New to reloading...

[cyras21]

I'm looking to start reloading. I'm considering the Lee 50th Anniversary Reloading Press Kit from Gander Mountain for $130.

Any comments on this kit and any advice for a newbie?

[jdonovan]

Any comments on this kit and any advice for a newbie?

Lots...

I'd really suggest an electronic scale vs a beam. They aren't much more money, and are a whole lot nicer to work with.

I prefer at least a turret press if you are doing to do any pistol cartridge reloading. The number of times you have to handle each piece of brass on a single stage makes it very time consuming on a single stage.

If you can find someone local to you who can show you the ropes it will be a MUCH faster process to start learning.

The kit doesn't include calipers for measuring cases... less of a problem for pistol... ESSENTIAL for rifle.


So help us guide you...
What cartridges do you want to reload for? And what volume of each?
Goal? Save money, load tuning, have fun, acquire skills, etc... ?

[ShadowByte]

I have to second what jdonovan wrote, all good suggestions (and the route I went a year and a half ago)

I would suggest going with the Lee *Classic* 4 Hole turret press. You can use it as a single stage and then move to a turret when you want. Get the classic though, it is rock solid. The other one is made from aluminum and doesn't appear to be as robust and the classic isn't much more.

You can do the powder through die as well then, make sure to get the upgraded one of these as well, it is only a few $ more, but worth it. Though this isn't a necessity, you can certainly do other powder dispensing methods, but this sure makes things easier and its been pretty spot on for me so far.

All together for the classic turret press, a 4 hole disc, the powder dispenser and primer loader, it should only go for around $200 I believe.

Now the following will add up as well to another $150 or more depending, but they will help quite a bit:

Definitely get a good electronic scale as well to verify your work. Grab at least one good reloading book, 2 is better since one typically won't have all of the load combinations you are looking for. However you can find some good measurement info on the powder manufacturer's websites as well as doing research on the web. I would also get an electronic caliper to measure the case lengths so you can make sure your bullets are pressed to the length specified. The scale and calipers should only run about $20-30 a piece.

Some other items would be a tumbler or electronic sonic cleaner for the cases. And also a bullet puller...you *will* mess up or need to pull them for various reasons, it'll let you recycle the components and may eventually pay for itself.

[CowboyT]

Unless you spend a lot of money, the electronic scales will tend to drift, in my experience, unless the batteries are ultra-fresh. I prefer a powder measure to dispense the powder, and the beam scale to set it up and periodically check it. Any of RCBS's 500-series or 1000-series models, or Dillon's Eliminator, are mighty fine choices.

My choice of powder measure for handgun cases is Lee's excellent Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure. The recommendation for the Classic Turret Press is also a sound one, though I did 1,000 rounds on the single-stage with a hand primer before I moved to the Classic Turret. I'm *VERY* glad I did that and got that experience first. You can use the same dies on any press except for Dillon's Square Deal B, which uses proprietary dies. My single-stage still gets a lot of use, even though I reload mostly progressively nowadays.

[GeneFrenkle]

How sensitive are those electronic scales to drafts? I remember using balance and electronic scales in lab and they were in lexan containers because air movement would throw them off.

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[Baer45]

I e used a Dillon scale for years with no problems..

[jdonovan]

How sensitive are those electronic scales to drafts? I remember using balance and electronic scales in lab and they were in lexan containers because air movement would throw them off.

not very.

There is a HUGE difference between a reloading scale measuring 0.1 grain (about 0.05 gram, ok 0.064 for you purists) and a mettler analytical balance that is measuring 0.0001 grams... that lab balance is nearly 500 times more sensitive.

[GeneFrenkle]

Ugh, you're right. nasty cold + heavy medicine = stupid question.

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[jasonallen127]

A single-stage kit is a great way to get into reloading. That's how I did it recently! I would recommend getting *carbide dies* for your kit. This allows you to skip the step of lubricating cases before resizing, and cleaning off lube afterwards. Also, the recommendation for an electronic scale is a good one. Add some calipers to your kit to ensure you are seating the bullets at the right depth/overall length. If you're not loading max charges and you're using a ball powder, the lee dipper set is worth the $10 for loading practice rounds quickly and accurately.

[Doyle]

I agree with ShadowByte the Lee turret press is the way to go. I have used one now for 3 years and it gets the job done in short order. Also don't stress about the scale If you buy a kit that has a beam scale that is fine. Beams have been getting the job done for thousands of years. Yes, when you have been at it a while a digital scale is nice but I survived the initial days with a trusty beam. Trust me your loads will be more consistent with a trusty beam than the store bought ammo you are using.

[HighExpert]

If you have any idea of eventually going progressive, and you probably will, Dillon makes 500 which is a turret that is convertible, with more parts, into a 550B. I think they were going for about $259. Just a thought.