decided to reload starting with 556/223 what do I need

[Tactical Turtle 11]

Here is my cart at cabelas am I missing anything?

 

RCBS® Rock Chucker Supreme Select Reloading Kit

RCBS® AR Series Small Base Two-Die Rifle Set

Cabela's Model 400 Vibratory Case Tumbler Kit

Cabela's Corn Cob Media and Brass Case Polish Combo

Cabela's Rotary Media Separator

RCBS® Universal Shell Holders

RCBS® Universal Case Loading Block

RCBS® Primer-Pocket Swager Combo - 2

RCBS® Headed Decapping Pins - Per 5

 

 

I know I need, powder, primers and bullets.

But I figured I can start this now and atleast clean and prep my bras until I can find the components

[Tactical Turtle 11]

Added 2 things to my cart

Lyman Primer-Pocket Cleaner

Cabela's Bullet Puller

 

damn almost 900 bucks haha

[njJoniGuy 2,133]

If you're planning on using Varget for propellant (which technically smokeless gunpowder is) the Lee Perfect powder measure is great.

It has a rubber sweep to deal with that particular shape (extruded)

 

The RCBS universal trays are just ehhh, the Frankford Arsenal ones from MidwayUSA are much better

 

Lots of motorized case prep tools out there now.

 

Loading .223 is all about case prep which is best done single stage

I love my RockChuckers

 

For pistol only, the Dillon Square Deal B is the place to be.

[JonF 79]

This list looks very good and quite complete. I would suggest a couple alterations:

 

First, skip The "AR series" dies, there's no real need to crimp rifle ammo. Yes, its done for nato ammo, but for reloading its not that necessary. If you do need to crimp for any reason, a Lee factory crimp die is a better option. I's suggest the RCBS Small Base X-die set as an alternative. These will help you extend your trim intervals immensely. unfortunately Cabelas doesn't carry them but plenty of other vendors do and all the stuff (except the cabelas branded items) you have above can be ordered from those vendors as well.

 

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/807582/rcbs-x-die-2-die-set-223-remington-small-base

 

Ditch the RCBS case block and get the MTM; its a much better unit.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/MTM-Universal-Case-Loading-Block/706310.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dmtm%2Bcase%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=mtm+case&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

 

Also, those kinetic bullet pullers are terrible and you'll be sick of using it after the first attempt. I know they're cheap, but a good cam lock collet puller is so easy, you'll love it. Here;s the puller die, you'll also need a specific collet for the caliber.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady-Cam-Lock-Bullet-Puller/705372.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dhornady%2Bpuller%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=hornady+puller&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

 

If you're going to buy case prep tools (reamers, cleaners, etc), you might as well get the entire set.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Reloading/Tools-Accessories|/pc/104792580/c/104761080/sc/104635080/Lyman-Universal-Case-Prep-Accessory-Tool-Kit/706426.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FN%3D1100198%26WTz_l%3DSBC%253BBRprd1317262&WTz_l=SBC%3BBRprd1317262%3Bcat104635080

 

One nice thing about the Rock Chucker is that you can convert it to use hte Nornady Lock N Load quick change bushing system. You remove the stock threaded die bushing and replace it with a lock n load style receiver. Then you can purchase a set of lock n load die bushings for your dies and then swapping dies will never be easier!

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady174-Lock-N-Load174-Conversion-Kit/1324252.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D5100193%26Ne%3D5100193%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dlock%2Bn%2Bload%2Bconversion%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchallpartial%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_st%3DSearchRefinements%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Dlock%2Bn%2Bload%2Bconversion%26searchTypeByFilter%3DAllProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=lock+n+load+conversion&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hornady174-Lock-N-Loadreg-Die-Bushings/739970.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dhornay%2Bbushing%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=hornay+bushing&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

 

Lastly, since you'll be getting the RCBS trimmer with your kit, you can add on the power drive unit to speed up trimming. You'll hate hand trimming in no time so consider that upgrade eventually.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/RCBS-Trim-Pro174-Case-Trimmer-Power-Unit/741079.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Drcbs%2Btrimmer%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=rcbs+trimmer&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

[raz-0 1,259]

My 5.56 kit. (scales, calipers, and other heavily shared items not included)

 

Rcbs bench swager. Got it on sale for $63. Saves huge amounts of time and energy on crimped primer pockets.

 

Rcbs trimmer with 3 way cutter. You can chuck up a drill, but I can go faster by hand.

 

Lee hand primer

 

2x 50 round cartridge specific loading blocks.

 

Hornady l-n-l powder measure ( best bang for the buck by a huge margin) on a stand.

 

Satern aluminum funnel. Yeah, it's a $12 funnel and is cartridge specific But it is actually static free, and powder gets in the case at the speed of gravity, not the speed of futzing with adapters and a $3 plastic funnel that is theoretically static free.

 

Lee turret press (the newer steel version). It's affordable, consistent, strong, and lets me leave my dies set up. The way overpriced competition is not worth a price premium that can cover the majority of the rest of this list.

 

Die set with small base resizing die. It's not much more effort, and you don't have to worry about which guns need a small base die and which don't. Other than small base, it becomes personal preference about brand really fast. I'm running a small base x-die for resize, a redding competition seating die, and a lee fcd for crimp.

 

Sizing wax. (one shot spray WILL have asking how you get stuck brass with no case rim left or no case head at all out of a resizing die) I'm running a huge tub of wax that is a knockoff of royal. It was in stock, cheaper, and still smells like carnauba, bees wax, and lanolin except with more lanolin. Love the smell.

 

Unless you are going for a 1050 set up to trim and swage, you have to take each piece out and trim, then you have to take a long pause to ensure the powder drops.

 

Then I just batch load through the stages. At a reasonable pace, 200 rounds took me about 3.5 hours starting with tumbled lake city with the primers still crimped in. I can visually verify powder drop, and inspect a whole block at once for powder charge uniformity.

[Celraysoda 7]

YouTube videos were a huge help when setting up my presses. There is a lot of good instructional videos out there for all sorts of set ups.

[NJKen 23]

I think thats a pretty good start you have there. Its about what I still use now.

Ken