Starting out with .44 reloading

[greenshoots]

start off with a single stage press and the hand tools you will require my preference would be lee, i also use the lee reloading manual and it is the only one i have kept, its not rocket science but you have to be methodical in what you do

greenshoots

[Alpha1]

Don't buy the Lee reloading manual buy the Lyman 50th edition. The Lee manual load data is pap.
Buy a second-hand single station press to start. Try and get an RCBS rock chucker or a Lyman crusher. They will last you a lifetime. The Lee single station cast press gets good reviews. Personally, except for a few exceptions, I would not entertain anything made by Lee.
Hey, but what do I know I have only been handloading for 30 plus years.

[bradaz11]

The new breech lock pro press from Lee is supposed to be really good. I've got one arriving tomorrow/ today. I currently use the Lee classic cast turret press and love it. But I I've bought the new one to see if it's better.
I personally wouldn't buy a single stage press, I have one, but 99% of my loading is done on the turret. All my dies get set in their own removable turret and so there is only minimal tweaking of dies needed. The same should be true o of this new breach lock setup.
You can pop the mech out that makes the turret auto progress of you want to do only one action.
I've also bought a lot from a3rd party that automatically kicks the case out on the last step.
Also lees newest press mounted drum powder measure is brilliant. I bought some extra drums and labled them for powder and charge weight, and after about 10 cycles they are bedded in and throw that weight until the powder gets very low. Occasionally they need a real to get the scale back to zero.
Case cleaning, as above I have a cheaper Chinese wet tumbler and run stainless steel pins in it. But of a faff separating the pins but the cases comes up clean after 30 mins or so. Then I use a food dehydrator to dry them.
So press, maybe read some reviews on the new breach lock pro or Lee 4000 as it is called with all the kit. I'll be doing a review soon as I get some time with it.
Or get a turret kit with their new press mounted drum measure. Just don't use Lee scales or their loading manual

Sent from my pink toy using "An application"

[Alpha1]

That's all well and good but it depends on the calibers you are handloading for or intend to load for in the future. I hand load for 14 different calibers. I can hand load all of them on a single station.
But a turret press is no use to me at all.
I have a room full of reloading presses. The most used is a Wamadet then the Lyman crusher and for cast bullets the Lyman reloading manuals are superb.
I have Lee presses they live in my scrap bin along with there reloading manuals. I would be to embarresed to try and sell them because they are pap.

I am currently handloading for my 6.5 Creedmoor to shoot out to 1000 yards.
But like I said earlier after 35 yeas of handloading I obviously don't know what I am talking about.

[dromia]

Just one important point on equipment.

Regardless of what you end up being persuaded into buying do not skimp of the scales.

Invest in a decent set of balance beam scales and check weights, RCBS Lyman Hornady Redding Ohaus all sold decent balance beam scales in the past and are available second hand. The lee balance beam scales should be avoided at all costs at best they are just a bugger to use and at worst they are down right dangerous.

Powder charge weight is crucial in making safe ammunition and a set of good scales is your main defence against a dangerous load and the heart of your handloading.

The digital scales sold for handloading are very environment sensitive and prone to wandering and keeping zero so should also be avoided, there are excellent digital scales available, mainly for scientific purposes, but these are in the very high price bracket.

[Lancs_Oakley]

Thanks I have a set of "reloadr" Marksman scales which you calibrate at each power on - will these be no use?

[dromia]

Not something I would trust my handloads to especially as it is a cheap digital.

I use them for batch weighing bullets when the exact weight is not important, but for powder not something I would put my trust in.

As I have said before decent balance beam scales is the safest option, scales are too important to go cheap.

[Triffid]

Supposedly you can clean your brass in the washing machine if you want. Just tie it into a sock and pop it in with the normal wash. But please note that I have never tried this method (although my BP pistol does go through the dishwasher). There's endless bits of kit out there, the trick is to work out which bits you actually need and which bits you have space/££ for.

The thought of starting off reloading with any sort of progressive press horrifies me. Sure they can make ammunition almost automatically. But they can equally make mistakes automatically and these can happen very quickly unless your on top of the process. I think that you need to both understand exactly what you're achieving at each stage of the process and what it should feel/look like when done correctly. Hence the suggestion to start with a cheap / used single-stage press and a live mentor, not just a YouTube one.

I think the advice above about getting a beam scale is good. However I like the Lee version, but like most things Lee, it benefits from some fettling. If it were dangerous, then Lee would have been sued about it long ago. Try asking 1066 for his opinion on scales as he really knows what's what.

Triffid

[GeeRam]

Speak with the reloaders in your club, they should have some decent advice.

I'd like to get into reloading 45 Colt for the same reason as OP, but in my case, there is no one that reloads any more in my club, so asking someone is not an option for me.

You can ask me - I am probably not far from you!

[dromia]

The things that makes the Lee scales dangerous is that their poor quality can lead to user error, their eternal bobbing about for example can lead people to average the "swing" on the weight which is far from conducive to powder weight accuracy, I know of people who have made huge errors creating dangerous loads because of the ball bearing not sitting evenly in the notches due to poor finish on the arm. As to why they didn't sue lee you would need to ask them, I suspect because 'twas a lot easier and cheaper for them to bin the scales and get something fit for purpose. Fortunately that which is wanting in the scales was noticed afore the load was completed but the lesson was well learned as to danger of an inadequate set of scales.

This is no doubt one of the reasons why Lee only give the low pressure data that they have pinched from other sources to give a bit of latitude to their scales variable behaviour.

I also suspect that if it did have a role in a catastrophic event then ot would be very hard to prove that 'twas the scales as it is notoriously difficult to pin down the exact cause of a high pressure load after the event.

So the lack of litigation argument as to the potential dangerousness of the scales is meaningless.

No doubt people will tell me they have loaded billions of safe rounds with a lee scale which I don't doubt and hats of to them for mastering such an awkward tool but that in and of itself make it the safest or best choice for a scale especially for a tyro handloader.