Getting started for under $1K?

[little_scrapper]

EDIT: Totally revamping this post. Original post deleted. New post incoming.

New loader inbound. Budget is $1K'ish. Starting with low volume 308 precision for recreational bench rest shooting with an AR10. I would like to ask the community to help me refine a shopping list. I have done an initial once through. So far this is what I am aware of that I need. Let me know what else I need and if you would; suggest alternatives that work as well and keep costs down.

Reloading Equip
Press Forster CoAx $340 Any issues with Dies I need to be aware of?
scale Chargemaster lite $250
Primer Pocket Swager Dillon $125 Alternatives?
Digital Caliper Mitutoyo $150 Alternatives?
tumbler & Pins Harbor Freight $75
case trimmer Hornady $100
Die set Forster 308 $150
Case lube system ??? $20
Deburr Chamfer tool Hornady $20
Primer tray ??? $5
Annealer Anealease $275
Meplat trimmer MCR $50
BULLET COMPARATORS ??? $40
bullet/case trays $10
Loading Manual/s $30

Total $1,640

I certainly don't need an annealer or meplat trimmer to start. That brings it down to $1300. Swap to a RCBS Turret press and shave off another hundred. I kind of like the idea of setting all the dies and just leave them set up. Better ideas. Everyone says keep the Coax.

Starting to look like a nice starter list. Help me out here: What am I missing and/or should change out?

Thank you in advance,

L_S

 

[Ryridesmotox]

Don't need a primer pocket swager, just use good 308 brass.

Ditch the meplat trimmer.

For lube, I use lanolin oil/isopropyl alcohol 99% mix. Amazon, like 10 bux.

Mitutoyo calipers are excellent, but you can save 100 bux getting something cheaper.

I say, keep the coax or just get a single stage press. The ones with the locking collars, like a hornady or lee. I have a $60 lee and get .5 moa groups and an SD of 9, so you certainly dont need the coax, but if I was to upgrade, that's what I would get. Or a frankford coax that is a couple bux cheaper.

I also use a beam scale and a powder trickler and throw charges light. Then trickle up. More time consuming? Absolutely. But the scale, trickler, and powder throw are under 100 bux.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[ReaperMedic]

I got an analog caliper for 30 something bucks. It works.

I started with a Lee single stage kit. I immediately went out and bought a Hornady scale for about 30 bucks, and a trickler for just a small amount.

I still use the Lee powder thrower. As was said earlier, set it to throw light, and trickle up.

The two BIGGEST UPGRADES I have purchased was the Lyman case prep station (around 120) and the Lyman case trimmer (around 100). So, all told I probably have less than 1000 in my reloading stuff still. None of it is super fancy, and you wont be cranking out hundreds of rounds an hour. But it does what I need it to do and fit the budget.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Ditch the Annealer and Meplat trimmer to start.

You can do without the swager, unless you are shooting a bunch of military brass. You could also replace this with a cheaper primer pocket uniformer, and crimp remover for about 50 total. The dillon is a great tool, but not required. You could even remove primer crimps with your chamfer tool if its not a vld type.

I disagree with the above, a good pair of calipers is a must - so go analog/dial if you need to save some cash but don't go cheap. I have one of each(digital/dial), because zero'ing a digital makes headspace and base to ogive measurements much easier with less maths.

For your comparator kit, you'll want the appropriate headspace insert, and the .308 bullet insert. Make sure if you buy a kit, it has the sizes you need. The baseline hornady kit doesn't include a .264 insert, for instance.

Case lube, either get a starter jar of the dillon stuff, or make your own with lanolin/99% alcohol. Just dont use the cheap 91 iso stuff from the drugstore, order the proper stuff and mix it yourself.

You can usually find a deal on a chargemaster if you wait, or troll the classifieds for guys offloading to fund their autotricklers. Alternatively, as mentioned, a trickler and beam scale is about 100$ cheaper and arguably accurate - how much is your time worth, and how much precision do you need?

If you have a drill, scrap 2x4, and forstner drill bit(prefered, any roughly appropriate bit will do), you have all the reloading trays you need. I don't see a funnel on there... Doesn't have to be fancy, but fancy ones are nicer to work with (sit on the cases easier, anti-static designs). I started with one i made out of spare cardstock.

If you shop for deals, or wait for brownells to have a standard 10% off code, you could probably just make the 1k mark. Remember to collect the used dryer sheets from the laundry room for static control.

 

[hacabrera071]

Lanolin oil/isopropyl alcohol work like a charm and they will last a WHILE, which will keep your ongoing expenses low, I'd definitely go down this path!

 

[MarinePMI]

Shooting off a bench, or actual bench rest? With an AR-10?

 

[Milo 2.5]

I'd start out with a tumbler and corn media first, also ditch the annealeze and meplat trimmer, for the simple fact of being over whelmed. You can fire brass a few times w/o annealing, make decision later, same on bullet pointing, are there gains?
A good caliper is nice, I have 3 really nice ones, is it needed, for what I measure, answer is NO. I love a good dial caliper w/o attachments(comp-bump gauge), but if you want to share numbers, being able to zero a digital rules. I'd buy 2 cheaper ones, to keep each of them in check. I do not use, but I have 23yr old cabela's digi, that even after bouncing off the concrete twice, measures the same as expensive ones.

 

[ReaperMedic]

Also, .308 brass is so cheap, annealing isn't worth it to me. Your budget may vary.

 

[spife7980]

Reloading Equip
Press Forster CoAx $340 Any issues with Dies I need to be aware of? Get a rock chucker for 160 and save half the money.
scale Chargemaster lite $250 Good but can be had for less on sale down around 200
Primer Pocket Swager Dillon $125 Alternatives?- Get new decent brass and its not needed
Digital Caliper Mitutoyo $150 Alternatives? Get the igauging absolute for 50
tumbler & Pins Harbor Freight $75 Get a vibratory tumbler and cob or rice as the media
case trimmer Hornady $100 This depends on how many different cartridges you would be using. I prefer something drill mounted that doesnt stick a pilot into the case mouth abd also deburrs and chamfers all at once like a giraud triway or trimit2
Die set Forster 308 $150 Good but can be had for less
Case lube system ??? $20 The 6.5 guys lonlin mix is good, one shot is fine for an easy intro
Deburr Chamfer tool Hornady $20 - See my trimmer comments
Primer tray ??? $5
Annealer Anealease $275- Not needed to start, dont worry about this until you have reloaded a time or two.
Meplat trimmer MCR $50- Not needed
BULLET COMPARATORS ??? $40 Hornady or sinclair body with the bullet comparator bushing as well as the headspace bushing comparator.
bullet/case trays $10
Loading Manual/s $30 I just go on the online stuff

Total $1,640

I certainly don't need an annealer or meplat trimmer to start. That brings it down to $1300. Swap to a RCBS Turret press and shave off another hundred. I kind of like the idea of setting all the dies and just leave them set up. Better ideas. Everyone says keep the Coax.

Starting to look like a nice starter list. Help me out here: What am I missing and/or should change out?

Thank you in advance,

L_S

My comments in red. Spend money on fancy stuff later.
A coax wont speed up your loading any. Its nice, I love mine, but if you can stand the occasional primer falling on the ground its not necessary.
People shot for a century without annealing.
The automated scale will be very helpful.
If you are only trimming for one or two bottleneck cases then get something like the giraud triway or trim it 2, it will cut your neck trimming work time down to 1/3. They wont work on straight walled pistol cases but Ive never loaded one of those so who cares. The hornady can scratch up the inside of your necks.
You should be able to find the forster 308 die on sale for slightly less than that.
6.5 guys 10-1 isopropyl alcohol-lanolin mix is good and makes you enough to last a long time.
Loading data is online.

Hornady bullet comparator and headspace bushing is the most important tool IMO.

 

[little_scrapper]

Lots of great advice. Thanks for the help guys. Several mentioned mil brass. I will be reloading lots of NATO Brass, mostly be reusing the brass from my M118LR. I get that particular ammo for $225/case (500).

Later I will add 223/556 to the mix as I get those ammos for $100/case (1000). However my Franken Rifle AR15 shoots at least three different off the shelf rounds sub MOA if I have a good optic on it. However I cant shoot very well with my AR10. M118LR, as well as several other ammos, shoot about 2.5 MOA at best; and I'm sure most of it is me as I'm new to rifles as well. Thus starting with 308.

Being meticulous I will probably drill and deburr flash holes for uniformity. Will it help/matter? No. I'm not good enough but I will probably do it because I can.

My goal is to ladder up a good round that I can take out to 500 yards and make one ragged hole. Then I will wake up, wipe the drool off my face and start reloading ammo again. LOL

 

[little_scrapper]

While I refine some of my minor choices help me choose some dies. I want to de-cap without resizing so I tumble after decap. Then I need what? a resizer and seating dies.

If I go with a Frankfurt coax all what dies should I get? If I decide to just go with e rock chucker; do I need different dies?

 

[spife7980]

All of those presses should take the same dies so the forster seater and sizer will work in them all.
The Frankfort replaces the normal lock ring the rest use with a die retention block but it serves the same purpose.

To deprime without resizing you just need a universal decapping die. I have a lee which I really like for the 14 bucks it cost but it has a .7” decapping pin so I had to buy the Redding with a .6 decapping pin for the small flash hole br brass. I would just get the Redding first and avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

 

[MarinePMI]

Frankford Arsenal depriming tool is another option. I use it after every range session; drink a beer, watch TV and deprime cases...multi-tasking at it's finest.

 

[Ryridesmotox]

Lee sells a universal deprimer for, usually, under 15 bux, depending on where you get it. I use that if I'm going to deprime before I clean. But usually I just tumble, deprime/resize, tumble again to get the lube to off, then prime, throw powder, seat bullets. I dont crimp rifle bullets usually.

 

[little_scrapper]

I have a couple jewelers scales rated to .1 grain. Are these good enough to get started? I mean they have got to be just as accurate as cheap beam scales correct? Therefore, my thinking is, to just get started I use the scales I have. Opinions? One is a Frankfort Arsenal 50 gram and the other is something like a IGem something or other.

Can I buy that Redding seating micrometer and add it to the regular seating die? If so might be a worthy upgrade. If nothing else, having all these hand tools allows me to keep loading after the EMP's drop. LOL
Is there anything else I will need to get off to a good start?

Cheap Equip list:

Rock Chucker Supreme	$185​	fleet farm
iGauging Absolute Digital Caliper	$45​	Amazon
Harbor Freight Tumbler + Steel Pins	$75​	Harbor Freight
Lyman AccuTrimmer	$52​	Midway USA
Redding 3 Die Set 308	$97​	Amazon
RCBS case lube Kit	$24​	Amazon
Lyman Case Prep Multi Tool	$22​	Amazon
Primer tray	$5​	Amazon
Funnel + Powder Trickler	$24​	Amazon
Decapping Only Die	$15​	Amazon
Total	$544​

 

[Ryridesmotox]

Amazon has the rock chucker supreme for 157. RCBS 9356 Rock Chucker Supreme Press https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N8LJ22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RVWjDbZ2TB7SV

I've been using the lyman ezee trim. I dont trim every firing. So doing it by hand isnt a huge undertaking... though I did do like 1000 cases of 223 once and that took literally days and several hand cramps lol. Also, the trimmers are cheaper on amzon than midway... Lyman Products E-ZEE Trim Hand Case Trimmer Rifle Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AU6C7MI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kYWjDbWPY1BSK

Not sure if you're going to prime on press or not. But I would recommend priming by hand. It let's you inspect every primer to make sure its seated right. I have the frankford hand primer. It is a good unit, I've done a lot of priming with it.

You'll want, at least, a cheap powder throw. I have the cheap lee one, it's like 20-25 bux. It will take forever to just trickle everything. Unless you're going to use a spoon or something, which is totally viable if you are doing stuff on the cheap.

Those scales will work.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Yes, you can add a micrometer to the Redding seater, it just wont have the sliding sleeve the competition models have.

Another thought - I don't see shellholders on there. If you dont go with the Coax, you may want to invest in a set of redding competition shellholders, they're often recommended as an easy way to control shoulder bump, instead of trying to move the die 1/32 of a turn.

 

[little_scrapper]

I pulled the trigger and ordered my list. I have not gotten a scale yet. Am I going to be disappointed with a chargemaster lite? Am I going to wish I had paid the extra $100 for the 1500?

I don't want to spend a couple hundred, let alone $300+ and then end up getting something else later. If that is the case should I just buy a cheap $50 beam to double check my cheap jewelers scales while I Save up for a truly good scale. If so which cheap beam should I be considering?

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

I pulled the trigger and ordered my list. I have not gotten a scale yet. Am I going to be disappointed with a chargemaster lite? Am I going to wish I had paid the extra $100 for the 1500?

I don't want to spend a couple hundred, let alone $300+ and then end up getting something else later. If that is the case should I just buy a cheap $50 beam to double check my cheap jewelers scales while I Save up for a truly good scale. If so which cheap beam should I be considering?

No. The CM Lite is arguably as good or better than the 1500.

I use a dillion eliminator scale. Its made by Ohaus, and has the magnetic damping. You can ebay an old 505 for a few dollars less. I think it depends on what scale you want to end up with - If you're lusting for the autotrickler, sure, get a beam in the meantime. If you're saving for something nice but lower cost, skip the beam and just run the scales you have for a month or two.

 

[Franko]

Reducing inserts are available for the Chargemaster Lite on eBay for about $18. Using one does slightly slow down your Chargemaster but will dramatically reduce overthrows. I suggest you get one.

 

[little_scrapper]

Pretty much decided to get the CM Lite. From reading it seams the Lite is just the newer smaller version of the 1500 without the memory. Which if fine for me. I am going to wait a couple days and see if it goes on sale anywhere. Also need to order a 308 shell holder and was going to get a collet bullet puller. After that about all I can thing of is a flash hole uniformer and a couple of bullet comparators.

 

[Franko]

K&M Shooting makes a nice flash hole uniformer that can be driven by a power tool. I have one and it works well.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Pretty much decided to get the CM Lite. From reading it seams the Lite is just the newer smaller version of the 1500 without the memory. Which if fine for me. I am going to wait a couple days and see if it goes on sale anywhere. Also need to order a 308 shell holder and was going to get a collet bullet puller. After that about all I can thing of is a flash hole uniformer and a couple of bullet comparators.

I dont see any benefit from uniforming flash holes, thats just anal retentive. The better money is the comparators for bullet and headspace, and maybe a seating stem depending on which dies you went with and what bullet you want to run (vld stem).

K&M Shooting makes a nice flash hole uniformer that can be driven by a power tool. I have one and it works well.

Having said the above, I have the K&M flash hole and primer pocket uniformers, as well as their chamfer tool. Top notch stuff. Does it make a difference? Eh, not really, but I like to tinker, and my primer pockets look pretty. There will always be something in precision reloading to spend money on and add a step to the process if you subscribe to the 'marginal gains' theory.

You didn't mention bullets and powder, depending on your preferences and interest you may want to spend any unused budget there. For 308, there are all kinds of match solids and rebated boattails to look into if you branch out beyond 175 SMKs.

 

[little_scrapper]

Thanks for the advice T-Rex. The flash hole tool is like $10 so its not really a big deal either way. I went with the Redding three die set and the Lee universal decapping die. Decap without resize, tumble then resize when clean. I was looking at the redding micrometer seating die but if just never ends. If I add another $40-$50 to get the next level tool I will be right back at $1K again. Therefore, basic redding 3-die set. Can add better dies later when I know what Im doing.

With Redding dies, what headspace/shoulder space comparators should I be looking into? My singular intent at this point is twofold; 1) learn to reload and 2) find what my LaRue 308 shoots well.

I haven't even considered bullets, primers and powder yet. Bullets: she shoots M118LR pretty well so a 175 gr SMK. However the longest range I have access to is 500 yards and heard someone say there is really no point on buying the larger more expensive bullets for relatively short range. Sounds logical. I also considered trying out Nosslers. You tell me: what are the most consistant/accurate bullets available? I'll start with those. lol