How much did you spend on equipment (not supplies) to reload?

[C-130 Dude]

At age 14 (1967) I think that I paid a hard earned $9.95 for a Lee Loader for a .308 Win.

I have no idea what I paid for my first press, a Lyman All American Turret press somewhere around 1971 or '72! Some of my dies, my Ideal Powder Measure and much of my early bullet casting supplies came from yard sales.

I'm not a good source of info, as it was a few days ago, and much was used! When you're just a kid picking up pecans, or mowing the occasional yard, or making minimum wage when first married…..you don't get very extravagant! Much of those early purchases are still being used…..we'll, maybe not the Lee Loaders!

I don't load or shoot nearly as much as most on this forum…..I do what is necessary for my needs! memtb

9.95 for a Lee loader in 308. Oh, the days! My money came mostly from cutting grass for 3.50 a lawn. It didnt take a lot of lawns to afford to reload a box of 12ga in those days. Never was lucky enough to find anything usable in yard sales, mostly picked over. A buddy of mine and I used to pick up spent shells out in the pond and slew areas in the beginning. Used to go hunting on the way to school. Sure as hell wouldn't do that these days. Put the gear and game in the trunk. Kept frozen well until we got home. I still have a few of old worn out Lee hand reloading tools. Brass cleaner, hand neck trimmer, and old thumb primer seater. My have times changed. Stay safe and thanks for the memories.

 

[C-130 Dude]

This is just a WAG but since 1978 on just presses, dies, tools etc.....
15-20k...
Probably spent close to 10k past couple years with an AMP and a Apex10 and Zero.

Holy cow. I thought I had spent a lot. Us old military retired farts don't have that kind of pension scratch.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Rock chucker Supreme kit is less than $700 off Amazon. It's basic but we used pretty much everything in it. My old setup was pieced together over 60 yrs ago by my grandfather and I've since been using it for the last 30 years we have a Redding scale though. Dies were mostly rcbs $40 today depending which ones and under $10 for shell holders. No bushing dies or anything fancy starting out just a full length sizer with decap and seater die. We'd set the powder throw a little light and used to use a plastic spoon and or a hobby paint brush to add powder to scale instead a trickler. Also a vld chamfer/deburing tool would be good also. The birch wood brass cleaner is a consumable and all you need is a bucket and some warm water. So about $1k should get you maybe 3 sets of dies, a couple shell holders, deburing tool, and the rcbs kit. Shell holders may work for multiple calibers depending on family ie 243, 308, 270, 30-06 vs 7 rem mag, 300 win mag, 375 H&H etc.

Now I'm dabbling with bushing dies, trimming cases, salt annealing with a hand primer. I'm not sure if the newer stuff helped my hand loads but the old pre64's still shoot about a minute or less and the custom shoots under .5. I was trying to see what all the added processes would do to my groups.

For the guy who's not shooting over 4-500 a basic reloading setup should do them fine to get going. I could be wrong but it's worked for me so far.

Search the forum. It's been covered before with members chiming in on what they would have bought knowing what they know now.

Yeah. Sometimes simple is better. Every time I start getting a bug to shrink my groups, my OCD gets going. If you are loading for just hunting, simple works well. Target and precision costs have no bottom. Stay safe.

 

[.30-06]

just bought a Rock Chucker 1 off ebay 160 shipped. Coulda got a RC 2 alot cheaper,

 

[C-130 Dude]

just bought a Rock Chucker 1 off ebay 160 shipped. Coulda got a RC 2 alot cheaper,

Why'd ya buy it?

 

[Mike D Texas]

Let's see:

• Forster Coax and accessories
• Redding T7 and accessories
• Amp Annealer
• RCBS Chargemaster
• Wilson micrometer case trimmer and accessories
• Forster bench mount chamfer/debur tool
• Untold
• Amounts of Inline fabrication stuff
• 12-14 sets of match grade dies

Has to be somewhere between $8-$10k.

 

[C-130 Dude]

Let's see:

• Forster Coax and accessories
• Redding T7 and accessories
• Amp Annealer
• RCBS Chargemaster
• Wilson micrometer case trimmer and accessories
• Forster bench mount chamfer/debur tool
• Untold
• Amounts of Inline fabrication stuff
• 12-14 sets of match grade dies

Has to be somewhere between $8-$10k.

Holy moly! I thought I spent a lot. Have similar stuff. Although, I would like the AMP. 3200 all in for me, since 1972. Started with 12ga and 16ga. Then .38/.357, 9mm, .45, .223, .308, 30-06, 25-06, 243, 270, 45-70, 375HH. And the list goes on. Granted I sold off many I don't use anymore. But all told with plus and minus, it comes to around 3200 or so. Cripes!

 

[del2les]

I have heard lots of folks asking how much does it cost to reload. There is the initial expense and there are the ongoing expenses. Like updating equipment when something new or improved comes out. Or you get into another caliber. All in, how much do you have in equipment only?

Over the past several decades of purchases and for the current 51 cartridges, shot shells, bullet casting and swaging equipment, etc, I can only make a WAG. However, it would be in the substantial 5 figures, and of course at today's replacement costs, it would be much higher.

 

[J-B welder]

Started with a Lee Classic Loader for $35 and a cheap digital scale for around $40. Boss then gave me a set of dies and I bought a used Reloader Special for $120. Some "smalls" such as a funnel, lube pad, etc. probably cost me another $50. After that, I've been really fortunate to come across a couple estate sale lots that let me keep a few things to add or upgrade and re-sell what I didn't want so I made back what I paid for the bunch, essentially netting me free equipment.

So I now have two single stage presses and a progressive, a good quality beam scale, powder measure and trickler, eight or ten sets of dies, collet style bullet puller, stuck case extractor, vibratory tumbler, and a few things I'm sure I'm forgetting for less than $500. All of it is used, but in very good condition, and not the fanciest stuff. For instance, the progressive is only a Dillon RL 450. I'm very happy with my set up, though.

 

[TXTrained]

I have heard lots of folks asking how much does it cost to reload. There is the initial expense and there are the ongoing expenses. Like updating equipment when something new or improved comes out. Or you get into another caliber. All in, how much do you have in equipment only?

It depends on how serious you are about it. How good do you want to be? How PRECISE are you looking at getting? Is it for hunting or Competition? The V4&Ad FX-120i Reloading scale..$900.00 ,Zero Press $1200.00, Dillon 550C $600.00, 4 Powder Scale for it. $ 500.00 .Hornady Auto Charge Powder Scale was $399.00, my RCBS $250. I got it used.Century 21 Mandrels$299.00, Ive got 37 different caliber die set. $3500.00 .A K&M Arbor Press,$200, Whidden Micro Adjust Seating Die,$200. a Hornady Lock N Load Single Stage Press,$375.00, 3 Beam Scales= $375.00, Hornady Concentricity Tool.$125.00 Amp Annealer, Amp Press Total $3000.00 Frankford Arsenal Dryer, $175.00Frankford Arsenal Steel Pin Tumbler,$150.00 Media Sifter $60.00,Frankford Arsenal Tumbler at $60.00.. Thats about all I see sitting here .Now let me add it upThats about $12,370.00 and Im sure Ive missed something. I was going to but a Promethus Powder Scale.But it was $3,000. And I got a case of Tite Wad..
But still $12,370.00is a god bit.Thats why I asked how serious are you.Its kind of addicting truthfully..To me it is anyway.I love reloading almost as much as shooting. I was a welder for 22 years before training race horses and Im pretty much a Perfectionist about everything I do.Its just the way the good LORD made me.You can sure do it cheaper.Its kind of like your rifles..You always want the best you can afford.

 

[TXTrained]

I have heard lots of folks asking how much does it cost to reload. There is the initial expense and there are the ongoing expenses. Like updating equipment when something new or improved comes out. Or you get into another caliber. All in, how much do you have in equipment

Depends. Will my wife see any amount I post?

When I die I hope my wife dont sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them.LOL

 

[C-130 Dude]

It depends on how serious you are about it. How good do you want to be? How PRECISE are you looking at getting? Is it for hunting or Competition? The V4&Ad FX-120i Reloading scale..$900.00 ,Zero Press $1200.00, Dillon 550C $600.00, 4 Powder Scale for it. $ 500.00 .Hornady Auto Charge Powder Scale was $399.00, my RCBS $250. I got it used.Century 21 Mandrels$299.00, Ive got 37 different caliber die set. $3500.00 .A K&M Arbor Press,$200, Whidden Micro Adjust Seating Die,$200. a Hornady Lock N Load Single Stage Press,$375.00, 3 Beam Scales= $375.00, Hornady Concentricity Tool.$125.00 Amp Annealer, Amp Press Total $3000.00 Frankford Arsenal Dryer, $175.00Frankford Arsenal Steel Pin Tumbler,$150.00 Media Sifter $60.00,Frankford Arsenal Tumbler at $60.00.. Thats about all I see sitting here .Now let me add it upThats about $12,370.00 and Im sure Ive missed something. I was going to but a Promethus Powder Scale.But it was $3,000. And I got a case of Tite Wad..
But still $12,370.00is a god bit.Thats why I asked how serious are you.Its kind of addicting truthfully..To me it is anyway.I love reloading almost as much as shooting. I was a welder for 22 years before training race horses and Im pretty much a Perfectionist about everything I do.Its just the way the good LORD made me.You can sure do it cheaper.Its kind of like your rifles..You always want the best you can afford.

I can relate. My OCD kicks in every time I get a bug to improve my groups. With all that gear you found an instance of tight wad? OK, right. That's quite the haul you got. Sounds like a great shop. The horse thing sounds real peaceful. Stay safe.

 

[TXTrained]

9.95 for a Lee loader in 308. Oh, the days! My money came mostly from cutting grass for 3.50 a lawn. It didnt take a lot of lawns to afford to reload a box of 12ga in those days. Never was lucky enough to find anything usable in yard sales, mostly picked over. A buddy of mine and I used to pick up spent shells out in the pond and slew areas in the beginning. Used to go hunting on the way to school. Sure as hell wouldn't do that these days. Put the gear and game in the trunk. Kept frozen well until we got home. I still have a few of old worn out Lee hand reloading tools. Brass cleaner, hand neck trimmer, and old thumb primer seater. My have times changed. Stay safe and thanks for the memories.

That's pretty much h how my reloading started.My best friend had a Hand Lee Loader.We couldn't afford too many boxes of ALCAN Shotgun Shells from our local 7-11 Store so we hand loaded in his garage the shells a day or night before we went hunting.I do remember him over charging a few...on purpose..and blowing off his extractor on his old cheap pump shotgun.I was lucky my Dad bought me an 870 Wingmaster..It didn't have a ventilated rib back then..Those are some good memories. Thanks

 

[.30-06]

Why'd ya buy it?

My Lee has a worn casting and I was blaming it on off cases. But then I got info about better dies. Wasn't too sure at the time if the FA coax was gonna hold up and still am not.