What reloading equipment kits would you recommend for someone getting started at under $1000?

[cynologist]

So like many people before me, I'm interested in learning how to do my own loads for various reasons. I'm thinking what I will do is begin with a decent baseline kit that has all the equipment I need, then as I gain more hands-on experience, start switching parts out that meet my particular needs better. I shoot mostly .308, but I have a 6.5cm rifle that I might drag out of the closet again one day, and I'm interested in at getting a .300WM or .375 CheyTac rifle at some point in the future.

For what I'm willing to spend and what I'm trying to get for my money, I'll be willing to go as high as perhaps $1000 (excluding dyes and ammunition components) for the right kit, but I'm aiming for something around the $400 to $500 mark. But what's more important than the price is the quality - if one kit will give me a whole lot more bang for my buck than some other kit, then I'll be happy to spend the extra money for it. I've always believed that solidly intermediate equipment is the best starting point for anything, and that's my aim with learning to reload as well.

After searching for kits online, what I sort of have my eye on right now is this thing, but before I ordered it I thought I would ask here if it's a kit that would fit the bill for what I'm after, or if there's some other place I should be looking. Also, in stock is important - I want to get everything I need ordered and in hand before reloading suppliers get slammed by people prepping for Spring shooting.

 

[Codiekfx400]

I would not get that kit you linked. Get a rock chucker kit instead. As far as getting into reloading $1000 is just a start. If you shoot a lot of volume and have a lot of free time reloading is great. If you shoot very little and are always busy it will be a waste of money. The cartridges your shooting have good affordable ammo already available.

 

[918v]

Don’t buy a kit

 

[338dude]

So like many people before me, I'm interested in learning how to do my own loads for various reasons. I'm thinking what I will do is begin with a decent baseline kit that has all the equipment I need, then as I gain more hands-on experience, start switching parts out that meet my particular needs better. I shoot mostly .308, but I have a 6.5cm rifle that I might drag out of the closet again one day, and I'm interested in at getting a .300WM or .375 CheyTac rifle at some point in the future.

For what I'm willing to spend and what I'm trying to get for my money, I'll be willing to go as high as perhaps $1000 (excluding dyes and ammunition components) for the right kit, but I'm aiming for something around the $400 to $500 mark. But what's more important than the price is the quality - if one kit will give me a whole lot more bang for my buck than some other kit, then I'll be happy to spend the extra money for it. I've always believed that solidly intermediate equipment is the best starting point for anything, and that's my aim with learning to reload as well.

After searching for kits online, what I sort of have my eye on right now is this thing, but before I ordered it I thought I would ask here if it's a kit that would fit the bill for what I'm after, or if there's some other place I should be looking. Also, in stock is important - I want to get everything I need ordered and in hand before reloading suppliers get slammed by people prepping for Spring shooting.

RCBS is a decent kit but, after a short while pretty much everything other than the press itself will be upgraded and replaced. I know you asked for a kit but you’ll be better off buying the specific tools you need remember in this sport buy once cry once is so true.!

 

[cynologist]

I would not get that kit you linked. Get a rock chucker kit instead. As far as getting into reloading $1000 is just a start. If you shoot a lot of volume and have a lot of free time reloading is great. If you shoot very little and are always busy it will be a waste of money. The cartridges your shooting have good affordable ammo already available.

The cost of my supplies isn't really a serious concern, at least within reason. I just kinda threw $1000 out there as what seemed like a fair limit to try to stick to. But if it ends up that I need to go higher to accomplish my goal then I will go higher.

My range is 1000 yards which is a bit on the longer edge of what a .308 can do, which is part of why I want to make my own, so I can try to get better performance at my maximum distance. And besides that it's just something I want to learn to do even if I have no real *need* to do so. I shoot pretty low volume personally but if it turns out I enjoy the reloading process I might also see about getting an FFL to sell my reloads.

As for the rock chucker kit, are you talking about this one? Or a different one?

 

[GIXXER2000]

The Rock Chucker is a good entry kit but it has limits. I prefer the Foster COAX press. Here is what I use and I load 223 all the way up to .338lm with it,
Press Foster COAX
Lyman case prep station
Sartorius scale Entris 64's (They have a new model now) also the FX 120i cost about half of the Sartorius and is a good scale.
Bench mounted primer seater
and as for dies I prefer Redding die sets. You will eventually want to get something to anneal cases with.

Yes this is more than a kit but the upside is you only buy once. Hope this helps

 

[hafejd30]

For a basic kit this is where I’d start.

Natchez

www.natchezss.com

My setup started here and includes

RCBS Rockchucker
RCBS 1500 powder dispenser combo
RCBS universal hand primer
RCBS case trimmer
RCBS case prep station

You can do excellent reloading on the above items. The kit I bought years ago had the chargemaster in it. I ended up buying the 505 scale and powder thrower after as my rcbs 1500 went down and I wanted a backup beam just in case it happened again

Many items like the chargemaster 1500 can be found in the px here as well. The case prep station isn’t needed but nice. Hand tools however can be used instead. I find their priming tool to be excellent and can do both large and small primers. I have 2 so I don’t have to swap pieces.

Kit has a few of these but don’t forget things like case lube and micrometer. I like the rcbs stuck case remover on hand as well. Also get a impact type bullet puller. As well as reloading trays. Hornady OAL tool with comparators is recommended as well

These are all fairly cheap items and save lots in the headache department of reloading

 

[cynologist]

The Rock Chucker is a good entry kit but it has limits. I prefer the Foster COAX press. Here is what I use and I load 223 all the way up to .338lm with it,
Press Foster COAX
Lyman case prep station
Sartorius scale Entris 64's (They have a new model now) also the FX 120i cost about half of the Sartorius and is a good scale.
Bench mounted primer seater
and as for dies I prefer Redding die sets. You will eventually want to get something to anneal cases with.

Yes this is more than a kit but the upside is you only buy once. Hope this helps

This actually helps tremendously, thank you. I might be ordering exactly the layout you have, if I can find the press anyway (it appears to be on backorder from the manufacturer).

 

[GIXXER2000]

The one thing in MHO is you can't scrimp on the scale. I spent the money and got the Sartorius scale Entris 64-1S It weights down to .0001 of a gram the A&D FX120i goes to .001 of a gram. But now we move onto cost
A&D FX120i can be had for $661
Sartorius BCE 64-1S $1317 (Newer model than mine)
So the question is being able to weight 1 more decimal worth twice the cost?? To me it is worth the cost. When I weight my loads every charge is within 1 kernel. It's just one thing I know is a close to the same as I can make it for every round I shoot at a match.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

I shoot pretty low volume personally

I picked mile high 6,5cm prices for convenience.
Berger bullet - $0,60
Primer - $0,11
Powder - $0,26
Assuming you have brass, that's $0.97 per

Hornady match ammo- $2/per

Let's assume you spend $1k on gear to get started. That's a break even point of 971 rounds.

Why did you want to start reloading again? Because if you want another hobby to take you down the rabbit hole, you can double that equipment cost PDQ. Shit, an electronic scale alone is $500, and then you'll want an auto trickler or super trickler and there goes your whole starting budget.

 

[ma smith]

Budget $2K for the reloading gear and get proper setup. Agree you need to shoot multipl 1,000s of rounds to recoup any economics, so the budget has to be viewed over 3-5 years of shooting. If you are shooting <500 rnd a year, absolutely just buy factory.

If you need high volume practice and these kind of $$$ reloading numbers are not realistic, buy a 22LR trainer. There is no time sink and gear chase on the reloading side, you just buy cases of 22LR ammoo with 5,000 rounds. And go shoot it out to 300 yards.

Importantly, you need to spend some money to produce large enough lots. This means investing in larger lots of components, and having a process that works at high enough volume to be time efficient. 2,000 @ 0.90/each of components is going to put a dent in your budget as well.

Lasltly, buget everything you need. Beyond what is in basic kits...

You will WANT to get... expander mandrels, pin guages, and bushings if not custom honed die, neck thickness tools (micormeter or dial indicator), HS comparitors, bullet seating comparators, basic annealing tools. Some kind base station ($150) for chamfers and case prep, if not a 3-way or powered trimmer. Plus, loading blocks and ammo storage...like 100-200 capacity/ per cartridge.

Even using moderate qualtiy/ cost items this will add up.

 

[Codiekfx400]

The one thing in MHO is you can't scrimp on the scale. I spent the money and got the Sartorius scale Entris 64-1S It weights down to .0001 of a gram the A&D FX120i goes to .001 of a gram. But now we move onto cost
A&D FX120i can be had for $661
Sartorius BCE 64-1S $1317 (Newer model than mine)
So the question is being able to weight 1 more decimal worth twice the cost?? To me it is worth the cost. When I weight my loads every charge is within 1 kernel. It's just one thing I know is a close to the same as I can make it for every round I shoot at a match.

Imo if your weighing down to .0001 of a gram you need to be annealing every firing, uniforming flash holes and weight sorting your brass to the grain. Personally I just use a powder measure or a chargemaster and call it good enough. A beam scale is slow but accurate on a budget.

 

[GIXXER2000]

Yes I do pretty much everything you just said short of sorting the brass.

 

[Bacarrat]

Personally, I'm a fan of buy once cry once. Not saying you have to buy the top of the line of everything, just have to buy what's important to you. The most basic set up will make good enough ammo for most people. It's when you start to get into really high precision tools or tools to make your workflow faster is where it gets spendy fast. I always thought spending 500+ for a trimmer is a bit stupid. But you have to trim and when you shoot a lot, that's the worst thing to do. So the 800+ was well spent on the Henderson trimmer with all extra collet, cutters and belts.

 

[Jerry V]

There is a very nice Hornady Iron press kit in the PX. Under $500 to get started with basic tools needed. The hole can get deep from that point on. Reloading does not have to be about the most economical cost per round. The satisfaction received from sending rounds downrange with precision is where I find my reward. And I know I made something that works for my rifle.

 

[FuhQ]

Get this...

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Starter Kit

And this...

RCBS Chargemaster 1500

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

I just think a turret press is the way to go, especially to start out. You can set your dies up and leave them. I got the Lyman 8 and it's been great. I dont prime on press though so don't know about that part, otherwise it's been really great and I'm very happy with it. Not having to constantly reset dies is a big deal for me though.

 

[Alabusa]

This KIT is one of the best i have seen. It comes with a tumbler and digital scale. Everything you need to make high quality ammo. I have the All American turret press and can attest to its quality.

Lyman Ultimate Reloading System

The Lyman Ultimate Reloading System is the only kit you’ll ever need! Outfit an entire reloading bench with premium products designed to accomplish all steps in the reloading process. No other kit from any competitor can match this untouchable value! The Ultimate Reloading System includes...

www.lymanproducts.com

 

[cynologist]

There is a very nice Hornady Iron press kit in the PX. Under $500 to get started with basic tools needed. The hole can get deep from that point on. Reloading does not have to be about the most economical cost per round. The satisfaction received from sending rounds downrange with precision is where I find my reward. And I know I made something that works for my rifle.

This is exactly my thought as well. Even if I don't make anything as good as factory loads, I see a lot of potential satisfaction just in the fact that I'm shooting my own rounds.

 

[Rhed]

How bout a Dillon ?

 

[MarkyMark007]

The one thing in MHO is you can't scrimp on the scale. I spent the money and got the Sartorius scale Entris 64-1S It weights down to .0001 of a gram the A&D FX120i goes to .001 of a gram. But now we move onto cost
A&D FX120i can be had for $661
Sartorius BCE 64-1S $1317 (Newer model than mine)
So the question is being able to weight 1 more decimal worth twice the cost?? To me it is worth the cost. When I weight my loads every charge is within 1 kernel. It's just one thing I know is a close to the same as I can make it for every round I shoot at a match.

Standard A&D FX 120i weight to 1 kernel of ordinary powder. but autotrickler can't drop to 1 kernel everytime, so if you want to be anal to realy 1 kernel, you should add or take this last 1 kernel by yourself. with autotrickler and A&D FX 120i.
and 1 kernel of powder is how much in muzzle velocity differenece?? 0,1 fps? maybe less?

so you are trying to say that you need to have scale to see 1/5 of the kernel difference?

nobody on the planet doesnt need that. and wont need any time soon! if ever!

 

[MarkyMark007]

I'm thinking what I will do is begin with a decent baseline kit that has all the equipment I need...

stop asking loosers for equipement, because they dont know shit about it.
learn and see with what equipement you can do phases of reloading, and than you will see big picture about reloading and phasis of reloading proces. priming can be done with a lot of different equipement, trimming also, weighting powder too... you must see and decide.
now you are colecting 'wish' list or 'have' list, and not what is the best for you or for beginner.

 

[Haney]

stop asking loosers for equipement, because they dont know shit about it.
learn and see with what equipement you can do phases of reloading, and than you will see big picture about reloading and phasis of reloading proces. priming can be done with a lot of different equipement, trimming also, weighting powder too... you must see and decide.
now you are colecting 'wish' list or 'have' list, and not what is the best for you or for beginner.

Do you reload ?

 

[Partsunavailable]

A reloading press is just a gateway drug. It leads to chronographs, chassis, custom barrels and actions, better optics, better triggers..... pretty soon you are shopping for tanks and helicopters.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Get this...

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Starter Kit

And this...

RCBS Chargemaster 1500

For OP's constraints, this is how I would go too. I started reloading over 20 years ago on a RC Supreme kit. I still use almost every part of it. I think the scale is the only part I don't use anymore. Despite having three other presses, I still use the RCS. That press loads great ammo and paid for itself in a month of ownership. Hell, I loaded thousands of rounds of 30-06 that I poured out of a postie 1919 I built in my garage. I have a fairly large reloading room now and I still lean on the gear I started with in that kit on day one.

 

[BLEE]

If a kit is what fits your budget, then it is what it is. An RCBS Rock Crusher, or Rebel kit, can be a good start. If you want to shoot precision events, over time, you will upgrade nearly everything. It's the shooting volume that gets you to a break-even point, when reloading, otherwise, you're better off buying commercial ammo.

 

[Greenfish]

I got started in reloading a few years ago because I bought a bergara ridge in 300wm and couldn't find any factory ammo that shot ok. And its expensive as shit. 500rd of precision hunter at $60 a box is $1500. I'm able to reload 500rd for half that. And easily got loads shooting 3/4in just trying a few charges.

I bought a rcbs summit press. (Nothing special about it just liked it). I bought a rcbs beam and balance, Frankfort arsenal platinum hand primer, headspace and bullet comparator set, decent caliper, and Lyman hand chamfer tool. Was also given an rcbs hand trickler and thrower. The only thing out of the set I actually don't like is the hand primer. I also use a friend's trim station regularly to trim.

It's slow and takes time. I usually do it in stages. But it was very affordable and I'm able to make ammo I actually want to shoot when I get the chance to actually go shoot.

The whole setup and components was under the $1500 mark for just those 500rds. I've since expanded my dies to 9mm, 223, and 6.5x47 (which is just stupid accurate). And I wouldn't be able to feasibly shoot x47 had I not got set up to reload.

Reloading is my best investment I've made in shooting so far. I would like to upgrade to a coax some day and get a different primer, probably on press. I don't mind the beam and balance speed but auto tricklers do seem slick. I just don't trust cheap scales and can't afford a nice one.

 

[davsco]

I’ve started reloading 5 years ago and I run a rock chucker which is great. Knowing what I know now, I’d get the below. I’ve run some of the best reloading equipment and saw zero gains in accuracy so I sold them.

Press

Redding T-7 Turret Press

The Redding T-7 Turret Press has a 7-station turret head that is easily turned to set the next die in place. With additional turret heads (sold...

www.midwayusa.com

Powder dispenser

RCBS Chargemaster Link Electronic Powder Dispenser

SCHEELS.com

www.scheels.com

i just started reloading two years ago. these two do a pretty good job and i'd buy them again if i was starting from scratch. the turret style lets you load up dies for a few calibers with no need to mess with them again after they're dialed in the first time.

now for handgun and volume, i bought a dillon 750.

 

[oso1]

Buy one of the RCBS kits and learn how to reload, why something works and why something doesn't, with experience you will know what you will want to upgrade. The kit you buy now may be replaced on the future, I still use a rock chucker I bought I 1985, I have other presses but still use that old press. Also don't believe everything you see or read on the internet, test for yourself everything you do and every change you make, the target downrange will tell you what works and what doesn't. A lot of people on the internet repeat too much "info" without ever testing for themselves, and some online are helping sell equipment, I not saying that all the info is not accurate or the equipment doesn't work, it may not make any change downrange and cost more. Now for convenience, sure a lot of the equipment being recommended to you make the process faster but not necessarily better ammo. This where learning to reload on a single stage press will pay off.

 

[bax]

So like many people before me, I'm interested in learning how to do my own loads for various reasons. I'm thinking what I will do is begin with a decent baseline kit that has all the equipment I need, then as I gain more hands-on experience, start switching parts out that meet my particular needs better. I shoot mostly .308, but I have a 6.5cm rifle that I might drag out of the closet again one day, and I'm interested in at getting a .300WM or .375 CheyTac rifle at some point in the future.

For what I'm willing to spend and what I'm trying to get for my money, I'll be willing to go as high as perhaps $1000 (excluding dyes and ammunition components) for the right kit, but I'm aiming for something around the $400 to $500 mark. But what's more important than the price is the quality - if one kit will give me a whole lot more bang for my buck than some other kit, then I'll be happy to spend the extra money for it. I've always believed that solidly intermediate equipment is the best starting point for anything, and that's my aim with learning to reload as well.

After searching for kits online, what I sort of have my eye on right now is this thing, but before I ordered it I thought I would ask here if it's a kit that would fit the bill for what I'm after, or if there's some other place I should be looking. Also, in stock is important - I want to get everything I need ordered and in hand before reloading suppliers get slammed by people prepping for Spring shooting.

It sounds like you are new to reloading. If that is true, you have a limited frame of reference. You read a little and looked at the options and decided that you didn't know enough to pick each component separately. So you floated a trial balloon and then dropped a note here and got lots of opinions. Apparently from losers.

Most reloaders travel a journey, many of us start exactly as described above. I started a long time ago - I would rather not say. I think I found a list of stuff in a reloading manual and I went and bought the stuff and I started to load ammo. With the kit you linked to, you can load ammo and it will go bang. Perhaps more important, because the gear is inefficient, it will force you to understand the process - that has a ton of value. After loading a few dozen rounds of ammo, most of us then picked a thing that we thought was the most important and improved that - new dies, new press, different way to measure powder, better measurement equipment, case trimmer, annealing device, other crazy stuff. The lesson here - don't get too excited to buy the best gear before you are ready for it.

Another element - you may find that you don't enjoy it, many people shoot factory ammo because they don't like to reload. If you buy all of the top-end stuff that was mentioned above and you don't enjoy reloading, then you get to sell that stuff. If you start out with basic stuff and you enjoy it, they you can talk to people. Because now you know the steps. You can say, "I think I am oversizing my brass, how can I tell and how do I fix that?" and you will understanding what you are asking.

That kit will make ammo but it's single greatest limitation will be getting consistent powder charges. I would suggest that you improve that - look at one of these , one of Adam MacDonald's autothrow/autotrickler devices and a A&D FX120i scale. Getting a perfect powder charge is not the only thing that matters but it is a very important thing. If you get everything else perfect and your powder charges are plus or minus 0.2 grains, you are not going to be happy with your targets. Mr. MacDonald's tool will get you plus or minus 0.02 grains - essentially perfect. Before I wrote that, I looked at a Chargemaster. I use to own one, that being said I would buy Mr. MacDonalds's product again. I sold a chargemaster to buy a V2. I submit that you can't get plus of minus 0.02 gains with a balance beam scale or a Chargemaster. Learn the process, perfect one thing, then work on the other elements. Powder is a good thing to perfect first.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

A reloading press is just a gateway drug. It leads to chronographs, chassis, custom barrels and actions, better optics, better triggers..... pretty soon you are shopping for tanks and helicopters.

The Struggle Is Real!

 

[BLEE]

I'll also add, that you must follow instructions and be meticulous, or skip reloading. It's not like cooking, where the worst thing that can happen is you have to throw it out. There's very little room for error. You can experiment with neck tension, seating depths and charges, within a known range. You get dangerous real quick, if you're sloppy, or fail to respect pressure.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

You do not need to spend $1000 on a scale/powder thrower to make decent ammo when getting STARTED. They are extremely nice, but consistent brass/brass prep is going to be the harder part. .0x of a grian, ain’t that big of a difference, especially at a beginner level. BRASS PREP and consistancy is the hard/time consuming part.

1 grain change in 6.5 at normal charge ranges is around 60fps. .1 of a grain is literally 6 fps... not that big a deal.

Any of the basic kits will get you started. Add
-case trimming
- calipers
- head space comparitor
- case cleaning( tumbler, limi shine, dish soap)
- dies
- torch to anneal with.

As you learn, if its something you enjoy, then spend the $ on the expensive stuff. Nice press, Precision powder throwers, annealers, neck turning, etc.

 

[MarkyMark007]

If you get everything else perfect and your powder charges are plus or minus 0.2 grains, you are not going to be happy with your targets. Mr. MacDonald's tool will get you plus or minus 0.02 grains - essentially perfect. Before I wrote that, I looked at a Chargemaster. I use to own one, that being said I would buy Mr. MacDonalds's product again. I sold a chargemaster to buy a V2. I submit that you can't get plus of minus 0.02 gains with a balance beam scale or a Chargemaster.

if you are shooting short range or hunting, + or - 0,2gr does NOT matter, you cant see the difference on your target !

0,02gr is ALWAYS possible with good balance beam scale, but it is pain in the ass.

 

[bax]

if you are shooting short range or hunting, + or - 0,2gr does NOT matter, you cant see the difference on your target !

0,02gr is ALWAYS possible with good balance beam scale, but it is pain in the ass.

The OP said that he was shooting a 308 and a 6.5 and was thinking about building a 300 win mag and a 375 cheytac. In my opinion, I think that it is reasonable to assume that no one on this board is shooting short range. I don't know why you brought it up.

Yesterday I was shooting with a guy with a 375 CheyTac. He showed me his hunting pictures. It depends on what you hunt. If they are far enough away then group size matters.

OP is starting on handloading so that he can shoot small groups. For 308, my standard load is 41.52 grains of IMR 4064. While doing load development, if I make up 10 rounds with 41.32 grains (that is, minus 0.2 gr) where the weight tolerance is still 0.02 gr, my groups are noticeably larger. Same with 41.72 +- 0.02 (again, plus 0.2 gr). I shoot 41.52 because that load works well for me in four rifles - 2 bolt and 2 semi.

Regarding balance bream scales, you emphasized the word ALWAYS. I disagree. Looking at the balance beam scale in that kit, do you think YOU can throw/trickle a 85 grain charge into the bucket then drop in one grain of powder and see the beam move? I doubt it.

If we buy the kit then add in a V4 and a scale, we totally blow his $1000 budget. Except for the powder scale he can get pretty close with the gear in that kit. When I pitched that idea my thinking was if he was going to buy one item that exceeds the budget, then he should get repeatable powder charges. Buy new Lapua brass, no annealing. Buy good bullets. Seat primers on the press. With good dies and a mandrel he can get the shoulder bump good enough and seat adequately. He doesn't need to trim for a while. I would add a good digital caliper and a tool to debur flash-holes. I would use Imperial sizing lube instead of roll-on lube - just my preference. The caliper is roughly $50 and lasts forever (check ebay "mitutoyo digital caliper"), the other stuff costs less than a cup of coffee.

 

[wvfarrier]

Ive been using the same Lee 4-hole turrent press for 20 years. Ive easily loaded 20,000 rounds with it and its still going strong, Lee hand primer and Various die. I bet I have less than $500 in all of it

 

[Codiekfx400]

The OP said that he was shooting a 308 and a 6.5 and was thinking about building a 300 win mag and a 375 cheytac. In my opinion, I think that it is reasonable to assume that no one on this board is shooting short range. I don't know why you brought it up.

Yesterday I was shooting with a guy with a 375 CheyTac. He showed me his hunting pictures. It depends on what you hunt. If they are far enough away then group size matters.

OP is starting on handloading so that he can shoot small groups. For 308, my standard load is 41.52 grains of IMR 4064. While doing load development, if I make up 10 rounds with 41.32 grains (that is, minus 0.2 gr) where the weight tolerance is still 0.02 gr, my groups are noticeably larger. Same with 41.72 +- 0.02 (again, plus 0.2 gr). I shoot 41.52 because that load works well for me in four rifles - 2 bolt and 2 semi.

Regarding balance bream scales, you emphasized the word ALWAYS. I disagree. Looking at the balance beam scale in that kit, do you think YOU can throw/trickle a 85 grain charge into the bucket then drop in one grain of powder and see the beam move? I doubt it.

If we buy the kit then add in a V4 and a scale, we totally blow his $1000 budget. Except for the powder scale he can get pretty close with the gear in that kit. When I pitched that idea my thinking was if he was going to buy one item that exceeds the budget, then he should get repeatable powder charges. Buy new Lapua brass, no annealing. Buy good bullets. Seat primers on the press. With good dies and a mandrel he can get the shoulder bump good enough and seat adequately. He doesn't need to trim for a while. I would add a good digital caliper and a tool to debur flash-holes. I would use Imperial sizing lube instead of roll-on lube - just my preference. The caliper is roughly $50 and lasts forever (check ebay "mitutoyo digital caliper"), the other stuff costs less than a cup of coffee.

If your groups are that sensitive to a powder charge you should be reconsidering your velocity node. A temperature, elevation, or even humidity could throw you out of a narrow node. I am not a expert on this like some here but look up ocw method.

 

[MarkyMark007]

i throw powder charge with lee perfect powder measure and have less than 0.5 MOA group anytime. but my velocity SD is 15 fps in 223REM. if I would use ball powder, velocity spread will be even less.

with lab scale versus good powder thrower (and ball powder) you will cut your velocity SD by half maximum. only by half ! so it is not so much of a gain.
but for long range, you should weight to a kernel. velocity SD less than 5fps.

with good beam scale (RCBS M500) I can see 1 kernel difference. but like i said, it is pain in the ass.

 

[bax]

If your groups are that sensitive to a powder charge you should be reconsidering your velocity node. A temperature, elevation, or even humidity could throw you out of a narrow node. I am not a expert on this like some here but look up ocw method.

Yup, I know about OCW. I typically shoot some form of ladder to find nodes then pick one and step across it in 0.1 grain or 0.05 grain steps to find the best group. When I find it, that is my target weight, let's call that "zero". In my experience, if I load 5 rounds at zero minus 0.2, five rounds at zero plus 0.2, five rounds -0.2, -0.1, 0, +0.1, and +0.2, and finally five rounds all zero, the last row of five (all using my target weight) will always group better than the other three. For this reason, I went to the expense of purchasing a scale/thrower combination that is gives me plus or minus 0.02-grain accuracy - in my case, one grain of powder.

Some years back I bought a Chargemaster. As my skills improved, I suspected that group sizes (and especially vertical) would be smaller if I had more consistent powder charges. Based on comments on this blog, I bought a V2 from Adam MacDonald. Targets told the truth so I sold the CM. Today if I take a shot and I get vertical, a gun handling mistake is the mostly cause. Less likely, it could be a weather report. In my case, horizontal is usually caused by weather rather than gun handling.

 

[Precision Underground]

The first reloading setup I ever bought was a Lee classic cast press, some Lee dies, and a RCBS beam scale. We have much “nicer” stuff now but I still use the Lee press and dies sometimes and they make ammo that shoots just as good as the ammo that comes off the new press and dies. The beam scale has been retired though lol.

You really don’t need expensive or fancy presses or dies to make good ammo. You need a straight press and dies, some basic knowledge, and good components. Nicer presses and dies are nicer, but won’t always make better ammo. Get a press that won’t induce runout(Lee classic or the rcbs you linked would be fine), get some dies(again- Lee or any decent brand will be fine), get a chargemaster(you’ll deal with the beam for a week or two until you realize it’s not going to fly), and get some good components. That’s all you need to make good ammo. I agree you shouldn't get a “kit” bc you’ll get stuff you don’t really need.

People love to say buy once cry once but IMO that only applies if you NEED to buy the nicer stuff to get the same result. I can use the old Lee setup to make ammo that shoots just as good as ammo off an extravagant setup so there’s no need to buy twice unless you just want something with more bells and whistles. Theres nothing wrong with starting with the basics.