With rising ammunition costs and shortages, many individuals are taking up reloading to supply them with highly accurate and customizable ammunition on their terms. For most newbie reloaders, knowing where to start is the hardest part. If you are a retailer who stocks a full line of reloading equipment and supplies, buyers will look to your sales team for recommendations and to extract their knowledge. Even if they don’t personally reload, having a grasp of the necessities and upgrades will help ensure that the buyer gets what they need and that your team makes the sale.

Reloading Kits

The easiest starting point for beginner reloaders is to buy a basic kit, available from manufacturers like RCBS, Hornady, Lyman and others. As the term “kit” implies, they include almost everything you need to reload ammunition, but with the most basic, entry-level components. Most kits include a press, reloading manual, powder measuring device/scale, priming components, and general hand tools like pocket cleaners, chamfers, etc.  For some reloaders, this may be all they ever need, other than caliber-specific dies and shell holders. For other reloaders, this is simply a good starting point that allows them to upgrade over time as their needs change. 

In addition to basic kits, some manufacturers offer more advanced kits that include digital scales, powder dispensers, and other more advanced and convenient components. The one caveat to all kits is they don’t leave any room for individual choice, and in some cases, components of the kit are quickly swapped out, diminishing the value of the kit and any savings. This is especially true for new reloaders that don’t know what they are getting into but quickly find that using a manual scale is slow, tedious and sometimes frustrating. 

Reloading Manual(s)

Every reloader needs a manual, both to find appropriate load data and to provide a step-by-step guide to the process of reloading. The thing about reloading manuals is that one is generally never enough. Many of these books are produced by manufacturers of bullets, like Hornady and Nosler. Both books are excellent, but they also contain load data that is specific — you guessed it — to the bullets they manufacture. If buyers would like a more agnostic manual/book, they can check out Lee or Lyman manuals for less manufacturer/bullet-specific load data and a great reloading resource. 

Presses and Dies

The great news about presses and dies is that, for more than 95% of the available dies and presses, they all play nicely with each other. This means that RCBS dies will work in a Hornady press and Lyman dies will work in RCBS press, etc. There are a few exceptions, but those generally only occur with custom components. 

Die sets consist of either two or three dies. For most rifle calibers, you will get a sizing die and bullet-seating die with each set. For straight wall and handgun cartridges, each set will typically include three dies, including a sizing die, expander die and crimping die. 

In terms of selecting a press, there are multiple types of reloading presses: single-stage, turret and progressive. Each press type has specific advantages and disadvantages, mainly based on either their precision or speed.

Single-stage presses are the most common. This style of press loads one round at a time, and holds only one die at a time, requiring sizing and seating to be done separately and after a die swap, usually as a batch process. These presses generally require priming and powder charging to be done prior to putting the case into the press. Consequently, this style of press is the slowest, but also most common press used for reloading rifle cartridges due to their rigidness and precision. 

Turret presses have a top turret that can hold multiple dies at the same time and be indexed accordingly. This setup greatly improves throughput, as users can switch from a sizing die to a seating die with a simple turn of the turret. This is especially helpful for reloading handguns or other cartridges that require a three-die set. Nothing comes for free, and turret presses are generally not regarded to be as strong as a single-stage press, sometimes leading to issues with precision and repeatability. They also only process one round at a time, so speed increases are marginal, unless one cartridge type is being reloading repeatedly. 

Progressive presses are generally used by handgun reloaders or for .223 ammunition. This style of press can complete one round per pull of the lever doing everything from automatically loading cases, priming the case, charging the case, and seating the bullet. There are different options on this style of press that are manufacturer-specific with varying levels of automation. Like the turret, these are generally not as high-precision as a cartridge loaded on the single-stage press, due to the moving parts; however, for most reloaders, they are more than accurate enough.  

Note* - Always remember that each press requires a shell holder, and these are often not interchangeable. If your customer has an RCBS press, they should buy an RCBS shell holder. While some manufacturers’ shell holders interchange, it is always better to buy the shell holder made by the same manufacturer as the press, to ensure compatibility.

Electronic/Automated Equipment

The great thing about technology is that it can make routine and mundane processes easier and, in some cases, more accurate. For instance, RCBS makes electronic components, including everything from a prep system called the Brass Boss that cleans, chamfers and preps cases for reloading to programmable powder dispensers that accurately dispense the exact amount of powder required. This type of equipment is sometimes considered a luxury by reloaders who only reload a few hundred rounds a year, but I expect that these same persons also prefer to automate part of their processing, as measuring out powder with a balance scale is both cumbersome and time consuming. 

Different types of automated and electronic reloading equipment are available from many manufacturers, but if I had to recommend one piece of upgraded equipment to a reloader, it would be, hands down, an electronic powder dispenser with scale. The RCBS Chargemaster, Lyman Gen 6, or Hornady Auto Charge Pro are all great choices that increase the speed of reloading throughput while also providing higher precision and repeatability. 

Case Trimmers

A simple, yet extremely important tool, case trimmers due exactly what their name implies: trim brass cases. This tool is not generally found in a kit, so it is often overlooked. While most cases do not need trimmed every time they are reloaded, after a couple cycles of reloading and firing, a case will stretch and become longer than the recommended maximum length. When this happens, a case trimmer is used to shave off brass from the cartridge neck. All manufacturers make comparable units, but it is important to remember that you need to have a shell holder/plate that matches the brand of the case trimmer. For instance, if you have a Hornady case trimmer, you should have a caliber-matched Hornady shell holder/plate. It is important to note that case trimmers don’t use the same type of shell holder as a press, but most trimmers come with a standard assortment of shell plates and pilots. That said, if you are loading an oddball caliber, you will need to put a trimmer pilot and shell plate that matches your trimmer. 

Hand Tools, Spare Parts, & Misc. Items

A reloading bench isn’t complete without an array of hand tools and miscellaneous items. While many of these items are used sparingly, having them available will save a lot of aggravation and delays when a situation arises. These items include:

• Case hand priming tool 
• Case neck brushes
• Case lube and pad
• Dry lube
• Case chamfer / deburring tool
• Primer pocket cleaning tools
• Calipers for measurement of cases and overall length
• Spare die parts including de-capping pins. lock rings, and set screws
• Stuck-case removal tool
• Bullet puller / hammer
• Cartridge blocks to hold brass during reloading 

While many reloaders tend to start out by buying a basic kit, in the long run, kits often contain items that go unused or are replaced by upgraded components. In many cases these upgrades could occur within weeks of reloading their first rounds, especially for those looking for accuracy and repeatability.  While these kits are easy to sell because they contain almost everything a new reloader may need, it is good to point out, up front, the shortfalls and potential upgrades that are available. As mentioned above, the one most beneficial upgrade right out of the gate is an electronic powder dispenser that can replace both the manual balance and powder measure kits that are included with most kits. If a reloader considers this to be a near-term upgrade, they should strongly consider building their own custom kit, as they will save themselves money in the long run. 

As an example, a new reloader looking to reload rifle ammunition is considering the RSBC Rock Chucker Reloading Kit with an MSRP of $479.99 that includes everything they need, less a case trimmer. If this individual were to buy all of the same components individually, minus the uniflow powder dispenser and balance, their total cost would be ~$359.99, saving them $120. This savings could then be used towards an electronic powder dispenser and scale, which replaces the uniflow powder measure that is generally not used by rifle cartridge reloaders anyway, and the clunky manual balance. Electronic powder dispensers range in price from $300 - $400 on the low end, making it a much cheaper upgrade to do it now, rather than later. 

Three Products to Stock

RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Reloading Press

A proven performer, this single-stage press is versatile and strong to ensure accuracy and repeatability. This press is part of the Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit and isn’t just a beginner press, as it remains a valuable piece of even the most experienced reloader’s bench. Simple, yet effective, the Rock Chucker is perfect for precision rifle cartridge reloading. 

Lyman GEN 6 Compact Touch Screen Powder System

Key features include a fast three-minute warmup, anti-static and anti-drift technology, and electronic shielding that resists interference from other electronic devices like cell phones, etc. Includes an auto repeat function that drops a charge when pan is reset, dispenses at a rate of 2 grains per second, has a 1/10 grain accuracy, and handles all smokeless powders.

Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Progressive Press

Long recognized for its durability and flawless functionality, the AP progressive press by Hornady is perfect for high-volume reloading for handgun cartridges. Includes automatic indexing for increased speed and many advanced features to ensure cases are processed with precision each pull of the handle. The Ammo Plant Kit includes an AP press and brings more advanced automation, including a bullet and case feeder.