Total Reloading Equipment Packages

Are there Total Reloading Equipment Packages for the different calibers offered by any companies?
If so please list them.

Thanks in advance.

Lots of them.  I believe each of these would need a die set.  
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/937051/rcbs-rock-chucker-supreme-master-single-stage-press-kit  
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/785993/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press-deluxe-kit  
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/149937/hornady-lock-n-load-classic-single-stage-press-deluxe-kit

A different die set for each caliber, right?

I like the looks of the Hornaday setup. Seems more massive and complete.

Oops. I meant "Hornady."
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What kind of .45 bullets should I ask for?

Yes.  A different die set & shell holder for each caliber.  There are also some equipment specific to certain types of caliber reloading, such as rifle cases needing periodic trimming, and a tool to remove crimps from primer pockets when using military and police surplus brass.  

I encourage you to look on Craigslist and other such places for reloading equipment, before buying new.  

Also, give some thought to what you are going to load for.  If you are going to load high volumes of ammo for pistol use, the actual equipment you would buy would be quite different from occasionally loading a box or two of deer rifle cartridges.  

I do encourage you to spend money on good gauging equipment and task lighting also.  Cheap Chinese electronic vernier calipers are good for some things, but they're frequently off by .002".  For situations where .002" is important, use a micrometer.  Cartridge gauges can help a lot.  With bad technique on some equipment it is not hard to throw a double charge of fast burning pistol powders, and if you don't have enough light to spot it, you could destroy your pistol.

The majority of reloading dies will work in presses of other makers. They have standard threading. I would get a good reloading manual before buying any equipment and learn about the reloading process. The good manuals have detailed instructions on the reloading process in the front. I'm sure that there are good videos available, but you want to learn everything from the base line. Seeing a video that is somewhat advanced can leave you with a lot of overlooked important information.

Please don't rush into this decision, do your research.  Check into Lee, Hornady, Dillion.
- Dave

Interesting article: http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf

Make sure the package has a "small" rotor in the powder measure if you are going to do primarily pistol loads.  Take your time and talk to folks you know who already reload.  +1 for RCBS, Hornady or Dillon.  Handloading is very rewarding if done right, not just for saving money but developing loads that are right for you and your firearm.

You might also want to check the various manufacturers re: tech support, post purchase.  I have a Dillon 550, purchased used 20 years ago.  Dillon has a responsive and available tech support line which has proven very valuable, particularly when I was starting.

I have no experience with the other companies.

call Bruce at star machine works, he can setup with an entire star reloader setup.

wesleytilson@gmail.com wrote:Are there Total Reloading Equipment Packages for the different calibers offered by any companies?
If so please list them.

Thanks in advance.

https://www.dillonprecision.com/

Chris Miceli wrote:call Bruce at star machine works, he can setup with an entire star reloader setup.

The Star machine is a work of art, but has very limited versatility. If you decide to go with a progressive setup, go with Dillon or Hornady. If you go with a single stage kit, Lee is the cheapest. RCBS, Lyman, Hornady or Redding have very good kits. I would opt for the beefier press, as well as, the one which will give you more leverage and make sizing the easiest. When buying reloading dies, get the "deluxe" versions with carbide sizing dies for pistol calibers.

+1 this is great advice and often initially overlooked - don't skimp on dies.  All my seating dies are Competition dies and I always seat and crimp in 2 different stations final crimp is a carbide Lee Factory Crimp die.  

I also use the powder funnel from Double-Alpha Academy that was designed for their Mr Bullet Feeder, (Dillion press only) because the unique flare makes it easier to place a bullet on the case before seating.  You don't need the bullet feeder to use it.  I have the bullet feeder on my 1050 and liked the funnel so much I started using them on my 550 which doesn't have a bullet feeder.
- Dave

Hornady has great customer support. One call and they will send you anything you might need and will also talk you through anything you don't understand.

Also highboy has a bunch of videos showing exactly how to setup a Hornady LNL progressive press.

Greetings BE Mike,

"The Star machine is a work of art, but has very limited versatility."

Please elaborate on your statement.

I have a Star and find it meets all my needs. Perhaps I am missing out on something.

Cheers,

Dave

I've owned several stars and they are great for pistol. You do have to use their dies though 

The dillon 550 and  up can do both pistol and rifle cartridges. Also uses std. 7/8 dies..

RCBS, Hornady, Dillon Redding all have good support.  I have experience with all 4.

wesleytilson@gmail.com wrote:Are there Total Reloading Equipment Packages for the different calibers offered by any companies?
If so please list them.

Thanks in advance.

Really more information needed.

Calibres?
Rifle too?
Experience?
Budget?
Expectations?
Work space available?

Amount of time available to reload?
Volume of ammunition required?

If you're shooting a box or two a week, you could get by on a turret--it would take a little over an hour a week in reloading and maintenance.

If you're shooting a match, 200-300 rounds in practice, and an afternoon a week fooling around with IPSC or sumsuch to the tune of another 100-150 rounds, then the expense of, say, a Dillon 650 is well worth it.

Lee Classic Turret kit and Lee carbide 4 die set.  RCBS universal hand primer.  A small digital scale that can weigh in grains.  You are done for a starter kit.

“Lee is cheap”, “Lee is import”, whatever.  The Classic turret gives VERY repeatable ammo and is way better than a single stage without the headache of a progressive press.  I bought a progressive press and went back to the turret after a week.  It just makes more consistent ammo.  The progressive press is just used as a bulk depriming station now.

I would not go with a progressive press to start with, you can just add the press later, as you accumulate the tools and experience.  Don’t be distracted by the shiny mechanisms and fancy moving parts everywhere, just learn how to make one good bullet and then learn to make it over and over again.

  The turret press is a fantastic learning tool and you will always have a use for it for depriming or making quick runs of ammo you don't use often even if you grow into a Dillon, Hornady, Star, or what have you.  Your education on the Turret will give you a huge jump start if you move to a progressive press later.

I got this kit.  I don’t use the onboard primer, just the hand primer.  I use the digital scale for faster reading than the included beam scale when setting up, but still use the beam as the “final word”.

https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Classic-Turret-Press/dp/B008M5TSCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508675640&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+classic+turret+press+kit

Always going to be spirited "debates" in different brands of handloading gear and a few decades of doing this and loving every minute of it has shown me that EVERY brand has genuine value depending on your need, skill level, patience and bankroll (except for one brand, SmartReloader, the 'opioid crisis' of handloading tools) but of all the passionate discussions I have ever read or taken part in, this is the first time I ever recall Lee products even hinted at being IMPORTS.

A couple dozen ways to argue (pro/con) with Lee, but imported they are not, unless this is a recent development that I have missed.

You are correct, as far as I know, but that doesn't stop folks from making the assumption since the Lee are so cheap, er uh, I mean affordable, that they are not made in the USA.

The “Lee is import” is what was said to me during a discussion about the merits of red vs green vs blue vs any other color of reloading gear.  I should have clarified that context a bit more, didn’t mean to imply otherwise.  I called out the guy that said it just the same as you did me!