New to Reloading

Hey all,

I’m looking to start reloading and have been doing a good bit of research over the last few days.

I’m currently looking at a Lee Pro 4000 progressive press kit. Sadly my wife will murder me in my sleep if I spend Dillon money.

I was wondering what else I should be buying in terms of tools? Currently on my list is a scale for double checking powder loads, a cheap digital micrometer for OAL checking, and a powder trickler for adjusting loads. Are there any other tools I should be getting as well?

As for loads, I’m trying to achieve as cheap as possible 9mm while still being reliable. All my reloads will be for plinking since I legally cannot carry reloads on duty and I’d rather trust a manufacturer if my life depends on it anyways.

As for the load itself, I am thinking Capital Cartridge mixed brass, Capital Cartridge RN plated 115g, CFE Pistol powder, and either Remington or Federal primers. That lands me at either 19.7¢/rd or 20.5¢/rd depending on primer. That is assuming a 5g load of CFE Pistol. Looking at 155g Lead RN data on Hodgedon’s manual, they recommend 4.9g-5.4g, but I’m not sure if the plated RN would need a different range.

Material Costs:

CC Washed & Polished Mixed Brass - $45/1000
CC 115g Plated RN - $66/1000
CFE Pistol Powder - $48/lb
Federal Champion Primers - $60/1000

Tooling Costs:
Lee Pro 4000 9mm kit - $287
RCBS 1500g Scale - $38
FA Trickler - $29
Neiko Digital Calipers - $25

Any advice or suggestions regarding tooling or the load itself would be greatly appreciated!