Hello all, I'll apologize now as I am forced to type this out on my phone.
After some careful consideration I have decided to venture into the world of reloading. I've started saving my brass and have had friends saving therirs as well. Been doing as much research as I can but am looking for some input from those with some experience.

I only plan to reload 9mm,40sw,223 and .308.
Mostly training ammo and the 308 for some precision shooting.

Originally I was looking at the Lee challenger press kit for $120-&130, due to its attractive price and all that you get.
But then I started researching more and watching some videos and figured shortly after getting that kit I would upgrade the scale and powder measure to something of better quality/easier to use. Then needing to add a manual and better case prep tools. Then I found the debate between the aluminum presses vs steel/cast presses for longevity

So I started looking into the RCBS rock chuckee kit which comes with a better scale and more durable powder measure. And with the current rebate I could add a couple more small RCBS items and get it for $199. My biggest concern is with the spent primers.. but i think i wouldn't have to replaye any of the major components right away. Just add a case trimmer and shell holders and Hornsby LnL bushings if I want a quick change like the Lee style

So then I started looking at the Lee classic cast with breech lock. I like the primer handling better but this option would mean I would need to  piece my own kit together and would likely end up costing  more than the RCBS. I figure (new prices) a scale would be $60-80, powder measure $60-80, hand or press primer $20-30. Loading manual $30, case prep tools $25.

So the big question is what would you all sugges?
Thanks

For just small batches, the RCBS Rock chucker, for volumes get a progressive such as the Dillon 550 variations.  As for Lee products, I use lots of their small accessories but avoid their dies and the Lee Pro 1000.

The RCBS kit is a great value. The press will easily out last you and probably your grandchildren even if you use it a lot and nothing in the kit is poor or even sub-standard quality.

I don't mind loading pistol ammo on my single stage Rockchucker II but I have case kicker on mine. I don't know if anyone makes one for the latest generation Rockchucker.

Motor

My biggest concern is with the spent primers..

If you go with a rock chucker just figure on putting cardboard behind the primer catcher and half~ ear plug in the front of the ram.

Small shop vac is a must IMO to empty the stupid primer catcher & get the ones that get past your counter measures.

I have a different outlook than some as i don't like buying tools that i end up not liking or wanting to use.  (Disclaimer i started reloading with a 550b over 20 years ago so i'm no authority on single stage process or anything for that matter)

I strongly suggest you look at your long term goal of what you want  your process to be.

Buy the individual tools you need to make this happen it may cost a little more initially than a kit but you will have the tools / equipment you want.

It will save you money in the long run over replacing tools you don't like that end up sitting on the shelf.

I like the hornady lock rings not as fast as the bushings to change dies but they keep your dies set you just have to screw them in and out.

The rock chucker, the Redding big boss, the Forster CoAx are all good.  I would throw the Lee cast iron one in too.

If you need high volumes of ammo especially pistol, consider the 550B.   I can make about four to five hundred rounds of pistol ammo in an hour at a steady but not crazy pace. I do rifle ammo in two separate press operations.   Once to deprime and size.  Off press I then I trim and tumble clean.  Back to the Dillon with the batch to prime, charge, seat a bullet and a slight taper crimp.   This is for my bulk ammo that most would call training ammo.   I only do batches of 5.56 or 7.62 in bulk.  My precision rifle stuff is on the rcbs and CoAx.

In an ideal world for guy that dabbles in precision work and volume, a good single stage and a good progressive is a nice way to go. Q

I think the RCBS is a good place to start and go from there as you progress in the hobby.

The other good thing about RCBS is the resale value is better if you decide to change things up.

100% agree, just wanted to add:

A scale is an investment and should be treated as such.  No matter what "kit" you buy,  expect to spend $100+ on a scale.

If considering anything progessive: Buy once, cry once.  Buy Dillon

I tried to go progressive on the cheap,  Ive owned one of every press,  and currently a Dillon XL650, 1050 and Forster COAX are what occupy my bench.  Learn from my(and my Wallet's) mistakes.

ETA: I really like Lyman's Stuff, and here is a no brainer killer deal over at Graf's  Lyman kit CHEAP

The Lyman turret press is not bad for mixed rifle pistol ammo. I'd watch sales and piece my equipment together. Or buy the Hornady or RCBS kits.  Depending on disposable income.  Reloading equipment tends to multiple.

How much do you plan to shoot?

If you shoot a lot of pistols, you’re going to want a progressive (Dillon).

Rifle personally I prefer a single stage.

So I use both regularly

All very good points and I will have to look more into the Lyman kit, I like that it comes with a case trimmer as well!

As of right now I've settled on staying with a single stage press. I don't feel the need to try and crank out as much as I can and feel doing one task at a time suits my style a little better.

So we have the rcbs rock chuckee kit, Lyman kit and piecing a kit together with Lee classic cast as options so far!

Plan to shoot more rifle then anything. Mainly 223 and 308
I will load some pistol 9mm and 40sw but probably not nearly as much as 223.

Due yourself a big favor.
Go with the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme Master Kit
It is a GREAT value that nothing else comes close.

Some people just have a way with words.

Plus somebody almost always has it on sale and there still may be a rebate offer.

Motor

Everything but the precision 308 isn't worth reloading.  How much precision 308 do you actually do? Might not pencil out.

For the record I have reloaded for years and still save brass but it's better to buy right now unless your time is worth $10 an hour and that's on a full progressive.

Go cheap and learn the precision on a single stage of you must.

Apologize for then typos. Have to use my phone since the dog chewed up my charger for the computer. And you know those phones have that awesome auto correct feature!

I am definitely giving the rcbs kit a hard look. I've found it for $269-$279 at a couple place. Rcbs has a rebate of $100 off $299.99 or more till the end of the month.  So I'd need to add a couple small rcbs items to get there.

Still looking into the Lee classic cast some and not a whole lot out there on the Lyman crusher

A small rectangle of sheet metal works much better.

After some more considerations I'm definitely leaning towards getting a RCBS rock chucker supreme kit.
Cabelas has then for $269 and Natchez has them for $279. Plus rcbs has a $100 rebate if you spend $299.99. Or more.

As much as I like the primer handling of the Lee classic cast, going with the rcbs kit would save me over 200 in the long run if I were to piece my own stuff together starting with the Lee press. Figured I would use a rcbs or Lyman scale and powder measure anyway.

Now this that said I would be $20-$30 short of the 299 mark. Can anyone recommend a couple other quality rcbs tools that would be useful ?

Depending on how your going to use your powder measurer....pm stand ,powder  trickler

RCBS Chargemaster

RCBS Hand priming tool if the kit doesnt already come with one.

Get a basic Dillon 550 and add to it.  I use mine for everything

This, cannot beat their warranty

I just want to give some food for thought. I bought and started reloading with a Hornady LNL progressive, 6 yrs later I'm still using that press.

I too thought I wanted a single stage but am so glad I went straight to progressive(any progressive can be used as a single stage as you learn and experiment), the first 6-12 mos that's exactly how I did it.

Invest in a trimmer that trims/chamfers/deburs in 1 step. I finally reached my limit with the number of handling times I had using my WFT(worlds finest trimmer), ordered a Giraud tri-way last week.

Wet tumbling, if this is how you're going to clean cases, get a Lyman(personal favorite) or a Frankford and be done with it. I used a Harbor freight for yrs, it did the job but it's small. The previous 2 mentioned will be so much faster/volume.

.223 military once fired, swaging primer pockets. Just get a Hornady reamer to remove the crimp. I tried RCBS, wasn't very effective. Dillon super swage 600, a pain(in my experience). I recently upgraded to the Hornady swage kit which is LNL progressive mounted, so far(2500 cs .223) I love it!

Lastly, you've mentioned primer systems. My LNL primer system was finicky and caused me frustration. I now do all my priming(.223, 9mm, .45acp) on the LEE bench mounted primer system, it' been great.

Zlman- appreciate the advice, for right now I think I am set on staying with a single stage to start.

Planned on trying one of the Lee ez trim case trimmers.

thought about adding a rcbs shell holder or decapping die (even though the Lee ones are half the price) or maybe a powder trickler to get me over the 299 mark to get the full $100 rebate.

Lee turret on a budget, Dillon550 if you want to be smart with your money.  Single stage if you have lots of free time.

Trimming isn't a whole lot of fun, spend the $ and get something you can chuck in a drill at least.

Listen to the above advice.

You don't want to make case trimming more monotonous than it has to be.

To hit your dollar goal for the rcbs rebate I suggest the bench priming tool. Not the APS version, the tube feeder.

For trimming in volume on .223 and 7.62 I would buy something like a worlds finest trimmer or a possum hollow and chuck them in a cheap harbor freight bench top drill press.  If you own a drill press already then this is a slam dunk.  Yes the Dillon, Girauds. And the top of the line are better but cost more.

+1

The lee quick trim dies and tool are not that bad, the hand trimmers are a nightmare.

Yeah that's the trimmer I was looking at from Lee

Been working on building a work/reloading bench in the garage the past couple days too!

That is a heck of a deal! I started on a Dillon SDB but added things over the years including a RChuck. I would suggest that you start with just one caliber until you see if you like reloading and because 1. every round seems to have its quirk (crimp, case length, etc.) and 2. every gun seems to also. By the way in case you didn't know, you won't save a dime but you will shoot a whole lot more. Good luck!

Why not add a set of rcbs dies to the rock chucker kit? To make your $300. You will need dies to reload. I don't see any dies in the rock chucker supreme kit.

I have taught many folks how to reload. Before we even start I explain to them that there are two main reasons people reload one is to save money and two is to make more accurate rounds. I explain to them if I was in a silo the odds that I could hit a wall is about 50 / 50, and my reloads cost about twice that as of factory. I then ask them why they want to reload. Most will say to save money. I then tell them to run... run fast... and run far.

Now I reload on 4 Hornady Ammo-plants, 2 Hornady single stage, And 2 Lee turret that I only use for training. After I finish teaching on my presses I ask them what the like. If they like the single stage I send them to a friend that loads on an RCBS. If they like the progressive I send them to another guy that has a Dillon 650 and a Dillon 1050.

Now, if they chose to learn on my press I have 4 two hour sessions that every step of the way I explain how dangerous this hobby is letting them know that they could explode a gun, blow off a finger, put out an eye, or even lose your life. I always let them know that safety is number one. On the fourth day, I have them make ten rounds to test fire at my range.

On the fifth day, we go to the range with their 10 rounds and my six-year-old grandson. I tell them to load 5 rounds in their gun and to shoot a target about 10 yards away. While everyone is looking at the target I am looking at the shooters face. The first pull of the trigger there is a look of sheer terror. By the fifth round, there is a big smile. I then tell them to load up the rest of there rounds. That is when they find out that my grandson has added an additional round to the box. I tell them it is either a very hot round or one that has no powder and will cause a squib.

After they have shot all six rounds you can see the relief on their face that they all went bang the same way. That is when I tell them that I lied. And that they should have learned two things. The first thing is that you should listen and feel what is happening every time you pull the trigger. And the second thing is that you are a complete and total DUMB ASS. I just told you one of the rounds could blow up your gun or jam your gun. But you pulled the trigger anyway. I then turn to my grandson and I say "Brassmonkey what would you do?" And his answer is always "I would pull all the rounds if I wasn't sure of them." Then I let them know my rule "I don't shoot your reloads, you don"t shoot mine"

When they leave I let them know that they can call me anytime. Then they get one of my signature hugs and a wack to the back of the head.

Now to my amusement because I don't push or bad mouth the turret. But a lot seem to go that way.

Now, what press do I think you should get? I don't give a rats ass, I don't have a horse in this race. What I suggest is that you get your hands on as many different presses as you can. One of them will talk to you.

Press?  Rock Chucker or Lee Classic Cast.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Lee Powder measure.   I still use mine after 27 years.  I've used other brands (RCBS Redding) and the stupid plastic Lee measure is more consistent than any of them.

There is also nothing wrong with their scale.  A 5-0-5 is a bit nicer, but not really any faster.

Currently I am using:

Lee Classic Cast.  (I wore out an aluminum challenger)
RCBS 5-0-5  (Ohaus actually makes these.  Ohaus branded ones are grey instead of green)
Lee PPM
Redding powder trickler.
Lee hand prime (original the new one isn't as good)

The trick to the hand trimmer is you need a hand drill with a 1/2" chuck.  You put the cutter in the drill and the collet and brass in your left hand.  Use your right thumb to power the drill.

I think I have made my decision...

I am going to order a RCBS rock chucker supreme kit. For the price and quality I don't think there is a better option. Although I like the primer disposal on the Lee presses better, it's something I can live with.

From what I can tell I shouldn't need to upgrade much from the kit unless I want to add other tools.
What really sealed the deal was when I contacted rcbs customer service with a question and the response I got.

For $199 shipped after the rebate, I couldn't piece my own kit together with the same quality components for anywhere near that

It was having to snug down each case that always got me with those, because I bought them when I started loading because it was all I could afford.

At this point I've gone from that to a hand crank, to a converted hand crank, to lee quick trim dies, to an rt1200, to a giraud, and now I think I will settle with an rt1500. Trimming is tedious and totally unfun.

That’s a good deal, please keep us updated.

I have a Lee Classic Turret Press I got for cheap, and learning on.  For my trimming, I use the Lee Quick Trim and a Milwaukee Cordless Screwdriver I got from work.  I'm still learning, and the turret press makes me think about each step before pulling the lever again.  I load pistol calibers and 5.56, and my oldest loads his .300 Win Mag on it.  For the Win Mag, we have to pull the index rod and cycle the turret by hand due to the OAL of the finished bullet.

This.

Watch some videos on the Forster Co-Ax. I habe one its the pinnacle of single stage presses much like Dillon is to progressive. Its very easy to use for a first timer. I highly recommend it.

He bought a Rockchucker.

Anyone recommend a tumbler? Been looking at a harbor freight 5gal vibratory for $45 or maybe the frankford arsenal if it's still on sale at cabelas for $35?

I went through 3 FA tumblers before I got tired of sending them back for warranty.  I got the Cabela's brand tumbler on sale and it has been great.  In fact l bought another one for $25 in the open box section at their store.

I have both FA tumblers rotory/vibe.

Both work great.