If you had to buy a off the shelf complete reloading kit what one would you get.

If you want to be technical, assembling your own “kit” from off the shelf components would still be an off the shelf kit.

I wouldn’t buy a kit. None of them have absolutely everything you need to effectively load so if you have to buy some individual components why not just buy them all individually and not make a sacrifice? Get what you want and not a bunch of crap you’ll end up selling down the road.
 
I second what redneck says. I started off years ago with the Hornady lock and load kit. The only thing I still use from the kit is the press. Everything else has been upgraded. Buy the best you can now and you’ll be money ahead down the road
 
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I wouldn’t buy a kit. None of them have absolutely everything you need to effectively load so if you have to buy some individual components why not just buy them all individually and not make a sacrifice? Get what you want and not a bunch of crap you’ll end up selling down the road.

I agree. I believe the kit the OP linked is functional and decent value, but you'll probably end up replacing and augmenting pieces and parts.

The hard part is deciding what path you want to take and what you can afford between now and when you want to start producing ammo - as opposed to the part you are doing now - making decisions and purchases while assembling your gear. You can assemble a decent rig for under a grand that would include dies for a couple of firearms, or you can go more deluxe and spend about $5K and have most of what you'll need to produce precision ammo. The hard part, for example, is deciding if you want a good case trimmer or go all-in for something like a Giraud. Inexpensive annealer or shoot over a grand on AMP? Similar decisions await on powder measuring, dies, presses, etc. So it's easy to see why the OP just wants a kit to help jump-start the process.

I live near Denver and there is a local shop that specializes in reloading. Probably more important for the newbie are the classes they teach where you get to use their gear and have oversight from an experienced reloader. That will help you decide what you like and don't like about the gear in the class. I didn't go that path as I had a mentor when I was high school age, but if I was starting out now, I'd certainly consider it. There are also clubs in many areas that help newbies get up to speed.
 
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It’s alright, the scale sucks and will be a headache. I would go for that rcbs kit that has a beam scale with it when their rebate program comes around again over a little pocket scale of any sort of you just have to have a kit.

I, personally would piece it together too. If you can at all swing it get a chargemaster, it will more than pay itself off with your time and concentration.
None of the kits really come with trimmers, I like something I can chuck up in a drill to speed it up, if you can get a three way cutter that chamfer and deburrs in the same step even better. Turns three steps into one. Time and effort savings.
 
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Fuck all that shit. Lee has the set up kits for your needs. Use single stage. Lee is so underrated here.

Well, I like Lee so I don't underrate them at all. But I believe annealing is essential and Lee doesn't sell one. And I'm no longer willing to use a beam scale as my main powder measuring system for ELR ammo. Etc.
 
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The lee breechlock challenger kit is the most complete kit that will get you everything vital to making it go boom with no missing steps, it has a non drifting beam scale, trimming, press, pretty much everything thats not caliber specific like dies and cutter studs included. And its at a great price.
My only issue is that its at the most basic level (not a bad thing) but I would want to upgrade it all almost immediately to a better faster mouse trap now that I know there are better ways.
(I started with, and used for 12 years, the lee loader that utilized a mallet and I only upgraded a couple years back, Im very aware of the time sink in going cheap ;))
 
Rock chucker
Chargemaster
Collet bullet puller since your new and will be pulling some down
Trimmer ?? up to you, but if you decide to stick with reloading, giraud is the best game in town. Takes 3 seconds to trim, chamfer a case.
hand chamfer, unless you can swing a case station.

Most guys find that buying kits leave a lot to be desired....its actually a waste of money in the long run.
 
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+1 for:
Rock Chucker/Forster pres
Charge Master
Case station (I use RCBS)
Digital Caliper
Caliber specific powder funnel
Redding Competition S dies
Bitchin sound system
32” smart TV
Kind excuse for the significant other to be somewhere else?
 
I started with a hornady AP kit. Ended up selling it and getting the hornady single stage kit pictured above. Learn from my mistakes and the advice of others. The kits seem functional and can crudely get the job done but when loading ammunition we dont want crude.

At a minimum i suggest a single stage press. I have a honady, alot of people like rock chucker. An electronic scale is a must in my opinion. You do not want a manual scale. Another hide member has a honady one for sale on here for $125 earlier today. Thats a fantastic deal. The hornady hand primer also works well. A case trimer is also important.

Most of these things dont come in a kit and the kit will make you pay for things you dont need. Piecing together a “kit” is a way better path to travel
 
Get the cheap Lee kit. 50th anniv or something and see if reloading is for you, and if it is, then get the best stuff you can afford. Sure youll be out $130 but as you will find out quickly (if you dont already know) $130 is a not even a drop in the bucket in this game