Getting Started in Reloading: the gear

There is no doubt that reloading your own ammo, especially when it comes to long range and precision shooting, comes with many benefits. But the difficulty for those who want to start is usually based around two things. Not knowing what is needed to get started, and not understanding how to do it.

How to do it, and do it correctly, is much less intimidating than people think. There are going to be many articles to come walking through the entire process in detail, but for now i will just list some of the basic gear you will need and we will go over the purpose and how to use them later.

Cleaning method. vibratory or rotary brass tumbler preferred. Hand tools for case neck and primer pocket cleaning can also be handy
Case lube. needed to prevent cases from being stuck in sizing die.
Case trimming and chamfer tool. repeated firings will cause the brass to stretch and the case mush occasionally be trimmed by to the correct size. The chamfer tool removes sharp edges from the neck of the case that can damage bullets during seating in the case.
Powder dispenser and measurer. You MUST have accurate and consistent powder measurements
Reloading Press. This will hold the dies and give you the leverage you need to resize the cases and seat bullets
Sizing die. cartridge specific. This die forces the brass back to size after it has been fired and expanded in a rifle chamber. Also typically includes a decaping pin, or pin that will remove the fired primer from the case. if not included in the die you will need another method of primer removal
Seating Die. this die is what pushes the bullet into the case for its final seating depth.
Shell holder. Most presses rely on a shell holder to hold the case while it is being used in the press. However, there are some styles of presses that do not require this.
Priming tool. This will press a new primer into the case so that it can be fired again. depending on the reloading press, this may be built in
Powder funnel. This will help get the powder in the case, especially useful for rifle cases
Reloading Manual. This has published data from the powder and bullet manufacturers for many cartridges on what is a safe bullet/powder combination and how much powder of various types my be safely loaded into a case. DO NOT start loading powders without checking a published and approved source first on how much can be safely used.
Loading block. This is useful as somewhere to hold the cartridges as they are going through the loading process. can be either single size or universal
sturdy bench/mounting surface. Through the process there are times where the press will be under significant force. lowering and lifting the handle during the sizing process can add a lot of torque to the base of the press. You will need to make sure you have it mounted to something solid enough to withstand that.

These aren’t exactly in order of where they fit in the process and doesnt include bullets, powder, and primers, but this will be enough to get you started. The majority of this equipment will be universal and many different cartridges, but the resizing die in particular has to be for the specified cartridge.

The best way to start would be to get a starter kit. This includes all the basic components you will need except for the cartridge specific dies. My go to is the “Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit” from RCBS. RCBS is my go to for reloading gear and the press you get in this kit is phenomenal. I have used one for years and even after i have purchased more expensive presses, i find my self going back to the Rock Chucker. It is very sturdy, gives me great consistency, and covers everything i could ever need. RCBS is also my go to for sizing dies. To start you don’t need anything fancy, I would recommend starting with the lower grade dies and then as you become more experienced with the process and what you need you can upgrade.

Hopefully this gave you an overview and starting place to get your reloading setup going. Be sure to follow along and check back in and we will dive more into the overall process of reloading.