Cost of getting started - then and now.

[Mk42gunner]

I started reloading about 1976-ish, with a Lee loader in 410, when Dad realized how expensive .410 shells were compared to 12 and 20 ga at less than $2.00 a box.

My best friend and I started loading for his .22-250 around 1982. He traded with another friend of his for a bunch of RCBS stuff that included: a Rockchucker, 502 scale, an RCBS powder funnel and dies for .22-250, 6mm Rem, .25-06, and something else, .308 I think. Also one shellholder and a Sierra manual. All for the princly sum of a set of two Pioneer 6x9" speakers.

We reloaded a lot of rounds setting at the kitchen table, using a teaspoon and a bowl to weigh every charge. To this day I despise powder tricklers.

I think the reason people today think it is expensive to start reloading is there are so many people that say you need every little gadget to make safe loads.

While I agree that a trimmer is nice, you can also discard brass after it grows, or put it in the waiting for a trimmer box. Even though I have both a Forster and a Lyman now, the Lee trimmers are about the easiest to use, especially if you only have a box of cases to trim.

A six inch dial caliper is cheap enough now to replace all or the flat shell length guages ever built.

A 0-1" micrometer is nice, but is it really necessary if you aren't pushing top end loads?

A tumbler makes shiny brass, but as long as there isn't any dirt or grit on the case, it is not absolutely necessary for starting out.

Robert

[Cowboy T]

Good words there, Mk42gunner.

The other reason a lot of people today think it's expensive is because of all the "Just buy Dillon, everything else 5uxx0rz!!11!!!ONE!1!!" comments. Yes, Dillon gear is very expensive (also very good). But you don't need all that to *get started*. That's the key--*getting started*. They can buy that XL650 later if they find they really need it.

[Love Life]

I started in january 2008 with a dillon 550. I did all the searches and read the reviews. I went backwards on the reloading continuum. I figured I would start with a progressive and move down to a single stage press if I ever aquired a cartridge that I thought needed to be loaded that way. I think my start up cost was over $500. More then I needed to spend, but I didn't have to play catch up later on. As I watched ammo prices sky rocket I just sat back and smiled as I turned out quality affordable ammo.

[WILCO]

As I watched ammo prices sky rocket I just sat back and smiled as I turned out quality affordable ammo.

That's always a good feeling!

[Skipper488]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=423081 $91.99
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=242098 $36.99

This is what I bought to start and it's all I needed It was a little cheaper when I bought it but still for $128.98 It doesn't take long to to make your money back. I calculated with the cost savings (even buying bullets) that I had made my money back after 600 rounds.

[azcruiser]

First reloading tool was what is now the Lee Classic wasn't Classic back then .The whole thing was like $10. You know hammer out he primer with the rod -Hammer the empty into the size die -Hammer the primer sometimes made a BANG.Little dipper thing for the powder-Hammer the bullet to seat . Worked fine for my first 22-250 think 1960 something.Now lets see 2-Dillon 550BS
one LG primer 1small- Two Dillon S D B's again 1 LG one SM- 2 Dillon 1050 1LG one SM-Lyman All American Turret top-1 Bonanza CO AX -1 R C B S Rock chuck - 1 M e c 250 speedster 12ga- 1 MEC 9000 grabber with hydro . Plus more dies and conversion kits than I can count enough bullets -brass -shot lead-powder that the Slab in my reloading room has cracked .My guess would be 15 to 20 K And it all started with that $10 lee loader - Then again I never saw a coffin or a Hearst with a luggage rack ? Enjoy your time here it's not that long .

[Pavogrande]

I agree with mr collins -- folks today mistake wants for needs --

1957 -- 25/20wcf tong tool $14new, pacific scale with weights $5 used, spoon (wife wasn;t looking), ink pad, ch lube, box of primers, can of 2400 about $2, and a $40 win m92 saddle ring carbine.

[.357]

a sporting good stores was going out of business in 2003 so i went and picked up a lyman aculine kit had everything i needed ran me 105$ plus a 4$ set of used .357 dies and a can of powder I was in business. I sold the press recently to a beginner who wanted it really bad i kind of miss it, but he's churning out ammo just like i did.

[Phillip]

I agree with mr collins -- folks today mistake wants for needs --

1957 -- 25/20wcf tong tool $14new, pacific scale with weights $5 used, spoon (wife wasn;t looking), ink pad, ch lube, box of primers, can of 2400 about $2, and a $40 win m92 saddle ring carbine.

I see that happen allot with new guys getting into Ham Radio. Wants for needs or The top of the line equipment.

1989 - Lee hand loader kit 15$ Primers and Powder 25$ semi wad cutters 20$ Security six 357 for 300$

Then I moved on to CMP matches with a borrowed M1 and a Lee hand loader kit for 30-06 18$

As of today, the banging for my lee loader kit for 45LC was driving my neighbors nuts, and they let me know it.

So I went and bought:
Lee Reloader Press 27.99$
Lee Carbide 45LC Die set 25.99$
Lee Ram Prim set 9.79$
Lee Safety Scale 21.99$
Lee Perfect powder measure 18.79$

Total 104.55$

It lets me reload quietly and allows me to have a small setup that I can C-Clamp any ware in my small apartment or at the range. It has also assembled about 1200 rounds of reliable ammo so far.

[1hole]

Got my first gear in mid '65 when I was a young family guy with three kids. I had a medium "high pay" electronics job at Cape Kennedy. Total mail order for a modest Lyman Spar-T turret with auto primer feed, 1010 scale, Redding #3 measure, case lube, two sets of Lyman dies and #43 manual was around $125. That was significantly more than a week's pre-tax salary so I had to get a 6 month personal loan from the Patrick AFB Federal Credit Union to cover it. Meaning my $125 "kit" certainly was not cheep at the time!

The "good ol' days for shooters/reloaders is NOW!

Disregarding numbers of dollars, which inflation makes meaningless anyway, the "cost" of things only means how many of working hours we have to swap for what we want. In that light, virtually everything reloaders/shooters use costs us signicantly less today than it did in '65.

[Von Gruff]

When I started to look at gear for reloading (late 70's),I had a well bred German Shepard bitch at the time and she dropped an unexpected litter of pups to a male that, while neither were in the stud book, were good enough so the 8 pups gave me the wherewithall to get a Mod 70 and my reloading set-up. That was a Lyman press with RCBS dies for a few calibers, 505 scales, trimmer, pilots and cutters, and all the other little bits and pieces that we need.

Von Gruff.