Minimal start-up cost, first class setup.

[Lost Sheep]

Since hindsight is 20-20, I thought I would share what I figured out recently when I repopulated my loading bench.

This is just one man's recommendation for an absolute minimum loading setup for

1) a novice just starting out

2) which is upgradeable at minimal waste to a really good system suitable for "most" handloaders.

Caveat 1:

While I chose Lee Precision stuff, please do not make this thread a referendum on brands. (Though I would like to hear alternatives, better to inform my future hindsight.)

Caveat 2:

I make no recommendation for loaders of bottlenecked cartridges. All this setup is for are for are 9mm, 45 ACP .357 Mag, .44 Mag, 45 Colt and 454 Casull.

Caveat 3:

This post is what I would do "If I knew then what I know now", and was starting out today.

I started reloading in 1975. What I learned in 35 years informed this post. It is valid for me. It may or may not be valid for you.

Caveat 4:

If you demand 500 or more rounds per hour, this post, this thread, is probably not for you. My knowledge of progressives is minimal.

Parameters that guided my thinking:

This "absolute minimum reloading setup" is chosen to facilitate
1) low-cost entry and
2) easy upgrade to high-quality equipment with
3) little or no waste "trading in" your starter equipment.

I chose a turret press. Operable as single-stage, a turret makes changing dies easier and quicker than with most single-stage presses (Forster Co-Ax and presses using bushings are exceptions) and rotating the turret around a single cartridge case allows "through-put" processing rather than "batch" processing, reducing handling of the cartridge case and speeding things up considerably.

I picked the Lee Classic Turret press because, like any turret it can be operated as a single stage easily and Lee's is the ONLY turret press manufactured today that can be made to automatically advance the dies around the cartridge for convenient speed. I have also found that (picking selectively) Lee gear performs well without sacrifice of quality...first class economy, not false economy.

These prices are what I paid this July, 2010.

$0 A folding workbench, sturdy table, something you may already have available
$85 Press (includes one turret)
$22 Scale (cheapest scale which is accurate - Lee's. Others, easier to operate, go up to $300)
$11 Powder Funnel and Powder measure kit (dippers/scoops)
$33 Set of Deluxe (4-die) carbide dies

$151 plus shipping

Upgrades:

Easier priming:

$22 primer feed tool for the press in both large and small primers. Otherwise, you are using your fingers (or tweezers) to place the primers in the priming cup on the press. Doable, but inconvenient.

Easier/faster powder dispensing:

-$11 (drop the funnel and dippers/scoops - if you want to, but I would keep them)
$46 Auto-Disk measure, riser (necessary for clearance when turret head rotates) and swivel adapter
$35 net if you forego the dippers in the beginning

$10 Adjustable powder charge bar (replaces the fixed-cavity disk in the Auto-disk measure)

each additional caliber:

$45 one set of dies and one extra turret


One could do the same thing for a little less money with a single-stage press using bushings for convenient die changing, but I didn't buy one of those. I replaced almost my entire reloading bench this summer with almost all Lee equipment after extensive research. $450 for press, 7 calibers, a multitude of spare parts and some redundancies and I could hardly be happier. Thanks to Sue Kempf at Kempf's Gun Shop, and Mark and the guys at Factory Direct Sales and the technicians in Customer Support at Lee Precision.

This recipe would allow a new reloader to get started for well under $250 (including safety glasses, a couple of manuals and small (optional) accessories that make life easier.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration.

Lost Sheep

Wear safety glasses, especially when working with primers and don't pinch your fingers in your press. Be safe, always, all ways.

 

[flashhole]

Sounds like the voice of experience offering good advice. I don't load handgun stuff (yet) but am not far removed from what you describe for rifle loads. If I had to add something to your post it would be to pick up a Lee Classic Cast single stage in addition to the Lee Classic Turret.

Here's my bench.

And here's how I outfitted my Lee Turret to load 45-70.

 

[Lost Sheep]

I left out my (existing) single-stage

single stage in addition to the Lee Classic Turret.

Yep, I left out my single-stage. My RCBS Rockchucker, which I have had since 1976 (it replaced my 1975 RCBS Jr.) If I ever did nose my RockChucker, I would replace it with the Hornady or Lee bushing-using Single Stage. It is nice to have super leverage in a single-stage available.

I also left out a myriad of other "nice to have" and "good to have" accessories like

Tumbler (used rags for 30 years to clean my brass)
Calipers (used my guns' chambers to check fit for 32 years and simply discarded or re-processed misfits)
Bullet Puller (never needed one - ultra careful and borderline paranoid - for 20 years. In my 20th year of reloading, I had to pull a bullet, so I bought one then.)
Loading blocks. used them from the beginning, but SUPER cheap and not absolutely necessary. This was, after all, a minimalist exercise.

Every loader I know has a single-stage, no matter what other fancy turret or progressives they use. But my new toy is the Turret, so I favored it with the starring role in this thread.

Thanks for the feedback, flashhole. I will use it to improve my postings.

Lost Sheep

 

[jsflagstad]

Great post. I have mostly Lee equipment as well and am very happy with it all. Great value and American Made (I think most of the others are as well).

I have the Classic Turret and a Loadmaster. I have the standard turret press as well but don't use it now that I have the Classic turret.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

I would agree with everything on the original post. I just upgraded to a Classic Turret and it is a great machine. I would second the recommendation to get the Safety Prime feeder and the Pro Auto Disk dispenser. Of course you need the Lee expander powder-through die to take full advantage of the Pro Auto Disk. I didn't get the adjustable charge bar. I got the double disk kit and it works well once you figure out the exact combination you need. I still might try the adjustable charge bar though.

I also started on a single stage press. I will agree that a newcomer could use the turret as a single stage to get comfortable before using the true turret capability. But, knowing myself like I do, I'm kind of glad I didn't do it that way. I think I would have been overconfident in my abilities and probably rushed to get into the turret mode. I learned a whole lot by being forced to go slow. I started out by trickling each and every powder charge, even though it was for pistol. Yikes, that was tiresome, so I got a Lee Perfect Powder Measure. Much much better. Then I decided that my cheapo Hornady digital scale just wasn't up to snuff, so I bought a RCBS 1500 Chargemaster scale. Much much better. Even though the Auto Disk seems to work incredibly well, I insist on weighing each and every powder drop the first 15 or so rounds when I get it set up for a brand new powder. So far it never varies though. But I do like having a reliable fast digital scale.

Like the OP, I have not yet tried the Classic Turret for rifle cartridges. There's no real good reason why it shouldn't work. But quantity and speed for rifle cartridges for me is insignificant. I only load 15-20 rounds at a time for rifles. I want them to be as precise as possible. It worries me a tiny bit that there is a little bit of "play" in the turret head. This is true of all the turrets, regardless of manufacturer. I suppose that as long as that slop is consistent for every round, then it should be OK. I will definitely try the turret press for rifles one of these days just to see, but bought the turret press just for all the revolvers I shoot. No regrets at all.

 

[Clay]

I just got done buying the majority of my setup. I got the Hornady L-N-L single stage kit, a nice tumbler along with some treated corn cob media, shell holders and dies for 4 different calibers, chronograph, bullet puller, 200 bullets, and a primer pocket cleaner for a little over $800. I'm going to add a case trimmer. Some of these are by no means necessary and the Hornady isn't the cheapest. But, I did my research and feel happy with my choices. Now, for the fun of making up some of my own loads. A chronograph, to me, is important because it lets you know how your load is doing. It's supposed to be nice and warm here Saturday so I can't wait! I've never been able to shoot but a handful of 308, 44 and 460 because of the cost. Now for the same cost I'll be able to spend a few more hours and really look forward to trying different things to see what works best!

 

[Shoney]

flashhole
They tell me that neatness is the sign of a sick mind. Now if that's true, I must have a very, very, very health mind.

 

[flashhole]

It may sound silly but when I made this bench I wanted two things. 1) I wanted it to be stout 2) I made it small so I would be forced to keep it clean. I was successful on both counts.

What you don't see are the other 3 benches in the same room. They are organized but not as neat.

Sick mind! You are not the first to accuse me of that.

 

[jsflagstad]

Quote: " It worries me a tiny bit that there is a little bit of "play" in the turret head."

On the Lee Classic, think of it as "Consistent Play", it's all accounted for when you set up so it's all good....At least I have never had issues with it and I use it to load my 1000 yard ammo. I definitely can see what you are concerned about, I was too but it all worked out and others had told me this as well...

 

[flashhole]

I liken the turret movement to the Forster B2 press where the die/ring assembly has both lateral and vertical movement. The Forster press owners claim it is a key element in accurate handloads because the case is self centering to the die is self centering to the shell holder and axial alignment is achieved. The same mechanical movement is at play in the Lee Turret.

 

[jsflagstad]

I liken the turret movement to the Forster B2 press where the die/ring assembly has both lateral and vertical movement. The Forster press owners claim it is a key element in accurate handloads because the case is self centering to the die is self centering to the shell holder and axial alignment is achieved. The same mechanical movement is at play in the Lee Turret.

Well said...I like that explanation...