Best single stage reloading kit (pistol / rifle)

[aigel]

I'd like to get into reloading, partly for fun (handguns), partly because I can't get the loads I used to be able to get for my hunting. In particular, I like to shoot my magnum rifle with lighter bullets for smaller game, so I don't have to buy yet another rifle ...

I looked around at it seems to me that for a few hundred rounds of handgun ammo a year plus maybe 100 rounds for hunting a year, a progressive press isn't the way to go. Also, seems that the single stage presses may be more accurate / higher quality for less money than the progressive.

So, what is your preferred single stage press? And would you recommend buying a kit? From all the reading I have done, the kits seem to be spotting poor components, such as cheaply made scales or measures.

My budget is $300 to get going with a pistol caliber. Is that feasible? All I have so far is spent cases and a caliper.

I checked on CL - not much there - and overpriced.

Thanks!

George

[tabs]

RIBS Rockchucker has been around since Christ was a kid. It enables u to reload virtually all rifle caliber.

Reading and or RCBS reloading dies are the way to go. Carbide for pistol.

My thinking is get quality components. You can find used RCBS presses fairly cheap and well as most components. Except for the dies which tend to go for about the same as wholesale at auction.

Look at on line auctions, just know your price structures.

[svandamme]

If you change calibers a lot, it may be worth spending a bit more and getting a turret press.
I have a Redding T3 and it's such a convenience to not have to swap out dies all the time.

I just rotate the turret to what I need, and since I never moved the die, I don't have to check it.

[bowenx]

I will second the turret press idea. I have two turrets for my RCBS and it allows for four caliber setups. I had picked up a used single with the intent of having a dedicated primer removal slot...but still have it on the rcbs.
If you get a single stage try for a model that allows for the inserts...saves setup time when swapping out dies. As with any hobby you can start reasonably low for initial investment but may find that over time you will 'need' more and more gear.
Good luck. Read the reloading manuals fully.....then read it again.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by svandamme

If you change calibers a lot, it may be worth spending a bit more and getting a turret press.
I have a Redding T3 and it's such a convenience to not have to swap out dies all the time.

I just rotate the turret to what I need, and since I never moved the die, I don't have to check it.

A Turret press would be the way to go..

I like the Dillon 550.

[svandamme]

550 is not what i mean by a turret press, it's a progressive press.

More complicated, more parts to switch when you switch calbiers.

I had a 650 and it was tedious to setup when witching calibers a lot. Takes a while to get everything in tune.. so it's only useful if you don't switch much and do a lot of volume in one caliber.
And it will go well past the indicated budget, even with a 550.
a Redding T7 turrent will go a bit over budget, but it's not outrageous.. The options on the 550, shellplate, small or lager primer equipment.. it goes up rather quickly.

[bowenx]

This is what I started with:
RCBS Turret Deluxe Reloading Press Kit

I can't recall if the scale came with it or not - but add another 50 or more for the scale.
I also have a Hornady progressive press - you need to decide soon as to how far down the rabbit hole you want to go- do you just get the basics or do you keep adding to make the process easier for you- are you going to track every penny for cost savings or just say heck with it and say it is a hobby and to heck with the costs? I was tracking every penny at first - i stopped somewhere north of 2k with the gear i bought - that was a few years ago and shudder to think how much i have spent on gear since then as well. It is a great hobby - you can make nice ammo for a fraction of the cost - but it will still cost you some coin to get to that point where it is reasonable to get a good return. next you will find yourself being a brass whore at the range and losing focus when you can't find all of your brass that you just spent a weekend prepping and loading.

i will add this - track your brass from the start - keep it in different batches based on how many times you have reloaded it and trimmed it etc - don't mix your brass if you can help it.

good luck.

[Jeff Higgins]

I started with the then equivalent to this RCBS kit over 40 years ago and still use every component it came with. As a matter of fact, it remains my only press and my only scale to date. I've picked up a manual case trimmer and a couple of additional powder measures over the years, but that's about it.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/937051/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-master-single-stage-press-kit

I shoot 5,000-10,000 rounds of centerfire rifle and pistol ammo every year. It all gets loaded on this equipment. Shooting buddies have asked me for years why I don't get a progressive, or at least a turret press. That's not the point for me. It's a very relaxing pastime, and an infinitely variable avenue of exploration and experimentation. I'm never in a hurry.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by bowenx

i will add this - track your brass from the start - keep it in different batches based on how many times you have reloaded it and trimmed it etc - don't mix your brass if you can help it.

good luck.

I'll add my hearty recommendation as well. Best advice on this thread, regardless of what you decide to use to reload them. Sort and track your brass - do not mix it. Keep records of it.

I put a label on every box of ammo I produce. The information includes bullet type and weight; bullet lube where applicable; powder brand, type, charge, and lot number; primer brand, type, and lot number; case brand and lot number; number of reloads and trimmings on the brass; overall length; and finally velocity. A notebook carries permanent records of all of this loading data for every load in every caliber I have ever assembled and shot, showing velocity and accuracy results in the subject firearms.

[legion]

As a guy with three single-stage presses, a turret press, two progressive presses, and a shotgun press...

Lee is hard to beat price-wise. They are fine for a handgun stuff and for a single-stage press. I started out using all Lee stuff and have owned every press they currently produce. I wouldn't recommend them for a turret (though my turret is still Lee--but I'm thinking of selling it), definitely not for a progressive (trust me, you will spend more time fixing the press than using it), and definitely not for rifle or anything necked (their dies have to be kept extra clean, and don't even attempt something like resizing military surplus brass with them--you will end up throwing the sizing die away with an irretrievable stuck case inside).

I like RCBS dies for rifles. I like Dillon stuff for high-volume and progressive presses. I've not used Redding or Hornady so I have no opinion on them

Get a caliper. You will need to use it to measure things. Get something for measuring powder. I use a Lyman automatic scale for my "precision" loads.

[aigel]

Guys,

Thanks a ton for the great input and your opinions! I am always amazed how much we have in common on the board in terms of interests ...

I did look at cheaper presses but then I would probably be unhappy when it got to reloading rifle rounds. I can buy a basic Lee for $40 but then once I need to go to rifle calibers, it will be another $150.

The turret sounds nice, but to Jeff's point, this isn't going to be a rush job and a nice thing to do on a rainy day. I will plan on loading 50-100 rounds at a time, so changing dies won't kill me on time. Also, the turret is not an O frame and a lot more $.

I went over the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit with a fine toothed comb. Much of it is okay quality, but I don't need many of the items, i.e. a hex key set or the Nosler reload manual. Also, the powder measure supplied has a large cylinder, suited for rifle rounds, but not for smaller pistol load. I'd want to buy a small cylinder model because I will want to get my feet wet with loading small revolver rounds. For rifle rounds, I am pretty sure I'll want to tickle loads and weigh each one. I also think the Rock Chucker Supreme comes with a priming arm on the press, so why have a manual priming tool added? I can always buy that later if I feel the need.

Currently found what looks to be a new Rock Chucker Supreme on CL for $130. Not bad - the cheapest I can find it online currently is $150. I'll start putting something together over time here, there isn't any rush.

Last but not least - I was at Bass Pro today and figured I could buy some powder and primers, as those are not shipped easliy ($20 HAZMAT fee). I found the powder to be pricey and the primers (I was looking at CCI 500) were out of stock.

So, what primers to I buy and what powder for loading non magnum target pistol / revolver calibers? A powder that could double on rifle rounds would be even better. I am starting to think that $20 hazmat shipping is fairly easily covered by the reduction in price buying online and the availability. By the time I drive by every gun store in town, I'll have blown $20 on fuel.

Where do you buy bullets? I'm thinking copper plated semi wad cutters for the revolvers?

Thanks again and keep the ideas coming!

George

[Jeff Higgins]

In order:

Whether you realize it or not, yes, you do need the Nosler reloading manual. And at least several others. Don't even consider delving into this until you have several and have read every last word of each and every one's "how to" sections. You can never have too many reloading manuals.

You do not need to trickle and weigh charges for rifle rounds. This is entirely powder dependent. The extruded "stick" powders demand this approach, but no others require it. You would know this, by the way, if you had read those loading manuals.

Primer choice is driven by caliber and powder choice. Rifle and pistol primers are quite different and not interchangeable. Within those two broad categories, we have "large" and "small", "standard" and "magnum". Again, read those manuals to understand why, and which applications demand which. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this.

There are no powders suitable for both rifle and pistol/revolver loads. At least not until you get into the deep end of the pool and start shooting reduced velocity cast bullet loads from your rifles, but that is into "graduate level" reloading. If you are loading to the standard velocity range of a bottlenecked rifle round, and loading pistol or revolver ammunition, there is no one powder that will work. As a matter of fact, if you are loading for more than one bottlenecked rifle caliber, you will almost certainly need different powders for each.

Bullet selection will be driven by your velocity requirements. Handgun plinking loads, which are generally put together with standard for caliber bullet weights, will typically be loaded into the 800 foot per second range. Swaged or cast lead bullets will work fantastic in revolvers, and even autoloaders, at these velocities. They will save you a ton of money as well. Check those manuals for powders and primers suitable for these loads in the caliber you would like to load.

[aigel]

Thanks Jeff. I'll have a couple of books on the way here before I get any deeper than a press! If you buy an edition or two back, they are a lot cheaper than the latest and certainly will have the info I need. I will keep you guys posted!

G

[Bill Douglas]

You can learn a lot on the interweb. And by talking to people who reload for the particular caliber.

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, I find a sweet load for the gun I'm shooting (at the moment that's just a 1911 in .45ACP) and stick to that. A guy at the club says the most important consideration for rifle reloads is using good quality projectiles such as nosler and think he said berger.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by aigel

Thanks Jeff. I'll have a couple of books on the way here before I get any deeper than a press! If you buy an edition or two back, they are a lot cheaper than the latest and certainly will have the info I need. I will keep you guys posted!

G

I would not recommend buying "an edition or two back".

There was a time when the bullet and powder companies developed their loads by testing in the staff's personal rifles, or borrowed rifles, etc. They established maximum loads through evaluation of case head expansion, sticky extraction, or whatnot. Some of the bigger labs made use of dedicated test barrels fitted with copper (or lead, for lower pressure loads) crusher pressure measuring equipment, at least in in calibers for which they had it available. This equipment was expensive to buy and expensive to use, so most didn't. Data, as a result, was all over the map. This was not as long ago as one might think - an edition or two gets us back into this era.

Nowadays, most bullet and powder companies use piezo electric transducers fixed to the outside of either dedicated pressure test barrels, or personal firearms. The data produced is far more accurate - and far safer to use - than the old data. Some old "traditional" loads were found to be developing dangerous pressures. Some were found to be well under the pressures we all assumed they generated. Many published charges were reduced, many were increased. The bottom line is, we can now measure pressures far more accurately and reliably than before, so the data is much better.

Bottom line - don't use old manuals, even just an edition or two old.

[aigel]

Thanks Jeff - older manuals should still be up to date on technique? It makes sense that modern instrumentation made even recent editions obsolete on loads, so I will definitely follow your advice make sure to have latest editions for any loads I put together.

I was browsing CL and found a new RCBS Rockchucker Supreme and a new RCBS 500 scale. A guy had bought the kit and then decided to go nuts on a progressive and never use the single stage. After some haggling: $160 for both scale and press. A really good start with about $100 saved over ordering new.

The local gun store has a reasonable selection of powders that should hold something I can use, also no small handgun primers and no bullets. The upcoming legislation here (background check for ammo) has a lot of guys buying bulk apparently.

Where do I go online to buy bullets? I am thinking semi wadcutter lead or cu plated?

Thanks,

G

[aigel]

[enzo1]

Everglades Ammunition and Reloading

[enzo1]

And.... X-Treme BULLETS

[enzo1]

And eventually.... https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-98923-Combo-110V-AC-Chargemaster/dp/B00139UC6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490762478&sr=8-1&keywords=rcbs+electronic+scale