So I want to start reloading...

[Tread_Head]

Ok, I think it is time to finally start learning to reload rather than constantly waiting for good deals on milsurp ammo. I'm getting "The ABC's of reloading" to read before I start. What do you guys recommend for an good beginners setup? I plan on reloading 7.62x51, 8mm mauser, .30-.06, and 7.62X54R. Thanks.

[tanstaafl4y]

Any single stage press, any die sets, Quality beam balance.

Many reccomend a multi stage press, although I've used one I feel more "involved" with a single stage.

[pigpen]

I like the lyman scales. The lee scales take too long to balance. Also, if you only have one gun of each caliber you mentioned(but who only has one gun of any caliber:icon_biggrin: ) get the neck sizing dies. They will save wear & tear on your brass. Lee auto prime is good for priming brass while you watch TV. If you are shooting milsurp brass get the primer pocket swager too. Depening on the volume of reloading you plan to do a powder despencer is handy. Those despencers can be finiky when it come to what kinda powder you are using, bulky stick powders don't meter too good in most powder despencers. When I think of more I'll add it later.

[pigpen]

Also, the latest edition of the book Metallic Cartridge Reloading by ML McPherson is good to have to cross ref. with ABC.

[pigpen]

Dial or digital calipers are a must.

[bullseye]

First off, I'm gonna figure you wanna start off with minimal investment to get you started. You know, try it a little before you sink a ton of money into it. That being the case, I would start with http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1179232617.2335=/html/catalog/classic.html I started with the anniversary kit but was loading smaller calibers. I "lost" it in a move somehow. :( The classic will do for you what you need and can be had from lots of places cheaper that from Lee directly. Others will tell you that a Lee might not last a lifetime of volume loading, so if you are looking at loading a couple hundred thousand rounds you might wanna look at something with a 4-fold output up front. Keep in mind that with any press if you break a part, it is (usually) easily swapped out and back up and running. The people that use lee have no problem with them. Not knocking other brands, but Lee works for a lot less. Get carbide dies, case length guage, primer pocket cleaner, chamfer tool(inside & out), cutter & lock stud, Lee Auto Prime, and shell holders for the auto prime. I enjoy the decapper & base. You can sit anywhere and de-prime with a whack. Great stress reliever for the wife too. I personally like the Lee safety scale, others do not. Other scales are quicker to learn and use, all should be equally accurate.
Also get a couple of load manuals to reference, one will not be enough and two might still be lacking for some bullet weights or powder combinations. The loading manuals have so much more info in them that is important to know, not just the load data. BTW, I ordered all of my stuff recently from Grafs & Sons at a big discount from the prices on Lee's site, but Midway or Midsouth have good prices as well. there is also evil bay. Hope this helps some.

[Geilt]

Like you, I have decided to get in to reloading. I have been buying equipment as I can afford it each month. The question I had to answer for myself was do I want to go with less expense up front and then replace equipment as I outgrow it or did I want to spend more in the begining for equipment that I can grow in to. I opted for the later of the two. I did the math and saw that in the long run I'd end up spending a lot more going with option number one.

Books:
I started, like you, by buying a ton of reloading manuals and basic references. I think "Reloading ABCs" was one of books I got and got a lot out of it. Better to have more information available than to try and figure things out on my own. If you're not interested in getting the full reloading manuals by each bullet manufacturer I highly recommend the thin spiral bound caliber specific guides. I can't recall the publisher but they take verbatim the pages from each manufacturer's manual and put them in a single volume. I believe they also include the larger powder manufacturer's load information. At $7 per caliber you can avoid having to build up an expensive library of books for about 100 pages of information you really need.

Equipment:
I want to say up front that I don't NEED everything I have purchased so far but I've used it all.

Lyman Flash Hole Uniformer
Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer and Cleaner (LG and SM pocket)
RCBS TrimPro with a couple extra shell holders for calibers it doesn't come with already in the box. (I may look at the replacement cutters that chamfer and deburr in the same operation down the road.)
RCBS Hand Priming Tool with the shell holders I need for it.
???? Chamfer and Deburring Tool
RCBS Case Master Gauging Tool
RCBS Chargemaster 1500 scale (I wanted the 1500 so I can buy the electronic powder dispenser down the road.)
Lyman 500 Beam Scale (as a periodic sanity check for the Chargemaster 1500)
RCBS Uniflow Powder Dispenser, the baffle and stand
various dies, some for full length resizing and some neck sizing

About the only thing left to buy at this point is the press itself. I'll probably get it after the first of June. Up till this point I've been using a friend's "backup" press. This is the only piece I am not going balls out on initially. I'm going to get a single stage Lee or RCBS (Rockchucker Supreme). I'll get a higher end model press once I prove to myself that this is something I will stick with long term.

Oh, I also need to get case lube, neck brushes and a lube pad. At some point soon I'll also be in the market for a tumbler.

I know I spent more buying each component individually but I have the tools I want. If you are on a budget or just want to get everything you need in one whack most companies offer package deals that include everything you'll need to get up and running right away. The only thing they don't come with normally are the dies. Most presses though use a standard size for the dies so you can mix-n-match dies and presses. There are exceptions however so do your homework.

[Jacobite]

Depending on how much you will reload makes a big difference on what you will want or need. Any good single stage press will do but getting a good solid one will pay off in the long run. I have an RCBS reloader special and have loaded thousands of rounds with it. I wish I had a rock chucker though as I load quite a bit of harder Mil spec brass and form some wildcats from time to time. A good case trimmer is a must especially if loading for an auto loader. Case prep time is the most tedious and time consuming. I put off spending big money on an auto powder dispensing system for way to long. Now that I have one I use it for almost everything other than loading large quantys of .223 for the AR. For that I still use the old manual operated powder measure. The RCBS one is nice as you can buy the scale first and add the powder dispenser later as you start loading more. I opted for the Lyman 1200 though as it was way cheaper. I didn't notice anyone mention a brass tumbeler but I recomend keeping your brass clean as it is easier on your dies and chambers of your rifles. They really are not that expensive as you need not buy the largest and most expensive one made. The neck sizing idea is good if loading for one rifle and it being a bolt gun. However I would recomend full length dies as you will most likely end up loading for more than one rifle of the same caliber. You can still neck size if you want to keep brass seperate for each rifle. Lee does make a really nice set of dies that include a neck die with the FL die as well. I use them for my .303 British and my .257AI
This is info on the bigger things you have gotten lots of good info from everyone.

[rep30cal]

I always tell my friend to start with the easy stuff, a single stage press
allows you to take each step at a time. If you mess up on something, it
can be corrected easier if all you are doing is "one step" and it is easier
to figure out the problem if you haven't done several completed rounds
before you notice the problem. Also, Welcome to an addictive part of
shooting realm, I enjoy reloading, it is a good way for me to get away
when I need it and I have something to show for the time away.
You can always upgrade later if you need to, and if you look around, you
can find used reloading stuff reasonable, look on the companies websites,
they have good prices on stuff that was displays, stuff that may not
have been painted right and stuff that was returned due to buyers
remorse. I just built a new bench and added a RCBS RS-3, got the press
for $30.