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Best site to purchase reloading supplies?

5K views 46 replies 29 participants last post by  cooper30 
#1 ·
Okay, so I am a total newbie at reloading, but my dad was into it and has given me some pointers and I bought the Hornady manual (looking at the Hornady Lock-n-Load line of products, any comments?) anyway...

Given the current ammo shortage situation I've decided now is a good time to really commit to reloading, especially for my primary hunting caliber 30-06.

I've Googled and come up with many sites but I was wondering if any of you experienced reloaders might have some tips for me on good vendors for the supplies or maybe even brands of products you'd recommend, or any other tips really for a new reloader. I'd really appreciate the feedback.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
You need 2 manuals (or more) IMHO One from a powder maker and one from bullet/equipment maker.

The last brass my buddy bought for his 25-06 from Cabala's a few weeks ago was W-W and its crap. If you don't already have brass, spend the extra to buy good brass. I always buy 200 or more for rifles, 1000 or more for pistols.

Lock and load means buy more stuff to me but I had up to 100 dies sets.

I fire form with cast bullets 311413 or 311466.

I try and buy my powder and primers at gunshows or the local stores like Sportsman Warehouse, Cabala's. Midway USA, MidSouth, Brownells and other plus e-bay.

Used equipment can be a good deal if you know what you are doing.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the advice guys. I've looked at multiple sites and it seems primers are just as hard to come by right now. I did find ONE small site that had some large rifle primers in stock and I think I'm going to grab all they got while I can. I've been doing the same with ammo as it's intermittently available. When I see it I get it. In the past week or two especially, it seems the ammo shortage has gotten worse and I've seen even 22LR prices double. Bullets and powder seem plentiful though, and brass. It's just primers that appear to be hard to find.

My dad does still have some old (probably 20 years) primers that looks okay but I don't know if they would still be good. They were not stored in a climate controlled environment and survived hurricane Harvey without being flooded but... The moisture... So yeah, I don't know if those would work.

Anyway I'm going to grab these primers, they're Remington. And I've been saving my 30-06 brass for ages so I have a few hundred at least.

I just don't have the reloading equipment. My dad did have an RCBS set up but it flooded in hurricane Harvey so it's rusted to hell.
 
#8 ·
I’ll add https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/ and http://www.shootersproshop.com/. Midsouth occasionally has powder on sale and drops the hazmat fee. Shooterspro has Nosler bullets that are seconds and sometimes they are a good deal. Deals are few and far between right now.

Set up accounts with the company’s everybody has listed so you can get their sale emails and wait on a good price.
 
#10 ·
In this climate, I wouldnt be in too much of a hurry to be buying. Nows really not the time.

People who panic bought the guns and ammo, are now thinking its a good idea to start reloading because they cant find any ammo.

If I were you, Id do as much reading up on things as I could right now, so you have a better understanding of things and maybe a direction of how you might want to go, and squirrel away your money for when things settle down, and come back around.


One other thing you may want to consider, powder and primers bought online or over the phone, etc, have an additional hazmat shipping charge, that is added. That charge can vary wildly, and it almost seems some are trying to make up for a lack of sales with it. I saw one place online that was charging over $40 for the fee. Its normally around $25.


The hazmat charge is bad enough, but a lot of places are now limiting you to small quantities of what you want to buy, making things even worse.

As an example, a while back, Midway had primers for something like $38/1000, but you could only get 1000. By the time is was all said and done, those (already overpriced) primers were going to cost you over $60/1000.

As I said above, nows the time to wait things out, not to be buying.
 
#12 ·
Welcome to the addiction. There is no one stop shop, especially now. I have a list of probably 12 retailers I check with and compare. I call BS on anyone naming Midway and Brownells. Yes they have product, but it is overpriced to the moon. They are great for dies, bullet molds, ect, but their actual component prices are ridiculous. This is my personal checklist.

1. Powder Valley - primers and powder - Hands down best supplier. Buy in bulk

Midsouth shooter supply - Projectiles
NE Reloading - Projectiles
Everglades - Projectiles
Natchez
Wideners
Starline - Brass

PM me if there's anything specific you need or are stuck on anything. Good luck.
 
#14 ·
Back when I reloaded a lot I bought from https://americanreloading.com/en/

They had good prices and decent shipping.

Sign up for their email deals. Here are some codes I just got last week.


25% Off ALL Projectiles

Use code - bullets
*excludes LOS*


30% Off Primed Cases

Use code - cases


10% Off Rifle Powders

Use code - rifle


15% Off Pistol & Shotgun Powders

Use code - pistol
 
#17 ·
I'll disagree. If you are wanting to get into reloading....get er done. Don't wait "until when". I have been reloading for 45 years and while the money you spend on start up equipment can/will be sizable it will nothing compared to the years and years of rolling your own ammo when you want to. My only other advice is to buy the best quality equipment you can afford.
 
#19 ·
The two I normally get torqued at for shipping are Natchez and Midway.

They both often run some pretty good deals, and then try and make up for it (big too!) in shipping on the last page when you go to check out.

Unless they are the only one who has what I need, which is pretty rare these days, I rarely buy from either anymore, just because of it.

Natchez is the worst of the two, and their shipping is often twice that of others for the same items, but Midway isnt all that far behind them either.
 
#22 ·
Going way back Midway was always more expensive than the rest and high priced shipping. I only started buying from them in the last four years when they had a really good sale and free shipping.

Natchez is not bad, but again I buy from them on sale items and free shipping.

Grafs and Wideners are decent too and I juggle buying from all of them based on price and shipping.
 
#21 ·
I have purchased from every single company mentioned
With the exception of American Reloading and a few more on top of that
Shop around

For reloading manuals I like Richard Lee's Modern Reloading and Lyman's 50th Edition ( I have several earlier versions) and Lyman Cast Bullets (3rd and 4th)

If at all possible, I would start with a true straight-walled cartridge
9mm is tapered
Just makes things easier
The case prep is much easier

But, you have to start somewhere and the .30-06 is a fine cartridge
You would probably want to get some case prep tools if you start with a bottle-necked cartridge

Good choice to start would be for a revolver like .357 mag, .45 Colt, ot .44 mag etc if you have a revolver

I have never owned one, but a good press to start with is the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme
Get the Master Reloading Kit and RCBS has a $75 rebate now for under $400 and $100 for over $400 so RCBS Dies make sense to hit $400
You are getting a good deal and a life-long press

Here is link to Midsouth South Shooters Supply for the RCBS Master Kit and make sure to get the
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/000449354/rock-chucker-supreme-master-reloading-kit

It is $389.49 and you get a rebate to bring the price down

Everyone should have at least one good single stage press and the Rock Chucker can take the Lock N Load bushings if you have to have those


Start there and take it slow
There is a lot of stuff that you will probably buy over the years
So take it slow

I like the In-Line Fabrication Mounts and plates for your bench

I like Redding dies, but they all work just fine, Lee Precison (best value), RCBS, CH4D, Dillon Precision are the most common ones I have, but there are others and again, they all work fine

Take it slow and enjoy
 
#24 ·
Very well said. The advice on straight walled cases especially. I started with 9MM. Those were some frustrating first weeks.

I've had a RockChucker for a good 10 years and it's one fine press. No joke, I could wipe it down and near pass it off for new. Thing would survive a nuclear blast.
 
#26 ·
Soooo THAT’S what happened to them....I frequented their website way back when quite a bit...then they went very meh.

To the OP

Sometimes you gotta take risks and go a little deeper into the google webpages searching for reloading components more than you want to.

Anyone looking to get into reloading, save your spent brass now, buy your bullets when you can find deals...estate sales, market forums, auctions, online retailers...wherever.

There’s good advice in this thread

And prices always seem to go up, up, and up.
 
#27 ·
For pistols I'd definitely want to load more 9mm than anything, though I do like my revolvers so have quite a bit of 357 Magnum too. Just a little bit of 45 ACP. I don't shoot too much of that. Either way, primers are a real pain to find right now, and I haven't really made a habit of keeping my pistol brass (never considered reloading it) so I have none to reload. I'll definitely start saving it though if I can.

I'm still kind of torn on which reloading system I want but my dad still has a bunch of old RCBS stuff, particularly dies that did survive the flood so I might just go with the rock chucker. I'll be sharing all the stuff with him anyway so that makes the most sense.
 
#29 ·
There has been so much good advice given here and I think Cat wrangler said it best with try to find a local reloading store you can walk into. Their prices might be a dollar or two higher on some things but the knowledge you will gain in the beginning will both keep you safe and save you money in the long run. Its priceless in my opinion!

For me, I have learned that like most things in life, there is no one size fits all to reloading. It mainly depends on what you want to reload and what your expectations are from it. I started on a single stage planning to only load 308, that didn't last long!! When I started loading pistol, the single stage only made me have a hatred for reloading. I ended up buying a cheaper turret loader just for pistol, which allowed me to feel more accomplish for the time spent at the bench and away from other things. Once I learned the process, my money was spent towards equipment that would save me time. I have sense upgraded to better equipment on the progressive press side but still load large rifle on the single stage. If I where to do it again, I would buy the best progressive I could have afforded when I went to loading pistol. I think the money I would have saved would have bought me some time saving brass prep equipment LOL

No matter what type or how many "super charged, best of best progressive reloaders" people have on their bench, you will usually see a single stage mounted somewhere there to!

Welcome to the hobby!
 
#30 ·
I just put in an order to precision. one box of 7 mm GMX projectiles and one bag of 22 hornet brass. not much. Shipping was $23.00. makes local purchase look good but 22 hornet brass is not easy to find. I had loaded all my hornet brass and failed to load any lead free for California shooting. Mistakes are expensive.
 
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