Basics needed for reloading .38 special?

[Rocky Raab]

I modestly refer you to my webpage to read Reloading 101 (click link below).

You can buy a very basic Lee Loader kit for about $20 (if you can find one) but most people would be better suited by getting a more capable outfit.

A Lee Anniversary kit is the simplest, least expensive and also least robust of the several reloading kits available.

Most other reloading companies offer reloading kits (RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, Redding, etc) that start in the $295 range. In addition to those, you'll need a set of dies for each cartridge, a matching shellholder plus expendable materials like powder, primers and bullets. Figure another $100 or a bit less.

It seems like a hefty outlay but reloading equipment almost never wears out, and you'll recoup the cost in as few as ten to twenty boxes of ammo versus factory stuff.

The very first thing to buy? A reloading manual. I highly recomend the Lyman Handbook for beginners. It has a great instructional section, and isn't restricted to a single brand of bullets or powder.