Need help picking reloading gear

S

spy231

New member
I got a $100 gift card from cabelas and I am finally going to order some reloading gear. No talking me out of it this time. I plan to put about $50-75 with the $100 to get started.
The only caliber I will load for right now is the .270. I want to start reloading b/c I dont want to be stuck with standard calibers my whole life (unless I want to pay an arm and a leg for ammo)
I am not affraid of a lee kit so I can start loading as soon as I get it. I heard the new kits were not bad at all. I am not opposed to piecing it together and buying higher quality gear a little at a time.
I know things like this are posted all the time, but I need the best bang for my buck from Cabelas (not midway, BPS, Gander MTN)
Thanks in advance guys!
 
The Lee kit is fine for starting out. You will find very few of us on this forum that would take a Lee over a RCBS or comparable press, but if you just want to get started and make ammo, the Lee will get you there. I you can spare the coin, I think that you would be much better off to buy a good Rockchucker press and be done with it. It will save you money in the long run from buying the cheap stuff now and the good stuff later.

There are many decades for reloading help on this forum. I have 35 years myself and I am still learning. More slowly now, but still learning!

Good luck to you. Keep those questions coming!
 
What 44 shooter said.

Next year will mark 35 years of reloading for me too. I think same as he does that a good press should be number one. I have lots of Lee stuff, but I find their presses to be a bit, well, less pleasing to the hand than other presses out there. Get you a good press and accurate scale to start off. The other things like case trimmers, brass polishers, neck turners, will all come later.

Oh, better get you a bullet puller and a stuck case remover. Trust me on this one! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
If either of you guys have any time (or anybody else)
Please look at Cabelas and give me some recommendations on how you would spend the 1st $150. How to get started by getting quality stuff.
 
I can't comment on the new Lee kit but i had the older kit and had problems with the press. I broke the linkage once(light cast metal) and when i started loading for a WSSM i could not get the round to chamber no matter how hard i stood on the handle. Got a rcbs rock chucker and my problems were solved with a lot less effort, what a press! If i was to do it over again i would get the better components piece by piece.
 
The newer Lee Cast Classic is as stout a press as you'll find and is nearly half the price of a RCBS. My partner purchased one and it is quite the press for the money.

AWS
 
OK from Cabella's for $259.99 you can get the RCBS RC supreme kit, I know it is about seventy five bucks more than you planed on but I garantee you will never be sorry. This kit includes a Rock Ch8cker supreme press, Uniflow powder measure, 505 Scale, lube pad, lube,hand priming tool, allen wrench set,funnel , chamfering tool, and a new Speer manual. Yes you will want to get things like a trimmer and /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.giftumbler, and you will have to buy dies, and shell holders not only for the press but for the trimmer as well. But hey it is RCBS you can hardly go wrong for that amount of cash. Oh and BTW this press is IRON not cast aluminum, it is rated to well over 50,000 PSI with out flexing or streaching. I have to admit that I have been a happy user of RCBS equipt. almost exclusivly for over forty years, when I started handloading, back in the late 1960's I tried Lee, then about all they had was a handloader called the Leeloader, while it was a pretty good design for what it was I got second degree burns to the fingers of my left hand when a primer detonated. After that I went to press mounted tools and chose RCBS, I have never looked back, BTW I still have the old leeloader around here somplace. I have some friends who bought lee presses back in the eighties one in particular wore two out before he bought a Rock Chucker he is still useing that RC and still loading on average ten thousand rounds per year. I still have the first Rock Chucker I bought in 1972 and use it all the time. I bought a second one in 1997 to just speed my handloading up. I put a shell holder in each, sizeing die in one and seating die in the other case trimmer and powder measure in the middle I hand prime so my process goes clean brass, size, clean primer pocket, measure length and trim if needed, reprime, charge with powder, and seat bullet. ( The charging step involves measuring the charge with the Uniflow, wiegh each tenth charge) But any how look in the cabella's shooting catalog 2007 Page 18 You really can't go wrong with this kit, oh yes the new RC supreme can be upgraded to progressive later if you want
 
If you live near Cabela's you should watch the bargain cave. They frequently have new or almost new gear at a huge reduction in price. Compare the pieces to the new one to make sure all is well and then SAVE. Nearly all of my equipment was bought slightly used at big discounts.

You may also want to look at what you can buy used and then use the card to buy those things new that are harder to find used. A pound or 2 of powder and a couple of boxes of bullets will eat the $100 quickly and you will not find them as easily used.

My preferences are: Forster Press (bargain cave, like new $118), Forster dies and Lee collet dies (new), RCBS 10-10 Scale (new, Gander price matched plus 15% price beater $63 they lost money), Etc...

Buy new what you have too....the rest just watch the internet, local estate auctions, etc. If you can buy the best equipment a little at a time when you find it for a bargain you will save the money you would lose by having to upgrade later. I also find that when I buy low end equipment for any hobby I am less likely to have a good experience and want to continue.
 
The way I see it, you haven't got enough bang in your budget to get it all for $175. Used high quality stuff is always better than new lower quality. A good rockchucker is almost impossible to wear out in one lifetime. If your serious enough to take it up for a hobby, get some good equipment or forget it and just buy the ammo. If you buy all new equipment, your first box of shells could cost you $450 to $750 depending on how deluxe you care to go. Take your time and shop Ebay, etc. for bargans. You will also want a good solid bench to mount it all on as well.

By the way, how much is an arm and a leg at today's prices??
 
I think used stuff on ebay brings pretty much money after you figure in shipping IMHO. Besides you did say Cabelas.

+1 on what blinddog said. I sat here and tried to pice together different brands that would get the job done and about any way you cut it, you are in for about $250 minimum. RCBS is quality stuff, I have never had a problem with any of it that I own. There was also a thread on here not to long ago about how excellent their customer service is (I have never had to deal with them). To save some money right know you can go with the lyman case trimmer set up they are fool proof (about $11 vs. $40-70).

I have a Lyman Crusher II single stage press and a RCBS RC Supreme press and the Supreme is a little tighter as far motion although you would never know it without them side by side.
 
Quote:
By the way, how much is an arm and a leg at today's prices??



$276 Canadian

.32 Afghanistan /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

That's for the pair /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Advertise in your area or put a card up at your local gun club that you're looking for a good older press. There's lots of good older solid single presses out there that are no longer being used. Even good dies. Seek and ye shall find.

Then take your gift certificate and buy the rest.
 


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