SmallCaliberCentral

Rick in Oregon wrote:The Redding Comp Seating Die was the specific one I was referring to. Good that your Forester comp die clears, but friends tell me the RCBS comp seater won't clear either.

Good information to have Rick.

Rick in Oregon wrote:Just one more thing to consider when setting up your loading operation.

That's why I'm here consulting with the experts. I don't yet know what I don't know.

Mike wrote: I have always subscribed to the theory that it's best to buy right the first time around...,

Stick to your guns on that one Mike, you won't regret it.

That said, be aware that you will need to study your options dilligently to to understand what "best" means.

For an example. You can purchase a MOST EXCELLENT Forster, or Wilson case trimmer (yes, I have both). They are great tools, well engineered and made to last through generations. But a lowly Lee gauge/trimmer combo is a thing of beauty and far less expensive. Be aware of the costs to adapt your tools too (bushings, pilots, etc)... that can catch you by surprise!!

I could go on but you get my drift I'm sure...

Mike,

If I were starting from scratch, and wanted to do it right the first time, I would get ahold of Brad from CRT. I say this for three reasons:

1. All of his custom products are very high quality. As good or better than other choices.
2. He has recently become a Redding dealer. Redding press, comp. dies, powder measure, scale, trickler....
3. One freight bill and fair prices for what you receive.
I don't work for Brad and have never met him. There is is, however, ample evidence on this site that his products are great, his service is excellent, and he is one of the good guys.

Now, if I had to save a few bucks and had patience, there are two items that I am very fond of and see on ebay fairly often. First, either a 505 or 1010 Ohaus beam scale and, second, an Ohaus 7200 Duo-Measure. The scale is still manufactured for RCBS, the measure is discontinued due to production costs.

Jon

Rick in Oregon wrote:The Redding Comp Seating Die was the specific one I was referring to. Good that your Forester comp die clears; it should, they're made by the same company, but friends tell me the RCBS comp seater won't clear either. It's just one more thing to consider when starting out fresh; not all of this equipment is compatable.

The Redding is very close to the Forster seater in size and should fit without any trouble. The RCBS I can`t comment on.

This post discusses the two and their fit in a Co-Ax. I use mostly Forster dies in my Co-Ax with just a set or two of std Redding dies
BTW It is not my posting, nor do I know the poster

http://www.snipercentral.com/forums/vie ... 14&t=35109

Mike, before you actually purchase anything, get yourself the Sinclair catalog. Study it and all the tech tips contained in it, prices, various items for the same task, and you'll start to see that alot of this stuff is actually much better quality than it really needs to be. Alot of it is of aerospace/NASA quality, which of course is really not needed to produce decent accurate handloads; but it sure doesn't hurt either. The excellent tools from CRT come to mind....they are perfect for starting out, but still please old farts like me that have been at this game for over 40 years that want high-precision with reasonable cost. The fact that Brad is now a Redding dealer makes a perfect marriage.

What I'm saying is much of the high-end equipment is aimed at the dedicated afficiandos of the pastime. It's not needed to start out, but if you're like alot of us, you don't want to buy twice or more times to end up with "good" equipment that pleases you. If you study first and get a handle on prices vs. quality vs. gadget/fad equipment, you'll then be better armed to make informed intelligent decsions on what equipment to plunk your hard-earned bucks down on.

Between studying the Sinclair and other catalogs, gathering info here and other sites, you should be able to fully damage your bank account in short order. Remember, we're your "Purchasing Mentors" and are here to "help"......

Amen and amen.

+1 on the Sinclair catalog.

I've been reloading for 30 years and really don't need many more tools. However, by the time I get a new Sinclair catalog, the old one is about worn out out from reading it! Great information and little or no "crap" in it. Their staff has always been helpfull on the phone and e-mail as well. One thing is for sure, you will never be disappointed in a quality tool.

Rick in Oregon wrote:Remember, we're your "Purchasing Mentors" and are here to "help"......

Not to worry, Rick. I'll tell the Minister of Finance that I have expert mentors who will only allow me to buy the absolute essentials and that I've committed to following their advice.

Mike wrote:

Rick in Oregon wrote:Remember, we're your "Purchasing Mentors" and are here to "help"......

Not to worry, Rick. I'll tell the Minister of Finance that I have expert mentors who will only allow me to buy the absolute essentials and that I've committed to following their advice.

Mike: We won't lead you astray.....we promise.

The only caveat here is that the two Ministers of Finance ever meet at the same place at the same time.......could be disaster for us both if they ever compared notes!

It's like the comment made on board ship in the movie "Master and Commander"....."a toast to our wives and mistresses.....may they never meet!"

Rick in Oregon wrote:The only caveat here is that the two Ministers of Finance ever meet at the same place at the same time.......could be disaster for us both if they ever compared notes!

It's like the comment made on board ship in the movie "Master and Commander"....."a toast to our wives and mistresses.....may they never meet!"

You're a very wise man, Rick.

Rick said "if that's all you need, then why is your room so full?".......
cuz there's always room for more..... BUY ONCE CRY ONCE!!!

Tokimini wrote:

zx10mike wrote:redding comp dies, decent brass,l e wilson trimmer,rcbs scales,k@M neck turner,decent bench and press,good bank manager,understanding wife.

I laughed out loud when I read the part about a good bank manager and an understanding wife.

Always easier to get forgiveness than permission..............

Well, I would advise to buy good equipment from the start. Trust me, you'll end up upgrading later on so buy good stuff the first time.

This ain't quite as elaborate as Rick in Oregon posted but this is my set-up.

Mike,
Hi, I'm no expert, and my advice is free. Beware, you get what you pay for. And that goes for just about anything related to reloading as well as advice. So, for what it's worth, I have been very happy with RCBS equipment. I started with RCBS because a good friend that helped me get started uses RCBS. I like the Rock Chucker IV, case trimmer, Chargemaster 1500, Rangemaster 750, Trim Mate case prep center, Universal Hand priming tool, and other RCBS equipment that I have and use at my bench. I'm not saying they're the best there is, but they've worked very well for me. I have many different brands of dies. Forster, RCBS, Hornady, Redding, and I have recently grown very fond of Lee dies, they are hard to beat for the price. I have yet to be disappointed by any brand of dies (knock on wood). My advice would be to buy quality equipment (lots of name brands to choose from) the first time, and you probably won't have to buy it again for many years if you take good care of it. Oh, and one other thing to get you started, buy a good reloading manual and read it, then read it again. My first (and still my favorite) was the Sierra manual, but since then I have acquired several others. Some are better than others, I always like to compare at least two manuals data before starting just for safety. I also have been using Quickload for the past three or four years, and it has become a real time, powder, bullet saver for me. I highly recommend it to anyone that is serious about handloading. I wish you luck. I can just about guarantee you are going to enjoy rolling your own. And I will also bet that you will amaze yourself with the accuracy that you will be able to acheive from your firearms when you get the hang of it.
John