I am looking to get into reloading. What brand press should I get? I want a press that will do it all, prime, re-size etc. Also is it better to get a full kit or build my own from different manufacturers like say and RCBS press, Lyman scale, and Lee dies etc. Please help.
I okorder and now have a fantastic scale... and it was cheaper by 50% than the short lived RCBS. I weigh every charge of every load so a good scale means a lot to me. This isn't just my opinion. My chronograph also says this scale out performs that POS RCBS scale. I'm also a firm believer in Lee dies... I think they're the most bang for the buck.
LEE would be good for a beginner to learn with, making several hundreds of rounds. RCBS would be good for a more advanced reloader similar to the LEE but the presses are heavier duty. Dillon would be for the more advance reloader that is thinking of producing several hundred to thousands of rounds. All have kits that will cover most of your needs for the caliber that you are reloading. some more expensive than others. All their dies have their particular traits and all will fit whatever press you use. Some presses use shell holders others have shell plates. Some are single stage and others are progressive. You have to decide what your requirements are and how much you are going to reload and in which calibers are you planning on reloading.
I'd get the full kit.A lot less hassle every thing at once.If I were to just getting into reloading I'd go with Lee, cheaper than the others but they work fine.If you start to really getting into it and are reloading a lot you can always upgrade.But if you don't like it or don't reload much you won't be out of a crap load of money.I reload so that's just my opinion
Unless you do LOTS of shooting, and therefore lots of reloading you do NOT need all the fancies of an expensive progressive press. Starting with a full kit from any of the quality makers is usually a bit cheaper than a piece here, a piece there type of setup. Note that MANY competition shooters use single stage presses to guarantee consistency from round to round.
I grew up reloading on an old Lee and an old Herters press. I still have the Lee for my small batches and use a case-fed DIllon XL650 progressive for large lots of ammo. I shoot 300-1000 rounds per week, though. I recommend Lee with no hesitation. I have a set of RCBS carbide 9mm dies that seat half of the bullets noticeably crooked in the case. My set of small base .223 RCBS dies won't size a case very well at all, and I know how to adjust dies and own/use case gauges. I now use all Dillon and Lee dies, except for one old Lyman set and one old Herters set which still work great. My powder scale is also electronic (Dillon), and I highly recommend them for two reasons. The extra speed will take the biggest tedium out of reloading, and it is actually safer because a digital readout is harder to read incorrectly than the different sliders on a balance poise. I prefer the Lee of all the balance scales, though. It's cheap, idiot-proof, impossible to bend, and easier-to-read than the RCBS models. When not priming in the progressive press, I much prefer the Lee Auto Prime than using the press. First, I recommend a good reloading manual, even before you buy equipment. The ones from Lee and Lyman are outstanding for giving novices the background and education about the equipment in addition to a large amount of data. Also, have several books of data, and also check the websites of the powder manufacturer and bullet maker to compare data from several sources before making a load.
