[gvcandyman]

I am new to guns but have become interested reloading. What presses do you think are the best for a beginner? What else I need to get? Thanks for all your help. I love getting all this good advice from you guys.

[opaww]

Start with a good reloading manual, read it front to back, and it should help you to decide what to get to start the hobby of reloading. From that point you will find things that work better and end up replacing items as you go.

I started with a RCBS Jr. press and still have and use it. I have been adding stuff over the years, a little here and a little there.

[shadecorp]

Dillon.

Several years ago bought a Dillon

Loaded a bunch of pistol ammo. in different calibers.

go to the Dillon site and check out the stuff.

www. dillonprecision.com

And great customer service.

Have to add.

Reloading only pays off,
IF you shoot A WHOLE BUNCH.
I was shooting two, three days a week.
Was loading,
45.acp,
45 auto rim,
44 special.

[anm2_man]

Understanding the reloading process is the up most in importance. Once you have gotten an understanding of the process, you need to ask yourself - How much shooting and what kind of shooting are you going to do ?

You never did say why you want to reload ?

Accuracy - Yes you control the process, and you create the best and accurate ammo.

Cost Savings - You have to shoot alot of rounds to get cost savings here. I would say 1,000 rounds a month per caliber to realize any savings.

No commercial source for Ammo - As long as you can find components to load these rounds, cost is not a problem.

Hobby - A lot of people do this as a hobby - cost is no problem, you enjoy doing it and gets you away from your better half if you have one.

[gvcandyman]

I'm looking to be able to shoot more for less. I also am interested in making all my cartridges the same so that I can shoot more accurately. Your last point is also a good one. As much as I love my girl friend it is nice to have my own thing. She's not into shooting so it'd just be me

[375shooter]

Originally Posted by gvcandyman

I am new to guns but have become interested reloading. What presses do you think are the best for a beginner? What else I need to get? Thanks for all your help. I love getting all this good advice from you guys.

I would start out with a reloading kit such as a RCBS R-S-5 Starter Kit or Rockchucker Supreme Master Kit or Reading Boss Pro Pack Reloading Kit. They come with most of the items you will need and include a reloading manual. They will get you started, and you can add other item as you go.

[diggsbakes]

Originally Posted by gvcandyman

I am new to guns but have become interested reloading. What presses do you think are the best for a beginner? What else I need to get? Thanks for all your help. I love getting all this good advice from you guys.

Opaww said it best. Get a few reloading manuals, read through them and then decide what equipment would best fit your needs. I know a lot of folks don't like to red, but this operation requires a bit of intelligence and complete understanding of the role (proper application) of each component and it's limitations/thresholds. hazard awareness and material handling are also important.

Start with "The ABC's of Reloading" AT THE VERY LEAST then maybe check out a "Lyman" guide, then get into more specific literature for the type of reloading you plan on doing.

I'm pretty new to reloading, so I can only tell you how to learn. But if you have to ask " What Do I Need?" You need to do some reading.

[Troy Michalik]

^ +1 diggs.

I used to reload, and then put it all away when other things took priority. Now I'm back to reloading again and had to sit down and give myself a total refresher. Read everything you can, know what everything does and how it does it. And above all be diligent and lock the distractions on the other side of the door.

I started with a single stage Lee press and moved up to and RCBS Rockchucker and then added a Piggyback II which is what I still use. Although I'm thinking it might be time to upgrade again.

And don't skimp on a scale. Get a good one, it's worth it.

[Rick1967]

A good book is a must. I have a rock chucker press. RCBS does make great equipment. Lee is not bad and a lot cheaper. I prefer RCBS, but started with LEE. You will need a press. Do you have a garage and a work bench to mount one on? Are you confined to an apartment? This will have a lot to do with your selection.

[Warren2]

Originally Posted by gvcandyman

I am new to guns but have become interested reloading. What presses do you think are the best for a beginner? What else I need to get? Thanks for all your help. I love getting all this good advice from you guys.

The question you are asking is a horse of many colors. It depends on what you want to do. How many cals do you want to reload? Are you going to do just pistol, just rifle, or both? And of course what volume of reloading? And of course the biggie... how much can you afford?

If your just going to do one or two cals and only shoot 100-200 a month then a simple C clamp single stage would be the cheapest way to go. However as your volume of shooting goes up, then you would want something a bit faster to use such as maybe one of the Lee 4 hole turret systems. Someone would find these more than capable of doing the 200-300+ a month they are shooting.

Now if your going out say a couple of times a month and shooting 250-500 rounds each time you will need something capable of doing that volume. For this type of reloading i would always recommend a Dillon 550B system. This press will do 250-300 per hour with no problems and will do all cals in pistol and rifle. A well built press will last you a lifetime, so a little extra spent on a really good system is not a waste.

One little hint i might give is purchase the Lee dies for what ever you want to load. Very good dies at half the price of some of the other brands. Another tip is figure out what power you want to use and buy it in 4 or 8 pound jugs, you get a much better price. Same with primers, buy them in 5K lots, saves quite a bit of money over time.

No matter what press you go with read everything you can find on reloading and keep your loads under max and you will have a lifetime of fun instead of having blown guns and missing fingers and eyes.