So you have decided to start reloading for your hunting rifle. What do you actually need to do it? Reloading is an equipment intensive hobby. There is a limitless number of gadgets and doo-hickies for each process. When I started reloading, it was hard to figure out what you actually need and what was extraneous. Today I’m going to give you a basic list of what you need to get started reloading.
Press
The first thing you are going to need is a press. Personally, almost everyone should start with a single stage press. Single stages let you focus on each aspect of the process and produce high quality ammunition. Even if you eventually move on to a progressive, the single stage is still useful for niche rifle cartridges and precision reloading.
Dies
Next, you’ll need a set of dies for the cartridge you’re planning on reloading. For rifle cartridges you need a full length sizing die and a bullet seating die. A crimp die can be helpful if you’re loading for semi-automatics but is not neccesary. I virtually never crimp my rifle rounds. Make sure you buy some type of case lube so that you don’t get a case stuck in one of your dies.
Trimmer
As you fire and resize your brass, it grows longer. Every few firings it will be neccesary to trim it back. There are a number or ways to trime brass ranging from purpose built trimmers to dies that fit in your press. For accurate rifle loading I like Lee‘s trimming attachment that attaches to your drill. I have gotten much more consistent results with that than their Quick Trim Die system. A side benefit to this system is it is affordable as well.
Priming
You need some way to prime your cases. Lee has a priming attachment for your press which works fairly well. Another popular option is a hand primer, which lets you prime your brass away from your workbench while you’re watching TV.
Scale
The last thing that you absolutely must have is a scale. A good scale is essential to your ability to make ammunition safely and consistently. There are digital and balance beam options that work. Remember, if you get a digital scale to buy a check weight so that you can ensure that your scale is calibrated properly.
Nice-to-Haves
The equipment we will cover next isn’t strictly required. However, it will go a long ways towards improving the quality and consistency of your handloads and process. Firstly, I would by an inexpensive debur and chamfer tool. This improve bullet seating consistency as well as how well the cartridge feeds in your rifle.
Next, a good caliper is incredibly useful for measuring all types of different aspects of your handloads. Both digital and analog options are out there. Whatever you choose make sure it is consistently accurate down to the thousandths of an inch.
Also, a bullet puller is a handy tool. We all make mistakes once in a while. Sometimes the best thing to do is to salvage your components and start from scratch.
Third is a powder thrower. This drops powder volumetrically which helps to get your charges close quickly. You can then fine tune them by hand or with a trickler if you want to increase the precision of your handloads.
Luxuries
Finally, there are some luxuries that aren’t neccesary to make accurate ammunition, but do speed up the process or increase the quality. First among these is a brass tumbler for cleaning brass. It is not necessary, but who doesn’t want shiny brass. Primer pocket cleaners fall into the same family.
Accuracy afficionados talk about case annealing machines and neck turners for concentricity. These may be worth looking into, but only if you already have the rest of your reloading process fine tuned. If you haven’t, the difference won’t be enough for you to notice. Specialized charge scales can save time but are expensive and don’t necessarily increase precision.
Final List
In summary, to get started reloading, you need the following:
- Press
- Dies
- Case Lube
- Priming system
- Case Trimmer
- Scale
Furthermore, your life will be much easier if you also have these:
- Calipers
- Chamfer Tool
- Bullet Puller
- Powder Thrower
Closing Thoughts
The world of reloading is full of different gadgets and doo-dads to allegedly improve the accuracy of your handloads. For most people, the largest gain in accuracy is not realized by buying a new piece of equipment. Instead, take some time and focus on the process and you can achieve excellent accuracy with fairly simple equipement. The biggest advantage to the more expensive equipment is a savings of time.