Whats a good Reloader to get for someone new to it?

[rodell]

Toolfan has the right perspective. Take a good, hard look at your needs. If you are going to load 500 rounds a week you need something different than if you run 50 per week. It is also important to consider your time, and whether this is a "chore" or recreation.

I can turn out 100 beautiful pistol rounds in my typical "evening" (two hours) on my Redding turret. On my Dillon Square Deal B, I can do about 400 in the same time. On my "big" (650) progressive, I can do about 700. I use the two progressives for pistol, but I still load rifle on my Redding equipment. (I am in no particular hurry in any of these cases, I think of it as recreation in itself. Some people can really crank them out much faster than I do.)

If you plan to load a lot (and you will shoot more if you can make more, trust me), consider a turret or a small progressive (Hornady, Dillon SDB or 550). In volume, a single stage will become tiresome. For accuracy and repeatability, though, they can't be beat (easily).

I bought more progressive than I thought I would ever need. I wanted to make sure my investment in dies, parts, and expertise wouldn't need to be upgraded later. It sure is nice to watch that casefeeder run!

 

[brickman]

Sorry, posted reply when I wanted a new post

 

[Spitpatch]

Pay close attention to those who've replied that it is in your best interest in the long run to start with a single-stage press and dies/accessories of high quality.

This does not mean great expense. Fortunately, presses are "durable gear", and a good used one will last you your entire life (probably your grandkids' entire lives). It is extremely common to find entire reloading outfits, well cared for, of high quality (RCBS is my favorite and the gold standard) comfortably within your price range of $350. This would typically include 500-800 dollars worth of gear if purchased new at retail. Like any other "craft", you can get by with minimum gear, and it is the convenient "niceties" that add the most expense.

Once you understand the process completely, especially what it takes to produce premium-quality handloads you can be proud of, then certainly consider going the progressive route to increase production and relinquish handloading for reloading. There is a distinction.

Somebody here called handloading "meditation". Eloquence. Pure eloquence. For me, it truly does restore the soul.

 

[Gunner3456]

Because you are on a tight budget, I would buy this complete set for $189:

LINK

And a set of Lee dies. That's all you need.

All straight wall (most pistol) Lee dies are carbide except rifle, and no brand makes carbide rifle dies except VERY expensive ones for commercial production machines. This is why you have to lube rifle cases.

This press will load all of the pistol or rifle rounds you'll need. It's plenty fast and it's strong.

You can disable the auto turning and use it as a single stage if you feel you want to go that way when learning. When you have the auto turning on, you can really crank them out. It's not as fast as a progressive, but it's stronger and will do rifle.

Here's a YouTube vid of it working. The red plastic cup at the very top holds the powder. The arm he pushed in by hand inserts a primer. Every time he removes a round it's finished.

YouTube - Lee Classic Turret Press in Action

 

[RVTECH]

I agree with everyone on starting with a quality single stage press. Try to get some one on one instruction from someone and I have said this before - get into a separate hand priming tool right away. This dramatically speeds up single stage reloading and, with some time under your belt, and developing a system that works for you, 150 - 200 rounds of pistol ammo an evening from your single stage setup is easy.

 

[Tilos]

Lee Pro 1000......$160 (includes dies, pwdr meas., case feeder, etc.
Lee Scale............$22
Lee Hand Prime.....$?? if you are not mechanical
That's it...load, shoot, repeat

You can remove the auto index rod, and by hand indexing, learn everything you could learn on a single stage or a turret press.

YMMV

just sayin'
Tilos

 

[Gunner3456]

Lee Pro 1000......$160 (includes dies, pwdr meas., case feeder, etc.
Lee Scale............$22
Lee Hand Prime.....$?? if you are not mechanical
That's it...load, shoot, repeat

You can remove the auto index rod, and by hand indexing, learn everything you could learn on a single stage or a turret press.

YMMV

just sayin'
Tilos

Just don't forget it won't do anything bigger than .223/556 and even then it's such a "busy" press that I've seen lots of mistakes made on them.

For a few bucks more I'd go one step up to the Classic Turret Press. It's not quite as fast but your brain can see everything that's happening. It's much stronger and will load all rifle calibers as well as pistol. It has 4 dies instead of three so that you can have a separate crimp die instead of just the combo seat and crimp.

$.02

 

[Tilos]

Yep, and OP said:
"say around 350 or so... (less the better) Im only reloading Handgun ammo..."

and not as busy with hand indexing.

 

[Gunner3456]

Yep, and OP said:
"say around 350 or so... (less the better) Im only reloading Handgun ammo..."

and not as busy with hand indexing.

Well if cost is everything, Cabelas has the Lee Pro 1000 on sale for $155 and it, unlike the Classic Turret, comes with your choice of dies. That makes it about $65 cheaper if my feeble mind is working, LOL.

Cabela's: Lee Pro 1000 Loader

However, the Pro 1000 kit doesn't come with the second size primer feeder, nor does it come with a powder scale, so that almost balances the costs out. I couldn't live without a powder scale to check my charges. I mean, how do you even set up?

So cost appears to be a tossup, just for me. I guess the choice comes down to which press you like better?

 

[Page.k]

The way the Lee Pro is made the shell plate unit is what holds the primering system. The bottom shell plate units for most can be used to reload two or more types if the primers are the same. For about 10 bucks you can get a second die holder/turrent top.
For a Lee powder scale is like 25 bucks.

I have to say we keep looking at presses and not any books or dvd's to add to the start up. How good is a great set up with out any data to go on?

Take a look at Lee's link below for some good deals. For me I'll take a reconditioned unit over a new one due to the fact that they are tested over and over. Okay I'm cheap too.
<broken link removed>

What is the reloading set up going to be for??? 9mm 357???
Turret May be the way to go if you like to reload a few types of ammo.

 

[Tilos]

Lee Pro 1000...if they only had 4 stations, or 5, or

5-6 pages of info here:
<broken link removed>

wait, wait, 5 stations, that would be the Loadmaster.
just sayin'
Tilos

 

[Gunner3456]

I have three gripes with the pro 1000, but they are just my worthless opinion.

The shell plates are flexible and I hate to see that. The Classic turret uses a center ram.

It's hard and/or expensive to change calibers. Hard if you just buy the plate, expensive if you buy the whole kit.

They hold only 3 dies, so you can't have a separate crimping die. You have to crimp as the bullet is seated, losing a bit of control.

The plus is that they are fast, but I'll take methodical over fast. The Classic Turret is plenty fast compared to a single stage, strong, loads rifle, and is super easy to change calibers.

I wouldn't mind having a pro 1000 for just one caliber that I shoot a lot at the range, like .40, but I don't want to change calibers on it.

$.02

 

[FG1]

I still have my RCBS Junior I bought new in '73 with dies from GI Joes . Still works great . I also have the Rock Chucker press and both are solid hard working machines . Keep them clean and oiled and they will outlast three or four generations easily. Simple to use and maintain as well.
Keep an eye on gun boards,nickle ads, newspaper etc. Usually can find good buys on used equipment for around 1/2 price of new and put the saved $$ toward components ! Heck even pawn shops get them in and I heard tell of goodwill get some equipment !