Of all the advice here, I'll second this opinion above all others because the book is rife with pictures. That's not to say the rest of the posts don't offer great advice, but if you're a beginner on your own, you'll find this book an invaluable primer for the novice reloader who doesn't know what they don't know.Hammer said:
For all the accessories mentioned, you could buy used RCBS equipment--EBay is a great source, as are most firearms forum classified sections (if they have an 'accessories' section). RCBS warranties damn near everything for life--they repaired my Pro-Melt lead melting pot 15 years after I bought it, at no charge except my cost for one-way shipping. It required new electronics and a new pot liner--essentially, the only remaining original parts were the frame and casing. I don't think anyone would argue that RCBS's warranty service and guarantee is among the very best in any industry. Dillon's rep is comparable, I just don't follow the Dillon line of products to know if they offer all the accessories you'll need.
Try not to buy 'cheap'--you'll only have to replace cheap accessories with quality later. Borrow first, if you can. "Made in China" should be left there.
I suppose my contribution to the growing list of advice would be to skip the tumbler and media for right now if your finances require cuttin' corners (no insult intended)-- when I first started out, I washed my brass by soaking them for ~ 20 minutes in vinegar, then I rinsed them all with water, drying them in open air for a couple days. They don't shine, but they're definitely clean enough to reload (it's an old cost-cutting trick--and you can use the vinegar over and over again; and vinegar is cheeep). You can save the cost of a tumbler and media for other things and buy them later at your convenience. (Caution: BRASSO is NOT good for cleaning bullet casings.)
I'd skip the hand primer, too, avoiding the expense until later. If your Dillon press can prime cases, I'd use it. I've never had trouble priming on a press with my Dillon, RCBS, or Hornady presses. Hand priming is believed to be critical amongst some benchrest riflers for accuracy, but with some diligence, it's easy to safely prime a case in a press for accuracy. If you do go the hand primer route, the old Lee hand priming tool is a champ.
I'd even skip the bullet puller right now; when I bought mine ~20 years ago, I paid ~$12 for it; it hasn't pulled $12 worth of bullets yet. And their price doesn't ever seem to go up.
