What's the "best value" to get into reloading?

[lager1829]

And with Dillon you get on the mailing list for their monthly catalog

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[Delkal]

For rifle reloading its hard to go wrong starting with a basic Lee starter kit. Last I looked you could get a kit for well under $200 and Lee stuff works. If you start going to the reloading dark side you will eventually upgrade some / most of the equipment (press, scale, powder meter) but by then the set should be more than paid for. I am also a firm believer that every reloader needs to start on a single stage press and everyone still needs one if they get a progressive. Progressives are great when you are cranking out hundreds of rounds but when working up a load or just loading few boxes of ammo they can be faster than setting up your progressive.

If you shoot a lot of pistol you WILL need a progressive. Pistol rounds need to be run thru the press at least 3 times and when you add in the priming and powder charging step it becomes a lot of work. I have an older Dillon 550 and it is the biggest bang for your (BIG) bucks. But like others mentioned their customer service and warranty is outstanding and I reloaded tens of thousands of rounds thru mine with no problems. Another bonus is Dillon products don't depreciate much. Even before the current BS used Dillons would sell surprisingly close to retail.

[abner13]

For rifle reloading its hard to go wrong starting with a basic Lee starter kit. Last I looked you could get a kit for well under $200 and Lee stuff works.

Lee stuff is the Harbor Freight , or Hi-Point , of reloading tools. Much of there stuff is very cleverly designed and does work. But everything is made of die-cast Zamac (zinc alloy) and plastic. Their dies are rather plain , and made from low-grade steel. Rusts rather quickly. Their die rings don't lock in place and need readjustment every time.

Dillon dies come apart quickly with a hitch pin for EZ cleaning.

[wanneroo]

For rifle reloading its hard to go wrong starting with a basic Lee starter kit. Last I looked you could get a kit for well under $200 and Lee stuff works. If you start going to the reloading dark side you will eventually upgrade some / most of the equipment (press, scale, powder meter) but by then the set should be more than paid for. I am also a firm believer that every reloader needs to start on a single stage press and everyone still needs one if they get a progressive. Progressives are great when you are cranking out hundreds of rounds but when working up a load or just loading few boxes of ammo they can be faster than setting up your progressive.

If you shoot a lot of pistol you WILL need a progressive. Pistol rounds need to be run thru the press at least 3 times and when you add in the priming and powder charging step it becomes a lot of work. I have an older Dillon 550 and it is the biggest bang for your (BIG) bucks. But like others mentioned their customer service and warranty is outstanding and I reloaded tens of thousands of rounds thru mine with no problems. Another bonus is Dillon products don't depreciate much. Even before the current BS used Dillons would sell surprisingly close to retail.

I don't think anyone really loses by starting on a single stage and really honing their technique and recipes down before moving to a progressive. And like you said for small batches, it's really not worth it to me to set up the progressive in some cases to deal with it. It's like I have some 32 ACP and 38 Special to do in small quantities, I'll use the Lee APP press to quickly process the brass and then finish up on the single stage with powder and seating.

[wanneroo]

Lee stuff is the Harbor Freight , or Hi-Point , of reloading tools. Much of there stuff is very cleverly designed and does work. But everything is made of die-cast Zamac (zinc alloy) and plastic. Their dies are rather plain , and made from low-grade steel. Rusts rather quickly. Their die rings don't lock in place and need readjustment every time.

Dillon dies come apart quickly with a hitch pin for EZ cleaning.

Some of Lee's stuff is brilliant, some is good but flawed with cheaper materials and some is crap. However the Lee stuff is good enough to get most people started.

[wanneroo]

Lee stuff is the Harbor Freight , or Hi-Point , of reloading tools. Much of there stuff is very cleverly designed and does work. But everything is made of die-cast Zamac (zinc alloy) and plastic. Their dies are rather plain , and made from low-grade steel. Rusts rather quickly. Their die rings don't lock in place and need readjustment every time.

Dillon dies come apart quickly with a hitch pin for EZ cleaning.

Some of Lee's stuff is brilliant, some is good but flawed with cheaper materials and some is crap. However the Lee stuff is good enough to get most people started.

[Delkal]

If you have a drillpress the Lee trimming system is the fastest and most accurate trimmer you can use (except for a dedicated unit costing a grand). I have a Lyman hand powered "lathe type" trimmer and it is a PITA adjusting, takes forever and never trims to a few thousandth. And if you get into bullet casting their 6 cavity dies can't be beat for under $40. Their dies are OK (I prefer spending a little more on RCBS) but they have some dies for oddball cartridges that would cost you over $100 for a custom set. They sell these at their normal price.

I agree Lee does use cheaper materials, will eventually wear out and can take a little more fiddling to get it to work. But I would still recommend Lee for someone starting out on a budget or not sure if they will like reloading. If money is no object I would generally recommend RCBS equipment. Their stuff lasts forever. It will just cost 3-4x to get started.

"Best value" can have different meanings. Best price for something that works or best long term investment. It is up to an individual to decide what they think it means.

[lager1829]

Thanks all for the suggestions...it is greatly appreciated! Actually didnt know Lyman and Lee were considered lesser/cheaper brands. Doesnt bother me, but guess I'll be in that lot too, seeing as my press is a Lyman. Sounds like used is very viable if the price makes sense, and will probably keep an eye out for the other equipment that way. Components...not sure yet. I might grab some as I see them, but mostly focused on equipment for now given the lack of primers.

Planning to grab a couple manuals and dig into before I load anything...which is likely months to years out yet. I have one uncle that does it and is a good source of info, but dont foresee any equipment or components coming from him necessarily. He's good for running ideas by but definitely has his own focus as far as calibers are concerned (legacy deer cartridges mostly), and there isnt a ton of overlap in our caliber interests or shooting types.

Had a friend who used to work at the Leb Co. dump and used to say how a coworker of his pulled hundreds of dollars of reloading stuff out of a box one time...powder, bullets, equipment, etc. Someone tossed pappy's stuff after he passed, I guess. Dont think I'll get that lucky!

I PM'd you a list of RCBS dies I'm willing to part with.

[streaker69]

And with Dillon you get on the mailing list for their monthly catalog

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Dillon makes presses and sammich makers?

[God's Country]

The sammich makers sadly don't come with a no BS warranty.