Reloading setup? Please recommend.

[Ernbar]

Of course I will need to buy specific dies for each caliber.

Which kit? Add a few more items. Lean toward the Lyman
Lyman
Rock Chucker

OR

Forster Co Ax Of course I will need to buy a lot of accessories. But I like to load a few cartridges at a time. and it is super easy to change dies. Long case rifle.

Or something else?

Heard bad things about Forster customer service so I would go with RCBS or Lee.

 

[ENCORE50A]

RCBS and be done...............

 

[Squint]

I'm one of those guys that still uses A C and H press that's not even made anymore. It cost $12.00 brand new and I find nothing wrong with it. It sounds like you're gonna load like I did and all you need is a good C press, you can unscrew one die and put another in. I've had mine since 1959 and I'm still using it and I'm 85 years old. I don't load a lot sound's like you don't either it took ten years before I bought a powder measure, a Lyman 55. I used a homemade measuring cup made out of a cut off shell for the first ten years of loading because I was on pretty short funds too. I did buy a pretty good scale and I did, and I still do weigh ever charge. My scale is so old that it uses an oil dampening system. I looked on eBay and there's a lot of good used presses for sale. I always figured if I could load 20 shells an hour that was more than enough I've never really pushed the issue. None of my shells I loaded have ever misfired, or squib loads, but you have to be careful or you can make a widow maker pretty fast. I'd be more concerned about all the steps such as case inspection looking inside and see there's no foreign objects using a decent chaffering tool for both the inside and outside the case, I I took a small 3/4 file to made a little notch in the rim of the case every time it was loaded so that I knew which cases should be inspected more careful. I will also say don't try to make cannon out of a gun that's not. Don't overload super hot.
It's a good hobby it kept me out of the bars
Squint

 

[HV-Muzzleloaders]

Amen on the RCBS Rockchucker. I have two of them.

 

[Dom]

I'd also say start with a Rockchucker, I've got two of them and then a few years ago also got the Forster. The Rockchuckers are solid presses and perform flawlessly. You can always pick up more stuff at later dates as you get more comfortable with the process. I've always used hand priming tools, also RCBS, versus the press. Just my preference. To clean cases, I use water & dishsoap in a Thumblers Tumbler, stainless steel pins, makes cases look new inside and out. It's like any hobby, if it really interests you and you enjoy it, you'll pick up a whole slew of "stuff" to try out. Some I use regularly, some I use rarely.

 

[Ernbar]

Check out powdervalley.com they have free shipping.

 

[jbs27572]

I bought a Lyman turret press in a kit with pretty much everything to get started many years ago. I think it was like $500 and some change. A few years later, I bought a Lyman powder metering scale that automatically meters out powder charges to the + or - 0.1 grain and have never really looked back since. Reloading manuals are available everywhere or even on line and a good manual is a must. I have had good experiences with the Lyman manual but I have found data in some others that were way too hot so be careful and always start at the minimums and work up.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Of course I will need to buy specific dies for each caliber.

Which kit? Add a few more items. Lean toward the Lyman
Lyman
Rock Chucker

OR

Forster Co Ax Of course I will need to buy a lot of accessories. But I like to load a few cartridges at a time. and it is super easy to change dies. Long case rifle.

Or something else?

I have two issues with kits - there is always a tool that you'll want a better/different version of from the get go... and for me, buying a kit is a big investment at once. Like, new gun cost. Or case of ammo. Or... But doing it one piece at a time as you catch deals, sales, and used stuff it ends up being more affordable

 

[Marplot]

I have two issues with kits - there is always a tool that you'll want a better/different version of from the get go... and for me, buying a kit is a big investment at once. Like, new gun cost. Or case of ammo. Or... But doing it one piece at a time as you catch deals, sales, and used stuff it ends up being more affordable

Good advice!

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I just picked up a Lyman case prep station a few weeks ago. Found a really good sale on it. Worth every penny, even at full price, imo. I agree with anonymouscowherd about kits. I believe piecing together what you need, as you can afford it is the way to go for many. Especially when youre on a budget. I bought all my RCBS stuff second hand, but Lee stuff is less expensive new, and so far, has been perfectly serviceable and gets me loading safely and on budget.

 

[Ernbar]

I just picked up a Lyman case prep station a few weeks ago. Found a really good sale on it. Worth every penny, even at full price, imo. I agree with anonymouscowherd about kits. I believe piecing together what you need, as you can afford it is the way to go for many. Especially when youre on a budget. I bought all my RCBS stuff second hand, but Lee stuff is less expensive new, and so far, has been perfectly serviceable and gets me loading safely and on budget.

Lee has good products and great customer service. A while back I bought some second hand dies but something was wrong with the sizing die, can’t remember the details but do recall that Lee sent me a new sizing die for free even though I disclosed it was purchased second hand.

 

[Marplot]

OK, getting Forster Co AX. Whole setup.

Want to get brass cleaner. Some of my reloads are black powder. A friend said to drop spent brass into a bucket with Dawn and water. Dry out later. BP reloads will be very few.

Rotary or Vibrator?
What media? Walnut or Stainless?
Frankford Arsenal or Other?

 

[anonymouscowherd]

OK, getting Forster Co AX. Whole setup.

Want to get brass cleaner. Some of my reloads are black powder. A friend said to drop spent brass into a bucket with Dawn and water. Dry out later. BP reloads will be very few.

Rotary or Vibrator?
What media? Walnut or Stainless?
Frankford Arsenal or Other?

Whichever vibratory is on sale cheapest. Crushed UNTREATED walnut shells from the Pet Store (lizzard bedding). Couple table spoons of NuPolish added and run in the media for half an hour or so before putting brass in. Replenish NuPolish when you replenish the media. Cheap wire mesh wok stir fry tool to separate media from cases when you scoop 'em out.

 

[Patched]

Heard bad things about Forster customer service so I would go with RCBS or Lee.

I’ve had my coaxial press since the early 1980s….a month ago I snapped the top forged steel yoke resizing a 300 winmag case …totally my fault for putting my full weight on it….
Called Forster…had a new $70 part in 7 days no charge, on warranty, they said “if it broke it was a defect…you won’t be able to break the new part.”
I’d call that excellent costumer service.

 

[Ernbar]

I’ve had my coaxial press since the early 1980s….a month ago I snapped the top forged steel yoke resizing a 300 winmag case …totally my fault for putting my full weight on it….
Called Forster…had a new $70 part in 7 days no charge, on warranty, they said “if it broke it was a defect…you won’t be able to break the new part.”
I’d call that excellent costumer service.

Good to hear that. I read a couple negative remarks from users but I’m glad they did the right thing in your case.

 

[Marplot]

I have heard good about Forseter Customer service

 

[anonymouscowherd]

I have heard good about Forseter Customer service

While I love good cs as much as the next guy, I prefer to not have to use the cs in the first place

 

[Keone]

Glad to hear about Forseter Customer service. I am still using original Bonaza coaxial from the mid 70s. All these years and it never had a problem.

 

[Marplot]

While I love good cs as much as the next guy, I prefer to not have to use the cs in the first place

Back in the day, Xerox was THE copier place to buy. They praised their customer service/maintenance.

Then Canon and Mita came along and said thiers do not breakdown, and they were right!

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Back in the day, Xerox was THE copier place to buy. They praised their customer service/maintenance.

Then Canon and Mita came along and said thiers do not breakdown, and they were right!

I've always been impressed by Dell CS mostly because of one incident in 1997.

The college I was going to (and now have been working for....) was opening a new 150 seat computer lab. This a few months before AOL comes out to the masses, a Pentium 133 chip cost $300 and 8mb of RAM (two 4mb sticks) would run you $160 or so. Weekend before classes started the following Wednesday, someone broke in and stole all 150 cpus and 300 sticks of RAM ... Discovered Monday morning and Dell had 4 techs and replacement parts at the lab doors at 7am Tuesday, and the replacement done by noon and testing done by 4.

Do believe the college did end up paying for the actual parts, but the next-day-on-site response and labor was covered. And when you buy as a small business/home office line of computers they not only have a slightly higher grade of hardware than the "home consumer" lines but they come with basically that same warranty as an inexpensive option, with parts covered for not-working but not for stolen (which I can't blame 'em for). Used it twice on different laptops of my wife's after one of the kids caused screen breakage...