A Buyer’s Guide to the Best Reloading Kits

Do you want to make your own ammo? These are the best reloading kit you can get to start rolling your own ammo. Although ammunition is starting to appear on shelves, I doubt they will ever be fully stocked again in my lifetime. I am seeing bullets and powder for sale and order, and, believe it or not, I have seen primers for sale. Yes, everything is expensive and people will gobble up the components but I’m confident that there’ll soon be an influx in new reloaders. It doesn’t matter if you are the new reloader or if you’re looking to purchase tools for someone else, it can be overwhelming to buy all the necessary tools to get from zero to reloader. I started with minimal gear that my father and I had accumulated over the course of a year. After we had shot our.308 Winchesters, we were able to start cooking up deer hunting loads. We had a Lee press, RCBS scale, Lyman dies, a nondescript plastic dial caliper, R.E. Wilson chamfer/deburring device, just a bunch of stuff, but it worked well. RCBS dies can be used with Hornady shellholders in a Redding presse, and so forth. But it can be difficult to set up a complete outfit, especially if you forget some key pieces of gear. Many reloading gear companies offer complete kits that include all the necessary components, dies, and shellholders. Five popular reloading kit options were selected to show the differences in quality, value, and content. The Lee Challenger Kit is the most affordable. It includes an aluminum O-frame press and the Lee Safety balance beam scale. Lee is known for providing great value and many of their designs are affordable. Although some of their tools might not have the same features as other companies, I know that you can still make good ammunition using Lee tools. Redding Reloading is based in New York and offers their Big Boss II Pro Pak Reloading Kit. Redding is well-known for its precision tools and innovative designs. This reloading kit has a street price at $400. However, certain tools will need added to it. The Big Boss II O frame press (a heavy design with a spent primer tube, steel linkage, and chamfer/deburring tool) is included. 2 balance beam scale, powder tipler, chamfer/deburring and the Model No. 18 case prep kit. This is a heavy-duty design with a spent primer tube and steel linkage. Redding tools are among my favorite tools. I have had the pleasure to use them for more than a decade. Redding’s tools have been a pleasure to use for over a decade. A balance beam scale might be a better choice for beginners–gravity never wears out–but recent digital scale designs have made it possible to offer a lot more to the new reloader. The RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit costs $500. The Rock Chucker IV O frame press is the top of the list. The M500 balance beam scale can measure powder, cases and bullets up to 500 grams. The Uniflow-III powder measuring device will accurately measure powder charges and will deliver consistent, reliable, and repeatable results. Speer’s Reloading Manual is also included in the package. The package includes a hex key set, which can be used to adjust a variety of reloading tools. The Rock Chucker IV comes with a threaded bushing that can be removed to change the threaded hole from 7/8.14 thread (for most dies) to 1 1/4:12. You can also buy a replacement bushing to fit the 1:14 thread needed for larger die bodies like the.500 Jeffery or.505 Gibbs. Lyman Ultimate reloading system is $600. It offers the most complete system, with the greatest flexibility. Lyman’s eight-turret Brass Smith turret presse, Gen 6 digital powder dispenser, scale, Universal trimmer and replacement bushings are all available. Lyman even includes a stainless steel dial-caliper for precise measuring both the case and cartridge length. You will undoubtedly need to upgrade, modify, or add new tools as you reload. This depends on what cartridges you load and how you plan to use them. Let’s hope that the components are available soon so we can all get back to the benches – both shooting benches and reloading. Download your Storm Tactical printable target pack62 Printable MOA targets with DOT drills – Rifle range in YARDS. This impressive target pack is from Storm Tactical and contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range usage. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.