Thread: Wanting to learn to reload but don't want to spend around 1500 to get into it

Hi guys I'm looking to learn to reload and don't want it to cost an arm and a leg just wondering if anyone knows what I should do or if you have gear for sale please pm me.

if you want to reload.....some loads to go hunting with...and arent looking at shooting paper/animals out to 600 yards..... eg you want ammunition as good as or better than factory..... its easy.
if you can find a LEE whackamole set in calibre you have...job done...or lee aniversary kit dies..powder,primers,projectiles job done as well
best of all...someone local with the gear...you buy components,go there and load using thier gear under thier supervision...you learn,get to decide if want to continue and it costs you bugger all....
most of us with gear are happy to do this for folks....

always good to learn from someone as MD said, ive got some bloody good gear cheap secondhand , you can buy the hornady, rcbs or lee kit, or buy gear individually, at a minimum you will need
Press $2-500
calipers $50
case lube $20
Dies $50-150
method to trim brass $50-350
scales $50-300
priming tool (may have on press) $150

powder measure nice to have, sing out what die sets you need, may have a set, also have a hornady case lube&pad $30 and its yours if you want

You might get a Redding or Hornady kit around $700.
Add dies and a few components you might stay under $1000.
That gives you the base to do anything or expand if you want

I started with the redding big boss 2 kit. Here it is for $899. You might find it cheaper elsewhere.

https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Rel...Pak+57000.html

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I didn't have much money when I started and didn't know if I was going to like reloading so I started with a $30 Lee Hand Press, a $20 Lee perfect powder measure and a few other bits and bobs.

It got me through around a year or so and did great, loaded thousands of rounds of ammo with it. Then realized I needed a bench and a bench press and moved forward.

Greetings @Djmsheild75,
I am witk Micky in suggesting you try and find a mentor. There is no point in having a lot of kit if you are not up to speed on how to use it. Your local NZDA is a good place to start looking for one. This will allow you to get the kit you actually need rather when you are ready to go solo. I started handloading around 50 years ago without a mentor. Progress was slow until I discovered Handloader Magazine in early 1980 and have subscribed ever since. It was my mentor. As mentioned above you do not need every wizzo peice of kit when you start loading and may never need some of it depending what style of handloader you become. A mentor of senior years is unlikely to turn breathless with excitement with everything that is new some of which is designed to boost sales rather than deliver actual improvement. Enjoy your handloading. It is a great pastime.
Regards Grandpamac.

Lee reloading gear is a very good place to start this https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Rel...t+90050-2.html
is as good a place to start as any - you probably need add dies as well Lee RGB are pretty cheap or often you can pick up dies off trademe - I have a challenger press that must be 30+ yo still going strong. I brought a Hornady hand loading manual when I started which was great but back then no such thing as a forum let alone the internet.

I am by no means an expert - someone like Grandpamac is though, and his posts on handloading on here are an excellent reference point and I really enjoyed reading them (thanks Grandpa!)

One thing that really made reloading interesting for me was buying a chronograph. I recently sold a pro chrono pal plus tri pod on here - got less than $200 for it - perfectly good/functional and seemed pretty accurate (mates loads done by Deadeye Dicks said 2950 fps and thats what the they came out at through mine. Only reason I sold it was that they need to be say 10 ft infront of the muzzle but at the NZDA range up here 10 ft infront is darn near 10ft below the bench !

Another vote for a mentor. See what they do and recommend and go from there. Doesn't really matter if you go with Lee, RCBS, Redding, Dillon or ancient kit from the flea market. They will all do the job according to your budget and you can refine things as you learn and make choices.

A mentor will help short the process by several orders of magnitude. What took me years to learn on my stubborn own you will get from a mentor in a couple or three sessions. You may also get a longer term friend.

If you are going to spend money up front buy components- Primers, powder, projectiles, brass - and in that order. Be on the hunt for good deals, part boxes/jugs etc. Dont stop and stash them away. They will never be cheaper than now.

Some great advice above, youtube is a great place to learn as well.
Any spare time read and watch youtube, there is plenty of good stuff out there to learn from and it will help you to choose the right gear.

I see you are in Blenheim. I can ask around up there and see if there is anyone that reloads that would be prepared to mentor you. If you were in Chch there is GunCity and NZHA (NZ Handloaders association....) . Not sure if GC in Nelson does courses but Chch did / does.

@7mm Rem Mag re Youtube. I remember recently watching a Lee Classic Loader tutorial from Mr Lee himself. Can't get closer to the horse's mouth than that! Now I can't find that particular one again....

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@7mm Rem Mag re Youtube. I remember recently watching a Lee Classic Loader tutorial from Mr Lee himself. Can't get closer to the horse's mouth than that! Now I can't find that particular one again....

Bugger

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@7mm Rem Mag re Youtube. I remember recently watching a Lee Classic Loader tutorial from Mr Lee himself. Can't get closer to the horse's mouth than that! Now I can't find that particular one again....

I read a few reloading manuals and magazine articles, but watching a lot of Youtube really helped me understand what was going on and how everything worked. I probably watched reloading YT vids for about a year until I bought stuff to get started.

I still reckon that the cheapest way to try handloading is to spend $60 for Lee Classic Loader.... And still produce high quality ammo