first off just let me say i am as beginer as they come. so bare with please and understand i have no idea what some of these terms i have been reading are.. i read the post above stating what all i needed but i have a couple more questions. first, am i really saving anything reloading 308,243 or 30-06 rounds. and how many rounds before it pays for it self (aprox.. say with 308 which is what im most interested in.)i love shooting my 308 but its getting kind of pricey and if i can dampen the price a little over time it would be great pluss i think it would be neat to taylor my own rounds. second question: is their a good kit out there that has everything i need to get started or am i needing to mix and match to get what you would call a decent setup. third i am wanting to save as much money as possible with out buying "junk"(if you know what i mean) tell me please where i need to go and what brand etc.i need to go with, cheap; again please dont mistaken cheap for junk.
i know responding to this might be a little hard and time consuming for you;but if you can answer any or all of these questions, you would really be helping me out because right now im shooting in the dark and i cant stand just throwing money out trying different things if people already know what i truely need(i know.. "money pincher" is right. college is killing me..lol).
again any info would be wonderfull greatly appreciated.
thanks alot
Jeff S.

To start your answer; GET A COUPLE OF GOOD RELOADING MANUALS, second, you can reload nearly half the price of store-bought ammo, and taylor a better round. Next, get a RCBS Rock-Chucker kit, it will come with the press, scale,powder mesure, hand priming tool, and a few other things you will need to get started except for the dies,IMO it is the best kit on the market for the money, and will last a lifetime without problems. Ive been useing mine for about 20 years and I bought it used at a gun show, also RCBS has great customer service. Once you are ready to get started make a few dummy rounds to get the hang of it, makeing sure you have your dies set up correct and your results are to spec. After your ready make up a few rounds following the powder charge charts in the manual, start off on the lower side of the powder charges and work your way up until you find the most accurate set-up. Last, if your ever in any doubt, ask questions, the only dumb question is the one that was never asked!! CAUTION should always be your main concern, reloading is dangerous, but when done right it is very rewarding!.

The manual recommendation is right on. Read a couple of manual's from cover to cover a couple of times. This time spent is the best advice you can get.

After you fully understand what you need, you are ready to go. My advice is to look in the classified's section of some different forum's. You can find some great deal's there. Also contact some mfrs., they sell a lot of reconditioned equipment at a great price. I just bought a blemished Lyman Orange Crusher(basically the exact same press as a RCBS rock crusher) for $65 from Lyman. I can not find a blemish on it.

You can save a little money by reloading, but you can get alot of money tied up in reloading equipment as well. Tom.

First: Get and read several manuals. It is a big help and you will always have them as references.

Second: If you just want to shoot cheap Winchester ammo you really will not save any money. If on the other hand premium ammo performance is what you are looking for then you can reload each round for much less. The only problem is you will probably end up shooting more.

Third: Lee stuff is not junk. Will you want to upgrade later? Probably, but it will make you some good ammo until you are ready to piece together exactly what you want. $$$

Fourth: All of the basic kits leave something to be desired. You will sill want to get a few extra things to start that are not in the basic kits. Calipers, powder trickler, case trimming tools, Stony Point Products Bullet Comparator / Insert Set, ect.

Fifth: Reloading CAN be incredibly frustrating. Nothing worth doing is usually easy. There are literally thousands of combinations of components and lengths that can be tried for any caliber. Chasing down and figuring a round that each of you firearms likes is a challenge, but it has its reward at the end. (Giant smile)

I started with the Lee Anniversary kit and added a few things to start and more over the last couple of years. My next purchase is going to be a Foster Co-Ax press from cabelas. You might get in to reloading and decide you don’t like it, so watch how much money you put into it in the beginning. Good luck and welcome to the next level in gun nuttiness.

mello

Lee Classic cast press- Are as good if not better than RCBS or Redding presses that cost 2-3x as much.

Lee Dies- In standard common calibers are good enough to get the job done (I've had a few issues with dies in oddball and obscure cartridges- die makers don't always get the specs right). For more obscure chamberings, I buy Redding.

Ohaus beam balance- These are branded by different reloading companies, most notably RCBS- they're worth their weight in gold or at least worth their weight in intact body parts.

Imperial Sizing Die Wax (now owned by Redding)- best sizing lube out there. Period. A $5 tin will last a very long time.

Lee case trimmer- for about $10 you get a trimmer that works very efficiently- add about $4 for each additional case length guage for different cartridges. Skip the zip trim and chuck the shell holder up in a drill.

RCBS chamfer/debur tool- Better than Lees, cost about $15 and will last a lifetime.

Lee perfect powder measure ($30)- it looks like a flimsy piece of crap but its the only measure for under $150 that will accurately and consistantly measure IMR powders. (You'll probably be using IMR or other hard to meter stick powders in .308, .243, and especially 30-06.

As far as saving money or breaking even- its not going to happen, noway, nohow.

The Lee Anniversary kit works just fine and can be had for around $70 or less. It comes with a scale, powder measure, challanger press, auto prime and shell holders for it. The only thing really needed after that are dies, primers, powder and bullets. Sure, you will want to upgrade some of the pieces over time, but to get started and understanding what everything you have been reading about is for its a great way to go. To speed things up, I picked up a cheap basic lee reloader press for $20 for sizing bullets, depriming and some other tasks from time to time and it works great. Lee dies work ok too for the money, but I can foresee myself upgrading those down the road too. And you can save money on even cheap bullets if you shop. Right now Cabelas has Remington Corelokt bullets for $70 per 500 which is a pretty good from what I have seen so far. They kill deer very well. As far as cases, every case you save is savings back in your pocket since that is the most expensive part of reloading. 308 cases are about $20-30 per 100 from what I have seen so far this year. And they are climbing in price every 6 months from what I have seen. Powder is going up all the time too as well as everything else. Which I guess would be why the basic $6 a box of 30-30 that I was buying 3 years ago is now $13?

Here is a list of what I consider mandatory for beginners.
1. RCBS-Rock Chucker or similar type press
2. Powder scale I have a RCBS 5-0-2 cheapest one I found at the time, works very well.
3. Table mounted case trimmer , I have useda Forster/Bonanza for years and love it.
4. Lee hand priming tool, simple and inexpensive.
5. Lee powder scoop set, this is a major alternative to a full scale powder measure. Use app. scoop and trickle in
to reach desired charge. I average 50 rds per about 25 minutes. These are dead on exact charges every time.
6. Stainless dial caliper, probably go digital nowdays, they have really came down in price.
7. Dies of your choice, I use RCBS (so do probably 80% of reloaders out there).
8. Deburring tool, primer pocket brush, case lube(I would go with the stuff in an aerosol can) simple and cheap.
9. Last but not least, Atleast one quality reloading manual. I can't believe how often I need to refer back to it.

Price out the stuff on this list and see what thecost difference is between buying these products individually as compared to buying one of the manufacturers kits. I don't think the average hunter/shooter will save very much coin by loading their own ammo after the initial investment, but if you are serious about wanting to tailor your own loads for each of your rifles, then jump in head first and enjoy it for what it is. Personal satisfaction and a great hobby. Good Luck and I hope this helps you out somewhat.

I can't believe nobody mentioned Lee Loaders. A cheap and relatively easy alternative to a press and dies. It would be a good way to get a feel for whether or not you'll get into handloading. If you did decide that was for you, make sure you read the manuals everybody mentioned (especially all the info you can find on effects of high chamber pressure on casings, it will help you recognize a problem hopefully before it becomes something more), and you'll also need a decent powder scale (the Lee scale mentioned works great), case sizing lube, a debur tool, and a primer pocket brush. One thing to keep in mind with the Lee Loader is that it is a little more tedious work to load a round, but that is not neccessarily a bad thing when you're new to it. Another up side is that you can always take the gear to the range and load ammo there (never had that desire myself but it would be possible). Good luck and take it slow....

Here is a link to a .308 Lee Loader on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lee-Loader-308-W...QQcmdZViewItem

thanks alot guys for all the help .. if i were to get all the stuff needed. who sells equipmentthe cheapes besides ebay. i had my credit card number stolen there so i refuse it.i am defanently going to get into this. what are some of the best manual's(i need one that teaches you the basics as well as advance if possible)
and where do i go and what do i get as far as powder and bullets to start out. i am wanting something that will be accurate as heck and not do much pelt damage.
i cant believe all the help i have recieved. i just built a bench todayin my garage and now all i need is the stuff to start.
i REALY appreciate all the help
Jeff S.

after looking at reviews from this post and other post people have put up. i think i am going to go with the Lee Anniversary kit. besides a 308 die and primers powder and bullets, what do i need to get started right? i want to order everything at once as to save shipping
thanks guys.
Jeff s.