# Where to begin?



## KENYEEZY (Jan 26, 2012)

i am not yet reloading my own, but plan too. i have been keeping all of my 40 casings. and i don't really wanna blow a bunch of money on a kit. any recommendations on what what brands are good with quality and price? thanks


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

Ultimate Reloader

1.Hornady

2.Lee

3.Dillon

The three best.


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## KENYEEZY (Jan 26, 2012)

thanks cat. i will look into it.


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## Rockhound (Sep 28, 2011)

The Ultimate Reloader is a great web site to look at various progressive presses and see how they work and how to set them up. However, I am not sure I would recommend a person new to reloading start with a progressive press. I think I would recommend a Lee turret press as a first press. It is one of the most popular and versitile presses on the market. A lot of people have them and love them. You can get the press in a kit or by itself. Take a look in the Lee section on the Ultimate Reloader web page for some videos featuring the classic turret press. You can pick one of these presses up for at least one-third the cost of buying a progressive press from Dillon, RCBS, or Hornady.


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## robertcseg (Jan 29, 2012)

I have been reloading for a short while. 38spl and 45s it took me a year to get started. I purchased RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Master Kit.used,240.00. This is a single stage press. I reloaded 60 45 cal tonight.Money is not the object for me but I have no desire to own any progressive press. My intention was to load as good or better than factory ammo. I feel I do that. It was not without errors that I do not think I would have caught with a progressive.


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## DWARREN123 (May 11, 2006)

I started with a Lee Anniversary Kit (single stage) and still use it after quite a few years. I load 40 S&W and 10mm. Not a high output system but has worked well for me. :mrgreen:


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## KENYEEZY (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks guys, I'm trying to keep it low budget also


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## twomode (Jun 7, 2009)

+1 on Rockhound. I have my first, the Lee Classic Turret, and now a pro 1k and my new Loadmaster. If I had started with the LM, I'd have quit. There's just too much going on in a progressive to "learn" the important stuff. Good luck.


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## AK_Maine_Iac (Feb 25, 2012)

DWARREN123 said:


> I started with a Lee Anniversary Kit (single stage) and still use it after quite a few years. I load 40 S&W and 10mm. Not a high output system but has worked well for me. :mrgreen:


This is also what i started with. Then i graduated up to yard sales and estate auctions etc. Got more green and blue and red things. Nothing wrong with going used.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Remember, however, the real reason for reloading: To save money by remanufacturing wholesale quantities of practice ammunition.
Once you find a good, accurate, factory-equivalent load, stop experimenting and start loading in earnest.
Then use the reloads to practice, practice, practice. Build and maintain your shooting skills.

Too many people end up shooting only as a means of unloading cases in order to feed their reloading hobby.


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## scooter (May 9, 2006)

I dont have a 40 but i hear 40 ammo isnt much more $$ than 9mm. If thats true at even todays prices it will probably take 5-10 years to break even with buying every thing to reload + your labor time vs just buying new ammo unless you shoot 10,000+ rounds a year:watching:
Now I used to reload 9mm and 45 acp and did the math on it 15 years ago and found its true, the cost difference was very minimal, add my time I could be doing something else and....... If you want to get into reloading Im not trying to stop you but it is worth comparing costs just to see.
I still reload for all my rifles (except the AR cuz it isnt really cost effective either(for me) 223 bulk ammo is cheaper than reloading materials and my combined labor time.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I believe that it's closer to a year of reloading, to break even.
However, that's not including the cost of your time. If you value your time at whatever your work-pay scale is, and you're fairly well paid, you may never break even.

I never charged myself for my time, because it was a leisure-time effort and because it was "quality time" with my daughter. We reloaded together when she was quite young, and she always handled the timer for my dry-fire practice.


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## scooter (May 9, 2006)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I believe that it's closer to a year of reloading, to break even.
> However, that's not including the cost of your time. If you value your time at whatever your work-pay scale is, and you're fairly well paid, you may never break even.
> 
> I never charged myself for my time, because it was a leisure-time effort and because it was "quality time" with my daughter. We reloaded together when she was quite young, and she always handled the timer for my dry-fire practice.


Like I said Im not trying to talk him out of it just do some math first and see if he wont actally be spending MORE to reload. I enjoyed my reloading time for the most part but there were times I would MUCH rather been somewhere else......


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## AK_Maine_Iac (Feb 25, 2012)

I don't really know if i save money or not. Never crunched the numbers. Don't care. It is a good relaxing hobby now that i am retired.
As long as one can read, use a good set of scales, calipers. Start low with powder charges and work your way up and NOT PAST MAX limits. Safety safety safety first you are playing with something that could harm or kill you. Oh did i say be safe. Get manuals and read read read.
I reload for all of my rifle calibers. including AR10 & AR15. Handguns 10mm 40 S&W 45acp 45lc 454casull 44mag 357/38 special


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## prof_fate (Jan 2, 2012)

If you can save your brass then the biggest cost is the bullet -lead is cheapest, then plated then jacketed. Lots of choices, brands, etc. This is probably the hardest thing to choose. 

I can make 100 rounds for about $12 using berry's plated bullets bought locally. I can drop that about $2 if I use lead, sourced locally. 

Plus the cost of the equipment to reload...you can do it for $150ish with a single stage press, but that's gonna be slow to use. A turret type will be faster and cost a bit more. I went with a lee loadmaster progressive and added the bullet feeder to make bullets as fast as possible (potentially 500 rounds an hour). Total cost for the press, odds and ends, scale, tumbler - $400.

The cheapest ammo I can find this week is $22/100, so I save $10 for every 100 I shoot, or about $17 on a trip to the range. That adds up. I figure the press will be paid off in 4,000 rounds.

How long it will take me to shoot 4000 rounds? 2 to 3 years is my guess.

But I can make up any bullet I want - our indoor range is lead only (they'll let you shoot plated but prefer you don't). I can't find lead bullets in stores. Probably available via the mail but with shipping the cost benefit is gone.

So far I've enjoyed reloading - I'm just at the point I have a load I like and will now go make a few hundred to go practice with -we'll see how i like just sitting there cranking out bullets like a robot...but 1/2 hour should get me 200 rounds, enough for a trip to the range.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

prof_fate said:


> ...I can make 100 rounds for about $12 using berry's plated bullets bought locally. I can drop that about $2 *if I use lead*, sourced locally...[emphasis added]


If you use straight, soft lead, you will find yourself with a serious bore cleaning problem afterwords.
Modern powders and velocities (even .45 ACP velocities) require alloyed bullets that are somewhat harder than straight lead.
A really good source for bullet material _used to be_ used wheelweights, but they are no longer made of lead alloy, so they are now of no use to the reloader.
Lyman still sells alloyed lead, in ingots, or you can buy the constituent materials and alloy your own.
But do not use straight, soft lead.


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## prof_fate (Jan 2, 2012)

Mastercast is about 10 miles from me and they said Speer bullets like I bought were soft and theirs are harder and don't lead up barrels. They make ammo there and use 231 so next time in I'll buy 100 of their loads and see how they do. They're also loading them a lot hotter than I would ( i used 4.2 to 4.6 on my test loads. they use 5.0..max I found in recipes was 4.8...) Welcome to Mastercast Bullet Co.,Inc.


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