kit to start out

[Pigeon sniper]

Hi guys
I'm looking at starting g reolading for .22-250 and .25-06.
I have people working with me who would help me set up and get me going once I have the equipment but I'm not sure what I need or where's best to get it.
Ideally I'm looking for a secondhand kit of essentials that will be enough for me to start with then add to as I go along.
Could anyone point me in the right direction?
Cheers
Jamie

[sidesy]

this is a VERY good guide

> clicky <

[Simon_S]

What are you using it for mate Targets or Hunting. How Meany round do you need to
load 20 at time or 100s.

[angrybear]

If you check the bay under worldwide you get all the USA listings, provided you keep an eye on the shipping charges you can get some bargains, They quite often have the complete starter set up's listed.
I've got an RCBS scales coming, with all shipping & duty etc pre paid for a fair bit less than the last UK sold items sold for, (also means I'll have a basic Lee safety scale for sale soon)

OTOH if you have a decent local RFD you might be able to negotiate a good deal if you buy everything from them.

If you can afford to, buy top quality gear first time, if not buy budget & then upgrade as you go.

[Pigeon sniper]

It'll be for hunting, I'm a gamekeeper on a highland estate and its easier to reload than it is to keep pestering the boss for more bullets haha
I imagine I'd be reloading about 50 at a time.
Thanks for the heads up about fleabay.
Are there any makers you would recommend to look at for a kit? Preferably towards the bottom end of the price range but enough to get me started for a couple of years.
Cheers
Jamie

[angrybear]

Budget end is Lee, Lymann/Hornady/RCBS are better quality.
as I only load .22 Hornet to start I bought a Lee hand press kit, Lee powder scales & Lee collet dies.

Within 6 months I've upgraded to a 3 turret press, Hornady dies (& now RCBS for K Hornet) & a better quality RCBS beam scales.

[DedIdick]

Get the best press you can get hold of; best set of scales you can get hold of, then get all the other bits as required.

I've got 3 turret presses and & single station.

On the budget side I'd suggest a Lee Classic cast turret press; easy to keep one set up ready for instant use; if you're looking to load just the two calibres, then something along the lines of a nice six station turret (eg. Lyman T-Mag2 .) will do that easily; you can then leave everything permanently set up. (I do for 223 &308.)

I use Lee Auto prime tools for off press priming and home-made kinetic bullet puller, primer pocket cleaners & loading blocks.

[Eligus]

I bought the Lee Kit plus a couple of extra dies for my Hornet and have found it perfectly adequate - though I wouldn't like to have to load 500 at a time !

Total cost was less than £150.

[ZAKDINGEL]

Get your self a lee anniversary kit then just add the dies of your choice one thing is to get some better scales than the ones that comes with the kit lyman ones are easy to set up and use at around £50 new and £100 for the kit die sets about £25-£30 per set or you can always look for second hand stuff depends on how much of a hurry you need ammo

[Simon_S]

Just get this Breech Lock Challenger Press and set of dies. Will sort you out

http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?...oducts_id=1522

22-250

http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?...oducts_id=1911

25-06

http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?...oducts_id=1943

[GaleForceEight]

I started reloading last year and did a LOT of reading before I spent out buying stuff I didn't really need or have a use for. Some people here were constructive and offered helpful suggestions and advice, and others were just determined to prove what absolute tossers they were (one particular person comes to mind).

Most folks reload because of a combination of three things.... improved accuracy over factory rounds, cost saving, and ammunition availability (or lack thereof).

Unless you burn through a LOT of ammunition by the time you have invested in the equipment you are unlikely to save much coin in the overall scheme of things. HOWEVER in years working in aviation I can say for sure that if you buy budget gear it will cost you more in the long run. Buy once and buy right, and you often don't have to buy a second time.

Some folks swear by Lee as although it is at the cheap end of the market it does do what it is meant to do, just perhaps not always quite as efficiently as the other makes in many respects, but I went down the route of sourcing the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Master Reloading Kit from the fleabay.COM (not .CO.UK) which after postage and import duty was still cheaper than it could be sourced over here. It includes a GOOD single stage press, and the gear to prime, lube, throw powder charges, a reasonable balance scale, and a few other basics. to get started on top of this kit you will need calibre specific dies, the correct size shell holder, a method of case cleaning (tumbler or ultrasound bath), and a method of case trimming. Other nice to have items are primer pocket swagers and a flash hole deburring tool.

All this cost adds up and it doesn't all come cheap BUT almost all of it you will only have to buy once. Eventually you will break even on the cost and then start saving a little money on each round, but don't expect that for at least the first couple of thousand rounds!

[Simon_S]

Would make no seen to get RCBS if your hunting mate will cost you about £350
just for the press, trust me it will not be worth it for just hunting with, may only shoot 100
rounds a year. I been using a Lee Turret press for 5 years now, loading 308win, 357mag and
45-70 on it and its spot on. never put foot wrong, I would say though that the lee scale is not very
good, bit slow to use. and I now people that been using Lee stuff for 30 years and there
ok with it.

Up to you

[angrybear]

I also have a Lee turret press, but use RCBS dies in it
All the press does is provide the "mechanical advantage" to the process

[Simon_S]

Got Lee dies in working ok, Will be looking at £100 just for the RCBS dies paid £35 for my 308win deluxe set

[GaleForceEight]

Got Lee dies in working ok, Will be looking at £100 just for the RCBS dies paid £35 for my 308win deluxe set

I got my RCBS die sets for about £42 each new from Johnson's Country Store in the US which included all shipping and customs charges - they have a fleabay shop - so they don't have to be £100 if you shop around.