+1 Reloading pays for itself so fast its ridiculous.
Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit...$100
RCBS Carbide 3-Die Set 45 ACP, 45 GAP..................$45
Frankford Arsenal Electronic Caliper 6" Stainless Steel.$25
That pretty much covers 'capital equipment', now on to materials
Brass........... Free, just pick 'em up
Rainier LeadSafe Bullets 45 Caliber (451 Diameter) 200 Grain Plated Round Nose $18 per 100
Hodgdon Universal Clays Smokeless Powder...............$22 per pound (over 1000 rounds worth)
CCI Large Pistol Primers....$3.50 per 100
This should yield a price of about $12/box of 50
Buying bullets in bulk drops it to $8.60, or even less. Get your buddies together on a material buy.
Buy your powder and primers locally. Shipping incurs a hazardous materials fee that negates small volume buys.
Guys, did I miss anything for basic reloading? All the load data is on line, so no sense spending money on books.
Oh, and measure powder VERY carefully. The Lee kit comes with a scale, its pretty good for validating the settings on the powder dropper.
Overcharging a round will ruin your gun, ruin your day, ruin your life. This is MOST CRITICAL. I can never say too much about careful weighing of charges.
Been there, done that. Stings like a bitch, and I got off easy.