Information for New Handloaders

Why Reload?

If you shoot a lot, then handloading will save you money. The cost savings is substantial for most every caliber. Remember that you are now re-using the brass - the most expensive component of the cartridge (pretty much on par with bullet cost). Some people will argue that you will not save money - you'll shoot more and spend the same of more money. Well, I can't argue with that. Suffice it to say that you will spend less money per cartridge - how's that?
If you don't shoot a lot due to the high price of ammunition, you will now be able to shoot a lot more. This is important in terms of improving your skills through practice - and it takes a lot of practice to get really good.
It also allows you to fine tune the load for top accuracy in your rifle or handgun - for target shooting, small game, and varmints that is a real bonus. This really is 'custom ammo'.
You can load specific bullets or bullets of certain weights that may not even be available from ammunition manufacturers for your cartridge at any cost.
You can "download" your ammunition for reduced recoil and report. This can be very helpful as practice ammo for those shooting hard-kicking cartridges, or for beginners.
It's a fun hobby, and I find it quite relaxing.
It allows one to simply follow proven loads and techniques, if that's your desire, or it allows one to get as technical and as innovative as you like - just BE SAFE.

What do you need to get started?

First, you'll need a place to handload. A room in your house or a section of your basement (if you're lucky enough to have one) are good places to set up shop. Alternatively, part of your garage or an out building will work, too. Emphasis should be placed on a few factors:

Security - seriously consider an area that is secure so that "little hands" or curious guests don't meddle with your equipment or reloading components. You don't want your equipment broken, you don't want primers and powder (which are potentially dangerous) accessable to the ignorant, and you don't want bullets mixed up into the wrong boxes (potentially disastrous when fired!).
Comfort and Safety - comfortable environmental conditions for yourself is important to reduce fatigue. Setting up your press on a sturdy reloading bench (the National Reloading Manufacturers Association has plans) at a comfortable working height and having a comfortable place to sit are important factors. So is having strong lighting to reduce eye fatigue AND to avoid making mistakes. Speaking of avoiding mistakes, make sure your reloading area is free of distractions. Generally, radios are OK for some people (they tend to turn into background noise) - but television and interruptions by your spouse or children are to be AVOIDED. Additionally, your components (powder and primers) should be stored at mild (not extreme) temperatures and low humidity levels. Obviously, DO NOT store your powder or primers near anything with a flame (oil and gas furnaces, boilers, and water heaters), and it's best to lock them up - even if the room is secure.
Cleanliness - don't set up in an area that is dusty or dirty. Your reloading bench should be kept fastidiously clean. Workshops where sawdust and other debris is constantly flying is not the best choice for a reloading area. Additionally, no matter HOW CLEAN the room is, it is best to have cabinets and drawers in which to store delicate and precision equipment (like your balance), or at the very least have dust covers or boxes available to store these items. Also - shelves (or drawers) for organizing bullets, dies, etc ... are important for good organization. If you keep a lot of powder (more than 20 lbs, up to 50 lbs), you need a storage cabinet / box for it for fire safety (item 936.) considerations. Here's a box that I built.

As far as reloading equipment, I would recommend that you start with one of the kits - either the LEE Anniversary Reloading Kit, the LEE Deluxe Pistol Reloading Kit, the RCBS Reloading Starter Kit, or the RCBS Master Reloading Kit. They have everything that you will need to start, and the RCBS Kits even come with the Speer Reloading Manual. More on manuals later. Dies are generally NOT INCLUDED, although the LEE kits and dies often come with shell holders. Other than that, you'll have the minumum to start. I think that the LEE presses, scales, and powder measures, while 'OK', are not as good as the other major brands. They are, however, much cheaper in price than the other brands. If you're on a budget, the LEE kits are worth a look. If you stick with handloading, you will eventually upgrade to better equipment. At that point you could pass the LEE equipment down to a friend or relative, or keep them around as 'spares'. However, if you've got the money and are sure you want to handload as a hobby, I suggest that you go with RCBS, Hornady, Dillon, Lyman, etc... (not necessarily kits) ...

Here's something else to consider if you think you may stick with it - The RCBS Rockchucker and Dillon's AT500 are very good choices because they allow you to UPGRADE to a PROGRESSIVE PRESS at a later date. What's a "progressive press"? It is a reloading press that is automated such that once set up, you can produce a newly reloaded cartridge every time you pull the handle. That's not to say that you just keep yanking the handle on your press, as it is not TOTALLY automatic. On all progressives that I am aware of, you must still place a bullet over the powder-charged case ... but every other operation can be automated (including priming, and case feeding).

Note : I am pretty sure, based on their reputation, that RCBS progressive presses are very good. I am also pretty sure, based on what I've heard from friends and acquaintances, that the LEE progressive presses are best avoided. I am POSITIVE that Dillon makes EXCELLENT progressive presses. One thing about these progressive presses is that you've got to buy some accessories (like 'toolheads') for each caliber you handload. This can get pricey. They're not cheap, but I have NEVER heard any regrets or anything but positive comments from owners of Dillon reloading presses. Also, Dillon offers basically an unconditional lifetime warranty ON THE PRODUCT. If you can find one at a garage sale - it doesn't matter WHAT IS WRONG with it - send it back to Dillon and they will refurbish it FREE of charge. That's quite a deal. If you're sure you're going to stick with it (did you read about starting to reload on my FAQ Page?), and you have the money, check out Dillon Precision - they make excellent progressive presses.

I suggest Sinclair International, Miday USA, Natchez Shooter's Supply, and Graf&Sons as a few good sources, although many other places carry these items, too. Midway and Graf&Sons prices INCLUDE shipping costs, but Sinclair has everyday low prices on components.

Here is a run-down of the 4 kits mentioned above:

LEE Anniversary Kit : If you want to keep your start-up costs down, check out this kit. This one costs between $65 and $80 depending on where you buy it and if you catch a sale. This kit has everything you need to get started : Lee Challenger press, instructions, Perfect Powder Measure, LEE Safety powder scale, powder funnel, powder data manual, cutter and lock stud to trim cases, chamfer tool, case sizing lube, auto prime, shell holder set, and primer pocket cleaning tool. No manual comes with it, but for about $20 - $25 you can pick the one you want instead of being stuck with one they send.

LEE Deluxe Pistol Kit : This kit sells for about $75 + . It comes with the LEE Turret Press, auto disk powder measure, LEE Safety powder scale, primer pocket cleaner, cutter and lock stud to trim cases, chamfer tool.

RCBS Master Reloader Kit : Cost is about $ 225 - $250. It has a Rockchucker press, 5-0-5 powder scale, uniflow powder measure, case trimmer, hex key set, SPEER reloading manual, case loading block, case lube, automatic primer feed, primer tray, powder funnel, and deburring tool. The Rockchucker can be upgraded to a progressive press with the purchase of an upgrade kit.

RCBS Reloading Starter Kit : Cost is about $165 + . It comes with a Reloader Special-5 press, loading block, lube kit, primer tray II, powder funnel, 5-0-5 powder scale, and a SPEER reloading manual.

As far as dies are concerned :

For pistol use, get carbide or titanium nitride dies!! If you don't, you will have to lube the cases, which will REALLY slow you down (not to mention deal with the mess). They only cost a few bucks more, and are REALLY worth every penny extra that you will pay.
For pistol use, I happen to like ALL the major brands. I think that they all work fine. I can't shoot handguns accurately enough to be able to tell any difference in ammunition accuracy that one brand of dies may provide over any others. I don't personally know anybody else who can, either. You may, or you may know somebody who can. I happen to own and use LEE, RCBS, Dillon, and Hornady dies for handgun reloading. For Rifle use, I stay away from Lee. I don't know why - I guess I just have a predjudice against the fact that they use aluminum. I've heard that their 'factory crimp dies' really work well, however. I personally use RCBS and Redding dies for my rifles. I'm sure others, like Hornady and Lyman, are fine - I just don't own any.
Anyway, this list includes LEE, RCBS, Dillon Precision, Hornady, ... etc. Pro's and Con's of the dies I own are :
- Lee : Pro's - inexpensive, come with a free shellholder and the dies come with O-Rings (which help make the die stay 'straight' in the press. Con's - have aluminum components, which just don't seem as 'rugged' as the other manufacturer's dies, the lock nuts have no setscrew to lock them in place. I remedied this shortcoming by drilling and tapping a hole in the side of the nut, and inserting a #6 machine screw - it works fine.
- RCBS : Pro's - sturdy, come with setscrews for locking in place, high quality for accuracy. Con's - more expensive than Lee, do not come with a shellholder (you can buy them separately for about $4. This is not too bad, as many cartridges use the same shellholder (.243, .308, .270, .30-06, for example).
- Dillon : Pro's - sturdy, high quality for accuracy, come with shellholder. Con's - more expensive than Lee, do not come with setscrew to lock them in place (see the LEE remedy, above), pistol dies do not come will mouth flaring die (as Dillon Presses use a different tool for this).
- Hornady : Pro's - sturdy, high quality for accuracy, come with shellholder. Con's - more expensive than Lee, do not come with setscrew to lock them in place.
- Redding : Pro's - sturdy, high quality for accuracy. Con's - more expensive than Lee, do not come with shellholder. I REALLY LIKE these dies for precision rifle reloading. I use the neck sizing dies and micrometer seating dies for superb accuracy.

Manuals

As far as manuals go, bullet manufacturer's manuals are generally very good, but they only cover their one brand of bullet. The powder manuals, on the other hand (like Hodgdon's) are very good, and they also provide data for most of the popular bullets and other manufacturer's powders. I recommend two or three good manuals, most of which have a section up front on the "How To's" of reloading. You will want to get at least a couple manuals from bullet and/or powder manufacturers. These will give you a better insight into the variances in data between the different manufacturers, as well as good tips on techniques. Additionally, some of these reloading manuals are available on-line, and there is also plenty of load data available on-line.

Here's something that I neglected to discuss initially ... and shame on me. An important component of good reloading practice is record keeping. I have done this from the very first loads I assembled. This is a very important task, as it allows you to REPRODUCE or AVOID any load you create at a future date. If there are problems regarding components, you can inquire or alert a manufacturer and reference a specific LOT #.

You really should discipline yourself to keep detailed records of EVERY batch of ammunition that you make. It is not a difficult thing to do, and it can really pay off in the future. All that is required is a notebook (I use a quadruled engineering notebook) and pen that you should keep at your reloading bench. If you desire, you can enter the information into a computer into a spreadsheet or database, and later on, sort and search on different data. However, I highly recommend initially entering the load information in your log book when you're at the reloading bench FIRST. The data can be entered into your computer at a later time.

I record information such as : DATE, MY LOT # (a sequential numbering of each batch from session to session), CARTRIDGE ID, Bullet Weight, Bullet Type/ID, Bullet Brand, Powder Brand, Powder Type, Powder Lot #, Powder Charge Weight, Powder Throw Setting, Primer Brand, Primer Type, Primer Lot #, Brass Brand, Brass # Times Trimmed, Est. Velocity, NUMBER of Cartridges Loaded, Actual Velocity (recorded off a chronograph), Cartridge OAL, Group Size, and General COMMENTS regarding the load (eg. bullet seater setting; comments after firing, like - this load is too hot!, 'dirty' load, 'clean' load, ...). Then I write the "MY LOT #" on a sticker in the cartridge box to identify the ammunition for correlation purposes.

What's the "Break-Even" Point for Reloading vs. Buying Ammunition?

Good question. There's not necessarily such an easy answer. I'll run through some prices. Bear in mind that you'll always do better if you buy in bulk and if you are careful to catch sale prices.

If you're content to do 'basic reloading' of otherwise commercially available ammunition, the calculation is fairly straight forward. Figure the initial price of your equipment and of the brass (unless you were smart enough to save your 'empties' or have friends who are willing to give you theirs), and then the recurring price of powder, bullets, and primers. Additionally, low-power handgun brass will last almost forever, so you don't have to worry about it wearing out. Magnum handgun and rifle brass, however, has a finite life span (rifle brass being shorter than handgun).

If you want to squeeze the potential accuracy out of your firearm, create a load that is just not available (at any price) over the counter, or enjoy the satisfaction of using your own handloads, then the calculations are not straight forward at all. What are the above worth to you? If you're shooting a rifle chambered in a popular cartridge, like a .30'06 Springfield, you might have all the choices that you'd ever want (and many you wouldn't) readily available to you. However, if you want to shoot an 'oddball' bullet weight, or shoot a less popular cartridge or a wildcat, handloading may be absolutely necessary for you to have appropriate loads for your shooting needs available.

Anyway, if you're loading lead target or even jacketed handgun loads for your .38 Special or .45 ACP, you'll likely lose your brass before it wears out. Much the same can be said for any non-magnum handgun load (eg. 9mm, .380, etc...). In this case, assuming you must buy it, figure the cost of 300-500 pieces of brass and don't look back. These target loads typically use 2-5 grains of powder, yielding 3500-1400 loads per pound (there are 7,000 grains in 1 pound). Magnum handgun loads will consume anywhere from about 10-22 grains of powder (depending on the cartridge and powder used), yielding 700-318 loads per pound. Typical high-powered rifle loads will use anywhere from 20+ grains (.223 Remington) to 70+ grains (big magnums) of powder, with the average being in the .308 Win (40 grains) to the .30'06 Springfield (60 grains) range. Powder consumption and bullet prices for rifles covers a big range, and therefore must be calculated on an individual basis.

Primers are 'about' $1.50 per hundred, and may cost up to $2.50 per hundred for match grade.

Bullet prices, depending mainly on weight, are typically $22-$40 per 500 for lead pistol bullets, and $30-$60 for jacketed pistol bullets. Rifle bullets vary greatly in price, depending on caliber and construction. Heavyweight premium target and hunting bullets can get very expensive - but so is commercial ammunition containing these bullets. Small bullets, such as 50 grain .224" Remington or Winchester bullets can be found for $33/500 (you'll do better if you catch a sale price), while you'll pay more like $9-$10/100 for a "name brand", and $15-$20/100 for 'premium' bullets. Larger bullets, such as 180 grain .308" Remington or Winchester bullets can be found for $60/500 (you'll do better if you catch a sale price), while you'll pay more like $16-$18/100 for a "name brand", and $48-$52/100 for 'premium' bullets. Of course, less popular calibers and heavier bullets get even more expensive.

Assuming you spend $500 on your equipment (RCBS Master Kit + $250-$275 for incidentals - like another manual, bullet puller, tumbler, calipers, ...), here's an analysis for .38 Special and .45 ACP lead target and copper jacketed loads, a .44 Magnum revolver load, a 'vanilla' .30'06 load, and a 'premium' .30'06 load. To be fair, this does not include the cost of your labor. However, since it's part of my hobby, and I find reloading enjoyable, I cannot include it as an expense.

Cartridge / Load	# Rounds, if you must Buy Brass	# Rounds, if you already Have Brass
.38 Spec., lead target	5000	4560
.38 Spec., copper jacket	5600	5100
.45 ACP, lead target	4100	3650
.45 ACP, copper jacket	3600	3220
.44 Magnum, copper jacket	971	n/a
.30'06, plain load	1124	n/a
.30'06, premium load	677	n/a

Here are the ugly details : (click here to skip)

.38 Special lead target load

$25/500 lead bullets = $5/100
$110/8 lbs Bullseye powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 2.8 grains/load, yields 2500 loads/lb = 20,000 loads (for 8 lbs), or 200 100-round boxes. Cost for 100 rounds = $110/200 = $0.55/100 rounds.
brass = 1x expense. If you DO need to buy it, figure $50/500 for .38
$1.50/100 for primers
Cost for 100 = 5 + 0.55 + 1.50 = $7.05
If you must buy the brass, add $50 as a 1x expense (just like your equipment)
$500 (equipment) + $50 (brass) + x * ($7.05/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $18/100, if bought in bulk.
$550 + x * ($7.05/100) = x * ($18/100)
10.95 x = $ 550
Break Even Point = 50 boxes of 100, or 5000 rounds - assuming you buy the brass
Break Even Point = 45.6 boxes of 100, or 4560 rounds if you've already got the brass

.38 Special copper jacket load

$30/500 bullets = $6/100
$110/8 lbs Bullseye powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 3.5 grains/load, yields 2000 loads/lb = 16,000 loads (for 8 lbs), or 160 100-round boxes. Cost for 100 rounds = $110/160 = $0.69/100 rounds.
brass = 1x expense. If you DO need to buy it, figure $50/500 for .38
$1.50/100 for primers
Cost for 100 = 6 + 0.69 + 1.50 = $8.19
If you must buy the brass, add $50 as a 1x expense (just like your equipment)
$500 (equipment) + $50 (brass) + x * ($8.19/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $18/100, if bought in bulk.
$550 + x * ($8.19/100) = x * ($18/100)
9.81 x = $ 550
Break Even Point = 56 boxes of 100, or 5600 rounds - assuming you buy the brass
Break Even Point = 51 boxes of 100, or 5100 rounds if you've already got the brass

.45 ACP lead target load

$40/500 lead bullets = $8/100
$110/8 lbs Bullseye powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 4.1 grains/load, yields 1700 loads/lb = 13,600 loads (for 8 lbs), or 136 100-round boxes. Cost for 100 rounds = $110/136 = $0.81/100 rounds.
brass = 1x expense. If you DO need to buy it, figure $60/500 for .45 ACP.
$1.50/100 for primers
Cost for 100 = 8 + 0.81 + 1.50 = $10.31
If you must buy the brass, add $60 as a 1x expense (just like your equipment)
$500 (equipment) + $60 (brass) + x * ($10.31/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $24/100, if bought in bulk.
$560 + x * ($10.31/100) = x * ($24/100)
13.69 x = $ 560
Break Even Point = 41 boxes of 100, or 4100 rounds - assuming you buy the brass
Break Even Point = 36.5 boxes of 100, or 3650 rounds if you've already got the brass

.45 ACP copper jacket load

$60/500 bullets = $12/100
$110/8 lbs Bullseye powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 5 grains/load, yields 1400 loads/lb = 11,200 loads (for 8 lbs), or 112 100-round boxes. Cost for 100 rounds = $110/112 = $0.98/100 rounds.
brass = 1x expense. If you DO need to buy it, figure $60/500 for .45 ACP.
$1.50/100 for primers
Cost for 100 = 12 + 0.98 + 1.50 = $14.48
If you must buy the brass, add $60 as a 1x expense (just like your equipment)
$500 (equipment) + $60 (brass) + x * ($14.48/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $30/100, if bought in bulk.
$560 + x * ($14.48/100) = x * ($30/100)
15.52 x = $ 560
Break Even Point = 36 boxes of 100, or 3600 rounds - assuming you buy the brass
Break Even Point = 32.2 boxes of 100, or 3220 rounds if you've already got the brass

.44 Magnum copper jacket load

$10/100
$110/8 lbs Unique powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 12 grains/load, yields 583 loads/lb = 4666 loads (for 8 lbs), or 46.66 100-round boxes. Cost for 100 rounds = $110/46.66 = $2.36/100 rounds.
brass : Figure you can load it 10x, so it will cost $16/100 (if you buy bulk). If you defray the cost over 10 loadings, it becomes $1.60/100 over the life of the brass.
$1.50/100 for primers
Cost for 100 = 10 + 2.36 + 1.50 = $13.86
$500 (equipment) + x * ($13.86/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $13.50/20 = $67/100, if bought in bulk.
$500 + x * ($13.86/100) = x * ($67/100)
51.48 x = $ 500
Break Even Point = 9.71 boxes of 100, or 971 rounds - including the cost of the brass

.30'06 - 'plain vanilla' copper jacket load

$62/500 bullets = $12.40/100
$125/8 lbs H4831 powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 60 grains/load, yields 116+ loads/lb = 933 rounds (for 8 lbs). Cost for 100 rounds = $125/933 = $0.134 / round = $13.40/100.
brass : Figure you can load it 10x, so it will cost $22/100 (if you buy bulk). If you defray the cost over 10 loadings, it becomes $2.20/100 over the life of the brass.
$2.50/100 for match primers
Cost for 100 = 12.40 + 13.40 + 2.20 + 2.50 = $ 30.50
$500 (equipment) + x * ($30.50/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $15/20 = $75/100.
$500 + x * ($30.50/100) = x * ($75/100)
44.50 x = $ 500
Break Even Point = 11.24 boxes of 100, or 1124 rounds - including the cost of the brass

.30'06 - 'premium' copper jacket load

$24/50 bullets = $48/100
$125/8 lbs H4831 powder (includes hazardous material fee, and assumes you're applying it to only 1 container). At 60 grains/load, yields 116+ loads/lb = 933 rounds (for 8 lbs). Cost for 100 rounds = $125/933 = $0.134 / round = $13.40/100.
brass : Figure you can load it 10x, so it will cost $22/100 (if you buy bulk). If you defray the cost over 10 loadings, it becomes $2.20/100 over the life of the brass.
$2.50/100 for match primers
Cost for 100 = 48 + 13.40 + 2.20 + 2.50 = $ 66.10
$500 (equipment) + x * ($66.10/100) = x * (price/100 purchased)
. Assume $28/20 = $140/100.
$500 + x * ($66.10/100) = x * ($140/100)
73.90 x = $ 500
Break Even Point = 6.77 boxes of 100, or 677 rounds - including the cost of the brass

Other Items

Other items that you will eventually want or need, if they are not provided in one of the kits you choose, are:

A good steel caliper (don't even bother with the plastic ones), cost - around $20.00 from Midway. I recommend a dial caliper that measures to 0.001" .
A tumbler with cleaning media (and maybe a bottle of polish) for polishing cases clean. Midway USA, Lyman, and Dillon Precision, among others, carry these.
A case separator for separating the cleaning media (corncob or walnut shells) from your now-clean cases. These are available from Midway and Dillon Precision.
If you go with a LEE kit, you'll need the PILOT for each caliber that goes with the cutter and lock stud for trimming cases.

LOCKSTUD , CUTTER , SHELL HOLDER , CASELENGTH GAUGE (above)
A powder measure (powder throw), which is MUCH FASTER than a scale, and, depending on the powder used, every bit as accurate (if not moreso). Extruded powder sometimes does not meter as well as other types of powder (I use the 'rap' method) - although some, like Hodgdon's "short cut" extruded powder meters very well. Ball, flattened ball, and flake powders all meter very well, too. You will still need the powder scale to set up the powder measure, but after the measure is set up, it is much faster than using a scale. You'll also want to check every n^th charge on the scale / balance - just to make sure that the measure is still throwing the proper powder charge.
I use an RCBS Uniflow measure, and it works very well for me. I believe that RCBS and Redding both make very good powder measures. If you want to spend the BIG BUCKS $$, check out the Harrell Powder Measures at Sinclair International.

Drawbacks? I can't think of any significant ones, but here are PROs and CONs of scales/balances vs. powder measures, as I see it:
1. You still need a scale or balance to initially set up a powder measure, and you should check how much powder is being dispensed from the measure from time to time during a loading session. Every 10 or so charges ...
2. Extruded powder sometimes does not meter as well as other types of powder (I use the 'rap' method) - although Hodgdon's "short cut" extruded powder meters very well. Ball, flattened ball, and flake powders all meter very well, too.
3. Powder measures take a little longer to initially set up than scales and balances, but scales and balances are much slower to use than powder measures during the loading process.
4. Powder measures ARE NOT FREE (usually), and are not ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for reloading - although once most people get used to using a measure, they won't want to do without it.
5. Benchrest shooters (and others as well) claim that loads charged with a powder measure (by volume) are actually MORE ACCURATE than those charged using a scale or balance (weight).
Possibly a powder trickler, for making EXACT powder charges if your powder throw is not throwing a particular powder accurately enough.

For more information regarding specific products, visit :

I started with an RCBS press (with built-in primer tool) and reloading scale, a powder funnel, SPEER #8 (they're up to #13 now) Manual, case lube pad and lube (I don't use these anymore - I lube my cases like this now), 2 sets of RCBS dies, deburring tool, maximum case length gauge, and a powder trickler. The first thing I did was to READ the manual - twice before I even thought about reloading anything. I had already got some good exposure to reloading from my brother-in-law (thanks again, Hank), but you can never be too careful when reloading ammunition.

I upgraded my setup over the years to include the latest SPEER, Hodgdon, and LEE Reloading Manuals, a BUNCH of books, reloading data pamphlets (they're free from the powder manufacturers), a kinetic bullet puller (you will either make a mistake, or think you did - it's better to be safe than blow up your gun and/or your face), a Dillon tumbler and case separator, RCBS Uniflo Powder Measure, Midway stainless steel calipers, a micrometer, stuck case remover kit (homemade - see my 'nifty tool' page), more dies and shellholders than you can shake a stick at (including 'neck only', 'decap only', and micrometer adjustable), LEE AutoPrime and AutoPrime II priming tools, dry mica neck lube, case trimmers (esp. needed for high intensity rifle and magnum handgun cases, as they stretch more than other cartridges), primer pocket cleaners, primer pocket uniformer / reamer, flash hole deburring tool, and an electronic scale (Used for weighing cases and bullets - not powder. I still use my balance for setting up my powder throw.).

You may very well do the same, just take your time if money is an issue, and prioritize your purchases. Avoid, if possible, buying something that you won't be happy with 'just to have it'. Save your money for the quality tools - you WON'T be sorry.

Read on, and learn about how I prepare and reload my rifle cases. Pistol cases are reloaded in a very similar manner, without as much worry and fuss over brass preparation. Also check out the RCBS Reloading Guide on-line (geared for their tools). Visit their "Handloading Basics" and "Step-By-Step Reloading" pages, and visit their FAQs.

Last Updated: 09 March 2001

Good Luck! Welcome to a great hobby.
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