Maddy345":ds1x3yip said:
I know this is a hard question to answer but can anyone give me a general idea of how much it will cost to get into reloading .45 ACP?
Hi,
As w/ most hobbies, you can spend as much as you want! How little is probably the more popular question.
I'd estimate $250 for an absolute bare bones outfit. That's something like the Lee Anniversary kit (about $80), one die set, a few "extras" the kits never contain, like a caliper and safety glasses, a good book or two (Lyman and Lee both have good "how do I get started" info in theirs), and enough components to get started. For top notch equipment, probably $450-$500 will get you to the same place?
I have lots of different "colors" on my loading bench, but find Lee's basic equipment is usually satisfactory for a beginning loader, or one who's not gonna be doing lots of high production runs. Some of their products can run head to head w/ any of the "big boys" and keep up just fine. For single stage equipment, it's hard to beat RCBS, both for name recognition AND their customer service, but Lyman, Hornady and Redding are also in their league for quality. (You'll probably see prices tend to run a bit higher for competing Redding equipment--I'd say they cater more to the "afficionado" market the guys who are always looking for "just a little bit better" in their ammo.) I don't think anybody in the industry today makes "bad" equipment, but each does make stuff each individual will probably just "like" better. As do others, I'm firmly stuck on the idea a beginner should start w/ single stage equipment.
Once you've learned a bit, you'll constantly find "one more thing I've just gotta have," be it a different press, dies for more calibers, etc. After a couple of years, stop adding up what you've "invested." It'll just scare you!
Also, DON'T go into reloading thinking you're gonna save tons of money! A few loaders probably do save some money overall, but most of us just end up shooting more for the same cash outlay!
Rick C