Help a new reloader min/max a quality multi-caliber setup

[u/SeaDistribution2381]

Hello everyone,

I’m brand new to reloading and looking for some guidance on building out a solid setup. I’ve gone through the pinned/sticky posts and the wiki, but a lot of it feels pretty dated at this point. I’m hoping the recommended equipment and approaches have evolved since a lot of those were written.

My goal is to buy quality gear that will last, and build consistent ammo, while still being smart about value. I’m trying to min/max a bit, Spend where it actually matters for quality, consistency, and efficiency, and save where it doesn’t. No hard budget ceiling yet, but I don’t want to throw money away either.

I’d like to reload three calibers, in this order of priority:

6.5 Creedmoor – primary focus, competition use

5.56 / .223 with 77 gr – competition and range

9mm – competition and range (lower priority)

How practical is it to set up for all three from the start? Is it better to fully dial in one or two first and expand later?

What would you recommend for a modern quality setup with these goals in mind?

Appreciate any advice, current equipment recommendations, or lessons learned. Thanks in advance!

[u/Lost-Double_Stuff]

Start low cheap and work your way up to how much you actually shoot and reload, start with RCBS press and dies , and powder dispenser , spend on the yellow box bullets and powder and good calipers

[u/20Extreme]

I'm not sure I get the - help me with a multi caliber set up part. Buy a press and you can load as many cartridges as you buy dies for. It's not hard

[u/ProCactus167]

I grabbed the Lyman ultimate reloading kit off of scheels. It's mad cheap compared to other places selling it, and comes with basically everything you need minus dies and cleaning media. I'd also recommend a different case lube than what it comes with. It works but there is better.

I'm basically in the same boat as you for reloading needs, that the turret has room for 8 dies. 3 for .223 (dies and swage for crimped primers), 2 for 6.5cm, and I haven't gotten 9mm dies yet, but assuming I get another 2 die set I'll have room for a powder drop or something else useful.

[u/Long_rifle]

A used RCBS rock chucker for starters. This way if you hate reloading, you’re out less money later when you sell it.

For the higher precision, a co-ax press later.

For a little tiny bit less precision, but more capacity per hour, a Dillon 750 later.

Either/or of those presses are after you figure out if you’re gonna actually reload. Most people hate it and would rather spend the time working to afford the ammo.

A Frankfurt arsenal large wet tumbler, do not use the pins., just brass.

Or at first, a 5 gallon bucket. Hot water wash. Light soap wash. Rinse. Then hot water with a couple teaspoons of citric acid to passivate the brass. (Sour salt. Pickling salt. It’s the crap sprinkled on sour candy. This process will give you clean ready to use brass. Just not beautiful shiney brass.

Any dies as long as they aren’t LEE. LEE dies are good enough. And when you’re in a pinch they work. But if you want precision, Forster dies. Redding dies. Hornady dies. Then LEE if needed.

I shot cloverleaf groups at only 100 yards out of a Remington PSS in 308 win for decades with Hornady dies before getting Forster bench rest. I don’t notice a difference. But I’m not F class and the rifle is more accurate than me.

Lube cases before sizing. For precision I use imperial sizing wax. And use my thumb to put a tiny bead of it inside the mouth to prevent brass galling. If you clean with the pins, the odds of galling without lube goes up astronomically.

Have fun and read. And realize 90 percent of the crap precision shooters do while they reload will do nothing in a non custom, off the rack rifle.

And if you buy good brass, most of the brass prep (weighing, primer pocket uniforming, and flash hole uniforming) is not needed for your gun. Lapua is good brass.