When getting started in reloading it is important to make a few considerations. What are you going to be reloading? How much are you going to reload? What is your time vs. money factor? If you getting started and not sure about whether or not you will be hooked on reloading, the best answer to these questions is the Lee Challenger Kit.
50th Anniversary Kit
This kit sells for $134 at Lee. It is a popular kit because it is essentially turn key. You get everything that you need to get started reloading except a pair of calipers (we will deal with calipers in another post).
The upside is obviously the value. Downside is time reloading. A single stage press takes a lot of time to operate, but if you are a cowboy shooter like I was when I bought the press, it was perfect. I loaded about 100 rounds a month on this press and never had one problem. This press would also make a fine press for a precision rifle shooter who is getting started.
There are certainly better presses available, but if you think you might move on to a turret press or a progressive press one day, the Lee press will be fine. In fact, after buying a progressive press, I still kept my Lee press for rifle.
If you have been thinking about reloading it’s easy to see that you can get your money back on this press very quickly. When I first started I could reload 45 Long Colt for about $10 per box when the average box in our area was $25 plus. At 100 rounds per month I was able to get my money back out of the press in 5 months.
This is a great beginning press that will serve your loading needs for years to come.
Reloading is a great way for you to enjoy your hobby without actually being able to get out and shoot. When I first started shooting, I only got to do it about once a month at a local Cowboy Action shoot, so reloading .45 Long Colt was not only cheaper than buying ammo, it was also a great way to stay connected to my hobby even though I wasn’t actually shooting.
To begin this series it is important that I give credit where credit is due. One of my dad’s coworkers took an interest in me because he liked shooting as well. He actually took the time over a Christmas break to teach me how to load .45 Long Colt. He convinced me that an initial investment in some equipment would pay off in the long run, and he also told me about how much fun it was to shoot your own loads. That first day spent reloading gave me the bug, and I have been doing it ever since.
My second major step in reloading came from a friend who became like a brother. Andy taught me the value of the progressive press. The price for equipment went up, but so did the round count! We were shooting competitively so reloading was a must for the budget. Andy introduced me to custom loads, technical data, and the idea that reloading done correctly could produce a better round than the factory.
If you are a reloader, make sure you pass that knowledge along to someone who can use it. Right now is a great time to start reloading. With minimal investment you can have your hobby in your home and have the satisfaction of turning out some great loads. If you are unsure about reloading, ask your local shop if they know of anyone who reloads a lot. More than likely, they would love to show someone else how to enjoy their hobby.
We were on the phone the other day with one of our distributors and were told that ammo is going up again. It wasn’t that long ago that a day of shooting could be done for under $20, if you were shooting 9mm. Now that is jeopardy. Let me give you a few options that will help you continue to enjoy shooting.
1. Shoot plenty of 22lr. You can have a great time and still get in good practice sessions with 22lr. In the Articles Section I mentioned that everyone needs to start with a 22lr pistol and rifle. You can also buy conversion kits for Glocks, Berettas, 1911′s and AR-15′s.
2. Buy a 9mm pistol. If you aren’t really enthusiastic about the 22lr the 9mm will be the cheapest to shoot in a major caliber.
3. Buy an AK variant. The 7.62×39 round is still one of the cheapest ammos available for rifle shooting.
4. Start reloading. For rifle you can get an RCBS Rock Chucker press or an automated press for pistol from Dillon or Hornady. You will quickly recoup the cost of the press if you are a high volume shooter. You can estimate that you will save about 1/2 the cost of a box of ammo by reloading. Reloading is not hard if you are patient and pay attention to detail. In truth it is a great way to pass the winter months when shooting is difficult because of weather.
5. Don’t like any of these options? Buy an Airsoft gun. These replicas shoot semi-auto with a propellant called green gas. We have seen an increase in Airsoft sales to our Law Enforcement contracts. They love the realism and find them great for training in areas where simunitions or paint balls are not feasible.
If you are into competitive shooting, you know how a fast reload often makes the difference between 1st and 2nd place. Check out Travis as he reloads. Incidentally he is a AMU (Army Marksmanship Unit) shooter. When you load like this, it really helps.
