler Reloading Guide

"

You may be able to find a mentor who can introduce you to the process and steer you around trouble spots while at the same time letting you do the tasks necessary to become proficient.

And ask questions here. Many will help.
 
I like the Nosler book and Hornady book since I load mostly Nosler and Hornady bullets. You can get free load data books from some of the powder companies and the Hodgdon yearly load magazine is only a few bucks and can be found on magazine racks that sell outdoor magazines.
 
The Nosler books have fairly good instructions in the first part of the book.

As the Nosler website says, "for those who actually read the book"...
 
+1 for Reloaders Bench in Mt. Juliet. Black Friday will bring out some stupid cheap deals. All the powder companies and most bullet mfgs. have online info. Throttle your wallet at Reloaders Bench, they have all kinds of things to lighten your wallet. Study what components you want and make a list in case you find it, it can be overwhelming seeing a large and varied display, and no, you won't remember.
 
I would recommend the RCBS powder auto scale. Some folks complain that it not as fine as they prefer but I don't weight out much below a full grain myself, I don't sweat the 1/10 gr. stuff as I am not a benchrest target shooter. The auto scale enables reasonably accurate powder loading and repeatability. You might see some impact in your standard deviation through your chronograph, but that's 10-10ths stuff. They say the RCBS is hands down the best tool of its type. I would recommend the bayonet style chronograph too. I have had a three different screen chrono's and the bayonet style is easier to set up and more reliable especially in bright sunlight. If money is no object go for the radar based chrony, that is arguably the most accurate and easiest to set up. If money is a consideration even the lowest cost chrony will make a real difference in your reloading. Otherwise your are shooting blind velocity wise. Get an electronic caliper as overall round length is a critical measurement in reloading and accuracy. Personally I prefer Hornady dies over RCBS. But RCBS has a no cost replacement guarantee that is worthy. For me price is an object so I stick to Lee presses, I have a Lee turret press that is 15 yrs old and it keeps on ticking. I like Lee neck sizing dies too for there value and accuracy. Some folks like hand priming tools, I have an old RCBS tool that is a desk top unit and I like its feel more than the hand held types. Welcome to the world of cartridge reloading, it is an enjoyable never ending quest. :tu:
 
Wow, another 460 Weatherby lunatic exists in TN!

I'd recommend the RCBS Rockchucker kit because you get most everything you need at one time. It sells for around $400. You'd still need dies, shell holders for each cartridges, case trimmer and dial caliper. I like the Forster Trimmer myself because you can also get a case neck turning tool for it if you ever want to do that operation later. A lot of trimmers don't have that capability.

Being that you load for 3 Weatherby cartridges you can easily pay for the tools. The RCBS Rockchucker kit is about $400. Dies from $40 up, the Forster Trimmer and caliper would be something like $100 or a bit more??

The 460 especially can benefit from loading your own ammo. With factory ammo it's pretty much a shoulder smashing elephant killer and not much else. If you load your own you have all the lighter .458 bullets to choose from. It's a real hoot and actually fun to shoot with the various 300 grain bullets at full throttle around 2900ft/sec. I used to buy 460 cases for $30 per 20 but think they are $40 or so now. Still that's dirt cheap compared to paying $100 for 20 loaded rounds just to get brass. I bought a couple hundred 257 Weatherby cases this Spring but don't recall the price. They were waaaaay cheaper than factory ammo for sure. I can load 20 257's with Barnes TTSX bullets for less than $30 and of course the price is a lot lower if I use a more standard bullet.

With the tools and components both in short supply right now you can take the time to read up on loading and make more informed decisions. The shortages will pass as they always do once the election is over.

One thing I would recommend is to stay away from a Progressive Press. These are the tools that produce a loaded cartridge with every pull of the handle. In my opinion, they should only be used after several years of single station press loading because there is so much happening at the same time on a Progressive Press that it's REAL easy to mess up and turn out bad or dangerous ammo. Stick with a single stage press like the Rockchucker and stay safe. I've loaded since the late 1970's and still much prefer this way in spite of having two Progressive presses also.
 
If you use Kindle as an e-reader you can get almost any one of them you want online. I use a laptop or Ipad on my bench. I have the legacy manuals from years ago too that I used back then, but electronic books are easier now.
 
diamond hunter said:
Bringing this to the top,still studying
Click to expand...
Probably be good to ask your questions, that way we can better assist you in where ever you are in the process. What equipment have you acquired, what are you lacking? As I am sure you may have noticed, primers will be your hardest to get items, but powder is starting to come back in decent quantities and offerings. Here is a link to Midsouth, by exit 11 on I-24 in Clarksville: Midsouth Shooters Supply It's a drive but will save on shipping and Hazmat fees.
 

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