Minimal equipment required for loading 6.5 Grendel?

[Glenn54]

Can you guys recommend a minimal setup for reloading 6.5 Grendel? Factory loads are still not easy or cheap to find. Would reloading be any less expensive? Are the components getting any easier to find? Appreciate any info. Thanks.

[Klem]

Glenn,

What loading equipment do you already have?

Handloading the same components as factory is always cheaper. That assumes you don't put a dollar value on your time, or factor in the fixed costs of the equipment. The cost of your equipment is amortized over the life of your reloading. You will learn a lot about how it all works by hand-loading, and should be able to load more accurate ammo than what you can buy.

[Rusty Shackelford]

It also depends on how much you plan to shoot. If you're only going to plink and/or hunt a few times a year, then factory ammo will probably be cheaper.

If however, you will be training and shooting in competitions or plinking every weekend, then reloading can definitely save you some money. Maybe not as much as a few years ago but still cheaper than factory.

I personally wouldn't factor in the cost of equipment and manuals as part of the initial cost of reloading. I consider these items an investment in the future.
R.

[LR1955]

Glenn:

Also, run some searches or look through the thread titles under Reloading (here).

There are a number of threads on equipment based on how much a guy shoots, plus a discussion on reloading costs. I haven't seen such a discussion in about a year though so you may have to go back some time.

A good idea is to present the guys with your needs from reloading and the gear you are looking at. I would surely run gear decisions past the guys here before spending the money because quality reloading gear is expensive an a second or third opinion is good.

Do not buy a kit is about all I will recommend here and now. Spend the money on components, even if they are from different companies. The threads that exist have good listings of quality gear so do some searching.

LR-55

[Bigs28]

Reloading may be less expensive per round but you will shoot more so end up spending more

[Harpoon1]

This is probably going to be controversial but, IMO factory ammo is way cheaper in the long run! Unless you want to do “mental math” and ignore the “real cost” of reloading for yourself. My time is worth something! Ignoring that cost is another mental math trick I see/hear all the time! Look I get it, some people find it enjoyable and don’t see the labor as part of the real cost but, the time I spend reloading is time I could have been doing something else more productive (financially) or something else more enjoyable (just about anything else )! So, for me there is an obvious cost! YMMV. I get it though, it’s entirely subjective………….

Ignoring the initial outlay to get up and running is another slight of hand trick. That’s akin to keeping two sets of books! Unless some one gave you the equipment, you have to purchase it, and that takes money! That makes it an out of pocket expense, an expense you may or may not be able to recoup at least a part of in future but, nonetheless it’s part of the true cost! To be fair, if you can comfortably handle the initial outlay, then it’s a minimal expense over the long term. Just not free!

Reloading is time consuming, very, very time consuming. And generally, the cheaper you try to get by using the bare minimum equipment, the more time consuming it is. Starting out for me it took at least 10 hours to reload a 1000 rounds! That’s actual bench time, not reading online, educating myself. It can make economical sense when reloading a 338 Lapua Mag at $5 a round, and not so much for a 223 at .50 cents! YMMV. Context matters.

There are other reasons to reload than just saving money and increased accuracy. Knowing you can make your own ammo when there is none on the shelves is the major reason for me. And I don’t mind paying the premium over factory ammo for that piece of mind!

[Popeye212]

Reloading may be less expensive per round but you will shoot more so end up spending more

What HE ^ said.

[TedBrewer5]

For me hand loading has always been about finding the most accurate load my rifles are capable of. I have been blessed to find loadings that are always better than the guy pulling the trigger which ultimately makes me look pretty good at the range and bring home the bacon as they say when hunting. Never thought about time investment or monetary investment. Don’t shoot volume and have always ran a single stage RCBS press. My favorite component is a good digital scale

[se3388]

What the guys said. To start with the minimum would be,
cases
primers with some type of primer seater
powder
powder dispenser (dipper or measure)
scale if using powder measure
bullets
press, hand or bench mount
dies
shell holder
lube
loading manual/ manufacturers website

I believe that might be the bare basics but then we start wanting to get this little neat accessory and then that one and before long we have a bunch of reloading toys. I probably have forgot something but not the firearm. Don't need it to reload just to put them to use after the reloading fun is over, LOL.

Steve...........

[LRRPF52]

The absolute best and most important resource you will have in reloading is a competent mentor who has been doing it safely for decades.

They will also be able to steer you into tools and equipment that will help you, and away from some that are a waste of money or not as effective.

[se3388]

Knew I would forget something.

Steve..........

[Constitutionalist]

What the guys said. To start with the minimum would be,
cases
primers with some type of primer seater
powder
powder dispenser (dipper or measure)
scale if using powder measure
bullets
press, hand or bench mount
dies
shell holder
lube
loading manual/ manufacturers website

I believe that might be the bare basics but then we start wanting to get this little neat accessory and then that one and before long we have a bunch of reloading toys. I probably have forgot something but not the firearm. Don't need it to reload just to put them to use after the reloading fun is over, LOL.

Steve...........

I agree with everything Steve says. You start with the basics. Now I have 3 single stage metallic presses, 2 hand presses, 2 Pro 1000s, and 5 assorted shotgun presses. These are divided up between my home and my camp. The only cartridges I can load at home but not the Camp are .410s and 50BMG. It becomes an addiction....



John

[Bonas]

Components are getting easier to find. You might as well shoot factory to build a supply of brass, though. I wouldn't bother with putting together a reloading set up until you have at least 500 rounds of brass. The next few times you see factory ammo that your gun shoots well, buy all of it you possibly can. That's step 1 for reloading.

I've put together a somewhat minimalist set up that produces accurate ammo and a reasonable production rate. I'll try to remember to post it up tomorrow.

[GitU1]

What the guys said. To start with the minimum would be,
cases
primers with some type of primer seater
powder
powder dispenser (dipper or measure)
scale if using powder measure
bullets
press, hand or bench mount
dies
shell holder
lube
loading manual/ manufacturers website

I believe that might be the bare basics but then we start wanting to get this little neat accessory and then that one and before long we have a bunch of reloading toys. I probably have forgot something but not the firearm. Don't need it to reload just to put them to use after the reloading fun is over, LOL.

Steve...........

I would add a digital caliper and case/head space gage for the caliber you intend to reload. It can save you a lot of time having to pull loaded rounds back apart

[JASmith]

All of the posts so far have excellent advice. Especially the ones that discuss the cost of reloading. Go into reloading if you are as interested in that as a sport as much as you are about shooting. Then use the mental math tricks - especially by treating the purchase of equipment as sunk costs and one’s time as hobby time.

Please also be aware that reloading can be as addictive as shooting!

The stand out advice is in posts #4 (LR1955) and #10 (LRPF52). You can keep your enjoyment level high and frustration level low by heeding their advice.

[Constitutionalist]

I really enjoy reloading as a way to get the best out of my guns. I've only found one rifle/commercial load combination I can't beat with developed loads and I reload 14 different rifle calibers. Since you're starting from scratch- using factory ammo to build a stock of brass is a good plan. That being said I have some rifles that have never fired a factory load.

Have fun! Work up slowly! And be safe!

John

[Bonas]

I reload for better accuracy than factory and to ensure I always have ammo for matches. Different purposes require different equipment.

Keep in mind that I do not like reloading. It's more of a chore for me than enjoyment. Nevertheless, it is interesting and rewarding.

I also do not have a dedicated reloading bench. I set it up on my workbench. When it's time to make ammo, I set it up and put it away when I'm done. Presses are bolted to 2x6s that get bolted to the workbench. I prep and size cases as a completely separate operation from loading them.

This set up is the result of a lot of research, thought, and planning. While many of my components are on the low end cost-wise, that's not why I picked them. I picked them because they work the way I want them to. With all that in mind, the list below is what I use for Grendel.

1. Lee single stage press. This gets used for resizing and depriming.
2. Lee turret press with auto prime. I have dedicated turrets for each cartridge I load. The order is a) prime on the empty hole; b) a Lee charging die for filling powder with a Lee funnel cut down to clear the next die put into the charging die; c) a Hornady seating die with the micrometer adjusting attachment; and d) a Lee factory crimp die. Each die is locked in place with the Lee ultimate lock rings. These rings are needed for clearance over other styles of locking rings.
3. An RCBS Chargemaster Link for measuring powder. By the time I've run the round through the press, another charge has been weighed out.
4. Hornady resizing dies.
5. Frankford Arsenal case trim and prep center. It's OK for trimming cases, great for everything else.
6. Hornady cam lock bullet puller for your inevitable mistakes. The inertia pullers suck. This one does not.
7. Case gauge.
8. Measuring calipers.
9. Cartridge tray.
10. Lee decapping die
11. Case lube.
12. Cartridge holders for the presses.
13. Case lube and lube pad.
14. Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner.
15. Hornady One Shot case cleaner.
16. Small crack scale from Amazon or wherever as a check.

That's about as simple and cheap as you can get it. I'm sure all that's well over $1,500 still. You could use one single stage press, but that will really slow you down with minimal cost savings to show for it.

Spend a lot of time thinking, planning, and researching before buying anything. Everyone's needs and resources are different. That said, shooting is an expensive hobby. $1,500 or so isn't all that much to open up a new aspect of it and unlock the accuracy potential of your rifles. Very few people shoot enough to truly save money reloading.

[Mark611]

Don't forget to buy a good case trimmer! The main thing is don't buy cheap equipment. you'll only spend more money upgrading! IMO it cost money to get started! I've been reloading for 35yrs, and have spent money that I should not have spent buying dies that didn't achieve my goals, so buy once cry once, spend your money wisely,

[EastTNHunter]

What the guys said. To start with the minimum would be,
cases
primers with some type of primer seater
powder
powder dispenser (dipper or measure)
scale if using powder measure
bullets
press, hand or bench mount
dies
shell holder
lube
loading manual/ manufacturers website

I believe that might be the bare basics but then we start wanting to get this little neat accessory and then that one and before long we have a bunch of reloading toys. I probably have forgot something but not the firearm. Don't need it to reload just to put them to use after the reloading fun is over, LOL.

Steve...........

Add:
Calipers
Chamfer/deburring tool
Case trimmer after 2nd or third loading (cheap Lee kit will work for minimal number of cartridges, or get one of the bench top units for multiple cartridges)
Load block/cartridge tray

I enjoy reloading. I don’t count my time as a cost. I don’t like golf, but some people do for some reason. Do they consider their time at that as an expense?

[Mark611]

Yes, that reminds me of a saying, Long range shooting is like golf except it's for men!!!!