So

[Tngrizzly_]

What would you recommend for a beginner, equipment and what?
Or would you recommend them not to?

[JCodd]

But a single stage. My first was a Lee kit but I sold and upgraded my various pieces. I like my rcbs presses, I’ve had a Lyman and rcbs scale, and Hornady powder measure. You can spend as much or as little as you want, up to you.

[MUP]

Yep, I still use Lee SS press(es) and Lee dies. They work for what I want. If you could fine a Lee Anniversary kit that would set you up nicely to begin with. Manuals, manuals, and more manuals as well(Lyman, Speer, Hornady etc), can't do too much reading when it comes to handloading, as you need all the info you can get before making a decision on power, bullets, primers, and brass cases. It's a rabbit hole for sure.

[Wiley]

My first recommendation is to watch reloading videos, watch more videos, talk to people that already load, read reloading books, watch more videos, read more reloading books and become as comfortable as possible for YOU in understanding the terminology, the various processes and the difference in various parts and equipment and components. If possible see if a reloader near you will let you watch them load and learn from them. You'll be glad you did this when you crank out your very first round.

I went a little bit outside the lines on this. My one and only press is a Dillon 550B progressive press. I had nothing but cranking out a high volume of rounds on my mind when I bought it. The reason for that was I had paid for a MAC10 45ACP submachine gun and had a wait time of over a year before I would be approved. In the meantime I cranked out rounds knowing that a 30 round mag dump took about 2 seconds flat. I needed a LOT of ammo ready when I would be able to take possession of the MAC10.

That being said, I use the Dillon as sort of a hybrid single/multi station press for precision loading for my rifles. I may only have one or 2 dies in the tool head depending on the caliber that's being loaded and hand measure the powder vs using the automatic powder drop, especially if it's stick powder.

[Tngrizzly_]

Do any of you stick to the recommendation on powder or do you hot load it?

[JCodd]

Do any of you stick to the recommendation on powder or do you hot load it?

You have old reloaders, and bold reloaders, but there’s no bold old reloaders.

[Tngrizzly_]

Do any of you stick to the recommendation on powder or do you hot load it?

You have old reloaders, and bold reloaders, but there’s no bold old reloaders.

[MUP]

Start low and work up, always with a new load. When changing a component in an existing load, such as trying a different primer, back off a grain or two and work back up. Better safe than dead or maimed.

[Wiley]

Start low and work up, always with a new load. When changing a component in an existing load, such as trying a different primer, back off a grain or two and work back up. Better safe than dead or maimed.

Also, if you're loading military brass (typically 5.56 or 7.62) you have to bear in mind that it has a thicker wall thickness and holds less powder which equates to higher pressures than commercial brass with the same powder weight. This may seem insignificant but it is not.

[WG Taxidermist]

Yall still speaking Greek to me but I've been watching some videos.

[MUP]

At some point you just have to jump in and get started. It was intimidating for sure before I loaded my first rounds, and pretty tense at the range when I first fired them. But after that I got going pretty quick. Getting started is the hard part I think.

[Huntaholic]

RCBS is the answer, now what was the question? LOL