Precision rifle starting out

N

notlikeyou

New member
While I've reloaded for pistol for a while one of my relatives is looking to start reloading for rifle (.223, .308 & .300blk in that order)

Aside from powder, brass, primers, pills, and tumbler.
I'm looking for suggestions for him for the below items. Middle of the road pricing would be best, along with where to spend extra or go budget.
If I've missed something feel free to add.

Press
Powder drop
Trickler
Dies
Puller
Tray
Scale digital and beam
Calipers
Trimmer

Thanks in advance for your insight.
 
Looks like the best bet is to catch a complete kit on sale. This will have almost all the items you list with a discount on a discount. I say buy all RCBS & you can't go wrong.

FWIW
 
PILLS?¿

Whut do he need pills fer be he sick??¿¿

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/814175/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press

The only press he needs.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/803372/lee-auto-drum-powder-measure

The only powder drop he needs.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/548630/lee-safety-prime-small-and-large-primer-feeder-for-2006-later-reloading-press

The lee safety prime will turn the turret into a semi-progressive.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/292460/lee-4-hole-classic-4-hole-turret-press-turret

You'll need three of these.

And of course three sets of dies. Unless I added wrong, that comes to $187.94 for a press that will load all of those rounds, accurately, and do it pretty quickly. Caliber changes are very quick, could be even quicker if you were to buy 2 more powder measures.

It can be used as a single stage/batch loader, or put the auto advance shaft in, load as a semi progressive.
 
Thanks snuffy. My perception (however delusional at times) was single stage was typically more precise than turret style presses. Forgoing the option to run it in auto indexing, would you still pick the classic turret over the classic cast single?
 
If you want single stage, the RCBS rockchucker. If you want a turret, then a Dillon 550. The RCBS reloading kits are a great deal.

While I use Lee dies, I would not buy one of their presses. Seen too many break.
 
I reload for precision rifle 308, Press is the RCBS Rockchucker, RCBS Charge master 1500, RCBS Precision mic, RCBS F/L Die, Redding competition seating die & Redding precision shell holders set of 5. Went down that road of trying bushing dies for adjusting neck tension, runout was average .003 went back to the standard RCBS F/L die runout .001 & better. I full size to .001 headspace & trim case every firing to the same length on 308 to 2.012 , I don't neck turn my brass so on my F/L die I use the expander ball when sizing. Make sure your brass is clean before doing any of the above
 
If you want single stage, the RCBS rockchucker. If you want a turret, then a Dillon 550. The RCBS reloading kits are a great deal.

While I use Lee dies, I would not buy one of their presses. Seen too many break.
Click to expand...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/317831/lee-classic-cast-single-stage-press

The Lee classic cast single stage is a BETTER press than the old rockchucker. It's built like a tank out of old railroad rails. It has the ability to use the Lee safety primer feed, it CAN be fitted with the Hornady lock & load bushings, and the spent primers go out the bottom through a plastic tube to be trapped there or directed into a bucket.

The die bushing is 1-¼" so you can remove it to use the cowboy brass shotgun loading dies, OR lee makes 1-¼ dies for loading the 50 BMG. It has plenty of compound leverage to do any loading operation, even case forming.

Only a few bucks more than the Lee turret as well. And 37 bucks less than the rockchucker SUPREME*. *The old reliable rockchucker is replaced by the supreme, supposedly an improvement to old faithful.
 
I use LEE Products and am very happy. I use the exact same Turret Press mentioned above, http://www.midwayusa.com/product/814175/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press , for my precision ammo which is what I would suggest for someone loading rifle ammo. For my plinking pistol ammo I have a EE Loadmaster Progressive Press that has probably cranked out 25,000 or more rounds. All my Dies are LEE. LEE Products are high quality at a low cost. They have a great customer service department too. One time I called them with a simple question about setting up the Loadmaster and a member of the Lee Family actually took my call himself and spend about half hour walking me through how to set it up.
 
"...single stage was typically more precise than..." Nope. Just slower. Loading match grade ammo is more about technique than the equipment and mostly about precise case prep, match grade bullets and weighing charges individually and exactly.
For an FNG, tell your cousin to buy a beginner's kit. Partial to RCBS myself, but whose really makes no difference.
 
Some comments on prior posts:

Some comments on prior posts:

MarCO (#5): Strictly speaking, the Dillon 550 is not a turret. It is a manually advanced progressive.

"Seen too many break"

Which models have you seen break? Lee makes different models, some cheap, some good. All are inexpensive. The cheap ones are extremely inexpensive - and break. The better ones are plenty strong.

T. O'Heir (#10) " '...single stage was typically more precise than... ' Nope. Just slower."

As you said later, "more about technique than the equipment..." Absolutely true. The crafter of the ammo controls the quality of the ammo produced. But it is also true that all turret presses are assemblies of parts, which means that there is some movement between the parts. Single stage presses are (with one exception) a single piece. If it is in alignment it simply IS, no question.

The exception is the Forster Co-Ax, It maintains alignment by taking the opposite approach. The shell holder "floats" to make the cartridge self-aligning. It's reputation is very good in that regard. Spent primer handling is excellent and die installation/removal is brilliant. But the price matches the quality.

While T.O'Heir is correct about the turret/single stage speed and stiffness differences, I find it comforting to eliminate press flex or parts movement from the mix if I am loading for extreme precision. Fewer things to think about (on top of case prep, component consistency, etc). It is the "lazy" in me.

Lost Sheep

In my defense, remember that while necessity is the mother of invention, laziness is the father.
 
Hands down the RCBS rock chucker is the standard. Mine is 40 years old and it is only broken in.

Stay away from the basic scales. Although you don't need to spend money on a computer operated scale.

A good manual trimmer will do. Stay away from collet chucks. Power units are not a advantage unless a person is working on 1000 rounds a month.

Every loader should start off with a couple reloading manuals to start with so he knows what he is getting into. After all if you don't have the patients to read a couple manuals the equipment will just sit there hopefully.
 
Which models have you seen break? Lee makes different models, some cheap, some good. All are inexpensive. The cheap ones are extremely inexpensive - and break. The better ones are plenty strong.
Click to expand...

Lee Challenger and Lee Reloader single stages as well as the progressives. I have not used the Classic 4 hole turret, so maybe it is better. I might have to try one out. I still have some Lee parts from my experimental days between the RCBS rockchucker, which I still have, and the Dillon 650XL which I load the vast majority of my ammo on.
 
I have the Lee Classic 4 Hole turret (cast iron). While there are moving parts, here's my take:

Even though there are a few thousandth's play in the turret which the die is mounted in, when the ram goes up and the shell goes into the die, that turret can only move up so far before it stops. So less accurate, not unless you let it be. A bit more stuff to keep track of, yes. Easy to keep track of an adjust dies accordingly for that tiny bit of movement, yes.

I have loaded tens of thousands of pistol and rifle rounds on mine. I self index rifle ammo and use as a single stage. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best deal going. If you want to buy something else that's more expensive because it's a different color, feel free and stimulate the economy. I'm certain I can load rounds on mine to the same standards of precision that can be loaded on others.

Bottom line, I would recommend the Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret to anyone for any reloading task, especially a beginner. It's the best of both worlds.
 
MarkCO said:
Lost Sheep said:
Which models have you seen break? Lee makes different models, some cheap, some good. All are inexpensive. The cheap ones are extremely inexpensive - and break. The better ones are plenty strong.
Click to expand...
Lee Challenger and Lee Reloader single stages as well as the progressives. I have not used the Classic 4 hole turret, so maybe it is better. I might have to try one out. I still have some Lee parts from my experimental days between the RCBS rockchucker, which I still have, and the Dillon 650XL which I load the vast majority of my ammo on.
Click to expand...
Thanks for answering my question. Yes, I agree with you on the Lee Re-Loader. My friend and I each had one (It came free with a manual on special offer). He broke his when he grabbed it to recover from a stumble. It was strong enough to reload 500 S&W, but was only marginal at that large cartridge and I don't think it would have lasted very long with that usage. But it worked until his Lyman came in. After that, it served as a powder mesure mount. Until he broke it. Snapped right off at the base. I gave mine away to a fellow who had no press at all.

The Deluxe turret and the Pro-1000 share the same aluminum base. They are stronger than the Re-Loader press, but nowhere near the Classic Turret or the Classic Single Stage. Both of those are cast iron and the Single Stage is REALLY beefy. The linkages on these presses are also better than other models.

Lee seems to have a problem. Where most equipment manufacturers made a single quality of equipment, Lee makes a wide range, from just strong enough to lightweight work (with low price to match) and really good stuff (still with few frills, but good and innovative designs0 and a pretty good price.

But don't get me started on Richard Lee's self-aggrandizing book and the company's sad, sad naming conventions.

Lost Sheep
 
You don't mention what you are using for reloading pistol, but when I started reloading .223 this summer I purchased a Lee Breech Lock Challenger press, thinking single stage was best. I ended up using the Challenger for case prep (resizing and de-priming brass not from my rifle, and trimming cases), and using my Lee Classic Turret Press, which I use for pistol reloading, for the loading steps.

Using tumbled brass shot from my rifle (or cleaned, full length resized and trimmed brass), in the first station I de-prime, neck size, and prime on the down stroke. In the second station, I charge the case using the rifle charging die and Auto Drum Powder Measure. In the third station I seat the bullet, and in the fourth I crimp using the FCD (or not, I'm still experimenting).

The Classic Turret is plenty sturdy for .223 and has a long enough stroke to use in auto advance mode and I plan to follow a similar plan loading .35 Remington later this year.

To each his own, but I just don't like the single stage "batch and queue" reloading method. I like to finish each cartridge before starting on the next. With the turret press (or progressive), I have very little chance of missing an operation.
 
Lee seems to have a problem. Where most equipment manufacturers made a single quality of equipment, Lee makes a wide range, from just strong enough to lightweight work (with low price to match) and really good stuff (still with few frills, but good and innovative designs and a pretty good price.

But don't get me started on Richard Lee's self-aggrandizing book and the company's sad, sad naming conventions.

Lost Sheep
Click to expand...

Richard Lee is today's equivalent of ol' George Leonard Herter. I bet there's only a few here that even know who I'm talking about, Herter's went out of business back in the early eighties,(IIRC). Everything he sold was "model perfect"!:p Well not really but close.

Actually I'd like to meet Richard Lee, I may try to do a tour at lee's plant, it's just down the road a bit! His innovative loading tools fit my needs and fill most of them perfectly.

What I believe is a lot of research goes into a press or tool until it's fits a minimal need and works okay. It's released, then they look for feedback from us reloaders. We can break things in ways they never even considered!:eek: He then looks at what they can do to improve it. Case in point, the so called "turret press" So called because it uses the same name as other presses called turrets but is only a little bit like the others. The first Lee turret was a three hole, and the cast aluminum base is the same as their progressive,,--umm the pro 1000? Anyway it wasn't long before he went with 4 holes in the turret, and added auto advance. About the same time we saw the auto disc measure. That sped up the process when using the turret.

The next improvement was making the base out of cast iron, and making the ram thicker so he could also make it hollow. This made the handling of spent primers out the bottom of the loader possible. At the same time the Lee safety prime was brought out. It fits on the turret and the classic cast single stage to deliver primers on the up stroke of the ram to be pressed in on the down stroke. Ingenious! Now the turret is semi-progressive, real fast for handgun, also possible to load the same way for rifle shells. (with the Lee disc or the new auto drum measure*)

All this at a price that's below what the others are charging, and made in the USA!

* The new auto drum is an outgrowth of RL's other tries at making case activated powder measures. The disc measure works okay after you get used to IT choosing what charge IT wants to throw. Infinitely adjustable with enough capacity to load even big rifle ammo,(80 grains) and precise enough to load small charges of handgun shells.

Sorry for the commercial, my only defense is I use what works well, and I save a bit of $ in the process.
 
Precision rifle
Click to expand...
single stage was typically more precise than turret style presses
Click to expand...

It has more to do with the reloader than the press each has its benefits. But if you want just a few rounds that are well done then you should also look at an arbor press and LE Wilson dies.

http://www.lewilsondirect.com/kandmprecisionarborpress-1.aspx

http://www.lewilsondirect.com/chambertypebulletseater17caliber-1.aspx

just a starting point. So much more with precision rifle.
 
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