What reloading tools to get

[Cool_Moo5e]

So the last few times I went shooting I've kept my brass with the plans to reload I think I am 100% going to get into reloading so I have been looking at the Lee Precision Pro 4000 and my dad gave me his Hornady reloading book is there any other suggestions for reloading you guys recommend? other than buying the primer, powder, and bullets?

 

[outrider58]

If you get a "starter kit" and press combo, you will at least have enough equipment to get started reloading, but in reality, you're probably only half way there. There are a great many loading tools you can live without, but will make the task much more enjoyable. Especially if you will be doing volume reloading.

 

[Uncle Duke]

What rounds are you looking to load?

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

What rounds are you looking to load?

as of right now my 556/223 casings and was going to get the Pro 4000 223 die combo.

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

If you get a "starter kit" and press combo, you will at least have enough equipment to get started reloading, but in reality, you're probably only half way there. There are a great many loading tools you can live without, but will make the task much more enjoyable. Especially if you will be doing volume reloading.

well I can say my 1st batch will probably be over 200 casings but if it gets me started I can build from there

 

[Uncle Duke]

as of right now my 556/223 casings and was going to get the Pro 4000 223 die combo.

Your very best and least expensive bet starting out is to buy information. You can spend a lot of money very quickly with trial (and error) purchases. For 15 bucks, get yourself a copy of "The Beginners Guide to Reloading Ammunition." It'll give you some answers, and it'll also importantly help you to formulate questions that you don't yet know to ask.

As but one example, if you're loading rifle cartridges, you'll soon need a case trimmer. To me, I absolute hate case trimming. There are few reloading chores that I dislike more. Some trimmers don't work well. Others work well, but they work slowly. Others work quickly and well, but they aren't cheap. And as far as I'm concerned, they're all a pain in the ass, in some form or fashion.

Along this line, you'll also need a way to chamfer and deburr cases. And a way to measure cases. And with .223/.556, you'll likely need a way to swage or otherwise remove primer pocket crimps as well.

What you need to buy with all of this varies. Much of what is best, and what you can get away with, becomes about your anticipated and actual case processing volume. And your patience, or perhaps your ******** tolerance. Also, what other cartridges you anticipate having a need to trim moving forward.

The old carpentry adage applies here. As the saying goes, "measure twice, cut once." Resist the urge to buy before acquiring as much information as you can. That's hard to do. Most new folks won't do it. But to the extent that you can do that, your wallet (and your less cluttered and junked up loading bench) will thank you.

Get smart. Then get your wallet.
And Welcome to a great hobby! Good Luck!

 

[LGood48]

Agree with Uncle Duke completely.
Also, I'd add the Lee Modern Reloading handbook and the current Lyman edition (51st I believe).
And, what edition is your Dad's Hornady manual. Current is the 11th. Anything older that the 10th edition won't have most of the newer powders listed.
Good luck.

 

[outrider58]

Your very best and least expensive bet starting out is to buy information. You can spend a lot of money very quickly with trial (and error) purchases. For 15 bucks, get yourself a copy of "The Beginners Guide to Reloading Ammunition." It'll give you some answers, and it'll also importantly help you to formulate questions that you don't yet know to ask.

As but one example, if you're loading rifle cartridges, you'll soon need a case trimmer. To me, I absolute hate case trimming. There are few reloading chores that I dislike more. Some trimmers don't work well. Others work well, but they work slowly. Others work quickly and well, but they aren't cheap. And as far as I'm concerned, they're all a pain in the ass, in some form or fashion.

Along this line, you'll also need a way to chamfer and deburr cases. And a way to measure cases. And with .223/.556, you'll likely need a way to swage or otherwise remove primer pocket crimps as well.

What you need to buy with all of this varies. Much of what is best, and what you can get away with, becomes about your anticipated and actual case processing volume. And your patience, or perhaps your ******** tolerance. Also, what other cartridges you anticipate having a need to trim moving forward.

The old carpentry adage applies here. As the saying goes, "measure twice, cut once." Resist the urge to buy before acquiring as much information as you can. That's hard to do. Most new folks won't do it. But to the extent that you can do that, your wallet (and your less cluttered and junked up loading bench) will thank you.

Get smart. Then get your wallet.
And Welcome to a great hobby! Good Luck!

Sage advice here. For every task/stage of reloading, there are 5-20 different tools you can buy for that one task. Do lots of reading. Make sure you aren't under spending as well as over spending for each task.

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

Agree with Uncle Duke completely.
Also, I'd add the Lee Modern Reloading handbook and the current Lyman edition (51st I believe).
And, what edition is your Dad's Hornady manual. Current is the 11th. Anything older that the 10th edition won't have most of the newer powders listed.
Good luck.

in fact he bought the 11th edition not that long ago and as soon as I mentioned I was thinking of reloading he said "Here take my book, Its got notes for what I reload and I don't need it anymore" he buys the newest books and copies the data he likes after trial and error for his guns when he can't find the powder he bought prier.

 

[4g64loser]

Sage advice here. For every task/stage of reloading, there are 5-20 different tools you can buy for that one task. Do lots of reading. Make sure you aren't under spending as well as over spending for each task.

I've never regretted buying a better reloading tool and I have spent a lot of money on them. And I'm a working stiff.

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

Your very best and least expensive bet starting out is to buy information. You can spend a lot of money very quickly with trial (and error) purchases. For 15 bucks, get yourself a copy of "The Beginners Guide to Reloading Ammunition." It'll give you some answers, and it'll also importantly help you to formulate questions that you don't yet know to ask.

As but one example, if you're loading rifle cartridges, you'll soon need a case trimmer. To me, I absolute hate case trimming. There are few reloading chores that I dislike more. Some trimmers don't work well. Others work well, but they work slowly. Others work quickly and well, but they aren't cheap. And as far as I'm concerned, they're all a pain in the ass, in some form or fashion.

Along this line, you'll also need a way to chamfer and deburr cases. And a way to measure cases. And with .223/.556, you'll likely need a way to swage or otherwise remove primer pocket crimps as well.

What you need to buy with all of this varies. Much of what is best, and what you can get away with, becomes about your anticipated and actual case processing volume. And your patience, or perhaps your ******** tolerance. Also, what other cartridges you anticipate having a need to trim moving forward.

The old carpentry adage applies here. As the saying goes, "measure twice, cut once." Resist the urge to buy before acquiring as much information as you can. That's hard to do. Most new folks won't do it. But to the extent that you can do that, your wallet (and your less cluttered and junked up loading bench) will thank you.

Get smart. Then get your wallet.
And Welcome to a great hobby! Good Luck!

thank you, ordered that book and I was planning on buying a trimming tool of some sort don't know if I want to go all out and buy the Lyman Express tool which is electric or their hand tools over time because I do want to spend as little as possible get it all right the 1st try and take up as little space as possible which is why I was thinking a multi-stage tool.

 

[Squaregrouper]

Check "The Barter Thread" in the reloading forum. Gungate was looking to sell a Lee 4000 within the past week or so.
That being said, I am not a fan of learning to reload on a progressive- too much going on at once for someone starting out. If you do, be very slow and deliberate until you feel confident in everything you're doing.

 

[Squaregrouper]

thank you, ordered that book and I was planning on buying a trimming tool of some sort don't know if I want to go all out and buy the Lyman Express tool which is electric or their hand tools over time because I do want to spend as little as possible get it all right the 1st try and take up as little space as possible which is why I was thinking a multi-stage tool.

I use the Lee Deluxe Power Quick Trim. You chuck it into your cordless drill and spin away.
You will need a die for each caliber you load.
.

 

[Cool_Moo5e]

Check "The Barter Thread". Gungate was looking to sell a Lee 4000 within the past week or so.
That being said, I am not a fan of learning to reload on a progressive- too much going on at once for someone starting out. If you do, be very slow and deliberate until you feel confident in everything you're doing.

yep can never go too slow when explosives are being handled and I have no need to be in a rush what am I going to miss the media's drama? and thank you for the suggestion.

 

[outrider58]

I've never regretted buying a better reloading tool and I have spent a lot of money on them. And I'm a working stiff.

Everyone has to start somewhere. That's why I suggested he buy a reloading kit. It will give him a taste of reloading at an affordable price and he can decide what direction he wants to go from there.

 

[4g64loser]

Everyone has to start somewhere. That's why I suggested he buy a reloading kit. It will give him a taste of reloading at an affordable price and he can decide what direction he wants to go from there.

I've broken two Lee presses. One irreparably. Wore a rockchucker to where it had pivot slop. I broke the cast iron toggle on a summit. Rcbs replaced the broken stuff, albeit with some prodding on the rockchucker. Lee accused me of abuse. My friend has a hydraulic ram hooked up to the press ram on an rcbs ammomaster2 that has been modified to accept ch4d dies so that it can size 20mm cases and it hasn't broken yet.

My buddy introduced me to Dillon for volume stuff and they have been ggggreat. There is no other progressive unless you go to automated stuff.

To those buying a first press and wanting single stage (a good idea), rcbs or redding. They back their stuff. Turret press? Redding t7. I have a friend with well over 50k rounds on one and hasn't broken any parts.

 

[jmiller320]

So the last few times I went shooting I've kept my brass with the plans to reload I think I am 100% going to get into reloading so I have been looking at the Lee Precision Pro 4000 and my dad gave me his Hornady reloading book is there any other suggestions for reloading you guys recommend? other than buying the primer, powder, and bullets?

My father used to reload everything we shot. He had several presses to reload shotgun, pistol and rifle. When he passed, my brother took all the reloading equipment and I was fine with that as he would reload my brass. A couple months ago I picked up a RCBS Rock Chucker kit with a set of 308 dies. I shoot 9mm, 38, 357, 45, 223/5.56, 308 and have a three other calibers that I seldom shoot. My first batch I reloaded was 9mm. I had to buy a set of dies, then found out I needed shell holders for each caliber. The brass needed to be cleaned, so I picked up a tumbler. Needed bullets, primers and powder and a rack to hold the charged cases. A couple primer pocket tools and other things to help the process. I picked up the rest of the dies I thought I would need in the future. So far after today's trip to Shydas and Richland I'm in it for $2,126.26

 

[guzma393]

Pass on the lee pro 4000 and go for the lee pro6000. The priming system is so much better and you get two additional stations vs. The pro 4000.

 

[Squaregrouper]

Pass on the lee pro 4000 and go for the lee pro6000. The priming system is so much better and you get two additional stations vs. The pro 4000.

I have a Lee ABLP and I despise the priming system- pretty sure it is the same as the Pro 4000.

 

[guzma393]

I have a Lee ABLP and I despise the priming system- pretty sure it is the same as the Pro 4000.

Yeah the lee pro4000 is the same at the ablp. Lee just released a new press called the lee breech lock pro 1000 with what looks like to be a mash of a pro1000 chassis, 3 station breech lock tool head, and the lee pro6000 primer system.

If it were up to me, I would like to see lee go even bigger and move forward with producing a value 10 station press to compete against the FA x10, mark 7, or dillon 1050, with built in swaging and compatibility with a dillon/mark 7 style trimmer for full progressive brass processing capabilities.